{Wordless Wednesday}

Saying Goodbye to Sasha

 

I'm having trouble with the fact that two weeks have gone by since we said goodbye to our "firstborn" Sasha. She had always been here everyday in my life for the past six years and I still find myself looking for her. She was a barn kitten that we rescued, and honestly didn't expect to survive. She was so young, but showed us right away what a fighter she was and beat the odds. Since she was with us from such a young age she was more of person then a cat. I am not really a cat person but found myself totally in love with her quirky personality. We were hoping she would be an inside/outside pet, but she right away told us she was a part of family and belonged in the house! There's not a memory in this house that doesn't include Sasha and I am finding comfort in the memories she leaves behind. Love you pretty girl and thank you for being a part of our family! 

For Family

Did you know that 99% of dairy farms in the U.S. are family owned? That is certainly a tradition that rings true on our farm as we are 100% family owned and operated. So that means our work force consists of the 4 of us and a very driving micro manager who calls most of the shots on our daily deeds. Some times it is a hard balancing act, there are definitely days when I wish my boss/partner wasn't family. And wishing that the work could just stay at the barn and not follow me home. But I wouldn't have it any other way, they say the family that works together stays together and I truly believe that. It's a much deeper respect and understanding I have for my parents and husband as I work by them everyday. It is a togetherness that strengthens us all through the good times and even more through the hard times.
And I consider myself lucky and blessed to be a part of the tradition of family farms. It's a very special breed of people who choose to live this life. The more I look at others lives in this industry the more I am affirmed that it all comes back to the same roots of family.
So today and everyday I am Thankful for Family!

{Wordless Wednesday}

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you all the Happiest Thanksgiving!

From Suey and all of us here on the farm I hope this day finds you surrounded by those you love, with great food (and maybe even great drinks!) and too many things to be thankful for!

I am certainly thankful for our farm; our lifestyle that allows us to live the way we want and help provide for this world. Our family; near and far and all around, these are the people who make us who we are. And although times are tough sometimes I am very thankful for all those little things that make my everyday possible. I hope you can take a minute to be thankful for all you have as well!

Enjoy and be safe this Holiday weekend!

~Darleen

For all the Helping Hands

Dairy farming is a 24/7, 365 days a year job! Our family works hard around the clock to provide the best possible product we can. But we don't go it alone, here are just a few of the many people involved and I am Thankful for all of them!

Our Veterinary: Doc is pretty much a part of the family, as we have had the same vet for my entire lifetime. He still laughs and remembers his first call to our farm when he was fresh out of school and Grandpa was here. He's here once a month for a herd check-up and always on call for emergencies. A vital lifeline in any dairy operation is a good vet, just like your family doctor we take our Ladies health very seriously!

Our Hay Grower: We have an amazing family that we work with in Eastern Oregon that grows all our alfalfa hay. We don't do any actual farming ourselves, except for grass hay for our heifers and calves we bale ourselves, all other feed is bought and brought onto our farm. We have such a great partnership and are so blessed to have a direct source for the best food for our Ladies!

Our Nutritionist: Helping make those decisions about the best food is our Nutritionist. There are so many choices in the world of dairy food, and so many prices and other obstacles to running a successful feeding program. We'd be lost navigating all of that without our nutritionist.

Our Milk Haulers and Plant Workers: We work 365 days a year because the cows are always making milk. So the other end of that is having someplace for that milk to go. The milk truck is here every other day and it doesn't get here on it's own, that requires a truck driver. So even Christmas and Thanksgiving those guys are working hard to make sure the freshest product gets to the plant to be processed. And at the plant there are lots of hard workers making delicious products with our milk!

Our Farm Community: Last but definitely not least the farming community. This is a hard one to put into words, but we all look out for each other in the farm community. In times of trouble or trial there is always someone willing to lend a helping hand. It's a spirit of togetherness that comes with no expectations, simply the knowledge that you will also be there when they need your help. And in times of triumph we are all celebrating together, there is a shared success in each others accomplishments!

Welcome Little Ones!

Two new heifer calves for Mistery and Admire. Mistery is the cow on the left and her calf is the top left baby. Admire is on the right and her baby is the bottom left.

Birth is an almost daily event here on the farm. Last week we welcomed two new baby girls. A 1G434 Golden J Les George heifer calf from Abiqua Acres Alstar Mistery. And a 7G405 Golden J Ronald Grumpy heifer calf from Abiqua Acres Mints Admire. These are the second calves and first daughters for both mama's and happy to report that everyone is doing great!

Even though it is a daily event, we still celebrate every birth. I especially look forward to what traits are obvious in the new little ones from their Mom's. Like the picture above shows, Admire's baby (bottom left) has the same markings on her face, just the opposite side. Funny how genetics picks certain things to carry on!