Movie : Farmageddon

Please join us at the showing of Farmageddon on Oct. 15, 2011. There will be two showings between 12 & 5 at the Lexington Public Library on main street, downtown Lexington.  You can call Sally O'Boyle at 859-940-1469 for show times and more info.  Please bring family and friends.  Farmageddon tells the story of small family farms that were providing safe, healthy foods to their communities and were forced to stop, sometimes through violent action, by misguided goverment agents.  An educational journey to discover why access to safe, healthy foods are being threatened.  

Hope for small family daries

November is election time.  Please consider Mr. Comer for Dept. of Agriculture.  I am very much hoping, if Comer gets elected, he will help pass legislation that will help the small family dairies of Kentucky to survive.

The Need For More Small Family Dairies

I can not believe how many people ask me for milk.  They know I have Jersey cows or see my cows and want milk or butter or cheese.  The demand for fresh dairy products is unbelievable.  If there is anyone in the Lexington area that is interested in having their own family cow, please give me a call.  I would be happy to help in any way I can to get them started.

THE DEVIL IN THE MILK

I just finished reading THE DEVIL IN THE MILK.  It deals with the controversy over A1 or A2 milk.  All of the possible health conditions caused by drinking milk from cows with the A1 genes.  I heard it was better to have cows that tested A2 but until I read this book I was not sure what all the fuss was about.  I am very glad I had all my cows tested and they all came back as A2.  DNA gene testing was not easy or cheep but I am glad I thought it was worth the time and expense.  Now, after reading this book, I can feel more confident that the milk from my Jersey cows is not causing the health problems mentioned in this book. 

Summer Time

Thank God for all the beautiful rain.  The grass has been great so the cows are very happy. The milk  they are producing is making the best butter and cheese.  Speaking of cheese we are getting a group together to take a raw milk cheese making class in Lexington.  If anyone is interested please give me a call ( 502-857-0066 ).

My neighbor Jan really likes my cows

Calves at Play

South Africa

Meet a nice couple from South Africa that came to the farm to see my Jersey Girls.  They preferred cows to goats and drove from Louisville to check us out.  I think they liked what they saw and will be back.  What a joy to meet people that like Jersey cows and the products they produce. 
Still have not figured out adding the picture and video.  May have to get a friend to help.

Movies

My neighbor has taken some great pictures and videos of the cows and calves.  I hope to be able to get them on this blog soon so you can see them.  Wish me luck.

RAIN, RAIN and MORE RAIN

The Jersey Girls and I milk outside on the back patio of my house.  All this rain has made milking a soggy affair.  One thing for sure the grass is growing real well and that is great for the cows and the calves.  The calves now have access to a bigger field for more grass and running room. They are really growing.

Lily to a new home

The Jersey club, I am a member of, needed more March calves for the children to buy and show at the fairs this year.  Lily was so big and pretty I new she would be a good show calf for a child. Grandpa Reed bought Lily for his 4 year old granddaughter and 6 year old grandson. I hope Lily likes her new home and shows well at the county fairs.

Training Cow Horns

This is great - I just got confirmation on how to train my cows' horns to grow in the shape and direction that will make them more safe and uniform.  I am on a chat room, familycow.com, that has a great bunch of ladies that love their cows.  They are knowledgeable and get right to the point.  Jerseys cow look great with horns if they are not going in all crazy directions.  The two little heifer calves, Rosie and Lily, will be growing their horns and I want them to be pretty. 

new families

We have had lots of families with the children to visit the little calves while mom and/or dad pick up the milk.  It is so cute to watch the children run in the field with the calves.  The calves get a lot of social time so that way they will not be shy around people in the future. The Vet comes next week to tattoo the heifers for their registration ID.  That visit the calves may not like.

Animal Welfare Approved

The farm inspecter for Animal Welfare Approved come to see the Jersey Girls and the farm where they live.  I really like this organization for their commitment to the health and welfare of the farm animals we use for our food.  They have many rules to follow but I agree they are for the well being of the animals.  I recieved my farm's certificate of approval for the fourth straight year in the mail today.  Healthy, contented, animals mean good food for us.

NEW FARM FRIENDS

With the help of localharvest.org and realmilk.com I have met some of the nicest people lately.  A family that recently move to KY from CA anxious to come and meet my Jersey Girls.  Also a very excited Newport Aquarium otter caretaker wanting to try her hand at milking a cow.  She did real well. 

The Babies have names

The three calves my Jersey Girls gave me now have names.  The bull calf is Action Jackson.  The two hiefer calves have long registered names but Libbie's calf is Lily.  She has little white hairs on her forehead that fan out like a Lily.  Willow's calf is Rosie, after Prim-rose Willow, a type of Willow.   I have asked a couple of neighbors to possibly raise out these three calves for me after they are weaned.

New Listings

Check out Brook-Lin Jerseys on realmilk.com and localharvest.org. I was able to put more pictures on the Local Harvest sight.

Milking Time

The Jersey Girls are putting out lots of  beautiful healthy milk.  Thier calves are growing fast, strong and healthy.  All the farm visitors really like seing and petting the calves.

ALL THREE CALVED

Willow had a beautiful heifer calf. We now have three calves, 2 heifers and a bull. Come see the babies and get some of the Jersey momma's milk to take home.

"BUSY-BUSY TIME"

Goldie calved 2 days late and Libbie calved 6 days early.  Back to back calving has kept me very busy, caring for the cows, milking, and feeding the calves. All are doing very well and we have lots of great milk.  Have one more cow ( Willow ) to calf.  She is not due till the 7th but it looks like it might happen any time.    

Goldie's picture

With my friends help, I got a picture of Goldie and me on my blog sight.  Five more days and counting till she calves

waiting for Goldie to calf

We have three Jersey Girls to calve this spring.  Goldie will be our first. She is six years old and this is her fourth calving. She is in great health and beautiful, and we are hoping for an easy birthing and a strong, healthy calf. I wish I could upload her picture but I am still trying to figure that out.