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maryjane
7072 Posts
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 Posted - May 12 2014 : 09:57:36 AM
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For Mother's Day, my daughter, SIL, and granddaughters brought lunch and then helped with chores. I let the girls pamper our newest mother, Miss Daisy, who gave birth two and a half weeks ago to her first calf. She stood for a very long time while the girls brushed both of her sides. At one point, Miss Daisy's eye lids got heavy, her head got lower and lower, and then she started to rock gently back and forth as they brushed. She's such a dear sweet cow to stand in one place for so long. When I have the time, she lets me milk her by hand (instead of using my milking machine), without moving, and without being tied up! I'm getting 3 quarts to a gallon of milk from her once/day (I milk every day at 11 a.m.) Baby calf nurses whenever he chooses. I can't wait until my granddaughters learn how to milk. The girls asked if we could bring Miss Daisy's calf to school for show and tell. We're discussing it. I don't want to stress him.
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MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - May 12 2014 : 10:49:00 PM
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| Sweet photo! Great Mother's Day time for all (including Miss Daisy). I hope you figure out how to take the calf to school...we took our goat kids to school when they were less than 24 hours old. I just made our visit short and had bottles ready for my goat babies when we got back to the car. I think it is important for the children at school to learn early about farm life and where food comes from! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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hudsonsinaf
56 Posts
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Posted - Jun 02 2014 : 05:27:22 AM
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What an absolutely lovely demeanor your cow has!!!! I can only pray that one day I too will have a cow so gentle and easy going.
I cannot imagine having someone bring in one of their farm critters to school! It simply would not have been accepted where I grew up. With that said, I think it would be a fantastic opportunity for school!!!! Would it be easier, however, to contact the girls' teacher and possibly set up a field trip to your farm? We are homeschoolers, and one of our favorite field trips EVERY year is to a local goat farm. |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Jun 02 2014 : 10:17:25 AM
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| We've had quite a few fields trips to our farm over the years but their little school is private and doesn't always have the resources for field trips. Last year we did have a kindergarten class come out to our farm from another school and each child got to milk our cow, Maizy. She stood so patiently! Yes, I agree, field trips are the best. How long have you homeschooled? That's awesome. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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hudsonsinaf
56 Posts
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Posted - Jun 02 2014 : 1:53:19 PM
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| I've home schooled unofficially for the past about 7 years - since my oldest was 3 or 4. I don't know if it really counts until they are in kindergarten, lol. My oldest will be 11 the end of August. It has been the best experience! Next year the kids will be in 6th grade, 3rd grade, 2nd grade, kindergarten, PreK3, and toddler school (the youngest will be a year the end of this month). Once we have our farm, they will be learning all types of things in our schooling, but right now we are learning primarily the basics ;) |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Jun 02 2014 : 3:08:24 PM
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Ah, you will have a mighty work force someday. Congrats!!!!
Both of my children, Brian and Meg (and their spouses, Ashley and Lucas) work here full-time--a family farm of sorts, well, all sorts. We do about everything here plus we employ neighbors and friends. But the best part? My husband and I get to work together and see our four grandgirls almost every day. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Jun 02 2014 : 3:21:00 PM
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I might add that I homeschooled my kids on and off. I found that I loved the pace of farm time better than get-to-town deadline time. Work and learning flowed better, plus I didn't like our evenings and weekends devoted to homework. I figured that if a child can't learn enough in six hours every day at school, something's wrong. We had other things to do with our spare time, things like attend to critter births, chores, etc.
Interestingly enough, when my kids reached high school age, they wanted to go to public school. But because it was THEIR idea, they embraced it. (Every time they complained about school I'd say, "don't go" and they'd say, "Mom, why can't you be normal like other moms?") My daughter became a cheerleader and a son (not the one that works here) became senior class president.
I love the concept of homeschooling, especially when the classroom is a farm. |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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hudsonsinaf
56 Posts
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Posted - Jun 02 2014 : 4:18:01 PM
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As of right now we are planning to home school our children all the way through high school, but there are times that I think of the benefits of public school.... and honestly, there are times I would love to sit down with a good book and a mug of hot tea and just relax, which just does not happen around here. All in all, though, I know I am incredibly blessed and love my kiddos to death!
My oldest daughter, as of right now, dreams of being an herbalist and wants to grow lots and lots of herbs on the farm. Right now we grow culinary herbs, but not many medicinal. My middle daughter dreams of being a midwife (she is 5). She is looking forward to helping the farm animals with their births for "practice."
Considering neither my husband nor I grew up on a farm, nor do we have any family that lives on a farm (they all think we are weird), we will all have the opportunity to do "life-school" together. I find the fact that your farm is a family affair a definite inspiration! |
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kadebg1988
128 Posts
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Posted - Aug 14 2014 : 8:48:56 PM
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We LOVE watching our children grow with their animals. It's really a huge part of building a pure future for them.  |
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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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Posted - Aug 15 2014 : 04:30:02 AM
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| Wonderful pictures of you and your family. My best memories are when I was very young helping my grandparents and parents work on the farm. I especially loved the cows and chickens. The hogs scared me a bit back then. That feeling of working with the animals and the farm work stayed with me. You are doing a wonderful thing for yourselves and your children. (I home schooled my son all the way through high school.) The cows and calves are beautiful in your pictures! Thank you for sharing! |
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CloversMum
3486 Posts
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Posted - Aug 29 2014 : 2:26:15 PM
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| Great photos! We have homeschooled off and on again through the years...great times with the children. I love raising my younger children here on our mini-farm. Our youngest has learned so many things just because of farm life. Huge life lessons learned almost every day! |
Loving life and family on our Idaho farm, Meadowlark Heritage Farm; A few Jersey cows; a few alpacas; a few more goats, and even more ducks and chickens |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Sep 03 2014 : 6:19:59 PM
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Another fine example of great kids home schooled. My farm manager in the back and one of her many sisters front. They came over today to help make cheese,can beets, made some awesome home made chocolate pudding and not to mention started some sour kraut . I am tired trying to keep up! |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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maryjane
7072 Posts
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Posted - Sep 04 2014 : 04:45:07 AM
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| You are so dang lucky. Great pic! |
MaryJane Butters, author of Milk Cow Kitchen ~ striving for the stoicism of a cow standing in the rain ~ |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Sep 04 2014 : 06:03:12 AM
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| I can not even tell you. Being I never had children of my own I never knew what joy this could bring. Two of the girls might be going to southern Idaho for some treatments in the next week and maybe be there for a month. Guess who they are going to visit in Moscow if they go? You would adore them. |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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NellieBelle
11214 Posts
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Posted - Sep 04 2014 : 06:38:19 AM
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| Looks and sounds like wonderful help! How wonderful to see such young girls canning and preserving, it's just outstanding. Great helpers! |
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Ron
4666 Posts
Ronnie
Peever
SD
USA
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Posted - Sep 04 2014 : 06:55:00 AM
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| This whole family of 9 children are amazing people. They keep me in awe. And they have family in Iowa too. Lol |
With a moo moo here and a moo moo there, here a moo, there a moo, everywhere a moo moo. |
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farmlife
1413 Posts
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Posted - Oct 07 2014 : 10:06:57 PM
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I teach preschool part time for a private nonprofit school and we love having animals come! We have had chicks and chickens, goat kids, a bearded dragon (a kind of lizard), lambs, hamsters, and numerous cats and dogs. (We've even had other farm related items like a combine and a semi truck for hauling grain and sugar beets.) I just ask them to bring an item for show and tell that starts with the letter we have been studying that week and accept what they come up with as long as it is safe. I would love to have a calf come to school!
If you are up for submitting your animal to the stress it is quite lovely for the children. Just let their teacher know what kind of behavior you expect them to have (quiet voices, asking before touching, taking turns, not crowding around etc.). Trust me if my preschoolers can do it, any age group can! Good for you for home schooling, hudsonsinaf. People always ask me why I don't home school and I always say I send my kids to public school because they tune my voice out. They always listen better to someone else than they do to me. There have been so many times that they come home from school and tell me what they "learned" and to my dismay it is something I have been trying to teach them for years. Years! It is crazy frustrating. They must get it from me, though. My mom says I came home from first grade and informed her that I learned I should brush my teeth twice a day. Ironic that I had already been doing that thanks to my mom. ~ Keeley
quote:
Originally posted by hudsonsinaf
What an absolutely lovely demeanor your cow has!!!! I can only pray that one day I too will have a cow so gentle and easy going.
I cannot imagine having someone bring in one of their farm critters to school! It simply would not have been accepted where I grew up. With that said, I think it would be a fantastic opportunity for school!!!! Would it be easier, however, to contact the girls' teacher and possibly set up a field trip to your farm? We are homeschoolers, and one of our favorite field trips EVERY year is to a local goat farm.
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