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6 days from fresh to fridge

Happy National Agriculture Day!!!

I have two milk cows at dairies, plus one I sold to a dairy.  Every so often, I even raise some beef calves that I sell at auction.  I guess you can say I am officially contributing to the food supply here in my state!  I am proud to be part of AGRICULTURE!

Some ski...I scoop poop

Thursday at 3:10, I was a free woman!  I have 10 days in a row of spring break bliss...except when I have to scoop out the pens, unload feed, run water, sweep the barn, and do the landlord's chores while she is at the Oklahoma Youth Expo  (OYE).   OYE allows every species except dairy. Blugh.

Premium Sale 2013

County is the only place that dairy can go and potentially get in a premium sale in our state.  My county only takes one dairy heifer.  They don't allow us to show our cows.

I have shown for four years, and the last two years, I have been blessed to win Grand Champion.  I have also been blessed to receive the highest bid in the premium sale.

Last year, my MawMaw and GrandDad and one other anonymous person bid $4100 on me.  This year they let us know that they couldn't give as much as last year, which is totally fine.  Anything is more than what I had before.  What we didn't know is that they also got a second major donor AND the Co-Op threw in $100.  This year I received the high bid of $5100!  The grand champion beef steer usually brings about $2500, so that is AMAZING!

I was also given $50 from John Vance Motors.  I picked it up on Wednesday after school.  It is usually $25 that they give out, but this year they said that if we picked up our money Wednesday through Friday, they would DOUBLE IT!  You bet I got there the first day it was offered!   I've also got some money coming from the booster club.  It's around $200.  Then I think I get an additional $100 for having a Grand Champion,  and maybe I'll get some add-on money from other various people if I'm lucky.

It doesn't seem real.  I guess it will when I get all the money in my hand.  Wow!  What a blessing!

The Best Grandparents in the WORLD!

It has been MUD SEASON here for a bit.  If our boots were any looser, we would lose them in the muck.

My Holstein has been so dirty, I didn't even think she would come clean for the show.

But all of that has changed.

While I had my girls at the county show,  GrandDad and MawMaw loaded up the tractor and hauled it to Windy Hill and cleaned out both of my heifer pens.  GrandDad ran the tractor and MawMaw opened and closed the gate for him to take the loads out to the pasture and fill holes with them.  MawMaw got cleaned up and came to the show, but GrandDad kept working.

The truth is, GrandDad can't come to my shows.  He gets so nervous for me that he gets sick...even before he gets there!  Earlier this year, he thought he was okay and made it as far as the garage before he had to turn around and go back to the house.  MawMaw had to go on without him.  So we understand how he feels, and we feel bad for him, but it's sweet that he cares so much!

So my pens are clean, and it's all thanks to MawMaw and GrandDad.  What a wonderful surprise when we unloaded from county late that night!

Getting ready for the spring show at county

WEDNESDAY
Bleach scrub brushes and pack them
Hook up the trailer to be ready to go in the morning
Pack Orvus soap
Pack waterproof boots and waterproof overalls
Pack blizzard proof overalls and coat
Pack lots of gloves
Set alarm for 5:00

THURSDAY
Leave house before 6:30
7:00 Load animals at Windy Hill
Unload/unhook at Ag Farm by 7:30
Mom drops me off by myself to wash until the others start showing up.
***My plan was to wash my girls in order:  Juicy, Carmelita, Prim, Stopnstare, Fara, but when Ms. Jennings got there, we divided up jobs as a team:  2 washers, 2 blowers, 3 clippers.  So I washed everybody's animals.  (It finally got above freezing after noon, and she sent me in the concession stand to warm up for quite awhile.)  I did good.  My mom was AMAZED at how clean I got Fara.  Every place that was supposed to be white was BROWN.  She didn't think it would wash out, but it did!
Sweep hair clippings
Feed
Water
Clean out all crap and straw and shavings from gooseneck trailer
Load county supplies
Break down clipping chute
Load straw, hay, showbox, and clipping chute in my personal trailer
Take trailer home to drop off tomorrow

FRIDAY
6:30 drop off trailer at fairgrounds and lock the tongue
by 7:00 feed and water at Ag Farm
Go to school.
3:15 feed/water

SATURDAY
7:30 feed/water
8:30 load animals
9:30 be at fairgrounds washing
Make beds
unload supplies
dry off animals
watch for poop
3:00 check papers/superintendents break classes
Begin toplines at 1:00 (Didn't happen because pig show ran over 3 or more hours.)
Toplines at last minute, trying to get animals to the ring on time, and dairy superintendents.

Dairy show starts at 5:00


UPDATE

- not really, it started at 5:30.
Sweet success!
All five of my girls won their classes.
Then they got:
Holstein breed champion.
Jersey breed champion.
Jersey reserve breed champion.
Brown Swiss reserve breed champion.
Ayrshire reserve breed champion
My older Jersey, Carmelita, won GRAND CHAMPION which is the only dairy heifer they allow in the premium sale.
At the last minute, I also chose Carmelita to use for showmanship.  (I did NOT practice her up special.  I did that with the younger Jersey.)  WE WON!!!  It was really cool because it is the 1st Dairy Showmanship contest that the county has allowed us to have.  So now I can say that I won the very first one!

This was the BEST SHOW OF MY LIFE...SO FAR!!!

Maddie Moo goes to the fair board

It's that time of year again to submit a proposal to the Logan County Fair Board.  Currently, our county accepts 99 animals into the premium sale:

22 steers - (only 17 were entered - only 14 were in the sale)
3 heifers
22 lambs
2 ewes
22 hogs
3 gilts
22 wethers
2 does
1 dairy heifer

We have proposed, for the last two years that they increase the numbers of dairy allowed in the premium sale AND to add dairy showmanship, since it is the ONLY species that does not have a competition.

This year we were allowed to have showmanship.  The prize all species of showmanship was an embroidered towel.  Each species showmanship winner, other than dairy, was given a key to try to unlock a box containing $300.  Dairy was not included in that portion of the premium sale activities.  Ms. Jennings sponsored show halters for the dairy showmanship winners out of her own pocket.  We received these in the ring at the end of showmanship.

The way this is done isn't right.

SO...
We are getting ready to make a new proposal.  Wish us luck!

Holstein Essay Contest

This is the first year that I have entered the Holstein essay contest.

Since I was 12 as of January first, I will be in the Junior category.

The writing topic is:  IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU EDUCATE YOUR NON-DAIRY FRIENDS AND CLASSMATES ABOUT HE DAIRY INDUSTRY AND BENEFITS OF CONSUMING DAIRY PRODUCTS?

The length is one page.

There is extra credit for sources and photos.

The prize is a Kindle Fire!  When my mom told me about it, I said, "I am SO doing this!"

I got nominated!

I received a certificate the other day.  I got nominated for my work with the BUSY DIZZY coloring pages for the Tulsa State Fair to benefit Oklahoma Special Olympics.  Store winners will be announced in May, Regional winners in June, and national winners in July.  I don't know what all the prizes are, but National winners get $10,000.  Fingers crossed!

PTD post: March 6, 2013

I have made a LOT of connections in the dairy industry and other industries that support it.  I am extremely blessed to know a lot of smart, hard working, generous, kind people.  I know I’ll leave someone out, but that doesn’t mean I’m not grateful for them.  

At Cross Country Genetics, Mr. Kim Harsh, Dr. Steven Clifton, and herd manager Mr. John Curtis have helped me out with preg checks and ultrasounds to help in my breeding program.  They even let me get hands-on with palpation!  

Mr. Gene Hall, Jr. of Hall’s Ayrshires in Cushing, OK and Mr. Gary Hawk of Hawk’s Dairy in Lacey/Hennessey, OK have helped me with boarding, milking, and breeding.    

Mrs.Trish Cobb of Cobblestone Dairy in Perkins, OK has always been very supportive and a great cheerleader for me when she hears I’ve had something published.  

The Van der Laan family of the Van der Laan Dairy/Sunshine Dairy in Frederick, OK has always been so kind and helpful and supportive and good examples of hard work and sportsmanship for me.  They make me smile.  

Mr. Rodney Wegener of COBA/Select Sires, formerly of Wegener Dairy in Minco, OK, made me a purchase agreement on my first Holstein and got me started with the breed.  

Miss Kaylynn Million of the Million Dairy of Talequah, OK, who now works at the Oklahoma State University Dairy, first showed me what a sweet, hard working, helpful State Dairy Princess should be like.  

Mrs. Susan Allen of Dairy MAX allowed me to help promote dairy foods as a part of a nutritious diet at many state events.

Ms. Kara Eschbach of the Tulsa State Fair Livestock show gave me the opportunity to blog for the show, and then Ms. Emily Caldwell gave me the opportunity to blog monthly for Proud To Dairy and sometimes even gives me a mention in Progressive Dairyman! 

Then there is the Jennings family of Stillwater and Crescent, OK.  Ms. Christy Jennings is my 4-H leader, Ag teacher, and she will be my FFA advisor as of next year when I’m in 8th grade Ag.  Most of all, she is my mentor.  She got me interested in dairy when I went to my first FFA petting zoo as a toddler.  She helped get me my first Ayrshire.  She invited me to do peewee showmanship at every dairy show she and the big kids would be at.  She continues to teach me how to judge dairy.  She taught me how to milk out a cow.  She’s taught me how to give injections.  She’s taught me about diet and dairy health.  She’s tried to teach me everything, really.  She tries to teach me all of the whys and whens and hows.  I can safely say that I would not be involved with dairy today if it hadn’t been for Ms. Jennings, and I sure wouldn’t be successful without her.  Not only has she got me involved with dairy, but also speeches, power point presentations, display booths, impressive dress, talent contest, food showdown, style show, shooting sports, indoor exhibits, news articles, chapter officers, cattle grading, CDEs, orphan calves for profit, you name it.  She's taught me how to work hard and fast.  She also teaches and models good character.  She is very wise.  We need more people like her in the world.     

Her brother, Mr. Alan Jennings of Brightside Farm, is another one of my mentors.  My mom says he is like the “Rainman of Dairy”.  He remembers placings. He remembers genetics.  He remembers bloodlines.  He remembers everything!  He  made sure I got started with Ayrshires. He helps me pick out animals to buy.  I never would have bought Jerseys without his encouragement.  He picked out some Brown Swiss for me to buy.  He tells me which sires would be best to use on my heifers.  He does almost all of my A.I.ing.  Just like his sister, he explains everything.  He tells me what I should do, what I should improve, and how to make all kinds of things better.  He helps me make connections with the right people, too.  

Their parents, Roger and Mary Kay, are also great.  They are very encouraging.  The whole family is involved in running all of the dairy judging contests at all of the dairy field days in the state.  They are all involved in the PDCA and the Sooner State Dairy Show.  They assist with different shows, too.  They are on a mission to increase the dairy programs in the state of Oklahoma.  They are really good at making good things happen.

These are just some of the people that I can think of off the top of my head.  The thing about these great people is that they don’t just do this stuff for me.  They do these things for ALL the kids that are interested.   They do everything they can to help.

     

They are truly BLESSINGS, and I don’t even know if they realize it.  They are part of the reason that I register under the name of GodBless Dairy Enterprises.  God blessed me by putting all of these people in my life.  I can hardly wait to see who else will come my way in the future!