Raise a glass – or a spoon – to dairy farmers

While enjoying a dish of ice cream in celebration of June Dairy Month with my fiancé the other night, I couldn’t help but think of the dairy farmers who play a role in producing fresh products that go into the cool, creamy treat.

It reminded me of the two young couples I met in northeast Iowa a few weeks ago while on assignment for the Spokesman.

There’s no getting around it, dairy farming is hard work that never ends. The cows, of course, don’t take off weekends or holidays. But I quickly discovered that these young couples were more than up to the challenge of providing wholesome and locally-sourced milk and other dairy products for Iowa and the Midwest.

The first couple was Nick and Jessie Westhoff of Guttenberg. They gave up their off-farm jobs and dedicated their lives to dairying.

That meant early mornings and long days. They milk their 68 Holsteins two times per day-at 5 a.m. and 5 p.m.

The 26-year-old producers have won awards for milk quality, and take the job of providing wholesome milk seriously. “If you can get a good job in town and have your weekends off, I don’t blame people for not doing it (dairying). But somebody needs to,” Jessie said.

The second couple was Klark and Brittney Telleen of Monticello. This couple, also in their 20s, milk nearly 200 cows three times daily with his parents and three other individuals. Like the Westhoffs, the Telleens don’t complain about their shifts and say it’s their job to produce a fresh, quality product for consumers.

“We take a lot of pride in what we do and we’re excited to be milking cows, feeding cattle, and providing consumers with quality product,” Klark said.

So whichever way you celebrate June Dairy Month—by eating cheese, enjoying a thick milkshake, or enjoying yogurt-think of the Westhoffs, the Telleens and other dairy farmers throughout Iowa who play a role in providing a safe, nutritional product not just during the month of June, but every day of the year.

Written by Bethany Pint
Bethany is an Ag Commodities Writer for Iowa Farm Bureau.

Text messages from the barn

Today I was just laughing about texting and tweeting to my teenage daughter, wondering if it was normal and thinking about how much technology has changed. And then I read an article about texting dairy cows. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/agriculture/farming/9091611/Farmers-give-cows-texting-collars.html.

I can see it now…

“#Mlking 2day was epic!”

“Hey @FarmerBob:Calf onway! #dairymom.”

It’s the latest in technology being used on dairy farms in Scotland. Based upon the 3D technology used in Wii game devices, dairy cow collars are programmed to detect changes in the cows’ movements that can signal distress, illness, birth signals and more. (It’s all about computer chips and algorithms and behavior benchmarks…very technical stuff.)

The collar sends a text message to the farmers’ cell phone or computer using a wireless network. The innovation in technology is helping farmers keep closer tabs on their livestock, enhancing animal welfare and allowing farmers to be more efficient with their time and money. They can call the veterinarian to deal with possible health concerns faster and be ready to assist with baby calves quicker, too.

One farmer who has outfitted 80 cows with the collars says it’s like having an extra, full-time staff member on the farm; keeping those Holsteins healthier than ever.

It’s just another example of how important technology is to farmers; whether it’s GPS units that help farm equipment understand every inch of every field to aid in efficient planting and fertilizing efforts to temperature-controlled barns that keep livestock comfortable. I talked to Iowa hog farmers during the Iowa Pork Congress last month who receive messages from their “barns back home” to alert them of temperature changes and other concerns. Livestock farmers are always thinking about their animals and such technology allows them to keep constant tabs on their environment and conditions.

Hey! I’m a parent who likes to keep constant tabs on her daughter and I’m thankful for technology that allows me to do that. What did we do without cell phones and text messages….or tweets about what she made for lunch?

We survived, yes. But now we know so much more and can make better informed decisions. That’s a good thing for parents, farmers and texting dairy cows!

Written by Heather Lilienthal
Heather is a communications specialist with the Iowa Farm Bureau.