tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4790759655931081182024-03-13T15:42:06.716-07:00Home Again FinneganWe farm corn, soybeans, pigs and cattle in North Central Iowa. These are our stories of our family farm and why we love agriculture. Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-6785486813807686352018-04-10T06:54:00.002-07:002018-04-10T06:57:23.445-07:00Each Year is Different<div style="text-align: center;">
Each year spring rolls around and we reminisce about 'the year before.'</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxZaF6Gg5-veDVcek8kZ8lBVLQFcUoJJLbBsMHCEB3BPeJ21D1cKHHutNo3OlGQTQaC0OEOi8rwrixUr8hR' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">April 8, 2018: Snow on the way home from church.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLjrm1ifQ3SlfAOwyR4AWS5mFEd3iTeR10TxiprCtEdtkadSaPFtglqvR5ichYWwJMXoU0lqGgRYnD7jTkSctEo0-b5HLmKlmPpWzHrEo1Hw5xuh1Te-rKoOkQ3LjDHxXjXgvN-Q-5PI/s1600/2017-04-09+Terminate+Cover+Crop.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLjrm1ifQ3SlfAOwyR4AWS5mFEd3iTeR10TxiprCtEdtkadSaPFtglqvR5ichYWwJMXoU0lqGgRYnD7jTkSctEo0-b5HLmKlmPpWzHrEo1Hw5xuh1Te-rKoOkQ3LjDHxXjXgvN-Q-5PI/s640/2017-04-09+Terminate+Cover+Crop.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 9, 2017: It was warm enough to kill some cover crop!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPANGSbzEShAthQ2rOVFfa8lba5GqIR0b7T3f_v5Whi1sMShEJ3wQzczsrKr_HGGLBsQA_MnJ7wSRfb7HqAEQlfDrqfoePVA_nZCyYAqpRq_z_upiTOfrSr6iXHS8dmiJ7MFJ2c-Yh7KA/s1600/2016-04-01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPANGSbzEShAthQ2rOVFfa8lba5GqIR0b7T3f_v5Whi1sMShEJ3wQzczsrKr_HGGLBsQA_MnJ7wSRfb7HqAEQlfDrqfoePVA_nZCyYAqpRq_z_upiTOfrSr6iXHS8dmiJ7MFJ2c-Yh7KA/s640/2016-04-01.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 1, 2016: The yard was green, and this cow was thinking the grass was greener on the other side of the fence!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5khg8ynpRcz5cGdRYmLXvQNCxWTWXnllMFKE0GSkB5-Gkku6BWLn-BmCCWtzmIrb9OIR7hytvbINx57fUL21xY5iKG0Vu4mHuVBFABD6BScoNegZuRomHf9Y5zm5SE_h8TbP7B7gR0k/s1600/AJ+Hagie+Soy+4915.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG5khg8ynpRcz5cGdRYmLXvQNCxWTWXnllMFKE0GSkB5-Gkku6BWLn-BmCCWtzmIrb9OIR7hytvbINx57fUL21xY5iKG0Vu4mHuVBFABD6BScoNegZuRomHf9Y5zm5SE_h8TbP7B7gR0k/s640/AJ+Hagie+Soy+4915.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 9, 2015: Our fields of cover crop were green.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmucmJGWjnlQmFJ499yd3FWlbAmN0KIkN792hhZnifzhgj9lMVYkonzDxYTGONBPptEUv-SaxZ4Py75wuf5G4SO10HDdwdq4Uyae3WOsqxS5Djcl1Wpd4RF-txyXr5gCv79CxYpUpZY9M/s1600/IMG_1797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmucmJGWjnlQmFJ499yd3FWlbAmN0KIkN792hhZnifzhgj9lMVYkonzDxYTGONBPptEUv-SaxZ4Py75wuf5G4SO10HDdwdq4Uyae3WOsqxS5Djcl1Wpd4RF-txyXr5gCv79CxYpUpZY9M/s640/IMG_1797.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 11, 2014: Our 'new' planter was being delivered.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvcrc5Dbe-astZ_qyGslDgSPbFDVjWgbYZqVWwenXK2ImE62FYBGLB7W7yaGLAUm5BHjrqor1iAJ7oDmaMHwbt3v4sz5jRtQH4eckVnTqAVzSPiWC6qW4tkkBtv8FIzLFBv6MZQNlJYw/s1600/2013+05+02+MayDaySnow+Blog.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIvcrc5Dbe-astZ_qyGslDgSPbFDVjWgbYZqVWwenXK2ImE62FYBGLB7W7yaGLAUm5BHjrqor1iAJ7oDmaMHwbt3v4sz5jRtQH4eckVnTqAVzSPiWC6qW4tkkBtv8FIzLFBv6MZQNlJYw/s640/2013+05+02+MayDaySnow+Blog.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">May 2, 2013: Of course, this snow thing isn't new.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOc1TTztigk3CLwCZ-yabXSHO7-wdnz3KxwQb7kzgVKFc2sJ7zREP4v9omFsOPJI5QlS51edRHegbz9_WoKZEp8_1pxBeUU0ZvlTO4k7079vO2vbnHtmpOlBsw9MnwBQB9F7IX5vn0mPQ/s1600/IMG_2234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOc1TTztigk3CLwCZ-yabXSHO7-wdnz3KxwQb7kzgVKFc2sJ7zREP4v9omFsOPJI5QlS51edRHegbz9_WoKZEp8_1pxBeUU0ZvlTO4k7079vO2vbnHtmpOlBsw9MnwBQB9F7IX5vn0mPQ/s640/IMG_2234.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 8, 2012: We were outside on Easter at my Mom and Dad's. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_EsUpyH7ay_tgtWB64ouPbgNTML7823M36jp6S2186Qa0IhkFtzUv1wanf6HADCWp0ycLJITSx7qRhhK5Zio-fHAgkVyP2meQ6H8zROUTRx_GgI_1LgwZG2e-Vcu-SE8zsFjgc4bfH4/s1600/IMG_0151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil_EsUpyH7ay_tgtWB64ouPbgNTML7823M36jp6S2186Qa0IhkFtzUv1wanf6HADCWp0ycLJITSx7qRhhK5Zio-fHAgkVyP2meQ6H8zROUTRx_GgI_1LgwZG2e-Vcu-SE8zsFjgc4bfH4/s640/IMG_0151.JPG" width="476" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">April 6, 2011: (Poor photo, sorry!) Anhydrous was being put on.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-20831681748134318412018-02-08T07:39:00.001-08:002018-02-08T07:39:53.678-08:00Farmer SchoolJanuary is over? I'm not sure what happened, there, but apparently 2018 is going to go FAST.<br />
<br />
Farming most definitely does not stop over the winter. Lately, we have a lot of meetings, or, 'Farmer School.' These meetings are for our own good to learn more about what research is going on, or other ways to manage what we are already doing.<br />
<br />
My goal for this year is to learn more about the farm finances. I'm lucky to have some awesome <a href="https://www.extension.iastate.edu/womeninag/" target="_blank">Women in Ag</a> Extension classes to attend nearby: <a href="https://www.extension.iastate.edu/womeninag/annies-project-fort-dodge-begins-monday-january-15-2018" target="_blank">Annie's Projec</a>t and <a href="https://www.extension.iastate.edu/womeninag/postponed-women-managing-farm-finances-webster-county-extension-office-fort-dodge-begins-thursday" target="_blank">Women Managing Farm Finances</a>.<br />
<br />
I get to do some pretty fun things while I'm attending these 'school' days, too :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2g6zvWKwCVBxws7M6m_6_uEqigT20YxBnC2sEtjkWCs91YAK1M_C6WAcJBITpBuPQlKtO-yHvtaRr3HQ2N-EzZPisVjKZS67nFDjKiJo9MmxIxGtqfAw4OQQXkrcGWSJhnIT1iIw4qI/s1600/2018-02-02+Farm+Finances.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2g6zvWKwCVBxws7M6m_6_uEqigT20YxBnC2sEtjkWCs91YAK1M_C6WAcJBITpBuPQlKtO-yHvtaRr3HQ2N-EzZPisVjKZS67nFDjKiJo9MmxIxGtqfAw4OQQXkrcGWSJhnIT1iIw4qI/s640/2018-02-02+Farm+Finances.JPG" width="360" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en" style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
Duane Murley, KWMT radio, interviews Kellie Blair during the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ISAFRC18?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ISAFRC18</a>. The Blairs participate On-Farm Network trials to improve their farming operation near Dayton. <a href="https://t.co/lIB3XXIEBd">pic.twitter.com/lIB3XXIEBd</a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
— Iowa Soybeans (@IowaSoybeans) <a href="https://twitter.com/IowaSoybeans/status/961277162723700736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 7, 2018</a></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
Other posts on this topic:<br />
<a href="http://homeagainfinnegan.blogspot.com/2017/01/tis-season-for-meetings.html" target="_blank">Tis the Season for Meetings</a><br />
<br />Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-30136750579378827312017-10-26T06:20:00.004-07:002017-10-26T06:20:50.220-07:00Feeder Cattle: Month 1 - September<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
We filled up our
monoslope barn with cattle in September!
The cattle that went into the barn are <span style="font-style: italic;">feeder
cattle</span> and will be fed until they are ready to become beef!</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPy7yHAGx_HfRw41yZVl46DMvHzS6BC2FacDCTWr45uDBW3UT4UjFy3qIvdZ2oZwIXO1m_YPJqwqopKYn5BZGVyKhdK3Gfv5WvctxhWvzVtLwJYWmrd4NSRooOzTBJE7SKgqzn29dtIk/s1600/DJI_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPy7yHAGx_HfRw41yZVl46DMvHzS6BC2FacDCTWr45uDBW3UT4UjFy3qIvdZ2oZwIXO1m_YPJqwqopKYn5BZGVyKhdK3Gfv5WvctxhWvzVtLwJYWmrd4NSRooOzTBJE7SKgqzn29dtIk/s640/DJI_0009.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This is our monoslope confinement</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">This first month it
is important for us to keep the stress low for these animals! Prior to coming in they were weaned from
their mammas. This can be a stressful
time for them (but, like all mammals, they will be fine!). They've been moved from their mammas, they've
moved homes, and have some other new calves around them. All this newness and stress catches up to
them and is our main concern this first month.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
As soon as they come
to the farm, we "work" them with our veterinarian. This just means that we give them
vaccinations, worm and anything else that they need (by direction from our
veterinarian). </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img aria-label="Photo - Portrait - Sep 7, 2017, 9:15:52 AM" class="SzDcob" height="769" jsname="uLHQEd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/SISUpk3Sxjh7ADKMnRxfBIViSffRYTbPF55z36UcKrEntc1pajzVy5PjmTWY1VjQ-KQpgShDxESGTANE3u5Mmu6uqWlV9snGLma1togFF9dnDO_6vhyYNzgkzsoOyASZqmBrtXmjUkVAw1eAKS1YbNiRD2pkVDtnjwvuBCBySXNRjagSz8R3JQGUQDef9OX23ylvDmmMArwOJXmaTEtd_WrcKuRVyvB5Px3woHxY3ag3DXtpj-KXtSdwLk4tcZ_iS-IWAC1x3gTLbFfZdwLg4jvHGs5IBRN0m_7mkLnkT3U8Eye7MsRJiwOkpqHxEum0nI9sGKSTmLnV_F0hVvnPkFJ_ZX753eWs0YBi9-tOkyN8TAWxWjJZ6pnKPMr_DBtVQ2M5QBVKkviQHz3P6gXBongqtBp-RxhZgucu_X27ttsQMrXkKkRX77au9qYL1aHRddEqIPHj6R69UouYpEu9ksYhdW7_hjDL95srwT1tpX4kJ32ozA3zzKL93G217K1rqv__LpdLK28BFkZKsgt3U3F1OW2DLkiTj2g8RqnHPJDsk8PP-LZ17uqo8LymIxt22Xbrt9OAgy-lDDJ2xJ98eICyA8ZNxzcBafZPlu36aQ=w577-h769-no" style="font-size: 14.6667px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="577" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The calves are in the chute! This helps keep everyone (people and animals) safe!</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
The main focus is to
keep them eating and drinking. Just like
you and me, if we don't have our bodies well hydrated and fed, then we get
stressed, we lose energy, and we get sick.</div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
They get fed two
times a day when they first come in, so we can keep an extra eye on them. The ones that come up the bunk first are
normally the healthy ones (and are obviously getting fed the most!). The ones that hang back and don't come up
right away we keep an eye on for coughing, runny noses, etc. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><i><img aria-label="Photo - Portrait - Oct 5, 2017, 9:35:39 AM" class="SzDcob" height="769" jsname="uLHQEd" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/LUsSDHgdNZGEM6Ngp0ECXJFT28bC6gepY9HtHDVtw_o0GL_U2p9R9fxGTOE49_18rGneYTlSM7cYkoa60jGARRURg9SzuffVSkYS1Ci5gBM7NhcOjEpmNzgUer6AsGQYOdxNmtcdbE-Jwq-E51ffvtzUzVhexmEVE6cvmV50szENX4nuwfVbHAhVySHaaTCXtpC-SABDmLcpkMzsHz9q8mp3pkVzHw-21WaMI5n6ztN-nzb0zHsncYoQZvO0haZxzOUQc8f-2iIzsbjIkwXLSR1Nt-56W8EdTBPUbyzsiKQUC2bA2uLgjRe7G0exR0rR-9QVt3euri-iln3u_hmvC-csALXzOoqUNoK1vXLuHfK_MsFfEP4zVjfSg5VYfHBoyG4qwLaSGmddaRQAdEnLI-DUSBt12pvaTO1aDwFo_TbZRUWBfZM36g1ZCcIiE0DMh6tBHtk8F7nPFN0AI--E17bpLxn9HitWKEXoo_bT916PjJlABaTgb8Nivl7PoqvogOQ2xKOiyumcUkFXCNxNTbo7CiMgSiYOscIVffGGAZduMX6B8dNxoGabU9kPXdbPxmmA0ADnxR_IrlLQNZ0kos3c2-f_eCd44H2Ap98p1g=w577-h769-no" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; transform: translate3d(0px, 0px, 0px) rotate(0deg);" width="577" /></i></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>You can see the calf that is hanging back here. His ears are droopy, he has some snot running out of his nose, his head is down. He's not feeling 100% :(</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">We work with our
nutritionist to make sure their ration (feed mix) is good for their
bellies. If we don't get the feed right,
they won't eat (leading to more stress/sickness!). We also need the ration to be palatable for
them - if it's too dry or too wet, they don't find it 'appetizing' and won't
eat. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
Iowa weather
fluctuates (tell me something I DON'T know…).
Our confinement barn helps creates a steady environment for the animals so the
fluctuations in weather aren't so severe.
Reducing…you guessed it:
STRESS! The barn has plenty of
bunk space for everyone to get a chance to eat out of the bunk. But, for those small ones that get bullied -
we have stress tubs in the pen so they are still getting nutrition when they
get pushed out (every species has bullies).
We also keep the barn bedded with more straw to keep them dry and clean
- TA DA - LESS STRESS. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
If we don't do a
good job reducing stresses (and in turn, sickness), then we have to rely on
antibiotics more! If we provide a good
environment and good care the animals bodies will take care of most if these
issues themselves. </div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; margin-left: .375in; margin: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0in;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: calibri; font-size: 11pt; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw1urUPq8Gu9-mh4_19OxN-vPI-4S6HXB-XKu_wx9AduM7EpkRo2VcG21GWVH_XVQsb9zmx8TmwRuG8ZUmPwA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 16px;">I love all of the different markings and faces. <3</span></i></div>
</div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-86070650809789197192017-07-20T09:31:00.001-07:002017-07-20T09:31:13.999-07:00Harvest in JulyOur combine is out in the field…in July!<br />
<br />
This year we are trying something new (to us). We let some of our cover crop (rye) grow and combined it for the seed! <br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-SxMTmoNaWpY/WXDajjWgTjI/AAAAAAAAI9A/3dyzfYyl-R8HkPiveh3IMq2u8d48jFQ4ACHMYCw/s1600-h/DJI_0025%255B21%255D"><img alt="DJI_0025" border="0" height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-kM6klheVIFY/WXDaj5pcU5I/AAAAAAAAI9E/oiTjd459EFEb5ELNXvOSVPzQ8Ha-rqEvACHMYCw/DJI_0025_thumb%255B18%255D?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DJI_0025" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
Normally, we kill our cover crop in the spring so it doesn’t compete with our cash crop (corn/soybeans). This year we let it grow to use the seed this fall to plant as cover crops. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-vHPJbhNz8Is/WXDakeMnvOI/AAAAAAAAI9I/kWBfkFInLXwsoexsh5Ceiq4VWVnvy2HTQCHMYCw/s1600-h/DJI_0028%255B12%255D"><img alt="DJI_0028" border="0" height="480" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-TVgQxhz5f3s/WXDakkynA0I/AAAAAAAAI9M/ZNzyWAZgY9wE3IlNvXg1RY1Tanw2oSQFwCHMYCw/DJI_0028_thumb%255B9%255D?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="DJI_0028" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
You can see in the photo above you can see the green (weed) area that drowned out this spring. But over all, it was a pretty field. <br />
<br />
You can also see in the photo where the combine is leaving the straw in rows. We baled that for our cattle and are now going to plant the field to sorghum to chop for cattle feed this fall.<br />
<br />
This is the first year doing all of this – we’ll see what we learn!<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/swFRVBEEnqc" width="560"></iframe>Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-26518069774649556922017-04-26T09:32:00.001-07:002017-04-26T09:32:47.738-07:00Planting Progress 2017<p>#Plant2017 is officially here! </p> <p>I’m struggling to keep up on posting anything on social media because I’ve needed both of my hands for most of my tasks this spring! We got into the field on Saturday night (4/22). AJ put the planter in the ground at around 8 pm. I don’t think <em><u><strong>I</strong></u></em> would start as it is getting dark, but I’m not a gung-ho farmer like my husband. I was also attempting to get the kids fed and in bed around that time (part of my spring role on the farm!). </p> <p>Part of planting is the prepping the ground for the planter, so we’ve been ‘in the field’ since around the second week of April. We’ve been spraying our cover crops, spraying some areas where we have extra weed pressure, strip-tilling, and field cultivating. </p> <p>So far we’ve gotten about half of our corn in the ground! Last year we got started about a week earlier (4/14/16) and were done with corn by April 26th of last year. So comparing this year to last, we are behind, but we still have time! Ideally (in Iowa) our window to plant corn is from April 20 – May 5. </p> <p>We also don’t calve earlier in the year like a lot of cattle farmers, so as the planter has hit the ground, the baby calves are starting to come, too!</p> <p>It’s been busy so far, but the ‘end’ of spring is still far off! I’ll try to keep you updated as we continue #plant2017!</p> <p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jVwbdaDo-Zg/WQDLoq9rUHI/AAAAAAAAIB4/xztNXjX9v6o20P9MD0r9ItjrxmHKSLhgACHM/s1600-h/IMG_0774-COLLAGE%255B25%255D"><img title="Misc. Spring Tasks" style="display: inline" alt="Planting Progress 2017" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iOXMiEr3Cnc/WQDLpoyDPFI/AAAAAAAAIB8/42d9jGrjZhoXVP-YgnuHz-0pd9bBtYHKwCHM/IMG_0774-COLLAGE_thumb%255B22%255D?imgmax=800" width="400" height="400"></a><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tQplcqSsd1k/WQDLqsM5U0I/AAAAAAAAICA/7Ke5cBqQAk84sDA2QCtoucU0H7Tbv1srgCHM/s1600-h/IMG_0894%255B26%255D"><img title="Planter" style="display: inline" alt="Planting Progress 2017" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-X8dpKao3niI/WQDLrfFVvTI/AAAAAAAAICI/DnLp82_SH8UGXsoNo2nZwF-Ot0Oo_W2RwCHM/IMG_0894_thumb%255B23%255D?imgmax=800" width="501" height="400"></a></p>Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-18211711787432254352017-02-01T08:08:00.000-08:002017-02-01T08:11:46.582-08:00Fertilizer and Math Skills<p><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nUvJr3jMkiw/WJIH_9PxfzI/AAAAAAAAGU4/9V4LdJD6p-UR1Ov32ZJZf9aUjCNIAzaOQCHM/s1600-h/2017-02-01%2BBlog%2BFertilizer%2Band%2BMath%2BSkills%255B9%255D"><img title="2017-02-01 Blog Fertilizer and Math Skills" style="border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; border-left: 0px; display: block; padding-right: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="2017-02-01 Blog Fertilizer and Math Skills" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-WW-5YztXH_Q/WJIIAer8sSI/AAAAAAAAGU8/NtIAg0EsJYsfQOnzAuZqZ9G-Omr-e7CdACHM/2017-02-01%2BBlog%2BFertilizer%2Band%2BMath%2BSkills_thumb%255B7%255D?imgmax=800" width="505" height="484"></a></p> <p>Did you know that I do a lot of math over the winter? Actually, we do a lot of math on the farm, period (sometimes in the form of…if I can get 15 acres/hour done, and have 45 more acres to do, what time will I be home?). </p> <p>After harvest we immediately start planning for the next crop. One very important part of the next crop is the fertilizer. The main sources of fertilizer we look at are nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (P). On our farm we have different sources of fertilizer that are applied onto our field as:</p> <ul> <li>Manure <ul> <li>Cattle manure <li>Hog manure</li></ul> <li>“Commercial” fertilizer (what we have to buy to put it on our fields)</li></ul> <p>This may seem simple. <em>“Put on fertilizer!”</em> Just like everything, it ISN’T that simple. </p> <p>We have multiple fields, with multiple yields and crops. Which then means each field has a different removal of nutrients (for each bushel of corn/soybeans they remove N-P-K). </p> <p>So we have to look at:</p> <ol> <li>What crop was on each field <li>What was the yield (which then relates to what was removed as nutrients from the soil)</li></ol> <p>This will tell us how many nutrients were removed for this past year (we use <font style=><a href="https://store.extension.iastate.edu/Product/A-General-Guide-for-Crop-Nutrient-and-Limestone-Recommendations-in-Iowa" target="_blank">ISU</a></font><font style="background-color: #ffff00"></font> values to determine what was removed)</p> <p>We also need to know:</p> <ol> <li>What is the soil analysis for that field? <ol> <li>Did we have high analyses for P and K? or low?</li></ol> <li>What was applied as fertilizer the year before? or, the history of the field? <li>What do we want? are we short (too low) on nutrients, long (too many)? what is the investment? <li>What will the weather be? What’s the plan for next year? 2 years? 1 year? etc</li></ol> <p>Remember, each of these answers is different for each field!</p> <p>In summary, Mr. Snyder & Mr. A would be proud that I’m putting my math skills to work. And, Excel ® is a great program to help me out! </p>Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-69810342231593621202017-01-23T07:17:00.001-08:002017-01-23T07:18:32.040-08:00Tis’ the Season for Meetings<span style="font-size: medium;">Over the winter we do a lot of paperwork (catch up). We have piles, we have taxes, we have planning for the next year, we have crop to deliver, and we have school papers to sift through (seriously, this <em>may</em> be our largest pile). </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BaiZY1ETKZY/WIYeaLzYHBI/AAAAAAAAGJw/z3-IAGMpG7U/s1600-h/IMG_0359%25255B15%25255D.jpg"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img align="left" alt="IMG_0359" border="0" height="240" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-jrmTxvdN6nE/WIYebVb69WI/AAAAAAAAGJ0/kFO8Vqyzb-Q/IMG_0359_thumb%25255B12%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 28px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="IMG_0359" width="180" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;">Also over the winter months we have MEETINGS!! I call them meetings, but mostly it is school for adults. Do you have continuing education for your job? Farmers have the same thing. This week alone I have a variety of options to attend: </span><a href="http://www.iowaporkcongress.org/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Iowa Pork Congress</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;">, </span><a href="http://www.iasoybeans.com/eweekly/2016/12/15/dont-miss-dac-day-in-des-moines-jan-24/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;">Iowa Soybean Association’s Legislative Reception and District Advisory Council</span></a><span style="font-size: medium;">, and my daughter’s class has invited me to talk about farming. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: medium;">There are so many things for us to be involved in, and we learn something from all of them. We get involved because it is our way of learning but also being able to give our input on what is important on our farm for the coming year.</span>Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-29134266896086196872017-01-03T08:33:00.001-08:002017-01-03T08:33:28.429-08:00A New Groove in the New Year!<div style="text-align: left;">
Wow. I can’t believe 2016 is really over. It went a little too fast for me, how about you?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I’ve made resolutions in the past, just to see them fail, grow old, or are too hard to follow. I’m learning as I grow older to not have ANY expectations for the year. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My role has grown on the farm to full-time. Even though I'll need to find a new groove, I'm sure it'll be another good one. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>"You adorn the year with your bounty; your paths drip with fruitful rain." -Psalms 65:12</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Here’s to 2017!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDfWGz8bt4xau7LjeE8JcjlQaLAp1OqpC5ksCFyfhar0uZJPK3APNBoXQ73t5w0hGptoHRiuuZTH8xxChkt6T_NTfxWejKbxblS2cq5e6kVjV7Fu5LH664ujLhquxGikvbQfhsIcI1kU/s1600/IMG_8007-ANIMATION.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDfWGz8bt4xau7LjeE8JcjlQaLAp1OqpC5ksCFyfhar0uZJPK3APNBoXQ73t5w0hGptoHRiuuZTH8xxChkt6T_NTfxWejKbxblS2cq5e6kVjV7Fu5LH664ujLhquxGikvbQfhsIcI1kU/s1600/IMG_8007-ANIMATION.gif" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is a snapshot of 2016!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-54616082605366687872016-12-15T09:30:00.000-08:002016-12-15T09:30:26.789-08:00Harvest 2016A harvest post in December you ask? <br />
Yes. A harvest post in December. <br />
This fall was BEAUTIFUL. The weather was awesome. Once harvest began, we didn’t stop. As great as that sounds now, it was rather challenging to keep up with. <br />
Here are some highlights:<br />
<ul>
<li>Chopped <a href="http://homeagainfinnegan.blogspot.com/2016/09/earlage-chopping-highlights.html" target="_blank">earlage</a> on 9/8 (which is now being used for our cattle feed) </li>
<li>Soybean harvest started on 9/27 and ended on 10/11 (we did a few days of corn in there, too) </li>
<li>Corn harvest went from 10/12 to 10/24 </li>
<li>Drilled cover crops from 9/21 – 10/29 </li>
<li>Baled cornstalk bales (to be used as bedding and feed for cattle) </li>
<li>Spread cattle and pig manure (fertilizer!!) </li>
<li>Moved cattle from the pasture to cornstalks</li>
</ul>
We finished up early compared to the past 3 years of harvest: <br />
<ul>
<li>2016: 9/27-10/24 </li>
<li>2015: 9/26-11/04 </li>
<li>2014: 9/29-11/08 </li>
<li>2013: 9/27-11/03</li>
</ul>
My role was a lot different this year. In the past, I’ve mostly helped in the office. This year I did cattle chores every morning, drilled cover crops, baled cornstalk bales, and tried to keep up in the office. I’m way more involved, and I’m happy to say I’m still (somewhat) sane! <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZQKuhCHtZuo/WFHDwYkZBFI/AAAAAAAAFfU/Pi4toh5jd8E/s1600-h/2016-09-27%25255B16%25255D.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2016-09-27" border="0" height="336" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gYNyHosBKJ4/WFHDwgNMgxI/AAAAAAAAFfY/rWT6j6uQiPo/2016-09-27_thumb%25255B13%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; display: inline; float: left; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;" title="2016-09-27" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A selfie with the family!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="2016-10-24" border="0" height="330" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-04MWDO6_cj8/WFHDxp-yFYI/AAAAAAAAFfg/1FtKcVafKt4/2016-10-24_thumb%25255B14%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="2016-10-24" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the almost 500 cornstalk bales</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ZGW8tVUWZk4/WFHDxZ8qFgI/AAAAAAAAFfc/OqEVAF4Py0Q/s1600-h/2016-10-24%25255B17%25255D.jpg"></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LD7oXYAIp5I/WFHDyEpZxlI/AAAAAAAAFfo/1AHCkFj521M/2016-09-21_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2016-09-21" border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LD7oXYAIp5I/WFHDyEpZxlI/AAAAAAAAFfo/1AHCkFj521M/2016-09-21_thumb%25255B9%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; display: block; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;" title="2016-09-21" width="368" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drilling cover crops. This was my view a lot this fall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cU9E5jqsuko/WFHDy441bFI/AAAAAAAAFfs/KtY5SR66Brg/s1600-h/2016-09-27%252520%2525282%252529%25255B13%25255D.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2016-09-27 (2)" border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8eKtEoHTVNs/WFHDzFoHr9I/AAAAAAAAFfw/xQUdmv1bOYE/2016-09-27%252520%2525282%252529_thumb%25255B10%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="2016-09-27 (2)" width="284" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The combine :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iiu17gG6aM4/WFHDzfI5lQI/AAAAAAAAFf0/NrIfHvQ1plM/s1600-h/IMG_0116%25255B1%25255D%25255B7%25255D.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="left" alt="IMG_0116" border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-lchSRjkiJM0/WFHDzg_PKKI/AAAAAAAAFf4/OC5xAXEK6AA/IMG_0116%25255B1%25255D_thumb%25255B6%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 67px 0px 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="IMG_0116" width="214" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-pJg8EMLZ1G0/WFHD0LcOJ3I/AAAAAAAAFf8/wYEqDoccnKQ/s1600-h/2016-10-18%25255B15%25255D.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="2016-10-18" border="0" height="400" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Be4alfM99LA/WFHD0duzlsI/AAAAAAAAFgA/md8-3QTVlBY/2016-10-18_thumb%25255B12%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="2016-10-18" width="374" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cattle came from the pasture onto cornstalks and cover crop</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-28195850756504280002016-11-24T05:16:00.001-08:002016-11-24T05:18:58.903-08:00Happy Thanksgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSr4eXogdU1s631jEmwyujaDwFrbVBmXAzfGUCFf9pOvdDSlP3TH3z9Wjx_NW4KSSiEyZz1qb-s-Qy3PWfIfZmqC_qe2FbDGoBNqgLMdIA77QHXby5DjacrvbyOQmgV9sIsWgxaz2Sq7Q/s640/blogger-image-1767431809.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSr4eXogdU1s631jEmwyujaDwFrbVBmXAzfGUCFf9pOvdDSlP3TH3z9Wjx_NW4KSSiEyZz1qb-s-Qy3PWfIfZmqC_qe2FbDGoBNqgLMdIA77QHXby5DjacrvbyOQmgV9sIsWgxaz2Sq7Q/s640/blogger-image-1767431809.jpg"></a></div>Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-87433823214103922792016-11-11T14:40:00.000-08:002016-11-11T14:40:01.523-08:00Veterans DayThank you, Veterans. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OiqX7B8IiSXL2UzBgHxmuBqedJa8Q218RtCYFtR8lSNWr2j3wfua73-Bo0ls7glzTgETjEiVnYdin7iKGYXBEudlbHvm3esyrlRU6G2rIW6AdULWL5KTBmbDIqjxRH4sndm_vJoirrY/s1600/VeteransDay2016.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OiqX7B8IiSXL2UzBgHxmuBqedJa8Q218RtCYFtR8lSNWr2j3wfua73-Bo0ls7glzTgETjEiVnYdin7iKGYXBEudlbHvm3esyrlRU6G2rIW6AdULWL5KTBmbDIqjxRH4sndm_vJoirrY/s640/VeteransDay2016.png" width="552" /></a></div>
<br />Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-40259684537516571692016-09-12T06:19:00.001-07:002016-09-12T06:51:47.889-07:00Earlage Chopping HighlightsWe chopped earlage last week (9/8) and it went really well. <br />
<br />
Normally when you harvest corn you just harvest the corn: the cobs, husks, and stalks are thrown out the back of the combine. Earlage you harvest the corn, husk, and cob (we use for cattle feed). Silage you harvest the majority of the plant: corn, cob, husk, and stalk (for feed, also).<br />
<br />
The decision to feed earlage for our cattle is basically for the ration we feed to the cattle. Earlage has more roughage than straight corn, but less roughage than silage. So, if we feed corn we'd need to add more roughage (like hay), and if we feed silage we'd need to feed more corn to balance out the ration needed. Earlage is an in-between and works for our rations and feed options.<br />
<br />
Here are some of the "highlights" from the day as taken through Snapchat. I didn't get the end of the day because I ran out of battery!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwpBCGbZrnmQRtnYazS0MSv9FfyQSDaQV2qA86uisMaIl3B9p5_v-npzi_4Z3yUvKOf8qd12GeOUs-rznDDfQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div align="center">
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8OxteZsTXiw/V9LOsX6Xd9I/AAAAAAAADxA/dcRQyFx8sBA9RPOxGuHhgbiukQyM2csPQCPcB/s1600/IMG_9716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8OxteZsTXiw/V9LOsX6Xd9I/AAAAAAAADxA/dcRQyFx8sBA9RPOxGuHhgbiukQyM2csPQCPcB/s640/IMG_9716.JPG" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was in charge of a wagon like the one ahead of me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bdB1Iocs1ms/V9LOsX67eSI/AAAAAAAADxA/n9z516UVelAKnfxokuSDbkV-gryElEhwgCPcB/s1600/IMG_9717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bdB1Iocs1ms/V9LOsX67eSI/AAAAAAAADxA/n9z516UVelAKnfxokuSDbkV-gryElEhwgCPcB/s640/IMG_9717.JPG" width="360" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzUmfJcJWnpFQqPbswMMjRc5DjVSZzTAJyI0NZ4S-9NaU2HI7GWot_61F_tEG4D4JfiJWf-xg5ZZZd1PNm64Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dEa_WPBLmA8/V9LOsZaQ1YI/AAAAAAAADxA/SrJZbTLdWpEOx-I-DLnO0BC8biPvXP3OwCPcB/s1600/IMG_9719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dEa_WPBLmA8/V9LOsZaQ1YI/AAAAAAAADxA/SrJZbTLdWpEOx-I-DLnO0BC8biPvXP3OwCPcB/s640/IMG_9719.JPG" width="360" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyXxQ8Bha6j82f8G-w0PFu0LM1IKOFQgKtp4qTUbiwsvBqpw1mJERXimcBuTA1mkjNuY7HaL12dNH-LoQKdhA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div align="center">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyYZxBDT46JUVJpRGJ3hNs_Sp05dunQ6ieE1f362zQB9w72VFwFgnCe58Yj2hR_Gk5ihe3hLL3B28Ayon5_oA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xzNDHf7VjMs/V9LOsTsm2PI/AAAAAAAADxA/jvFOXalwJXEEIEhN64GErnexwXYhhJLrwCPcB/s1600/IMG_9648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xzNDHf7VjMs/V9LOsTsm2PI/AAAAAAAADxA/jvFOXalwJXEEIEhN64GErnexwXYhhJLrwCPcB/s640/IMG_9648.JPG" width="360" /></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dymRYRnxHl-T3PxRdlk-oPnX_bioJ0jFdKDs4aRqDbOH8n0vUDyAknD92GPfXzsJLtsGrDOlHiNTzEiIAtQ3g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br /></div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-54592851438158397412016-09-06T07:47:00.001-07:002016-09-06T07:47:16.112-07:00Cover Crops 2016COVER CROPS!! I hear about it all the time in the news, at field days, etc. But I learn the most on our own farm. This year was difficult in deciding what to do for cover crops. As most probably know, budgets are tight this year.<br />
<br />
We sat down and finally decided the plan (always subject to change on the farm, mind you). Our plan is:<br />
<ul>
<li>Use a Hagie to plant our corn acres with rye. These fields will be harvested later, so they’ll have more time to grow. </li>
<li>Use a drill to plant our soybean acres with rye. </li>
<li>We have one corn field that will be harvested first for earlage - that field will also be drilled. </li>
</ul>
We’ve never used a drill before, so this *could* be interesting! <br />
<br />
The Hagie came out on August 31st and seeded the first of our acres to rye. This machine is pretty cool! We used a Hagie this year because the weather was perfect for it! I am excited to see what the cover crop looks like when we harvest the corn!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIJ3qCbD5JuVj2ynKh6LphgwPRULUFcqjFEB9ZkRxQYfPRW30WdEFC8eDuGGjr-7gbhltRKM5dzwiEBgPyEUwr0RijbLvYjTW9R7l8ZEY4bRctf_LjpLMitl6uMEWNpNrOzhBTGAN8Ys/s1600/DJI_0050.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaIJ3qCbD5JuVj2ynKh6LphgwPRULUFcqjFEB9ZkRxQYfPRW30WdEFC8eDuGGjr-7gbhltRKM5dzwiEBgPyEUwr0RijbLvYjTW9R7l8ZEY4bRctf_LjpLMitl6uMEWNpNrOzhBTGAN8Ys/s640/DJI_0050.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='640' height='480' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxNb4iS3a82kVHx-b0MGakpJ4js7T6vSxuLX8c9s8bSUJyoPbMMNbEDpV2EaEODl_7em_BsHhirhG2ev-232A' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
Cover Crop History:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>We've been seeding cover crops for around 7 years now, but I only have the last 3 documented online!</li>
<li>We used the Hagie in 2014: <a href="http://homeagainfinnegan.blogspot.com/2014/09/tis-season-for-cover-crops.html" title="http://homeagainfinnegan.blogspot.com/2014/09/tis-season-for-cover-crops.html">http://homeagainfinnegan.blogspot.com/2014/09/tis-season-for-cover-crops.html</a></li>
<li>We used a plane in 2015. <a href="http://goo.gl/GT82I0">http://goo.gl/GT82I0</a></li>
</ul>
<br />Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-74092847167970251332016-08-25T06:56:00.003-07:002016-08-29T07:49:44.354-07:00Training Needed...Pepper is now pretty used to the farm...but still needs some training on what to do with the cattle :)<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="400" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fhomeagainfinnegan%2Fvideos%2F1960391100854146%2F&show_text=0&width=400" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="400"></iframe>Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-43320406813344642012016-08-24T07:02:00.003-07:002016-08-24T07:02:44.608-07:00First Day Of School<div>Where does the time go?</div><div><br></div><div>Wyatt is headed to 1st grade and Charlotte to Kindergarten!! They will ride the bus to and from school with no daycare. We've been lucky to have such great daycare. </div><div><br></div><div>I always shed a tear on our adventures into the new. I'm sad to see them grow, but so very very happy God gave them to us. ❤️</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DBuF0xdq_NUMe1e3Kz7pKEMc0XIZGrp0nlmEMSbIsVsIhO8KUlO-mFxyU17VdcAhIPFFICMQBckyXHQ_znkFRNEV34A-M2ZnnVgOnpg28jh6PPmZCwW_2KHC3oKQYcVIgRDjCxlLonA/s640/blogger-image-353697233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3DBuF0xdq_NUMe1e3Kz7pKEMc0XIZGrp0nlmEMSbIsVsIhO8KUlO-mFxyU17VdcAhIPFFICMQBckyXHQ_znkFRNEV34A-M2ZnnVgOnpg28jh6PPmZCwW_2KHC3oKQYcVIgRDjCxlLonA/s640/blogger-image-353697233.jpg"></a></div>Annual school photo by the tree!</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqeRlDYTFfIybuBcP14sMekIbfw__6gcHOOu66p6eex8eVrUO-wn-f5ftIXz3NHbfrOF9VVtiFK_h6gYEzPA2u_9bt4HxPEmigVwKkb7GFu35fssla_QD8ZM18TuCh8mrsou1pzjuPT4/s640/blogger-image--922407203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqeRlDYTFfIybuBcP14sMekIbfw__6gcHOOu66p6eex8eVrUO-wn-f5ftIXz3NHbfrOF9VVtiFK_h6gYEzPA2u_9bt4HxPEmigVwKkb7GFu35fssla_QD8ZM18TuCh8mrsou1pzjuPT4/s640/blogger-image--922407203.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPqbfYYUg4SkCquaRaZGfg2PV0JClvmQJJohE5g4Gu5z_1zvVNjwxeiWlpx64N8mv8Uk7wWdLjzNsrR8qWaU7-rxzSAbBkAhbskK9FfuyK8Z-_RgRY_kTTiatrEEwAa19lrv89xmoXdA/s640/blogger-image-1556162326.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirPqbfYYUg4SkCquaRaZGfg2PV0JClvmQJJohE5g4Gu5z_1zvVNjwxeiWlpx64N8mv8Uk7wWdLjzNsrR8qWaU7-rxzSAbBkAhbskK9FfuyK8Z-_RgRY_kTTiatrEEwAa19lrv89xmoXdA/s640/blogger-image-1556162326.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j1Jhf68ztcUqTkQZgcnRLavCvCedWMKpkkGXJSDZDPA9Z-yFMMOxmNSJg_aVQqhYi1WIxtCQJfK9xEZAoLl96la71S1DvQe1QIacfKyBahem_CKC7XsxFBPaQe_kVTtOjCxt0REU6SY/s640/blogger-image-369807519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5j1Jhf68ztcUqTkQZgcnRLavCvCedWMKpkkGXJSDZDPA9Z-yFMMOxmNSJg_aVQqhYi1WIxtCQJfK9xEZAoLl96la71S1DvQe1QIacfKyBahem_CKC7XsxFBPaQe_kVTtOjCxt0REU6SY/s640/blogger-image-369807519.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-38843126983863947732016-08-22T07:02:00.000-07:002016-08-24T07:04:26.003-07:00Our HelpWe are trying to get as much help as we can from these two on their last couple of days of summer!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZMZfH6mCM30K8QXfJJQYDryomIKQ5Wi4092BrRfmeqniQyqAtCh70N6Vm8KwEvfoQljBbmgZb9kJcjayj06plfBNK5n8HgVdvMymvLtJFiByXKGRdAmO6eDxpnKiD9Qf5uqgeVrG-88/s640/blogger-image--1097403194.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqZMZfH6mCM30K8QXfJJQYDryomIKQ5Wi4092BrRfmeqniQyqAtCh70N6Vm8KwEvfoQljBbmgZb9kJcjayj06plfBNK5n8HgVdvMymvLtJFiByXKGRdAmO6eDxpnKiD9Qf5uqgeVrG-88/s640/blogger-image--1097403194.jpg" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-16325113392507217112016-08-17T12:10:00.001-07:002016-08-17T12:10:28.613-07:00New Pigs50 pound feeder pigs came to the farm today. They will stay for about 5 months (and around 250 lbs) until they are ready for market.<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9gc9ApGwVDn02SIgZiJ6rs8ZtXEes30DzOQIRzUyRFqAhmfi2BjcmJySBGAJBFj4QuRcuJ6-5vg1C-2wK1PF6_Gxy5azh5j0nQselE6LTVl0HmB4K5cz4hhyRzEeLSA7SB6LfBfiA44/s640/blogger-image--449939391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9gc9ApGwVDn02SIgZiJ6rs8ZtXEes30DzOQIRzUyRFqAhmfi2BjcmJySBGAJBFj4QuRcuJ6-5vg1C-2wK1PF6_Gxy5azh5j0nQselE6LTVl0HmB4K5cz4hhyRzEeLSA7SB6LfBfiA44/s640/blogger-image--449939391.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The barn (above) all cleaned and ready for the new pigs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiV3c6SQB8S5cPQF5hKXDdH7en6-QHzvJrBHbYRILE4RKRo4bdTag7qw3Q_ZCkgH7BHqCY0Ja6OCC60lB20MNkGs02U5oakTahc7sJ3q6sObmjSX7CxZinE6BzM__xmaJS7amKZfV128A/s640/blogger-image--1224678459.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiV3c6SQB8S5cPQF5hKXDdH7en6-QHzvJrBHbYRILE4RKRo4bdTag7qw3Q_ZCkgH7BHqCY0Ja6OCC60lB20MNkGs02U5oakTahc7sJ3q6sObmjSX7CxZinE6BzM__xmaJS7amKZfV128A/s640/blogger-image--1224678459.jpg"></a></div></div>Already enjoying their new home.</div><div><br></div>Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-85232356586964056712016-07-11T10:00:00.000-07:002016-07-11T10:00:29.652-07:00Organic: Yes or No? And, Why?What are your thoughts about what "organic" means in the grocery store? Do you tend to buy only organic? Do you question what it is, but buy it anyway? <br />
<br />
I don't want to start a big debate, but I'm curious as to what tendencies you have in the grocery store.<br />
<br />
What questions do you have for me on our 'conventional' farm? <br />
<br />
I thought this article was a good explanation of organic:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/wellness/2016/07/05/organic-does-not-mean-chemical-free/">http://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/wellness/2016/07/05/organic-does-not-mean-chemical-free/</a>Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-37084116671720543692016-07-06T13:03:00.002-07:002016-07-06T13:04:28.330-07:00July Soybeans<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">Our soybeans. In between the row you can see the corn stalks we no-tilled into and some dead rye cover crop. Now all we need is some rain.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UFm4yZFProEsE21WlPNfaphbQHw_dC0YaxfbtVJozAAtSN_pacSs6tdGhICKmEgiKfKEEMIlxus92xU2HtHTPQacoOvhdTx2-0xXEGIeZWCwu6cuC98msIL7guCx-U22P4ihAifyges/s640/blogger-image-1058212586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UFm4yZFProEsE21WlPNfaphbQHw_dC0YaxfbtVJozAAtSN_pacSs6tdGhICKmEgiKfKEEMIlxus92xU2HtHTPQacoOvhdTx2-0xXEGIeZWCwu6cuC98msIL7guCx-U22P4ihAifyges/s640/blogger-image-1058212586.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-49795911452677407412016-07-05T06:14:00.002-07:002016-07-05T06:14:40.202-07:00Fed Like Our CattleEvery day the cattle get fed with a mixture of feed specially made for them. The mamma cows, pregnant cows, cattle fed for beef, etc: they all have what we call a ration of protein, energy, roughage, vitamins, and others. Some rations are made to help the animals gain weight, lose weight, or just maintain weight.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I wish someone would feed me the ration I need...then again, I don't want to be compared to a cow :)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoI8q_2QROwRfcE-9i-1_fSrUHYnPAG4bjOgtVoKnHnuYatlJfItEwmCC2ba6EShYlnLzIbegPQtFnQ-PLycK-cMFLqRIcZyOU50f_aVrBoIm08TcTKmmFnexQAhzp2KJxfC0UIFA96l8/s640/blogger-image--1145989301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoI8q_2QROwRfcE-9i-1_fSrUHYnPAG4bjOgtVoKnHnuYatlJfItEwmCC2ba6EShYlnLzIbegPQtFnQ-PLycK-cMFLqRIcZyOU50f_aVrBoIm08TcTKmmFnexQAhzp2KJxfC0UIFA96l8/s640/blogger-image--1145989301.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This feed ration (mix) is made up of cracked corn, hay, distillers, and a balancer (vitamins & minerals). The cattle here are being fed for beef.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-61122285115915138722016-07-01T09:00:00.000-07:002016-07-05T06:25:33.893-07:00Our New Farm Dog<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Meet Pepper. She is our new farm dog. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Nnpmi-tjqgteusAbJlebhoLZu3K010HAqjXi9hVMeW6TYfoSXXLkO397wMbGX7sPllvbIYl-it-ENynJ5MhMIYA3ZCUPImC5NmFgodziRvOQri73F7RDvEEcGl1P9Q58EohNZ0TtZD4/s1600/blogger-image--169855935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Nnpmi-tjqgteusAbJlebhoLZu3K010HAqjXi9hVMeW6TYfoSXXLkO397wMbGX7sPllvbIYl-it-ENynJ5MhMIYA3ZCUPImC5NmFgodziRvOQri73F7RDvEEcGl1P9Q58EohNZ0TtZD4/s640/blogger-image--169855935.jpg" /></a></div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-80775079208582002922016-06-30T09:00:00.000-07:002016-07-05T06:23:16.724-07:00Messy Hair. Don't Care.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Messy Hair. Don't Care.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhyphenhyphen9pBw_ndsqPN7WMnq-JE8H4uuNUQ7x3PdiV6iEsZVenMv2oqd9EmAnjdr5qPlnE2T8AMjxBIy1dg1ac9daKZNy_MNBAD96Dz9EnXp8nCLlygPKb1y3_QaqMRB1QxPqamFuEJumMBFY/s640/blogger-image--2037732277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhyphenhyphen9pBw_ndsqPN7WMnq-JE8H4uuNUQ7x3PdiV6iEsZVenMv2oqd9EmAnjdr5qPlnE2T8AMjxBIy1dg1ac9daKZNy_MNBAD96Dz9EnXp8nCLlygPKb1y3_QaqMRB1QxPqamFuEJumMBFY/s640/blogger-image--2037732277.jpg" /></a></div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-68919314249778506472016-02-09T12:43:00.000-08:002016-02-09T13:14:26.473-08:00Snow Removal<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKf2CqKKWrc6vF-ugXB9DxgYcdUSGkkXs_VOZ6A6kF1KiyYRrDucYpL0fF7iTlfQEMqv8J5i9rYY3KLLBt5eOACJxqYqUEVOhTqNT6jywkX1xnCqjMSCvNL1MaJTcLbjh8UQSxBGjcIJ4/s1600/SnowRemovalBlog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKf2CqKKWrc6vF-ugXB9DxgYcdUSGkkXs_VOZ6A6kF1KiyYRrDucYpL0fF7iTlfQEMqv8J5i9rYY3KLLBt5eOACJxqYqUEVOhTqNT6jywkX1xnCqjMSCvNL1MaJTcLbjh8UQSxBGjcIJ4/s640/SnowRemovalBlog.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Last week we received about 11 inches of snow. And it blew (both literally and figuratively). <br />
<br />
This week, we got another 1-2 inches of snow and it blew <u>again</u>. <br />
<br />
So, we've been stuck at home a lot in the past 2 weeks. Luckily, the power never went out, so we were able to enjoy the modern luxuries of heat, lights, internet, and television. <br />
<br />
After snow events, or on days that the snow blows into drifts, the monotonous task of moving snow begins. In order to feed the livestock (and get out of the driveway) we have to get it moved. Since AJ is the one to do chores, he is tasked with snow removal!<br />
<br />
I got a new camera, so I got to test it a little. Take a look at some of those piles!!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMrTdxhctYAZ2xmKLQCc4X2IyLilLt3EdWyR0pRQwFwkJM7fbElGkXV0p06yTwhdzYNU5vZyC8Z6uYidmIHSnt-CZEdDr7X65zW8FakD_Rntn-4KRJiDbL3zWwja_fvWu4hkkEB2IJhw/s1600/DSC_0049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snow Pile Fun" border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMrTdxhctYAZ2xmKLQCc4X2IyLilLt3EdWyR0pRQwFwkJM7fbElGkXV0p06yTwhdzYNU5vZyC8Z6uYidmIHSnt-CZEdDr7X65zW8FakD_Rntn-4KRJiDbL3zWwja_fvWu4hkkEB2IJhw/s640/DSC_0049.JPG" title="Snow Pile Fun" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The snow piles are fun areas to play.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi09NyETB84-wnnKtNQ4ox_mSLS6wt-DobmUtYffbvsgccYYhWPbflIaFfz6Pir7eVx_mYNdJjyd2ClQ9bpbdkaFybX9f6WP8iDqMX-UQE_dkvE1saCTD7O5lNeWq9-L5p6PC5Kt_V_EA/s1600/DSC_0011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snow on the Farm" border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi09NyETB84-wnnKtNQ4ox_mSLS6wt-DobmUtYffbvsgccYYhWPbflIaFfz6Pir7eVx_mYNdJjyd2ClQ9bpbdkaFybX9f6WP8iDqMX-UQE_dkvE1saCTD7O5lNeWq9-L5p6PC5Kt_V_EA/s640/DSC_0011.JPG" title="Snow on the Farm" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div align="center">
This drive leads out to our earlage pile and bales.</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8c5vXZhlrevbbl0jMPCDjq7l6i89Vif-UlQ39czU1xbxbWhhkhJ-mJ5nimFVvSbFl7k35x8NZX-JFQBjkWNNPloRxtVWCGUrP6qPSsB3azjeMmQ54nPpFB3k4tQSQL0Jk8KXm3QPqxE/s1600/DSC_0017+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snow on the Farm" border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD8c5vXZhlrevbbl0jMPCDjq7l6i89Vif-UlQ39czU1xbxbWhhkhJ-mJ5nimFVvSbFl7k35x8NZX-JFQBjkWNNPloRxtVWCGUrP6qPSsB3azjeMmQ54nPpFB3k4tQSQL0Jk8KXm3QPqxE/s640/DSC_0017+%25281%2529.JPG" title="Snow on the Farm" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can you see the 3 piles?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00aKa6P7ouxCaV0pUachrvSiaTWXecSgfs18zCHbIu-gCSz4jmoHpL13Sd6Gk2-4WLxlQp4obYn_Zh80eUytFFuDJVPVVNphblwGGOHGu1Jz-9J-7if8-P9RGu41huJKQ1ccbpigVB4Q/s1600/DSC_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snow on the Farm" border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg00aKa6P7ouxCaV0pUachrvSiaTWXecSgfs18zCHbIu-gCSz4jmoHpL13Sd6Gk2-4WLxlQp4obYn_Zh80eUytFFuDJVPVVNphblwGGOHGu1Jz-9J-7if8-P9RGu41huJKQ1ccbpigVB4Q/s640/DSC_0021.JPG" title="Snow on the Farm" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hog barn also needs snow moved.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIPtV1Zix_YZIO7y2OjIzDEVOgGVi6t_blZ40VQaqAmwB3EgTD83AAyDUuRfNwq62cPHNS0AJvYLEq4Fn4LEQKMzhpiczFRktKNEBUpgDk0nL6PmSvrXyWbiPZlMJw4jI7K2hcWpmAwo/s1600/DSC_0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Snow on the Farm" border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCIPtV1Zix_YZIO7y2OjIzDEVOgGVi6t_blZ40VQaqAmwB3EgTD83AAyDUuRfNwq62cPHNS0AJvYLEq4Fn4LEQKMzhpiczFRktKNEBUpgDk0nL6PmSvrXyWbiPZlMJw4jI7K2hcWpmAwo/s640/DSC_0044.JPG" title="Snow on the Farm" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucky AJ at least has a cab!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='520' height='466' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyDxNUcLrVzB1agmak7avCbwq5mUoyoUjgviU_htXeKYVsi8khIunjhVZy_VpAERCRXfSsIR68paNlllU90Qg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Above is a video of AJ moving the snow. </div>
<br />
And, while AJ is fighting the snow piles, I am fighting the paper piles.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOlmpYMNS2y_2qchazcvSmD5XcLA4qpHdWSPWYlFbmdhFzjCfOwd-aCw3zNqGeX58SIonNX05I7MD8DoCGYMUZob7sL3G6LIbAg728N_wjHkJbYAoS24wZnwBjnyUBsSEenncYCwjApk/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Paperwork on the farm" border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQOlmpYMNS2y_2qchazcvSmD5XcLA4qpHdWSPWYlFbmdhFzjCfOwd-aCw3zNqGeX58SIonNX05I7MD8DoCGYMUZob7sL3G6LIbAg728N_wjHkJbYAoS24wZnwBjnyUBsSEenncYCwjApk/s400/DSC_0002.JPG" title="Paperwork on the farm" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-5696077842137854072015-10-15T13:05:00.000-07:002015-10-15T13:18:16.018-07:00Pets and LivestockI grew up on a farm. But now, being a parent, I realize how much my kids see and learn. Most of the time, these are great experiences. But the process of life and death, is a hard one. <br />
<br />
This past week, we had a calf that wasn’t going to make it. This calf had a lot of issues that neither we nor our vet could help with. Sometimes, the difficult choice has to be made on whether or not to put them out of their own misery. On the farm, those decisions have to be made. Wyatt asked a lot of questions about why we had to put him down. Why we couldn’t just ‘give him a shot’ to make it all better. That same day, our indoor cat, Sandie, had to go to vet because he was sick. More questions came. <br />
<br />
Livestock and pets are different on the farm. They are the same in the aspect that we feed them, we try our best to keep them healthy, we try to keep them comfortable, we try to keep them pain free. But, our livestock’s lives are meant to be different than our pets. They are not meant to be long term. They are not meant to be companions. They are here to feed us. <br />
<br />
Simply put, we feel sad when any animal on the farm dies. As I get older, it seems to hit me harder. I believe it is my kids sadness that I am taking on, too.<br />
<br />
Our cat of 8 1/2 years, Sandie, got sick. We took him to the vet, and unfortunately, the vet couldn’t help him. He died on his own, and it was no decision of anyone's, but we tried to save him. The house is now lonely when AJ is out late working and the kids are in bed. I will miss my Sandie dearly. Thank you for being a friend. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/38bmuXJW0Xs/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/38bmuXJW0Xs?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-479075965593108118.post-45934608346521372102015-10-01T11:07:00.003-07:002015-10-01T11:07:35.486-07:00Spring to Summer to FallFall is officially here and I haven’t updated the blog since school got out! <br />
The reason for the hiatus? I was overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed looking at social media and realizing that there is a lot of work to do when it comes to educating about how I ‘conventionally’ grow our crops and livestock. PLEASE, if you have questions about how your food is grown, ask! I’d be happy to talk about it! I also wanted to make sure I didn’t miss out on the summer for my children. I LOVED summers as a kid, and it is my duty to make sure they enjoy it, too! <br />
Over the summer the kids were home with me on Friday-Monday. This allowed me to work Tuesday-Thursday, and enjoy summer Friday-Monday. We made it to the pool a lot! They are old enough now that they play by themselves and with other friends, so it’s almost relaxing for me (except for the worry of drowning part, that is not so relaxing)! We also spent a lot of time with friends. This group of ours is awesome. I’m not sure how I get so lucky in each phase of my life to find good hearted, honest, fun people! <br />
<div align="center">
<a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G886GFL__-g/Vg11g3W9UvI/AAAAAAAAA2U/MTKEJmCWsOU/s1600-h/IMG_27965.jpg"><img alt="IMG_2796" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HiyKXhPHOzU/Vg11hgC0ZlI/AAAAAAAAA2c/iEYIi1Rg5DU/IMG_2796_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" height="500" style="border-width: 0px; display: inline; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;" title="IMG_2796" width="290" /></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1N3qDNqBAZU/Vg11iNiAHNI/AAAAAAAAA2g/Ooh1bhaX58k/s1600-h/IMG_279811.jpg"><img alt="IMG_2798" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-FZpa_ZS6MM0/Vg11ihtiE9I/AAAAAAAAA2o/At-Gow4Y8Jk/IMG_2798_thumb13.jpg?imgmax=800" height="500" style="border-width: 0px; display: inline;" title="IMG_2798" width="220" /></a> </div>
The summer went out with a bang. AJ ended up breaking his kneecap in an ‘on-farm’ injury. He was working on a cattle gate when it fell on him, throwing him to the cement floor, and shattering his kneecap. He was lucky enough to only come away with a broken kneecap, 6 staples in his head, and some scratches. I know this may not sound lucky, but in all the accidents that can happen around here, I’m thankful this was all we have to deal with. The accident happened August 15th (Wyatt’s 6th Birthday Party), surgery August 16th, a cast until September 16th, and now a knee brace until the doctor allows him out of it. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-nplJDLPiSvQ/Vg11i2eYjSI/AAAAAAAAA2w/mKAsNjRqbxw/s1600-h/IMG_72955.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="IMG_7295" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6KdbrcSPME8/Vg11jag8FNI/AAAAAAAAA24/K4iB290Fp24/IMG_7295_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" height="320" style="border-width: 0px; display: inline;" title="IMG_7295" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cast #1</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-T39-X4wQ1Uc/Vg11joQuhNI/AAAAAAAAA3E/-wMX6YDdSd4/s1600-h/IMG_74018.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="IMG_7401" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-rNGjZmWsmdM/Vg11kLpwtaI/AAAAAAAAA3I/iFgLmAowAKY/IMG_7401_thumb4.jpg?imgmax=800" height="320" style="border-width: 0px; display: inline;" title="IMG_7401" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cast #3</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DSkMcpfIe2U/Vg11kkB2djI/AAAAAAAAA3U/NXGfoWRHVA0/s1600-h/IMG_74065.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="IMG_7406" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Y9AIhGmE2jQ/Vg11lMbW4lI/AAAAAAAAA3Y/agYBwnrT838/IMG_7406_thumb3.jpg?imgmax=800" height="320" style="border-width: 0px; display: inline;" title="IMG_7406" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His new friend 'the brace' He no longer uses the crutch either!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div align="center">
While he was in his super-fun full leg cast, my in-laws took over with the out-of-doors farm stuff. I’m thankful they were around! The Monday after AJ’s accident, 7 loads of cattle were sent off to market. All loaded by my in-laws. Then, within the 4 weeks of AJ being laid up, they loaded around 10 trucks of hogs to go to market (I got in on a few of these…). They also took care of the cattle at the pasture, made some upgrades to our cattle barn, and a lot more. </div>
<a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-J4_pBRwfIbs/Vg11lQ6j7UI/AAAAAAAAA3k/-lYo800tF0M/s1600-h/IMG_7293%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_7293" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-tKenA2Nmspk/Vg11mCZdZiI/AAAAAAAAA3o/NPuaI_rqmBY/IMG_7293_thumb%25255B3%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="283" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_7293" width="368" /></a><br />
As a farm wife, help is often needed. Especially when the ‘farmer’ gets into an accident. Neighbors, friends, and family are very necessary on the farm. There was a lot of help offered to us. Thanks to you all. It is a big reminder of how far a little help can go! <br />
AJ was a great patient, too. He really didn’t give me a hard time. He actually did a lot of laundry folding to help out! I may request that he keep that job. <br />
The kids loved helping when they could. They were great at putting the pillows where he needed them and Wyatt even learned how to make coffee for him so he could get him a cup! <br />
Now, we have a barn partially full of cattle, a pig barn empty and being cleaned for the next load of pigs to come in. Cover crops flown on and growing, and harvest has begun! <br />
We took out about 40 acres earlage on the 21st and 22nd. Saturday and Sunday (26-27th) we got our own combine running and took out our first field of corn. We started on soybeans yesterday (30th) and should be getting them out slowly but surely as they dry down and get ready to go. I will hopefully keep you updated on what’s happening on the farm! <a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VFR2r0zB-1Q/Vg11mchGx_I/AAAAAAAAA30/ww-lkrvw9R8/s1600-h/IMG_7428%25255B6%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_7428" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-G5xNiicfUDU/Vg11nDozh1I/AAAAAAAAA38/qkZEkZQPJbw/IMG_7428_thumb%25255B4%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="380" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_7428" width="660" /></a><a href="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7x6c_Xkv3YE/Vg11nptX4PI/AAAAAAAAA4E/Oe34DUOLPBs/s1600-h/IMG_7497%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img alt="IMG_7497" border="0" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-uL17xDCy_ic/Vg11oOO_eLI/AAAAAAAAA4I/hQGhAz37dbI/IMG_7497_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" height="500" style="border: 0px currentColor; display: block; float: none; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="IMG_7497" width="660" /></a>The kids are in the routine of going to school, AJ is back out on the farm (not quite 100%, yet), and I have yet to find a groove between working, the farm, and the kids. But, this is my life. Thankfully, I LOVE IT. God is Good. Kelliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16159485415401834522noreply@blogger.com0