As many of you know, we give tours on our farm. We offer different types of tours. The first tours that we offered were tours to school children from the local school district. Then came tours from foreign countries. Now we see tours from the local communities and even tour companies bring tours to our farm.

In the three years that I have been a part of the operation, I have seen the questions that are asked change. Sometimes I feel myself get on the defensive, but then I take a cleansing breath and compose myself and explain how a farm works. One of the most common questions asked on our farm is, "Do the cows ever go outside?" My answer is, "While the cow is lactating (milking) she stays in the barn." I have seen quizzical looks to outright disgust with that answer. However, once I explain to our visitors why it is better for the cow to be inside versus outside they understand. For those of you wondering why we keep our cows inside, here is my explanation. #1, there are very few idyllic days to be outside... Too hot, too cold, too muddy... #2 There are very few flies in our barn. Because we clean the barn daily, there is no place for fly larvae to hatch. There are not biting flies in the barn. #3 We can keep the cows clean which leads to less mastitis, a very painful infection, in our cows because they sleep on clean beds.#4 We can be assured that our cows are getting the proper nutrition. When a cow is out on pasture, they may eat too much of one thing and not enough of another thing. #4 We want our cows to be comfortable. They lay on sand beds in a barn with almost 40 fans.

Another question that has changed over the years is, "are you organic?" I answer, "no" and that would be the end of it. Now it is, "Why aren't you?" This one is actually an easier one... "There is no market for organic milk in this area." By going organic, it would increase our expenses and there would be no premium for the milk that we raise." People are surprised by this answer. Since our visitors read so much about how organic is perceived to be better (nutritiously and environmental) they just assume everyone wants it. Sometimes, I feel like I teach economics 101, supply and demand.

As farmers, most of us just know stuff. Some examples are, in order for a cow to produce milk the cow must be a.) female, b) Must have a calf. It cannot be assumed that everyone knows this. One statistic says that people are 3 generations removed from the farm. Another example of stuff we know is. many conventional farmers use manure to fertilize their fields. This is another misconception perpetrated by information on the internet that only organic farmers use manure.As a farm that gives many tours a week, we must continually assume that our guests do not know much about farming.

Another question we get is the GMO question. My answer is that we do utilize seeds bred with the the GE breeding technique. After asking why we use GMO seeds. I personalize it with my own concerns. I state, my concern is for water quality. By using seeds bred with herbicide resistance, we are able to practice minimum and no-till practices. When the soil is disturbed and then it rains, soil can erode. If soil is left alone, it has a better chance of not eroding when it rains. Soil that runs into streams takes nutrients with it. We want the nutrients to stay in the field, not runoff into the drainage ditches.  If we did not use this modern technology, we would need to till the soil more often to kill the weeds.

Consumers only hear on the internet how "bad" glyphosate is. I stay away from the chemical and relate the benefits of soil that stays in its place. Every once in awhile, I do get someone that pushes the argument further. Then I go back to economics 101 course. There is no market for non-GMO seeds in our area. 

While I try to explain modern farming practices to our visitors, it is hard to combat the mountains if information and misinformation out on the internet with what we do on our farm. However, if we can education one visitor, one child, or better yet, one family, then I feel that we are making a difference.

One of the things that I like most about working on the farm is that I don't always know what I may be doing on a particular day. Things can change in a moment and they may change through out the day. This morning was one of those days that I was called to drive tractor. We are busy chopping hay for haylage and there were not enough drivers for hauling loads so I was asked to jump into a tractor and drive. 

Many of my non-farm readers may not know this, but tractors have different ways to get them into motion and how they shift. The chopping crew has their own tractors, therefore, only one of the tractors hauling loads is ours. I was pointed to a new tractor that was part of the crew's tractors. This tractor has 4 items needed to get the tractor in motion and moving faster. First it needs to go into a gear range A through E. A is the slowest, E is the fastest. Then on the steering column there is a forward and reverse, this is good for if the tractor is used as a loader. Then there is the turtle and the rabbit push button which has 4 gears to it. Last but not least, there is the throttle.

One of the nice features of the newer tractors is that they have quiet cabs and excellent sound systems. I am sure a few people who passed me on the road today saw me singing to the radio, but that's okay. Most of the people I met on the road today waved and I even recognized a few. I am sure a few people were surprised to see a tractor and wagon at the stoplights near the truck stops, just off of I-80. 


I was relieved from the tractor after lunch by a family friend and his small grandson. This little boy had just become a big brother this morning and it was made even more special by being with his grandpa and getting to ride in a big green tractor! Now it is back to my normal duties, answering emails, going through the mail and keeping up on the book work.

As I mentioned in my first post, I came from a business analyst background as well as farming. One area that I always took for granted growing up was that everything gets done, I did not question or even realize that there is even another option. The reason that everything gets done is because farmers are the ultimate project managers.

Wikipedia defines a project manager as, " Project managers have the responsibility of the planning, execution and closing of any project." To me, this defines most any farmer. A farmer typically has many projects going on at anyone time. For example, here at Cinnamon Ridge, we had a tour from a Heritage Club at a bank, we are constructing a new heifer barn, bean planting is in full swing, and we are going to start chopping triticale hay. Some projects are small, others are more complex.

Farmers have drop-dead dates. Most of these deadlines are not self-imposed, but weather dictated. There are a few other deadlines that are not weather related, family events will cause certain project to get done by a date: graduation, weddings, and on some occasions, vacations.

Most project management skills are learned on the job. Children learn from their parents and not getting a task done in time sometimes can have catastrophic consequences. Not getting hay baled and put in the shed prior to the rain can cause thousands of dollars of loss. Not getting cows moved to a different pasture before it rains can cause a cow to lose a calf. However, even the best project managers have to work around obstacles when their best laid plans do not work. That is when, I believe, farmers shine. Farmers deal with rainstorms, equipment breakdown, and livestock. If it starts raining and the corn can't get planted, usually there are other things to do: i.e. manure to haul, a squeaky wheel that needs looking into. The only times I see farmers get impatient is when the rain lasts too long. There is only so much manure or repairs that can be done. However, when the fields dry out, farmers put in the hours needed to get the crops in.

Each year farmers have the opportunity to honetheir project management skills. Each year, farmers determine what worked well and what needs to improve or change. Some farmers even add new projects or enterprises to their roles. 

Life on the farm is rarely boring and rarely routine, most days we hope for ordinary. However, as any person that works on projects, there is always the unexpected that comes up and I guess, that is what makes life interesting and what I look forward to each morning.

Here at Cinnamon Ridge Farms we offer tours. Our most common tours is hosting foreign tours. We get guests from all over the world. Just yesterday, we had France and Brazil. While these tours are enjoyable, there is another tour we give that sometimes gives me goosebumps. The tour I am talking about is kid tours. I love it when a child all of a sudden "gets it." I think many teachers have witnessed this and I have also felt this way with my own children. 

Our kid tours are led by daughter, Kara and a retired school teacher, Dorothy. However, last week, they needed my assistance so I helped out. The kids get a wagon ride. From there they get to pet a goat and a calf. After that, they tour the robotic milking barn and see cows getting milked. After that they are treated to an ice cream cone. As I was talking to one little girl I told her that the milk from the cow is used to make ice cream. All of a sudden, her eyes lit up and she told me that she had made homemade ice cream and that they had used milk from a carton.

I excitedly told her that the milk from that carton came from a dairy cow. She ran to the window to watch the cows again and she watched with much enthusiasm.  I was so glad that I was able to share in this little girls epiphany. I hope experiences like this help our children understand the work that goes into the food that they eat rather than think the food comes just from a grocery store.

The last two weeks have been very busy. But it was a good kind of busy. This past weekend was the culmination of almost two years of planning. Last weekend, my oldest daughter got married! The weather held off so that she had a warm, and mostly sunny day. She was a beautiful bride. Her father would have been proud. I am sure that he was smiling down on her.

At times like these, it is wonderful to have family and friends around to share in the joy of a young couple starting their lives out together. There is nothing better for the bride or the mother of the bride to see than to come into the sanctuary and see all the family and friends that have come to be a part of celebrating something very special. I know that many people rearranged plans to be a part of this special day. I know that we tease our children that they should elope, but I would not want to miss out on seeing any of my children say their vows. Having a front row seat allows me privy to much of the discussion between the bride and groom during songs or small interludes. 

Throughout life, there are pivotal moments when a parent realizes that their children are capable and can handle life. This past weekend was one of those moments for me. There have been other times, but all my daughters have shown me that they have learned how to handle life and the different curve balls that life can throw at them. What I observed was how well my daughter did planning her wedding. She did a wonderful job. Everything went off without a hitch. The bridesmaids and groomsmen knew where they were to be. The family knew when to be there for pictures. Food and cakes where there when they were supposed to be. My daughter and I had conversations about various items about her wedding, but for the most part, she handled this on her own. My part of the whole affair was listening to her ideas and giving her the confidence to go with them. The other part I helped with was protocol. Even with that we both had to reference outside sources.


Katie and Craig started their new life together and the rest of us went back to our lives. As a mother, I know need to get used to calling her by a different name, but not much can replace the smile I saw on her face after I called her by her new last name.

It is the time of year when I start thinking about whether I need to get my hair cut before spring field work. I know that once the tractors get rolling, there is very little time to schedule appointments for that. I have learned that if my hair hangs in my eyes and I can't get to the salon to have it cut properly, I do it myself with less than desirable results. I would rather take the time now and have it done right than live with my own hack job.

I have always enjoyed going to the salon. I like having my hair washed and styled by someone else. I also like to hear what my stylist suggests for a new style. She has never steered me wrong. I guess you could say that I like to be pampered and I like to make a change. I have another reason to spend some time in the salon, in less than two weeks my oldest daughter gets married! I must look my best for her special day. 

Pampering comes in many forms. It can be a day at a salon doing our hair, or getting our nails done, or it can be a massage and/or facial. It is something that many of us women do not take time for. Many of us put the needs of others before us. We deprive ourselves pleasures; we feel guilty if we spend time on ourselves. But guess what? our loved ones want us to take time for ourselves.  

So much good comes out of a bit of pampering. For me, I removed some of the gray from my hair and I feel good with a new hairdo. I feel revitalized. It is especially nice when our spouse and other notice as well. 

Whether you pamper yourself with a day at a salon or take time to do something just for yourself, it is all needed. We encourage others to do things for themselves, we need to take some of our own advice and take care of ourselves as well.


Stop back in a couple of weeks to hear about the wedding and maybe I'll get a couple pictures up for all to see as well!

Finally, the weather has turned warm! In Iowa, this was the 3rd coldest and snowiest winter on record. Even with all that snow, It did not take long to see all the snow and the 8 foot high snow banks melt. Now it is the time that farmers look forward to.... Playing in the dirt. Farmers are ready to get their hands in the soil after months of planning. To be completely honest, I really like to work in the fields myself!

In my prior life, I enjoyed working in the field with my husband. I would haved like to be more involved, however, to help with our living expenses, I was employed off the farm as a business analyst. Meaning, I found the fastest, cheapest, and best way to electronically route work through the office. I liked my job, but there was something missing and it nagged at me... I wanted to be more involved in farming! Funny how life changes isn't it.

At my job, co-workers asked me why I like working on the farm. My reply was that I couldn't touch and feel my work. I could see peoples' tasks lists for work to do and I could read reports indicating how successful things were going, but I couldn't touch and feel it.

Working on spring planting is another activity to work as a family. One person is in the field cultivator, another is running the planter, and another is our gopher or Girl Friday. The Gopher involves getting seed corn, fertilizer, fuel, and anything else that is needed. When someone brings lunch to the field, it is another time of the year where we get to tailgate. This is where we gather out in the field and have lunch. Lunches can be as simple as sandwiches and salads to steaks cooked on the grill.


The technology that is now on the farms is something that few of us could have imagined when we were growing up. We use GPS to steer our tractors and seeds with traits to ward off insects. These two pieces of modern farming allows us to be better stewards of the land. We use less fuel and fewer chemicals. This lowers our costs and raises production.

Please watch for large machinery on the road, it is time for farmers to be going to field. Please wave to the farmers in the tractors. Who knows, one of the tractors you meet or pass could be me up in the cab! 

I hope you have a great week.
  

It is spring time and our thoughts turn to babies. Many animals have their young in the spring. However, here at Cinnamon Ridge, we have our dairy calves through out the year. Even though newborn calves happen almost everyday, it is still magical to watch a calf being born. I is a site I do not get tired of watching. The cows maternal instincts kick in and she starts tending to the calf. Other cows will come and help the new mother as well.

In addition to the dairy cows, we have Angus beef cows. Soon they will begin to calve. Some of them will have Angus calves and others will have a Jersey calf. We use some of our beef cows as surrogate mothers for our really good Jersey cows. Another species we have at Cinnamon Ridge is goats. They started having their offspring earlier when it was much colder. Despite the cold weather,  we have a new crop of young goats.

Not every calving goes as nature plans. Sometimes the cow needs help. This is where our daughter, Amy is there to help the cow. Even with Amy's expertise she sometimes needs to call her father in to help. A farmer will work hard to save a calf and each time a calf is saved, there is a sense of joy. If we are unable to save a calf, we all feel a sense of loss. 

So while calving can be stressful and cause us to have late hours, it is one of the miraculous things we are treated to on almost a daily basis.