catch up time

wow, how has time flown by this quickly? it seems like it was just yesterday i blogged, not months ago! fortunately, things have slowly been turning around for us, and for that i am very grateful. we did have a few tight months, but with cautious spending and a good reputation, we made it through the hard times.

with winter's arrival possible at any time, we are getting things ready for the cold and snow. the last calves are being weaned and the huts set up for the winter calves. the corn is all harvested and in storage and the manure is getting spread along with lime for spring tillage. it doesnt look like we will get much fall tillage done, but the main thing is that the corn is off. we ended up with a much better harvest than anticipated.

the past week has been a very busy one with many calves arriving, incuding two this morning. both were heifer calves...what a good feeling. there's still a few more left that can calve anytime now. after this group i wont be too busy until late december. ill try to blog more, now that i will (hopefully) have a little more free time!

another day, another dollar...lost...

i didnt create this blog to let out my frustrations, but lately it seems that is what happens. things are getting bad now, for everyone. first, the low milk prices hit the "little guys," farmers that were behind the times and short on cash flow. now, its hitting home. try and save here and there, and cut costs where you can, but how much can you cut? where is the line between profit and savings. i have no clue what will happen, but if things dont change soon, we could be joining the list of auctions....pretty depressing when it's all ive ever done for my life is want to farm.

time will tell, if my goals will ever be accomplished...

happiness is heifer calves

ahh what a joy this past weekend was...not one, not two, not even three, but four newborn, beautiful heifer calves. well, technically five, but she was an Angus Holstein crossbred. sure, we'll raise her, but nothing too exciting there. along with two other cows having bull calves, it was a ridiculously busy weekend! throw in the fact that my sister also delivered a "heifer calf", we didnt know which way to turn!

the most exciting was born Monday morning. my red Holstein Ohara finally decided it was time to calve. of course, i was waiting for this one...she hasnt ever had a heifer, and she was bred to a red bull. Well, as usual, we had to help her. every year she does this!! so, jeff and i pulled out a gorgeous red heifer calf, which i named outlaw. she seems a little slow at this point, but i think she'll perk up a bit.

the hay crop is coming along good. we started our 2nd ag bag today, and we are almost done with the acreage. im thankful for the good crop, but over 200 acres of alfalfa seems to have us maxed out.

its been a long, tiring week, and its only tuesday! tomorow is the District Holstein Show in DePere, and im meeting a friend and going to see that. should be a nice day off the farm...for a few hours...

Pitter Patter

Finally, a small dose of what we have been needing...rain! It's not a downpour, but just a nice afternoon drizzle. A small amount of hay will get rained on, but luckily the bulk of the 1st crop cow haylage is done. Dad and Jeff worked til 11pm last night to get it off the fields, and I milked alone. What a long milking! When I'm alone I milk with 6 milkers instead of the usual 8 Jeff & I share. But, it wasnt too bad...starting at 6, I finished up around 9. Then it was calf feeding and cleaning up, and then a friend of mine came over and we worked on a nice display board for our county brunch on the farm, which is coming up June 28th.

It's been so cold this spring/summer. Right now, its early June, and only 50 degrees, if that! But, Im not really complaining. The cows love it and their production continues to climb. Our recent DHI test showed 24 cows over 100# of milk per day, for a rolling herd average of nearly 25,000#. It doesnt seem possible when my parents started with our feed nutritionist in 1984 that our production was only 15,000# per cow!

A new heifer came into the world early this morning, when I checked the maternity pen at 1:30am a nice healthy heifer calf was already licked off and nosing around. Da-Lynn-Jema Toby Zynda will join the herd in 2 years if all goes well! Her dam, Zena, emanates from my first cow, Alice, so it was pleasing to get another heifer from this family. There is now over 25 females in the herd that trace back to Alice.

Well, its nearly 4pm, time to head back out and get things set up for evening chores...

Making Hay While the Sun Shines...

The unmistakable smell of summer has arrived. Im not talking about hot dogs on the grill, or wet swimming suits, but the smell of fresh cut alfalfa. One of my favorite smells, i can smell it as i type...about 1am, and a pack of coyotes is exploring the field. I can hear their whining, sorrowful cries through my open window. Are they echoing the cry of the farmer? No, the farmer is silent...on the outside at least. I havent been on here in the last few months due to a few things. One of them is just the fact I have been so busy...we are trying to do all we can to make the most profit. The last few months have been a contstant struggle. Our last check...$9.82. How can this make sense?? I watch as giants such as GM fall, and the government is behind, sweeping up the pieces, getting out the glue. Why cant the American farmer be helped? Could the average American have their paycheck cut in half, their living expenses raised, and be expected to survive? Think about that the next time you pass the milk cooler in the store. Dont reach for a packet of Kool-Aid, grab milk. Dont deprive your children of a bucket of ice cream and hand them a bag of chips. When you buy dairy, consume dairy...it helps us. We don't see all the profit, but it helps us. It's June...Dairy Month. But do us a favor, make every month dairy month.

An Introduction

Hello to everyone out there! For those of you who know me, bear with me...I want to introduce myself in my first blog on here. I have blogged in the past, but I want this to be exclusive to my family's dairy farm to show you on a regular basis the happenings of a working dairy farm.

I am 25 years old, and my brother and I are the 5th generation of the Goers family to work on the family farm. It has seen many changes since it first began, way back in 1869. This year will mark 140 years of our family working the land and producing agriculture products! My parents own the farm, and my brother and I hope to purchase it in the near future.

We currently milk 105 Holsteins, Registered/ID Grade. We raise all our own youngstock, and also raise our bull calves for steers. We crop nearly 500 acres, rented and owned. I also keep a small flock of laying hens and our family also produces maple syrup each spring.

Now in my 7th year of full time employment on the farm, I handle all the "cow work," from breeding, mixing feed,milking cows, caring for calves and many many more duties. So, you will be hearing alot about the cows. My main goal however, is to inform all who read this, just what dairyfarmers do everyday, and how our goal is to make a safe, nutritious product for you and your family...while maintaining a healthy, productive animal.

Your comments are welcome, and if there is ever anything you'd like to know about the farm, please ask!