Drinking

I was in the grocery store tonight by Michigan State University. Two college girls were near me by the milk.

One girl took out a gallon of chocolate milk and said to her friend, "They say that when you work out, chocolate milk is the best drink for you."

"How come?" her friend asked.

"I think because it's lowfat and has a lot of protein," she answered.

I felt like I was in a commercial. That chocolate milk news has really gotten a good amount of publicity. It's regular dairy aisle talk!

I turned to them and said, "I'm a dairy farmer, and I just wanted to tell you that your conversation really warmed my heart."

They both laughed, and the chocolate milk proponent said, "I love dairy!"

I normally dread going to the grocery store, but maybe I should just hang out by the milk. Best trip in awhile.

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The first calf - still the only one - is doing well! She went to the bathroom and tonight Kris taught her to drink from a bucket. Hooray! Our calves have a bottle for two or three feedings, and then he moves them to drinking out of a bucket. He teaches them by letting them suck on his two fingers and then gradually putting his fingers in the milk bucket. Some of them catch on quickly, some of them take a long time, but they all get it eventually.

Today we sold all 25 of our one-year-old steers. Now the calf barn is empty and we can completely scour it with some heavy duty sanitizer before more calves are born. It's like getting a nursery ready ... minus the cute decorations, plus manure residue.