tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62036721744732159932024-03-13T16:51:27.638-05:00Family Farm ExperienceWelcome to our famiy farm. We would like to share with you where your food, fiber, and fuel comes from. During your time with us we hope that you understand that we take this job seriously and feel blessed to provide it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-28454335549659563142017-05-08T21:52:00.000-05:002017-05-16T09:50:09.501-05:0010 Sustainable Changes in Farming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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With our farm changing, and the birth of our daughter, I have begun to reflect upon how our world and our farm will change in her lifetime. My wife Ruth and I both grew up on a farm, and we have fond memories of caring for the animals, taking the old pickup for our first drive, finding new kittens in the barn, and watching our families plant and harvest crops. In looking back over the past 35 years as a "farm kid" it is interesting to see how advances in agricultural technology have allowed our farm to be more sustainable. <br />
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Below is a list of 10 things that I am proud that have changed for the better:</div>
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<strong>1. Use of GPS on farm equipment</strong><br />
Isn't GPS only for my car? Installing GPS on our farm equipment was a game changer. We type information about our equipment and can accurately go down the field with no overlap. Also because plants don't grow well in compacted soil, I can't miss a spot while digging. Before, I would overlap at least a foot every pass I made over the field. Now, I can make 12 fewer passes. This is a big deal for fuel consumption and preservation! We are also able to track the amount of growth in a specific area, so we can make precise improvements in the future. GPS allows us to plant our crops with no overlap on the ends of the fields. We thin out our lettuce in the garden when it is too thick to grow, but don't have to do this in our fields!</div>
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<strong>2. Putting (and keeping) nutrients where they belong</strong><br />
We take samples of our soil every few years to monitor the health and nutrients available. Tie this with the GPS harvest data, and we put the exact amount of nutrients back in the ground to be used by future crops. Just like kids, not all soil is the same, and we treat areas of the fields differently. When applying nutrients in the field, we program the spreader to avoid certain areas that don't need any fertilizer. This helps us preserve the farm's nutrients. To test the crops, we take leaf samples throughout the growing season to ensure the proper amount of nutrients have been applied, and make adjustments the following year.</div>
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<strong>3. Changes in seed varieties reduces disease and increases yield</strong><br />
As a kid, I remember walking through a field and seeing a great deal of the corn broken off and laying on the ground. When I asked my dad why this happened, he said that a bug ate some of the corn stalk, and made it weak. He'd pick up the ear of corn, look at the others on the ground, and sigh. Fast forward a few decades and through selective breeding, we have corn that is able to withstand wind damage. Through other genetic modifications, our crops are stronger and healthier, and we are able to harvest more of the crop that is grown.</div>
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<strong>4. Application of chemicals has decreased</strong><br />
I distinctly recall my dad filling an old sprayer in the middle of the yard with huge bottles of chemicals adorned with skull and crossbones. He told me to stay back because they were "bad news." Due to genetic modifications, we no longer need a cocktail of chemicals to control weeds. For our soybeans, we will apply 4 ounces, about half a cup, per acre, just under the size of a football field, before the plants emerge. A month later, we will apply Roundup to the field which kills unwanted weeds, but not the soybeans. That's it. We don't drench our crops in chemicals. A version of Roundup can be purchased at Walmart. We utilize GPS technology so we don't apply herbicide twice in the same area. This saves so much time and has a much smaller impact on the environment. Is it perfect? No. Is technology getting closer to where we only apply on the pest? Yes.</div>
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<strong>5. Protecting our water and air</strong><br />
Living in the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," water quality is very important. We have added buffer strips along all the lakes, streams, and ditches that flow through our property. As heavy rains fall, any potential soil and nutrient runoff is held in place by growing vegetation. In addition to protecting waterways, buffer strips help preserve natural habitats for local wildlife. When the buffers are done doing their job, and pheasants are done nesting, we cut the grass and use it as feed for the cows. This, tied with precision application of nutrients helps to protect our waters. Farmers also plant waterways in areas that are likely to have water occasionally flowing after a heavy rain. Also, our herbicide equipment is fitted with low drift nozzles so the product we apply goes directly on the weeds, and not into the air.</div>
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<strong>6. Protecting our soil</strong><br />
When you think of farming, don't think of a horse and plow. We don't use either of these on our farm anymore. Our tillage equipment has greatly changed over the years so that the soil better stays in place. After the crops are harvested, we till the ground to prepare for the following year. The equipment leaves some crop leaves and stems on top of the soil, which helps to hold it in place, despite our Minnesota wind and snow. Some farmers in our area are experimenting with the use of living cover crops. This further holds the soil in place, and provides "green nutrient"' for the following year. I anticipate that this practice will grow as more farmers try it out and refine their techniques. </div>
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The topics above reflect improvements in cropping but we have also made modifications with our livestock as well. </div>
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<strong>7. Managing pasture lands for cows, water, and soil</strong><br />
When I started raising cattle in 9th grade, we would turn our cows out to pasture for the summer. We'd check on them and bring them home in the fall. Today, we have divided our pastures into smaller sections. This encourages our cows to graze the entire pasture, and not just eat from their favorite spots. We rotate the cows to allow the grass a chance to rest and regrow. By changing the foot traffic of the cows, we minimized paths across the pastures. This practice has reduced soil erosion along the creeks and streams. We also move the cows out of the pasture before the grass is too short. This has multiple benefits in that the grass grows quicker and puts down healthier root systems, which hold the soil in place.</div>
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<strong>8. Barn technology helps save lives (and sleep)</strong><br />
We installed a surveillance camera in our calving barn to monitor the cows about to give birth. The old practice was to go out and check on the cows in the dark. The cows would get up, and we couldn't tell if the cow was calving or not. With a camera in the barn we are able to see the cows in a relaxed state and monitor them safely from the house. This has made checking the animals at night much more enjoyable, especially since Ruth gets up to feed the baby, and can check to see if anybody is calving. When a cow is in labor, I can assist if necessary and see if she is having difficulties. There have been numerous occasions where we have been able to see that something was not going well and provide assistance that saved the calf. </div>
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<strong>9. Understanding animal housing and nutrition</strong><br />
Animal housing has undergone major advancements. I recall our old hog buildings had a roof over part of the pig pen and the rest was open air. Not only was the cold reducing the hogs' growth capacity, rains would wash manure down the concrete floors and into a holding area. The holding area would often overflow and run across our yard. Modern animal housing creates an ideal environment for the animals by controlling the temperature, and is designed so manure doesn't run off. When I was a kid, we sold hog feed out of our garage to other farmers. Today, we work with a nutritionist to carefully balance our animal's diet and mix it so the animals get exactly what they need to grow and stay healthy.</div>
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<strong>10. Farming with nature in mind</strong><br />
We know humans are not the only ones who live on our farm. In Minnesota, 75% of the wildlife habitat is provided by farmers. This year we will be planting 40 acres of pollinator habitat in areas that are typically not productive for our row crops. We cut the alfalfa hay from the middle to the outside, instead of from the outside in, so the animals are flushed out rather than crowded in and potentially harmed by the mower. We are installing wildlife visibility flags on our fences so the deer can easily see the barricades instead of getting tangled in them (hopefully). This year we are working with the state Department of Natural Resources to help them manage some of the grassland they own. Instead of burning habitat that has animals in it we will have the cows graze the land. Their trails will be used by pheasant hatchlings to help them navigate and keep grasses shorter so the hatchlings can escape from predators.</div>
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With so many changes one may wonder if we are still a family farm? Of course we are! Working together has always been a way for us to spend quality time together. Our equipment and barns have become bigger, but we still have a strong desire to work together and preserve the land so future generations can continue growing food for you and your family!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-91995437592474733042017-04-21T00:51:00.001-05:002017-04-21T00:51:14.591-05:00Taking Over!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Sorry Ruth's been away for so long! It seems she's been pretty busy with life recently. This is Paul and Ruth has given me the password so that I can help keep you posted as to what is going on at our farm. Ruth started this post by putting on a few pictures last year but then got busy with taking care of the family and being a farm wife. Enjoy the pictures!</div>
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As an update, we've been thoroughly enjoying our transition to the main farm which has been keeping us very busy! We didn't mean to keep you hanging for the past year about the progress made on the house project. Below are some picture of the finished product!</div>
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The view from the front door.</div>
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Barn door made from my grandfather's old barn.</div>
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Ruth's canning kitchen with lots of windows to see all that's happening on the farm! She likes to refer to this space as her Command Center since she can see everything going on and can help the kids with homework on the island at the same time.</div>
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Ruth's favorite part of the kitchen is the view and her big sink where she has already done quite a bit of canning this past summer. Based on her garden plans, I think the family will be pretty busy again this summer!</div>
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The stove hood made from Grandpa's old shed.</div>
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The stair are the only part of the main level that stayed. Everything else was changed. This area works well for the kids to be doing craft projects. My farm office is behind that door where I can still be involved in the activity going on right outside the door!</div>
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Below are some random farm shots that are some of our favorites for various reasons.</div>
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A cow with hardware provided a unique opportunity for Mary to work with our veterinarian in learning about animals and medical care. She ended up with a Grand Champion ribbon explaining the cause, symptoms, and treatment of hardware in cows.</div>
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Sale day for the fat cattle. We were fortunate to have four generations together for the day seeing them all get loaded!</div>
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Below are a few pictures from our summer vacation that we took to the Black Hills last year.</div>
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Below are some random pictures that Ruth had loaded onto this post before she got super busy!</div>
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Biggest news recently is the addition of Joy Jean Lanoue to our family on March 31, 2017. She's been a very good baby so far and likes to be held which is good when you have 5 loving older siblings! Mom is doing great!</div>
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Most recent family photo!</div>
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Like I mentioned earlier, I plan to post occasionally about the happenings on the farm. Don't be surprised if I get a little deeper into the why's on our farm, just the old Ag teacher in me, I guess!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-13487923145781856502016-02-05T14:35:00.001-06:002016-02-05T14:35:03.512-06:00Transitioning<br />
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<a href="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/v/t1.0-9/12046766_981799141884979_3593760389501966929_n.jpg?oh=2cb942e4e24f0835cd283cb8ea9f750f&oe=5740B306" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" aria-busy="false" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" border="0" class="spotlight" height="400" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/v/t1.0-9/12046766_981799141884979_3593760389501966929_n.jpg?oh=2cb942e4e24f0835cd283cb8ea9f750f&oe=5740B306" style="height: 559px; width: 419px;" width="299" /></a></div>
I finally found some time to update this little farm blog. We have been up to big things bringing the farm up to date for the next generation. As my husband and I get more involved in the farming business with my parents more talk has been taking place about when it will be the right time for us to move onto the main farm place and take over the everyday responsibilities of running the farm. After lots of "someday" talk it was finally decided that the transition would happen within the 2016 year. The plan is that my parents will move into our house which is on a hobby farm site and 3 miles down the road from the main farm and Paul, I, and the kids will move to the main farm.<br />
The main farm house is a hard working gal, and she needed a little updating before taking care of another generation of active kids and farm family. I am very excited at the prospect of raising my children in the house that I have so many wonderful childhood memories in. Also after having spent my years of my life in this house I could see ways that the flow and layout of the house could be improved. Putting all this together leads to a major farm house remodel.<br />
Let me take you on a journey through our project so far.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dyzuo07tH3M/Voa9mV8z3NI/AAAAAAADk38/yDXjMt_nfsg/s1600/PC310006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Dyzuo07tH3M/Voa9mV8z3NI/AAAAAAADk38/yDXjMt_nfsg/s640/PC310006.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My main goal of the remodel of the farm house was to gain better visibility of the farm yard from the main parts of the house. In the previous floor plan the master bedroom had the best view of the yard. My goal is to make this space my kitchen, the heart of the house.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxrxkeRVYdtRNmPmWUeGbg5dzd-A5uvkGrvXU9wpTe0bRIFDVATCpk1U3Y38bfYrjf97xnt9Pk1Wf-ZYF7qD74qAzbp2zpls8VJ3jOWWgPh_rsTdwDZ-aw_pSyQueEcHRPW-S2FFqaS4/s1600/IMG_1325.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJxrxkeRVYdtRNmPmWUeGbg5dzd-A5uvkGrvXU9wpTe0bRIFDVATCpk1U3Y38bfYrjf97xnt9Pk1Wf-ZYF7qD74qAzbp2zpls8VJ3jOWWgPh_rsTdwDZ-aw_pSyQueEcHRPW-S2FFqaS4/s640/IMG_1325.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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As in many 100 year old farm houses there are many small which cut up the house and my goal create as much as an open floor plan as possible. I also am excited to bring back into view some of the original woodwork.</div>
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There are many features that I plan on keeping like this wonderful picture window that faces the road and monitors the coming and goings on the farm. It will now be located in the living room of the house. </div>
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The previous living room was located on the north side of the house (the yard is to the south).This is an addition my parents added to the original farm house in 1987, when I was 7 years old. I remember my mom hanging the wall paper on the new walls and staining the woodwork. I am moving the living room it to the southeast side of the house so it can view both the farmyard and road. Where the living room was previously will become the master bedroom.</div>
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The kitchen in the farm house was behind the load baring wall cutting off it's view of the yard. When in the kitchen you would have to walk around the wall to the round top window by the entry or into the dinning room to see what was going on in the yard. The farm is becoming busier by the year and I need to be able to get my work done in the house and monitor what is happening on the farm all at the same time. This area is to become the master bath, powder room, and kitchen pantry.</div>
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The first day in 2016 we started the remodel project. After removing my parents belongings from the main floor of the farmhouse and packing them into a spare bedroom at my house we started pulling up caret and taking paneling off walls to reveal the 100 year old plaster walls and wood floors. I enjoy uncovering these forgotten pieces of years gone by. </div>
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The kids came over for the beginning of demolition and helped remove some plaster, using some unusual tools. The kids are excited at the prospect of living on the farm and making the farmhouse our new home. </div>
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For about a week my dad and I worked had on removing all the lath and plaster and 1950's version of sheet rock from the main floor. With the number of walls that would be removed/relocated and the new electrical updating of the house everything had to go. It was a lot of work.</div>
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Within the first few days of the construction crew starting work and walls being removed to the bathroom and bedroom, the beginning of my dream of having full visibility of the farmyard can start to be seen. </div>
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As many of you know remodeling is a very messy undertaking. I can not count how many times I have swept the floor or how many trash cans of plaster I have removed from the house. My parents decided to say living in the house utilizing the top and bottom floor. We set up a kitchen in the basement and a living room in one of the bedroom's upstairs. It is important for someone to be on the farm with the animals. My mother did leave go with my sisters who are also setting up new houses in the Kansas/Missouri area. All three of us sister are in the process of setting up new home at this time.</div>
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It was an exciting day to see the large 8 foot patio door being installed in the dinning room. Talk about a wall of windows. My dream is to add a covered porch outside this door so we can continue to enjoy meals outside on beautiful days.</div>
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Putting new windows into my kitchen. </div>
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One difficulty with doing a big remodel project in Minnesota in the middle of winter is the cold. As demolition took place we tried to leave as much insulation in place as long as possible to keep some of the warmth in the house. The plan is to put polyurethane insulation throughout the main floor to make a nice snug house for years to come. </div>
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Opening up the floor plan to the south, towards the farmyard. 63foot wall of windows making monitoring of the farmyard easy from the main living areas on the house.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dl6BUVvg99k/VpGCjT7K6WI/AAAAAAADlwQ/cL1z1gf3bU8/s1600/P1090003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dl6BUVvg99k/VpGCjT7K6WI/AAAAAAADlwQ/cL1z1gf3bU8/s640/P1090003.JPG" width="640" /></a> After the construction crew had taken down many walls and put up a few new ones it was time for the pluming and electrical work. This took a little time but it is important to have it done right. A focus was put on making sure the house was equipped with the technology needed see it years into the future. We currently have a surveillance system we use during calving to monitor the cows that are about to calve. This surveillance is a key aspect to safety of the cows and calves during this busy time on the farm. Wiring was installed to make sure that the system functions to it's best ability and can be viewed throughout the house and remotely. </div>
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Then it was time for insulation and Sheetrock. Each day I would visit the farmhouse and see more and more of it take shape. With just the stud walls it can still be a little hard to visualize all of it but one the Sheetrock goes on the rooms become clearer. What a change.<br />
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The new master bedroom where the living room use to be.</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlH4bd7VRqgpYSirhyphenhyphenDI0m1SI5ITnKkn1ziToXhNwu0H3NWv8C4h4KjMKvXp3ttud0sFL90FnJI188Vw-C8YzBjaE90gHJ71GOitO9FAFf3ISotk8DodERnrVGLBsjEc4E8JkegebjYc/s1600/IMG_8753.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihlH4bd7VRqgpYSirhyphenhyphenDI0m1SI5ITnKkn1ziToXhNwu0H3NWv8C4h4KjMKvXp3ttud0sFL90FnJI188Vw-C8YzBjaE90gHJ71GOitO9FAFf3ISotk8DodERnrVGLBsjEc4E8JkegebjYc/s640/IMG_8753.JPG" width="640" /></a> The bright sunlight coming in through the windows in my new kitchen/dinning room. As I sit here today the Sheetrock instillation is complete and the tape and texture crew is at work. Plans are that I could be painting the walls next week. It is amazing the transformation a house can go through in a months time. We have one more month until the first calves are expected to be born on the farm so we need to keep working on the house getting her ready for all the business farm life brings. This journey of transition has been stressful at time but oh so exciting and I know that there is a bright future in front of us on VerLan farm.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-68069076661496758772015-11-30T10:43:00.000-06:002015-11-30T10:43:08.517-06:00Thanksgiving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-65504718706665037822015-11-12T14:03:00.004-06:002015-11-12T14:03:56.407-06:00FFA members in the making<br />
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We have a tradition of taking a picture of the kids in a little FFA jacket we have. One of my husbands first FFA students made for us when our first son was just a newborn. The jacket is so cute and if our kids follow in their fathers footsteps FFA will be a large part of their life. </div>
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Luke turned 2 a few days ago so it was time to get him in the jacket and take a few pictures. He was all smiles and goofy faces. He wanted to have the tractor and baler he just got for his birthday with him. I think they turned out great.</div>
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What a charmer.</div>
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I wanted to find the pictures of all the other kids in their jackets and had luck finding the younger ones. I have my mom working on finding the pictures of the older kids. How did we do it before digital photos? Here are the ones I found for know.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6F2BkajeLV7lOiY9W_OKBX-3_lGK1_lRwdHs0ryDbfzhaSAKql5CjE5Krv1seno_Kv0gOnzKUEy7dvDfOS-yO3Ig5CwmCHIcUcgFxTW63hEdkqvJenwflnoFfNhqB_Bjbnq28rg_Xmw/s1600/100_3078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY6F2BkajeLV7lOiY9W_OKBX-3_lGK1_lRwdHs0ryDbfzhaSAKql5CjE5Krv1seno_Kv0gOnzKUEy7dvDfOS-yO3Ig5CwmCHIcUcgFxTW63hEdkqvJenwflnoFfNhqB_Bjbnq28rg_Xmw/s640/100_3078.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
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I think this is a little older David</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_-ba0aJdOGUQuJWr-CxBLjxzat7-qPSxd0gM_AkXVkCVVpXlPuVyhx5n5xy0W-ga0U3QGVrjDW93s7DoYYizvSAOCg-gcMdzqsYU2zkCJMFT_eWJlJJXCGVJOHvwpxn2KdlkBnbyRGQ/s1600/100_0644.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO_-ba0aJdOGUQuJWr-CxBLjxzat7-qPSxd0gM_AkXVkCVVpXlPuVyhx5n5xy0W-ga0U3QGVrjDW93s7DoYYizvSAOCg-gcMdzqsYU2zkCJMFT_eWJlJJXCGVJOHvwpxn2KdlkBnbyRGQ/s640/100_0644.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Here is little David with a big smile.</div>
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<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTiKFrgr_C22-SnNMeceM6myRoS_vo4NwAajJiyVBdvVYwShcVahs-UkfSKGgdeC9Zfs1T23c_LXhSA9LD429JqyIIdOk4BQjevuBtTJv0q-HdmLGLgaGEL2DAeMqRLLyX2lNyUNbo-nA/s640/IMG_0531.JPG" width="426" /></div>
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And finally Rose with her chocolate brown eyes. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-78822837575030817202015-11-05T14:44:00.000-06:002015-11-05T14:44:26.145-06:00The Fly<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JtWJRd3SgMM/VjVCWQ4Pl_I/AAAAAAADfhw/AX48OsClJxg/s1600/PA310022-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="568" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JtWJRd3SgMM/VjVCWQ4Pl_I/AAAAAAADfhw/AX48OsClJxg/s640/PA310022-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't know why but I get a bit into Halloween. For the past few years we have had a theme the kids dress up in and this year happened to be "There was an old lady who swallowed a fly". This is a story the kids and I have read a number of times everyone found a character that fit them. Since we spend out Halloween evening trick or treating at the grandma's and great grandma's houses we decided that we would have them play the "old lady" for us. As you can see we had the cute little fly (Luke), the spider (David), the bird (me), the cat (Rose), the dog (stuffed), the cow (Paul), and the horse (Mary). Now you might wonder why medical personal is present for this theme. The old lady story ends with her dying since she swallowed a horse and Simon didn't like this ending. So to solve this he decided to be the surgeon that would save the old lady's life by taking all the animals our of her. What a thoughtful young man. </div>
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Here are the pictures we gathered through the night with all our "old ladies".</div>
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One final group shot hanging out on the quad track. What a good looking bunch.</div>
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The day after Halloween is my youngest Luke's birthday. He made such a cute little fly for Halloween and at our last stop for the night at my in laws he got his first birthday present. His own loader tractor and it is red like dad's. Luke was ecstatic to have his own loader. He has been using his big brothers tractors and had all but worn them out. </div>
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Here is a collection of cute Luke pic from over the year. He has grown up so fast and become such a little man. Happy Birthday Luke. I love you.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-53612078520496309472015-10-29T13:51:00.000-05:002015-10-29T13:51:25.704-05:00The Bountiful Harvest of 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTn6Dx0MXU6c36-gq_Yp5rMSs_NuRQJvMd09wkD7gD3AIuNZh-YLxMT3I3KHElL-TIFNG2NgAQibJwOZOGXxZs-sjy-WwLc1uIgaes6qgPIYdzbgXXEI0DwU0_U_6jkqBmZGWWICM8P4/s1600/harvest+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguTn6Dx0MXU6c36-gq_Yp5rMSs_NuRQJvMd09wkD7gD3AIuNZh-YLxMT3I3KHElL-TIFNG2NgAQibJwOZOGXxZs-sjy-WwLc1uIgaes6qgPIYdzbgXXEI0DwU0_U_6jkqBmZGWWICM8P4/s640/harvest+2015.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Some how the fall as just flown by. Here it is already the end of October and I have neglected connecting with you and letting you know what we have been up to. In an attempt to catch you up on what the fall held for us on the farm here is a "photo story" for your enjoyment. Thanks mom for all the great photos which document our busy life. </div>
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The major event here, as it is every fall was that harvesting of the crops that have been growing all summer. We were blessed this year with rain when it was needed so the crops produced well. On the farm we are ever dependent on Mother Nature and the Lords good graces. We are so thankful that both smiled on us and we were able to have a bountiful harvest. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTOto3ippKPiQF42HZFeYULDvClmv8Ladi4_RmdIeA96N8DfuVkMN9bx17QouEarT8kncYVyHAj9hyphenhyphenstLyeI29-PjOz2dLyrEDgTQPjeFmgemhDscZFFiIJxsTSMODHqwkUwVjht_VGA/s1600/IMG_8283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTOto3ippKPiQF42HZFeYULDvClmv8Ladi4_RmdIeA96N8DfuVkMN9bx17QouEarT8kncYVyHAj9hyphenhyphenstLyeI29-PjOz2dLyrEDgTQPjeFmgemhDscZFFiIJxsTSMODHqwkUwVjht_VGA/s640/IMG_8283.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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After the corn had been taken out of the fields it was time to get the rake and baler out to make the many corn stalk bales. These will be needed for bedding and feed for the cattle throughout the winter months. It was my job to run the rake and Paul followed with the baler. The was fun spending time with him in the field waving at him as we passed. We had to stop after the field was complete for a quick picture.</div>
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<img alt="" aria-busy="false" aria-describedby="fbPhotosSnowliftCaption" class="spotlight" height="299" src="https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12096078_10156109960070023_6146689601703448425_n.jpg?oh=37dba3dafd3fb39c401c6e48b8351a66&oe=56929484" style="height: 512px; width: 683px;" width="400" /></div>
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After the baling was finished it was time to pick up the bales. This required many trips back and forth to the fields. The bales were then carefully stacked for storage until needed.</div>
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Pretty an one of my favorite fall sights.</div>
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After all this time spend helping us make and pick up bales, Luke spent much time at home moving his bales. A Popsicle stick taped into his loader and a bunch of toilet paper rolls were all he needed for hours of play farming fun. Too cute.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYO3lA2L145jH1cNhEi3fFD1OrQ5fVvBEH_8X56ChJOS-uDVY_3qYVMFzcYt1HwKk1E126OvTaaxabJoRtvAQU78d8tnw9XTkygCVMK3W5IoQLOa8VxHjaJejcbEz2ZO8us1QYXJIM69Oa/s1600/P9280004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYO3lA2L145jH1cNhEi3fFD1OrQ5fVvBEH_8X56ChJOS-uDVY_3qYVMFzcYt1HwKk1E126OvTaaxabJoRtvAQU78d8tnw9XTkygCVMK3W5IoQLOa8VxHjaJejcbEz2ZO8us1QYXJIM69Oa/s400/P9280004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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While the men were busy out in the fields, us women spent many hours in the kitchen doing the last of our seasonal canning. We spent a big day making applesauce out of 14 pails of apples. We don't do anything small scale when it comes to canning and have gotten the process down to a science.</div>
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My sister Nancy and my daughter Rose put the hot apples through the colander to make the sauce. The little ones love to be part of the action and we make sure to find little jobs they can do to help out. I think it's important that the kids learn it can be fun to work together to get these big jobs done. </div>
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We ended up with about 200 quarts of applesauce that day. On a later day we made apple pie filling making about 60 quarts on that day. It sure is tasty and will be enjoyed by many.</div>
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One of my favorite summer time events is eating meals on my wrap around porch. The kids and I had to enjoy this for the last few warm days of fall. The weather had turned cold, we actually saw the first few snow flakes last evening, so I fear our outside meals have come to an end for another year. Good memories.</div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3s7dMt309II/Vi1hOl0MQtI/AAAAAAADe2M/Bw-62fiiuM4/s1600/PA250010-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3s7dMt309II/Vi1hOl0MQtI/AAAAAAADe2M/Bw-62fiiuM4/s640/PA250010-001.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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The fall also included working with the cattle. The cows have been brought in from pasture and put in the corn stalk field surrounding the farm. The eat the corn husks and any corn left by the combine. They will stay out there until the snow starts to fall. The market animals had to be put through the head gate and treated. It is important to keep an eye on them and make sure their vaccinations and treatments are up to date. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4mRYQto_86o/VhXE1uSW0iI/AAAAAAADcNw/nKUw6eKWEZA/s1600/PA070024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4mRYQto_86o/VhXE1uSW0iI/AAAAAAADcNw/nKUw6eKWEZA/s640/PA070024.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you can see it has been a busy fall but that is the way we like things here on the farm. Being busy means that it was a productive growing season and we are so grateful for the bounty of blessings we have received this year. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-67646147277740827282015-09-21T11:00:00.000-05:002015-09-23T15:34:55.267-05:00Taking the voice of Farmers to DC<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFqbrnhmXznQYkP6yrGF8YN-o61ZSseufHCDF62rNdkkAwo4KR6lywtq8R5Cu83xsXV86lxJfYHQbyQLFO0n4oQp7w-kHog_ydQIq6UV9Npnk9aSP1rNS-ngzPOiiv9TGlpk2AvONLOw/s1600/IMG_1122%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFqbrnhmXznQYkP6yrGF8YN-o61ZSseufHCDF62rNdkkAwo4KR6lywtq8R5Cu83xsXV86lxJfYHQbyQLFO0n4oQp7w-kHog_ydQIq6UV9Npnk9aSP1rNS-ngzPOiiv9TGlpk2AvONLOw/s640/IMG_1122%255B1%255D.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
This last week Paul and I had the honor of traveling to Washington DC so we could visit with members of congress and bring forward concerns of farmers here in Minnesota and across the country. We were accompanied by 25 other Young Farmer and Rancher members of Farm Bureau. We were able to get into all 10 of Minnesota's congressional offices. Paul and I have made this trip to DC in years past and each time I am impressed to see the increasingly positive reception and understanding we have with our representatives. This is due to our continued presence and communication with them.<br>
We had many issues we talked to the elected officials about. For more information on what these issue are I would direct you to <a href="http://www.fbmn.org/">http://www.fbmn.org/</a> Our main goal was to help the representatives here our stories and see that there are farmers in their state who need there help so we can continue growing food into the future.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqj1RdKOtDJLogwygykAUkd7_j4AttNUW4Ay9ak-tNNnd3Rsdg_BKyUAussXYLmTtyv8E2TdbtNANP4vefD6chmHXG0rRQ-G4J0MdI3jTqnXfcjvFrp4tgEW37Z_-wnf0P382dRNU0Ag/s1600/IMG_1121%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqj1RdKOtDJLogwygykAUkd7_j4AttNUW4Ay9ak-tNNnd3Rsdg_BKyUAussXYLmTtyv8E2TdbtNANP4vefD6chmHXG0rRQ-G4J0MdI3jTqnXfcjvFrp4tgEW37Z_-wnf0P382dRNU0Ag/s640/IMG_1121%255B1%255D.JPG" width="480"></a></div>
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Another great part of the trip was getting to see my sister and her kids who are currently living in on the east coast. They took the opportunity to come and see Washington DC and had a great time. I was able to see some of the Smithsonian Museums with them during our free day. <br>
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We took some time to enjoy the grass and open space on the mall and had some fun with the Washington Monument. <br>
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It is always energizing to visit new places and spend time with wonderful people sharing the experiences we are blessed with here on the farm. We feel strongly that organizations like Farm Bureau are excellent advocates for agriculture and we appreciate all the support and opportunities it provides. It is important that even though farming makes up only a small portion of the population our voice is heard and our businesses supported because 100% of the population needs to eat.<br>
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<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-79334415289480089442015-08-27T20:12:00.001-05:002015-08-27T20:12:05.559-05:00The Great MN Get Together<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It is the first day of that great event every Minnesotan looks forward to all year long. </div>
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The Great Minnesota State Fair.</div>
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If you have never been to the Minnesota State Fair, make every attempt to get there this year and you will find a wonderful experience that you will not soon forget. The Minnesota Fair is truly the Great MN get together with more people going through it's gates each day than go into Disney Land on a daily basis. The MN State Fair is the 2nd largest state fair behind TX. There is truly something there for everyone. </div>
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One of my favorite places at the fair is the Farm Bureau Booth located at 1305 Underwood St, across the street from the food building. My husband Paul and I have volunteered at this booth for the last 4 years. We enjoy visiting with the people who come to visit the booth and help them learn something new about agriculture. If you have visited my blog in the past you may have noticed that Paul and I have a passion on educating other about the great things agriculture is doing in todays world. At the booth visitors are invited to take a quick quiz about MN agriculture (all the answers are on the wall displays). They then get to talk to one of the farmers who are volunteering in the booth and learn what they raise on their farm. When complete with this they are given a great lunch bag and this year they are also giving out a ice cream scoop. On the back of the quiz is a Pico de Gallo recipe they get to take home and try. There is also a combine simulation that the kids/adults can try out. Lots of fun.</div>
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Take some time and come to the Great Minnesota State Fair and make a point of stopping by the Farm Bureau booth and I promise you will leave with a smile on you face, a new appreciation for the farmers raising your food, and a awesome lunch bag.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-19713329688807682652015-08-18T10:10:00.000-05:002015-08-18T12:02:18.876-05:00Fair Time<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Despite what the activity on this blog may lead you to believe we have been very busy in our household and on the farm recently. Once again we had the joy and stress of going through the fair preparation and judging. We now have 2 competitive 4-Hers and one Cloverbud in the Lanoue crew. They have a lot of excitement and enthusiasm which lead to the creation of many projects, and as a result much pride and learning. </div>
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This was Simon's second year in competitive 4-H and he put many hours into his array of projects mainly focusing on the engineering/mechanical project areas. The project he put the most time into was taking apart a small engine and then displaying and labeling all the parts. It took him to engines to accomplish this(the first ones block cracked) but it turned out great in the end. Thanks again to our local Patzers Hardware Hank for donating the engine for his project. Paul has talked to Simon about donating the display to our local ag class room as a teaching tool. </div>
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This was Mary's first year in competitive 4-H and her main project was putting together a cat skeleton. The story goes that earlier this summer she found a cat skull and some random bones in the barn and was interested in making a fair project our of identifying the bones. I told her it would be nice if she had more of a skeleton to put together and she remembered our pet cat that died 3 years ago and we buried under a rock in the grove. She went and dug up the cat, Patches, cleaned the bones, whitened them, and then assembled the skeleton. I was very impressed that she found the entire skeleton and even most one claw. It is a beautiful project and it did make some talk at the fair. It was mentioned in a radio interview and in the local newspaper as a project to see at the fair.</div>
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After weeks of work it was finally prefair judging day. It was fun watching the kids show their projects off to the judges and explain all that they learned. I had to get a picture of each of their proud faces.</div>
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On judging day they do not reveal who has gotten the grand champion in each project so when fair starts a few days later it is always fun to walk through the exhibits and see who got the big purple ribbons. This year Mary got 4 grand champions and Simon got 3. They did an amazing job.</div>
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David also made a strong showing in cloverbuds where the projects are not placed but get a participation award. Here he is holding a pillow he made. Great job David.</div>
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Mary's first Champion was in photography with her picture of Rose in a hat.</div>
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Another was with her Entomology where she displayed insects she had collected and identified over the summer.</div>
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She also got a Grand Champion with her Geology project where she displayed and identified fossils she had collected while on our Michigan vacation. This year she did the Devonian time period.</div>
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Her final Grand Champion was with he cat skeleton in the project area of Veterinary Science. Many told her it was a State Fair quality project but she has a few more years before she will be eligible for that. 4-Hers need to have finished 6th grade to qualify for a trip to State Fair.</div>
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Simon's Grand Champions where with his Small Engine display in the Small Engine project.</div>
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He also got one with his walking robot he made for the Robotics project. He used the EV3 Lego robot he got for his birthday a few years ago. He was proud that this was the first robot he made that could walk and he programed it himself.</div>
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His final Grand Champion was with school science fair project entitled Food Power. This was entered in the electrical project area. In the project he measured different types of fruits and vegetables to see which one made the most power. He liked that in the display he glued lights around the board and then had it look like a potato was powering it, but it was really powered by the battery pack behind the display. Very tricky Simon.</div>
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After the trill of seeing all the purple ribbons in the exhibit building it was time to start the livestock shows. After many weeks and months of working with the animals it was time for the big day. First was the beef show, and wouldn't you know it, it stated to rain. It added a little extra stress and cramped spaces as everyone moved the grooming shoots into the barn, but as Paul said we are farmer first and the rain will be great for the crops so no complaining here.</div>
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This year we trained to lead by halter our two best heifer calves from our family herd. They looked very similar with their cute baldy faces. (That is what you call black cattle with a white face. This marking often comes from the crossbreeding of an Angus with Herford animal.) Their names were Elsa and Edith since this year the heifers get a number and the letter E as their identification.</div>
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First in the ring was David in the cloverbud show. Paul had to help his show, as is required in the cloverbud show, but David looked cool and in control. </div>
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What a natural showman.</div>
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David and his proud showman pose outside the show ring. Great job David.</div>
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Now it was Simon and Mary's turn in the ring. They were in the same class and I think it was good for them to be together. They had worked the calves together on the farm for so long that it felt right to have them in the ring together. The rain let up just enough as they were ready to enter the ring. Paul gave the kids some final pointers and bushes of the calves and then it was show time.</div>
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They both handled the calves very well. It can be unknown how the cattle will react to all the people watching and loud announcements. The calves were a little hesitant but Simon and Mary kept firm control of them and even remembered to smile at the judge one in a while.</div>
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They did a great job and both got blues with their calves. They did get to go into the ring twice with their calves, once for the judging of the animal in their class and then for Showmanship where they are judged one their ability to show the animal. This as great practice for both of them and they got better each time they were in the ring. I know they will be wonderful showman. </div>
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Paul and Simon taking a sit after the show. They both look proud at how the show went. Now on to the pig show.</div>
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The next morning was the hog show and showman Dave was ready again to start off the show with style. He took into the ring Mary's pig Lilly and looked to be having fun showing the pig off.</div>
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David sure looks up to his dad and uncle Brad who were great hog showman. I think he could out show both of them in years to come.</div>
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There gets to be a lot of hurry up and wait in the hog show. With Simon and Mary each showing 4 pigs often the pigs will be in back to back classes so there is a lot to keep track of and also making sure they stay clean for the show. </div>
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In the ring they both handled themselves well and did a good job keeping the pigs on the move and keeping an eye on where the judge is. Here are some of my favorite pictures. Sorry I took a lot.</div>
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This pig is Rascal and he was my favorite of the pigs this year. He got the name because when we first started walking the pigs around the yard earlier this summer he was more concerned on saying by the feed than walking around the yard like we wanted him to. David said "this one is a rascal" and the name stuck. He was our biggest barrow (castrated male pig) and he did well for Mary in the show getting 2nd in his class. The this I found fun about him was when it came time to clip his hair for the fair he would sit or lay down and roll onto his side like a dog wanting his tummy scratched. He loved the feeling to the clippers, which most pigs don't care for. He had personality and that it one of the things I enjoy about the hog project.</div>
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My 95 year old grandmother who is mostly house bound at this time even made it to a portion of the fair. Mary took a little brake in the show ring to say hi to her. Grandma has been around the farm her whole life and I think she enjoys seeing the younger generation partaking in the lifestyle she loves.</div>
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Mary did get one pink ribbon, which is a Reserved Grand Champion, in her pen of 3 class. She got a wonderful keepsake plaque and lots of pride in her job well done. The swine show ended our judging for this fair and I would have to say it was a wonderful one. Paul said they may never have another one with quite so many champion ribbons but I think with parents who grew up with 4-H and see all the wonderful skill that come from the projects and hard work we will continue to encourage them to create quality projects and explore as many areas as they want. I hope they can continue this energy and enthusiasm for many years to come.</div>
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Just a few final pictures from the remainder of the fair.</div>
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Luke and Rose had to help out bringing hay to the calves.</div>
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Paul and David at the Rodeo. Talk about a mini Paul.</div>
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On the final day of the fair we had the 4-H ribbon auction. Simon and Mary both took their highest placing hogs into the ring. There is great community support for the 4-Hers and it has helped our county's livestock projects grow in number and quality. </div>
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Simon made sure to smile big at his Grandpa's who had just bought Mary's ribbon. Who could pass up a smile like that.</div>
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Thanks everyone for all the support and great job kids at a wonderful county fair.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-54880073370774869152015-08-03T09:50:00.002-05:002015-08-03T09:50:59.372-05:00Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxDU_XAbfAB1JxaOkUe0vNvkOeVOJzQCZbXB3xm-RLNJsCakOTvwiFO4i-d6U_xD4NMg_WdlzZFi3xTyYdTu88SEtbykdclkv2HSQz0EwrKczW1BzxIORCSl3hramm9SHjDxTUGfzAFM/s1600/IMG_7727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxDU_XAbfAB1JxaOkUe0vNvkOeVOJzQCZbXB3xm-RLNJsCakOTvwiFO4i-d6U_xD4NMg_WdlzZFi3xTyYdTu88SEtbykdclkv2HSQz0EwrKczW1BzxIORCSl3hramm9SHjDxTUGfzAFM/s640/IMG_7727.JPG" width="426" /></a></div>
Happy anniversary to my wonderful parents. I pray they are blessed with another 37 wonderful years together. I Love You Very Much. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-23261913764005939292015-07-22T21:51:00.002-05:002015-08-14T22:02:18.989-05:00Big Day of Baling Buffer Strips<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdlh-LZ2YEqiy8p-WMPDWQmMKIaK1UcyRzsNuS6YelNLuBUdZJasCUibEooSuc6brueOJ4F29-90JioNwmu8UQIhrP6kwRT9a61kt0k91sBpih2rpaXYp9le9r-4Tji1FpXpQMZGg3Aw/s1600/IMG_7574.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxdlh-LZ2YEqiy8p-WMPDWQmMKIaK1UcyRzsNuS6YelNLuBUdZJasCUibEooSuc6brueOJ4F29-90JioNwmu8UQIhrP6kwRT9a61kt0k91sBpih2rpaXYp9le9r-4Tji1FpXpQMZGg3Aw/s640/IMG_7574.JPG" width="640"></a></div>
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Yesterday the men put in a big day of baling the grass on the buffer strips next to some of our fields. They made 181 bales, which was a new record for them in one day. With each bale weighing 1500 lbs each, that about 135 tons of hay for the cattle. </div>
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We have been planting buffer strips as part of a volunteer program for about 3 years. The program gave farmers incentives to plant buffer strips, along with other environmentally beneficial practices. The buffer strips are good for the environment and we are able to use the land productively when we harvest the grass off of the strips and feed it to the cattle throughout the year. </div>
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Here is a short video that I took of the men baling explaining how we make the hay. Please enjoy.</div>
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Yesterday was also Paul's birthday so we took a picnic supper our to the field. When the grass is dry and ready for haying there is little time to waste. Luke was sad because we took him out of the tractor where he was "baling like daddy" to take this picture. It was fun and a special birthday for farmer dad. </div>
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My Superhero Farmer.</div>
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Happy Birthday Paul.</div>
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<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-46984758682275517542015-07-13T12:46:00.000-05:002015-07-13T12:46:33.162-05:00Vacation 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We had another wonderful vacation in UP Michigan. There were so many fun moments that this is going to be a lengthy photo show. Come see the memories as they were being made.</div>
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We started out our vacation with a family trip to a water park and then a train ride in the St Croix Falls WI area. The train was wonderful geared toward the children with education and a many different cars to explore. </div>
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After the train ride the kids were allowed to walk through the engine and mom got a quick snapshot. </div>
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Now it was time for the long trip across WI in to the Michigan UP. Rose entertained herself by eating Starbursts with her toes. Silly girl.</div>
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Our first view of the big lake and the beach.</div>
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The kids quickly got to catching frogs from behind the cabin.</div>
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We picked wild flower from the ditches while on family walks.</div>
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Dave and Gus were hard workers moving sand and water with their dump trucks.</div>
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A must have on our vacation is lots of ice cream. The kids are crazy for the Superman flavor.</div>
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A family trip to Log Slide in Pictured Rock lake shore on Lake Superior. We all, including the little ones, went down the huge hill. The before shot with smiles all around.</div>
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At the bottom we stuck our toes in Lake Superior which is very cold but very clear.</div>
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Mary giving a thumbs up as we head up the hill. You can do it Mary.</div>
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Up we go. Paul carries Luke on his shoulders. What a man.</div>
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The view during one of our rest stops about half way up the hill. So pretty.</div>
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Rose was not happy that we made her climb that big hill. Dad had to carry her the last bit. She did do most of it by herself. </div>
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After Log Slide we visited a bear sanctuary and saw 40+ cut black and brown bears. They were very cute.</div>
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David found himself a friend.</div>
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More beach time with boys and trucks and girls in pink tutu suits.</div>
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A walk on the beach at sunset. </div>
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We also took a trip to the lighthouse and had to get the shot of Paul and I with the lighthouse in the background. This was Paul's last day with us as he would be heading back to the farm to take care of the animals and work with area farmers through his FBM job.</div>
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Mary my geologist sitting between two big stromataporide fossils.</div>
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Cousins and the lighthouse</div>
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The Lanoue Clan</div>
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More beach fun</div>
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During nap time the big kids and I took a nature walk and had fun with large ferns that were growing in the woods. </div>
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The kids found walking sticks. As you can see David went for size not function.</div>
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4th of July. Mary helped make our traditional flag cake.</div>
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We enjoyed the annual local parade with kabobs and lots of candy.</div>
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A portrait of each kid with the parade spoils.</div>
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Rose</div>
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Mary</div>
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Simon</div>
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Bernadette</div>
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David</div>
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Gus</div>
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Dominick</div>
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Luke</div>
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Our wonderful 4th of July supper with fresh Verly/Lanoue beef. Soo Good.</div>
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Desert</div>
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Sparklers</div>
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For another field trip the big kids and I went to our favorite Lighthouse that you can climb to the top. </div>
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As a day trip we went over the Mackinaw Bridge and visited Grand Travers Bay where my mother spent her summers growing up. The kids like the big bridge and swimming in the warmer water in the bay. It was a great day.</div>
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Rose loved the Michigan sweet cherries.</div>
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Mary took some pictures of the little ones for her 4-H photo project. I think this one is the best. </div>
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Our last nap time day trip the big kids and I took was to a local fishery that was disappointingly lacking fish at this time of year except for the ones swimming in the holding pool.</div>
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We had a great vacation but I have to admit that it is good to be back home on the farm. I am thankful to my parents who make this relaxation retreat possible and all precious memories we have of our time in this beautiful place. Goodbye big lake, we will see you sometime in the future. Now it is time to get back to work. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-63795649044803156412015-07-10T17:57:00.004-05:002015-07-11T22:50:15.402-05:00Overtime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjor731uV7oOZZnKnH3vkr77HUx2qvdbHVe4KEmhnEek61ymU3n2E7Jq09qZxob8AAIFOncweQfo21QPrE1YDiyYLDCJSyNv2WkLOhCy03LxxKh2UOOfZI12AJz-9jbZwnGfk2OVEmg8Xw/s1600/IMG_7447.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjor731uV7oOZZnKnH3vkr77HUx2qvdbHVe4KEmhnEek61ymU3n2E7Jq09qZxob8AAIFOncweQfo21QPrE1YDiyYLDCJSyNv2WkLOhCy03LxxKh2UOOfZI12AJz-9jbZwnGfk2OVEmg8Xw/s320/IMG_7447.JPG" width="320"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">We came home from our 10day vacation to the beautiful Lake Michigan to find that out bean plants in the garden had been putting in some overtime while we were off relaxing. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4bSy6pbM9EKRqPE0teICnwMQEdBjBN28Sz_16H0SRMJmIgl6OvM-bYghZdScWnR3KZMNOttImNX35quwoZ0aI0XCkfw0Xo-5ihkml_KeuGOrn5jxJ94hmjJSEflRH_geGxEw43T22m8/s640/blogger-image-1924811697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4bSy6pbM9EKRqPE0teICnwMQEdBjBN28Sz_16H0SRMJmIgl6OvM-bYghZdScWnR3KZMNOttImNX35quwoZ0aI0XCkfw0Xo-5ihkml_KeuGOrn5jxJ94hmjJSEflRH_geGxEw43T22m8/s640/blogger-image-1924811697.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Looks like it's time to get snapping crew. Vacation may be over but it sure feels good to be back home on the farm. </div><br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-24825953037213080702015-06-22T19:30:00.002-05:002015-06-22T19:30:54.491-05:00Cow Wash I don't know if I have ever shared here that I come from a blogging family. All the women in my family (except for my sister who is a Catholic Nun in France) have a blog we share on regularly. I was the last to join this club and my mother and sister's all had a little laugh because they would have never guessed me to "join the club". We all have different purposes to our blogs. My mother has a <a href="http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">fairth/family/farm life blog</a> (you will get the slash meaning when you read it). My sister Nancy has a <a href="http://www.dosmallthingswithlove.com/" target="_blank">crafting, motherhood blog </a>which she does very well with. My sister Maria has a <a href="http://adayinthelifeofanofficerswife.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">military family sharing blog</a>. So there you have it, our blogging family. <br />
A short time ago I was making my rounds through the recent blog posts and saw this great one my mother put on about the recent 3 inches of rain we got last night. I love the bit she put in the end about the Cow Wash. It is so true that rain can change the landscape so quickly. Enjoy this great <a href="http://familysoulstory.blogspot.com/2015/06/3-inches-of-rain.html" target="_blank">post </a>from my mom. <br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LvIvwsJThJY/VYiTNYfE9_I/AAAAAAADOWc/_FasR5fluyg/s1600/P6220008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" class="CSS_LIGHTBOX_SCALED_IMAGE_IMG" height="215" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LvIvwsJThJY/VYiTNYfE9_I/AAAAAAADOWc/_FasR5fluyg/s320/P6220008.JPG" style="height: 530px; width: 787px;" width="320" /></a> Thanks for doing the work for me this time mom. <br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-84753337936900908352015-06-14T15:10:00.000-05:002015-06-14T15:10:47.616-05:00Kids, Cows, and Truck<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We were in need of some updated family photos so today after church we went out to the pasture. We brought along grandma for our photographer and all put on our best smiles. The sun was a bit intense and a challenge but I think we got some keepers. <br />
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We had to get the new truck in a few of the pictures. It is because of agriculture and our involvement in it that we came to be blessed with this wonderful prize. See how we won it <a href="http://familyfarmexperience.blogspot.com/2015/01/excellence-in-agriculture.html" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
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Hope you enjoyed our family pictures with the kids, cows, and truck. Living this wonderful life just makes us smile.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-60031481569933022812015-06-11T10:07:00.000-05:002015-06-11T14:29:57.158-05:00Chicken dinner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First off sorry for the gory pictures but butchering does involve some blood. For the first time in my adult life I raised and got to participate in the butchering of 50 broiler chickens. It turned out to be an enjoyable day spent with family and an education for all. Last year I tried my hand at raising egg laying chickens and this spring when I was ordering my replacement hens Paul told me to get some broilers and he would help me butcher them, so there started our chicken dinner adventure. <br />
It was amazing to see how fast these animals grew. They went from hatchling to fully mature and ready for butcher in 8 short weeks. I used a old hog feeder we had and an automatic dog watering dish to keep them with feed and water at all time. Sometimes it seemed like you could almost see them get bigger from day to day. I only had one die so I did pretty good. <br />
When the time came to butcher the chickens we set up our stations for processing them right outside the barn where they were living. Paul was in charge of the first step which is the head removal. He had a board with 2 nails on it to hold the head in place and use a sharp knife to quickly remove it. The chicken feels no pain and the body is placed neck down into a tile to allow the blood to drain our. The wings do flap around for a few seconds after the head is removed but they don't run around the yard like you hear in the stories. <br />
After they have drained for a while Paul then dunked them in hot water, about 140 degrees, until the feather pulled out easily. It was a little tricky keeping the water just the right temp to loosen the feather but not scald the skin. Next they were placed into the chicken plucker.<br />
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We borrowed the chicken plucker from a family in our 4-H club and it was a life saver. The chicken plucker consists of a barrel with rubber fingers placed in it and a motorized rotating bottom also with fingers. You just turn on the motor and the birds bounce around and the feathers rub off and they come our almost featherless.<br />
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After the defeathering they came to my station which was the final feather check. I was in charge of pulling out any lingering feathers or pin feathers. Now we were able to see just how big these birds are. Boy they are going to make some good eating.<br />
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Next they were transported to pools of cold water to cool quickly and get some final checks for feathers. The kids were big helpers with the transporting and Rose even wanted to help but the birds were a little heavy for her to handle alone.<br />
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Rose checks over the cooling chickens. This reminds me of a picture of me with my hands in a pool of chickens. I am glad that my children are having these experiences in their life too. It may not be a glamorous thing seeing chickens be butchered but it is a lesson in food production.<br />
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Here is that picture from years ago of me and my cousin cooling off the chickens in my swimming pool.<br />
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After they had cooled for a while it was my dad's turn to remove the internal organs and any inedible parts. Dad enjoyed having the kids come over and showing them the different organs and what they did. He said that he can remember cleaning chickens many times when he was younger. He was amazed at how big these chickens were compared to years ago and how fast they grew. A testament to improvement through genetic selection. <br />
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Mary was my brave one who sat next to grandpa and cleaned out the gizzard by pulling the skin off of it. The gizzard is where the chickens foods is ground up. There is a lining to it that can be pulled of and the meat of the gizzard can be eaten. I'm not sure if I will cook them for eating but dad wanted to save them saying they are "good eating". Mine might end up going to the dogs.<br />
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After grandpa and Mary were finished the chickens one again went into buckets of cold clean water to cool further. They were then placed on a table for one final go through. At this point Rose wanted to get her hands into the chicken and do some work. She said gross but kept on asking me to get her more chickens to clean. At this point we made sure the kidneys were removed, which are kind of stuck to the back of the chicken. We also checked that all lung tissue was out and make sure the neck was clear of the trachea and any large vessels that could be removed.<br />
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After cooling some more we cut the chickens up into pieces for freezing and storing. They were so big we had to get 2 gallon freezer bags to fit them in. We found the breasts to be so large we often packed them uncut and I plan on cooking them as a breast roast and make a meal with just them. I am very impressed with how much meat is on these birds and am looking around for tasty chicken recipes. <br />
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Even after chopping off 50 heads an being splatter in blood Paul is still smiling. Thanks everyone for helping make our dinner. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-67768071248009509852015-06-09T20:55:00.000-05:002015-06-10T19:42:34.270-05:00The Cull Cows<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The day after the market animals left it was time lighten the farm of a few more animals that would eventually find their way to more dinner plates: the cull cows. The market animals that were sent out the day before were juicy steak level that would make the best cuts and highest quality meat. Cull cows are animals that have been on the farm for a number of years and having calves of their own. For various reasons these animals are now no longer useful or productive so they need to be sold and removed from the herd. We decided to sell our animals at a local auction where buyers would purchase them and take them to market. These animals will be made into meat, but mostly hamburger and other lower quality cuts due to the age of the animal. No animals are wasted.<br />
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Mary and I got to accompany Paul on this journey. We had never been to a cattle auction before. We were a little worried that they old farm truck might not make it with the big load. We had two mature bulls, and five fattened cows in tow. It was a bit of a slow trip but we made it.<br />
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Our first animal to go through the ring our Hereford bull who had gotten arthritis in his hind foot. A bull with bad back legs is no good for breeding, so his usefulness was done. Bye Big Guy.<br />
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Next though the ring was a few cows from our herd. Some we had decided to sell due to bad or non-functioning udders, which they need to be able to nurse their calf. Others times it has been because the cow didn't get bred for that year and her purpose is to produce a calf each year. Sometimes it might just be because the animal is mean and aggressive towards us with her calf. It is dangerous and not worth it to have a animal that might hurt you or others on the farm.<br />
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The saddest moment for Paul was our last animal through the ring; his bull Donut. Paul bought Donut only last year and this spring we got lots of little cute Donut babies. So why sell him? Every spring, before breeding season starts we have the veterinarian come and semen check all the bulls. We need to make sure that the bull still has all the "stuff" he needs to get the job done during the summer breeding months. Well, donut came up blank. After two different checks it was decided that Donut was sterile and therefore destined for the auction block and ultimately market. There are a number of things that might of caused Donuts sterility: a virus, frozen testicles, or an injury. We will never know the cause and it was a hit to the pocketbook to see him go after only one useful year. <br />
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Mary and I enjoyed our time together and our trip home was with a much lighter trailer and nice check in our pocket. Thanks cows!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-69939850326609462042015-06-09T20:23:00.000-05:002015-06-11T08:51:14.745-05:00From: Us / To: Your Plate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There have been so many things happening on the farm recently that I feel I need to do a little catching up. The first major event happened on June 1st when three semi trucks showed up on our farm and the market animals got loaded onto them and taken to Omaha where they will be made into supper for the world. Prior to them leaving Mary wanted to walk through and say goodbye to them. There were a few curious one's who sniffed her hand and others who just gave us the cautious eye. <br />
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One of the big boys give me a front profile view. It is hard to believe that these animals are only a little over a year old. These are the same calves that were born on our farm last spring. We keep and raise our own calves until they are ready for market. The whole process is start to finish on our farm. <br />
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Rose picked out a red one she likes. For some reason each year when the animals are going out we like to pick out a red one and give it the special name of Bulls Eye. With our herd of cattle that is almost exclusively black hided, the red ones tend to stick out. Bye Bulls Eye.<br />
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The kids admired how the animals are loaded onto the trailer in a double decker style. The trailer is like a big puzzle with moving pieces to get the animals where they need to be.<br />
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Rose and Mary check our the animals one last time.<br />
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Paul is happy to see this day come. It always feels good to have the animals ready for market and on their way to many consumers dinner plates. He is proud of the fine quality animals he has raised so you can have good food to eat.<br />
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Luke and Rose watch closely as the men load the cattle. Some day it may be their turn to do this job.<br />
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David helped get the last few animals onto the trailer and then they were off on their journey that well end with them providing nutrition to many people. Each of these market animals could make over 3500 quarter pound hamburgers - that is a lot of good juicy hamburgers or steaks! These animals are very high quality and will be made into delicious steaks and other preferred cuts rather than hamburgers.<br />
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We are proud of how well they grew and how healthy they are but they are not our pets and we do not feel a personal connection to them. It is sad to think they will be harvested by tomorrow but this is their purpose in life and they will do a wonderful job feeding many people.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-45337606281955649512015-06-01T12:15:00.000-05:002015-06-01T12:15:48.503-05:00DIY How to Build your own Treehouse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Yes it is true! I built my kids a treehouse in our backyard. It was not hard to do and got us lots of outside time. I am by no means a master builder or have a bunch of amazing tools. I just had a vision and learned as I went. It did take me a full year to complete, with some side projects in between (see my <a href="http://www.familyfarmexperience.blogspot.com/p/diy-projects.html" target="_blank">DIY page</a>), but each step was fun and exciting to see take shape.<br />
I will try to explain to you with pictures and words how I went about building our treehouse. I will not give specific measurements because the truth is that with treehouses you need to make the treehouse to fit the detentions of your trees and surrounding area. My hope is that this post can give you some food for thought and maybe the basis of a project that you could do for your kids in your backyard. When I started this project I didn't know what the final treehouse would look like. I did one step at a time and then figured out the next one as I went. That is the joy of DIY projects, watching how they grow and develop and then standing back and admiring the results of what you made yourself. <br />
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So the story of how I came up with the crazy idea of building a tree house start in our public library the winter of 2014. I have to admit that I get spring fever pretty bad and start day dreaming about what would be fun to do when the weather warms up. My son and I came across this book and our wheels started turning. The book was so fun to look at and made building a treehouse look simple. We starting talking about how cool it would be to have a treehouse in our backyard, every boys dream, and I could build it. Right?<br />
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After reviewing the book I decided that building a treehouse in a single tree looked a bit over my skill level. But then I came across this plan where you build the treehouse on a platform between two trees and a post. I liked this idea and started searching my grove for trees that would work for this purpose. The book dose and excellent job of describing what to look for in a tree and how far apart they should be. It gave me much direction in my early stages of treehouse construction. Check this book out it is filled with projects your kids will love, you may end up building more than just a treehouse.<br />
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Where I choose to build the treehouse was an overgrown grove at the time, so as soon as the snow melted the kids and I headed out to clear the area of unwanted sticks and logs. It was quite a job and led to a massive bonfire. <br />
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Now that we could get to the the area we began to dig a hole and set in the post that would make the third point in the triangle that the treehouse was to set on. We measured equal distance from each tree and spent a good amount of time digging a deep hole. The book give guidance on how deep to make the hole and how to fill it. We used a old telephone pole we had laying around the farm, they also make great fence posts. We filled the hole with concrete and made sure it was firmly set before going on to the next step which was putting up the cross beams that the treehouse would set on. My goal was to have the treehouse high enough to hang a tire swing under, so we set the bottom of the beams at 10ft. That is a long ways up.<br />
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The early stages of building this tree house called for more muscles than I posses so I had to ask for help form the best looking set of muscles I know, my husband. We used 2x6 boards attaching them to the trees and posts with lag bolts. The book describes what size board and lag bolt to use and how to properly install them. Lifting the boards up 10 feet and attaching them was not an easy task. We found it helped to nail a small board to the post at the height we wanted and rest the cross board on it. It was also important to make sure the boards were level all the way around. <br />
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Once the cross beams were up I started building the floor base of the treehouse. By this time I had built most of the playhouse I created for the kids. I built the playhouse as a way to practice building a house that wasn't 10 feet up in the air. I will refer you to that post on <a href="http://familyfarmexperience.blogspot.com/2014/06/diy-how-to-build-you-own-playhouse.html" target="_blank">DIY Playhouse</a> to see how I make the floor base and many of the steps that follow. I used the same procedures to make both of these projects. The base for my treehouse is 10ft x 10ft. I built this on the ground where it is flat and then begged for lots of help to pull and push it up onto the platform. Whew, what a job.<br />
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Once the base was up we secured it to the cross beams with rope. This is also described in the book. Next I hauled up the decking board and secured them in place. I like using decking boards for flooring because the gaps allow any sand or dirt the kids might bring up to fall through, they are pretreated, and have nice rounded edges. After the flooring was in place I framed the walls of the treehouse. I decided to made my house 6ft deep by 10ft wide leaving a 4ft deck on the front. I also decided to orientate it so that the deck and ultimately the entrance to the treehouse was to the back. <br />
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Now came on of the portion of the project the kids were excited for, the tire swing under the treehouse. I went to the pile of tires we use to cover the bales over the winter (see <a href="http://familyfarmexperience.blogspot.com/2014/08/what-hay.html" target="_blank">here</a>) and got a nice big one, I think it is a semi tire, and it is very heavy. I plan on doing a post in the future on how I hung this swing. To attach it to the tree house I used an eye bolt that I put through both the decking board floor and the 2x4 that made up the framing of the front of the tree house above. <br />
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Now for the rafters of the treehouse. Once again I had to ask for help to figure out the angle for the top rafter joint. Here is a<a href="http://www.pole-barn.info/roof-pitch.html" target="_blank"> site</a> I found was helpful. I then hauled the rafters up to the house and marked where they would rest on the side walls. I then took them back down to the ground and cut out a notch so they would rest nicely on the walls. I cut out one and then used it a a template for the rest so they were all the same. I did leave a little overhang at the end of the rafters so the roofing would extend beyond the side walls of the treehouse.<br />
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For siding I used ceder board siding that I found at my local lumber store. I sided the walls about 3 feet up and then left the rest open. I wanted the treehouse to be simple and open to the outside. My husband also was excited to use the treehouse as a deer stand and the open sides were ideal for this use. Since he goes deer hunting only one weekend a year we'll have to see how many deer he gets from this new deer stand I made him.<br />
So this is the way the treehouse stood for the winter. Occasionally the kids would climb up there but I knew that the next phase of the treehouse build had to be making a better, safer way to get into the treehouse.<br />
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Once again as soon as the snow melted I was out there checking things over and planning the next steps. I have to admit that I wasn't very good at taking pictures of each phase of building the stairs so you will have to imagine them.<br />
I had decided on using a stairway/ladder combination. With young kids a stairway is he easiest way of getting up to the treehouse but a stairway that goes up 10ft is next to impossible to find and would take up a lot of space. So a combination of stair and ladder seemed to be the answer.<br />
To start this project I first dug holes for 2 more telephone poles that I placed in a triangle with the original pole used for the main treehouse. I placed these poles so they were all 5 feet apart keeping the line between the two poles closest to the treehouse parallel to the treehouse floor base.<br />
I then put up more 2x6 boards with lag bolts connecting the 3 poles in the same fashion as I did for the main tree house. I had bought my stairway prior so I knew what height they would reach to and I placed the 2x6 at the appropriate height to accommodate the stairs. I then attached the stair, making sure to use blocks as a firm landing at the bottom. <br />
Once again I got some decking boards and used these on the stairs and also the triangle landing. I did have to attach some bracing boards inside the landing triangle so there was more support for the decking boards. Tip, I found it easiest to cut the decking boards to the longest length needed to cover that part of the triangle base and then later take a circular saw along the edge to cut the boards to the angle of the triangle. <br />
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I built the ladder out of simple 2x4 boards. I spent some time finding
an angle at which I wanted the ladder to lean for both ease of climbing
and stability. I cut the bottom of the ladder at this angle and the
attached the steps at this same angle. The I also cut at an angle at the
top of the ladder so it lay flat on the treehouse.<br />
I was going to describe to you how I found these angles and was having difficulty doing this. I decided that a picture is truly worth a thousand words. Finding the angle was as simple as taking the side of my ladder out to the treehouse, setting it at the angle I wanted it, then using a scrap piece of wood drawing a line that would be parallel to the floor. I repeated this same procedure for the top angle. I did have to take into account the amount of length this would cut off of my boards. Simple enough. <br />
I did secure the ladder so it would not move and be safe for the kids. <br />
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Now all that was left was to put up the railings and some rope for safety. Around the treehouse porch I used 2x4 boards but up the stairway and around the landing I used rope to cut down on cost. We will have to see how the rope holds up or if I will have to replace it with wood, chain, or cable in the future.<br />
As you can see The tree house is simple with no front door or paint. So far the inside is mostly bare but I sure that will change over time. <br />
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Oh yeah, there was one final portion of the treehouse that I had to ask my husband to help me with and that was put the roofing on. As you can see in the background of the above picture our barn recently got a nice new roof after a wind storm ripped part of it off. We saved the usable pieces of tin from the old roof and my wonderful husband measured and cut the tin to fit the treehouse. He has the damaged hands to show his hard work with the tin snips. The tin worked great, it may not be water tight with the old nail holes in it, but then again all the walls are open so what does that matter. I like the cottage in the tree feel it gives the treehouse. Thanks again Paul for all your help and support of me and my crazy ideas.<br />
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Through the process of building and working on the treehouse I was constantly finding broken glass and pieces of metal all over the ground. I have decided that I unfortunately choose to build the treehouse on top of an old garbage dump location. I would collect bucket loads of glass and metal and with all the sticks and twigs on the ground I knew there were many more I couldn't see at the time. It was dangerous for the kids to walk barefoot out there and at my house during the summer shoes are often forgotten.<br />
To solve this I decided to rake the play area thoroughly and then ordered a truck load of sand. I took a lot of work to move that much sand around by shovel and wheelbarrow, I have the blisters to prove it but I am in love with the results. The sand instantly transformed the treehouse area into a playground where the kids love to spend their time and I can feel ok about their lack of shoes. <br />
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From another part of the yard, where we had chopped down a big tree that fell down in a wind storm, I rolled over some tree stumps. My husband had nicely cut them into great sitting heights when he had taken down the tree and now years later they were nicely weather and without their bark. I placed them around the sand box area and along the path to the treehouse stairway to give little rest areas for adults watching kids or any little ones that may need a brake.<br />
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Since a truck load of sand was ordered I decided that the kids needed a proper sand box. I, with the help of the kids and husband, dug a big hole about 1.5ft deep with 6ft sides. I then built a wood frame with treated lumber, set it in the whole, and then filled with sand. If I could redo this I would made the sides higher to keep the sand in the box better. But since the surrounding area is also covered in sand it doesn't matter that much. <br />
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All the sand is a big hit with the kids and they are always digging and excavating trying to dig the biggest hole and find the bottom of the sandbox. With all the sand they track in the house sometimes I think we live on the beach. <br />
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Another necessity the kids reminded me of for the treehouse was a pulley, rope, and bucket. The pulley was given to Simon my oldest for his birthday, a nice one is not cheep, and the rest were left over parts from other projects. So far the pulley is just placed in a nearly tree. Later we many find a better place to put it.<br />
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The view from the treehouse towards the big house, just the right distance.<br />
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The tire swing in it's finished state. It is nice and cool under the treehouse, a perfect place for hot summer days. This is Mary's favorite place to be. <br />
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It was my daughter Mary's idea to put curtains around the triangle landing created for the stairway/ladder entrance. We gather some old bed sheets, tried our hands at simple Tye Dying and hung them up using wire and screws. It creates a fun hideout or stage and Mary calls it.<br />
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Even the little one's enjoy their time playing in the treehouse and the stairway makes getting up and down easy.<br />
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My crazy grew of diggers.<br />
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The part that I love the best about building a treehouse is all the life skills the kids have and will learn while helping me make it. Things like hard work, patience, dedication, teamwork, having a vision, and pride in seeing something you made come together. I also know that there will be so many wonderful memories and laughter created while playing together with siblings and friends here.<br />
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Childhood is so special and I love fostering that fun creative spirit. I encourage you to
create some play space for you and your kids. It doesn't have to be a
treehouse 10ft in the air, it could be a cardboard playhouse in the
backyard. Kids love this stuff and who doesn't love happy kids.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-7309875835130229442015-05-31T15:36:00.002-05:002015-05-31T15:36:44.076-05:00Bring on the Summer Sun and Fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I feel like it has been a long time since I have posted on this little blog. It's not due to a lack of things going on in life or on the farm, on the contrary it may be due to an abundance of happenings in life. The kids and I are running full speed into summer and all the excitement and events that come with it. We know that these "days off" will fly by so fast and it is hard to believe that 2 weeks of summer vacation have already passed. So lets see what what we have been doing so far.<br />
Our summer started with a graduation, from Kindergarten that is. David has officially mastered his first year of school and at our school that calls for a big celebration. This is a tradition that has been going on for years. I still have my kindergarten graduation hat and often at high school graduation receptions I will see kids placing these hats on display. David was so proud and it is so fun to see him growing into a wonderful little man.<br />
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Great job David. We are so proud of you and all the hard work you put forward this year in school.<br />
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To kick off summer we headed to our favorite beach and swimming hole close to our house, Camden State Park. I love state parks and this one is very special to our family because it is where I spent my summer swimming and playing while I was young, it is also where my husband and I had our first date and later he proposed to me here, and it is where my kids love to spend hot summer days. <br />
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The kids spend endless hours digging in the sand, swimming in the cold
spring few water, caching frogs, and just enjoying nature. With Camden being only 6 miles from our door step we like to go here as much as possible. <br />
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There is also a wonderful playground next to the swimming pond and Camden. I had to capture some of the joy as they kids enjoyed the slides.<br />
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While visiting a nearby larger city the kids and I took some time to visit the zoo there. We have been to this zoo a number of times but the kids always enjoy seeing the animals. These little squirrel monkeys were a favorite this time. I have to admit they were very cute, playful, and fun to watch.<br />
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I love this one of all five looking at the big fuzzy grizzly bear. They are all getting so big. I know that we have a fun eventful summer ahead of us and it will fly by all to fast. <br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-68534926759740161152015-05-19T18:44:00.001-05:002015-05-31T15:39:12.916-05:00Frost Warning<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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There are a few things that strike fear into a farmers heart as much as the words frost warning when they have new seedlings poking their heads out of the ground. A killing frost can be devastating to our new crop wiping it out before the season even really gets underway. This picture above was sent to me by my dear friend in eastern Montana. They have only been growing corn in her area for the last few years and a few nights ago the temps dipped down to 25 degrees. I feel for them and the anxiety and uncertenty they must be feeling seeing their hard work and livelihood in such a state.<br />
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<span style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0);"> Here in Minnesota we have been having unseasonably cold weather also. Last night the alerts went out that a killing frost could hit our area. We all said a prayer that this might not happen. Hearing of the chance of frost my thoughts went to my "field" or garden and all the plants that have been growing in there for the last month. </span></div>
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I knew that the farmers are at mother natures mercy but there was something I could do to protect my garden. I had the kids help me stretch some extra tarp over as many plants as I could. I needed to protect the tender little leaves from having the frost settle on them. We then went inside, made hot chocolate and hoped for the best. By morning we could see that we had been spared the harsh effects of frost and we breathed a sigh of relief. </div>
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Once again we are reminded how much faith and surrender it takes to be a farmer. I had a fellow farm wife tell me that as farmers we don't need to go to the casino to gamble because we do that every year we put those seeds in the ground. Farming is a gamble but I guess you could say we are addicted to this life and keep coming back for more. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-46902931716813490392015-05-14T11:05:00.001-05:002015-05-14T11:05:32.099-05:00Piggy Love<div>We recently brought the fair pigs home that the kids will show for 4-H this summer. They are so cute and fun. Luke my youngest just loves them. Here is a cute viedo of him and the pigs. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzVenVOvh6qArY26rPCe4co7TPLweZMnWZAxN28OyCm82_wRQBq40WSGE9DOHCQgok1zGw7dG6jMQvqHAvZgYdieFMsj1WjoZbYfAKX5yJ_Secma-6EPEXToEaRDLcuTHv6r8Gusm7uQ/s640/blogger-image-233939170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzVenVOvh6qArY26rPCe4co7TPLweZMnWZAxN28OyCm82_wRQBq40WSGE9DOHCQgok1zGw7dG6jMQvqHAvZgYdieFMsj1WjoZbYfAKX5yJ_Secma-6EPEXToEaRDLcuTHv6r8Gusm7uQ/s640/blogger-image-233939170.jpg"></a></div> Click this link to see viedo. Enjoy. </div><div><br></div><a href="http://magis.to/JyEtUVdCRAN8fzkHDmEwCXt2?l=vsm&o=i&c=c">http://magis.to/JyEtUVdCRAN8fzkHDmEwCXt2?l=vsm&o=i&c=c</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-82034108332300111622015-05-07T10:50:00.000-05:002015-05-07T11:55:06.588-05:00Birthday Party on the Farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My daughter Mary is a lover of the farm and farm life. So when we were deciding what she wanted to do with her friends for her birthday party she didn't hesitate in asking if they could all come to the farm and play. We sent out the invites letting the friends know to dress in cloths for fun on the farm. I have to admit, some of the moms were a little unsure what a farm party would involve. We assured moms that there would not be any horse riding and that we would make sure the kids were safe. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun and I think it was a memorable party for them. </div>
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Part of the part was spent out in the barn where we let the kids meet a calf that was born earlier that day. We locked the cow out of the pen so there was no risk of the kids getting hurt. We had each one pose for a picture with the calf and as a memory for their time on the farm. Look at all the big smiles.<br />
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Rose had to get some time with the calf too. She is another farm lover in the making. She looks up to Mary a lot and I'm sure animals is a passion they will share.<br />
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Another thrill of the party was taking a ride in the tractor with Mary's dad. He took them around the yard showing them how the loader raises and lowers and let them honk the horn. The kids also burned off energy running around our new shop and climbing on some round bales looking for baby kittens. <br />
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For a take home gift from the party we had the kids decorate pots and then repotted some spring flowers into them. Mary's dad who used to be a classroom Ag teacher gave the kids a short horticulture class on how to repot plants. The kids were so proud of their flowers and were anxious to show their mom's when it was time to go home.<br />
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To finish the party we had supper, cake, and presents out on the porch. Mary was glowing with the pride of sharing her beloved farm with her friends. She told me later that they talked about the party in school for the next few days. Being on the farm everyday can be routine for us and not seem that exciting but when you are able to see it though the fresh eyes of children. Happy Birthday Mary.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08227855953961483520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6203672174473215993.post-24260258080096738452015-04-22T10:14:00.000-05:002015-04-22T12:09:07.846-05:00Planting 2015<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Luke is off and running to start planning for the 2015 growing season. Due to the warm weather this spring and the dry ground conditions planting started about as soon as the men could get into the field according to crop insurance requirements. They got in about 5 good days of digging and planting and then we got a small shot of rain and then some cooler weather so they are taking a little break for a few days but hope to be back at it soon. <br />
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Luke has formed a fascination with tractors lately and gets so excited to see the big tractors. We have to keep an eye on him at all times while the machines are in the yard. <br />
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Quick smile in front of the track tractor while bringing dad some water for his long hours behind the wheel.<br />
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Luke loves being behind the wheel and even these big machines don't intimidate him.<br />
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Rose is happy to be in the passenger seat and let her brother do the "driving".<br />
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Luke then has to go check out the men filling the seed tender wagon with more corn seed for the planter. This job also takes a lot of big strong machines and muscles.</div>
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Once out in the field it was time to fill up the water tanks on the front of the tractor with a chemical that will prevent weed growth. The chemical is applied while the field is being dug with precision application so that only the amount needed is used and not sprayed were it is not needed.<br />
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Simon our oldest is starting to learn some of the skills needed to work these big tractors and dig the fields. There are many buttons and switches that one needs to remember in order to get everything working properly. I think it may be a few years away but I do think the job of digging the fields will be in Simon's future. <br />
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These large diggers can work up a large amount of land in one pass. It is important for seed growth that the soil is loosened and free of large chunks of soil. Digging the field well is just as important as planting the seed in the ground for a good crop in the fall.<br />
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The picture of spring with the trees budding and the digger working the field.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Paul Lanoue's photo." class="scaledImageFitHeight img" height="478" src="https://scontent-ord.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/p526x296/11078143_10155438366985023_7067360167709099925_n.jpg?oh=932dd6b5a564d4b77aae75c6bd3359ac&oe=55D6FE0D" style="left: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
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After the field is prepared by the big digger is it is time for the planter to enter the field and place the seed in the ground. This might sound like an easy thing to do but there is a lot of technology and precision that is used with the seed placement. The planter controls the spacing and depth on the seed depending on the soil type. The planter also has automatic row shut off technology so that when it comes to the end of the field it never overlaps plants with the headlands--the rows that go around the field. Farming is a whole lot more that just throwing seeds in the ground. </div>
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And the sight Paul and I are proud of is seeing our new truck we earned through Farm Bureau Excellence in Ag competition sitting next to the field as it is being planted. I think it looks at home here. Being part of agriculture has been good to us and we feel so blessed to be able to say that we are farmers and do what we love everyday.</div>
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