From Dairy Farm to Grocery Store

By Abby Cropper, Dietetic Intern at Winners Drink Milk

Last month, I had the opportunity through the Indiana Dietetics Association Annual Meeting to visit and tour the Kelsay Dairy Farm in Whiteland, Indiana.  I’m a complete rookie when it comes to dairy farming.  So, I attended a presentation about dairy farms before we left for the tour. The presentation touched on milk transportation, milk processing/tasting, and milk labeling.  I had no idea about the great lengths that are taken to keep our milk safe and get it to the stores in a timely manner.  The whole process would not be able to happen without the hauler, the tanker, and the processing plant. I’m not quite sure why I never thought about it, but milk is the only food that is never touched by human hands! How cool is that?!

As I mentioned, these farmers and haulers put a lot of effort into keeping the milk safe. I could see that firsthand during the presentation and when I toured the farm.  The milking equipment delivers milk directly from the cows to a refrigerated holding tank.  When the milk comes out of the cow, it is 100 degrees Fahrenheit and the holding tank cools it down to 38 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.  Before this milk can leave the tank to go to the processing plant, a certified milk hauler tests the milk and the tanker truck is tested, as well. 

On the other end of things is nutrition.  We all have heard how nutritious milk is for the body.  The calcium, the vitamin D, and the seven other essential nutrients that help nourish your body.  But, how does the cow stay healthy to give us this milk?  Cows eat nearly 100 pounds of food and drink 25-50 gallons of water each day – that’s a bathtub of water!  Eating all of this food takes almost seven hours a day.  There was a nutritionist who designs the cows’ diet and changes it as needed.  As a future dietitian, I enjoyed learning this component of running a dairy farm.  For a cow to be able to produce that much milk and have her body stay healthy, I knew their diet needed to be well-balanced at all times. 

According to the USDA, 98% of U.S. dairy farms are family owned and operated, sometimes by multiple generations of the family.   The families deeply care for the land and the cows. The farmers are working constantly to provide us with safe, healthy products by keeping their farm and cows safe and healthy.  I have so much appreciation for the fresh milk that is put into our grocery store coolers each day.  What more could we ask for?  So, when you pour your milk (skim, 2%, chocolate, whatever!) be thankful for the hard working dairy farmers who got it to your table!

Are leftovers safe to eat if they don't smell bad?

By: Mythbusters


Myth: Leftovers are safe to eat until they smell bad.  

Fact: Most people would not choose to eat spoiled, smelly food. However, if they did, they would not necessarily get sick. This is because there are different types of bacteria, some of which cause illness in people and others that don't. The types of bacteria that do cause illness do not affect the taste, smell, or appearance of food. For this reason it is important to freeze or toss refrigerated leftovers within 3-4 days. If you are unsure of how long your leftovers have been sitting in the refrigerator, don't take the risk - when in doubt, throw it out!

Have You Met the Herrs?

By Kimmi Devaney of Winners Drink Milk

Steve & Abbie Herr

Dairy Farmers

Kendallville, Indiana

Why did you go into the dairy business?

            Steve is a 4th generation dairy farmer in his family.  He wanted to continue the legacy and likes the rewarding feel you get from being a dairy farmer.  David and Mary, Steve's parents, both grew up on farms and thoroughly enjoyed being involved in the agriculture community.  Dennis worked with his father, Emmert, until David graduated.  They then incorporated the farm in 1972.  It doesn't hurt that we all LOVE cows either!!

How does your family ensure your cows stay comfortable?

            Our cows have sand bedded freestalls.  Sand bedding is cooler and the cows love it!  During the summer the cows have sprinklers and fans in each pen. This allows them to stay cooler especially on those HOT summer days!  We also have a few pens that have cow brushes.  The cows love using them to get those itches that can't be scratched, and we love watching them use the brushes.

How many generations are currently working on your farm?

            There are 2 generations working on the farm.  David, Mary, and Dennis are the 3rd generation.  David does all the crop work and custom chopping for other dairy farmers in the community.  Mary is the bookkeeper for the farm.  Dennis is semi-retired and helps where ever it is needed.  Steve and Abbie are the 4th generation.  Steve is the herdsman and manages all of the employees.  Abbie is the heifer manager.  For the most part, we all know how to do all the jobs, so if an employee has an emergency we can fill in.

What do you love most about being in the dairy industry?

            We love being a part of something that is so vital to the general public.  We love that we get to work with animals!  We are now becoming more involved in helping put a positive image on the dairy industry for the consumers.  Being involved in such a rewarding industry gives you a great sense of pride!

What do you want the general public to know about dairy farming?

            Dairy farmers work hard to make sure the animals are well taken care of and as a result produce nutritious dairy products for consumers.  We also strive to send a safe product to the consumer.  We love our animals! Without them we would not be where we are today.  They give us a reason to get up every day and make sure they are healthy, fed right, and properly managed, so we can keep being a part of such a wonderful industry!

Meet the Wallpes

By Sarah Mahan of This Farm Family’s Life

Benton County’s first ever Farm Family of the Year aren’t strangers to farming.  Lana Wallpe has a solid background in farming while Steve Wallpe is a third generation farmer.  Steve’s family ran a dairy farm for about 40 years.

    

One of the first things you would probably notice while visiting the Wallpe farm in Benton County are the windmills.  “We are surrounded by them,” Lana says.  Lana and Steve live there with their two daughters.  She likes them and feels they add a unique character to the land.  They farm 1800 acres of corn, soybeans, and wheat.  They also have a feeder calf operation.  The calves arrive weighing 500-600 pounds and are fed out until they reach 1100-1200 pounds and then they are shipped off to market.

 

“We farm because Steve loves it and so do I,” Lana says. “I always knew I would marry a farmer.  Steve especially loves working with the cattle.  He has the intense work ethic of a farmer and the knack for mechanical tinkering needed to fix everything.  The satisfaction comes in watching crops and livestock grow, finding new ways to better what we are doing, and taking care of our land for generations to come.”

Lana isn’t afraid to help out on the farm.   She started out as cook, mover from field to field, and “fetcher of parts.”  Lana tells of a time when she went into an implement store with a piece of a corn stalk the length of the bolt she was supposed to pick up.  Once the girls started school, she began to learn how to drive the tractors and the combine.   She and Steve both feel it’s important to let their girls know that they can do anything their dad can do – age and size appropriate, of course!  She encourages them to ride with her in the combine and tractors so they know they can farm someday just like a boy could and the girls are getting more hands-on experience on the farm every day.

 Lana feels it is important to put a face with agriculture because “the media places more and more emphasis on “factory farms,” but the honest truth is most of our country’s farms are maintained and owned by individual farmers.  Whether we raise livestock or grow crops, we are families trying to earn a living and maintain the highest standards for the health of our animals and condition of our land.  There are great days and hard days.  We recently discovered that one of our 4-H calves died for no apparent reason, and our daughter took it very hard.  It’s important to know that there are smiles and tears behind each piece of grain and meat we produce."

Want to learn more about the Wallpes? Visit Lana’s blog to follow their day to day life on the farm.

Indiana farmers will help celebrate at annual wine festival

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (May 24, 2012) — Indiana grape growers will not be the only farmers represented at this year’s Vintage Indiana Wine and Food Festival, on June 2.  Indiana’s Family of Farmers, including beef, corn, pork, poultry, dairy, and soybean farmers, will also be present at Military Park this year.  They’ll share information about today’s agriculture with the wide array of consumers who visit the annual wine festival.

“We as dairy farmers are proud to be represented at Vintage Indiana this year,” said Sarah Wagler, a dairy farmer from Morgantown, Ind. “We think this is a great opportunity to inform Hoosiers about the positive impact agriculture has on our state.  Not to mention that everyone loves cheese with their wine!”

Along with giving away free cheese and wine glass tags, Indiana’s Family of Farmers will have a booth space featuring the fun and educational Wheel of Agriculture.  Vintage attendees can spin the interactive wheel, answer a question about farming and win prizes that include grill brushes, cheese boards and other fun items.  Vintage attendees can also have their photos taken with farming mascots like Porkchop the Pig, Bennie the Bean, Buttercup the Dairy Cow and Hannah the Hen.

Speaking of mascots, don’t miss out on the social media contest with the mascots. Here’s how it works. While you are at Vintage Indiana, upload a picture of you with a mascot to Twitter with the hashtag #IFOFmascot.  One lucky winner will win a special prize. 

The 13th annual Vintage Indiana Wine & Food Festival will feature nearly 30 Indiana wineries, over a dozen food vendors, and more than 20 art vendors. For more information on Vintage Indiana, visit http://www.vintageindiana.com/.

For more information about Indiana’s Family of Farmers, visit www.indianafamilyoffarmers.com.

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Contact Michelle Plummer at plummer@winnersdrinkmilk.com or 317-842-3060.

About Indiana’s Family of Farmers
Indiana’s Family of Farmers works to raise awareness that Indiana’s farmers are among the top producers of the grains, produce and meats you eat every day.  We believe that quality farming means quality food that is good for you, your families and the environment. That’s our promise: Food for your family, from our family. Visit www.indianafamilyoffarmers.com for more information.

Table Talk: Memorial Day Recipes & Traditions

Memorial Day is a of remembrance of all those who have served our country and died in its service. And, it is the freedom that those servicemen fought to protect that offers so many Americans--and specifically Hoosiers-- the opportunity to take a few days over the holiday weekend to celebrate food, family and fun!

Whether we are anxiously waiting to finally watch the Indy 500 winner drink milk or we are cutting into our very own Hoosier Cream Pie, Indiana's Memorial Day Weekend is sure to be steeped in tradition.

That got us thinking... what are the the Hoosier traditions out there? So we turn to a great bunch of bloggers and asked them...

"What are your Memorial Day traditions, tips and recipes?"

With a son in the military, April over at Angel's Homestead  is no stranger to the meaning of the holiday. She and her family celebrate the weekend as the "unofficial kick-off" to summer complete with  2012 Memorial Day Menu and boy does it look good! Cowboy Burgers anyone? YUM!

Jackie over at WritRams encourages Hoosiers to spend less time in the kitchen and more time making memories with her mouth-watering Easy Barbecued Chicken and Easy Grilled Vegetables recipe.

Katy over at Indianapolis with Kids shares her childhood memories of camping with her family and how her family now spends the weekend-- celebrating with at least one big backyard BBQ. This year her tradition will include a trip to the track with a friend... wave hello to farmers and official 2012 Indy 500 Milkmen Dave and Duane for us Katy!

Heather over at Basilmomma is celebrating a "break from it all" while she and her family do a "whole lotta nothin'" this weekend! She also shares how she worked up enough courage to ask her grandmother for the recipe to her "sainted" Hoosier Sugar Cream Pie recipe and she then shares it with us. Doesn't it look divine?

Last but not least, Ann-Marie over at Chaos is Bliss shares some food safety tips and another traditional  Hoosier dessert that is sure to please the kiddos as much as the adults- Dirt Cake.

Thanks so much for sharing your food, family and fun with us ladies!

Do you have a special recipe or tradition around this holiday? We'd love to hear about it. Comment here  , on Facebook or on Twitter using the #TableTalk hashtag.

Take me out to the Ball Park

Summer is right around the corner and Indiana’s Family of Farmers are “on deck” for a great summer with the Indianapolis Indians. Plan on family fun for all ages at the ball park this summer.

Every Sunday home game will host a BUILD A BURGER contest right on the field sponsored by Indiana’s Family of Farmers! Two lucky fans will compete to win a fun gift pack including a $10 Tribe Token (to be used at Victory Field), recipes and some great cooking tools!

Looking for a real “home run” when taking in an Indians game this summer? Members of the Indiana’s Family of Farmers team will be on hand before the games on Friday, July 13, Monday, July 30 and Friday, August 24 with chances to win fun prizes including a $50 grocery gift card. While there, be sure to chat with us about food and farming.

What’s more, IFOF will once again be hosting a blogger Family Night at the Ball Park with the Indians. This special event will include not only an exciting ball game for the entire family to enjoy, but also a picnic and fun and fellowship for Indiana’s blogging community and some of their lucky readers. Stay tuned in to your favorite Indiana bloggers and IFOF's facebook page and Twitter stream for links to their giveaways to this special event!

Want more ways to be a part of this fun summer tradition? We will have game tickets up for grabs throughout the summer good for any game of your choice! Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for further details as well as your chance to win!

And you didn't think we'd leave you without a chance to enter a set right now did you?

See the box below for several ways to enter!