Dan started running in high school – 2 miles every evening, but had never done anything longer than 5-miles before he decided to train for the Park City marathon in 2008. Since then he has completed 3 marathons and has, in the last couple of years, dabbled in some triathlons. Dan’s goals are always to have fun and finish in the top half of the field, though with a competitive spirit, he also tries to improve his times & place from year to year. And Dan is no slouch of a runner. This dairy farmer has clocked a 4:28 marathon (at altitude). In his words, “That’s not bad for a 250-pound farmer.”

This year Dan plans to run the  Dino Tri in Vernal, UT, the Kokopelli Tri in St. George, and possibly the Neola Half Marathon on the 4th of July in Neola, UT.

In order to get his triathlon training in, Dan has to do it BEFORE he starts his morning chores on the farm. This means running and biking before dawn and driving 30min to the pool to be in the water as soon as the doors open at 5:30. Post workout, Dan is recovering with cereal & milk and steaming mug of hot chocolate on Vernal’s sub-zero degree winter days.

Though consistent training can be challenging at times (i.e., motivating for an early morning bike after a very physical 13-hour day on the farm isn’t a piece of cake), Dan keeps races on the calendar and is looking forward to meeting up with his brothers – in – law for the September Kokopelli Tri in St. George. He says, “the sprint course is always fun!”

Corn planting season is here.  I’m not talking about your everyday sweet corn you find at the market,  I’m talking about corn for cows.  For the past month, we spent many hours prepping the fields for corn planting to to ensure nutrient-rich, fertile soil for good crop growth and production.  Many of the fields were home to a winter rye crop, which is being harvested now to make way for the corn.  In early September, the corn will be ready for harvesting. We use a machine that chops the entire plant – stock, ears and all – and turns it into corn silage.  Corn Silage is very high in energy and a good source of fiber for the cows.   The picture you see is a corn planter that can plant twelve rows of corn at a time along with a seed wagon that distributes seed into the corn planter, The days of unloading bags of seed in the corn planter by hand  are over.  The Olsen family plants around 1700 acres of corn each spring, therefore the whole month of May will consist of planting corn so the cows will have a great source of energy and fiber to eat in the months to come.

Baby Jersey Calf at Liberty Jersey Farms

We really don’t have a “calving season” because the cows calve year round, but we do try to not have too many calve during the very cold months.  That means, starting in Feb and thru April, we have a lot of babies born!  It is very important to get the colostrum in them right away and to clip & dip the naval to prevent infection.  When they are a little older they get the vaccinations needed to prevent diseases.  We want to take very good care of them so they can grow up and get into the milking herd.  Our vet comes every three weeks for herd check and will be here this week.  Since I’m still the “sight seeing wife”, (see post, “Eyes for Two“) I get to help with that.  Bill has started to feed again in the morning, but still can’t see the scales well enough, so you guessed it. . . I get to tell him when he has loaded enough of each feed, which can be challenging!!!  We have managed to have some good laughs.

Also onboard with Utah’s Ag in the Classroom Farm Field Days program is Gillins Dairy, home of Canyon Breeze Holsteins, where  600 kids from neighboring Beaver recently toured the dairy and learned how milk makes it from “grass to glass.”

This on-farm agriculture experience for kids doesn’t have to end at the farm. Here are some things you may not have known about Agriculture in Utah… (More Facts from Gillins Dairy)

Q: How many cows are there in Utah?

A: There are about 86,000 dairy cattle in the state of Utah.

Q: How much milk does a cow make in 1 day?

A: On average, 1 cow produces about 6.3 gallons of milk per day!

Q: How long can you grow crops in Utah?

A: The growing season in Utah is hugely variable – from just 60-days in Northern Utah to 190-days in the Southern part of the state.

Q: How much does it rain in Utah?

A: Despite snowy winters, Utah is the 2nd driest state in the nation. Annual precipitation averages 10-15.”

Q: What types of food does Utah Produce?

A: Barley, wheat, dry edible beans, potatoes, onions, sweet corn, tomatoes…Nationally, Utah is a top producer for certain fruits:

• Tart Cherries – 2nd in the nation
• Apricots – 3rd
• Sweet Cherries – 8th
• Pears – 9th
• Peaches – 18th

Utah also produces meat and livestock products including… sheep, wool, cattle, milk, eggs, hogs…

For local Utah products check out local farmers’ markets, sign up for home dairy delivery (Rosehill Dairy; Winder Farms), or participate in a Community Supported Agriculture program.

More resources:

• Utah’s Own
• Local First
• Utah Ag in the Classroom
• Dairy Farming Today

Gillins Dairy hosts 600 students for Ag in the Classroom Farm Field Day

The term “sustainability” has come to mean many different things. It can elicit emotion, incite passion, and inspire change. The most popular definitions embody ideals of stewardship, the protection of natural resources, and application of the golden rule as it applies to our earth and protecting its longevity for future generations (treat the earth/future generations as you would like them to treat you).

In 2007, representatives from all sectors of the dairy industry (academia, government, NGO’s dairy farmers, dairy businesses…) came together to launch the U.S. Dairy Sustainability Commitment and pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for fluid milk by 25% by the year 2020. This group also worked to define “sustainability” for dairy. Marrying dairy farmers’ long-standing tradition of environmental stewardship with the greater industry’s vision for the future, they came up with:

Sustainability Means: Providing consumers with the nutritious dairy products they want in a way that makes the industry, people and the earth economically, environmentally and socially better – now and for future generations.

Ask a farmer why he/she does it – the hard work, the endless hours, the economic ups and downs – and you will likely get a passionate response, “because I love working with the land and caring for the animals.” Sustainability is what dairy farmers do, it is their passion, and it is their commitment to a healthier future.

2012 Dairy Sustainability Award Winners

Learn More at USDairy.com and download the 2011 Dairy Sustainability Report

A Steamy Morning

Across the country, both large and small dairy farms are constantly in search of new ways to reduce the energy they use, conserve water, and develop renewable energy sources. Utah geothermal maps show that Enterprise, UT is “hot spot” for hot springs, and the Holt’s dairy cattle reap the benefits.

Hot Springs in Enterprise

Compost for Sale

Compost – vegetable gardeners call it “Black Gold” and swear that good compost helps grow the most delicious, nutrient-rich, bountiful harvest. But finding good compost isn’t always easy. You want just the right ratio of carbon to nitrogen, allowing plants to thrive.

For Trent, what started out 6 or 7 years ago as a necessity, has blossomed into a full-fledged compost operation. “Initially,” he recalls, “we were just looking for a way to get rid of raw manure. We had too much raw material to spread directly on our crop fields, and needed a place to put it.” For the first few years, he remembers that the operation just “puddled along” as he and his family figured out just how to yield a good, quality product. But with some time, attention, direction, and the help of a consultant, the Bowns compost operation started to take off.

The addition of biologicals has been key to speeding up the compost-making process and increasing product. What typically takes 16-20 weeks is reduced to just 10-12 weeks when beneficial bugs are added to the raw materials. Trent started out turning the compost as part of his weekly chore schedule; however, increased demand and a growing amount of work has created a new job opportunity, and Trent has hired someone to turn and manage the compost piles. During the first couple weeks, the compost pile is turned regularly – about twice per week, and during the later stages, it is turned at least once every 10 days.

And the final product has become quite popular in the Gunnison Valley. Locals can come pick up truckloads to spread on their vegetable gardens in the spring and summer, and on their grass in the fall. Last year, Harward Farms was in the market for over 4,000 tons of the Bown’s compost. In fact, last year’s demand was so high that the Bowns had to turn people away. As interest increases, Trent is considering taking on acceptable waste from the surrounding area. The waste from horses at a nearby prison might be an option in the coming years as the Bowns work to keep up with the demand of local community members and local farms.

Learn more about Trent at www.usfarmguys.com and follow him on Twitter: @Bowndairyman

     For most people, springtime on the farm brings thoughts of fields turning green and baby lambs, piglets, and calves being born. Yet, as a teenager growing up on a farm, spring has taken on a whole different meaning. As a little girl I loved it when spring arrived because it was finally warm enough to go down to the farm. I would run straight to the calf barn to pick out my favorite calf that I would show at the county fair in August. Last week I saw my little sisters doing that same thing, but those days are gone for me now. Today, spring means work.

     In the spring, my dad is noticeably absent from home and the only time I really hear from him is when my cell phone rings. The conversation goes something like this: “What are you doing right now?” my dad asks. (This question of course is only rhetorical.) I answer, “I’m actually quite busy.” (Which may or may not be true.) “I need a tractor driver for an hour,” he responds. (According to ‘Dairy Farmer Standard Time,’ I’ve learned that this project will probably last four or more hours.) I then give him a long list of all of my homework assignments and plans that I have with friends, to which he responds, “That can wait until later. I’ll see you at the barn in ten minutes.” Knowing that I have no choice in the matter, I pull on my farm clothes and head down.

     Don’t tell my dad this, but I really like driving tractors driving more than he thinks I do. This is especially true when I’m driving the John Deere 8400, it has a great radio! As I comb over the fields in the beautiful valley of Morgan, I realize how blessed I am to be growing up on a farm. I know that I am learning valuable lessons that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Read Ellissa’s “Christmas on the Farm” post here.

How long does it take to make cheese? 

Grant Kohler of Heber Valley Artisan Cheese answers to round out the Department of Ag’s series on “Ask a Farmer…”

Canyon Breeze Holsteins

In the 1920′s and 30′s, Minersville Utah had a community dairy where families would take their personal cows to be milked.  It was in this community setting that the Gillins family got their start in the dairy business, and now 4 generations later, Cory Gillins continues to work on the farm with his family.

Cory, Stefanie and Zaiden

The dairy has evolved quite a bit from the 30 cows his grandfather started with almost 100 years ago to an operation with 12 loyal employees and 500 cows.  Since the 1980′s, the Gillins have focused on continually improving their dairy herd through genetics. Their registered stock, under the prefix Canyon Breeze Holsteins, prides itself on their superior genetic line and has perfected the art of harvesting embryos, which it sells both nationally and internationally. There is great value in breeding superior stock including reduced risk for disease, valued physical attributes, size, and improved milk quality and production. (Check out this recent article on the topic.)

For the Gillins, one cow changed everything. Meet Abigail and her family.

Abagail Family Tree

Learn more about the Gillins Family Dairy and their Canyon Breeze Holsteins by following them on Facebook, Twitter, and taking a look at their recently launched Blog.