Bring On Lemons

There has been plenty in the news about farming - I'm not even going to get into it because it's truly something that has caused so much pain for me personally...but I just want you to know something about those farmers effected by the current economy. I didn't know anything about farming until 6 years ago when I fell in love with a farmer and 5 years ago we fulfilled his dream of buying a farm. I can't speak for 2nd and 3rd generation farmers, but I can shed some light into what it looks like to be first generation dairy farmers on a small family farm in 2017. This is partially in response to some of the hurtful comments on social media about "those greedy farmers", "those dumb farmers", "those people who rape cows", etc... My husband had a dream as a little boy. He would play with his tractors and dream of being a farmer. He knows each of his cows and when they are sick he sits with them and provides comfort and care. He still drives ...

I'm sure you noticed in my recent post that I LOVE Agriculture, and you've heard me say that we need a blog dedicated solely to the farm (filled with pictures of the hills and meadows, of course). Tonight I am giddy with information about marketing and branding in the agriculture market, but more important, I am inspired by those I met this evening and those included in the presentation. Let me back up - The Economic Development Corp of Manitowoc County received a grant which enabled them to put on presentations relating to agriculture. Tonight's presentation was given by the lovely Andrea G. Neu who owns her own business and has spent nearly two decades on Wisconsin's Milk Marketing Board. She is more dedicated to dairy than most farmers I know - and she's inspirational. At her class, I met business owners such as Rick Braun from Braun Electric that provide barn equipment, excavation, manure management, septic and plumbing, etc...( http://www.braunelectricinc.co...

Press Release: Manitowoc County Dairy Team Receives Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture for $5,000 as Part of the Dairy 30x20 Initiative   Manitowoc, WI – Keeping the family dairy farm alive and growing is important to the two families running the dairy operation near the Branch River on Hershau Road in Reedsville. The view is great, the animals are healthy, and now the dairy team of Otto and Herrmann have some extra help with financing and planning the future plans to transition the operation, thanks to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture. The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection announced recently that a grant was available through the new Dairy 30×20 Initiative. The team applied for the Planning and Preparation Team money for up to $5,000. The team of Mark Otto and Mark Herrmann found out about the grant monies from Cari Sabel, Manager with the Manitowoc Farm Service Agency and Scott Gunderson, Dairy Agent with the Manitowoc...

"Follow your passions and hold tight to your dreams and don't give up until your life is full of dreams, passion, and happiness" ~Crystal As I was watching the winter rye being cut and blown into the chopper wagons yesterday I was thinking about a lot of different things, but something worth sharing is the thought about life being like a chopper wagon. Be patient with me - I find farming incredibly amazing and rewarding in so many ways. The tractor pulls into the hilly field with the chopper and blower attached to it. The driver backs the unit(s) up to the waiting chopper wagon, then puts the pin in. At this point, the machinery becomes one - all the pieces work together to glide gracefully up and down the hilly field filling the wagon. When the wagon is full it is detached and another one takes it's place and this process continues until the field that was once lush and green with vegetation is ready for the next crop. The field looks like a carefully knit blan...

So...at the Casavant house we sit around and talk about things. Tonight's conversation began while cleaning rhubarb and ended with an agreement to disagree. No, we weren't trying to figure out what came first, the chicken or the egg...we were talking about building your brand and whether or not a dairy farm needs a website. The Economic Development Corporation of Manitowoc County ( http://www.edcmc.org/ ) is offering a totally FREE $$$$ course on May 22nd and I signed up for it. Here's the scoop about the course: BUILD YOUR BRAND Agriculture Product Marketing Seminar **Wondering how to set your products apart? **Want a consistent image from logo to label? **Need a web and social media strategy? BRANDING - IT'S NOT JUST LOGO'S with Andrea New, CEO, Image Maker Who's Eligible: Farmers, ranchers, home gardeners, and agriculture-related businesses. How Much: FREE! When: May 22, 2012 3:00pm - 8:00pm Where: EDC Offices, 202 N 8th...