Willie nelson and farm aid!

It is interesting to me that someone such as Willie Nelson understands agriculture better then some of those people that are in the business every day.

Willie has made a priority to build a following and has stood up for the dairy farmers in this country. He has spent his own money and had many other stars donate time and their talents toward supporting and promoting the family farm.


It is really important to know exactly where your food comes from. Go and find a local farmer and tell them thank you!

New technology!

So this is my first day with my new technology. Did a dumb thing yesterday. I dropped my personal laptop at school on the cafeteria floor and it didn't survive.

Anyway...I am working on learning the new technology.

When does a calf become a cow?

The calf''s equivalent of a bar mitzvah occurs after it stops nursing, usually at about seven to eight months age.  After they are weaned and/or when they reach twelve months, they are referred to as yearling bulls or yearling calves. 

Calves don't achieve fullfledged bullhood or cowhood until they're in production.  We normally refer to a first calf heifer at, say, twenty-four months of age or older, as just that, and after her second calf as a three-year old, she becomes a cow. 

Bulls don't usually reach maturity until they are three.

Work on those arms!

Stand with feet hip-width apart, arms at your sides, palms facing front. Bending from the elbow, curl weights up until palms almost touch shoulders. Release slowly to starting position. Rotate palms to face your side. Keeping arms straight, torso erect, raise weights up and back about 45 degrees, squeezing backs of arms and shoulders. Release to starting position. Rotate palms front to perform the curl again. Complete 10 to 15 repetitions of the entire sequence. This exercise also works with exercise tubing or bands for resistance. Just stand on tubing, and hold one end in each hand.

Use your most powerful muscle to succeed!

Harness the power of the brain if you are going to start with the healthy eating plan and make it a permanent lifestyle change.  Timing is everything!  Think about how things are in your life and if most things are stable, then the time is right!  It is important to take the time and get the energy going in the right direction so you can take control of your life. 

An ideal healthy weight plan is a challenge, but you can realistically follow the plan 80 percent of the time.  It is very important to choose a program that's flexible enough to allow you to eat a meal out every once in a while.

Grazing is ok if you keep the meals small!

Cows enjoy grazing, why shouldn't people?  Since we are on the go way more then we ever have been, it is still important to get our healthy eating in.  The eating occasions that we experience are different then they used to be so we need to make the most of them.  The traditions of breakfast, lunch and dinner are a thing of the past because our time is so much more committed then it used to be. 

I have a basket in my car that has plenty of healthy snacks because my family is always on the go.  It really makes a difference when you can reach for a healthy snack versus driving through a drive-up and filling up on the unhealthy calories. 

Having water in the car is important as well.  We don't drink soda in our house unless it is a special occasion, so water and lemonade are always available. 

Second day in my 50's!

Life is too short to be small!


Benjamin Disraeli


I love this saying especially now that I am a little older and wiser.  It is amazing how many things we get caught up in when we are bored and not happy with our lives.  I am so not in that place, and embrace each challenge that is coming my way!

Don't let fear get in your way!

What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do!  A person's success in life can usually be measured by the number of uncomfortable conversations he or she is willing to have.

I don't mind those conversations at all, so I must be having success.

Thanks dad for teaching me not to be afraid!

Lucky!

Today I hit a milestone!  I turned 50 and have so many amazing things to thankful for.  I have a wonderful family and friends that are so supportive.  I am looking forward to going through the next 50 with a little more grace and ease then the first 50!  I can't wait to open the doors to my new adventure and meet all of those amazing people that haven't crossed my path yet!

There are so many more educational agricultural talks ahead of me that I just hope I can sit down and embrace them. 

Most of all I am so lucky to have such a great husband that is so supportive and caring about what makes me happy!  I love you Dave!

Pride is very important to dairy producer!

Dairy farmers work hard every day to bring you fresh, great tasting, wholesome milk products. Almost all dairies are family-owned, and as active members of their communities, farm families take pride in feeding our country and maintaining natural resources. That means preserving the land where they live and work, protecting the air and water they share with neighbors, and providing the best care for their cows—the lifeblood of their business.

Try something new when you go to work on Monday!

On the way to work crack your window down a little and let the fresh air hit your face.  We are at the end of a very mild winter and the sun has been showing its face so much more lately.  I can feel the energy in my body and know that my mind enjoys this invigoration.  You know that some people can feel and see the sun and take that with them into work.  Well...I have worked at my job long enough to know that some people are leaving themselves in the car and not allowing themselves to bring the energy inside,  What happened to feeling good about what you do and passing the energy on. 

Try to help one person find the energy and see what it does for you by the end of the day.

An orange tip from Weight Watchers!

In my house we can't keep enough of these hearty orange items.

Winter is not relentless, thanks mostly to oranges. Gloriously abundant, they give us a little bit of sunshine when the weather says otherwise.
Oranges — and their kin — also give us a big dose of vitamin C. They’re high in fiber and have a respectable amount of B vitamins, potassium and calcium.
But not all oranges are created equal. And not all are even oranges. There are also tangerines and mandarins to consider. Even better, every variety racks up 0 PointsPlus® values!
Here’s everything you need to know about winter’s favorite fruit.

Go to your store today and stock up on these colorful items.  I like orange sections in my oriental salad.  There is nothing more colorful and exciting as an orange.

Going for it and making it work!

If you don't pursue those things that excite you, where will you be in one year, five years, and ten years?  I don't want to have any regrets, so this time seems right!  I won't be looking back and saying "I wish I would of tried that when I had the chance"! 

Really, if you think about it inaction is the greatest risk of all.

Remove the small problems from your life!

I am in the process of getting rid of small problems because it doesn't make sense to keep them around.  I have figured out if I get rid of small problems then they can't turn into large problems!

I am just not going to let the baggage hang around!

Productive, not busy!

At Kylecrest Holsteins LLC we are going for productive, not busy!  It seems we spend too much time with busy work and we aren't getting enough done productively.  We have decided we don't want to be passing through life like a spectator.  Dave and I are going to be actively finding the path that gives the least amount of resistance and the most reward! 

Lucky that we have found our love at the dairy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

It can be a wild and crazy day if you want it to be!

Different is better when it is more effective or more fun!  Do something from what others are doing and define yourself!  I was reading a really good book and saw this and it made sense to me!  Don't just follow the model that doesn't work!  Make your own model and have fun with it!

And...by the way!  Give your Valentine a special hug and surprise him/her with something different!

References:Ferriss, Timothy, The 4-Hour Workweek, 2007, Crown Publishing, New York, NY

Turn your yard into a relaxing place to sit and smell the flowers!

Curb appeal is great for a home, but it comes at a high expense.  How much gas do we really use in the summer on our lawns because we think we need to keep the lawn manicured?  I love the idea of native grasses, trees and wildflowers in the healthy environment which makes a great place for wildlife to find a home.  The natural habitat created by planting wildflowers helps give animals a place to hang out. 

Create a little harmony in your yard by making these plantings and find new harmony just by walking outside your door.

Happy Brew Year!

Here's one resolution you won't mind keeping:getting your cup of joe.  Research shows that coffee can help protect against heart disease, type 2 diabetes, even some cancers.  But we're not talking jumboccinos.  Sip no more than four 8-ounce cups a day, and go easy on the high-calorie mixers. 

Reference:BetterHomesandGarden,January 2012, p.97

Music lessons for adults!

There are many good reasons for adults to take music lessons.  Many adults go through life wishing that they had taken the time to play an instrument.  Now...is the time to do that!  Did you know that there are health benefits associated with taking lessons.  I take piano and it does help me in a lot of ways.  Health benefits are the number one reason to tune up:Adults come away with improved motor skills, auditory skills, and cognitive function says Meagan Curtis, Ph.D., an assistant psychology professor and a music cognition expert at the State University of New York at Purchase College.

References:Better Homes and Gardens:January 2012, p.102

Just like people, calves need to be fueled up in the winter

The energy requirement of calves housed in unheated facilities increases during the winter months due to cold stress.  Unfortunately, death rate sometimes increases in the winter and/or growth rate plummets unless calves receive additional energy.  In addition, small-breed calves such as Jerseys have about a 20 percent larger surface area per unit of body weight than large-breed calves. 

1.  Make sure your milk replacer contains at least 20 percent fat.

2.  Increase the solids content of the milk in milk replacer from 12.5 to 16 percent.

3.  Increase number of feedings per day from two to three.

4.  Feed more milk per feeding, such as increasing from 2 quarts to 3 quarts twice a day.

5.  Use a combination of these strategies so that small-breed calves consume at least 1.3 pounds of dry matter (milk replacer is approximately 95 percent dry matter), providing 3.0 pound of fat and large-breed calves consumer 2 pounds of dry matter (0.5 pound fat) per day.

It is also good to offer free-choice calf starter and plenty of water, which can be a limiting nutrient during the winter months due to freezing or inadequate amounts being offered.  Management strategies, such as providing ample clean, dry bedding, wind breaks and housing improvements, also can be used to reduce the maintenance energy requirement of calves during the winter.

References:Dairy Herd Management, January, 2012

Raw milk hits the news headlines again!

Please be very careful to buy your family pasteurized milk from the store.  Raw milk can carry harmful bacteria and other germs that can make you very sick or kill you.  While it is possible to get foodborne illnesses from many different foods, raw milk is one of the riskiest of all.  Getting sick from raw milk can mean many days of diarrhea, stomach cramping, and vomiting.  Less commonly, it can mean kidney failure, paralysis, chronic disorders, and even death. 

Many people who chose raw milk thinking they would improve their health instead found themselves (or their loved ones) sick in a hospital for several weeks fighting for their lives from infections caused by germs in raw milk.

Issue:               Animal Health and Food Safety

Category:        Raw Milk

Title:                Pa. Dairy Linked with Raw Milk Illnesses Reopens

Source:            Associated Press

Author:            No byline

Run Date:        February 8, 2012

Summary:        The Family Cow dairy in Chambersburg, PA began bottling milk again Tuesday after an 11-day shutdown in connection with 43 illnesses in four states. Officials say confirmed cases of Campylobacter infection include 36 people in Pennsylvania, four in Maryland, two in West Virginia, and one in New Jersey.

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46308210 


I am a dairy farmer and feel  most comfortable serving the milk and milk products that have been pasteurized.
I do not feel comfortable feeding my family the raw milk because I can't be 100% sure that it is safe.  It doesn't make sense at all to take a chance.

Be your own cook and have a little fun with it!

Hiring a private chef is out of the question, so...have fun preparing your own style of meals.  It is all about the ingredients and portion size.  I really enjoy looking for fresh ingredients that will help my meal become the best it can be.  When you decide to cook for yourself, it is easy to maintain control over the healthy eating. 

Take a little time each day to smell the coffee!

Schedule in some breathing room. “We often expect to do more than we have time for,” says Hohlbaum, “and the anxiety to make every minute count can actually waste precious moments.” Each day, take a few minutes to daydream, enjoy a cup of tea or flip through a magazine before you move on to the next thing on your to-do list. “You’ll be able to better focus on the task that awaits you, and be less likely to bungle it and then have to re-do it,” she says. Plus, feeling relaxed and sane can go a long way in making your day feel positive and productive. Time saved: 7 minutes of re-dos


References:

Add An Hour To Your Day (Without Losing Any Sleep!)

Get more from your 24! Streamline your routine to make room for the things that usually fall off your to-do list.

Article By: Cari Wira Dineen, www.weightwatchers.com

 

National Dairy Spokesperson Network

Thanks to Dairy Management Inc. and National Milk Producers Federation Inc. for the wonderful training Mackenzie and I received on Thursday, Feb. 2 and Friday, Feb. 3rd.  It is always a great time to be around such amazing dairy professionals and to be encouraged by the Dairy Management Inc. staff. 

The communication skills we worked on were extremely challenging, however, we left Friday afternoon feeling good about what we do every day in the dairy industry.  We are so lucky to have such a highly trained group at Dairy Management Inc. that always has our back!

Run a vegetable experiment!

When your family members are sitting in front of the television try something different.  Instead of letting them grab for the chips, put a bowl of vegetables in front of them and see if they notice.  They will eat the snack that they have in front of them.  In my house, my boys wouldn't want to get up and wait on themselves so this seems like a really good trick.  It seems if the food is placed in front of the guys that they will eat the snack that is available.  Boy...just think if this habit would of been developed a long time ago, how easy it would be to have better habits and feel better because of the healthy foods.

Fuel for the car and fuel for the body!

American gas stations now make more money inside selling food (and cigarettes) than they do outside selling gasoline.  The food inside the gas station isn't the kind of food you want in your healthy eating plan other then the milk and the water.  Personally I like the fresh bananas and apples that Kwik Trip offers because the price is always right and the quality is awesome.  My kids are always intrigued by all the snacky stuff in this store and ask me if they can have something quick and easy.  Guess what mom tells them?  No...you can wait until we get home to eat something healthy. 

Get calcium every day and keep the pediatrician away!

Drinking milk and eating dairy foods makes it easy for kids to get the bone-building calcium and other nutrients their growing bodies need.