I Is For Ice Cream (with topping, and history)

I love ice cream, and I really love ice cream with toppings! Farmer John's Grandma Schaar made the best Butter Pecan Sauce. Before I share Grandma's recipe, I want to share a bit of family history, because I like family stories almost as much as ice cream.

Grandma and Grandpa Schaar were married in 1935. Grandpa whisked Grandma away from the big city to become his farm-wife bride. They bought their farm from Grandpa's parents by splitting the cream payments with his parents until the farm was paid for.

The farm started with 15 cows, a few pigs, chickens, and their horses Nellie, Jenny, and their dog Shep.

Grandma and Grandpa raised wheat, corn, soybeans, and hay. Seven years after being married, electricity and plumbing were introduced to the farm house.

I love the rich farming history Farmer John and I have. I have been dabbling in family history, and as of my current exploring, John is at least a forth generation farmer, and I am a sixth generation!

BUTTER PECAN SAUCE

1/2 cup butter

1 cup pecan pieces

1 cup brown sugar 

1/3 cup heavy cream or half-n-half

1/4 cup corn syrup

In heavy saucepan, melt butter. Add pecans. Heat until pecans are lightly toasted and butter is lightly browned. Stir in brown sugar, cream, and corn syrup. Cook gently until sugar is completely dissolved. Do not overcook. Serve warm or cold over ice cream or cake.

H Is For Haylage

Bremer Farms has been busy stocking the cow's pantry this week. We began chopping hay that we will feed to our dairy cows. Haylage is green, freshly cut alfalfa that is cut a few days earlier, then chopped to be served to our cows later.  This is a good alternative to baling hay which requires that the alfalfa be drier.

 

This was my first time running the chopper. I had a beautiful view of a beautiful day, but it took me awhile to get the hang of the chopper biz. After broken parts, and a broken chain, which I thought was something I did, Farmer John came to my rescue, and assured me that "it was their time to go, and I had nothing to do with it." Was he being honest, or just kind? Either way he let me keep my job, so off I went again.

I spent much of  my time looking over my shoulder to make sure everything was running smoothly. All was well until I hit a rather large gopher mound which was hidden beneath the freshly cut row of hay. Everything jammed up. For you experienced chopper drivers, I know now what I should have done to avoid this problem, but give me a break, I'm a rookie. Anyway... it was now 8:30 PM, so in I went from the field, where Farmer John, Sara and I unplugged the chopper, so we are ready to go again...after supper, showers, and a good night's sleep.

This video, from my You Tube page, shows the chopping process in a previous year. 

 Once the haylage leaves the field it is stored in a concrete bunker until it is fed to our cows. The haylage is  tightly packed, using a tractor, or, in this video, a payloader. This reduces the air from causing the haylage to rot. The end of this video shows unloading the wagon that just came from the field. After it is unloaded, the payloader adds the haylage to the pile which is being packed.

The final step is to cover the fresh haylage with a plastic sheet, weighed down with discarded tires. This is again to keep the haylage from rotting. We only serve healthy food for our cows!

Framer John has "invited" me to run the chopper again today. Wish me luck!

Speaking of luck...do you feel lucky?

Enter to win The Dairy Good Cookbook from My Barnyard View. Time is almost up so do it today. Thanks, and Happy June Dairy Month!

 

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G Is For Greek Yogurt

What's the difference between Greek yogurt and traditional yogurt?

Greek yogurt is strained to remove much of the liquid whey, lactose and sugar. This gives it a thicker consistency than traditional yogurt.

In some cases, Greek yogurt packs double the protein and roughly half the carbohydrates as regular yogurt. Greek yogurt works well in recipes because of its tangy flavor, creamy texture and thicker consistency.

Whether you choose Greek, or traditional, yogurt works well in recipes.
Midwest Dairy can help with your recipe search.

PS- I considered naming today's blog post "G Is For Good Gosh, Why Do We Farm?" It has been quite a day on Bremer Farms. This morning and early afternoon I attended a meeting for my position as Minnesota Dairy Princess Coordinator while John and Michael began chopping hay. My family and I finally sat down to lunch at 2:00. By 3:00 we were all in the field chopping hay again. At 4:30, Farmer John was heading to the implement dealer to buy a replacement chain for the one that broke on the hay chopper. At 5:45 I was back in the hay field, with the newly repaired chopper, with all going well until 8:30 when I came across a gopher mound that decided  it was going to play havoc with the chopper. At 10:35PM the chopper is fixed, we sat down to a quick hot dog, grapes and chocolate milk for dinner. It is now 12:33AM. Blog is done, time for a shower and I'll be snoring before my head hits the pillow. Good gosh, I'm glad every day isn't like this!

F Is For Farmer John

If you have read the "About Janet" tab on the top of this page you already know- 

I grew up on a chicken and dairy farm with my parents and brother and sister. As a teen I remember saying, "I'll never marry a farmer. Farmers work long hours, and rarely get a day off." Well, as the saying goes, never say never. Farmer John and I were married 32 years ago. I think it was his dedication and commitment to farming that brought us together. He reminds me of my dad. My mom and I often tease that I "married someone just like my father." That makes me smile.

 Farmer John is one of those people who always knew he wanted to be a farmer. He never wanted to be anything but a farmer. Growing up, he spent more time in the barn with the animals than anywhere else. It's where he wanted to be.

 When High School graduation came, he was excited to become a full time farmer. His dream was finally coming true.

 There is a familiar saying, “If you love your job, you will never work a day of your life.” I believe this is Farmer John’s motto. He loves what he does each day, and although he is one of the hardest working men I know, I can bet he will never call his job work. It’s this attitude and optimism that makes Farmer John so content to do what we do, each and every day.

I recently asked him what he wanted to do if he couldn't farm. "I can't think of anything I'd rather do." Yep. That's why I love him!

Don't forget to enter to win The Dairy Good Cookbook.

ENTER HERE

Happy June Dairy Month.

See you tomorrow!

E Is For Events

Do you live on a farm? Probably not. Only 2% of Americans do. 

Have you ever visited a farm? Most people haven't.

Many farms invite visitors during June Dairy Month. There are many farms that host tours, meals, and family fun activities. So here's your chance to see what happens on the farm to get the milk from the cow to you! 

If you live in the Midwest United States, or are visiting this area during June Dairy Month, CLICK HERE   to find a farm event near you. Not in the Midwest? I encourage you to search online for an event near you. 

The Barn Doors Are Open!

Don't forget to enter to win The Dairy Good Cookbook ($25 value).
CLICK HERE FOR MY BARNYARD VIEW'S COOKBOOK GIVEAWAY.

MidwestDairy.com

D Is For Dairy3ForMe

Dear Students of Fair Oaks Elementary,

        Thank you for inviting me to come to your school to talk about what I do as a dairy farmer. I love talking about our farm and our cows. It was exciting to share my dairy story with 437 students and teachers!

     It was fun to tell you about my crazy family and how all of us, except Farmer John, work away from the farm as well. I hope you enjoyed hearing the story about Toby Gerhart of the Minnesota Vikings when he spent the day working on our farm!

     You were such a well behaved audience. I could tell you were really listening to my story. It makes me happy to know you want to learn about where milk comes from and how it gets to your school and grocery store.

    

      I thought it was really fun when we did the milk song, because you were so enthusiastic! Did your hands hurt after clapping so fast? 

    Thanks for completing the pledge cards I sent to your school. Your teachers did a great job of explaining that to stay healthy we should eat 3 servings of milk, cheese, or yogurt each day. 

     I thought it was really cool how many of you earned a reward of smoothies for being respectful, caring students! And how great that the yummy Strawberry-Peach Smoothies were prepared by the  Fuel Up To Play 60 team!

     Thanks to the FUTP60 team for everything you have done this school year to help keep your school active and eating right. And a special thanks to Mrs. Wetzel for being your advisor and helping with all the great activities you have completed this year.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy summer! 

Mrs. Bremer

Have you pledged to have your Dairy 3ForMe like the kids and teachers of Fair Oaks Elementary? 

If you haven't, CLICK HERE.

Also, CLICK HERE  for a chance to win a Dairy Good Cookbook from My Barnyard View. 

See you tomorrow!

C Is For Cookbook with a Giveaway!

The Dairy Good Cookbook is a celebration of the nation's nearly 47,000 dairy farm families. More than 100 recipes showcase the unique flavors and versatility of dairy, from cheese and yogurt, and milk and butter.

  

This cookbook also gives a unique look into a day-in-the-life of dairy farms and the farmers that care for their cows. Each chapter highlights a different breed of cow, and profiles the many types of dairy farms and dairy farmers.

So why am I telling you this?  You now have the opportunity to win a Dairy Good Cookbook from My Barnyard View! Good luck!

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