Top ten memorable moments of farming in 2013

I love end of the year lists.  So in summary ...

10. Taking down the haymow

I fear change.  But in order to make the barn useable, we needed to take out the floor of the haymow.  My great grandpa built the barn.  It looks so different.  But we saved the wood and we'll be using it in our garage someday!   

9. Representing farmers in DC

When you go to speak to our representatives, you might be the only dairy farmer they talk to that month.  True, nothing got done this year, but that's true most years.   

8. Covering the pile/bonfire/going away party with the guys

Really nice, fun people work here.  It's fun to hang out!

7. Watching my kids and niece play in the irrigation

They were screaming with joy.  The whole scene was just perfect.

6. Seeing my first calf of the season being born. 

Memorable doesn't always mean good.  I had the perfect spot ... and the time ... to watch a cow have a calf.  She pushed for just a little while, and then the calf was stillborn.  It was an awful ending.

5. Seeing the new herd come.

We bought a friend's herd.  It was so exciting to see them arrive!  Everyone was excited ... they had quite the welcoming committee!

4. Finishing the lagoon. 

The huge hole is done!  Watching people put down cement on a steep slope is impressive.

3.  Finishing the barn. 

Some people talk about builders and say they don't show up, or they do just a few hours of work, or they come late ... these builders were here 6:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. every day they worked here.  Even on weekends some people came.  It took a long time, but it was just because it was a lot of work.  Kudos to them! 

As a gift, the builders gave us a ham for Christmas.  This is the most expensive ham ever.  Ha!

 

2. Finding out our herd didn't have tuberculosis. 

Wow - what an incredible relief!  Six weeks of talking about 'WHAT IF', ending with, 'GIANT SIGH.' 

1. Getting a history book

For Christmas, my mom gave us a book called 'Homestead' that she compiled.  It's the history of our house and farm.  It has original documents, pictures, the history of everyone who farmed here, what changes they made to the farm and house, and even letters from my dad, my dad's siblings, and cousins.  I was so moved and so happy.  The next day, Kris' mom gave him a book she made about his genealogy with pictures, stories, and family history! 

Before this, I always said that if there were a fire I wouldn't need to rescue anything material.  Now I do!  Kris thinks we need a fire safe.

So, we're on year 6 of farming, year 12 of being married, year 4 of blogging, and year 1 of talking about tuberculosis for a month straight.  Let's add to all of those but one in 2014.  Happy new year!

Frozen

 

I've never seen ice like this before.  Usually it ices a little and then melts away ... but there has been no melting since it happened on Sunday! We got an ice storm, then a snow storm.  Then more snow.  The ice is so heavy that we watched tree branches break off and shatter on the ground.  After I watched it happen three times I told my children to walk directly into the house - not under any trees. They started in and a branch broke directly above us and just missed my son. It was a branch, not a limb, but it would've done some damage!  When you drive around, you see limb after limb on the ground.  80,000 people lost power.

Of course, when it's this cold there are bound to be problems on the farm. 

On Sunday, Kris came home later than usual.  His sister and brother-in-law were visiting from Texas.  We sat down and asked Kris how his morning went.  He said, "Oh ... I had a few issues."

But he didn't say it in his normal voice, because he could hardly talk.  He said his throat hurt.  (I can't even remember the last time Kris was sick, so this was odd.)  So while we ate lunch, he ate out of an ice cream container.  After he'd cooled his throat off, he listed what happened that morning due to the cold:

The tractor door was so frozen.  He had to scrape it and the windshield for 10 minutes.  Eventually, he pried it open with a crowbar. 

The garage door to the barn wouldn't open.  He could do it manually if he could push and pull these cords at the same time, but in order to do that he had to balance on top of the metal poles that are placed there so no one runs into the barn.  Super safe anytime, especially when icy!

He noticed the cows were gathered around the water tanks ... and saw that they had no water.  When the power had gone off and back on, the water pump had stopped pumping.  He was able to restart it.

There were issues with the milking.

As he was telling us this ... our power went out.  Kris said he'd better go start the generator, because the milk truck wouldn't be able to pump out the morning milking without electricity.   (Apparently it's not like flipping a switch.  You have to hook it up to a tractor.)  But he made no move to leave. 

That's when I knew he was really sick.

The power was out for about an hour, and when it flashed on for a moment and I said, "Quick!  Make a cup of coffee!" Hoping that would heal him. 

It stayed on (thankfully!) and he didn't have to start the generator.

He went to see the doctor as soon as they opened on Monday.  He had strep throat.  She told him it was the worst she'd seen in awhile.

But!  I couldn't post any of that because our internet provider in town didn't have power.  We got it back last night.  So as of today, everything is still frozen, it's still super cold (24), people still don't have power ... but we were lucky enough not to lose it for any length of time.  Kris' antibiotics made him feel like a new person within 24 hours, and we had a fantastic Christmas with our friends and families.

So, merry day-after-Christmas from the frozen farm!  I hope your holiday was merry, bright, and free of falling branches!

Unbelievable

We woke up Saturday morning to a really snowy day.  I divided our last drops of 2% milk between the three boys so that their cereal was almost wet.

"Can I have some more milk, please?" Cole asked.

I told him we didn't have any.  We were out.

"Can I just have some girl milk, then?"  he asked.  (That's what they call skim milk.  I'm the only girl and I'm the only one that drinks it.  I haven't corrected them.)

I told him we didn't have any of that, either.  We were totally out of milk.

"When are we going to the store, then?" he asked.  I figured we'd go later, when they scraped the roads.

We went sledding and came home for lunch.  The roads were still not scraped.  My youngest son didn't feel good.  Kris was out of the state for the weekend.  We weren't going to the store.

"Can I have a cup of milk, please?" Ty asked at lunch.  I told him there wasn't any. 

"Any at all?" he pressed.

(Like I'm hiding milk.  Of course, I hide some food from them, but this is milk.)

"I know!" I said.  "What kind of farmers are we?!" 

They joked around about getting milk right from the parlor.  I reminded them that's how we got milk when I was growing up.  They thought that wouldn't be great because it would be warm. 

The rest of the day I realized how much they ask for milk, because I had to say no so many times.

This morning, the boys got up to eat breakfast and Cole poured himself some cereal.  I said, "That cereal's really messy to eat dry.  Do you want some yogurt on it?" 

He laughed and said, "No, I want milk."

"We don't have any milk, remember?" I said.

Three sets of eyes fixed on me with total disbelief.  I tried not to laugh.

I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but ... yes, they eat cereal with milk on it every morning.  This had actually never happened before.  We'd never run out of milk and not had it for two days.  But they didn't think it was just an inconvenience - they were actually alarmed.

Cole stopped pouring.  "When are we going to the store?  Right now?  Can we go now?" 

They still hadn't scraped the roads, but we just went slow.  We bought a cartful of groceries and three gallons of milk. 

They must have felt like they were at a deficit, because the three of them finished a gallon of one of the 'boy' milks today. 

When Ty asked for another cup of milk I said, "Yes - because we went to the store!"

He said, "Yay!  Now we're real farmers again!"

Oh, so it wasn't just that we didn't have milk to drink.  To him, we'd lost all credibility. 

The shadowy organization you’ve never heard of

Last week Kris and I stole away with hundreds of other agricultural people for our annual meeting.

There - as part of an exclusive group - we debated and discussed and voted on book-length policy.   We covered everything from tagging cattle to the definition of a full-time farmer.  Over three days, every single word of every single change in our written doctrine was voted on.

And this was just in Michigan ... the same meeting was happening all over the country. 

There isn’t an organization for agriculture (dare I say) that has more governmental influence.  Elected officials come to address us.  People want our support.  Governmental people want to be associated with us.   

What is this shadowy organization?  It's Farm Bureau.

Ever heard of it?  No, it's not just an insurance company.  (We do have a partnership with Farm Bureau Insurance.  It's different.)  For 94 straight years, people in Farm Bureau have been getting together to make sure that the government hears the voice of people in agriculture. 

When Kris and I moved to the farm we got involved with Farm Bureau because we wanted to meet other farmers.  Kris is on the local board, so through that we met fun local people.  By attending the state annual meeting and a couple national ones, we became great friends with farmers from around the state and country. 

These meetings have everyone from new moms with babies to super old farmers who have been going to these meetings since ... they were the babies being brought along.  Sugar beet farmers mix with sheep farmers and apple farmers hang out with dairy farmers.  We're all in it together, working for the good of our industry.  More voices, louder voices - hopefully better results! 

Each year, we've gotten to know more and more people.  It's so fun walking around and talking to everyone - some people that you see only once a year - and hanging out together in vibrant Grand Rapids.  Michigan State always plays UNC in basketball one night when we're there, we always go out, and every single year has ended in dancing.

So yes, this age-old organization is responsible for working with government officials to implement member-driven policy.  It's also a fantastic way to get to know other driven, involved, and outgoing farmers. 

And, probably, the closest I'm going to get to joining a secret society.



 

Thanksgiving

Kris had to get up earlier than usual today to feed the cows because we had a turkey trot.

He sprang from bed, bright and early!  There's nothing he loves more than a race!

Just kidding.  Kris runs in Thanksgiving races only because I love to run them.  It's one of my most favorite traditions.  We've run them in several states over many years.

I'd gotten the children ready and we were heading out of the house.  The car was warming up.  We were leaving at 7:45 a.m. and I assumed Kris would make it home in time.

Then he called.  As I moved to answer it, I steeled myself against bad news.  I figured I could take the three of them anyway without him - it just wouldn't be as much fun.

"Are you in the car?" he asked.

"Not quite.  Just heading out.  Why?"

"My truck won't start.  I'll just walk home."

He did, and we left only 5 minutes later than we planned.

So, let's add that to the list of things I'm thankful for - that we live within walking distance of the barn!

5 myths about farmers

1. They’re all a bunch of old guys wearing overalls.

When I returned from a recent dairy meeting with fun young people, my friend said, “How many young farmers are there, really?  Because all I read about is how farmers are all dying out.”

Of course, there are lots of old farmers, but it’s just because they’re so visible.  They never stop working.  Most people are trying to retire, but farmers seem to want to work on their farms until the day they die. 

But the overalls  … I rocked the overalls in college.  Shorts overalls, corduroy overalls – back when (for fashion reasons unknown – how best to make you look shapeless?) they were in style.  I haven’t worn them since, but every picture of the stereotypical farmer shows them in overalls.  Kris doesn’t own overalls.  They seem very hard to wear when you’re outside without bathroom facilities, if you know what I mean.

I love pointing to cartoon pictures of farmers in books to my kids.  They’re always plump.  The farmer’s wife is always baking and the farmer is usually holding a pitchfork.  “Does this look like a farmer?” I say.  “NOOOOO!” they chorus. 

There are young farmers, old farmers, and middle aged farmers.  On the farm, they wear a lot of work clothes.  I see a lot of sleeveless t-shirts, work boots, hats, and Carhartt coats.  Off the farm, they blend in with everyone else. 

If you do see someone in overalls, it’s safe to assume it’s Halloween or a 90s party.

2. Farms have one of every animal.

Back in the day, many farms had a variety of animals.  It was a cheaper way to eat.  You had the space or buildings so you may as well house some pigs or steers to eat.

Now, farms are much more specialized.  A pig farm has pigs.  A chicken farm has chickens.  Our dairy farm has … you got it!  Cows. 

In fact, we don’t own even one other kind of animal.  No dog, no cat, no horse.  Nothing. This surprises and disappoints some people who come to tour.  But that’s what 4-H Fairs are for!  That’s where we take our own children to see other farm animals! 

3. Farmers are uneducated.

It’s true.  You don’t have to go to college to own a farm.  You don’t have to go to college to do a lot of things.  But despite that fact, a lot of farmers have college degrees.  Many of them go to school for ag-related degrees, but a lot do not.  For instance, my dad got an engineering degree.  So did Kris.  

There are a lot of respected agricultural programs, but any schooling opens you up to different experiences and education you can bring back to the farm.

Which brings us to …

4. Farming is never a choice - it’s something you’re born into.

I know a lot of farmers.  Yes, a fair amount of people know they want to farm as their career when they grow up on a farm.  But there is a large population of people who decided to farm.  They had other careers, lived other lives, and then decided to farm.  Of course it’s easier when your family is already involved in farming, but there are also first generation farmers who just choose to get into the industry. 

My dad decided at one point that he wanted to own his own business.  He was weighing whether he wanted to go into business with his dad or if he wanted to buy a car wash.  He went with the farm, but said if the car wash had gone through, it would have been a fine decision, too.  I’ve used a car wash about ten times in my life, but I consume dairy every day.  It seems like he made the better choice.

5. Farmers go to bed early and get up early.

They only try to go to bed early and don’t, night after night.  Kris’ alarm goes off at 5:00 a.m. every morning.  Knowing that, it seems that he would go to bed early and get more sleep.  However, there are so many things at night - every night - that prevent this from happening.  Kids, bills, feed ration figuring, scheduling, talking to people, going out, things breaking at the barn after he comes home, and of course, talking to me.  Some farmers take a short nap to make it through the day.  Kris isn’t a napper, but sometimes on the days that are hard physically, he just drops.  Once this summer he fell asleep on the floor of our cement porch.  When you’re tired, you’re tired. 

At the beginning of this year he said his new year’s resolution was to get to bed before 11:00 p.m.  Reflecting on this year, he accomplished it probably nine times.  Better luck in 2014! 

Milking with robots

Tonight when I was out with some girls my friend mentioned she was going to New Zealand.  I joked about how she should be sure to notice the farms there, since they're big into dairy and were early adopters of robot milkers. 

We continued talking for a little bit and she said, "Wait ... I'm confused.  What are these robot cows?"

If only!  Of course - not even all farmers have seen robot milkers, though most everyone knows about them now.

I explained how the robots work - first, the cow enters the robot. It's like walking into a little room.  She wears a responder on her neck that communicates how much feed she’s going to get and she eats grain while she’s being milked.



I took these at our neighbor's farm.  It's always fun to take visitors there.

She steps in and stands over a grate. Not only does this space her feet correctly, but it also keeps the area clear of manure.

The brushes come in. Like a tiny car wash, the brushes go over each teat and clean them.  Since every cow’s udder is a little different, the robot scans the udder to detect each teat’s location. (It looks like little red laser beams going over it.) Then it attaches the four teat cups.



Brush, cleaning off the teats

Then milking begins! As each quarter is done, the teat cup comes off. Then the robot sprays off the udder. The gate opens, and the cow walks out. The next cow steps in.  Each robot accommodates about 80 cows each and one costs about $250,000.



Exiting the robot

So for lots of farmers, it makes sense.  This way, there aren't people physically milking the cows.  There are still lots of people jobs to do, like making sure the cattle go through and doing regular feeding. 

For lots of other farmers, it doesn't make sense.  If you have reliable, good employees, and old parlor that works just fine, and a lot of cows, then it's not an easy financial decision.

Maybe someday it'll be the way of the future and we'll look at our parlors today - where we use milking units - the same way we regard our ancestors milking by hand.

Or maybe we'll just all have robot cows by then.  Who knows what they're coming up with in New Zealand next?!