On the rise

I went to Arizona for the National Cattleman's Beef Association trade show and presented with U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance.  We are launching a free app called engAGe that aims to let farmers quickly get updates and share news on all the social channels.  (I'll share when it launches.)





The opposite of Arizona was Tuesday this week.  The snow melted and it rained for two days.  The ground was still frozen, so there was nowhere for it to go but up!  Our house and barns are on high ground, so no harm done.  The water came up over the culvert, but not over our road - but roads were closed in other places.  (Yes, the same places it rains when we desperately need it and don't get it in the summer!)  Now that it's Thursday, it's definitely down.





We still have a few cows that are calving ... the cows are doing great ... machines are breaking ... so just the regular end-of-February.  Except - there's rain in the forecast for tomorrow, so we'll see how high this creek can really get!

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School is closed, farm is open

It's such a beautiful winter day! It's another snow day for my kids, but as always there's the normal work on the farm...milking, feeding, and driving snowy roads to pick up the milk. Thanks to all!

Want to know more about the farm?  Like the page on Facebook, on Twitter @carlashelleblog by email - the form is on the right side of the page.

Is there added sugar in regular milk? No.

People have asked me why sugar is in milk, because when you look at the label, there it is: Sugar 11g in whole, 2%, and skim.

Check out my Kroger milks:

Great news!

There is no added sugar in regular milk.

Sugar in unflavored milk is natural sugar called lactose.  It's like how the sugar in fruit is fructose.

It's not added in processing or anything - it's just a natural component of milk.  Some might say that lactose is what gives milk its delicious, sweet flavor.  (That's me saying it.  I love milk.)  

If you're talking about flavored milk like chocolate milk, there is added sugar.  Depending on who makes it, chocolate milk has 8-12 grams of sugar added per serving.  

The makeup of chocolate milk makes it the perfect refueling drink for athletes, because it blends carbs and proteins you need to recover.  See the science on all of it here. (Some might say it's the best thing to drink after a race.  That's me, a member of Team Chocolate Milk.  I love hearing people yell 'I love chocolate milk!' at me when I race!) 

After Chicago Marathon last year ... believe me, I needed that milk:

One serving of milk - regular or flavored - provides you with nine essential nutrients. Here they are:

Protein - THERE ARE 8 GRAMS OF PROTEIN in one serving of milk.  That's a ton.  EIGHT.

Calcium - We all know this one.  30% of your daily value in one glass!

Vitamin D - Everyone's talking about Vitamin D now. Yay, milk!  25%.

Phosphorus - Strong bones plus energy. 20% of it.

Vitamin A - Everyone loves healthy skin! And good vision! 10%.

Riboflavin - Converts food to energy - 24%.

Vitamin B12 - Build red blood cells - 13%.

Potassium - Regulates fluids, blood pressure, and needed for muscle activity.  11%.

Niacin - Used in energy metabolism. 10%.   

Some people avoid sugar, some people embrace it, but no matter what you want, the information is right there on the label.  All natural, full of good vitamins, and ... delicious.  (Okay, that's not on the label.  That's me again.)

Want to know more about the farm?  Like the page on Facebook, on Twitter @carlashelley, or sign up to get the blog by email - the form is on the right side of the page.