Since there are just a few months during the year when farmers can actually attend events without having to worry about crops in the fields, we have officially entered "meeting season".
The invites have been coming for a couple of weeks. Salesmen show up at your office or your front door. They have a smile and the invite in their hand and tell you they will feed you and show you how to save money in the coming year. Yeah right! Well.....sometimes they are right.
Some of these meetings are to entice you to buy their products, some to educate you on new technologies or innovations and yes, some will help you save money this year.
We attend a lot of meetings, if i had to guess, I would probably say we will attend 20 meetings this winter. You know the old saying, "never pass up a free meal!" Oh, maybe that's my saying!
Until next time,
Let someone else pay for dinner:)
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Happy New Year!
Hey Folks,
I'm back! After a hiatus this winter to catch up with things on the farm and prepare for the next adventures in my life, I'm getting things moving again.
I hope that everyone had a joyous holiday season and made some great New Years resolutions. I did! One of the first things on my list, besides to get in better shape and keep up with things in the house, is to keep Twittering, uh oh, I mean Tweeting, and writing on my Blog. So, here it is the third week of January and I'm just getting started on the Blog! Oh, brother! But, on the other hand, the house looks great and Twittering is fun.
So what's happening on the farm this time of year? Lots of things. We are working on equipment in the shop, some to be used for Spring field work and others that are used heavy during the winter months.
We are making sure the cattle have extra care and attention during the cold weather too, so we bed (put straw down ) them heavier, feed them a little more during extreme cold, and make sure they have un-frozen waterers! The last part is very important to the health of our cattle, and as usual, we provide them with fresh water 24/7 and making sure that the water is not frozen is a part of that. We also provide the cattle with fresh feed twice daily and any medical attention they may need. Shelter is important during cold Michigan winters and our cows are happy to have the cold wind blocked for them by the "curtains" (a special heavy plastic hung down the open sides of the barns).
During January we tie up all the lose ends from the last year. My work in the office heats up this time of year, and getting all the taxes done, W-2's for the employees and finishing up the accounting for the previous year is what I love! Bookwork is my friend! :)
There are many other things we do in the winter just to prepare for the Spring work ahead, one of those being placing our seed orders for the upcoming planting season. And no matter how cold it is outside, or how warm it is in the house, taking care of the things that take care of us is always a high priority on the farm!!
Remember, a farmer always looks ahead no matter what the weather is outside!
Until next time,
Smile because Spring is on its way!
I'm back! After a hiatus this winter to catch up with things on the farm and prepare for the next adventures in my life, I'm getting things moving again.
I hope that everyone had a joyous holiday season and made some great New Years resolutions. I did! One of the first things on my list, besides to get in better shape and keep up with things in the house, is to keep Twittering, uh oh, I mean Tweeting, and writing on my Blog. So, here it is the third week of January and I'm just getting started on the Blog! Oh, brother! But, on the other hand, the house looks great and Twittering is fun.
So what's happening on the farm this time of year? Lots of things. We are working on equipment in the shop, some to be used for Spring field work and others that are used heavy during the winter months.
We are making sure the cattle have extra care and attention during the cold weather too, so we bed (put straw down ) them heavier, feed them a little more during extreme cold, and make sure they have un-frozen waterers! The last part is very important to the health of our cattle, and as usual, we provide them with fresh water 24/7 and making sure that the water is not frozen is a part of that. We also provide the cattle with fresh feed twice daily and any medical attention they may need. Shelter is important during cold Michigan winters and our cows are happy to have the cold wind blocked for them by the "curtains" (a special heavy plastic hung down the open sides of the barns).
During January we tie up all the lose ends from the last year. My work in the office heats up this time of year, and getting all the taxes done, W-2's for the employees and finishing up the accounting for the previous year is what I love! Bookwork is my friend! :)
There are many other things we do in the winter just to prepare for the Spring work ahead, one of those being placing our seed orders for the upcoming planting season. And no matter how cold it is outside, or how warm it is in the house, taking care of the things that take care of us is always a high priority on the farm!!
Remember, a farmer always looks ahead no matter what the weather is outside!
Until next time,
Smile because Spring is on its way!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Bittersweet Moments...
Sometimes in your life, you realize that there really are bittersweet moments. They may be the few times when you have worked hard to realize a goal and then it actually does become a reality. I'm not really sure whether a bittersweet moment has actually crossed my path, until now.
This past week I strived at achieving a goal. I wanted something and I went out and got it. I have no regrets. But I do have feelings. When achieving your dream also means ending someone else's, that is not a feeling of defeat...but rather an almost empty feeling. Remember that when one door closes, another door opens...and life does go on.
So the next stage of my life is to represent the members of Michigan Farm Bureau, as Director At-Large. I will not take this job lightly, I will do my best to promote agriculture and stand up for the thousands of farmers in Michigan who rely on a group of people that truly care about this industry. I will help to promote them, to educate them and to encourage them, because farming is not just a way of life, it is life!!
Until next time,
Jennifer
This past week I strived at achieving a goal. I wanted something and I went out and got it. I have no regrets. But I do have feelings. When achieving your dream also means ending someone else's, that is not a feeling of defeat...but rather an almost empty feeling. Remember that when one door closes, another door opens...and life does go on.
So the next stage of my life is to represent the members of Michigan Farm Bureau, as Director At-Large. I will not take this job lightly, I will do my best to promote agriculture and stand up for the thousands of farmers in Michigan who rely on a group of people that truly care about this industry. I will help to promote them, to educate them and to encourage them, because farming is not just a way of life, it is life!!
Until next time,
Jennifer
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
From Sheep Farmer, to Dairy Farmer, to Board of Director?
Welcome back to The Milk Can. I'm sorry for not posting anything in a couple weeks as I have been preoccupied by seeking a position with the Michigan Farm Bureau Board of Directors. It's a hearty task to take this on, but one I am very excited about. Not only for my professional goals but also to have the chance to help agriculture grow and flourish here in the state of Michigan!
Growing up on a sheep farm, I never even thought about a career in agriculture. You see, those late nights in the barn helping a baby lamb learn to nurse it's Mother just wasn't what a teenage girl had ambitions of. I wanted to work in a big city and a big office and wear fancy clothes. In my senior year of high school, I decided I wanted to be an accountant. I loved numbers and math, and my accounting teacher said I would be great at it!
Well, after working my way through a community college, I landed a job with the State of Michigan, at a Secretary of State office, where you purchase your drivers license and license plates. A great job, with full benefits!! College became a thing of the past and I would be "not smart" by giving up a job like that. That's when my husband came into the picture.
Now many years later, I am fulfilling all of my childhood dreams. I do all the accounting work for our farm and I get to dress up when we go to meetings. How great!!
In 2003, I was appointed to serve on the Promotion & Education committee for Michigan Farm Bureau. Four years later, I was elected Chairperson of that committee and was allowed a seat on the Michigan Farm Bureau Board of Directors. My term expired in December of 2008 and since then I have felt a loss. So I have kept busy this year by starting this blog and using other social media tools to connect to consumers. I have been speaking to various service clubs in my area about agriculture, what we do on the farm and why we do it. That has been great! Although we live in a rural county, it's been amazing to me that people who even live around agriculture still don't understand it.
Well anyway, I am off to the Michigan Farm Bureau State Annual in Grand Rapids today. I will give this race for a Board seat my all, and who knows, maybe Friday I will win the election and will be the newest At-Large Board member. If not, I will still be the dairy farmer from southern Michigan helping to spread the word about Ag and how important it is in my daily life and yours!!
Until next time,
Support your local farmer!
Growing up on a sheep farm, I never even thought about a career in agriculture. You see, those late nights in the barn helping a baby lamb learn to nurse it's Mother just wasn't what a teenage girl had ambitions of. I wanted to work in a big city and a big office and wear fancy clothes. In my senior year of high school, I decided I wanted to be an accountant. I loved numbers and math, and my accounting teacher said I would be great at it!
Well, after working my way through a community college, I landed a job with the State of Michigan, at a Secretary of State office, where you purchase your drivers license and license plates. A great job, with full benefits!! College became a thing of the past and I would be "not smart" by giving up a job like that. That's when my husband came into the picture.
Now many years later, I am fulfilling all of my childhood dreams. I do all the accounting work for our farm and I get to dress up when we go to meetings. How great!!
In 2003, I was appointed to serve on the Promotion & Education committee for Michigan Farm Bureau. Four years later, I was elected Chairperson of that committee and was allowed a seat on the Michigan Farm Bureau Board of Directors. My term expired in December of 2008 and since then I have felt a loss. So I have kept busy this year by starting this blog and using other social media tools to connect to consumers. I have been speaking to various service clubs in my area about agriculture, what we do on the farm and why we do it. That has been great! Although we live in a rural county, it's been amazing to me that people who even live around agriculture still don't understand it.
Well anyway, I am off to the Michigan Farm Bureau State Annual in Grand Rapids today. I will give this race for a Board seat my all, and who knows, maybe Friday I will win the election and will be the newest At-Large Board member. If not, I will still be the dairy farmer from southern Michigan helping to spread the word about Ag and how important it is in my daily life and yours!!
Until next time,
Support your local farmer!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)