Making Merry Memories

I recently made a batch of our family's traditional Santa cookies.  Following in my mom's and Grandma's footsteps, I carefully followed all of the directions-although my cookies never quite turn out as good as Mom's.  How they turn out really doesn't matter to me, though.  Its following the tradition and the enjoyment of making them each year.  This year the snow was blowing horribly outside, and I hurried to finish the baking part before the afternoon milking.  While I worked and watched the driveway drift shut I remembered some of my favorite Christmas's from the past.  Although some of the gifts were pretty great, my best memories are the things that we did. This makes me wonder if our focus is all wrong.  The special things we do with the kids often come after all the other "stuff".  After we get the cookies done, after we get the shopping done, after we get the house cleaned, after we get the laundry done, after we get the chores done-sometimes there's so many "afters" we never get to the special things.  Here's some memories that are pretty special to me....

In first grade my mom and dad put the Christmas tree in the middle of the dining room.  They tied it to the top of the light and you could walk all the way around it.  It was awesome.  That year I had a horrible time waiting to open gifts.  On Christmas Eve, because I was SO desperate, my oldest sister handed me a gift from her, and said I could open it.  It was a small porcelain panda figurine.  I still have it.  After that year, we started opening gifts from each other on Christmas Eve, a tradition that we do with our kids now.

One Christmas Eve, after all the presents had been opened and most the food gone, we went cross country skiing.  The conditions were perfect, the moon was bright, and not a car in sight.  We went up and down Colony rd and looked at the lights.  The calm and peacefulness is unexplainable.   Its hard to put your finger on the kind of special that is Christmas Eve.

Another year my oldest sister put together 1/2 peck size bags of fruit.  Late into the night, after our party was over, we piled in the car and anonymously hung bags of fruit on people's doors.  We'd knock or ring the door bell and run away to the waiting get-a-way car.  Oh what fun that was!  A friend of mine at school the next week made sure I knew that she knew that it was us.  I think she missed the point-sometimes for the sake of other people's feelings it's just better to not be "right".  Sometimes reveling surprises wrecks it more for the giver than the receiver.

Around middle school it was decided that we would attend the neighboring church's midnight Christmas Eve service.  We arrived at 11pm and sat two or three rows up from the back.  The bulletin listed all the songs, some with asterisks besides them, indicating that you should stand.  When it came time to sing the second song, our whole pew stood.  There must have been some sort of miscommunication between the worship leader and the bulletin printer, because we were the only ones.  S l o w l y we sat down  as we realized the situation.  I almost busted out laughing...then and when I think about it today!

Shortly after we got married, my mom needed help bringing her star down from the top of their 100+ft. silo to rewire it.  Rick climbed all the way to the top (it has a caged ladder), and begin to lower the star down with a rope and a hook.  Now if any of you are fans of the TV show The Price is Right, you'll know exactly what I mean when I say the minute that star came unhooked, it was like Plinko x100!  It clanged and clinked as it hit the caged ladder and fell half way down the silo.  We were able to bend it back into shape-sort of-for that year, but I can still here it clear as the day is bright when I remember that falling star.

Our first Christmas Eve as farm owners Rick and I opened a box from my sister and brother in law. It had a poem in it that went like this:
Star light,
Star bright,
First star I see tonight:
(Something, something)
(Something, something)
Out back behind the garage.
For those of you who enjoy the star on our silo, you can really thank my brother-in-law. He made it. And I love it.

We've had a multitude of very creative gifts over the years, but I'll never forget my senior year of high school.  I told mom and dad I wanted a tool box for the bed of my truck.  They said that was too expensive. I knew it was, but it really was what I wanted, I wasn't going to lie.  However, I wasn't counting on one at all.  Very early on Christmas morning, my mom yells up the stairs, in a not very Christmas-y type voice.  Almost out of breath, like.  I came down and there on the kitchen entry way rug was a tool box, with a can black spray paint taped to the top!  Unbelievable!  I never even noticed that Jack (the neighbor farmer) had gotten a new silver plated tool box until his old one turned up in mom and dad's kitchen.  I never even cared that it leaked a little bit.  I had the coolest truck EVER. On this side of 127, at least :)

Of course, the most important thing about Christmas is the gift of Jesus.  That is a kind of love bigger than any anonymous bag of fruit or bright shining star.  Although we can never match the gift of Jesus, we can do our best by focusing on the things that really matter-people.  Spend some quality time with people that matter to you. The memories might not always be perfect, but those are usually the best ones.

-Merry Christmas
-Terri

Under Attack Part 2-Homeschooling

You knew this was coming, right? Part 1 requires a "part 2", so here we go-today we'll open up the discussion on homeschooling.

The big picture offers parents three choices for their children's education: public school, private/charter school, and homeschooling.  Most every variation of education will fall under one of these three options.   Is having options for your child's education a bad thing?  We don't think so.  Every child and family is different.  They have different needs, learning styles, and God given talents (art or science, for example).  So why is it that some people are so threatened and offended by our homeschooling?  I think its from the lack of understanding-so I'm going to explain the answers to the most asked questions we get about homeschooling.

1. What is wrong with the public schools in your area?
     -Nothing.  We want our children to have a Christian education and cannot afford the parochial schools in our area for all of our children.  We want to install strong morals and ethics into the kids before we cut them loose into the real world, in hopes that they kick in when tough situations challenge the children.  I have a lot of christian friends who are public school teachers.  If I could put all of them into one school, public school would be more viable for us.  It seems as though a lot of times public school teachers have their hands tied behind their backs.  They can't say "God" or "bible", and walk a very fine line when it comes to any ethical or character training.
  -We also like the flexibility that comes with homeschooling.  We make our own schedule.  We still do about 150 lessons per school year, just maybe not on the same days as the other schools.  We can tailor the kids' education beyond the basics to their specific interests.  If they need to go slower, we can go slower. If they need to go faster, we can go faster.  Home schools do not necessarily create a bunch of over educated kids-but it might help them keep up with their peers.  We appreciate that in the elementary years our kids time spent doing school work is notably shorter,and that they have more time to play and "learn" outside.

2.  How long do you plan on homeschooling?
  -We take it one year at a time.  It would be foolish of us to say "forever".  We do not know what our circumstances are going to be in the future. We do not know God's plans for us.  We do not know how our children's needs will change over the years, or how our needs will change.  What we do know is that we want to do what is best for our kids right now, and that is homeschooling.

3. What about high school?
  -What about it? This is practically a direct insult to my own intelligence.  Will homeschooling high school be harder? Of course. Is it doable? Yes! I graduated from high school.  I even graduated from a certificate dairy program at MSU.  All of what we are teaching here is more or less a review for us (Rick and I).  One of the smartest things we can do is recognize our own weaknesses, and get outside help in those areas.  This might be a tutor; an online interactive class, or a community college class.  It may be a matter of choosing different curriculum and teaching method for that student.  With the curriculum we're using right now, we have the option of learning via lessons on DVDs, lessons online, or the very same lessons taught by me from the teacher's manual.  One key to being successful is knowing when to ask for help or ideas-and not being afraid to.
  -My own high school experience had many positive aspects, but unfortunately the ones I remember the most are the English teacher that swore all the time, and the math teacher who constantly talked about when I would be out of school and have a "real job"-you know, NOT milking cows.  Not to mention all the efforts put towards swaying the soon to be 18 year old registered voters (the seniors) into voting a certain direction in the upcoming election.

4.  Are you worried about their socialization?
  -This answer depends on who's asking it.  Some people just ask this because it's what they've been taught to ask-they don't even really know why they're asking it.  Other forms of the question include "Do they (the kids) get to do things with other kids?".   If the person comes across as judgemental, I'll throw them off by saying "yes, that's why they're not in public school."  A confused look appears and I follow with "there's a lot of things we don't want them to learn from other kids and teachers at this young age."  If the question is sincere, I simply explain that our children take music lessons, are involved in 4-H, church, summer camps, and have 19 cousins (on my side) to play with.  Our kids also have each other, us, and often they get to visit with people who come and go on a daily basis.  They get to interact with people of all ages.  And like I said earlier, our children's needs could change.  One of them might be more outgoing and need more time with friends, one might be more quiet and content with a smaller circle.

5.  Do you have to take a test to make sure you're competent enough to home school?
  -Someone actually asked this.  Our state has relatively relaxed rules when it comes to homeschooling.  Other states make you register as homeschoolers and report each year.  Knowing that we are responsible for our children's education is enough pressure to do the absolute best we possibly can, without having to make sure we align another person's standards of what they feel is important to teach.  Just like everything else, I am sure there are some homeschooling families who may be performing at sub par levels, or hiding behind the home school label.  I can't help that. And no, there's no test.

I don't feel that every family should home school, or that every family should attend public or private school.  I think they should do what's best for their family.  As a whole it would be nice if all sectors of the education system could work together, for the future.  Recently a teacher we attend church with excitedly shared a website with me, that I can benefit from. That was so nice of her!  By sharing with her some of our experiences, it just might help her understand how to help a previously home schooled student transition into public school.  There are always going to be kids transitioning from public to private or home school, and the other way around.  We may as well try to make it as stress-free as possible for the kids.

If you're a public school teacher, know that our homeschooling is not a put-down on you.  You are a very important part of our society.  We are not homeschooling because we don't think you are good enough.  We are homeschooling with very specific goals in mind.  Please don't feel offended.  Know that we are doing our best, and are genuinely concerned about our children's education.  Maybe instead of sharing that home school failure story with us, you could offer up some words of encouragement, and together we can work towards raising responsible, caring, and loving adults.

Under Attack Part 1-The Kids.

Recently it seems as though our whole life has been under attack.   Its getting so I just hope I don't see anyone I know at the store, or consider not going to an event, because I just get tired of having to defend ourselves.  When did Christians, of all people, become so judging, especially of each other?

Awhile back we took the family to a corn maze.  As we turned around the bend, we heard another couple exclaim "They've got FIVE KIDS!".  First off, its just corn, people. Not walls, just corn.  We can hear you.  In fact, everyone can hear you, there is a lot of "ears" in there (LOL).  Lets put our 5 kids into perspective.
1.  5 is twice as many as the average American family, yet half (or less) than the average Mennonite family.  When we had four, some friends said to us "you're just in the honeymoon stage!" :)
2.  Our kids are taken care of. They have food (high quality, at that), clothing, shelter and education.  We are not on government assistance (for now-I am considering checking out Obamacare, which automatically signs you up for medicaid, which is tax payer funded).
3.  Our kids's original parents are still married to each other.  Now a days, it's a big deal.

People ask us if we're trying to be the Duggars.  Or if we're tying to "get our own TV show".  Honestly, I would have no problem being as smart as those people.  They have took their life and figured out to make a financial living just by showing people how they live. Genius.  They are going to do laundry and meals anyway, so why not? But again, two married people, raising their family in line with the Word, living debt free, not on government assistance, getting criticized because of how many kids they have.  Do the older kids help with the younger kids? Of course they do!  Isn't it our job as parents to raise children who can function in their adult life?  Isn't is our job to teach them how to maintain a home, car, and change a diaper in case they have kids?  Do we want to raise kids that think the whole world revolves around them, or do we want children that grow into adults serving others with a selfless attitude?

We know people who choose not to have any kids, and we're fine with that. We don't go around harrassing them about it all the time.  We know people who have two children.  Same thing.  One thing we try to never say is "When are you going to have another one?"  How many children a couple has is their business, and hopefully confirmed by God.

Often we don't realize how our comments can affect other people.  I'm sure we have said things that have been offensive to others( and I apologize about that).  Just not about their kids.....

-Terri 

A week in the life...

Last week in pictures...

 Sunday, our church hosted its annual fall festival, complete with games, prizes, food and face painting.  Our son, quite the charmer, surprised me with this (and a hug):

 

 

 

Yeah, he's learning real fast!  Not to be outdone by a 3rd grader, my husband came back with this:

 

 

 

...followed by an explosion of laughter!  So did the son learn his charm from the dad, or is it the other way around?   THEN.....

 

 

This little guy just stole my heart.  I said, "its not even Mother's Day!'

 

 

 

***

 

 

Wednesday, we celebrated our 11th anniversary of farm ownership.  I'm not sure if we're celebrating the debt, 11 years of debt pay-off, or the fact that we're still in the game (LOL)! Either way, its fun.

 

 

 

 

***

 

Thursday, we played dress-up and went visiting to all of our favorite neighbors.  Some of them we didn't get to this year, hope to see you next year!  Yes we "do" Halloween, but we do not celebrate evil and fear.  We do make the day of many older folks who love to see the kids & their costumes.

 

(a Lely salesman, a farmer, a mouse, a bumblebee and an elephant)

 

 

***

 

 

Saturday we celebrated a 1st birthday with family...

 

 

 

Can you guess what color this kid is getting?

 

Finally, we attended an awesome worship celebration Saturday night with friends.  The message was about listening to what God is trying to tell you, then trusting him enough to follow.  We are a fearful people; it is much easier to stay where we're at instead of stepping out in faith and making a sacrifice to reap something better in our eternal life.   Is God trying to tell you something? Have you been listening?  Sometimes God's voice is that gut feeling you get, followed by your own voice in your head that says "No, that's not right...", "Something is wrong here..." or "I should really....(insert action)".  Another pastor we know once said that you know its an idea from God if it

1) benefits someone else

2) if its something for YOU to do (not someone else)

3) if its in line with God's word

 

God bless you in the week ahead-

 

-Terri

 

Market Pigs and New Digs!

Wednesday was a big day here!

In the morning we took the pigs to the butcher.  That's right folks, it's harvest season!  Mary and Jerry were very well-behaved....

Usually, we all go on this annual trip-but I told Rick we couldn't really take another day off of school for something so trivial.  To my surprise, he called in a substitute!  Mom came over and facilitated the boys while they worked on their lessons.  Rick and I took the "littles" with us, and it was a nice break.  We're so thankful that the hogs were healthy and made it to harvest without incident.  We are very fortunate to have home grown grass fed beef, chicken, turkey and pork.  Although we're taught to store up our riches in heaven, I'd be lying if I didn't admit I'm storing some up in the freezer.....

And....

The cows moved into the new barn!  As I waited for them to exit the parlor and come into the barn,  I took a deep breath and thought about how far we have come.  The past 11 years have not always been easy, but they were so full of joy.  Some of the best memories we have are from some of the most challenging issues we faced.  Good times, indeed.  Nope, I wouldn't trade or change any of it.  God's timing is perfect, and "slow and steady wins the race".

I took some video of the cows entering the barn.  They're like kids on Christmas morning!  It's the same as the first day of grazing in the Spring, with the running, jumping and mooing as they check out their new surroundings.  If you read this blog via email, and you want to see the video, you will have the visit the blog page itself at faithfamilyonthefarm.blogspot.com .

Video:

 

 



So, we'll cross "build a new barn'' off the list.  Occasionally I say to Rick (in terms of the farm and our future) "now what?" and he says "...now we enjoy it!!!"  I'll let him win this discussion-for now.

-Terri

Off the Farm

One of the most challenging aspects of dairy farming is maintaining that delicate balance between work and family.  Living where you work creates special challenges.  Where many people leave their place of employment and go home, we technically are always "at work".  Many aspects of the business are handled in the house, including finances, phone calls, record keeping and meetings.

So just when do you quit working for the day?  How do you convey the message to others that you are no longer "at work?"

We make quite an effort at keeping certain parts of the day for family time.  This does not mean that we are always doing something fun with the family. This means the time is spent doing something that benefits  the family. Examples would include church, meals, laundry, housework, schoolwork, or time reading or watching a documentary with the kids.  This takes quite the effort to carve out this time, and sometimes it just doesn't happen.  We have spent many evenings hauling hay, paying bills or going back out to finish chores.  The trick is keep the big picture in mind and not let that become the new normal.

Even more difficult than carving out our own time, is conveying the message to others.  People know that we are here.  Even if we are "off" it is assumed that we are available for anything and everything farm related.  One very cold and snowy Sunday afternoon a couple years ago, three men showed up to look at the parlor.  We stalled at the door.  We said "its Sunday.....we just put in a movie....chores are at 3...." but they just wouldn't budge.  They said they could look at it themselves.   Trying not to be rude,  Rick put on his coveralls.  Our parlor and milk storage is no different from other food production businesses.  I doubt other businesses would let people wander around whenever it suited them, without an employee or owner present.  This is just one example.  There's salesmen, evening phone calls....

We've figured out that to really be "off" you have to be absent.  Removing ourselves makes us immediately unavailable, and only available to those who have our number (like our hired team members and family).  It also allows us to not be distracted by unfinished work that we see every time we look out the kitchen window.  Ultimately we would like to be able to be off and home at the same time.   This will go on the list of goals, with the steps needed to get there. Until then, I'd like to share what we did on our last weekend off.

Mom watched the kids (Thank you, Mom!!), our team members milked the cows (Thank you!!) and Rick and I stayed in Pentwater at the Hexagon House.  It was an excellent stay! Matt & Sandy, the Innkeepers, were wonderful people who are obviously in their element with the B&B business.  The breakfast was very tasty, the coffee always hot (and available), and the conversation intriguing.  The house was warm, comfortable and clean, with many amenities to enjoy.  check it out:

Hexagon House



We browsed antique shops, went biking, walked out on the piers, watched movies, enjoyed a bonfire, visited 2 state parks and the Frederik Meijer Gardens. All in 48 hours!

Thanks, Matt & Sandy, for a wonderful stay!

-Terri

Resiliency

Resiliency:
1: The ability of a body to regain its original size and shape after being compressed, bent or stretched.
2: An ability to recover from or adjust easily to change or misfortune.

Farmers are some of the most resilient people I know.  Over the years we have been witness to or made aware of serious situations that have happened to farmers that may have compressed, bent or stretched them.  Whether it was their wallet, their heart, their physical endurance or their faith, they somehow seem to recover, although I would never call it easy.  For some reason farmers have an ability to see a very small light through a very narrow tunnel.

We know of farmers who have had barns burn, crops fail and cattle drop dead in the parlor after eating a rare poisonous plant.  We've watched droughts and floods age farmers well beyond their years.  We've had neighbors lose family members or employees in farm accidents. We've lost friends ourselves.

Many people have said to us "I don't know how you do it".  We don't really understand this, because we're not sure how not to do it.  How many people do you know that stay in the same career for their entire lifetime?  Are you still working in the same field that you were in after college? I am. Literally.

I'm not sure what keeps these farmers going sometimes. Whether its the next milking, only 12 hours away, or the next calving, only a couple months away, the next crop....maybe we just don't have enough time to even consider quitting.  I mean, you just can't stop milking the cows.  You wouldn't leave that standing crop in the field.  Somehow we are called to a level of responsibility that is above and beyond and involves things that just keep growing.

Last week there was a horrible freak snow storm in the Dakotas.  Tens of thousands of cattle were lost in the storm.  The storm came in much worse than predicted, and the cattle were caught off guard far from home.  The West does not operate the same as the East.  Ranches are gigantic in size with herd numbers sometimes in the thousands.  It takes days to move cattle from pasture to pasture, not mere hours.  The storm was surprising to so many people, but was is not surprising is the reaction, both positive and negative.  The comments made on some of the articles, obviously by non-ranchers, are offensive. The actions taken by other ranchers and those in the agricultural community are more than heart warming.  Here's a great blog post in response to some of those questions people were asking. When you have the time, it would be worth it to read it.

Questioning Cattle Deaths in South Dakota

News article with pictures:
Rapid City Journal

If you want to help (or be encouraged by people who are):
https://www.facebook.com/pledgeheifer

God gave me this verse today:
Isaiah 40:28
Have you never heard?

Have you never understood?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of all the earth.

He never grows weak or weary.

No one can measure the depths of his understanding.

29He gives power to the weak

and strength to the powerless.

30Even youths will become weak and tired,

and young men will fall in exhaustion.

31But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.

They will soar high on wings like eagles.

They will run and not grow weary.

They will walk and not faint.

 

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.  They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Twice a Day, However You May...

Through the years we have tried many different milking schedules.  Cows, at the very least, need to be milked twice daily.  Some farmers milk their cows three times per day, very few have tried four, and often some seasonal producers will back down to once per day right before dry off.

There is research that has shown that cows need to be milked every 8-12 hours;  no sooner than 8 hours from the last milking, but no longer than 12 hours after the previous milking.

Growing up most of the time we milked twice per day, early morning and afternoon.  For a little while we milked three times per day.  During that time I was in the 8th grade I did the afternoon milking.  Once, for a little while, my parents tried milking five times every two days.  So on day one, there would be two milkings, and on day two there would be three.  That was a scheduling nightmare!

After college, when I worked full time for my parents, I convinced them to try a 10am and 10pm milking schedule.  At the time, I was doing both milkings each day with exception to my weekend off.  One of my selling points was that Mom and Dad would only have eight milkings per month on this schedule (four milkings for two weekends that I was off).  They gave me the go-ahead. For a week.  Then they gave me the "stop".  Mom said Dad was too tired.  Too tired?  He wasn't even milking! Turns out, he was in such a habit of getting up very early, that he still did. Then, he stayed up at night in the house until he seen that I had chores done and had gone home.  I reminded him that I was an adult now, he didn't have to wait up for me....guess some habits are hard to change!

On our farm, we started with the 10 & 10 schedule.  We really liked it.  We got more sleep, sleeping from midnight or so until 8am....or later.  We weren't milking during the hottest part of the day, the cows are grazing at dawn & dusk, and the hay got done, given that we didn't have to stop in the middle of the afternoon to milk.  On Sunday morning we would just start early enough to get to church on time.

It is a bit more difficult to find hired help to milk that schedule, so we eventually went back to a more traditional 5am and 4pm.  As our home school evolved, I also needed the morning for school with the kids.  After baby #3, we went to a 3:30am and 3:30 pm.  This fit the baby's 3 hour feeding schedule at 3am, 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm, 6pm, 9pm, and finally midnight.  We had to juggle things around as we didn't have any hired help that year. Or sleep.

No matter how we try to schedule it, there is still only 24 hours in a day.  The key is finding the right one for your life right now. Problems do not arise until we become so stuck in our ways that we are not willing to change or try something else. Farmers tend to get stuck in a rut, with the reasoning of "that's the way we've always done it".

Around here, we do our best to schedule the farm around the family. Why? Because that's the way we've always done it.

I'm attempting to include a short video with some clips from the milking parlor.   If you think of a great song for this clip, let me know!  Summer 2012-

 

 

Hitch Pin Disease

Do you have it? Do you wish that you had it?

Do you even know what it is?

Hitch Pin Disease:
1.  A slow overwhelming desire developed by the farmer to have one tractor for each piece of machinery, creating a pair, hence seldom having to "un-hitch" and "hitch" implements up to tractors to complete tasks.

This is often an inside joke between us farmers; prodding and giving each other a hard time when we see new pieces of equipment arrive on their farms-now when we get something new, we often don't say anything at all, waiting to see how long it takes the other farmers to notice the piece when they drive by on their  "crop-checking" trips.

I didn't think we had a problem with hitch pin disease. For a long time we had just one tractor, an 806 Gas, that was sold to buy an 806 Diesel. Then we added a 60hp New Holland, to scrape, load bales, rake, etc. Then, Rick's uncle called and said he had a little Ford 2000, and we could have it if we got it running. We did. THEN, the owner of our original 806 Gas tractor called and said he was selling it, would we want to buy it back? It was our first tractor. We bought it.

Over the years we have purchased a loader (for the 806 gas) a discbine (on the diesel tractor), a bale wrapper (loaded by the New Holland), and finally this summer, a rake.

I knew we caught the disease when Rick said "I'm gonna marry that rake to the Ford!" Oh-no!

Its understandable, though.  Having one tractor means you are constantly hitching and un-hitching the equipment that you need: The discbine, the rake, the loader. The discbine, the rake, the loader. Over and over, and over, again.  Some hitches are simple, some are not:

The rake hitch is simple: 1 pin and a hydraulic hose.

The speed rake on the Ford 2000....for life.

Simple bale wagon hitch with a safety clasp on the pick-up.

This little guy LOVES hauling bales!

A more complicated discbine hitch.  2 hydraulic hoses, a P.T.O shaft and draw bar hitch.  Its much more time consuming to hitch and un-hitch this machine.

In the beginning, we did a lot of hitching and un-hitching.  We were just grateful for the one tractor that we did have.  We also made dry hay, which meant there was more time to switch machines while the hay dried down.  Now, with high-moisture bales, we need to move a little faster.  We can also be more efficient, and having somebody mowing down the next field while someone else rakes in front of the custom baler-all at the same time.

 

The next time you drive by your neighborhood farm, take a glance at their equipment.  Is it hooked up to something? Is it always hooked up to that machine?  Just be careful to not look too long. Pretty soon you'll realize that you need a second vehicle.  And it sure would be handy if you had a truck to pull the boat. And one for the camper.  And an ATV for the lawn cart, because you don't like taking it on and off the lawn mower.  Then you'll need a trailer for all of that. And something to pull it.....



 

4-H: "To Make the Best Better"

We just wrapped up the 2013 Clinton County 4-H & Youth Fair.  I think I can speak for a lot of people when I say it's always bittersweet.  As tired as everyone is,  it's a little sad when it's over...  Just ask my oldest son.

I reminded him that it had been 15 years since I have been actively involved in the fair, and yet here I was again. I told him he can be involved for as long as he wants....his lifetime, possibly.  I think that helped...a little.

Our oldest, now a regular 4-Her, did well at the fair this year.  There were no trophies or rosettes, but he did get all "A" rankings on his model, diorama, fudge, and performing arts.

More importantly than that, we learned (and demonstrated) a huge lesson on not giving up, and finishing the job, no matter what.

Clover, the 4-H calf, created quite the spectacle at the fair.  At home our oldest practiced leading him around, setting up his legs (lining his feet up square or staggered, as if showing in the show ring), and holding his head up high.  He practiced almost every day. 

Clover must have been a bit nervous at the fair.  When it came time for novice showmanship, They entered the ring. The first 30 seconds went great.  Then it all went downhill from there. Clover pranced around and jumped...on our son! More than once, he would practically get his front legs on his shoulders. At 442 lbs., he was no longer a little calf, and it took a lot of arm strength to get him under control. Each time Clover would jump, the crowd would gasp, our son would stagger or stumble, and then regain control and continue to show him, staring down the judge, holding the calf's head high, and giving it all he had.  He never quit. Clover jumped and jumped, many times, and our son continued on.  In fact, he made it into the final round of showmanship.

As he  came out of the ring the first time, we consoled  him. We encouraged him. We gave him pep talks.  We told him he had to go in the ring again. The look on his face...

It got worse, and he continued.  I offered him an out. As he passed by me, I told him he could quit.  He said no, and kept going.  At the end of the show, he placed last in the final round, but what he learned and what we learned from him was just as important as winning. The judge pointed out how he never quit.  He said he knew when he first walked into the ring that he was going to be in the final.  When the animal acted up, he never quit. He kept showing Clover the best that he could, until the show was done. The crowd clapped.  We cried.

If all our son learns from 4-H is to never quit until the job is done, even when it's hard, then its been worth it. 

Pictures from the show:

Before Showmanship

Staring that judge down....

Zach, the show ring helper (black sweatshirt), stays close to help out when needed.

Zach, now making the rounds with our son & Clover....

Our second son with a borrowed calf for Cloverbud showmanship

So proud of our boys!

Thanks to all the volunteers this past week.  Your efforts help kids like our boys learn life-long skills and lessons in character, work ethic, integrity, and responsibility, just to name a few.  You make a difference!

-Terri

Like a Fly on Fly-Tape

 

A child growing up on a farm is like a fly on fly tape.  No matter how hard you try to separate yourself and get off the farm; a part of you is always stuck….

We’ve all read many stories about kids returning to farm; they run off after high school to college, test their footing in the real world, get a degree, start a career, yet something is missing. Then, they return home to Mom and Dad, or a Grandparent, go into a partnership and the rest is history.

My story is a bit different.  I grew up on farm, like many kids, with all the activities and opportunities that it has to offer them. My chores started with feeding calves; then I moved up to milking and feeding cows, and other tougher responsibilities.

I realized in high school that I wanted to farm.  When my parents switched from conventional dairying to rotational grazing I realized that I just might have a chance. In fact, I wasn’t planning on going to college at all. It was my Dad who thought I should go “so I’d have something to fall back on”.  It was fun; educational; and it did give me some good internship opportunities with huge learning experiences.

As soon as I was done with college I worked full time for my parents, got married, bought a farm, and started a dairy.  Our dream came true and we live it everyday.  Our kids have 120 acres to explore; they are home schooled and raised by their parents.  We raise most all of our own grass fed meat (beef, pork & poultry), drink our own cows’ milk, and have a modest garden.  We work hard in return for all of this; but hard work is good for us.  It’s good for our kids to know what hard work is.

If you feel like you still have a wing or a foot stuck in the agricultural way of life I encourage you to stop struggling to get off the fly tape. Embrace it.  Even if you are unable to farm on your own for a full time living, you can probably grow a garden, join a community supported agriculture group, enroll the kids in 4-H, or put up a backyard chicken coop.  Make an appointment to take the kids to visit your local farmer and show them that food doesn’t magically appear on the grocery store shelves.  Don’t run from your roots; cherish everything that farming has taught you, then teach it to your kids.

Come out this week for the Clinton County 4-H & Youth Fair.  Next to the city park in St. Johns, there are many things to do and see. Nightly entertainment, youth animal shows, projects on display, and great food.  This fair has a reputation for cleanliness, friendliness, and fun.  Come visit with your neighbors and friends at the fair! July 29th-August 1st, 2013.

Being Content

The great thing about Bragbook Facebook is that you get to see what everyone else is doing.  The worst thing about Facebook is that you get to see what everyone else is doing.

During the summer our Facebook page is covered with vacation pictures from trips that our "friends" took.  Sometimes, you get the minute-by-minute update on that cooler-then-ever event that they're at right now. 

Its hard to not let our minds go into jealously mode, thinking about how much we'd like to go away, or do what so-and-so is doing, or have that new gadget. Sometimes we have to work extra hard to just be grateful for what we have right here and now.

I have been on some pretty good vacations in my lifetime.  The only vacation I remember going on with my oldest sister was to California, when my dad was president of the Clinton County Farm Bureau.  Being in 1st grade the plane ride alone would have been good enough, but we also got to stay in a top-notch conference center and went to Newport Beach and Disneyland.  I don't remember doing anything with my oldest sister, but I know she was there.  Fast forward 25 years and I got to go on an over-nighter with my sister. We rode in her Mustang, all by ourselves, down to Ohio.  We listened to songs that were not played on family life radio.  We had a little sleepover with my sister from Florida and her daughter in a large bedroom at my brother's house.  If you just forget the why for the trip it would top out as #1 in memories of trips with both my sisters.  But the funeral visitation for little Marcie the next day was horrible.

Growing up mom and dad took the rest of us on a trip to New Mexico, and me and friend twice to Nashville, Tennessee.  There were awesome 4-H trips that filled in the gaps, including white-water rafting in Pennsylvania, a trip to Gettysburg, and a trip to Washington, D.C.

We have struggled lately with having time off.  As a family, we had a three day weekend last October before the baby was born, the day the baby was born, and a one week vacation while the cows were dry in March.  Individually, Rick's had off to go on the boy's 4-H trips, and the Red Power Show in Ohio.  Rick has worked our last two weekends "off" so I could sleep in, and I went to the AFGC conference in January, and Cousin Camp-out.  Its not the same, though. Being married, God sees us as one.  Even if I'm off, its hard to get that project in the house done, or take the 5 kids anywhere, by myself.  And it certainly isn't nearly as much fun.

The problem was/is somewhat situational; somewhat choice.  The good news is we've spent the last four weeks finding our additional team member!  With his permission, I look forward to introducing him soon.  He will be a good addition to our current team member, Ashley, who has been with us for almost 3 years.

I won't however, let myself go into trip planning mode just yet.  We're not necessarily free and clear every other weekend.  Sometimes, my mind will wander into a campground or state park, but I quickly shut it down until we see how things work out.  One time, 4 years ago, we hired a girl, and trained her for two weeks.  One morning I called and made non-refundable reservations at a state park in Kentucky. That afternoon she called and quit.

For the time being we will concentrate on being grateful for what we have gotten to do and what we have right here at home.  Just living in this house, having freedom to go outside, checking Facebook, worshiping on Sunday morning, having more than 1 child, and owning our own farm are all things to be grateful for, and all things that somebody else is longing for.

The Bible reminds us:

Hebrews 13:5
Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

1 Timothy 6:6-8
Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.

Philippians 4: 11-13
Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Home-school Helpers

The most common question we get asked about our home school is "are you worried about their socialization?"

They're always taken aback when I say "yes, we are...that's why we're homeschooling."

As we all know, things are not the way they used to be.  When I went to elementary school, one neighbor kid's mom was the recess aide, another was the lunch lady, and one of my best childhood friend's mom was the 5th grade teacher.  There was a lot of "moms" looking after you, and they had a bit more freedom in correcting any behavior that went astray. And they did.

There are many, many wonderful teachers and families out there who are utilizing the public school system.  I actually have many christian friends who teach at public schools, which I am grateful for.  They are needed there!  There are also many, many negative influences in the system now.  Teachers have less and less freedom to discipline and teach kids moral & ethical values.  Some kids have way too much freedom with social media, television, computers and music, and bring to school things that my children do not need to learn about.  We want our kids to have a christian education, so we home-school.

Our kids have an abundance of social interaction opportunities.  They interact with people of all different ages at home, from adults to babies.  With our supervision, they get to visit with people we do business with, the milkman, our team members, the fuel delivery driver....the list goes on and on.

They are not at home all the time. To round out our home school curriculum, we have lots of activities. For example, we participate in our local science center's home school science days.  Two weeks ago, the 3 oldest went to Bible School. The week following that the two oldest went to Sports Camp, a week-long day camp at the community college that teaches the kids how to play many different sports.  This week we had our annual cousin camp out (21 cousins present, with first aid and CPR training), took the 1st batch of meat birds to the butcher, and the hoof trimmer came.  Coming up this summer is two weeks of swimming lessons and the 4-H fair!  I would almost say we are on the edge of being one of those "hyper-scheduled" families.  Did I mention the music lessons???... whoops!

The key for us is to know what we (Rick and I) are good at including in the curriculum and what we are not.  Those things that we are not as good at can be done elsewhere, like at Sports Camp.  It might not be the same as year 'round physical education, but it meets our needs.

Although we don't have bookwork during the summer, here are some pictures from the learning opportunities the past couple of weeks: 

The boys at Sports Camp with camp director Nicki.  They played normal sports such as soccer, volleyball, basketball, and dodge ball, as well as variations with water balloons.  Now, one of our local community colleges will seem much more familiar when the time for higher education comes.

 

Day two of cousin camp-out.  The theme this year was "A Carnival of Cousins". We had inflatables, face painting, a juggler, cotton candy, a hot dog stand to serve food from, and adult games such as volleyball and Frisbee.  My parents and siblings and us all make an effort to create these themed camp-outs for the cousins.  Cousins are special people, and make great friends!

 The first group of meat birds off to the butcher!

 The hoof trimmer arrived much earlier then expected. Rick was not home, so I called for the boys. I told them to round up the already-sorted cows out of the paddock by the barn, and put them in the holding area between the brown gate and the red gate. They ran out and did that, told the hoof trimmer where to park (it was the nephew of our regular trimmer), got the gates set up, and had three of the five cows done before Rick got home. When I checked on them, Josh said "These boys know more about what's going on here than I do!' They did a great job!

We finally got a second bathroom!!! LOL! The port-a-jon arrived today for the barn project.  There's going to be a lot of people here this next month, so we thought this would help.  Now, when we're out doing chores, we won't have pay attention to who's "behind the barn" before we walk out there! :)   The driver said he had 90 more to deliver....I think I 'll keep my farm job!








Have a great weekend!

-Terri

Signing on the Dotted Line....Part 2

This is the second part in a series on farm & family finances.  We are so excited about (and thankful for) our new project!

The farm still has debt.  When it comes to the business we look at it a little differently. Although we would like to be free and clear,  for us some debt is necessary to keep the farm in a profitable position.  We are very cautious when it comes to borrowing money.  We ask ourselves if:

1.   It is a profit-generating project
2.   If not doing the project will have a negative impact on the farm
3.   Can we make the payment even if the market tanks?
4.   Have we paid other debts off? ( or are we just be stacking another one on?)
5.   Is it really needed? (or are we just being wishful in our tiredness?)

We also pay attention to things such as our net worth, asset: liability ratio, cash flow and other financial indicators.

Proverbs 27:23 "Be diligent to know the state of your flocks and herds."

From the beginning we have wanted to build a barn to house the cows in.  It was our goal to save up enough money to do so.  We still could, but we really need the barn now.  In muddy/inclement weather situations we are using the same amount of space for 118 cows that we used for 60.  Now that we own some equipment, we need to be able to put it inside for the winter to extend its usable life.  So the plan is to use the old housing for storage for equipment & feed, and build new housing for the cows.  The cows haven't complained about being out-wintered, but now the lanes will take less of a beating, the cows will be cleaner on the muddy days, and feed (read $$$$) will be saved now that it's under cover. It may also be a little bit easier to find or retain team members with a better facility.  If not, at least we will enjoy it!

Signing on the loan for the new barn.  I signed too, but someone has to take the picture!  Look how happy the farmer is! He has worked so hard-now he can go at least another 34 years!

Proverbs 22:7 The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is slave to the lender. 

We do not feel like we're a slave to our lenders.  We feel more like we're on a team, working together to win the game of dairy farming.  Truth is though, if we become irresponsible and make bad financial choices, we will have to do what they say, because they have a stake in our business.  Until the last payment is made, it is our obligation to prove that we are worthy of their trust and investment.  We honor God as best as we can by not taking on more debt than we can repay.  We also sleep better.  We encourage you to take a good hard look at your personal and business finances.  The first step is often the hardest one to take, but it may be as simple as picking up a book, or making a list of debts you're going to focus on paying. What matters is that you take that step, or keep walking (for some of you) to reach your goals.

-Terri

This Week in Pictures

Last Sunday we loved seeing the baby skunks at Mom & Dad's! The skunk's mom was killed in the road, so these little fellas have been camping out in the calf hutches, and they wander around as they please.  Everything is cute when it's little.....



Just in time for Father's Day-it doesn't matter what you're doing, as long as you're doing it together.

1 of 6 fields of hay put up this week for a total of about 480  bales

Rick, loading bales-most often we load our own loads, and unload at the wrapper. But this time I was blessed by his presence and he loaded his wagon and mine.

My hay haulin' crew!

They say milk is good for the skin...

"Eat more pork!"


Happy Father's Day, Dad!
Hope you have a memorable day!

Signing on the Dotted Line....Part 1

This is the first of a two part series on farm & family finances-How we think; operate; and plan for the future. Stay tuned for part two for an exciting new adventure for Grazeway Dairy.

Its probably no secret that we're big fans of Dave Ramsey.  His no-nonsense biblical approach to finance has helped people of all income levels get their financial affairs in order. Dave speaks the truth about responsibility and what it really means to honor God with the money He provides for you.

Dave has also wrote a book called EntreLeadership.  Its about the steps you need to take to succeed in the world of small business.  What sets this author and book apart from all the others is the fact that Dave was once bankrupt himself.  He now uses his own experiences to council others and get them (or keep them) heading in the right direction. 

One thing Dave claims is that you can start a small business without going into debt.  Is that possible in Agriculture?  It might be.  You could start with 1 cow, get her bred, and grow your herd.  You could lease your cows to another farmer until you herd is big enough, and then rent your own farm.  You could trade labor for use of equipment until you save up enough money to buy some very used pieces.  Along the way your herd (under good management) would continue to grow, you could trade up on equipment, and save to buy a farm.  Around here land is going for about $6,000.00/acre, or more.  If you could save about $2,000 a month(with a modest herd milking), it would take about 25 years to save up the money to buy a 100 acre farm.  Hopefully it would have some sort of milking facility on it already.  And a house.  At this point, assuming that you started when you were 18, you would about 50 years old.  Still some life left in you to farm, for sure!

We didn't take this route.  We took out a mortgage and bought a farm, having about 60 head of cattle to start with.  25 of those we had an additional loan for.  We also had a loan for the parlor we built.  Kind of makes us look like hypocrites, huh? I would like to think not.  We only borrowed what we absolutely had to have to get going. Here, you cannot build on land you do not own. So we bought the land.  When we ran our finpack farm analysis, 60 cows  was the minimum to turn any kind of profit. So we bought the cows.  Milk cows need to be milked. To send milk on the Grade A market (the best price) you have to have a facility. So we built one.  But it stopped there.  We only borrowed money for things that we absolutely had to have to get going.  As we paid that debt down, we bought some other things that are really useful to farmers; a truck, a tractor, etc.  Most (but not all) things we paid for with cash. But it took a long time to get to that point.  We're 11 years in and now we find that if we buy used and old enough items we can typically save & pay cash for them.

We do not have any personal debt.  That is something we have also worked on over the years.  We do have 1 personal credit card, when used it is paid in full each month. We carry no vehicle loans, and the last two kids that we had were paid for as soon as we got the bill. That meant we stayed less than 1 full day in the hospital (and were blessed with healthy babies), but it was worth it.  Having no personal debt doesn't mean we live high on the hog. It means we only have one bathroom, no smart phones, vehicles that are 17 & 8 yrs old;  a big garden and our travel trailer (just bought-with cash!) is as old as Rick is-literally.  Material things do not matter as much to us as making memories, so often our funds are directed more towards family activities (& giving) then buying "stuff".




Check out this find! A 1979 Nomad 23ft travel trailer!  Vintage is in, and for once we are with the trend!  It was taken care of very well, stored inside and treated with respect.   We're having a blast shopping for the Tupperware and housewares from the same year to match the red, brown, & orange (original) interior.  The kids love sleeping in it (even if parked in the yard) and I'm sure some good memories are to come.   The best part? $1500.00 (after negotiations, of course).  No more than the cost of  a 1 week vacation for a family of 7.  Like Dave says, have that vacation paid for BEFORE you go!

 -Terri

Color-Coded Kids

Psalm 127:3:5
Children are a gift from the Lord;they are a reward from him. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates.

Children are a gift from God. They have wonder, imagination, curiosity, and trusting spirits and can be a real joy to be around. However, they can also be a "handful" as many people say it!  We love having a handful of kids-5!

Many of you may have noticed in the pictures of the kids that they always seem to be wearing the same clothes. Well, they are-kind of.

The farm poses a special circumstance when it comes to laundry. For each person that works outside, you have a wardrobe of "barn" clothes, and then you also have their "good" clothes.  When the two oldest boys were younger, their barn clothes were merely good clothes that were past their prime.  They shared these clothes; and often we would find them on the floor at the end of the day (not in the dirty clothes basket) or there would be arguing over the favorite shirt that they both wanted to wear.  There was also a lot of outfit changes. They would start the day off in good clothes, then change to barn clothes, then back to good clothes.  The good clothes (although not dirty) would end up in the dirty clothes basket, resulting in needless washing.

As our family grew, my sister recommended a book, called Large Family Logistics.  It is written by a farm mom of 9 and is packed full of good ideas for house keeping, organization, meals, etc.  Our laundry system is adapted from an idea out of her book.

I assigned each child a color. I actually tried to pick one that they liked, and one that complemented them.  Each child got 2 crates, one for shirts (6) and sweatshirts (3), the other for pants (4) and shorts (4). Early on I ordered color-coordinating sweatpants for each child online. The older boys now prefer jeans, which I buy at the local second-hand shop.  These are their barn clothes. They also got an apartment sized laundry basket, and I duct-taped the handles with their coordinating color of duct tape.

Crates for barn clothes with the oldest child's at the top. When the baby is old enough, we'll add a shelf and move everybody up one shelf.

The system:

1. Each child size 2t+ puts on a new set of clean barn clothes each morning.
2. The older boys then put their dirty barn clothes in their own basket in the evening (or when dirty).
3. The older boys are assigned a wash day, and wash their own barn clothes by themselves using the washing machine in the barn. Its good practice for them.
     A. If they have no clean clothes, it's their own fault.
     B. If I find clothes on the floor, I know exactly who they belong to, by color.
     C. They are responsible for drying and taking care of their clothes, too. 
4. The younger kids still put their dirty barn clothes in with ours and we wash them...for now!

Now, we do not go through as many "good" outfits as we used to.  They change before we go out; and we are instructing them to hang them back up as soon as we get home, unless they actually have debris on them.  They do not need as many outfits, either.  Less clothes for each person is also much easier to manage.  Each of the kids has 3 good pairs of jeans, and 2 pairs of shorts, about 5 collared shirts, dress pants, and numerous t-shirts from their clubs,teams, or activities. 

With our family of seven, we still can get by doing laundry only 1 day of week for the most part. Occasionally we will have an extra load during the week, but not often.

This color-coded system also works for towels:

and water cups:

The initial investment was around $280 for the barn clothes, plus the crates (6 to start, then 2 more added later).  The t-shirts we ordered have the farm logo on the front, and are going into their 3rd year of use.   The boys love their "uniforms" and I will have to replace them soon, and go a size up for them.  We have occasionally had to replace pants and shorts due to unrepairable holes.  I'm not sure if I can count the cost of the towels and cups as extra, given that the towels were the first that we bought since our marriage, 12 years ago.

In a perfect world, all of our "systems" would work, all the time. Truth is, they don't. When there is a system failure, we just try our best to tweak what needs fixed or what is no longer working.  It also allows us to use real life as a tool for training the kids how to not be wasteful of things, time or money.   Remember, everything we have is a gift from God-especially the kids!

-Terri