tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52814106794021143242024-02-02T16:41:48.183-05:00See What's Happening at Dial Dairy Farm!Owned and operated by Allen and Diane Hartschuh and their family, Dial Dairy is a fourth-generation Holstein dairy and grain operation, located in Crawford County, Ohio.Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-90098358902809467202013-01-13T10:30:00.000-05:002013-01-13T10:33:24.293-05:00Since last year...... We got a new farm website!<br />
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Rose, in her spare time, designs websites for small businesses, and she put her skills to use for our farm. The website is designed to let our neighbors know what's going on with our cows, but it's also going to be used to attract attention to the custom work we can do.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hartschuhfamilyfarms.com/">Check it out. </a><br />
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What do you think?Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-5800690276327965842013-01-10T19:21:00.001-05:002013-01-10T19:21:55.159-05:00Last published July 24?I logged on to Blogger tonight to see the facts hitting me in the face:<br />
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Last post: July 24.<br />
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Has it really been over five months since our last blog post? I guess so.<br />
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(Insert lame excuse here.)<br />
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Truth be told, there is no excuse. However, here's my social media pledge for 2013: one <a href="http://www.facebook.com/dialdairy">Facebook page</a> update a week, one blog post a month, and a few <a href="http://www.twitter.com/dialdairy">tweets</a> scattered in.<br />
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So, stay tuned for more frequent updates from our farm.Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-60251647197945021612012-07-24T20:05:00.002-04:002012-07-24T20:05:13.612-04:00Real Conversations<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If the drought has brought one positive thing, it's the conversations. Suddenly, agriculture is in the news pretty much daily. People are paying attention to challenges farmers face on a daily basis.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've noticed lately that people want to talk about how the weather is affecting our livelihood. People who seemingly didn't care in the past are asking questions. Finally, some real conversations about agriculture are happening.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's sad that it takes a natural disaster to begin these conversations, but nonetheless, I'm grateful they're happening. Food doesn't come from a factory; it comes from hard-working individuals who deal with ups and downs like everyone else.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a few minutes to say a prayer for rain this evening. While you're at it, bless the men and women who are wondering what tomorrow will bring on America's farms and ranches.</span>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-8935418926456583282012-05-05T10:50:00.001-04:002012-05-05T10:50:33.178-04:00Faith on the Farm<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This spring has been full of warm weather and sunshine... and breezy temperatures and snow! Some times in Ohio, it's difficult to predict what Mother Nature will bring tomorrow. When you are banking your whole year on having a successful crop, it's essential that you have faith. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our corn is in the ground, and our soybeans aren't far behind. With favorable weather conditions and a little bit of luck, we hope to have a successful harvest in the fall. This summer, as you drive down the road, watch the crops progressing through the various stages of growth, and say an extra prayer for the farmers. They have unending faith, but a little extra support never hurt.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQ54_C-7OgyzXbOrRNX8Z16wijKotdM94K80noopPYOdhKukLcmC4hFSZ1V6wwl9FEQzLpghIZkAb096HcKOMMPDw78ljJcKfmm0Hx2QmcDJDTT5NKbH20Oulyl2vu4-x3Vkk4mNvVZ4/s1600/OFBFHartschuh20100727_0944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQ54_C-7OgyzXbOrRNX8Z16wijKotdM94K80noopPYOdhKukLcmC4hFSZ1V6wwl9FEQzLpghIZkAb096HcKOMMPDw78ljJcKfmm0Hx2QmcDJDTT5NKbH20Oulyl2vu4-x3Vkk4mNvVZ4/s320/OFBFHartschuh20100727_0944.jpg" width="213" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a shot of our soybeans during last year's growing season.</span></i></div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-28843991631360570522012-03-31T17:24:00.002-04:002012-03-31T17:24:13.971-04:00Mooooove your vocabulary up a notch<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a student tell me the other day about the "cow" they were taking to the fair. They were explaining how it they had castrated it over the weekend. I held up my hand and said, "Stop right there." I knew that this student was in fact not telling me about a "cow," but instead they referencing a "steer." What's the difference? Funny you should ask! Here are some words that will help you sound more intelligent the next time you're standing around the water cooler. </span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Calf: A young animal of the cattle species (Our calves stay in individual pens at an early age, so we can provide specialized care for them.)</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTtRQLFWV78vfTzAKMI4UIPZjN3IxP_w5pMk6Es2nMkAUcAsydVWp1Q1ZzQZcPH060mABLqQS_FsI6A49pcr6nCDxEkvlcCjih7l9VCiVsQYmswYC3KfjrKQxZtGkcQwNt0RYr6dPrXs/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTtRQLFWV78vfTzAKMI4UIPZjN3IxP_w5pMk6Es2nMkAUcAsydVWp1Q1ZzQZcPH060mABLqQS_FsI6A49pcr6nCDxEkvlcCjih7l9VCiVsQYmswYC3KfjrKQxZtGkcQwNt0RYr6dPrXs/s320/DSC_0041.JPG" width="212" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heifer: A young female that has not yet had offspring (This is Greg's heifer, Barb. Heifers live together in groups on our farm.)</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPrWQpg_QKtJcwqxp-7X_t9CwdY1QmYx-6bE0PoZo-Yfx7tI9RG35SAY35SOU8iDvSQgurbQKxkSvVsSSGuee8pDE_W-JmmT-g_yS0chCAtCwdprzX0LLr_jWfM8mEJbBgk4gmsIsLn8/s1600/IMG_3326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPrWQpg_QKtJcwqxp-7X_t9CwdY1QmYx-6bE0PoZo-Yfx7tI9RG35SAY35SOU8iDvSQgurbQKxkSvVsSSGuee8pDE_W-JmmT-g_yS0chCAtCwdprzX0LLr_jWfM8mEJbBgk4gmsIsLn8/s320/IMG_3326.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cow: A female that has had at least one calf (These are two of our lovely cows enjoying a balanced ration.)</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROEjUoNdyG0DfzXpnyO-7SOFvxtA6z-7TAcWJa3yfuLHSwAsbf6BB4_HjGqWIEBM5BVPuAaSUcVJ1dTFr4c6LWMVnf_tjOTuFO2KciD7XwmO-i_3IQpFewkUTwQ1mp4m73LKVVtXh93Q/s1600/OFBFHartschuh20100727_0739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiROEjUoNdyG0DfzXpnyO-7SOFvxtA6z-7TAcWJa3yfuLHSwAsbf6BB4_HjGqWIEBM5BVPuAaSUcVJ1dTFr4c6LWMVnf_tjOTuFO2KciD7XwmO-i_3IQpFewkUTwQ1mp4m73LKVVtXh93Q/s320/OFBFHartschuh20100727_0739.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Bull: An intact male that is capable of reproducing (This picture is courtesy of </b><b><a href="http://www.nrel.gov/data/pix/searchpix.php?getrec=06336&display_type=verbose">NREL</a></b><b>. Bulls are used for breeding.)</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsx5eN-OwRJxYtDlvDFRNHm4yv_UbGykFSWkrKQ-CoYma5iUulRpwLq0_J9Vn732_ihxFJdZRarHL0chNCpNrp-oBcY1A8ndldyzPfWLqyaUjMd3XcGD3KF40iMsZgOG-1BB4As0ha2A/s1600/06336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzsx5eN-OwRJxYtDlvDFRNHm4yv_UbGykFSWkrKQ-CoYma5iUulRpwLq0_J9Vn732_ihxFJdZRarHL0chNCpNrp-oBcY1A8ndldyzPfWLqyaUjMd3XcGD3KF40iMsZgOG-1BB4As0ha2A/s320/06336.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steer: A castrated male (Iowa State Extension gets the credit for this picture. Steers are most often raised for meat.)</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMBbF9iLUelIWNtsUIyXR6AF5sAl1C_gzfzH0AI4Teh7sukNQ2EKLN23kNydYr9eLjLozy9IhZmwpGEkFwX1RgjxAaZCi4gzNPdVeRiVvR8xkQhP5ghCLXKb_7LscQGr5XHrUArdEL5g/s1600/pasture225.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVMBbF9iLUelIWNtsUIyXR6AF5sAl1C_gzfzH0AI4Teh7sukNQ2EKLN23kNydYr9eLjLozy9IhZmwpGEkFwX1RgjxAaZCi4gzNPdVeRiVvR8xkQhP5ghCLXKb_7LscQGr5XHrUArdEL5g/s1600/pasture225.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There you have it: five words you can use to impress your friends with your knowledge of the cattle industry!</span></div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-12069279616188567382012-02-12T16:41:00.001-05:002012-02-12T16:41:30.177-05:00The Non-Vegan Cow Cake<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Allen turns 53 tomorrow. We got together to celebrate his birthday today. I (Rose) was in charge of bringing the cake.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I knew a while back that I wanted to bake some sort of cow cake. I mean, he's a dairy farmer, he loves cows. I started Googling "cow cakes" to find inspiration. I wanted to find a picture of something someone else had created and pattern my own cake after it. Alas, I found the perfect image! I followed the link to a website with more directions. And then, I gasped. The image was on a Vegan blog. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was at a crossroads. On one hand, I really liked how the cake looked. On the other, I couldn't help but wonder if using a Vegan blog as inspiration was like making a deal with the devil. After days of deliberation, I decided I would use the vegan cake as a model, but I would be sure to use extra butter in my own recipe.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, here's what I did. I whipped up a marble cake mix and baked it in two 9 inch round pans. (Did you know that you can substitute milk for the water in a cake mix to make an extra moist cake?!)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3grvmcnOxmUby4k_AFsnDWAm6BJbx35uSts9FOcNuzt7OZza1j4_4hBf6odreye4rV89sFxRpatoXuU6zZ2Vl5Q8e8wjBKDO13A5_alzbZdTuRa46-Vq3EImqJgxkDnqC4bkaqvTdC3U/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3grvmcnOxmUby4k_AFsnDWAm6BJbx35uSts9FOcNuzt7OZza1j4_4hBf6odreye4rV89sFxRpatoXuU6zZ2Vl5Q8e8wjBKDO13A5_alzbZdTuRa46-Vq3EImqJgxkDnqC4bkaqvTdC3U/s320/DSC_0002.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next, I plopped the first cake down on the cardboard circle that I planned to serve the cake on. I freehanded a cow head and two legs on wax paper, and cut through the wax paper with a knife. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeCwViHHt1aJz5mYDgByiFW6fYtwVl-OTNK-DJK2wIbu6YpyyhSLMNk7FICvaUqcG8w7YnWej-W4EadK4jGWq75UknSZeCAL67hRMEvphVABYqbSjlnk-hTBA_XI6N_vdNn7qf7Yo6ik/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQeCwViHHt1aJz5mYDgByiFW6fYtwVl-OTNK-DJK2wIbu6YpyyhSLMNk7FICvaUqcG8w7YnWej-W4EadK4jGWq75UknSZeCAL67hRMEvphVABYqbSjlnk-hTBA_XI6N_vdNn7qf7Yo6ik/s320/DSC_0005.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Then, using my trusty Wilton cake lifter, I lifted up the cow head and set it aside. I took the second 9 inch cake and placed it on the cardboard circle. I put the legs aside on a small plate. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrt8feMEmbLcMLOptuui-wLGzwWLpeMa8OnTdC4HxqGVv3ZipqGwomNz0tMdSC4MArm70eLomWv_ltUdzmz5tq50UvYS6BK-xtzDEfV7bc54n2mUI7DhaPGIQGHpqzsobUWEH09Sdf6w/s1600/DSC_0010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrt8feMEmbLcMLOptuui-wLGzwWLpeMa8OnTdC4HxqGVv3ZipqGwomNz0tMdSC4MArm70eLomWv_ltUdzmz5tq50UvYS6BK-xtzDEfV7bc54n2mUI7DhaPGIQGHpqzsobUWEH09Sdf6w/s320/DSC_0010.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I placed the head on the "body," put the legs in place, and crumb coated it with frosting. (If you've never decorated a cake, this is a layer of frosting that you put down to hold the crumbs in place.) I also traced the mouth and some spots onto the body with a toothpick.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstSWKNY3zz_h0dBhVxVzLf9CKYGdmOgJ2xywTo71lf_ncf9Z38jYAZLxXMFukATOAmOSgku0q_jUIdAFtZ0Kpa6YPRrYfs3whL9hS9H7aXRi7UhuG2DyWr81RidNC6Q6GBbB5fxGoC2g/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhstSWKNY3zz_h0dBhVxVzLf9CKYGdmOgJ2xywTo71lf_ncf9Z38jYAZLxXMFukATOAmOSgku0q_jUIdAFtZ0Kpa6YPRrYfs3whL9hS9H7aXRi7UhuG2DyWr81RidNC6Q6GBbB5fxGoC2g/s320/DSC_0018.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I used regular buttercream frosting and chocolate buttercream frosting. The chocolate frosting is easier to turn black, since it's already a brown color. I used star tips and a regular round tip. I used the Wilton buttercream recipe:</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></b><br />
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<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup solid vegetable shortening (I use butter! It has great flavor!)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp clear vanilla extract</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 pound confectioners' sugar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7 tbs milk (You can use water, but the milk has a rich flavor. Plus, it supports the dairy industry!)</span></li>
</ul>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Directions:</span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine shortening and vanilla. Add sugar and milk. Beat at a medium speed until light and fluffy. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ready to see the finished product? </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdowpBPCfYV2KyjDo0MN0SHT15HLGQYVOJsqRu2HNzvECKHWx8uFcOmdHh8Q6Lzc28GuESUZdeqFKNCw8rCvnp6Kirlx2lyXhwDPrMn_gUukFCDc3nxm499AcqTVDIBISXB9NoWO6-P8I/s1600/DSC_0031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdowpBPCfYV2KyjDo0MN0SHT15HLGQYVOJsqRu2HNzvECKHWx8uFcOmdHh8Q6Lzc28GuESUZdeqFKNCw8rCvnp6Kirlx2lyXhwDPrMn_gUukFCDc3nxm499AcqTVDIBISXB9NoWO6-P8I/s320/DSC_0031.JPG" width="212" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Non-vegan approved ingredients used in the cake and frosting:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3 eggs in the cake</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Milk instead of water in the cake</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Butter in the frosting</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Milk in the frosting</span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, there you have it, my alternative to the cow cake found on the vegan blog. I've never had vegan cake, but I can tell you this conventional one was pretty tasty!</span></div>
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<br />Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-61474330971658273232012-01-20T19:46:00.003-05:002012-01-20T19:46:44.216-05:00Some dairy goodness<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tonight I whipped up some cookies. You're probably wondering what these have to do with the blog title. Well, it's as simple as two things: butter and milk, both wonderful products that come to us courtesy of hardworking dairy cows. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Xl0-XT28rHqhNu9LbAPHrfTKn1RKQxK8D1nwLqfFpkxdhKUzplqYX_7PJRZSRQXZG9FMaHtB5cIB1WNDGQIXYVJz9yhEhDOcfKzpZu8nFYFfagMX1QqFOhbRPWF2AgI0bNq-BUyviUA/s1600/DSC_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Xl0-XT28rHqhNu9LbAPHrfTKn1RKQxK8D1nwLqfFpkxdhKUzplqYX_7PJRZSRQXZG9FMaHtB5cIB1WNDGQIXYVJz9yhEhDOcfKzpZu8nFYFfagMX1QqFOhbRPWF2AgI0bNq-BUyviUA/s320/DSC_0050.JPG" width="212" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These cookies are probably the easiest, fool-proof cookies out there. My secret to success is taking them out of the oven before they're completely baked, and letting them set up on the cookie sheet. It helps keep them soft. I also highly recommend butter over any other kind of shortening. Of course, I also suggest enjoying them with a cold glass of milk. Try them for yourself!</span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chocolate Chip and M & M Cookies</span></b><br />
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<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 1/2 cups flour</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp salt</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp baking soda</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup (2 sticks) of butter</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup brown sugar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1/2 cup white sugar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 tsp vanilla</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2 eggs</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chocolate chips (as many as you like)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M & Ms (as many as you like)</span></li>
</ul>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugars, and vanilla until mixed thoroughly. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Slowly add flour mixture. Beat until mixed through. Add chocolate chips and M & Ms as desired. Place onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you enjoy the cookies, be sure to say a quick thanks for dairy farmers who care for their animals each day to make yummy dairy products possible for your family!</span><br />
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<br />Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-39089608570275890402012-01-16T09:38:00.002-05:002012-01-16T09:38:35.453-05:00Visitors<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rose's niece and nephew recently spent some time visiting. Their favorite activity at Aunt Rose and Uncle Greg's house was visiting the cows, of course!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNFaZxe266brnmsPy2XG8qhMJmc1S-k_YsyF9u2mAsE24MI4c-Yae6-4atSa4ymGWb8HkbRhpsOSMnEUkLYVqrulrsJ7ASwon4uj0BKWLLlLk4iwurMBdQgakaQ1-7lexvcSth95qvlE/s1600/DSC_0073.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiNFaZxe266brnmsPy2XG8qhMJmc1S-k_YsyF9u2mAsE24MI4c-Yae6-4atSa4ymGWb8HkbRhpsOSMnEUkLYVqrulrsJ7ASwon4uj0BKWLLlLk4iwurMBdQgakaQ1-7lexvcSth95qvlE/s320/DSC_0073.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You'll have to excuse the mud. We've had so much rain this fall/winter, and it doesn't appear to be freezing up any time soon. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To share in our visitors' experience on the farm, visit our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DialDairy">Facebook page</a>. </span>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-47571437575465944592012-01-06T19:35:00.001-05:002012-01-06T19:35:16.500-05:00What's in a name?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every baby needs a good name. The young heifers on our farm are no different. I just finished naming a bunch of calves. All of our cows are registered Holsteins. Soon after the young females are born, we submit their registration papers our breed association. As part of this process, we select names for each of them. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tonight, I picked out names for three: ear tag numbers 1113, 1117, and 1121. To make sure I selected the perfect name, I started by looking at their dams' names. (A dam is the mother cow.) 1113 was born to 927, Paula. Paula hasn't had any other heifer calves. In other words, 1113 doesn't have any sisters. Paula's dam is Panda, so it seemed like we should stick with a P name. After browsing some websites with baby girl names, I selected Paisley. Mostly, because it's a cute name, but I personally wouldn't select it for a child.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next up was 1117, the daughter of 199, Ronnie. Ronnie already has a daughter, Robyn. Obviously, 1117 was going to be a "R" girl. As a kid, I loved reading the Ramona books by Beverly Cleary. 1117 is now officially Ramona. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, 1121 was born to Robyn, Ronnie's daughter. I guess if you want to get technical, that makes Ramona her aunt? I needed another R name, so I selected Roxy. I bet she'll be spunky. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you've followed along, congratulations. If not, don't worry; it can get tricky keeping track of all of these ladies. I'm glad Diane keeps good records!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moral of the story, every baby needs a good name. </span>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-88357004635262065742012-01-02T18:32:00.001-05:002012-01-02T18:33:06.960-05:00Looking Back at 2011, Looking Forward to 2012<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a confession to make: I need to blog more. I know, I know, shocking. Some times it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of what's going on here and there, and I forget about our dear old blog. As 2012 begins, I vow to blog more often. Looking back on last year, however, I'm borrowing an idea from Will at <a href="http://gilmerdairy.blogspot.com/">The Dairyman's Blog</a>. I know the suspense is killing you, so here are our top three blog posts of 2011.</span><br />
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<b><a href="http://dial-dairy.blogspot.com/2011/02/so-god-made-farmer.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Number 3- So God Made a Farmer (February 6, 2011)</span></a></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paul Harvey aired this poem on his radio show. Although it wasn't included in the original blog post, here's a YouTube video:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/QuzhwkaNC40?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div>
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<a href="http://dial-dairy.blogspot.com/2011/12/century-farm.html"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Number 2- Century Farm (December 24, 2011)</span></b></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For Christmas, Allen and Diane learned about the dairy farm's heritage and how their own family has been impacted by the legacy they're leaving.</span><br />
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<b><a href="http://dial-dairy.blogspot.com/2011/04/lets-talk-about-sex.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Number 1- Let's Talk About Sex (April 17, 2011)</span></a></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What can we say? Sex sells. This post talked all about artificial insemination and it's role on a dairy farm.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading our blog. We hope that you can learn something and maybe even share a laugh. From our family to yours, here's hoping for a prosperous 2012.</span>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-22188161892755682172012-01-02T15:20:00.000-05:002012-01-02T15:20:02.718-05:00History is in the making<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/gdvvIub0uGU?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the song, <i>History</i>, Matthew West sings, </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Every choice that you are making</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every step that you are taking<br />Every chain that you are breaking<br />History is in the making<br />Every word that you are saying<br />Every prayer that you are praying<br />Every chain that you are breaking<br />History is in the making"</span><div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In our last post, we talked about the Ohio Century Farm project and how we had traced back the history of our farm as far as the deed records go. It was such a neat project to see how "history is in the making," right here on our family farm. Here's a quick look at our farm's 175-year history.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first record of the dairy farm in the county recorder's office is in 1837. In this year, Barbara Swalley deeded 80 acres of our farm to her son, Solomon. Barbara originally came to Ohio many years before, when she and her husband settled near Zanesville. Her husband met an early death, and she traveled back to her home state of Pennsylvania with her young children. Research shows she came back to the Lykens area in the early 1830s to be near family that was already here. When her son got married in 1837, she passed the land on. One of the most interesting things about this deed transfer was that Barbara couldn't write. Her signature is indicated by an "x" on the deed, with a notation by the recorder saying that he witnessed her mark. As a female who loves to write, this particular point struck a cord with me. Among our many blessings is our access to education, which both men and women in the 1800s didn't always have.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Solomon held on to the land until 1840, when he sold it to Samuel Hall. We were not able to find a relationship between Solomon and Samuel, but we did find that Solomon only one child, a daughter. It is likely that there was not an immediate relationship between the two. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Samuel Hall only had one son, who moved out of the area. In 1866, he transferred the deed to Lambert Myers. Lambert had an interesting story. He only owned our farm for one year, because in 1867, he and his wife moved to Missouri, where they eventually died. By 1867, he had acquired 120 consecutive acres, which he split between three people before moving to Missouri: William Tippin, Mary Seery, and J.H. Barrow. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">William Tippin was married to Frances Seery, the sister of Mary Seery. William obtained 53 2/3 acres of the farm from Lambert, while Mary bought 26 1/3, and J.H. Barrow got the remaining 40. When William passed away in 1889, his nephew, Jacob Seery, administered his estate. He transfered the deed to Samuel Dewalt. We'll come back to him in a second. In 1901, Mary Seery passed away, and her sister, Frances Tippin, administered her estate. Mary's 26 1/3 acres were sold to Frances's son-in-law, E.L. Mesnard. E.L. was married to William and Frances's daughter, Alta. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is unclear why E.L. sold his land to Samuel Dewalt in 1901. E.L. is buried just a few miles north of the dairy farm, so it's not probable that he left the area. Irregardless, by 1901, Sam Dewalt now had the 80 acre parcel, in addition to several hundred acres that are not part of our farm today. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sam Dewalt was married to Mahala Shock, and they had several children together, including a daughter, Hattie. Hattie later married Marvin Hartschuh, Allen's grandfather. In 1940, Sam passed away, leaving his estate to his children. Hattie and her husband Marvin purchased the dairy farm, where we still milk today. Hattie passed away in 1976, leaving sole ownership to Marvin, who owned it until his death in 1997. Allen and Diane had been farming the land since 1982, so in his will, Marvin gave first option to buy to Allen, who has owned the farm ever since. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In case you weren't able to follow along, what this lineage of deed transfers shows is that Sam Dewalt acquired part of our farm in 1889. Sam was Allen's great-grandfather, making Greg, Brian, and Jason the fifth generation to farm the same land.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our research was a great way to better understand the legacy of family farms. There is so much pride and tradition that goes into farming, and we're blessed to be a part of it.</span></div>
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</div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-64747717396667725842011-12-24T09:18:00.006-05:002012-01-02T15:22:32.701-05:00Century Farm<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">Brian is a fairly new veterinarian; he graduated from OSU in June and has been practicing since then. To accommodate his on-call schedule, we had our family Christmas last Sunday. On a dairy farm, there are always chores to do. Naturally, the morning started with milking, feeding cows and calves, and tending to "ladies in waiting," otherwise known as artificially inseminating cows and heifers in heat. After those chores were completed, we gathered at Allen and Diane's for a huge spread of food and time together as a family.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">We took the customary Christmas photos, and then it was time to open presents. A couple of months ago, Greg and I decided that we would do the legwork to get the dairy farm recognized </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial;">as an Ohio Century Farm. The Century Farm program is designed to recognize farms that have been in the same family continuously for at least one hundred years. It requires the applicants to show deed records and tell how previous owners are related. Here's the letter that we gave to Allen and Diane on Christmas:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>December 17, 2011<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cochin;"><i> <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>Mom and Dad,</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Cochin;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>Farming in our family has a rich heritage. We are </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>proud of the traditions you have set for us, but at the same time, we realize that our family has a long and proud history, much greater than we </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>can sometimes fathom.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Cochin;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>About a month ago, we began a project to nominate the dairy farm for the Ohio Century Farm </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>Program, which recognizes farms that have been farmed by the same family consecutively for one hundred years. We started by researching the deed </i></span></span><span style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>records for the property at the County Recorder’s Office. From there, we set out to connect the dots and map out </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>our family’s lineage along with the deed transfers.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>The time we spent trying to decipher relationships between deed grantors </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>and grantees was confusing, frustrating, puzzling, and also very rewarding. The farther back </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>we traced the property, the more adamant we became at finding connections. We relied on a great deal of internet </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>genealogy, but we also discussed the relationships with neighbors and family members. The deeds set o</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>ut on our office floor for the better part of a month with colored papers showing arrows, jotted notes, maiden names, family trees and more.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>We eventually reached a roadblock, when we could no longer show a relationship between S</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>amuel Dewalt (Hattie’s father) and E.L. Mesnard, who he purchased part of the farm from. We were able to trace part of the farm that </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>Samuel bought back to 1889, which shows that 53 1/3 of the acres have been in our family since that point.</i></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 100%;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>What we thought would be a simple project that we could complete by Christmas was just recently finished. </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>While we hoped that the sign commemorating the farm’s status would be here by Christmas, the project </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>consumed more time than we anticipated. So, your gift for today is copies of the deed records (as found in deed books and on microfilm in the </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>Recorder’s Office,) a </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>table outlining the property’s history, a copy of the Century Farm Application, and our utmost appreciation for instilling in your </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin;"><i>family farming traditions that date back long before paper records show.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 100%;"><i>Thank you,<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 100%;"><i>Greg and Rose</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Cochin; font-size: 100%;"><i><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5689702165113371266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiosuIohJDNHQHK-xpN8sMxiJtCB0XUBJNMin1v60OGXad_xJ_IB_xfebkvwaLedVzrV8Jh8gIHnk3nh_g_wnm-yC4P3ekCQuInKz3ZyqcI_wUvIVBZyrHmKEycRV2wLrNCPgL81R-Kn-w/s320/DSC_0029.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 213px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;"><i>Allen and Diane reading a table that lists the previous farm owners and relationships.</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 100%;">We'll talk more about what we learned about our farm's heritage in the next post, but the moral of the story is that farming and family are intertwined. Enjoy this time with family this Christmas and as you count your blessings, remember the American farmers that feed and clothe you. Merry Christmas!</span></div>
</div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-40979524037925890702011-09-04T10:07:00.004-04:002011-09-04T10:13:31.832-04:00What happened to summer?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">It's a simple enough question, but it's also one that eludes us: what happened to summer? It seemed like we were just getting our crops in the ground, but now it will be time to harvest them before we know it. Time sneaks up on you like that, I guess. </span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">
<br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">So, here's three months in a nutshell:</span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">We cut hay... three-four times.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">We hauled manure, lots of it. It makes great fertilizer for our fields.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">We welcomed new babies onto our farm. They'll make great cows one day. </span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">Things broke. We fixed them. </span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">It rained way to much. Then it didn't rain enough. Then, it was just right.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">We spent lots of time with family. That's important. </span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;font-size:100%;">We hope your summer was full of adventure, just like ours. As fall comes around the corner, let's not time escape us. </span></div></div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-1812259344760571292011-06-09T11:09:00.003-04:002011-06-09T17:06:59.003-04:00Vote for Caveman Chocolate. It's so easy, even a caveman could it!<div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzsaRii9cqRXPyxBpl5ek_t0AU-5zPqAguXyw7IlODz-w2xelKZmyRHGaojunOojAfwmK1yMnrn46o8WBZdmw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Visit <a href="http://bit.ly/kq8bC0">http://bit.ly/kq8bC0</a> to vote for Caveman Chocolate today!</div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-63678699262395236132011-06-09T09:19:00.006-04:002011-06-09T09:31:02.917-04:00Introducing... MyPlate!<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwr_yE04sKMdSKxM252vPhW3CAJC2ITOEutr6rEuLo2d_9Nlp7Apzo1qwVCHzvJulXHXpCq96UtO0U53eWZjOLS7EdiqzzcsOBOsc3lCTwj4BRe0yd17JMH7cWdBLX6qwu_lGlmQA0_Kw/s1600/DairyBanner2c.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 168px; height: 125px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwr_yE04sKMdSKxM252vPhW3CAJC2ITOEutr6rEuLo2d_9Nlp7Apzo1qwVCHzvJulXHXpCq96UtO0U53eWZjOLS7EdiqzzcsOBOsc3lCTwj4BRe0yd17JMH7cWdBLX6qwu_lGlmQA0_Kw/s320/DairyBanner2c.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616209076988600178" /></a><div>June is National Dairy Month, an opportunity to highlight the importance of dairy products in a balanced diet. It's only fitting that during this celebration, a new tool for planning nutritious diets is revealed. Meet MyPlate:</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 291px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtBlhNDs_yZPuZQ6YQrXfPmU3SccCpHNpVpvx6PQYFfynIK6YpgXJ30L-xJmqGahqIB7S5pQJ00e_hb12iwiE4Izgki04pucLRtlXjmAEA2rmk-QNVjTnIUDGCMZicOVeb4YUhpAVVfmQ/s320/myplate_green.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5616209828843043890" /></div><div style="text-align: left;">You may remember MyPlate's predecessor, MyPyramid. Some of you may even be able to think back to the original dietary guidelines presented in the Food Guide Pyramid. All of these tools, managed by the United States Department of Agriculture, have helped families include all of the essential food groups in their diets. Though the servings have shifted somewhat, dairy has been included in each of the tools as an important part in everyone's diets.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As you look at MyPlate, you'll see dairy off to the top right corner, representing a glass. Low-fat and fat-free milk are wonderful ways to get the nutritional benefits of dairy, but don't forget cheese and yogurt as well. Whether they are in the glass or on the plate, dairy should be a part of every meal, or you should aim to at least consume three servings a day. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As dairy farmers, we take a great deal of pride in producing a product that provides so many essential nutrients to consumers. Milk and dairy products are chocked full of calcium, potassium, and protein. To learn more about the health benefits of dairy, visit the <a href="http://www.nationaldairycouncil.org">National Dairy Council</a>.</div><div> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-4440206801681901332011-05-31T20:59:00.005-04:002011-05-31T21:15:51.996-04:00The best part of summer? Ice cream.<div style="text-align: left;">It's really cool to go to the grocery store and see a product that you had a small part in making. That's why we love to buy Toft's ice cream. We know that milk from our cows helped make ice cream and fluid milk for Toft's. Now that it's summer, we look forward to enjoying lots of Toft's ice cream.</div><div><br /></div><div>June is National Dairy month, and to kick it off, <a href="http://www.progressivedairy.com/">Progressive Dairyman</a> is hosting the second-annual <a href="http://www.progressivedairy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6494:progressive-dairymans-2011-ice-cream-flavor-face-off&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=61">Flavor Face-Off</a> to determine the ultimate flavor of ice cream. They've invited dairy farmers from across the country to participate, along with staff from their magazine. We're honored to be a part of it, and we're excited to promote our favorite kind of amazing frozen goodness.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>The contest is pretty simple. Each participant picks a flavor of ice cream to represent. We chose Caveman Chocolate. (Read more about it and other great flavors on Toft's <a href="http://www.toftdairy.com/prime_time.htm">website</a>.) Next, the flavors duke it out bracket style. During the month of June, internet voters determine the best flavors. When you vote, you can register to win free ice cream yourself!</div><div><br /></div><div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM-bnSbGFJjnYrzgUkaMzfb_kZkSsRCDB66yGF1TnlWchIrxJ-JhqdumZ68et6g_eNiMkyiJcZ-pmXIpZoIZuhwQBjIF-qKu84GCe7ND1TNJCe0MnihLGMR9M4eatQSRUbizdDXlMCH74/s320/caveman_choc.gif" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613050712818745058" /></div><div>We think our flavor is pretty great, and we hope you do, too! Toft Dairy is the only locally owned and operated dairy on Lake Erie between Cleveland and Toledo, and the oldest operating dairy in Ohio. With a track record like that, you know they must know their ice cream! They purchase milk from 22 local families, our included. We're proud to be part of the Toft family. We chose this particular flavor for one simple reason: chocolate. Caveman chocolate is full of fudge-filled chocolate chunks and swirls of thick chocolate fudge in dark chocolate ice cream. Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.... need we say more? Vote for Caveman Chocolate <a href="http://www.progressivedairy.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6489:ice-cream-flavor-face-off-2011-round-1&catid=157:surveys&Itemid=235">here</a>. It's so simple, even a caveman could do it.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Helvetica, Arial, FreeSans, sans-serif;font-size:100%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 16px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px;font-size:12px;"><b><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 312px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9jZ0nhkpfLx9ZC87IYmZCUCD0lyJnw6sgtOHmPTlwSOoh3TQRMwVF7yOmn2Yj1RLrjqNQO56ap7GTe3I31tgTtUH6EGkDQe82Ky8HGBKKPUozq3WbchWMt9b6fIjfNoStW0k3IisU36Y/s320/geico-caveman-lg.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5613053285652784770" /></b></span></span></div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-54932719723402591032011-05-30T09:34:00.003-04:002011-05-30T09:47:13.412-04:00I hope the stork brings a girl.In the last post, we talked about A.I. and its benefits to the dairy industry. Today, we'll add another piece to the puzzle and discuss sexed semen, which can lead to a greater possibility of female offspring.<div><br /></div><div>First, here's an important sidenote: only girl cows can produce milk. I'm sure that just completely changed the way you think about nature. :) Therefore, for a dairy farm, cows are the queens. Heifers, or females that haven't calved yet, are princesses. The profitability of a dairy farm relies on females' milk production. When a cow gives birth to a female, that female calf will likely eventually end up giving milk herself. </div><div><br /></div><div>To increase the odds of having a female offspring, many farmers choose to artificially inseminate with sexed semen. This technology was developed in 1989 by scientists with the United States Department of Agriculture, and it has been readily available since the early 1990's.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, just how can you sort something you can't even see? Well, scientists inject a dye into the sperm collection. It's fluorescent, and it sticks to the DNA in an amount proportional to the number of X and Y chromosomes in the sperm. X chromosomes (females) contain more DNA than Y chromosomes (males), so more dye sticks to the sperm cells that are carrying female chromosomes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Next, the sperm cells are sorted. A laser lights up the dye, and the sperm gives off light proportional to its DNA content. The X sperm always glowers brighter, because it's carrying more DNA. The sperm is sorted into two different batches, allowing it to be packaged into doses according to the probable sex of offspring it will produce.</div><div><br /></div><div>Species from cattle to rabbits to sheep to pigs have benefitted from this technology. On our farm, sexed semen has allowed us to produce more heifer offspring, which will enter our herd and eventually produce milk. It has increased our efficiency and allowed for a consistent supply of heifers. Does the stork really have anything to do with it? No. Science? Absolutely.</div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-66384963733358664852011-04-17T21:51:00.007-04:002011-04-17T23:00:41.544-04:00Let's Talk About Sex...<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">...Cow sex that is. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now that I have your attention, we're going to talk about artificial insemination in the dairy industry. Before we do, here's a new addition on the farm. Pep</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: small; ">si delivered a healthy female calf (heifer) on April 10. See our <a href="http://dial-dairy.blogspot.com/2011/04/pepsi-or-coke.html">last post</a> to learn more about the mama.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipf13PyO18JLXtLYeSw2o4HQhto19NzwlcQkAtPaliFXYGPluoleBFZiZcBmwc8uJCEsbuIzwiO0XZ0R5wMkCx8ThQWhvJShgXxYObvsHk9_wKWhrvuLYAScwertcrjP0fBHI0fedQQ4Q/s1600/pepsi.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipf13PyO18JLXtLYeSw2o4HQhto19NzwlcQkAtPaliFXYGPluoleBFZiZcBmwc8uJCEsbuIzwiO0XZ0R5wMkCx8ThQWhvJShgXxYObvsHk9_wKWhrvuLYAScwertcrjP0fBHI0fedQQ4Q/s320/pepsi.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596735432281481138" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Before the calf was even born, we knew there was a good chance that she would be... well, a she. Pepsi was bred using artificial insemination to Million, a bull owned by <a href="http://www.selectsires.com/">Select Sires</a>. The semen was sexed, meaning that there was roughly a 90% probability that the calf would be female. Before we get into those details, let's start with the birds and the bees: how artificial insemination works and why it's used.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The majority of dairy farms in the United States use artificial insemination. Semen is collected from bulls off-site. The semen is stored in sealed straws, which are frozen in liquid nitrogen tanks. One farmer can keep numerous straws of semen stored for an extended period of time in a tank at their farm. As the cows come into estrus, or heat, the farmer can remove the straws, thaw them, and breed the cows. The video below, courtesy of the University of Missouri, explains more about the breeding process. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz0FEo1ZkL_TS2uFrmy4Q974lx9fdmbW_SXPTum6Hx_tpuAfVAzK-EhG1f69VnE-Tg2GPVm-OGrR4RAnDduHQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">Artificial insemination accomplishes several purposes in dairy production. First, it provides tons of options for reproduction. A dairy farm that only has one bull to use for natural breeding doesn't have genetic options. On the other hand, a farmer that uses artificial insemination can select a mate for a cow based on genetic potential that will improve the quality of the herd. This selective breeding allows a farmer to select a bull that will be a solid match for the particular cow he is breeding. Secondly, artificial insemination can be a safer alternative than natural breeding. If a farmer is housing a bull on his farm, then he takes the risk of the bull endangering himself and his employees. A full grown bull weigh around 2000 pounds. That's a large critter to contain and move! The bull can also be hard on the cows. The semen for artificial insemination, alternatively, is stored in a tank no larger than a kitchen trash can. Finally, artificial insemination can be very economical. A farm that is using natural breeding would have costs associated with housing the bull, such as feed and medical expenses, but a farm that is using artificial insemination can purchase a dose of semen from a reputable bull starting around $15. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">With such benefits, it is no wonder that artificial insemination is so widely used in the U.S. It is a powerful tool that allows farmers to improve their herds while reaping other benefits. Stay tuned for our next blog post for more sex talk (cow sex, that is) and to see how semen can be sexed to lead to a greater possibility of female offspring.</span></span></div></div></div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-21048206910734337232011-04-03T09:17:00.009-04:002011-04-03T10:58:40.339-04:00Pepsi or Coke?<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It's a timeless battle. Which is better: Pepsi or Coke? Each has pros and cons. In their favor, Pepsi has a cooler label, while Coke puts happiness into each beverage. On the negative flip-side, Pepsi had the disturbing commercial with the boy getting sucked into the bottle, while Coke can corrode a penny. In the end, it all comes down to personal preference.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This blog really has nothing to do with caffeinated sodas, but it does have to do with a heifer named Pepsi. Here she is:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEDDWSfAR77vJfJswCdRyfdT1WTZpl8iakiNJAubqlKEWuNJJZVVwUbsoiBvB061_wS6eq5GgshwOmabvv2pVZ-Ipv7N1pxjUgttNAhsgMrH0hFGuREB_Bsh0bEcc37Dy6Z4o82OnAf8/s1600/IMG00107-20110401-1758.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJEDDWSfAR77vJfJswCdRyfdT1WTZpl8iakiNJAubqlKEWuNJJZVVwUbsoiBvB061_wS6eq5GgshwOmabvv2pVZ-Ipv7N1pxjUgttNAhsgMrH0hFGuREB_Bsh0bEcc37Dy6Z4o82OnAf8/s320/IMG00107-20110401-1758.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591346753844153490" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Greg and Jason headed down to Columbus on Friday to the </span></span><a href="http://buckeyedairyclub.osu.edu/buckeye_classic.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Buckeye Classic Sale</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> at the Spring Dairy Expo with the intention of dropping a few bucks to improve our herd genetics. Before they went to the sale, they perused the sale catalog with data about each cow, so they could be sure they were picking out the best addition to our herd. The data in the catalog can tell you just about everything you need to know about a cow. It lists her pedigree; if she's in production (meaning she's been milked), it lists her milk records; it lists her registration number; it even includes her birthdate. With 53 head of cattle in the sale, it was a lot of reading material!</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So what were the boys looking for when they set their sights on a cow? Milk has two main components: protein and butterfat. Dairy farmers are paid based upon the amount of each component in their milk. Greg and Jason wanted to make sure that they selected cows that would help the herd average in those two areas. They also wanted to pick cows that had high production (made a lot of milk.) A lot of this is done based on speculation. Remember how I said the sale catalog lists pedigree information? You can tell a lot about how a cow will milk based on her lineage. If her dam (mom) produced a lot of milk, then it is likely that she will also. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Once Greg and Jason selected a few head of cattle that they were interested in based off of their paper records, it was time for them to look at them in person. Before the sale started, they were able to look at each cow and heifer they were considering. Just like anything, it might look good on paper, but in front of your eyes, it's a different story. As they looked at the cattle, they examined their confirmation (how their legs are set up), their frame size, and their overall appearance. Based on what they saw on paper and what they saw in person, they narrowed down their wish list.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When it was all said and done, Greg and Jason came home with Pepsi, not Coke. (Ok, that's a bad joke. I doubt there was even a cow named Coke in the sale.) Pepsi is a two-year old registered Holstein, set to calve on April 18. They also picked up two heifers (young females that haven't had calves yet), Divine and Daurel. The barns are a little fuller, but we're looking forward to seeing how these ladies contribute to the herd.</span></span></div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-33589448539391329222011-02-12T13:57:00.005-05:002011-04-03T09:53:18.965-04:00Cow Comfort in Frigid February<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I hope you like the blog title. That was as close to an alliteration as I could get today! A month or so ago, one of our </span></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dial-Dairy-Farm/76599047524"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Facebook</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> friends suggested we write a blog post about how we keep the cows comfortable in the winter months. It's definitely a challenge, but it's one we take seriously! This week, as temperatures plunged into the single digits, we were still at the farm at the crack of dawn, making sure our animals were cared for.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Here are a few things we do in the winter months to keep our cows comfortable:</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Adjust the barn curtain. The barns have curtains that can be opened or closed, depending on the temperature outside. When it cools down, the curtain is lowered to keep the cows warm and comfortable. When it warms up, the curtain can be opened.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Get the calves off to a good start by putting a blanket on them. The blankets help them stay healthy and warm. This isn't necessary in the summer months, when the outside temperature is high.</span></span></li></ul></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWeYikBqchK1Q7HlJj7uJlFfYTclcioNG3qcBIO6MAeTe_bay9K92G7lpziiHNyl0h6NI1fS5YXZaib8fiE7bS8sLB6kKBHRfg_PyLwuLjYtl2uOG2Dnk6PL7S7NrOK0kMgx4vmmGakE/s1600/calf.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWeYikBqchK1Q7HlJj7uJlFfYTclcioNG3qcBIO6MAeTe_bay9K92G7lpziiHNyl0h6NI1fS5YXZaib8fiE7bS8sLB6kKBHRfg_PyLwuLjYtl2uOG2Dnk6PL7S7NrOK0kMgx4vmmGakE/s320/calf.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5591354018095647490" /></a><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Closely monitor their feed consumption. This is something we do year-round to ensure that our animals are healthy and eating well, but in the winter, animals require extra energy to maintain their body weight. Some times this means we adjust their ration or feed them extra to keep them healthy and strong.</span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This list could continue, but here's the bottom line: caring for our cows is a year-round task. It just requires different considerations at different times of the year. Just because it's zero degrees out doesn't mean farmers get to stay inside. Their obligation to care for animals is one they take seriously, no matter what the temperature is!</span></span></div></div><div><br /></div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-64261154099766436402011-02-06T11:53:00.003-05:002011-02-06T11:55:13.753-05:00So God Made a Farmer<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I came across these words this morning, and I couldn't help but share. They definitely ring true!</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 27px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And on the 8th day God looked down on his planned paradise and said, "I need a caretaker!". So, God made a farmer!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 27px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />God said, "I need somebody to get up before dawn and milk cows and work all day in the fields, milk cows again, eat supper and then go to town and stay past midnight at a meeting of the school board." So, God made a farmer!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 27px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />"I need somebody with strong arms. Strong enough to rustle a calf, yet gentle enough to deliver his own grandchild. Somebody to call hogs, tame cantankerous machinery, come home hungry and have to wait for lunch until his wife is done feeding and visiting with the ladies and telling them to be sure to come back real soon...and mean it." So, God made a farmer!"</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 27px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />God said "I need somebody that can shape an ax handle, shoe a horse with a hunk of car tire make a harness out of hay wire, feed sacks and shoe scraps. And...who, at planting time and harvest season, will finish his forty hour week by Tuesday noon. Then, pain'n from 'tractor back', put in another seventy two hours." So, God made a farmer!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 27px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />God had to have somebody willing to ride the ruts at double speed to get the hay in ahead of the rain clouds and yet stop on mid-field and race to help when he sees the first smoke from a neighbor's place. So, God made a farmer!<br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 27px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">God said, "I need somebody strong enough to clear trees, heave bails and yet gentle enough to tame lambs and wean pigs and tend the pink combed pullets...and who will stop his mower for an hour to mend the broken leg of a meadow lark." So, God made a farmer!</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 27px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />It had to be somebody who'd plow deep and straight...and not cut corners. Somebody to seed and weed, feed and breed...and rake and disc and plow and plant and tie the fleece and strain the milk. Somebody to replenish the self feeder and then finish a hard days work with a five mile drive to church. Somebody who'd bale a family together with the soft strong bonds of sharing, who'd laugh and then sigh...and then respond with smiling eyes, when his son says he wants to spend his life "doing what dad does". So, God made a farmer!<br /><br />(Author Unknown. Article reproduced from Paul Harvey radio show, but unable to trace the source.)</span></span></span></div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-32265407076073647072011-02-01T08:03:00.012-05:002011-02-01T09:56:02.005-05:00Questions? Ask an expert.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">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.</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">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 </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Vegan Nutrista.</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-family:Verdana, Geneva, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:13px;"><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ellen DeGeneres (She touts veganism on her talk show constantly.)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Joanquin Pheonix (actor)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Natalie Portman (actress)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Pamela Anderson (I'm sure you could insert a distasteful joke here about the importance of milk in her diet.)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Toby Maguire (actor)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Vanessa Williams (actress)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Chelsea Clinton (not sure what her title is)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Dennis Kucinich (U.S. Congressman)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Alanis Morissette (musician)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Brandy (musician)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Phil Collins (musician)</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Shania Twain (musician)</span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">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. </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; "><div style="display: inline !important; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; "><div style="display: inline !important; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">(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.)</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></div></span></i></div></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; "><div style="display: inline !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">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. </span></span></div></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">You wouldn't ask an Amish man for advice on your car, so why ask a vegan about animals products?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Now that we've established that celebrities aren't the best source of information, where can you find information about vegan diets? The USDA </span></span><a href="http://www.mypyramid.gov/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">MyPyramid</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> 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 </span></span><a href="http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/11183/1/Disadvantages-of-Being-a-Vegetarian.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">article</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. A nutrition specialist at the University of Georgia shares her thoughts on the </span></span><a href="http://www.fcs.uga.edu/pubs/current/FDNS-E-18.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">topic</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> also. When it comes to information vegan diets, research institutions, doctors, and the USDA are great sources.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">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:</span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">The American Farm Bureau has a wonderful website called "</span></span><a href="http://www.conversationsoncare.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Conversations on Care</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">," where consumers can Q and A with real farmers.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Learn the truth about modern pork production and watch videos at the Ohio Pork Council's </span></span><a href="http://www.ohiopork.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">website</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. </span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Want to know where steak comes from? </span></span><a href="http://www.explorebeef.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Learn from a real beef producer.</span></span></a></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Connect with farmers all over the country who are part of the </span></span><a href="http://agchat.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Ag Chat Foundation</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> and hear how they care for their animals.</span></span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the dairy story. Check out </span></span><a href="http://www.dairyfarmingtoday.org/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Dairy Farming Today</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> to watch videos and hear from dairy farmers that are producing a safe and nutritious product.</span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Feel free to chime in with your own sources of information, also. Bottom line: </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; "><div style="display: inline !important; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; "><div style="display: inline !important; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">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.</span></span></div></span></i></div></span></i></div></div><p></p></span></i></div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-72099446000758464602010-12-28T10:32:00.004-05:002010-12-28T10:56:43.942-05:00Christmas Morning on the Dairy Farm<div style="text-align: left;">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."</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>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.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>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, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=165851&id=76599047524">"What Do Cows Eat?"</a> 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. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>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.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>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.</div><div><br /></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH3Ji4RJFBZsyokJfKDi4oVn0crzeUQLdGYDyJwHPtLm6aZthTk8R-Bw5G0ISDjKWCWa0pCel6SnROvPuUzm0vW2edgSzbDHXi9VVchCGwuhM-NUYewyIXyKlqUhuksGu7sDdb9FTFH6g/s320/DSC_0054.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555761780194176226" /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><i>Diane grew up on a dairy farm, and for 28 years, her and Allen have owned and operated our family farm.</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><i><br /></i></span></div><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 190px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSSG2qi-Ap0B6Iotqgc8WW6FLbgI2nB-zoO7BztYRUygWlxf07tEtbXR59hkJALFC94w5gYuiiGtIEnjTYpw5WYZjBJJ45muvHH413xXnUxlQDSbzrHzq7bkgor2rh0YoLOSqiUS0q2Ws/s320/DSC_0044.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5555761787520657746" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><i>Fourth generation of Hartschuhs to be involved with dairy farming. Left to right: Rose, Greg, Jason, Brian, Emily.</i></span></div><div><br /></div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-55091507535312582662010-12-14T21:07:00.002-05:002011-02-01T11:22:27.903-05:00A couple cool ag videosThe facts in these videos are pretty astounding. America's farmers are an awesome bunch.<div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzY6XHJQuGDdviptcK2sNp4oehVKOgnG8jZOKV0pAIG0hnFCAkZj3C_phqOJrMx1ZeGYQgOCrXxBAfZwPUuew' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyhJrNLKCfQFEkQSyTxf0QE1csykNWHA9oJRjiL-k6AVt6_Q6TKjq55DYWM-kgR2JFJJV74FuPyzTWFj2iySw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5281410679402114324.post-17743206830550826412010-12-14T20:53:00.004-05:002010-12-14T21:05:45.013-05:00A Fall to Be Thankful ForI 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.<div><br /></div><div><ol><li>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.</li><li>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.</li><li>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.</li><li>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.</li><li>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.</li><li>God. He makes it all possible.</li></ol><div>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.</div> </div>Dial Dairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06180798436063604639noreply@blogger.com0