Dairy Red Delivers a Firecracker

It seemed fitting since we're still hearing the pops and bangs of the neighbors leftover firecrackers  to extend our celebration with the birth of this red Ayrshire beauty. With our dairy cow herd consisting of mostly black and white Holsteins, it's a thrill to see a beautiful red baby!

Ayrshire dairy cattle originated from Ayrshire in southwest Scotland and are known to be strong, rugged and easily adaptable to any type of dairy herd. An average Ayrshire cow will weigh 990-1320 pounds and produce milk that has moderate butterfat and high protein. 

The Ayrshire cattle became part of our herd when Cody, our oldest son,  purchased his first registered Ayrshire for his 4-H dairy project. His first Ayrshire was named Sunshine and she was full of personality. She always let us know who was boss when getting ready to show at the fair!

 This  baby had plenty of energy while I was feeding her the bottle of milk  this afternoon.

 Firecracker will be a perfect name for this new addition to the herd!

Freedom to Farm

We'll be milking the cows, feeding the calves , baling hay and planting a crop before  we pack up our traditional  picnic supper, load the lawn chairs and head to the pasture where we watch the July 4th fireworks provided by the communities that surround our farm property.  

We don't take our freedom to farm for granted--it's an honor and privilege to be an American dairy farmer working to provide high-quality milk everyday (that includes weekends and holidays)  by caring for our animals and the land we call home. 

                                                                                 
                                                               God Bless America!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

From the rehearsal to the wedding, I'm thankful for the fun we had with family and friends to prepare for Margaret and Cody's special day!

Summer Begins with National Ice Cream Month

Summer has finally arrived in Northwest Arkansas! Although the cows and I don't really enjoy all the heat and humidity, we do like to stand under the shade trees and enjoy the view of the flower bed full of colorful lilies!  

There's only one thing that makes this even better...

                                      thinking about all the ice cream we can enjoy during July!

                             Happy July--National Ice Cream Month!!

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Romance with a dairy farmer is always interesting! In January, Cody, our oldest son, wrote his proposal on the blue door (Margaret's favorite door)

 

 

and set the stage for the life-changing question!

 

 

 

I'm thankful for these special moments with  my dairy farm family

and

 the June Dairy Month  wedding that happens in just a couple of days!

 

Tuesday's Taste of Dairy: Macaroni and Cheese Balls

I kicked off June Dairy Month having fun and eating delicious dairy recipes at the Arkansas Farm Bureau Dairy Foods contest.     James Martin of Ward, Arkansas, won first place in the Party Idea category with Macaroni and Cheese Balls.  From his excellent preparation technique, it was obvious that he has prepared this many times for his family and enjoyed sharing his recipe with us.


Macaroni and Cheese Balls

Ingredients:

4 quarts water
1 tsp. salt,divided
2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 cup milk
8 ounces Velveeta cheese,cubed
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated jalapeno cheese
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 large eggs
2 cups Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
1/2 cup cornmeal
Canola oil for frying

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Grate and cube chesses as noted above.
In a large saucepan, bring water and 1/2 tsp. salt to boil; add pasta and cook 6-8 minutes, drain well.

In a large bowl, combine hot cooked pasta, milk,
Velveeta cheese, mozzarella cheese, jalapeno cheese,1/2 tsp. salt, and pepper. Stir until cheese is melted.
Shape into small balls (size is individual preference, I like 11/2 -2 inch) and place on lined baking sheet. Put in freezer for 1 1/2 -2 hours.

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and cornmeal. In another small bowl, whisk eggs. Dip balls into egg mixture, and then dredge in breadcrumb mixture.

In a large pot, pour oil to a depth of 2 inches and heat to 350 degrees. Fry mac and cheese balls in batches, 3-5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Serve with Marinara sauce or any sauce you like. Makes approximately 24 balls.

Arkansas Dairy Ambassador

Congratulations to Ethan Parker of Gravette  for being named the 2014-15 Arkansas Dairy Ambassador!

I love the fact that Arkansas Farm Bureau supports youth programs that aim to not only promote agriculture but help our youth to develop skills and interest in agriculture careers.

 

Ethan will be participating in functions related to the dairy industry during this next year and promoting all the great features about dairy. After listening to his talk on "What's So Great About Dairy?", I know he will be convincing a lot of consumers about the benefits of dairy nutrition.

 

 

 

Although it's not a requirement to show dairy cattle to be a dairy ambassador, Ethan has been showing Jersey cattle since he was about 4 years old. It was natural for this  picture of his Arkansas Dairy Ambassador plaque  to include  one of his favorite Jersey girls!