10 Years & 5 Kids Later

10 years ago today we turned on the parlor and milked on this farm for the first time in almost 30 years.

My Grandpa bought this farm in 1969 and milked here until 1974.  He then went into partnership with my parents on their farm.  My parents bought this farm from him in 1990, then we purchased it from them in 2002.  So it has been in our family for 44 years.  One of our sons is determined to get one of those centennial farm signs celebrating 100 years of ownership in the same family. When that happens, he'll be 64, and if I'm blessed I'll be 88.   I might get to see that happen!

Rick and I both worked day jobs on other farms, and worked on building the parlor at night.  We were expecting our first baby, due anytime around May 20th.  The goal was to have the parlor finished in time for calving season at the beginning of April.  Needless to say, that didn't happen, but we were close.  Near the end of April we were ready to milk cows, but what we weren't ready for was the baby!

I had stopped working for the neighbor on the 23rd.  Rick and I had literally NOTHING ready for the baby except the gifts we got from the baby shower.  We had been so busy working and building the parlor, and we really thought we had time-like 4 weeks worth-not 3 days worth!

I had made a list of the things we needed, and on the 26th went to every garage sale in Krepps road area, to only find a part of what we needed.  I got home around noon, and started to put that brand-new-stroller-still-in-the-box-for-$25 together (what a find! We still use it!).  Then...things started to happen....and at 6:44 that night we had our first boy.

The memory that everyone recalls is this one, though.  Although the parlor was ready, I was not.  I said there was no way those milk pumps would turn on for the first time while I was in the hospital.  I wasn't going to miss the monumental time in our lives.  So we waited another 3 days.

On the 29th we put the baby in the laundry basket and headed out to the barn.  The cows that had already freshened (calved) had been trucked back from my folk's place earlier that day.  My mom took pictures, my Dad, Rick, Dennis and I put the cows through the parlor.  Our equipment dealer was on hand to make sure all the equipment ran smoothly.

At that moment we defeated all the nay-sayers.  Through our whole start up process, our support system was the bank, our families, and our former bosses (from PA) who knew both Rick and I well enough to know that we would make it a "go".  At that moment everyone that looked us in the eyes and said "you'll never make it" or "grazing doesn't work" was proved wrong.  Although it was the first milking, it was the hardest one to get to.  It was the one that gave us (like I've always said) " a foot in the door and a check in the mailbox".

Here are some pictures from that day:



Dad, Rick & Dennis move the cows to the holding pen.  Now, this area has a concrete lane leading up to the holding pen.




Dad helps attach the milking units.  For safety measures, we have since added a second bar behind the cow's legs.




In the beginning we used 5 gallon pails to bucket the grain into the trough.   After the morning milking each day we would "fill trough".  We filled it to the top, and the cows ate all they could (like a buffet) while they were being milked.  You had to be sure to milk fast enough so there was enough grain for the next milking.   With a collaboration of used (blessings from Dave Forgey) and new equipment we were able to install an automated grains system in 2007.




Our milking equipment dealer took this picture of us on this special day.  He took many, many pictures of the barn during building and construction, and we are very grateful to have those pictures.

 -Terri

Bales & Bankers

Wow, what a day!

God did some pretty cool things today!

1. Many of you may not know this, but Rick was born and raised in Greencastle, PA. From the day he was born he has probably spent more time on a farm than off.  Its in his blood.  He has family and friends there, many that are heavily involved in agriculture. Earlier last week, Rick got a chance to catch up with an old friend in Pennsylvania.   They discussed everything: milk markets, cow prices, feed costs, etc.  After Rick went to the auction in attempt to purchase some hay for the cows to replenish our short supply, he called him back.  All we could get at the auction were small squares, and we really needed large round bales.  His friend agreed to sell us some hay!  Just being able to find it was a blessing.  But it gets better. Rick's brother is a diesel mechanic for a company called Generation Trucking.  He gave us the phone number for them, and after a couple of phone calls, they were able to fit us in their schedule.  We fed the last of the small squares Sunday night, and the round bales arrived this morning.....EARLY!

2. Awhile back, we decided to tweak our team member's schedule. Now she comes in for some additional morning milkings.  Today was one of those days, and we were so grateful!  The load of hay came at 6am, while we were still doing chores.  If our team member hadn't been there, I would have had to finish milking (while Rick unloaded the hay) and then do all of the calf chores, resulting in a very late breakfast and really hungry kids!

3.  To show the trucking company how much we appreciated them hauling the hay for us on such short notice, we put together a little gift for the driver: one of our farm mugs with 1/2 dozen cookies.    He mentioned that today is his birthday.  He grinned from ear to ear!  Happy Birthday, Kevin!

4.  We also had an appointment with two loan officers from our bank.  One of them had not seen our place before, and we wanted to show her the farm,discuss last year's financials, and visit about a potential building project.   There was a little extra clean up that we wanted to do before they came that we didn't have time to do over the weekend.  One of the kids asked why we wanted the farm to look so nice. I said "because it shows that we appreciate their support and them lending us the money to buy the farm." For this particular child I added "If you take good care of things, they last longer."  With the hay coming early, and schooling that needed done, we found ourselves on a tight schedule.   But wait! Who was that at the door? Its Jane! Jane just so happen to bring us lunch today.  She could not have picked a better day. It was so helpful!

5. Rick went out to rake the small piece of grass by the entry door and sweep the cement by the entry door.  Scraps of wood, straw and hay from the winter months always seem  to gather there.  Believe it or not, in the driveway pulls our neighbor with his tractor and sweeper.  So he swept all of the rocks that were thrown into the lawn over the winter, the small piece of grass, and the entire cement pad.  Thank you!  Again, the timing could not have been better- God's timing is always perfect!

6.  The original appointment time was changed, so I needed mom to help me with the kids a little bit sooner.  Her and dad were out, but we turned the corner to go to their house at the very same time. Thanks, Mom!

So the bales and the bankers both arrived right on time today.   Both are such an integral part of this operation.  We have a good relationship with our lenders and we look forward to their annual visit. They took a chance on us when we were 23 and 22 years old, and we're not going to let them down.

Ever wonder what is under the tarps on the semi's?  Well this one had hay, and you would not have known any different until they took the tarp off.  Its a good thing, because hay is a hot commodity right now!

The trucker was concerned about being parked in the road.  We assured him that we only had two other neighbors who had not gone by yet on their way to work. So, he left all of his flashers on (including a cool rotating orange light on the top) but said he probably didn't need his yellow safety vest........

Thank You!

With our larger tractor, Rick can spear two bales at a time, saving time on unloading.  While Rick unloaded, I helped the driver roll up his straps and lay the tarps out to be folded.  He was on his way to Flint to pick up some totes of coal to take back to PA.

More than once today our toddler looked out the window and very excitedly said "bales! bales!" Yeah, we feel the same way!

 

 

-Terri

Escapees!

Anyone who grew up on a farm can probably relate when I say that there are four words that when spoken, will make a farmer drop everything and take action .  Four words that will make you jump out of bed without a second thought or cut your shower short no matter if you had rinsed or not!  Four words that are never spoken softly or slowly.

"THE COWS ARE OUT!!"

Growing up we all knew what this meant. This meant that you ran as fast as you could to put your boots on and go outside and help. If it was the middle of the night, you were in your pajamas and boots.  If you were in the shower you were in whatever you could grab and boots, with wet messy hair.  The milk cows didn't get out today, but some others did!

Today we dehorned 10 more calves and made a second group pen.  Dehorning is necessary for the safety of other animals and people.  Remember Lane Frost, the professional bull rider? Yeah, we don't want that to happen to us.  We use a burner that acts similar to a brander and stops the growth of horns. This does not take long and we quickly cote the area with a spray to numb any soreness.

After we dehorn the calves, we move them to their group pen.  They get to escape the small isolated calf hutch and move into the mansion with their family.  This is the kind of escape we would all enjoy!  There, they share a 10-bar feeder (it has 10 nipples on it).

They all run up and eat at the same time.  When the weather is questionable, we have a "super-hutch" in the pen for them to use to get out of the weather. Its like a really big calf hutch.





Meanwhile, something spooked our eldest son's 4-H calf, and it literally jumped right out of it's pen. It cleared the panel in front of his hutch without so much of a scrape, and continued to run all around.  This calf "Clover" is now almost 2 months old, and catching him isn't so easy any more.  We managed to corner him near the barn and slip a halter on. I told our son that it was getting hard to catch him and that I thought "you better start training him to lead, and since we just got the halter on him, now would be a good time to start!'

At first, he was a little stubborn.  Then he took off.  Rick was explaining to the other kids how "Clover was training (our son) to lead!"  After he dragged him on his stomach through the mud, we decided that he had probably had enough for one day, so we put him back in his hutch.

I think we'll be seeing him working a little bit more often with his calf!

 

While that was going on, there was a chicken that apparently forgot to go back in the coop last night, and we wanted all of them in there tonight because of the inclement weather we're having.  The other 3 kids chased and cornered that escapee, and finally, we got her put back where she belonged.

All of our escapees are now back where they belong.....for now!

 

-Terri



 

 



Homeschooling the Farmer's Kid

I follow a blog of a homeschooling mother of 9.  She recalled when her and her husband first decided to home school and she promptly went to her homeschooling friends and said "OK, now what do I do?' in which they replied "whatever you want!"

There really is some truth to that.  There is so much curriculum available for homeschoolers to utilize, that it is almost overwhelming when you first start and are trying to figure out what works best for you.  Most families pick the curriculum that fits their learning style, or they make up their own.

We are currently using Bob Jones University Press.  We use the distance learning DVDs and workbooks.  Most of the lessons come on a DVD taught by WONDERFUL Christian teachers.  The kids watch their lesson, and then complete the assignment, in which I can further direct them or help them when needed.  I also modify the lesson when I need to. Sometimes we just want to do something that is more fun or relevant to what we are working on.

This past week our 4th grader needed to write a business letter for English.  So, instead of writing one to a fake company just to practice formatting a letter, we wrote one for real, that would be sent in the mail.  He picked the Lely company.  Lely makes robotic milkers that dairy farmers install in their barns to milk the cows. The cow goes into the stall by herself, and while she eats her grain, the robotic arm attaches the milking unit.  My parents have two Lely robots working for them.

Making this English assignment a real-life adventure made all the difference in the level of excitement of our 4th grader.  Each day, he looked forward to working on his letter, first drafting & formatting, then revising, proofreading, and finally typing it out.  I think he ran to the mailbox to send it out!

We were expecting a brochure sent back in the mail in a self addressed stamped envelope that was sent with the letter.   This is what he got:

In a box sent by UPS there was 2 magazines, a tablet of Lely stationary, a USB drive with Lely product videos, a reversible winter hat, a squishy cow and a letter from the company.  If you cannot imagine his excitement, I could describe it to being close to an adult winning the lottery.

We hit a home run in homeschooling this week!  The 4th grader says he wants to be an electrician, but as we learn about is passions and interests anything that has to do with Lely is right up there at the top.  I wouldn't be surprised if he worked for them someday.  We'll have to wait and see.....

***
We've been very busy this week on the farm. Since the 30th of March we have had 39 calves.  Our record for April is 84, so as long as they keep comin' we might be able to match or surpass that!  We've had over 4 1/2 inches of rain which has been challenging.  It has delayed the spring growth of grass which is so desperately needed.  Rick brought up the last of the hay that we have, so we will have to start looking to purchase some more, which will come at a premium price.  The calves have fared well and we were finally able to make our first group pen (we mob feed the calves in groups of 10) and will have another 10 ready this week!  We did lose one calf to a pneumonia type sickness, unfortunately.

Job 1:21 The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised!

-Terri

We had a great day today! 

First, it rained.  We are short on moisture here, and the rain was a very welcomed blessing.  Hay is in short supply from last year's drought, and our hay supply is very tight.  The rain will help the grass grow faster so we can get the cows out on pasture hopefully before we run out of hay.  The rain is also important to those who are waiting to get into the fields to plant, so if you saw a lot of smiles today, they were probably on the faces of farmers.

Second, we had 9 less calves to feed this evening!  We raise most all of our heifer calves (the girls), but we sell the bull calves (the boys).  The only bulls we raise are for breeding, and we buy them from other farmers.  During calving season, we want to move these bull calves out as soon as we can to save time and milk.  However, we do keep them for 3 days minimum to give them a good start for our buyer.  So today, our buyer came. We'll call him "Bob".  Bob is a good friend and neighbor of ours. He has bought our bull calves for many years. Bob raises them as feeder cattle and sells them later on for a profit (at least, that is the goal).  We really appreciate Bob. He comes about twice a week to pick up the calves that we have ready.  We both get a fair price for the calves, and we don't have to load them up (or pay a cattle hauler) to take them to the livestock auction.

Third, a niece of mine happen to go near where we buy our bulk foods, so she picked up my order and dropped it off!  I got a 50lb bag of flour, a 25lb bag of oats, and two 5lb bags of beans.  With our large(r) family it has been very helpful to buy in bulk and have these staples on hand, and most often they come at a better price per unit.  I told her "now, if I have trouble finding time to go to the store, at least we can have oatmeal and chili...lots of it!"

 

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.

Psalms 107:1

Babies in the Barn

 

One of the perks of owning your own dairy is being able to be at home, raising your children, and also have a career at the same time.  I knew in high school that I wanted to farm. I also knew I would want a family.  I grew up on a farm and all I knew was that Mom was there went you got on the bus.  Dad did the morning milking.  Mom or Dad was somewhere when you got off the bus (house OR barn).  When we milked 3 times a day, Mom did the late night milking.  When Mom had an appointment in town, you rode with Dad in the truck to the stockyard.  When there was a snow-day, you helped Dad milk in barn. Later, you did the milking by yourself while Dad did something else. Snow days were no fun when I was in school!  Anyway, both my mom and dad worked on the farm while we were growing up.  So I knew it could be done.

Sounds easy, right?  Turns out it's more like having two full time jobs.  But I am a master multi-tasker, and the pay-off at the end will be worth it.  We will not see the end (grown up children) for awhile, but we have already seen the benefit of being able to teach biblical moral principals and work ethics.  Our kids have also been able to learn from real-life scenarios that play out day by day on the farm.  For instance, one of our bulls that we used for breeding had to be shipped to the stockyard.  One of the kids asked why, and although it was hard for us,we stated that "his penis broke, so he is not able to breed cows anymore".  That kid promptly went to his Wednesday night church program and shared that during Praise & Prayer time.  Priceless!! LOL

Often, people say to us "I don't know how you do it!" This is hard to reply to, since most of the time people don't have a couple of hours for me to explain our schedule and organization techniques, along with how we keep the kids busy during certain times of the day.  However, I thought I'd share some of the highlights.

While we're in the barn for milking, feeding calves, or herd health checks, the kids each have different areas where they play or stay occupied depending on their age.  When we built the parlor, we were expecting our first child.  Our building designer included an area in the parlor that is surrounded by plexi-glass where we can fit a play pen, and swing or johnny jump-up when necessary.  The progression is this:

1. Infant swing, until they are too big for the swing.
2. Johnny Jump-Up, until they can sit up on their own.
3. Play pen-with toys or books, until age 4
4. Swing set (which is positioned in front of the milking parlor so we can see them play)
5. Toy box- if they are past the play pen stage, and the weather is bad we have a toy box we keep in the barn with toys that they can play with in the milk house.
6. As the kids get older, they get a little more freedom.  If they abuse the freedom, we draw them back to a more structured environment/area until they choose to respect the rules we give them.

Our first child slept in a laundry basket while we milked when he was an infant. One day, while the vet was here, I very excitedly asked, "Do you want to see what's in my basket???" He said "Sure" and I took off the small blanket I draped over the top.  I will never forget his surprised look, when he saw a baby in there!  He said " Oh my!! (big laugh) I was sure there was kittens or puppies in there. Every farm has kittens or puppies! I didn't know you were pregnant!" In which I replied "Well I'm not, now."  He still recalls that day often when he comes out to the farm. Here are some pictures of our kid "areas"



Imagine a play pen on the blocks.
We're looking for a used one. There
is plexi-glass on the pipe, protecting it

We have a couple of hooks in the ceiling
to hold the Jumper. We use the jumpers with the trays for toys

Fun toys in an easy-clean box!



We can move the swing wherever we need it, either in the milkhouse
or in the parlor next to the play pen.







Some more pictures from 2004:
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/gallery/2004/07-09-farm/flash.htm

An article from 2004:
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/educate/college/careers/hottopic2.htm

-Terri