Rainy May

RAIN

Have you noticed the rain?  Every day?  For days on end?

We sure have!  We were able to get about half of our acres in, and that corn popped out of the ground yesterday.  We haven't been able to plant any more, because the fields are so wet.  No one around here has.  My news is full of charts and graphs talking about the lateness of the planting - in the entire Midwest.

No matter how late it gets, we're still going to plant, because we need to feed our animals.  So, let's hope for some more dry days!

CATTLE

The cattle are out on pasture and it is a beautiful sight.  They make lovely neighbors.  The other day our neighbor Dan sent me a picture of his cattle standing at the edge of the fence hanging with our cattle and said "Neighbor-herd" - and it cracked me up.  We are - as the kids say - literally surrounded!

FARMERS

Kris' dad is semi-retiring from dairy farming, and there was a really nice article about their farm, where milking started in 1893.  You can read about the Wardin Brothers Dairy here. 

On Easter, Kris' mom Joanna (pictured here) gave us a Michigan Milk Producers Association sweatshirt from Jeanne Sandmann, who is a longtime family friend.  Jeanne said that this was hers when she was little!  Sadly, Jeanne passed away recently, and we cherish this vintage gift from her. 

PROMOTION

Kris and I attended the 13th Annual Empty Plate Strolling Dinner and Auction, because UDIM and MMPA are part of the Food Bank cause.  I went to the 2019 Women's Power Breakfast with the United Dairy Industry of Michigan, and I did dairy lessons in two kindergarten classes, with three more scheduled this week.  My podcast about farming through the Michigan Ag Council is at https://michigangrown.org/podcast/ - up to 50 now, with some really great stories from all kinds of farmers!

Thanks for reading, as always.  Happy end of May - and happy dry days ahead!