What a year!

What a year! Let's look back...

Jan 

We started the year visiting my Uncle Al, Aunt Delia, cousin Cass, wife Dorie, and daughters in New Mexico on their dairy farm! Dairy farmers love to visit other dairy farms, especially when they are owned by much-loved family members. We got up to do chores with them, and it was so fun seeing how other people do things.

Feb

Kris' grandma turned 90 and attributes her long and healthy life to raw milk. Since it's not always legal to drink raw milk, just go for pasteurized, I say.

March

Cole milked for the first time. The next in a long line of milkers!

April 

Kris and the boys repaired the landscaping around our centennial farm sign. We're now up to 144 years in 2023, which means in 2029 we'll have a big 150th birthday party - a sesquicentennial, so I can practice spelling it now.

May 

Eighteen friends (plus my dad!) volunteered to help us cover the pile of alfalfa on Memorial Day weekend. We felt so lucky! Look, they come in all sizes.

June

We did tours with college students, elementary students, news reporters, and playgroups. The kids asked adorable questions, and one kindergartner told me it was the best day of her life. I don't care if she says that every day. I'll take it. 

July

Our families visited, and I love being on the farm with all our little nieces and nephews!

August

Rock picking is one of my favorite chores on the farm, since I feel like it's also a great workout. Don't say we don't have fun family activities. Harvest continued.

September

We chopped the corn! It stopped raining for quite some time this summer, (insert stress and worry here), so the corn was shorter than usual, but still not a bad harvest overall!

October

We hauled manure again, which totals about four times a year, and Kris and I attended the National Milk Producers meeting in Colorado. You could spot a dairy farmer from 100 yards in the hotel, and if there's one characteristic dairy farmers have in common, it's friendliness. Everyone just talked. We talked farming, of course. 

November

We started a construction project, making a management rail, a trimming area, an office, and some storage.

December

We like to reflect on the year. It was a really good one for us, and we're fortunate to have a great team with us, including my parents, our employees, and all the companies and individuals who support us. We're talking manure haulers, builders, dairy supply, nutritionist, vets, suppliers, equipment dealers, milk haulers, our co-op...the list goes on an on, and I don't want to miss anyone. We appreciate you this year and every year!

Here's to a great 2022, and cheers to the upcoming new year. As always, thanks for reading!