Questions? Ask an expert.

Do you ever think of questions you just can't answer? You know, things like "Why is it called a pair of pliers, when there's only one?" or "If a synchronized swimmer drowns, do his teammates drown, too?" or "Why is it a bunny and not a chicken that carries Easter eggs?" Believe me, as a high school teacher, I get asked fifty of these questions a day from inquisitive students. Being around teenagers also raises many questions in my own mind, but that's a post for another day.

The question that's running through my mind today is this: "You wouldn't ask an Amish man for advice on your car, so why ask a vegan about animal products?" Ironic, huh? Yet many Americans consider celebrities "experts" in terms of diet and lifestyle choices. Here's a list of current vegan celebrities, according to the website Vegan Nutrista.

• Ellen DeGeneres (She touts veganism on her talk show constantly.)
• Joanquin Pheonix (actor)
• Natalie Portman (actress)
• Pamela Anderson (I'm sure you could insert a distasteful joke here about the importance of milk in her diet.)
• Toby Maguire (actor)
• Vanessa Williams (actress)
• Chelsea Clinton (not sure what her title is)
• Dennis Kucinich (U.S. Congressman)
• Alanis Morissette (musician)
• Brandy (musician)
• Phil Collins (musician)
• Shania Twain (musician)

Now, I greatly abbreviated this list to include people who I'd actually heard of. And, since I don't typically care about celebrities, I hadn't heard of a lot.

(Side note, when I Googled "vegan celebrities," it came back with a slew of responses. A similar search for "celebrities who eat meat," yielded few viable results.)

But, from this list alone, think of the influence and the platform they must have to share their thoughts and opinions. They could easily persuade others to become vegans as well. News flash: just because they sit on a talk show and share their opinions about food, doesn't make them experts! They can tell Americans all day how wrong it is to raise animals for food and nourishment and how much healthier they are without meat and milk in their diets, but they're not the best source of information.

You wouldn't ask an Amish man for advice on your car, so why ask a vegan about animals products?

Now that we've established that celebrities aren't the best source of information, where can you find information about vegan diets? The USDA MyPyramid outlines daily nutritional requirements and touts the importance of protein in a healthy diet. Healthguidance.org, a website of compiled medical discussions, lists some disadvantages of a vegetarian diet in an online article. A nutrition specialist at the University of Georgia shares her thoughts on the topic also. When it comes to information vegan diets, research institutions, doctors, and the USDA are great sources.

Many vegans choose their lifestyle on the premise that animals are raised unethically. If you have questions on how animals are raised, then ask someone who knows: a farmer! Most celebrities have never set foot on a modern farm. How can they profess that they know how animals are raised? Instead, here are some great sources of information on modern livestock production:

• The American Farm Bureau has a wonderful website called "Conversations on Care," where consumers can Q and A with real farmers.
• Learn the truth about modern pork production and watch videos at the Ohio Pork Council's website.
• Want to know where steak comes from? Learn from a real beef producer.
• Connect with farmers all over the country who are part of the Ag Chat Foundation and hear how they care for their animals.
• Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the dairy story. Check out Dairy Farming Today to watch videos and hear from dairy farmers that are producing a safe and nutritious product.

Feel free to chime in with your own sources of information, also. Bottom line:

you wouldn't ask an Amish man for advice on your car, so why ask a vegan about animals products? Ask farmers instead. They would know; after all, they care for animals every day.

Christmas Morning on the Dairy Farm

You've probably heard that dairy farmers don't get a day off. There are always calves to feed and cows to milk. In fact, usually when I tell people my husband is a dairy farmer, they raise their eyebrows, shake their heads, and respond with something like, "I don't pity you." or "I bet you never get a vacation."

Yes, dairy farming is hard work, but it's also very rewarding. I came across a quotation in a magazine recently that said, "Dairy Farming. Has there ever been a business more about family?" One of the best things about dairy farming is that family is engrained in every single thing we do. This is especially evident on Christmas morning.

What's a typical Christmas morning on the dairy farm like? There are still morning chores to be done. Our cows are milked three times a day, at 5am, 1pm and 8pm. Before Christmas can officially begin, the cows go through the parlor for their morning milking. While that is happening, the cows and heifers also get their morning feed. All of our cow feed is a rationed formula. It goes into a large mixer and is then sent up a conveyer belt into the barn (see our Facebook Album, "What Do Cows Eat?" for more on this topic.) In addition to the cows, feed is also mixed for the heifers (young females that haven't calved yet.) This process takes about two hours. During this time, the calves are also being fed their morning milk.

How many people does all of this take? Ideally, there is one person in the milking parlor, one person moving cows into the parlor, one person making cow feed, and two people feeding calves. On holidays, a great deal of this work falls onto our family, so our employees can enjoy some time off. See why dairy farming is a family affair? We must work together to ensure that all of the jobs get done and that our business runs as a smooth as possible.

Any other day, there will be jobs found and hands kept busy. On Christmas, however, we do chores and spend most of the rest of the day together as a family. This year, Diane hosted a wonderful noontime meal at her house, and we enjoyed fellowship with each other. Yes, dairy farming is a lot of work, but it also strengthens bonds as family, as we work side-by-side to care for our cows and earn a living.

Diane grew up on a dairy farm, and for 28 years, her and Allen have owned and operated our family farm.

Fourth generation of Hartschuhs to be involved with dairy farming. Left to right: Rose, Greg, Jason, Brian, Emily.

A couple cool ag videos

The facts in these videos are pretty astounding. America's farmers are an awesome bunch.

A Fall to Be Thankful For

I was just thinking tonight that it was time to log back in to the ol'e blog and update the world about our little piece of heaven here on the dairy farm. To my dismay, it's been almost three months since the last post! It's hard to believe that's possible. This fall has been like many before: fast and furious. In the midst of all the hub-bub, though, there's much to be thankful for. In the spirit of the holidays, here's a list of our blessings.

1. American agriculture. It goes without saying that this industry is our nation's backbone and our family's passion. We couldn't imagine making a livelihood any other way. Even when the markets are down and the workload is up, agriculture is a blessing.
2. Our family. Family and work are one in the same around here. Not a meal goes by that we don't talk about things around the farm. There's no better way to express love than by working side by side to accomplish a common goal.
3. Consumers. It is so rewarding producing a product that is going to be enjoyed by families across the country. We do things right, because we also expect a high-quality product. It's a pretty cool feeling to go to the grocery store to buy a tub of Toft's ice cream and know that our cows helped make it possible.
4. Our animals. Walking through the barn and petting a cow on the forehead is a pretty cool feeling. They are a lot of work, and it's not all joyful, but at the end of the day, we care for the cows like part of our family.
5. The land. There's something about fresh-tilled ground in the spring that invokes a variety of emotions. Time flies, and in the course of a year, you can experience a whole life cycle as a result of the land. Planting, growing, and harvesting: the land provides for our family and for the world.
6. God. He makes it all possible.

I apologize for the cliche' that is this post, but it's all heartfelt. It's hard to describe what we do to people outside of agriculture, but know that the intentions of farmers are sincere. We do what we do because we love it, and we couldn't be more thankful.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Most people associate "the most wonderful time of the year" with Christmas. I would beg to differ, however. Around here, fall seems to be a perfectly fantastic season.

Farmers' lives revolve around three main seasons: planting season (otherwise known as spring), harvest season (you might call it fall), and fixing-everything-that-broke-during-the-year season (yep, farmers even work in the winter!). Their livelihoods revolve around getting crops into the ground in a timely manner in the spring, caring for them over the summer, and taking them off in the fall. To many, fall is a celebration of the long hours and hard work during other times of the year.

We began taking off soybeans this week. Soybeans are a common crop grown in Ohio. In 2009, they were Ohio's largest commodity. One of the most important uses is as livestock feed. Livestock farmers and grain farmers depend on each other; the livestock farmers need the crops the grain farmers grow for feed, and the grain farmers need the livestock farmers so they have a market for their crops. There are other cool uses for soybeans, too: biodiesel and lubricants, foams, inks, and even crayons. One acre of soybeans can produce 82368 crayons!

But, back to why fall is an awesome season. It's hard to describe the pride that farmers take in their work. The blood, sweat, and tears that go into growing livestock and crops is not to be underestimated. We all like to see results, and farmers are no different. It's exciting to know that the crops you are taking off are a result of the time you spent planting, spraying, and scouting fields. It's a great sense of accomplishment to see those long hours pay off. Sure, harvesting crops takes time, but it's what we do, and we wouldn't trade it for a second.

All seasons are great on the farm, but we tend to think that fall is pretty darn wonderful.