Lacey Teaches 2nd Graders About the Importance of 3 Daily Servings of Dairy

As a current Utah Dairy Ambassador I have had the pleasure to attend and participate in Farm Field Days.   Farm Field days are annual spring and fall events held on local farms – a field trip for elementary school students where kids see and learn about where their food comes from. While at the farm, the students rotate between about 14 stations where they learn about things like plants and soil, animals, and nutrition.  I am lucky enough to get to teach the Dairy Station.  

During each teaching session, my co-ambassador and I try to pack in as much dairy information as possible.  We teach that dairy involves all things milk, and we explain that milk comes from dairy cows.  We always ask kids what their favorite dairy products are, and the typical favorites include milk, cheese, and yogurt, of all flavors.  We teach them that dairy foods are important for growing bodies and that consuming dairy supports strong bones and teeth. Through an interactive activity we encourage kids to remember 3 daily servings!  

Cool Kids at Farm Field Days – 2013

After talking about our products I talk about the cows and how their milk gets to the store – highlighting a few key points…

• Cows drink about a bathtub full of water every day, and they eat a lot too!  
• Cows are milked two or three times a day.  
• A machine is used to suck the milk out of cows’ udders after which it is transported down stainless steel pipes into a bulk tank where it is cooled to about 36 degrees.  Milk is held in the tank until the milk truck comes each morning.  
• The truck is hooked up to the tank and the milk is pumped directly into the truck.  Once the truck is full it is driven to a Dairy Plant.  
• Once at the plant, milk samples are tested & the milk is pasteurized – safety is #1 priority for dairy farmers!
• Then the milk gets made into all different types of dairy products. 

Kids have questions…

I have often been asked where baby cows come from and why we milk cows with a machine. I love how inquisitive these young kids are and have fun answering their questions. 

A Chilly morning for Farm Field Days

Teaching at Farm Field Days is one of my favorite things.  I love see the look on the kids’ faces and their amazement when you say that a cow weights as much as all of them put together.  I love that I can share my passion with these kids, their parents, and their teachers.  I was able to spend two days on the farm in Utah County in April.  It was pretty cold and rained on us, but we still had a lot of fun.  In May I taught in Salt Lake County for two days with my Co-Ambassador Hadley Bingham.  We had fun working together.  By attending these four days I have been able to teach over 3,000 kids about the Dairy Industry.   I am excited to attend more events and continue to share my passion.

Lacey Papageorge grew up on a dairy farm in Farr West, Utah. She is currently a student at Utah State University where she is studying Dairy Science.

May 2013 – Barex Dairy

Lucky Momma with her spring litter of kittens

Life on a dairy farm isn’t ALL about cows, and Taunya Otten’s photo this month illustrates another element of life on the farm. (Read more about Barex Dairy in Centerfield, UT)

This is my daughter’s cat, Lucky Momma, who has the cutest litters of kittens every year! Each kitten is an entirely different color, and it is always so fun when she has them! Cats have been a part of farm life for us since I was a little girl. I remember one siamese cat that we had who could catch four mice at a time out of the grain bin! He would also climb right up your coveralls and perch on your shoulder while we scooped grain for the cows in the barn. He would just wait for a mouse to show up and ZOOM! – after it he went. Too bad we never captured a video! 

We love cats because they are great rodent control. My home is in the middle of acres of cultivated fields, but never once have we had a mouse problem in 15 years. I always try to keep at least one cat around the house that is tame. I have never had a cat IN the house, but we love petting our outside cat and her kittens. There are also several ‘farm’ cats who live around the haystacks, but they are too wild to catch. 

And one more note about our ‘Lucky Momma’… Hank, our Great Dane who weighs almost 200 pounds and shadows us around the farm is scared to death of her! 

More from our Featured Farm Photo Series:

April 2013 – City Boy Turned Dairy Farmer

March 2013 – Blanketing Our Babies

February 2013 – A Chilly Winter Morning on the Farm

Hal & Devin Olsen – Generations on the Farm

In the U.S., dairy farming remains a family affair! Across the country 98% of dairy farms are owned and operated by families, and the trend is the same in Utah and Nevada. Regardless of farm size (number of cows), dairy farm families are committed to producing a wholesome product in the safest, most sustainable way possible. Hal and Devin recently updated their milk parlor to improve efficiencies and the milking experience for each cow. One of their keys to maintaining a healthy herd of dairy cows and producing consistently high quality milk is simple – Keep the barn clean! After each milking, Hal and Devin clean the equipment so they are ready for the next. At Halo Holsteins, cows are milked twice each day. (Read more about A typical day for Hal).

Keeping a clean milk parlor is one of our major priorities!

The layout of the milk parlor allows for good consistent flow. Cows are creatures of habit, so having a convenient, known routine is imperative for their comfort.

Computers serve an important function on modern dairy farms. Devin utilizes a program to track each cow. He is able to monitor her milk production, movement, health, and breeding history, which gives him a really good understanding of each and every cow on the dairy. If something seems amiss one day, that cow is flagged and evaluated. Hal loves that Devin is a whiz on the computer!

Milk Parlor Design – Herringbone Style

Halo Holsteins

With two generations currently on the farm and the third growing up (Devin and his wife just had a baby), Hal and Devin hope to continue their legacy of milking cows in Utah’s beautiful Cache Valley.

by: Kary Woodruff MS, RD, CSSD

Cheese Tasting at Heber Valley Cheese (Canyon View Farms)

I recently had the fortunate opportunity to take a tour of some of Utah’s dairy farms – an experience more insightful than I had anticipated.  I am not sure what I expected – perhaps to see some cows being milked and several large vats of milk? But this isn’t what I saw. Instead, I witnessed and experienced a way of life. 

For generations, these dairy farm families have poured their hearts and souls into what they produce – dairy – a product that not only sustains them economically, but a product that provides quality nourishment for all of us.

If I had to find one word to describe the feeling I got from these farms it would be pride.  All the farmers we meet took time from their incredibly full days to show us their livelihood.  It quickly became apparent that this was more than just a way of making a living. Though, like many industries, the economic situation for dairy farmers has been bleak these past few years, I saw passion in these families.  For them, dairy farming not only seemed to be something they did, it seemed a part of who they are. They believe in what they do and they stand behind their products.

Calf Hutches at Bateman Mosida Farms

My appreciation for dairy products deepened through this process.  The milk produced on these farms came from cows that are treated humanely and respectfully.  They get fresh air daily and are not crammed in the tight quarters I imagined them to be.  Nor are they pumped with high doses of hormones and antibiotics as we are lead to believe from the media.  These are cows doing what their bodies are designed to do in a safe and ethical manner. My experience revealed quite plainly that quality dairy is being produced from quality ingredients.

Time for Milking! Bateman Mosida Farms

I went home that night and enjoyed my glass of milk more than I ever had.  I had a much deeper respect for the process that brought this carton from the dairy farm up the road to my own refrigerator.  If you ever get an opportunity such as this I recommend you take it! You sure won’t take your dairy foods for granted!

Kary Woodruff is the sport dietitian at The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Murray, UT.

If you are interested in visiting a dairy farm and learning a bit more about what local farming is all about, please contact us!

Rob Steedley, Westergard Jerseys in Warren, UT

Ahhhh! A nice sip (or gulp) of refreshing water.

The photo I submitted for the Cow Locale’s monthly “Featured Farm Photo Series” shows 2 cows getting a drink. Keeping fresh, clean water readily available is an important part of producing consistently high quality, nutritious milk and maintaining healthy cows. Cows can drink up to 50 gallons of water each day!

I wanted to show what happens on our farm and had a tough time picking just one photo to share, so in addition to introducing myself and telling you a bit about how I made it from the city to the country, I have a few more photos to illustrate life here at Westergard Jerseys.

Hello…This is me, Rob Steedley – City Boy turned Dairy Farmer!

After growing up in Los Angeles then moving to the New York City area, I never imagined that I would end up a dairy farmer in Warren, UT… and yet that is just what happened. I fell in love with a farmer’s daughter and followed her home.

My wife and I met online – we chatted, talked on the phone, and sent each other text messages for 6 months. We met in-person for the first time at the baggage claim area at JFK airport in Queens, NY, and it was pretty much love at first sight. We got married and I moved to her home in Utah, just a half-mile from the family farm. My father-in-law has been in the business for over 30 years, and while I had immense respect for him and his chosen profession, my wife and I decided that dairy farming wasn’t for me.

That decision didn’t last.

Less than 2 months later, I found myself getting up well before the sun every morning milking cows twice per day – through weekends and holidays. It was a great chance for me to really get to know my in-laws, and I fell in love with the lifestyle. My family laughs because they think of me as a “city boy,” but after 3 years on the farm, I have become a country boy through and through.

My daughter Lilly visits the farm regularly. She loves visiting the calves and often climbs the fence to say hello

Tractors are part of life on the farm – something I didn’t have much familiarity with in LA or New York!

This is a shot of our milk parlor: “This is where the magic happens!”

More from the “Featured Farm Photo Series”

Blanketing Our Babies - March 2013

A Chilly Winter Morning on the Farm - February 2013

Last year I was able to go to the World Dairy Expo in Madison, WI and it was one of the most incredible trips I have ever experienced! Each May at the Richmond Black and White Days (an annual dairy show in Richmond, UT) one free trip to the World Dairy Expo is awarded.

The World Dairy Expo

To win the trip I had to enter a contest in which I had to respond to a general dairy knowledge questionnaire and sit for an interview with the selection committee. I supplied answers to a range of questions about the dairy industry and dairy farming that included everything from dairy management and financial issues, to animal care, nutrition, and herd health. I was then interviewed by a panel of experts. 

I was fortunate enough to emerge last year’s winner, and my trip to Wisconsin was absolutely incredible. I spent time looking at all of the beautiful cows, new farm equipment, and innovative dairy technology like robotic milkers. In my opinion, everybody needs to go to the Expo at least once. I have been twice now, and I want to go again this year – it’s tons of fun! Though I am not eligible to win Richmond’s Black & White Days contest again, I can still enter and win money for college – that’s my plan.

Previous Posts by Braden: Why I Want to Stay on the Farm

Triplets at Cedar Ridge Dairy

On a dairy farm, twins are not uncommon, but to have healthy triplets is a rare event. Chace’s father and the dairy’s herdsman have over 100 years of combined experience on the farm and neither of them had ever seen anything like this. Tyler Sorensen is the veterinarian at Cedar Ridge Dairy. While he has seen triplets born a few times in his life, this is only the second set of live triplets he has ever experienced. He says, “The odds of triplets being born is about 1 in 105,000 births and only 25% of those are born alive. To get 3 live triplets equates to about a 1 in 420,000 chance or almost one in half a million. The average twinning rate in holstein cattle is about 2.4% of all births. While twins and triplets are unique and fun to observe, there are many risk factors that can be associated with multiple births (increased risk of abortion, stillbirth, decreased birth weight, and neonatal sickness).” Last month’s event at Cedar Ridge was quite remarkable! The holstein mother delivered 3 healthy babies, each weighing about 60 lbs, without any assistance. The calves are now about one month old and doing quite well.

Baby’s first steps

Chace has always loved dairy farming and the maternity area is his passion (See Calves…They’re Why I Live On the Dairy)

Just like her dad, Chace’s daughter loves the little ones!

Welcome to Circle B Dairy – Lewiston, UT! (Brad Wiser)

Why do you Farm? 

BRAD: Well, I’ve been here all my life. I get to be my own boss, work with my family, watch my kids grow up, work outside, watch things grow, take care of animals. There is something different every day. You get up and there are cows, crops, and irrigating…feeding calves, breeding…so it’s quite a variety really. 

The Wiser Family – 3 Generations on Circle B Dairy

CODY: I like that dairy farming is different everyday. I get to work with my dad, my family. I get to be outside, and I don’t have to sit at a desk everyday. I get to work with animals and equipment. 

Brad and Cody Wiser

PATTI: The farm has taught our children how to work and how to take care of things and the importance of being honest and trustworthy. My kids never had time to get in trouble. They had chores to do! Maybe they missed out on some things, but they also got to really know their family. They love each other, and we have had good times together here on the farm, whether it was in the field on a picnic, moving sprinkler pipe, working in the barns or wherever…we were always with each other. 

Who Works on the Farm? 

Wallace, Brad & Cody Wiser + Generation #4

BRAD: I work with my dad; he’s been here since the mid 50′s and is retired now. My son Cody is also on the farm with us, and I’m just hoping I can do for him what my dad has done for me. At one time or another all our family has helped out. My wife, Patti, and I have three daughters and they have all helped out at one time or another. 

Brad and Patti Wiser

PATTI: When my kids were growing up, we all worked on the farm. I’d come out and help the kids feed the calves, help at the stalls, and do whatever needed to be done on the farm that day. 

What is a Typical Day Like? 

Cody Feeds the Calves

BRAD: A typical day: 4:00/ 4:15AM, I am up and I head over to the barn. The milker usually has things started, but I help with the milking for about an hour then I go feed cows. Then Cody comes out, he’s in charge of the calves, he feeds the calves and then does anything that needs doing. The breeding and doctoring is taken care of and then hopefully I head home for a bit of breakfast or a nap before heading back to whatever else I have in store for the day. In the wintertime it’s bedding stalls and hauling manure. During crop season, it’s real busy – cutting hay, moving wheel lines and irrigating.

Wheel Line Through an Alfalfa field

When I look out my window at the farm I see a beautiful place – mountains all around, green hay fields (in the spring). It is a great place to live. – Cody Wiser

The Wiser family farms and lives in Lewiston, UT.

Blanketing Our Babies

Tammy Munk farms with her husband, son, nephews, father-in-law, and brother-in-law in Amalga, Utah. She also loves photography and recently submitted this photo for our Featured Farm Photo Series. We caught up with Tammy to ask her a few questions about her photo and life on Munk Farms.

Describe the picture you have taken for our Featured Farm Photo Series:
Making sure that our baby calves are warm and fed is a big job on the farm. Thanks to wonderful employees like Emily our calves are very comfortable and lovingly cared for. All the new calves are wrapped in blankets so they can endure the cold temperatures.  It is nice to know that our employes care about the animals on our dairy.

How did you get interested in photography?
I have always loved taking pictures. When I was a little girl my grandfather gave my his old brownie camera. I loved that camera. I took two photography classes in high school and spent a lot of time taking photos and then  developing my pictures in the dark room. I did not do too much after that. I just took the pictures of my family growing up.   About 23 years ago I started oil painting with friends. 90% of the paintings we do are outside on location. I would study the location and try to find the composition I liked so I could paint it. I read a lot of books and studied a lot about composing. The more I studied the more I loved it. When my oldest daughter married, we paid a ton for pictures – they were beautiful,  but we did not get many. I took her and did her bridals – from then I was hooked. I did my other children’s engagements and bridals when they got married. With the back ground I had in art combined for the love of painting and photography, I ventured out and started a small business. I now do weddings and families.

What excites you about taking pictures?
I enjoy being outdoors. That is where I am most comfortable. I love the beauty of nature, whether it is large or small.  When I take pictures I love to capture feelings and memories. When I look back at the pictures I take or the paintings I paint, I love the memory of the moment. I want the picture to take those who look at them back to the place – to allow them to feel what they were feeling when I shot the photo – a warm breeze or the sound of a rushing river. It could be the excitement of being engaged, the elegance of being a bride, the joy of being married, the laughter of a child, or the love of family.  I want special times be remembered. If I can give someone these feelings when they look at their pictures, that is what excites me and brings me such happiness and contentment.

What role do you play on the farm?
When I got married I knew nothing about living/working on a farm. I was a city girl. So everything about it was new to me. I remember learning how to drive a stick shift on a regular truck. Then I learned to drive a dump truck, and that became my job. I would put my babies in their car seats and off we would go hauling corn and hay.  I did this for over 20 years. The job that was a little more challenging was the “gofor job”- Go for this, go for that, Now go back and change it. I know farmers wives will understand this job! We sometimes just have to do it.  About 12 years ago I retired from truck driving and started doing the farm books. It is pretty much a full time job now.  I love working on the with my family. I have learned a lot and I am grateful for the experiences I have had.

Previous Posts in the Featured Farm Photo Series:

• A Chilly Winter Morning on the Farm – Holly Bown

Adventures in Israel

Emily at Mt. of Olives

This semester our youngest daughter, Emily, is studying in Israel. The Master’s College  she (and our oldest daughter) attend, has a bible extension in Israel called IBEX (Israel Bible Extension), located between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Though as a mom, I am concerned about her being so far from home, I’m not to worry because their lounge is the bomb shelter!!!  (This is what she tells me!)

She is having a great time learning about the culture and actually seeing and walking the lands of the Bible.  Because most Israeli women have dark hair, our daughter fits in and many people, mistaking her for a local, even try to speak to her in Hebrew!  She is taking Hebrew language classes, but she is not fluent by any means. One of her friends is blonde (she doesn’t blend in quite as well) and someone offered her 5 camels to be his wife (he was very serious)!!  After hearing this story, we were teasing our son that perhaps he should offer 5 jersey cows to his future wife!!!!

Annelise & Emily

So while we are here on the farm, still milking, feeding and spring calving, Emily is off in Israel having the adventure of a lifetime!

An Adventure of a Lifetime