Knolltop Farm Wife

It's snowing here on the Knolltop and it sounds like we're going to have a good storm tonight. They are predicting anywhere from 6-12 inches...so we'll probably get 2. Today we will have our last Christmas celebration with my family. We will get together and open presents, eat and fill ourselves til we're miserable and then eat a little more...small bites don't have any calories you know. Then we'll watch and help the kids play with their new toys. My brother and his wife and two boys will be there along with my crowd. My sister said she just can't make it from Montana to here this morning...so she will miss out. She's got cows to milk anyway...she can't be gone all day! The bad thing is, I messed up, I didn't even think about asking what I was to bring for the gathering today until last night. So I will show up with the strange combination of fudge and cheese and crackers. I made the fudge last night while I was wrapping the last of th...

Okay, since Linda brought up the question of how Don Imus got on RFD-TV, we'll visit that issue. I don't know why he ever got on...their publicity was that rural America called in and wanted him. I'm not sure why. My question was, who knew Don Imus before he got into this trouble over his racial slur? I didn't but I guess those who listen to a lot of talk radio did. After investigating him and his Don Imus Ranch for kids with cancer I was unimpressed. Why? Because his wife, Deidre, serves all vegan food. Which means there are no animal products used in their menu. She doesn't believe that animals should be used for human benefit. Okay, is anyone confused yet? Why would RFD-TV put anyone on their network that is totally against their network audience? RFD-TV is for rural America...they have farming shows, horse shows, equipment shows, tractor shows, everything to do with agriculture and yet a three hour time span is devoted every weekday morning to a man w...

Well, from what I hear from Pryorvu , Four Dot Dairy in Joliet , Montana is back in the milk peddling business.... yeehaw ! My nephew , Tom, and his family support system have been selling fresh milk out in Montana and making a killing, I might add. Well, it's a killing compared to what we sell our milk for, I don't think my brother in law is ready to sell his custom cabinetry business and become a full time dairy farmer with two cows just yet. Now after having both cows dry for a spell...(get it? dry spell?...HA!) they are now back in business with the new heifer delivery on Christmas Eve. How fun for them to have a new Ayrshire heifer! As Pryorvu described, I'm sure it was a beautiful sight to see this newborn on Christmas Eve, with fresh snow. How nice of you to create that word picture for us! Now for the Knolltop update....yesterday JW's team lost to Jonesville , I think they just had too much Christmas fudge and eggnog. They just weren't playing thei...

Good morning from the snowy Knolltop. The snow is coming down and it's sticking which makes for a pretty morning. But I don't think it's going to stay, we're supposed to warm up today. JW has a basketball tournament today and tomorrow, so we are back on the bleachers at noon in Jonesville. I'm so excited because it's not at chore time. We can actually see the game from beginning to end without missing any of JW's fouls! Win or lose they will play at least one more game tomorrow, if they win they will play two games tomorrow. Yesterday Luke and Jake spent the day on the ice. Luke got new hockey equipment for Christmas and headed out to see if there was enough ice. Remarkably there was...so he and Jake invited Brad over and they played most of the afternoon. Right before dinner the phone rang and it was Luke (he had my cell phone) asking me if I wanted to come out and play....I hated to refuse, but I had to, it was dinner time. They needed one more pl...

I had every intention of getting to this computer yesterday but between the downloading of songs in multiple mp3 players, this computer was occupied most of the day. So Merry Christmas a day late and several dollars short now! Was anyone else as tired as I was yesterday? It seems like for a week I've been on a napless, sugar high. Then I stayed up late working on Bobby's gift, which was worth every lost wink. He loved his year of Holly in a frame...her winnings, her ribbons, her pictures....he really loved it. It was probably the least expensive gift under the tree besides the Texas Longhorns baseball cap that JW and Jake were fighting over! After baking several batches of goodies for the neighbors, I was actually able to save some to give away to the neighbors. You see I would bake, kids would eat, I would bake, kids would eat...and on and on. I hid some goodies away and then I brought them out on Monday to put in pretty little gift bags and put a Martha Stewart bow ...

You can tell by this picture who likes to get their picture taken and who doesn't. Yes, this is Bobby and me, taken this morning at church. Before each service people were taking pictures, then during the service they took the pictures down to the store, had them printed and brought them back, cropped them and put them in an ornament holder for each of us. Bobby didn't want his picture taken but I pushed him in front of the backdrop, told the lady to hurry up and snap the picture and of course in true rebellious Bobby fashion, he looked away. I keep telling him...it's a good thing I love him so much! Our program went well this morning and I was glad to come home and take a nap. Now I'm off to the barn...it will be a nice slow relaxing time as I milk this evening...no where to go tonight. The boys will take a calf up to the local church for their live nativity...they will also dress up for the scene. Then they will down lots of hot chocolate, cookies and play floor hocke...

Just a quick note...so many things to do today! Luke's team remained undefeated with their last win against Pittsford. Luke was high scorer with 16 points! JW's team racked up another win against Tekonsha. JW had 6 points and 4 fouls. Yes, you know we count his fouls. Today we're getting chores done and then off to shop then I've got play practice at church. So it will be another busy day, but hopefully I'll get all my shopping done today! Off to the barn....

Good Morning from the Knolltop. the sunrise is beautiful this morning and if I didn't look at the calendar I'd think it was early March. You can smell the warmer temps coming...it just feels like a typical spring day. Well, today is the last day of school for the kids. Jake took cheese and crackers for his party, Sarah said she doesn't get a party...just work ....all the time! Luke has a party in third hour...that teacher must be a party animal and I have no idea about JW...JW doesn't have any idea about JW.....he couldn't find his backpack this morning and when he went to start his truck, it was dead...he came in and I told him to just wiggle the battery posts, the clamp thingy probably came loose... he did and it started! Yes, just give me a master mechanic certificate! After school today, Luke and Jake will ride the bus to Pittsford for their final game of the season and JW will head to Tekonsha. We will start chores early, run to Pittsford and pick up Luke and ...

It's foggy on the Knolltop this morning. Yesterday started out just fine...but as I got to the end of chores I was trying to decide which direction I should go to do my shopping. I wanted to go to Adrian...but it was getting late, so when the van just started driving to Hillsdale...I just rode along. I did somemore Christmas shopping and feeling very satisfied as I went over my list because I only had a couple of more things to get, I checked out and headed out to my van. The van came into my sights and so did the flat tire on the front. We've needed new tires, but I just thought I could hold out til after Christmas...NOT! Normally I would be happy to spend more time shopping while the service center put new tires on my van...but since it was Sarah's birthday I had to get her birthday treat to her class...they were expecting it! Asking how long it would be, the young, unenthusiastic mechanic just mumbled about an hour an a half. AAAHHHHH!!!! I gently said, "Oh, well, I...

Today, 12 years ago, I went into labor for the only granddaughter on both sides of our family, my daughter Sarah. And in true Sarah form, she was 10 minutes early....she was due on the 20th, but decided to come a little early. She was the first one I tried drugs with...NO, don't freak out! I mean drugs as in while I was in labor. I had the first two boys without drugs. With Sarah I had a shot to lighten the pain..but it was too late, it didn't work. I was too chicken for an epidural. She didn't take too long though. So this morning she opened up a couple of presents and last night Grandma and Gramps brought down a couple of presents and she opened those before the concert. Jake was dying for her to open his present to her before school...so she did and he was as excited about the Christmas mug as Sarah was. Luke has a game tonight and I'm hoping to do more shopping this morning....I've started and I even have some wrapped under the tree!

I was reminded this morning that while I was writing about Bud...I forgot to tell you about the calf. Krissy, the heifer in yesterday's story had a bull calf. Bobby went out to check on her at about 10 that night and he ended up pulling him. He's healthy and happy in his spot next to Molly...another calf.

It's a warm 20 degrees out on the Knolltop this morning. Lot's of snow, but it's all cleared out so now I'm cleared to head to town today for some shopping. Okay...I'll admit it, I'm a last minute shopper and I hate that about myself. If I see something in July that would make a great Christmas present, I can't wait to give it, I have to give it right away. If I don't give it away I hide it somewhere never to be found until well into the next year. So with that kind of track record, it's no wonder I haven't bought a Christmas present yet. Today I will get started because tomorrow is Sarah's birthday. That will get me to the store and I will hopefully be inspired to buy some gifts. I also have to get her some black slacks for her Christmas concert tonight. Last night we had a pictionary tournament. Jake and I won. We were in the last round against the two biggest competitors of the tournament... JW and Luke. We had to win...we just...

I finally made my way to the computer today. With the kids off of school because of the snow, it's been a full day with not a whole lot of quiet time on the computer. The weather is clear and the snow is beautiful. I think they will have school tomorrow...but no one had it today. Last evening, JW and I milked while Bobby plowed more snow and Luke mixed feed. While they were working, a car got stuck down the road so they were busy pulling the neighbor out of the snow drift. Before Bobby left the barn he instructed me to get the heifer in who is in heat and to get the other heifer in who was calving. I left JW with the milking while I started on my orders. The heifer in heat was easy...for some reason she was very willing to get real friendly... :) So with her in and tied up, I went back out in the deep snow for the calving heifer. All the heifers and dry cows were up at the bunk eating. With flashlight in hand, I started checking behinds. Nope, not her, nope, not her....no...

We are officially snowed in! We had about 8 inches last night...although it's hard to tell since it's blowing like crazy out there. The road crews have been by, but it drifts in as fast as they plow it out. Bobby is out there right now trying to clean out a place for the milk truck to back in....yes, the truck driver thinks it's no big deal...good thing for us dairy farmers! Yesterday was absolutely crazy! The kids got up early and helped finish up chores. Then we dashed up to East Lansing for the Top Ten sale while Luke went to his scrimmage. (Luke's team is still undefeated) We had a great time at the sale and I even got to get in the auctioneer's box and do a little selling, actually fund raising for the spring jackpot show. More on that later. After we drank lots of eggnog, provided by Mooville Creamery and ate lots of free donuts and visited with lots of great cow people...we headed back home to milk the cows and head to JW's game. It was snowing pretty ...

Mark up another win for Dub's team. Last night they beat Waldron and JW only had 2 fouls. I have to laugh at the dads who sit up there and everytime a foul is called they'd yell..."Good Foul! That was a good foul!" Since when are fouls good? I really don't know much about basketball. We have a night off tonight...no basketball, Christmas programs, rehearsals...nothing! We can come in from chores, relax by the fire, enjoy the Christmas tree and eat popcorn. Now that sounds good, but I'm sure Luke and Jake will be playing basketball in the livingroom while Sarah yells for them to stop and I'm in the kitchen packing a lunch for a busy day tomorrow and making sure all the uniforms are washed. Tomorrow is the Top Ten Invitational Sale at MSU. Burton and Fellers are putting it on and Aaron Jorgenson is hosting it. This is more than just your average Holstein sale...this is an event in the Holstein world. Anyone who is anyone will be there to see and be...

It's snowy here on the Knolltop. It looks and feels like Christmas! Last night Luke's team racked up another win against Litchfield. Luke had a great game and was the high scorer with 17 points. Their team has pretty much skunked everyone they've played so Luke hasn't had to work too hard at getting better. So last night when he was cleaning gutters before going to the game, his father told him he needed to shoot for being above average and work on getting more offensive rebounds. Well, Luke did exactly what Bobby told him to do...and it paid off. He just looked like he was trying a bit harder instead of just doing enough to win. Tonight Dub has a game against Waldron...I guess it's going to be physical...I have bets that JW will foul out before the third quarter. He loves to foul people. On another note...cooperation was the name of the game yesterday. I went to pick up the kids from school and swap JW's truck for my van. I ran out of gas in his truc...

Now that the bad weather is passed, we can get back to normal...whatever that is. It's overcast and cold...well, in the twenties...so I guess it's not that cold. Last evening JW's basketball team won, but the Varsity lost. JW had two points and four fouls. He's proud of his fouls...I don't think this is a good thing....but what do I know about basketball? Luke's team continues its trek to be undefeated tonight as they take on the Litchfield Terriers...the only team in the league so far that has given them a run for their money. It should be a good game. For those of you who commented on my column...thank you so much for your kind words. For those of you who don't get the Farmers' Advance, my column appears every week there next to Val Farmer and Baxter Black and the one and only Amanda Nolz from the Chewing the Cud fame. I've been writing that column for nine years now and it's more fun now than when I started! Speaking of Amanda.....I wa...

It's raining ice this morning. We are now in the middle of freezing rain and the kids had school. Several around the county were closed, but not us. I almost expect them to be sent home early if this freezing rain keeps up. Well, I promised my column so I'd better put it in today. Here it is: Truth from the Trenches By Melissa Hart If farmers want to continue to farm and produce food for the world, they must change their strategies. This is according to Dr. Wes Jamison a University of Florida public relations researcher. Last week, I began writing about a consumer who thought the American farmer needed to visit Europe to learn how to treat their livestock humanely. Remember? The lady with the green beret and matching cape? She had a lot of opinions but no research to back up the false claims that were spewing out of her mouth. A few days later at the Michigan Farm Bureau Annual Meeting I had the chance to listen to Dr. Wes Jamison speak on animal welfare issues and how farmers ...

Well, the kids got their wish...no school today. We had some freezing rain over night. Actually, yesterday our road was icy so we were well on our way to no school before the weather turned even worse last night. You know, I've learned one thing as my kids have gotten older....I had a whole lot more freedom when they were little. When they were toddlers and babies, I could throw their clothes on, load them up in the van and run the country side. I could shop when I wanted to, meet a girlfriend for lunch at McDonalds when I wanted to and get our Christmas tree whenever it suited me. I decided last week that Saturday would be the designated day for Christmas tree shopping. All the kids would be home and we would go and have a great time tromping through the trees selecting the perfect tree. On Saturday morning, JW and Luke were called to work for the neighbor, Jake informed me he had basketball practice at 12 and Sarah at 1:30 pm. When I came home from my grocery run I promptly...

It's a balmy 30 this morning on the Knolltop and as I write, it's still dark and I'm headed to cook up breakfast. I think we'll have pancakes and bacon and sausage. Yes, I'm big on the pig...gotta have those nitrates...which I've recently learned they aren't as bad for you as we all thought. First of all...thanks to those of you who have already sent your Christmas memories...I'm so excited about this...like I said, I will be sharing these with 75000 readers in the midwest when they go in my column. Keep them coming...the way I teared up yesterday I know they will resonate with the farm community. There is just something special about farm folk! Secondly, if you want to hear a good discussion about the use of technology in agriculture and the misconceptions of the consumer you need to listen to yesterday's (Dec 7) Rural Route with Trent Loos, Kyle Bauer and Duane Toews. They really hit on some things in food production that we all need to think ...

Here's last week's column, in order for you to get this week's you have to read last week's first...sorry! Truth from the trenches By Melissa Hart I walked into the local meat market to pick up my fresh turkey. It was the day before Thanksgiving and the place was hopping with customers picking up their last minute necessities to prepare a special dinner. I looked around and saw a woman who was waiting for her pork chops to be sliced and packaged. From the way she was dressed I knew she was not from around here. She had a hunter green wool cape, a matching beret with her bright red hair poking out from underneath. From the looks of her purchases she was preparing a meal for a big crowd and I just knew that if I struck up a conversation with her, it would be a good one. “Looks like you’re cooking for quite a crowd,” I commented. She replied, “When you’re the chef in the family, everyone expects you to prepare the meal.” Inquiring about her employment, she explained to me ...

It's so much warmer here on the Knolltop this morning....I think the thermometer said 20! I'm trying not to use the furnace for heat, so I'm allowing the corn stove to heat the house...although I keep hearing complaints about how cold it is in the bathroom, I'm not giving in...as my dad would say....put some clothes on! Jake had his play last night and of course it was standing room only. He did a great job and it was a very nice evening full of little kids singing and dancing and cameras flashing and videos being taken of every last step. I wonder out of the thousands of pictures that were taken last night, how many are actually printed off and then used in some form or another....I bet it's low! In other news...the last couple of weeks I've been writing about animal welfare and about a speaker that I was privileged to hear at the annual Farm Bureau meeting. Because many of you never read my column, because you live too far away to even know what the Farm...

Now it's cold....really cold....it was 7 degrees this morning...but no wind and what a blessing! When we went to the barn, I expected to find something frozen and much to my surprise...it was quite pleasant in there. No frozen pipes, drinking cups or hoses! Luke's team is still undefeated, they beat Waldron last night...by a bunch. Tonight is Jake's Christmas program at school....no rest for the wicked. Yesterday I got a call from the school needing a recess attendant. One of their aids was sick, so on the coldest, windiest day we've had this winter, they call me! Knowing I was going to be outside in the wind, I layered and layered and the final layer was my carhart overalls, I usually don't wear those, I don't need them in the barn and that's really the only place I spend any time outside. But yesterday while I watched bunches of kids play in the fresh snow I stayed nice and warm in my overalls. I only had one problem with one little boy who wouldn...

Two inches of snow fell last night on the Knolltop....it's Christmas! I finally broke out my Christmas dishes yesterday for dinner. It was time....although that is the only sign of Christmas in my house right now...more to come..when I get time. Last evening JW had his first basketball game. Although he contributed 4 points to the effort...they lost by 12...I think. The varsity lost too. JW only had two fouls, that is outstanding for him. There are times on the basketball court that he forgets he's not in the barn playing with his brothers and he gets a little physical. So to only have two fouls is great for him. Tonight we travel to Waldron for Luke's game. This morning I was caught in a parental no-no. I giggled when I should've been dishing out discipline. But I just couldn't help myself. Jake was waiting for his basketball shirt to dry...he's the manager of Luke's team and he always wears his team shirt on game day...just like the big boys. S...

We're having a pretty sunrise this morning...the orange sky is casting it's hue across the corn field outside my window. I guess I'm ready for cold weather...kind of... Last night we traveled to Camden for Luke's game and both the 7 th and 8 th grade won. So that keeps Luke's team undefeated. Luke only had 6 points. It's always fun going to a Camden game because I get to see all the people I used to work with at the Farmers' Advance. Although it was 17 years ago that I worked there, we still see each other throughout the year at sporting events...they are like family to me. They were and still are and awesome bunch of people! How is it that a video auction can be so addicting? Every day at coffee time when Bobby and I sit down to drink our afternoon cup of coffee before heading out for chores, he looks to see if there is a cattle auction on RFD-TV. For the past two weeks we've found ourselves glued to watching a video of beef cattle meandering t...

Winter has set in here on the Knolltop and with the turn of the calendar, it feels like Christmas. Saturday night the boys and Bobby put up the tarps up over where it gets real drafty and pipes start to freeze. The next day it was 50 outside and it felt like a summer in there! But, it's colder now and we're glad for a warm barn. I've been trying to post on this blog all day, but after breakfast I started doing laundry then the neighbor stopped in and we had to solve the world problems, including the premier of Don Imus on RFD-TV. Then I headed out to the barn to finally finish up my chores and by that time it was nap time. After answering a few emails and starting another load of laundry and figuring out what to fix for dinner...I finally got back to this. We had so much fun with the three kids that stayed with us over the weekend. Jennifer, Jessie and Josiah were great to have around. For not coming from a farm, they sure didn't mind pitching in and helping out w...

Well, it was a good day out in the barn this afternoon. Just like we wanted, Holly went excellent...with 90 points. We wanted 91, but he said she needed another calf through her and her best days are ahead. The real surprise was Elvira who also went excellent. She was in one of our first heifer crops and she has just steadily gone up a point every time she's been classified. Now she is excellent and we didn't expect it at all! That is kind of an early Christmas present for us. After the classifier got done scoring the cows, he came in and had coffee and a sweetroll with us and he and Bobby talked cows and cow people and I just sat and marveled at how they knew all the same people and all the same cows but didn't know each other. I just love listening to people talk about cows and when they start telling stories from the old days...that's even better. I'm sure the stories are much better than the actual events...but I don't care, it's still fun listeni...

Here on the Knolltop we are busy getting ready for the classifier. For those of you who have no idea what that is...I'll give you the Readers Digest condensed version. A classifier is a person who works for the Holstein Association and goes to farms and puts a numerical score on a cow. He is "judging" her bascially. There are many different areas that he judges, breaking down the total cow into different categories like mammary system, feet and legs, dairy character etc....giving all these a score, he computes her overall score. One hundred would be a perfect cow and so from 90-100 they are excellent, from 89-85 is Very Good, 84-80 is Good Plus and so on down the line. Anything under 80, I don't want to discuss...I don't want any cows like that...and so far we don't have any. Bobby said he was at a guys farm clipping for classification and he had a cow score 60 and was proud of it. So I guess it's all relative. Today, the big event is when Holly wil...