My husband and I met...I am not sure how many years ago, but we met through our jobs as DHIA technicians. As a result of that we are constantly evaluating our records of our herd.
We moved onto the farm we are at now in 2009. My husband is a third generation farmer, and we work very closely with his dad in our farming operation. His dad has been a grazier since 1998. Before I was a technician, I worked on a number of dairy farms. All of the farms I worked on, however, were confinement farms and milked year-round, so this seasonal grazing thing was a whole new experience for me.
We believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God and our personal Savior. I tell you this, because our faith is the key behind our decisions, actions, and attitude. Danny and I are not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but we put our hope in Christ and are thankful that He saves us from our sins. One of the key lessons that God is teaching us through farming is to be thankful, and to face the challenges without grumbling or complaints. We strive to put our trust in the Lord no matter the circumstance and that gives us a peace to know that we do not go through our trials alone.
"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts,
to which indeed you were called in one body;
and be thankful."
~Colossians 3:15
As far as our roles on the farm go, my husband takes care of the milking, because I have some problems with my joints that make everyday milking painful. He also handles the nutrition work and balances the feed rations. He works with KOW Consulting (they were the ones who taught him how to formulate rations) if he has any questions. My husband also manages the grass seedings and what will be planted when and where, along with fence maintenance and pretty much everything else.
My role on the farm is as one of the calf caretakers; my brother-in-law is the other one. It doesn't sound like a big deal until you have 175 cows calving in two and a half months. I think last year we averaged three to four calves a day, but sometimes we would have as many as six or seven. My other role is as the geneticist and the breeding technician. I love picking out which bulls I am going to use and which cow I am going to breed to which bull and why. I also am the one (as you can see) who markets the cows we have for sale every year.
One of my hobbies is to sell things on the internet, and have now found that it is a wonderful way to de-clutter our house and supplement our income a little bit all at the same time! The links can be found on our home page on the side bar under "Some of our favorite links" and also here below:
One of my hobbies is to sell things on the internet, and have now found that it is a wonderful way to de-clutter our house and supplement our income a little bit all at the same time! The links can be found on our home page on the side bar under "Some of our favorite links" and also here below:
For collectibles, clothing, shoes, and lots of other (usually larger) items check out this site: http://www.amazinggracedairy.ecrater.com/
I hope you enjoy these blog posts and pass them on. My desire is that you find them encouraging, faith building, and educating.
Welcome to our journey.
