Good Morning from the Knolltop. Yes, I know, I know, I promised you I would try to get on and post our fair results…but if you’ve ever been involved with exhibiting animals at any fair you realize that you can’t get away from the fair as quick as you plan to. When you get done sweeping or feeding, then someone comes by that you haven’t seen in a while and you talk. Then you shout some orders to your kids and think you’re going to leave in a few minutes…you get side tracked again…finally you get your bag on your shoulder of all your dirty laundry and then someone else comes by…the bag gets heavy, you put it down and an hour later,you’re still at the fair!

Then it was time for Holly to come into the ring. She came in, collected her Grand Champion ribbons, Sarah was reserve grand champion and everyone was all smiles as they headed back to the barn.

It was a great day but not because the kids won championships and not because everyone was happy a the end of the day, but because my kids were probably the only ones their with both sets of grandparents at the show to take pictures, pat them on the back and tell them how wonderful they were. Now that is something special. Thanks Gramps, Grandma, Nana and Joann! You too Grandaddy, for retiring from Delta and earning cheap air fair for Nana and Joann!

P.S. I will try to have better pics after the week is out..there was a professional there, I’ve just got to buy his pics.

Better get back to the fair….the kids are waiting!

It’s Monday morning and I’m feeling the effects of having another driver in the family. My four children are at the fair…without me….and I’m at home catching up. WOW is this nice!

They all got up this morning and were headed to the fair at 4:45 am. Remember…this is the first day….they all popped right up without any difficulty. They called at 7 and said all the chores were done and they were eating breakfast. This is the life!

Another surprise was the arrival of the Southern Belles from Georgia! They said they were going to try to come, but I just figured they wouldn’t be able to get on the plane so I didn’t think about it again until we came home yesterday afternoon and Bobby said, my mother and Joann are going to be here any minute!

You know what that meant….I stood in the middle of the house and called the troops to attention. I gave everyone their marching orders and by the time they arrived, the house was clean and smelling great…candles are a great help in covering up barn smells.

We are off to the fair this morning. We have to work the 4-H kitchen and finish clipping everything. I have lots of pictures from yesterday, just not enough time to put them in…I’ll be home later and hopefully get them loaded in today.

It’s Monday morning and I’m feeling the effects of having another driver in the family. My four children are at the fair…without me….and I’m at home catching up. WOW is this nice!

They all got up this morning and were headed to the fair at 4:45 am. Remember…this is the first day….they all popped right up without any difficulty. They called at 7 and said all the chores were done and they were eating breakfast. This is the life!

Another surprise was the arrival of the Southern Belles from Georgia! They said they were going to try to come, but I just figured they wouldn’t be able to get on the plane so I didn’t think about it again until we came home yesterday afternoon and Bobby said, my mother and Joann are going to be here any minute!

You know what that meant….I stood in the middle of the house and called the troops to attention. I gave everyone their marching orders and by the time they arrived, the house was clean and smelling great…candles are a great help in covering up barn smells.

We are off to the fair this morning. We have to work the 4-H kitchen and finish clipping everything. I have lots of pictures from yesterday, just not enough time to put them in…I’ll be home later and hopefully get them loaded in today.

Well, it’s a beautiful Saturday before the fair morning.

At present…Sarah’s brownies are baking, the last batch of salsa is processing, Luke is clipping and Jake is laying flat out on the living room floor because the neighbor’s combine just went by and he can’t go!

Last night the kids got all the cows washed and this morning after they clip them, we will head to the fair with a load of tack and make a last minute stop at the store for fairweek snacks.

The laundry is done, but the whites aren’t found. All my stories have been written except one that I have to finish up by Monday….just waiting on some information.

At the moment, I’m feeling pretty sane, but I know this is just the calm before the storm…so from this point on…if you don’t see any new posts…pray for me! No, really, I’ll try to post to keep fair progress updated.

And for Pat who wanted to know about school and a county fair at this time of year….all the schools in the county have Monday off and then whatever kids want to take off the rest of the week they are excused. Most kids take at least two or three, some only take off their show day. All of the small animals and the horses will show this weekend, sheep are Monday, dairy and beef are Tuesday, pigs are Wednesday and dogs are Thursday….that’s just 4-H. There are open livestock shows all week too.

It is strange in that most every morning you see a lot more parents doing chores in their work clothes, then they go off to work while the kids go to school. This is not your status quo fair where you see sleepy eyed kid doing their chores early in the morning.

The other neat dynamic is that during the day, the fair isn’t crowded with lots and lots of people….mostly older adults and preschoolers. AND one more bonus is the weather…it is usually pleasantly cool, sweatshirt weather which makes it nice for the animals.

Okay….duties await!

Well, it’s a beautiful Saturday before the fair morning.

At present…Sarah’s brownies are baking, the last batch of salsa is processing, Luke is clipping and Jake is laying flat out on the living room floor because the neighbor’s combine just went by and he can’t go!

Last night the kids got all the cows washed and this morning after they clip them, we will head to the fair with a load of tack and make a last minute stop at the store for fairweek snacks.

The laundry is done, but the whites aren’t found. All my stories have been written except one that I have to finish up by Monday….just waiting on some information.

At the moment, I’m feeling pretty sane, but I know this is just the calm before the storm…so from this point on…if you don’t see any new posts…pray for me! No, really, I’ll try to post to keep fair progress updated.

And for Pat who wanted to know about school and a county fair at this time of year….all the schools in the county have Monday off and then whatever kids want to take off the rest of the week they are excused. Most kids take at least two or three, some only take off their show day. All of the small animals and the horses will show this weekend, sheep are Monday, dairy and beef are Tuesday, pigs are Wednesday and dogs are Thursday….that’s just 4-H. There are open livestock shows all week too.

It is strange in that most every morning you see a lot more parents doing chores in their work clothes, then they go off to work while the kids go to school. This is not your status quo fair where you see sleepy eyed kid doing their chores early in the morning.

The other neat dynamic is that during the day, the fair isn’t crowded with lots and lots of people….mostly older adults and preschoolers. AND one more bonus is the weather…it is usually pleasantly cool, sweatshirt weather which makes it nice for the animals.

Okay….duties await!

It’s foggy this morning on the Knolltop. Good Morning!

It’s another day of getting ready for the fair. I’ve gotten myself into a painting job simply because I want to have a nice display for our kids at the fair. I was going to go the easy route, but as I thought about it, I figured the our cattle deserve a nice display around them. There’s nothing better than seeing nice cows and a clean sharp display. So….after I write two more stories…I’m off to find some old brushes and I will be covered in red paint by the time I get done.

I wrote my column on the meeting that I went to on rBST. Since those of you in far away lands don’t get the Farmers’ Advance, I will put my column here.

Well, breakfast awaits! And so does the laundry 🙁

My Column:

So what’s next?
Last week, I attended an interesting meeting about the use of rBST in dairy cattle. It seems the increase in consumer demand for milk from cows not injected with rBST is on the rise.
I feel the need to get some things straight so we are all on the same page. It’s mind boggling how much misinformation is out there.
First of all, the label that we hear so much of: “hormone free milk” is not accurate. All milk whether it’s organic, non organic, hormone free, all of it contains naturally occurring hormones so it is impossible to have “hormone free milk.”
Secondly, there is no difference between milk from cows that have been injected with rBST and milk from cows that haven’t. Milk is milk…end of story. Milk is milk.
The third misconception I’m finding is this increased consumer demand for rBST free milk. I have no scientific data, no studies, no research. The only information is what I’ve gathered on my own. That information indicates that people don’t care about rBST free milk.
For example, here is a conversation that happened just last week. There was a mother of three boys in my barn watching us milk our cows while our children were out playing.
Me: “Hey are you concerned about having bst in your milk?” A curious look comes over her face.
Me: “You know…the milk you can buy in the store that everyone calls hormone free?” Same curious look.
Me: “Do you even know what I’m talking about?”
Her: “No, I have no idea what you are talking about and so I guess it would be a mute issue…in other words, no, I don’t care…I go in, I grab the milk and go home…milk is milk to us…except when the boys come over here and drink your milk and then I have to hear about that for days afterward about how much better it is.”
With all that said, I have to wonder why the push to have rBST free milk?
At the meeting I attended, that was one of the questions asked. Monsanto hosted a meeting for dairy producers, industry people and milk cooperative representatives to come and discuss the recent push by milk cooperatives who are only going to market rBST free milk. Across the country dairymen are being ask to sign an affidavit saying they will not use rBST.
Now, I’m not going to argue whether dairymen should use rBST or not use rBST. What I don’t like is that there are grocery store chains saying their customers want rBST free milk. Because they maintain there is consumer demand, milk cooperatives are wanting to meet that demand. And dairymen are now supposed to follow merrily along.
My question is then, what will be next? What will the consumer be lead into believing next? Or, do consumers really believe this and if they don’t then who is misleading us?
These are questions dairy producers need to be asking. They need to ask their local grocery stores, their neighbors and their milk cooperatives just who is demanding the change in management practices.
In addition, dairy producers need to speak up and be heard. Whether you think we should be able to use rBST, change to all rBST free milk or start producing purple milk….no matter what, if you don’t use your God given voice you will be left on the side of the road wondering how you got there.
There are many unanswered questions with this issue and that disturbs me. When we aren’t in the drivers seat navigating our journey…just who is? If someone else is driving then we’d better know them well enough to place our confidence in them. Otherwise we will be taken for a ride that may lead us to destruction.

It’s foggy this morning on the Knolltop. Good Morning!

It’s another day of getting ready for the fair. I’ve gotten myself into a painting job simply because I want to have a nice display for our kids at the fair. I was going to go the easy route, but as I thought about it, I figured the our cattle deserve a nice display around them. There’s nothing better than seeing nice cows and a clean sharp display. So….after I write two more stories…I’m off to find some old brushes and I will be covered in red paint by the time I get done.

I wrote my column on the meeting that I went to on rBST. Since those of you in far away lands don’t get the Farmers’ Advance, I will put my column here.

Well, breakfast awaits! And so does the laundry 🙁

My Column:

So what’s next?
Last week, I attended an interesting meeting about the use of rBST in dairy cattle. It seems the increase in consumer demand for milk from cows not injected with rBST is on the rise.
I feel the need to get some things straight so we are all on the same page. It’s mind boggling how much misinformation is out there.
First of all, the label that we hear so much of: “hormone free milk” is not accurate. All milk whether it’s organic, non organic, hormone free, all of it contains naturally occurring hormones so it is impossible to have “hormone free milk.”
Secondly, there is no difference between milk from cows that have been injected with rBST and milk from cows that haven’t. Milk is milk…end of story. Milk is milk.
The third misconception I’m finding is this increased consumer demand for rBST free milk. I have no scientific data, no studies, no research. The only information is what I’ve gathered on my own. That information indicates that people don’t care about rBST free milk.
For example, here is a conversation that happened just last week. There was a mother of three boys in my barn watching us milk our cows while our children were out playing.
Me: “Hey are you concerned about having bst in your milk?” A curious look comes over her face.
Me: “You know…the milk you can buy in the store that everyone calls hormone free?” Same curious look.
Me: “Do you even know what I’m talking about?”
Her: “No, I have no idea what you are talking about and so I guess it would be a mute issue…in other words, no, I don’t care…I go in, I grab the milk and go home…milk is milk to us…except when the boys come over here and drink your milk and then I have to hear about that for days afterward about how much better it is.”
With all that said, I have to wonder why the push to have rBST free milk?
At the meeting I attended, that was one of the questions asked. Monsanto hosted a meeting for dairy producers, industry people and milk cooperative representatives to come and discuss the recent push by milk cooperatives who are only going to market rBST free milk. Across the country dairymen are being ask to sign an affidavit saying they will not use rBST.
Now, I’m not going to argue whether dairymen should use rBST or not use rBST. What I don’t like is that there are grocery store chains saying their customers want rBST free milk. Because they maintain there is consumer demand, milk cooperatives are wanting to meet that demand. And dairymen are now supposed to follow merrily along.
My question is then, what will be next? What will the consumer be lead into believing next? Or, do consumers really believe this and if they don’t then who is misleading us?
These are questions dairy producers need to be asking. They need to ask their local grocery stores, their neighbors and their milk cooperatives just who is demanding the change in management practices.
In addition, dairy producers need to speak up and be heard. Whether you think we should be able to use rBST, change to all rBST free milk or start producing purple milk….no matter what, if you don’t use your God given voice you will be left on the side of the road wondering how you got there.
There are many unanswered questions with this issue and that disturbs me. When we aren’t in the drivers seat navigating our journey…just who is? If someone else is driving then we’d better know them well enough to place our confidence in them. Otherwise we will be taken for a ride that may lead us to destruction.

Now the world really is small.

Remember a couple of days ago when I posted about the Daily Herald Opinion Page editor Dave Beery, whom I visited with on the phone? After visiting with each other we realized my brother, Rex, taught in the same town that he grew up in?

Well, my brother read that here and called me to tell me that he used to work on the weekends for a crop farmer named Leland Beery. Leland also was on staff at Manchester College…this is exactly what Dave Beery had shared with me. Oh my, could these two be brothers?

I immediately emailed Dave and asked if by chance his brothers’ name was Leland. He answered back and…..IT WAS! Isn’t that amazing? Here we are, two strangers, miles apart, get acquainted because of a simple letter to the editor and find out our brothers worked with each other in a small town in Indiana! Yes, the world is a very small place.

Now the world really is small.

Remember a couple of days ago when I posted about the Daily Herald Opinion Page editor Dave Beery, whom I visited with on the phone? After visiting with each other we realized my brother, Rex, taught in the same town that he grew up in?

Well, my brother read that here and called me to tell me that he used to work on the weekends for a crop farmer named Leland Beery. Leland also was on staff at Manchester College…this is exactly what Dave Beery had shared with me. Oh my, could these two be brothers?

I immediately emailed Dave and asked if by chance his brothers’ name was Leland. He answered back and…..IT WAS! Isn’t that amazing? Here we are, two strangers, miles apart, get acquainted because of a simple letter to the editor and find out our brothers worked with each other in a small town in Indiana! Yes, the world is a very small place.

Okay…I’ll admit it, I’m finally feeling the fair crunch. Could it be that not a bovine is clipped yet? Could it be that not a project is started? Could it be that I’ve been gone two days from home this week, have three stories and a column to write all today, after the neighbor and I take some things up for the fair this morning? Could it be that my daughter was nearly in tears last evening while working on her homework because she knows she doesn’t have her projects started, she’ll have home work from what she will miss next week and she hasn’t washed or lead her heifer in two weeks?

Okay, yes after writing all that now I’m an anxious mess! No, not really, this is the mode I work best in…down to the wire with a deadline lurking around the corner.

I had an interesting time yesterday at a meeting hosted by Monsanto with dairy producers and industry people discussing the push to stop using rBST. What made it a little more interesting was the fact that on my way up to the meeting in Lansing, I was on Rural Route with Trent Loos and Kyle Bauer and our topic was…you guessed it….the use of rBST in the dairy industry.

I did my best to come up with any silly arguement to disagree with everything they said, but they still accused me of having no convictions. I do..I really do. I have strong convictions like…you should never wear white before Memorial Day and after Labor Day! And when setting the table, the blade of the knife should always be towards the plate! And…umm….there are no calories in a nibble of cheese cake…only when you sit and eat the whole piece at one time.! See…I do have convictions!

I’ll probably end up writing my column this week about the meeting. So you’ll have to read about it in the Farmers’ Advance.