Lost In Thoughts
Perhaps one of the things friends and non-farm family members don't get about me is that I don't have days off at a time over the holidays. And the cows don't either. Dairy Cows Are Not Widgets Despite how some like to describe farms as factories, we are far from it. We cannot simply tell... Continue Reading →
For the past few days we've been giving this girl extra care. Carrying feed, hay, and water-cows drink a bathtub of water a day-oh, the water; it has been a chore. Yesterday she walked well. She got up quickly and walked with a limp in both legs and today she stayed up for a long... Continue Reading →
Okay, let me begin by saying this is not Farmer Bright. This is one of the secret agent Udder Side calves on his farm writing this post. And today did not go as planned. Does this even look like a movie theater?!? Here was the plan: Break the gate or fence Leave the farm Sneak... Continue Reading →
I saw this infographic from Successful Farming and thought I'd see how I compare. I'm well under the average age. Our farm is much smaller, but we do raise corn and wheat for silage. I made it in the 28% group with my degree in Animal Science! Sports fan? That's probably a stretch for me,... Continue Reading →
With Thanksgiving barely relegated to leftovers it is time to enact our holiday tradition of putting up the cows' Christmas lights. Each year we put these up over the hay manger where our girls eat. I think they enjoy them, too, because who doesn't like Christmas lights!
What is one of the worst phone calls a dairyman could ever receive? "Hey, Farmer Bright. You are going to have to buy that last milk truck tanker. Your sample tested positive for antibiotics. You polluted all of the other farmer's milk on the entire load. You have to pay for it." No farmer ever... Continue Reading →
Today I was very happy to find my lost pocket knife. I misplaced it yesterday and finally retraced my steps back to where I had left it. A farmer can never be without one, or as my extension agent once said, "A man should always carry a pen and a knife." Okay, I'm still working... Continue Reading →
I have a teenage daughter. Now most dads might think about what a burden that is. They might talk about the nonstop talking for instance. Or giggling. Lots of giggling. Lastly, they might reference teenage boys and explain how their gun needs cleaning or how hard they can hit a ball, or balls, with a... Continue Reading →
Fearless Fred the farm cat is the last of three strays that someone dropped off at our farm about five years ago. His brothers were also orange, but had fewer lives. One lost a race with a car and the other a fight with a cow. Fred is an adventurer, and I am sure... Continue Reading →
Farmer Bright 