Celebrating 60 Years part 3

Here is the 3rd installment of our farm's history from our 60 Year Celebration on our facebook page! Also make sure you have seen parts 1 & 2 to not miss out on anything!

#34 In 1979 Alan married his high school sweet heart Barbara!

# 35 From 1976 to 1981 Alan and Barbara aggressively approached Johnes disease within their herd . Working hard with the State of Oregon and culling cows that came back with a positive fecal culture. These aggressive measures in a Johnes eradication program along with vaccination means that the Mann’s essentially were successful, only losing one cow since 1981 to a positive Johnes test. While Johnes definitely sheds a negative light, the Mann’s are passionate about sharing their successful story for the possibility of helping others facing this serious problem.
On a lighter note this picture is of the cows out on pasture New Year's day of 1981! It was so dry this winter they were out for 19 days! We rotationally graze our herd for as many months out of the year as the Oregon weather will allow us, but it's usually too wet in January!

 #36 Paul and Delores welcomed "twin" grandchildren in 1981. A daughter from their youngest daughter and then 6 days later a son for Alan and Barbara! Delores always enjoyed calling these two her twins!

#37 Construction on our farm sign began May 29th 1982. This is still the sign that stands on our driveway today!

#38 Abiqua Acres welcomed 5 sets of twins in 1982! While twin births are not completely uncommon, this is the most sets we have ever had in a year!

#39 Grandma made a funny comment about needing a set of triplets after so many twins because there seemed to always be an extra Grandchild without a calf to feed. Well September 21, 1984 she got her wish when Abiqua Acres Spartons Alva had triplet bull calves! This was Alva's fourth calving after a single heifer and then 2 sets of twins, but we definitely weren't expecting triplets. This is the only set of triplets ever born on the farm.

#40 Abiqua Acres Spartons Alva isn't only remembered because of her sets of multiples, she was also the first cow in our herd to be scored EX-91 in 1985!

#41 Merry Christmas Eve everyone!!! 10 years ago today can honestly do down in our history as the best calving date ever as we welcomed two heifers. Abiqua Acres Faros Speranza and Abiqua Acres Prestige Jesusita (pictured)! These two Ladies account for 281,428 lbs of milk and both have a very special place in our herd. I'll bring you more on these two, but now it's time to milk and these two need some extra special Happy Birthday scratches!

#42 Abiqua Acres breeding program has yielded 35 EX females since 1970. Six have been scored at EX-91 over the years and two are currently in the herd at EX-92 and looking back at #15 we have bred one EX-93. Dorie (bottom right) can count herself among these numbers as an EX-90

#43 One of these EX-92 point cows you just heard about in post #41. Abiqua Acres Prestige Jesusita, she packs personality with production and can honestly be named one of our favorite cows in the herd! In 7 lactations Jesusita has produced 147,117lbs of milk and holds the #3 Living Lifetime record in Oregon. Those seven lactations (starting 8 in April) in 10 years are the result of tremendous breeding efficiency that has also given us 3 daughters. Her first two calves and daughters are still in our herd and while not quite the caliber of Mama certainly are solid cows, her 3rd daughter will freshen in February and we are very excited about her with the way she is maturing!

#44 The second EX-92 point cow in our herd currently is Abiqua Acres Aarons Meara. If you've heard of our farm in the last few years, Meara probably rings a bell. Our show ring winner Meara is the three time undefeated Grand Champion of the Oregon State Fair. She was also the 2011 recipient of the Oregon Guernsey Breeders Association, Elmer Meadow’s memorial award that is presented to the animal with the highest energy corrected record in the state. Meara won with 22,241m, 1,039f, 718p for 25,898ecm.

#45 The last powerhouse lady in our herd that just celebrated her birthday as mentioned in #41 is Abiqua Acres Faros Speranza. Another efficiency Lady in 7 lactations Speranza has also surpassed the 100,000 mark producing 134,311lbs of milk. She comes from a long line of longevity producers and we are excited as her daughter Onward Sparrow has just passed 101,895lbs of milk. Speranza is the 6th and Sparrow makes the 7th generation to pass the 100,000lbs of milk milestone.

      
  

Happy New Year!!

Wow where did 2012 go?!?
I find myself asking that question more as each year passes, must be something to do with getting older! ;-) We rang in the New Year quietly with some good friends! Little Farmer didn't even make it to midnight, but there was nothing sweeter then rocking him to sleep as the clock struck midnight! For some reason I have been horrible about packing the camera to get togethers, so I have no New Years pictures, but I thought today I would take a look back at what 2012 held for me and my blog! 

First off I have had tons of fun blogging more and starting to get our farm facebook page going! Most of the traffic to my blog comes from facebook and just now as I logged in I noticed I have 600 all time views and 6 followers! What a great way to start the year, and Thanks for joining me, fun to know that people are actully reading and following along!

Top Posts for 2012
Mason's Home Birth Story
One of the few personal stories I wrote this year, and it doesn't get more personal then this! Truly near and dear to my heart and so glad that so many have viewed this post to make it my number one!
Christmas Calves
{Wordless Wednesday}
For Dairy Farming
{Wordless Wednesday}
The Last Day of 2012
Welcome Little Ones
Little Farmer Names
All these posts were farm related, and it makes me so happy that people are reading about dairy farming! That is my whole goal, to share our story, and I am having so much fun with it! So Thank You, Thank You again for joining me and I look forward to bringing you more in 2013!!

2012 was a busy year, and I fee like I didn't get much of it here on the blog, so I hope you'll join me for a recap!

January

 

We rang in the New Year with a very active, mobile, but not yet walking little boy! 

  Had a snow adventure with some great friends!

Mason turned 9 months old!

We celebrated Grandpa's Birthday!

February

Mason went to his first rodeo, out of my tummy!

We got Marans cross chicks.

March

We got Welsummer and Cuckoo Marans chicks.

It snowed!!! And then melted before morning!

We confirmed that Marley and Mason are related!

It snowed again, enough to make a snowman! And play in a little bit, Mason was thrilled!

Mason learned to cheese the camera!

Mason is the best milkers helper and loved being in the parlor!

MASON STARTED WALKING!! Tuesday, March 27th he finally let go and took off while he was with Nana and Papa. He'd been taking a few steps and walking along things for almost 2 months, he finally took the leap that night! Ben and I missed it as we were finishing up milking, special moment for Nana and Papa!!

April

Ben celebrated his 26th Birthday!

Mason was walking everywhere and totally loving his independence!

We dyed eggs from our chickens for Easter.

Happy Easter!

Ben built Mason his first fort! They both had so much fun!

 Mason turned One and we celebrated pirate style because Arrgh was the first thing we got him to say! 

It was such a beautiful day, we had a picnic and lots of fun outside!

 Poor little guy was totally sick for his party! But he was a trooper!

We bought Angel! She joins her sister's Annie and Anna we had already purchased from Josi's in Tillamook. Sad to learn that Licky her Mama had passed and she would be our last daughter!

The Ladies were finally out on pasture after a wet spring!

May

Spring finally arrived with all it's beauty and we all enjoyed the warmer temperatures!

Happy Mother's Day!

Cows from Spencer's Guernsey Farm joined our herd.

We went to the Pet Parade!

June

The official dress code for morning play session; Boots and PJs! This boy couldn't wait to get out the door first thing in the morning!

June was completely overtaken with the preparation and then execution of the 2012 National Guernsey Convention. I enjoyed my duties as the tour director and promise I will write a post about this week soon!

July

Nothing says summer like berries and playing in the water!

 Happy 4th of July!

We finally finished making the last of our hay July 10th.

Mason learned how to drink from a hose!

The new chickens started laying!

We hiked Butte Creek Falls

We acquired a new puppy and named her Lilly.

We celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary a week early with a night at the beach! Our first away since Mason was born!

August

We snuck another weekend away from the farm in with a camping trip to Mt. St. Helens in Washington!

We of course showed at fair again this year, honors included Reserve Junior Champion to Ben's heifer Judgement Juno and Reserve Sr. and Grand Champion for Challenge Marguerite. Mason had a blast, but was definitely work keeping track of him, his favorite animals to visit were the pigs!

September

A new baby girl was welcomed into the family, and Mason is thrilled to be a big cousin!

We finally managed a trip to the Zoo and my little animal lover was in heaven! It was so fun seeing his excitement with each new animal! What a perfect day!

The farm and family were featured in a local publication!

It was a very dry end of summer and beginning of Fall. But we did enjoy some goodies from the garden!

October

 Pumpkin Patch and carving time!

Happy Halloween!

November

As the weather turned wet, my chore helper became a puddle jumper....I don't think we've come back from the barn remotely clean and dry since!

Ben went elk hunting and their group managed to get one! Yeah for more meat in the freezer!

The new chickens quit laying, apparently we are going to need a light in the coop, I'm unimpressed!

Lilly and Mason are the best of friends! Great fun to watch their relationship evolve.

 We celebrated Thanksgiving with the whole family, Grandpa included!

Our first ET calf was born, a Aaron heifer from Grumpy Maranda! Exciting day on the farm!

December

 I finally let Ben convince me to get Mason's hair cut, luckily he was a very good boy, but I do miss his curls! 

We went to the Christmas Tree lighting in town, and didn't even get rained on!

We got our Christmas tree picked out, cut down, put up and decorated!

Brody and Lilly were missing the warm weather and sunshine!

Merry Christmas!

We ended the year with a New Years Eve heifer calf!

Thank You for joining me over the past year and I hope you'll continue to follow me throughout this new year!  No big plans here for 2013, and I am looking forward to that. Taking each new day as a blessing and enjoying the little things!

I wish you all the best for a happy, healthy and prosperous 2013!!

Your Farmer's Daughter,

Darleen