In Case You Haven't Herd...

Milk is the best (tasty and nutritious)way to get your calcium! 3-A-Day: A bowl of cereal, slice of cheese on a sandwich, and a yogurt....that's all it takes to get the calcium you need for the day!

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

See Michigan...Ohio GETS IT!

http://www.dairyherd.com/news_editorial.asp?pgid=675&ed_id=9806&ts=nl1&emc=el&m=1839757&l=16&v=b66680d9c9
I think the lesson to be learned here is that consumers just want to know that animals are well cared for- no matter who is behind the legislation.
This summer I posted about Animal Care legislation that had just been introduced in Michigan.
http://dairydiscoveryatswisslanefarms.blogspot.com/2009/07/animal-care-legislation-good-for.html
I was so excited about this legislation I even sent a letter to The Grand Rapids Press.
All aspects of agriculture came together to support this legislation because it would first and foremost ensure animal care, while protecting the future of agriculture in the state. Decisions would be made based on science by knowledgeable professionals instead of the emotions of activists trying to advocate Veganism.
Well, the legislation passed through Committee and the House but, when it got to the Senate things took a little turn.... The Poultry and Pork groups went into private negotiations with the Humane Society of the Untied States (HSUS) and amended the legislation by changing current industry practices (increasing cage size and decreasing time in gestation crates).
I am not here to argue about how much space a sow needs because I have no idea! I have maybe seen 10 pregnant sows in my whole life- clearly I should not decide how to care for them.
What I will say is that negotiating with groups like the HSUS is a very bad idea. Their agenda is to abolish animal agriculture- they don't care how big the cages are- they don't want anyone to even OWN a chicken! To them the chicken should have the same rights as humans.
In one (and only ONE) way I can see the positive in the slanderous, untruthful, hateful messages that Animal Rights groups spread about farms across America. It makes me even more passionate and thankful for the job I get to do every day!
If you are genuinely interested in the truth about what happens on today's farms- you are but a phone call away from your own Dairy Discovery tour!

It must be the MOOn!

Yesterday there were 18 calves born at SwissLane! And 6 of those were born between 4:30 and 5:00pm! WOW! The record number of calves born in one day still stands at 21. The average number is 4 per day.

Typically, we will blame the surge in births on a change in barometric pressure. However, the weather was pretty calm last evening and it left us a little puzzled... until the moon came out. It must have been that full moon!
To say the least there was a little commotion in the "Maternity Ward" last night. Luckily, we have got a really good team that knows the routine so all of the cows and calves received the best care possible and they're doing great. While 2 guys were helping one cow with a somewhat difficult birth, one was tending to the newborn calves, and yet another focusing on the post-partum care of the cows.
Looking ahead it seems that we may be experiencing more and more days like this in the coming months! The projections are about 470 cows due before the first of the year! HOLY COW:)

Milking it Through The Hard Times

Changes in milk prices are just a way of life on a dairy farm. However, the volatility of the market over this past 18 months is just plain scary. The extremely high prices from last summer were matched with the extremely low prices we have been facing for the past 9 months.
I get a lot of questions about why this is happening, and here are even a few local stories on milk prices:

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-michigan/index.ssf/2009/09/no_longer_milking_it_low_price.html

http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=110560

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2009/09/glut_of_milk_hurting_michigan.html

There are many factors that have contributed to the decline in milk prices. Just to name a few:
- China's Melamine Scandal
- New Zealand and Australia recovered from drought and took over the exports the US was filling
- Dairy Farmers expanded their herds to fill the demand of 2008 which led to more milk on the market
- Product Substitution: when milk prices jumped companies turned to alternative products like soy
- Depressed Global Economy

Well personally, I typically support the idea of a free market and have never really been to thrilled to hear about subsidizing or "bailouts" for an industry. If there is no demand, discontinue the product.
Here is a very opinionated editorial about dairy subsidies from the Washington Post.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/08/AR2009100803578.html?referrer=emailarticle
Mr. Editorial seems to make a few good points.....
However, when we are talking about our food supply, and dairy cows for that matter, it gets a little more complicated then just supply and demand. We can't just shut down the parlor for a month when there is too much milk. We would actually have to slaughter animals. Then when demand increases we can't just start bringing cows back to the parlor. It takes years before the cow can even produce. The US Dairy Industry was right there to fill the demand last year and must be ready for next time. I pray that we won't see a day when we have to rely on other countries for our food supply.

“Just two years ago, the price of milk was approaching $5 a gallon, thanks to strong U.S. and foreign demand; dairy farmers were making money hand over fist. But no one passed a law telling them to share the windfall with grocery shoppers,” the editorial said.
Just for the record..... there was no windfall! If you remember, energy costs skyrocketed at that same time which, in turn, caused feed and fertilizer increases. So when it was costing farmers $18 to make 100 lbs of milk, they were getting paid $20 (this was for about 5 months in 2008). Compare that to now, cost of production is $15 milk pay price is $10 (for about the last 9 months).




There are a few forecasts that predict prices to rebound (and maybe even spike again....ugh) by next spring. Until then we'll just keep hangin in hangin out and hangin on!

Corn Harvest 2009- Time to Celebrate!

Well, it just so happens that we finished Corn Silage Harvest today just in time for Fall Fun Days! Come visit on Saturday Oct. 17 and 24 from 11-3 and celebrate the fall harvest with us. You'll see first hand how the cows can convert the corn into one of nature's most perfect foods.....Milk!
I spent a lot of time this past month being a "good little farm wife" taking food out to the field, so I will share a few of the pictures that I captured of Corn Silage Harvest 2009!
If you remember way back in the spring we planted 2000 acres of corn. About 1200 of those acres were for silage and the rest, which is yet to be harvested, will be shelled corn. (If you have played in the Corn Box then you know what shelled corn is!)

Because of the cool wet conditions, this years Harvest is almost a whole month behind previous years. The corn has to be just the right moisture for silage.
Here is the Chopper loading a Silage Dump Truck. This chops the entire corn plant: stalk, leaves, cob, every part is utilized for feed.



Tom (my Uncle) is the Chief Chopper Operator. Driving the chopper to me is a lot like playing the Wii! There is a camera that shows him how full the truck bed is so he can adjust the chute (with a control that seriously looks like a game controller)to make sure that the truck is entirely full. There is also a computer screen that gives instant yield readings. Technology like this has been critical to improving efficiency.



I am always amazed by the power that the Chopper has!





The truck drives back to the farm where it stops to weigh the silage on a truck scale. This is helps with efficiency- how much feed we have for the upcoming year and which fields are yielding the best.



Then back to the Feed Storage to dump the silage so the tractor and blade can plow it to make a giant mountain of feed. They drive over the silage to pack it to keep air from spoiling.



If you look closely you can see the dark pile of silage from last years harvest. We will use this up just as the silage from this year is fermented to perfection!



Finally, the pile is covered with plastic and held down by recycled tire walls.
The silage will ferment to be easily digested by the cows and converted into wholesome product for us to enjoy!

A mOOO-ving Marathon Experience

This was such an amazing experience for me! I am so truly thankful for all the support from my family and friends.
I headed to Chicago this weekend to run in my first marathon.
While we toured the city, naturally, I looked for any sign of dairy that I could find.
After we arrived on Friday evening, I headed to the Health and Fitness Expo to pick up my packet that contained my bib number, T-shirt, etc…. One of the first things that caught my eye was a huge MILK banner! The National Dairy Council had a booth set up where they were handing out free samples of a new protein drink to replenish athletes after work outs. I talked with a couple of the volunteers and they sent me away with two servings for me to refuel after the race on Sunday!
http://www.victorynutrition.com/hpages/drinks/honeymilk.html


We walked from our hotel to the Field Museum on Saturday so we could take in all the sights and sounds of the city. And what would you know... we didn’t even go 3 blocks before running into the American Gothic couple!

(I made my mom and dad strike a pose!)

The most striking thing to me about this art piece was the not so subtle message that the suitcase at their feet represented. It is decorated with China, India, Bangladesh, etc… stickers which to me portrayed the scary situation American Agriculture is in. If we don’t continue to support, encourage and promote farms in the US- just like the trend with so many others, agriculture may be another outsourced industry.



A little further down the way, the kids stopped to pose by a cow that represented Chicago’s “Cows on Parade” from a few years back.




The kids favorite exhibit at the Feild Museum was the Underground Adventure. It was all about the importance of soil. You get "shrunk down" and explore the underground world while learning all about root systems, insects,etc... and how our world benefits from good soil. The kids even played an interactive game where you had to be the farmer and decide whether to use No-till or Plow and what kind of fertilizer you should use- very fun and educational!



I thought this was a great quote!



That night we decided to go to Gino’s East pizzeria. We had no idea what we were getting into! I just wanted to get my carbs and the kids wanted some pizza- little did we know this was THEE pizza place! After 2 hours we were served some amazing pizza! They say that 1 out of 8 cows milk is used for pizza cheese. Well, if every place was like Gino’s it would bump that number right up to 2!



This place even had the Pizza Cow from “Cows on Parade!”




Race day I made sure to get in my breakfast of Champions- Honey Nut Cheerios with ice-cold milk, packed my Got MILK? Backpack and headed off to the start line! (I had no idea that every other runner would use their plastic bag that we got our packets in for the Gear Check- mine stuck out like a sore thumb!)




After the race I grabbed my Athletes Honey Milk which gave me the energy for the 1.5 mile walk back to the hotel and the 4 hour trip home!




I thank God for His strength and grace that helped me to run an amazing race and qualify for the Boston Marathon! I beat my goal time by about 4minutes! I placed 862 out of 14,567 women! It was awesome!

Something Strange.... in the Barnyard!

Just a quick update on some new and exciting additions to the Dairy Discovery experience.
There is now a mother hen and seven baby chicks added to the barnyard!


The kids that visited today just loved holding the chicks! They hatched only 8 days ago and are very cute.
Also, for the month of October the Straw Maze is transformed into the SPOOK-tacular Maze to gear up for the Fall Fun Days on October 17th and 24th from 11am-3pm. Kids of all ages will enjoy the ghosts and goblins hiding among the straw. Even the 3 and 4 year-old Preschoolers that came last week explored with the lights OFF!


As a side note....I met up with 3 students from Calvin College (a local private Christian college with no ag affiliation)today that interviewed me about how our farm is striving towards sustainability. I gave them a quick tour of the farm then we all sat down while they tape-recorded my answers to about 20 questions. My answers were basically along the same lines as one of my earlier posts
http://dairydiscoveryatswisslanefarms.blogspot.com/2009/03/young-farmers-leadership-confrence.html
.....with a lot more details and examples of course:)
It was a lot of fun talking to them about what they were expecting to see at a larger dairy and how they left with a new appreciation for their dairy products.