I know what you're thinking...It's the last day of June, and Janet is only on letter W! You're right, I fell behind. Have you ever heard the phrase, "stuff happens"? Well, "stuff" has been happening here on Bremer Farms. No, not all bad, just busy. As much as I had every intention to blog each day of June, sometimes life gets in the way. So please excuse the couple of missed days, and let me wrap-up our A-Z journey through June Dairy Month. (Thanks!)
I have shared this video before, but I like to share it occasionally since not everyone has been following my story since I began my blog four years ago. (I know, weird right? Not everyone was here from the beginning. But hey, you're here now, and that's what matters).
I made this video of our farm two years ago. The pictures may not be new, but the information is still current. I was asked by Phil Lempert of the Lempert Report to make this video. I hope you'll take time to watch it, and add a thought or question in the comments below, if you'd like.
I'll see you tomorrow as I continue to finish the alphabet. And if "stuff" stops happening, maybe I can update this video. Michael...I need you, pleeease.
Did you know it only takes about 48 hours for milk to go from the farm to your grocery store? What's standardization? Did you know a series of quality tests is run on all milk? Do you know how pasteurization is done? And why is milk pasteurized?
How does milk get from here...
to here?
Today I am sharing a short video that answers these questions, and many more, about the journey milk takes from dairy farms like ours, to grocery stores like yours. I hope you'll take four minutes to see the important steps milk takes, and the care everyone along that path takes to ensure milk is safe and good tasting for you and your family.
Also, I'm happy to announce the winner of The Dairy Good Cookbook is-
Congratulations Kiersten! The cookbook will be coming your way this week!
I'm taking you on a journey from A to Z throughout June Dairy Month.
So come on in...the barn doors are open!
B Is For Bremer Farms
Yesterday I shared a bit about the area we live in. Today it's all about our farm.
Bremer Farms began in 1952 and looked like this.
This is our farm today. It is the same view as the photo from1952, but a few things have changed. There are actually 13 barns and sheds hiding behind all those trees, and one house has been replaced by two!
Bremer Farms is home to Farmer John and I, our two children, Sara and Michael, and living right next door are John's parents, Roy and Karen. About 97% of all U.S. dairy farms are family owned and operated so our farm is the norm rather than the exception! I hope you will come along as I give you a short tour of our farm.
This week I was invited to do a third submission for
Food, Nutrition & Science is a newsletter prepared by Phil Lempert, Supermarket Guru, and his team. Each newsletter shares the latest news in food science, agriculture, health and wellness and sustainability efforts.
In the past I had been asked to make a video of our farm for readers to get a virtual tour of a dairy farm.
This month I was invited to choose my own topic for a feature called "From the Farmer's Tractor." I chose Sustainability, and what we at Bremer Farms do to take what we need to live now, without jeopardizing the potential for people in the future to meet their needs. You can read my guest column From The Farmer's Tractor here.
So it's a three-pete! Three times I have been invited by the Lempert Report to share what Bremer Farms is all about, and I will gladly accept a fourth, fifth, even one hundred invitations. I want everyone to know what we do "down on the farm" and the passion we have for the life we have chosen!
While you're visiting Food, Nutrition & Science read about my friend and fellow DairyMom Karen Bohnert.
And I thought June was crazy busy! The month of June brought me to my computer everyday as each day I shared a dairy topic in honor of June Dairy Month. Whew! A blog post each day can be fun, exhilarating, and exhausting. There will never be a month as busy as June, I heard myself saying.
Wrong!
Nearly 2 weeks (yes, I have failed you, and I apologize)
have passed since writing, so it is time to catch up on
what's been happening on, and off, Bremer Farms.
Farmer John and daughter Sara both celebrate their birthdays in July. Farmer John got his gift early as you may remember his automatic gate opener was installed as soon as it arrived. You can see it in action here. When I asked Sara what was on her birthday wish list, her response was plywood! If you know Sara you may already realize her thoughts can be a bit out-of-the-box, so this came as no surprise. She has plans for an even bigger, HUGE Christmas display on the farm this coming December and plywood will help to make it happen. John and I presented her with a Menard's gift card to get her a step closer to seeing her dream come true. You can bet her masterpiece will be featured on my blog later this year.
July is also our city's annual festival "Rivertown Days." Since Hastings sits on the banks of the Mississippi River, we celebrate the Mighty Mississippi and its beauty for four days each summer. The celebration culminates on Sunday with the grand day parade. Our family creates the float for son Michael's workplace, Hastings Community Television. This year Michael's boss chose to highlight Michael's show Take A Hike, Mike. After sewing 28 yards of skirting for the float, and outfitting 20 wanna-be-hikers with plaid shirts and bindle sticks (Mike's signature attire), it was time to roll down the parade route.
Even our farm truck got washed and decorated for a day off the farm to pull the float.
I know it looks like I'm just taking a milk break, but I'm also showing off a thank you gift from Midwest Dairy. This month I was asked to make a little video on why I share my dairy story. Why do I think it's important to be a Champion for Dairy? Take a look...
Mike's goal is to visit farms in his district to talk to farmers about issues that affect all of us. Mike understands the importance of farming and "goes to the source" to get farmer's perspective.
Farmer John shows County Commissioner Mike Slavik our calf barn while discussing current issues that affect farming.
I can't think of a better way to end the hectic month of July than with freshly made cheese curds. These ridiculously good cheese curds come from Redhead Creamery. You may remember their name from reading Say Cheese, Please. Congratulations to Alise and Lucas for achieving their dream of starting an on-farm, ecologically friendly, cheese plant.
I'll be back in a few days to share a few more July tidbits. Did I mention I also taught Summer school this month? And what about the root beer floats...and our two building projects on the farm...and the crops we have been harvesting...and...
The end of July also brought the end of National Ice Cream Month, but that doesn't mean the end of eating ice cream! Oh no it doesn't!
This week I was visited by Mary O'Brien, our local Community Education Director. I was the featured guest on her monthly television show "Unity Through Community." Mary is an avid follower of my blog, and her goal was to share a glimpse of dairy farming with her viewers.
We talked about the cows, and milking, and caring for our calves. All this , and a farm tour too! We also spoke about my blog and how it all got started. Why do I spend my free time writing this blog? Take a look and you'll find out.
Thank you Mary, for visiting Bremer Farms. And thanks for the kind words about my blog being an informative, honest, and open resource for consumers. I consider that a huge compliment!
"Hi Janet! Congrats on your nomination for the 2014 Social Media
Farmer of the Year award. My name is Allison B. and for the past
seven years I have interviewed farmers in our Q&A series for Food
Nutrition & Science from the Lempert Report. We also do a video series that shows our readers a day in the life of a farmer."
What's this? I believe I owe my readers an explanation. This spring I was notified by Midwest Dairy that they were nominating me for Social Media Farmer of the Year. This is a nation-wide, first annual recognition of farmers and ranchers who promote their industry using social media in an effective way. I just received an email last week letting me know that I was not the winner (insert sad face here) and that the winner would be announced in August. If I were a highly paid Hollywood actor, this would be the time to smile politely and say, "It was an honor just to be nominated." I may not be a movie star, but I do agree with the sentiment, it really is an honor to even be mentioned. Back to V Is For Video... Since telling my dairy farming story is the goal of my blog, I jumped at the opportunity to share a video with the Lempert Report. But who is Phil Lempert?
"Known as The Supermarket Guru ® ,
Lempert is a distinguished author and speaker who alerts customers and
business leaders to impending corporate and consumer trends, and
empowers them to make educated purchasing and marketing decisions. For twenty plus years Phil has served as food trends editor and correspondent for NBC News’ Today show,
reporting on consumer trends, food safety and money-saving tips, as
well as showcasing new products, as well as regular appearances on
ABC’s The View , The Oprah Winfrey Show, 20/20, CNN, CNBC, FOX , as well as on local television morning and news programs throughout the country."
And now I am proud to present "Bremer Farms" a video
produced by my son Michael.
You can also view the video by visiting these sites...
This week Midwest Dairy debuted a video that I am proud to share with you. It shows the pride and commitment we dairy farmers have for
Feedin' A Nation.
I hope you enjoy it!
Lyrics: I love the dairyman's life out here. And the smell that wafts so sweetly through the air... And when I milk them I can't deny These bovine babes are the apple of my eye. Cause my job is Feedin' a Nation Makin' food for the population I treat my girls with adoration And when I do they have a good lactation
Good good food, Feedin' a Nation (We gotta stop world starvation) Good good food, Feedin' a Nation (Every day's like summer vacation)
Milkin' the cows, gotta get to those udders now... Comfort and milk safety is our vow And when we help you to understand You will see our passion to protect the land. Cause my job is Feedin' a Nation Providin' milk for our civilization Ain't lookin' for a standing ovation But my hip might blow from this gyration!
Good good food, Feedin' a Nation Good good food, Feedin' a Nation (We're workin' hard to feed a nation) Gotta keep on feedin' a, proud and hungry nation with her Gotta keep on feedin' a, proud and hungry nation with her Gotta keep on feedin' a, proud and hungry nation with her Ahhhhhhhh Good good food, Feedin' a Nation (We're proud of our reputation) Good good food, Feedin' a Nation (Dairy Makes Sense is our web location)
