Gratitude Day 283

Mon., June 10, 2019

Job 10:10 – As cheese is made from milk, you created my body from a tiny drop.

Here in Wisconsin, we love June Dairy Month.

It’s an entire month dedicated to eating as many dairy products as we like. Why? Because so many dairy products are produced here in Wisconsin! We love ourselves milk, chocolate milk, butter, cheese, ice cream, custard and yogurt all month long. Throughout the month, lots of events hosted so people can get on a farm, eat some dairy products and witness how well dairy cattle are cared for.

Our former neighbors and dear friends, the Lohr Family Farm, hosted such an event last Saturday. For five years, Hubby Rick and I lived literally just down the road from the Lohr’s. Parents Mel and Doris started this dairy farm decades ago. Their son, Greg, oversees much of the day-to-day operation. Doris still manages the books and finances and oversees the calf operation. They hire other folks to help care for the animals, harvest the crops and assist in all activities that make a dairy operation hum daily.

About a year ago, the Lohr’s built a new facility. Their old barn was worn out. They also wanted to build an operation that would provide an excellent environment for their dairy cows, which they accomplished. In a barn filled with 220 cows producing milk every day, you basically never hear a cow “Moo” because they literally feel like they are living in a 5-star hotel and receiving all the amenities which keep them very happy.

Lots of people showed up at the dairy breakfast. Some came on Friday and cracked eggs and set-up tents for food, entertainment and education. Early Saturday morning, people began cooking scrambled eggs and pancakes. Before 7 AM, lines of people enjoyed plates filled with excellent food made right on the Lohr farm. As a live band played in the background, kids swarmed the petting zoo and people enjoyed the near perfect weather for a day on the farm. Before leaving the farm, everyone enjoyed locally made Culver’s a custard Sunday, topped with strawberries or fudge honey topping.

We live in a society today where connections to where and how food is raised and produced are not as close as they once were. Decades of people were either raised on a farm or visited grandparents who lived on a farm. Today, the only chance most people have to be on a real, working farm is when they participate in an event like the Lohr’s hosted. It’s the one time of the year when people may have an opportunity to see happy cows producing tons of nature’s most perfect product: milk.

Here in Wisconsin, lots of this milk becomes cheese. Cheese that is used on pizza, pasta dishes, salads, and sandwiched between two crackers. You can choose from hundreds of varieties and pick your favorite to mix into scrambled eggs or other foods that simply taste better with a little cheese.

It’s hard work, running a dairy operation. The Lohr’s, and so many other dairy farmers, are committed to providing a safe, healthy and excellent product while treating their animals with love that would rival how many children are raised. For the last five years, the dairy industry has experienced historical low prices while input costs have remained elevated. Thousands of dairy producers have exited the industry in just the last two years, unable to provide a reasonable living for their families.

During this June Dairy Month, I encourage you to enjoy lots of nature’s most product. Find a local event that you can attend and drink in all the hard work and love that these people provide their animals. Buy a few extra dairy products this month and enjoy your favorites every day.

You see, just as God created you and your body, God created these wonderful animals called milk cows and the milk they produce. May we appreciate all of God’s creation and celebrate those who care for it so well.

For God’s wonderful unique and creation, I am grateful.

Lord God – it’s amazing to discover how carefully you created an animal that can produce a product that feeds our bodies so well. Thank you for the folks like the Lohr Family that have dedicated their lives to providing us with a healthy, safe and wholesome product that we can feed our bodies. Amen.

Blessings –

Dianne

If you have enjoyed this blog, please pass it along to someone else who will also enjoy it.