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.