dairy and tales: Yeah ,it is good to be a cow today .....

dairy and tales: Yeah ,it is good to be a cow today .....: It is only 10 am and the thermometer outside shows that the temperature is  already 84F ! The perfect day to be out on the beach and c...

Yeah ,it is good to be a cow today .....

It is only 10 am and the thermometer outside shows that the temperature is  already 84F !

The perfect day to be out on the beach and cool of in the cold water. That is exactly what our cows are doing.

Well not on the beach but in the free stall filled up with nice beach sand.

The fans kick on automatic when the temperature in the barn reaches 75 F so they where already running early this morning.

Cow don't like hot weather because they don't sweat. The only way for them to loose body heat is by breathing faster, like a dog .

So we put a lot of fans in the barns and a sprinkle system. When they cows are in the holding pen or  eating at the feed bunk the backs are sprayed with nice cold water.

On a hot day like today you see a lot of cows laying down in the sand chewing their cut or standing at the feed bunk, eating and waiting for the sprinkler system to kick back on again. It sprays for a few minutes at one side of the barn and then it alternates to the other side.

With all the fans and sprinkles it is nice and cool in the barn. Our kids always make fun of the fact that the cows had " air-conditioning "in the barn before we had it in the house.

Yeah, it is good to be a cow today .....

dairy and tales: June is dairy month . So if you need an excuse to ...

dairy and tales: June is dairy month .
So if you need an excuse to ...: June is dairy month . So if you need an excuse to go to town to get an ice cream, use it. I took my family sunday evening to town. The loca...

June is dairy month .
So if you need an excuse to go to town to get an ice cream, use it. I took my family sunday evening to town. The local ice cream parlor served up a nice cone in a homemade waffle and we sat outside enjoying the nice summer evening.
 June is also the month of getting the first cutting of hay and haylage done.The local crop farmer who grows most of our feed, also known as Uncle Ken, got they hay cut, spread out, dry enough to take the chopper to the field to get it chopped. A steady stream of trucks and tractors brought all the good stuff to the farm where it got packed in a big pile (bunker) and covert with plastic and tires to let it ferment for a weeks before feeding it to the cows. Sorry , I forgot to take pictures and will try to make this up with second or third cutting. We also bought some baled hay.
June is also the month before Breakfast on the Farm. We met again this week with this great group of volunteers that are putting in so many hours of dedication to pull of this event for Sanilac County.
So if you have not heard about this event please go to  www.breakfastonthefarm.com or visit the Goma Dairy Farm Facebook pages where more information will be available in the next weeks to come.
And then get in the car that Saturday July 21st  to check out yourself where and how healthy, nutritious milk is being produced and how well modern farms take care of the animals, the people and the environment .

dairy and tales: Proud to be an American

dairy and tales: Proud to be an American: I was going to write about the haylage harvest that started today but all that I wrote so far is just plain boring. So I will wait a few mor...

Proud to be an American

I was going to write about the haylage harvest that started today but all that I wrote so far is just plain boring. So I will wait a few more days to smell the fresh cut alfalfa , to see the trucks pulling in and  out and all the excitement that comes with it, to get my inspiration and will write about it next week. By then we are done with the first cutting I hope. 

So todays blog will be about being proud to be an American 

When we moved to the United States in the late nineties we had a visa that had to be renewed every five years so as soon as we met all the regulations we applied for a permanent residents card or green card. I still don't know why that thing is called a green card because its main color is a yellow/beige and the only green you find on it is a small green stripe on the back of the card. After 5 years of being a permanent resident you can change your citizenship and become an American citizen. Well first you need to send in paperwork and a check . Yep also that costs money. Then in February we had to go to Detroit to be fingerprinted. There we got a book called "Learn  About the United States. Quick Civics Lessons for the Naturalization Test" It includes 100 questions with the correct answers and a list of words that you need to be able to read and/or write. In the last few months we had some fun with studying the questions and even more with quizzing our American friends , who a lot of times failed miserably to give the right answers.

I challenge you to go to the website yourself and see how you do on the test !

( www.uscis.goc/citizenshiptest)

It also got the dialogue started how cool it was that we are doing this , or, depending on who we where talking with, not always understanding why you would want to give up your Dutch citizenship. 

For me it just feels like the right thing to do. If  I think and talk  about "home" I think and talk about our home in Marlette Mi , where we live, with the kids , and yes the dog . I think about all those acquaintances  that became best friends over the years and family that became family true the hart and not by blood. Being an American Citizen , I hope it shows people even more that I came here for the long haul, and that I therefore care for my farm; the animals and the people , the environment and the community.This is where I raised my children and where I hope they will settle themselves.

The Netherlands is the place of the past, to reminisce about, good memories , the United States is the place for the future and years to come.

Last week we went to Detroit again to meet with an Federal Agent to take the test, read and write . Thank the Lord we all passed!

So this monday morning we had to be at the Federal Court Building to take the Oath, get the certificate of Naturalization out of the hand of Judge Sean Cox , say the Pledge of Allegiance  , and take a picture to prove we did it! 

Having all of this said the real test will be during the world soccer games, or the Winter Olympics. Who will I root for, the USA soccer team or the Dutch speed-skater? It is a good thing both events are not coming up soon, that gives me time to figure it all out. 

dairy and tales: kids say the earnest things !

dairy and tales: kids say the earnest things !: Last week on Wednesday and Thursday morning we had again the 8th graders touring the farm for career day.  Because it is for career day we t...

kids say the earnest things !

Last week on Wednesday and Thursday morning we had again the 8th graders touring the farm for career day.  Because it is for career day we talk a lot about the impact that one farm can have on the local economy. I always start my little talk by asking who want to work at a farm after high school . Usually there is one or two in each group but not a lot . But when I ask who wants to design computer programs, work with electronics, run big equipment, work in a laboratory, work as an accountant more hands come up. From there I try to explain how there is this link to agriculture and that they might up working in agriculture without ever having to put on boots and a coverall. It always amazes me how all those kids that are surrounded by farms , farmers and farm equipment never thought about it ,that somebody has to design, build, maintain all the equipment, buildings and more, that we need vets, people at the lab that check the quality of the milk and on and all.
 After the talk it was of to  tour the farm; from the feed bunk, to the little parlor to the calving area and the baby calves. It is fun to watch what effect those little baby calves have on everybody. The girl that was al worried about her clothes and was complaining how bad it smelled in the barn is all of a sudden petting the calves and taking to her friend about how cute they are. And even this  boy who cared less about this tour and all the things that I try to explain , moved up his hand true the bars to give the calf a little rub between the ears.
 From there we walk to the big parlor and it fun to see how they get interested in the milking procedure and are truly amazed when we get to the milk house where they can feel how fast we cool the milk down. We don't have milk tanks in the milk house but pump the milk directly in the truck that is parked outside.Therefore the milk has to be 34 F when it goes in the truck and it takes only a few seconds to cool down the milk from around the 100 F (body temperature of the cow) to 34 F. We use a chiller and coolers that use water. This water is recycled again as drinking water for the cow This "direct loading" is  better for the environment because you don't have to wash the bulk tank every time they are pumped empty . So you save the environment because you use lesser water and lesser propane to heat up that water.
After the tour we head back to the toolshed where there is cookies and milk and then it is back into the bus.
This year I had everybody writing down one thing that stood out for them, something good or something bad , something that they did not know before they came to visit. And after reading all those cards I know that overall I did a good job explaining what they where seeing but that some area's need improving big time. O well I have a few months before they come back again.

From all the tours we do at the farm the eight grade field trip is my favorite. And one of the groups this year was my best group ever. They listened and asked ton of good questions and where a lot of fun to be around. You parents should be proud!
At the end I want to share some of the things the kids wrote down
-I think the biggest surprise to me was that there was so many workers
-I liked the smell
-It smells really bad
-You spray cows with lotion
-I liked it how you have a big farm that is envoriment friendly
-The most expensive sign on the farm coast almost 500 000 dollars
-I did not know that you could have sheep and cows in the same farm

dairy and tales: What would Theresa Caputo have to say...

dairy and tales: What would Theresa Caputo have to say...: On may 1st 1968, 44 years ago as of today my dad passed away during a car accident. I was just a little girl and really did not get to know ...

dairy and tales: dairy and tales: on the Today show.....

dairy and tales: dairy and tales: on the Today show.....: dairy and tales: on the Today show..... : Every morning after feeding calves and eating breakfast I go online to read quickly up on dairy ne...

What would Theresa Caputo have to say...

On may 1st 1968, 44 years ago as of today my dad passed away during a car accident. I was just a little girl and really did not get to know him that well. But on a day like today I am thinking about him and wonder what he would think about our farm and agriculture in general. If he still would be alive he would have turn 85 this summer so a lot has changed since he milked cows.

 My mom always tells me that we she started dating my dad my grandpa was not very happy about it. My dad's parents where "only" tenants on a small farm and owned only 2 cows. My moms dad was farming on the family farm , had a one cow more and a span of work horses . Grandpa thought that my mom could do better in finding a suitable young man to date . But my mom was stubborn and when my grandpa got to know my dad he came around and was fine with the two of them getting married. When they first got married they where tenants on a small farm themself. The farmed a few acres, milked cows and raised some hogs. Later, an aunt who had no kids offered my parents to move to her farm and they did. They made a living with egg laying chickens, growing mums and asperges and had a good life till my dad got the accident.
On the picture you see my dad with one of my  cousins. It must have been taken on a sunday looking at the clothes my cousin Jake is wearing. My dad is milking a cow by hand out in the pasture. Thats why I would like to talk with Theresa Caputo ; to talk with my dad. To hear if what he thinks about us milking so many cows, 72 at a time, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week ! What a long way have we come. Would he be proud of me or think we are crazy, taking on so much work, responsibility and sometimes so much hassle. Think we where crazy moving the whole family to the other side of the ocean or just think we where brave , and I he was young and had a  change he would do the same...........
The longer I am sitting here , the more I know for sure, he would have been proud, just like my mother in law is proud, just like I am proud when my kids do something that makes them happy. So the only thing left for me to say is, thank you dad , for passing on that love for cows, for farming and all the good and bad that comes with it.

dairy and tales: on the Today show.....

dairy and tales: on the Today show.....: Every morning after feeding calves and eating breakfast I go online to read quickly up on dairy news that has been emailed to me. Today it w...

on the Today show.....

Every morning after feeding calves and eating breakfast I go online to read quickly up on dairy news that has been emailed to me. Today it was brought to my attention that there was a little thing about dairy and loosing weight on the Today show so I clicked on the link and watch the little clip. It explains how dairy can be a part of a healthy diet and losing weight but only if you watch what you eat and don't add on a lot of calories by eating more dairy. I guess we need the today show to point that one out to us. To tell us you wont lose weight if you eat already 1000 cal a day more then your body needs and add some more ice cream to it .Duh, as much as I would like to promote a diet that is only made up out of butter, ice-cream, cheese and whole milk it is common sence to me that you should eat a little bit of everything  , eating only dairy is not good, just like eating broccoli only is not good either. Start the day with some yoghurt and cereals , eat a cheese sandwich for lunch, cookies and glass  milk for snack and eat ice cream for dessert. Add fruit and veggies and some meat  and there you have your variation .

I tried to put the link here but my computer skills are not that good So here is was was said on the show

However, pointed out Madelyn Fernstrom, diet and nutrition editor for the Today Show, there is a big “if” attached to that.

“The ‘if’ is you have to be in a calorie-controlled diet to begin with,” she said. “You have to trim your calories. So, it’s not magically adding dairy to what you already eat and adding calories. It’s replacing some of the calories you eat with dairy foods, low- and non-fat.”

Studies continue to show there is an association between dairy products and weight loss, Fernstrom pointed out, but she couldn't pinpoint exactly what it is about milk that causes that. "It could be the protein, it could be the milk solids, the stuff that makes milk white; there's a lot of stuff in milk other than calcium," she said. (See video above.)

http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/47040363#47040363

We have a lot of people tour our farm, retired farmers, grandparents with their grandchildren, rotary clubs and school classes. But nobody has ever asked me why milk is white. The answer in the interview made me look into it some more and yep milk is white because of the milk is rich in calcium= casein that helps contribute to milk's white color. In addition , the cream that is found in milk contains white colored fat.
Next week we will have the 8th graders out here for a tour for career day so at least I will be prepared for that question. Now I only need to come up with a good answer for the question if brown cows give chocolate milk ........(will be continued )

dairy and tales: Miracle of live

dairy and tales: Miracle of live: Sometimes when I talk to people about working and living on a dairy farm I realize how many things that are normal for me , are not that nor...

Miracle of live

Sometimes when I talk to people about working and living on a dairy farm I realize how many things that are normal for me , are not that normal for the non farmers out there. One of those things is that a lot of people don't realize  that a cow , in order to give milk, needs to give birth to a calf first. Therefore if you have a lot of cows on your farm you will have a lot of calves too.
Taking care of those newborn once is how I start my day.
So Monday morning when  I got out there mother nature had a little surprise for me. Most of the time cows give birth to one calf at a time, sometimes we have twins and very seldom triplets.
Twins can be identical or not, boys and girls or a mix. Well this week the mix was rely special and something that I did not see for a long time. One of our older cows gave birth to non identical twins, both bull calves. Nothing special I hear you think. Well the special about those two bulls was that they both had a different color; one was almost black and the other one looked more like a deer.

The calf's where born during the night so the mom is not in the picture but she is a black and white Holstein cow.
Sometimes it doesn't take a lot to put a smile on your face and start your workday with a whistle. This morning was one of them..........

back in time, january 1999

This week it will be thirteen years ago that we packed up all our belongings and moved to Michigan to start our dairy farm. It was long in the making and it took a lot of sleepless nights and tough decisions

before we made the call : yes lets do it, lets give it a try. We thought that the hard part was over when the decision was made but that was when the work started. My husband Geert flew on a regular basis to the US to check out farms that where for sale, talk with other Dutch farmers who made the move and meet with people at the MSU extension office to get a better feel about what it would mean to become a dairy farmer in Michigan. In the meantime there was the farm in the Netherlands that had to be dealt with; land that was sold to Geerts brother and cows that went up for auction. Dealing with our oldest daughter who was eight at the time and who did not wanted to move . Also dealing with our son who has special needs and had a hard time understanding all the changes that where about to happen. Trow in our youngest one who would trow tantrums on a daily basis , just because she was in her terrible two's and could. A lot of times I would scratch my head and wonder....And even when we where excited about things to come we where dreading the day we had to say goodbye to our loved ones, relatives and friends. 

After a few month my husband heard about this farm that was up for sale in the Thumb of Michigan. A few weeks earlier the State of Michigan , who had an office in Brussels Belgium, send me this book that had all kinds op maps of Michigan in it. One map would show all the highways and another for example all the universities and I told my husband after studying this book that is was not gone live Up North and not in The Thumb because there was nothing else. Well it seemed that this farm in the Thumb had everything we where looking for so a few weeks later my husband , a good friend and myself flew out to Michigan to check out the place. When we landed they told us it was extremely cold in Michigan and we laughed about it. But when we where waiting for the shuttle bus to bring us to the car rental I was already opening my suitcase and putting all the warm clothes I could find and the next morning our first trip was to a local store to buy , gloves, hats and warm boots. 

We traveled to the Thumb of Michigan and met with the owner of the farm and ended up making an offer. We saw a lot of farmers struggle with the cold and all the snow. I never saw so much snow in my whole life ! We learned a lot. After ten days I was more then ready to leave the snow and cold and go back to my kids . By then the owner had excepted our offer . Back in the Netherlands, the long process of filing the right paperwork began and the next few months we stayed busy with that till finally we could go to the US Embassy in Amsterdam to pick up our visa . On April 12th 1999 we boarded the plain to fly to Detroit and that became the first day of the rest of our lives.

My first attempt

After reading a lot of blogs the last few weeks I think I am ready to start my own and share with the rest of the world what it means to live and work on a modern dairyfarm. But please bare with me because this is all new to me and I guess I have a lot to learn .