Humane Society of the United States Revealed

The Dairy Farmer received this link from one of his daily dairy industry updates.  He feels it gives a pretty good perspective on the true identity of HSUS (Humane Society of the United States).  He feels this is very important for our industry to get the facts out about the differences between your local animal shelters or humane societies and these country wide extremist groups. 


It's The DF''s opinion that the reason groups such as HSUS and PETA have so much support is largely due to the misconception that they are part of local animal shelters across the country.


Please view this video below.   It was created by Missouri Farmers Care Coalition, who felt compelled to try and shed some light.  






Do not get us wrong.  We do support our local animal shelter and we do realize that there is mistreatment of animals all over the world, whether it is house pets, wildlife or farm animals.  This is not in any way acceptable.  There are many groups out there who do take on the voice of the animals and make sure that they are always treated humanely.  

 Our concern is that many people watch the ad's on TV, with the gut wrenching music and the sick, injured, homeless dogs and cats with the ginormous liquid brown eyes and their hearts bleed for them.  Huge donations are made to the HSUS and PETA, hoping that that poor skinny dog gets help and finds his forever home, when really, VERY little money goes to help those pet/shelter organizations, in fact, less than 1% of their budget.  That is absurd.    

If  the HSUS continues spending over 25 million each year trying to shut down "agriculture," and if they continue spending millions to try and end "hunting"  we are going to sit in our houses and starve to death while our front yards are taken over by wildlife!  You do realize that deer will not stop breeding, just because humans were forced to put down their weapons, right?  

 I am an animal lover.  I love my dogs, cats, horses and sometimes, I love my calves.   But, I do realize that our cows are livestock.  I also realize that animals are just that....they are not human, they do not think like me, talk like me and luckily, for many of you, they don't act like me.   It is humane to allow our cattle to live in a barn.  They are not on pasture.  Do you think they are thankful in the summer, when it is 95 degrees and 100% humidity and we have cool air blowing on them and sprinklers misting them to keep them from overheating?   I sure think that's the better alternative to huddling under 1 tree out in the middle of a pasture trying to stay cool and going insane because they are covered with biting flies. 

In reality, we keep our cows comfortable, because we need them.  We need them to provide for our family and for every one of you.  They are here for a purpose, to feed the world.   If we take away the dairy/beef farms, hog farms and chicken farms.  We are back to eating macadamia nuts with Roseanne Barr and it won't be too darn long until PETA starts advocating for the rights of the nut.   We will continue to keep our cows healthy, comfortable and content......but they are livestock, not house pets. 


You can find some information at HUMANE WATCH   which is a "watchdog" organization for HSUS.  Take it as you will, but I found a lot of interesting information just browsing their blog.  As like all things you read on the web....some things may be misleading or mistruths.  You do need to be careful about what you are reading.  The quotes mentioned above can be found in the listed articles.  The financial statistics can be found on the HSUS tax return.


But, the bottom line is this, if you want to help homeless, abandoned, mistreated animals.  Contact your LOCAL animal shelter and ask what you can do.  When you donate to your LOCAL animal shelter, you can be sure that your funds are being used to help those animals who really need it.

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Look who's coming for dinner

I've blogged before about the Brechland Farms birthday tradition of naming a calf after our family and close friends if it's born on their birthday.  You can check it HERE.  Well, about two years ago, we had a cute little heifer born on my sister's birthday, which happens to be March 1st....in case you want to send her a card. 


Farm Boy, Jr Edition, who we sometimes refer to as Amelia Bedelia because he takes things so literally, realized that we could name the calf after his aunt,  Michelle.  Now, you would assume that we would name the calf, Michelle, right?  But, my adorable son called that calf "Aunt Shell" from day one.  It was so stinkin' cute when he'd point her out to everyone and say "see that one there?  That's Aunt Shell."   My sister  had to come visit "Aunt Shell" and it was even funnier when my brother in law picked her out of the line up because she had the same hair style as my sister in elementary school. 


Here she is at just a few days old:

And, when my daughter was taking pictures of Brown Sugar, guess who she saw?  Yup, Aunt Shell came walking around the corner.

Now, as I'm writing this and posting the pictures, I realized.....this really isn't Aunt Shell.  You can tell by the spot under the left eye.  I just don't have the heart to tell Taryn, she was so excited to have her back.  Actually, I don't know who this stranger is. Well...really, I do know.  It's 2879, duh!

   But, I already had the post written and I can't disappoint my daughter and I think it's pretty funny that we have a cow named Aunt Shell somewhere on the farm, we just have to find her.  When I do, I'll replace this picture.  Shhhh.....don't tell.   

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Health Update

Father bless me for I have sinned.  It's been 7 weeks since my last confession.  Wait...what?  I'm not Catholic.  It's been 7 weeks since I was diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome.  Seems like a lifetime ago.  If you want to familiarize yourself with my drama, check it out HERE.  The reason I am bringing this up is because I went to see my cute, Lithuanian doctor last week for my very first check up since being released from the great hospital o' chambersburg. 


I knew I was doing pretty well.  Every day, I am getting a little better.  The "tingles" in my hands and feet seem to be coming and going.  My vision is improving, I still get tired pretty easily and I require a daily afternoon nap.  I'm not sure if that is due to the illness or the fact that I'm 40 now and maybe that's what 40 year olds do?  I have not found myself watching The Wheel at 7pm each night, but I guess that will come?  I do have some pain, which is new, but nothing I can't handle.  It comes mainly when I have overdone it.  It hurts like when you hit your funny bone?  Which isn't funny....so, why do they say that?  I guess maybe because people try to laugh it off so they don't swear like a drunken sailor when they whack it on something hard.


Anyway- I visited Dr G and he was pleased.  I can blink, swallow, smile, touch my nose with my eyes closed and balance pretty well on 1 foot.  Basically, I am not inebriated.   My reflexes in my legs are coming back, but a little slow in my arms.   My numbness comes and goes and seems to be positional, like when I sit or stand for long periods of time and he was ok with that.   Here is an interesting fact  for ya:  when I sit for long periods of time, my nose gets numb.  Weird, huh?  Makes you believe in reflexology a bit.   Like when my massage therapist touches parts of my feet and my hands itch.  That God, he sure knew what he was doing when he created the human body. 

Dr G, who is my new favorite person, told me that I am not to be doing any heavy lifting or strenuous work.   I asked him if moving laundry from the washer to the dryer was "strenuous"....because I might need a doctors note.  He didn't think so, but he did think that feeding calves on a dairy farm was a bit too strenuous for my brand new nerves.  I got a pass.   The punks weren't thrilled, but they'll do what they have to do.  They have been amazing through all this- working hard despite the chilly weather and rain we've been having, working tirelessly with only one day off each week.  God Bless 'em.  They'll thank me for it when they are older.  Or they'll quickly move out when they turn 18 and leave all those calves to me. 

Dr G did tell me that where I am 6 weeks post diagnosis is where many people are 6 MONTHS after their diagnosis., so I got that going for me.   I can't imagine what could've been.  He told me that when he saw me in the ER Sunday night, he was sure I would be on a ventilator the next day....the symptoms were coming on rapidly.   So, I had to mention my prayer warriors:  my facebook friends, my "real life" family and friends, people in churches all over , who don't know me at all, who continued to pray for me.  I was blessed by the God of the universe who provided  healing so quickly.   He is the ultimate physician and it is so humbling to know that he cares so much for all of us.  And, when you feel His peace and His healing.....you know that things are gonna be just fine. 

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Give me some sugar....Brown Sugar

I married The Dairy Farmer in November of 1996.  I was a young veterinary technician with a twinkle in my eye and not much money in my pocket.  In 1998, I found out we were expecting our very first bundle of joy and after MUCH (and perhaps heated) discussion, I was convinced to quit my job and become a stay at home mom.  I milked that gig for about 10 years.  It's darn near the best job you can have, but the pay is in sloppy wet kisses and sticky fingered hugs.  They make your long days worthwhile, but it ain't pretty on your bank account. 

 Enter 2009....the year the economy tanked and it was brought to my attention that I might have to start looking for a "real job,"  one that actually might require me to shower and dress each morning, one that might actually supply me with a weekly paycheck.  Two punks in private school, a farm trying desperately to stay afloat and a husband who wasn't taking a paycheck was adding up.  In an effort to cut costs, it was decided that we would start raising our calves at the home farm.    Hello....welcome to your new job.  And, as luck would have it, I didn't have to shower or get dressed each morning!  I still haven't seen a paycheck, but The Dairy Farmer assures me that we are saving lots of money. 

The punks and I started in February of 2009 and not long after, our first red and white Holstein calf was born.  The kids named her Brown Sugar and they loved her.  They loved her a whole lot more than the hundreds of black and white calves that came before and after her.   I admit, she was a cutie:

We raise our calves here until they are about 6 months or so and since there are so many of them and so little space on this farm, we send them to another farm for a year or two.   We stop over to check on them now and then (of course, they aren't left unattended, there is someone at that farm who takes good care of them).  We visited one day and the punks were so excited to see good old Brown Sugar run over to the fence to say hello. She was looking good and healthy and ready to start dating.  We began the "interview" process to find her a lovely "virtual" husband. 

Well, guess who's back?  Yup.....Brown Sugar is home and ready to have a little baby of her own.  And, let me tell ya, she's ready....oh, she's ready.    Ready any minute.  Can you tell?

Oh momma, I feel for you.  When I looked like that people told me to drink herbal tea, eat spicy food, take a nice healthy dose of castor oil and go for a ride down a bumpy road.  I'd tell you the same thing, but since people giving me all kinds of facacta labor advice used to irritate the  living  daylights out of me.  I won't say a word.  I'll wish you Godspeed, my sister, and hope when we check on you tonight, you'll have a lovely little red and white baby by your side. 

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Super Sleuth

In case you hadn't heard, I had a birthday this week.  I decided that I'd like to have dinner at one of our favorite places in our small town.  On Tuesday night, we hopped in the pickem up truck and headed to town for the big birthday feast.  We were driving along, I'm yakking in the DF's ear and he's doing what he does best...ignoring me, when suddenly we zagged right when we should've been zigging left.  The truck was slammed into reverse and we were heading backwards, from whence we had already come and on the wrong side of the road.   Of course, we're all yelling..."what's going on?  What are you doing?"  And as cars started coming toward us and swerving around us, one of us may have said "what the frick, man?  Have you lost your mind?"  But, he wouldn't  hear our cries, because he had already abandoned the truck and left the door hanging wide open.

Now, seems strange, but The DF always seems to know what he's doing....he has it all figured out in his own mind.  But, what he neglects to do  is let the rest of us in on his grand plan.  So, many times, we are left sitting in the car on the side of the road while he checks on a crop, or, in this case....picks up a bolt he spied lying on the ground.

Yes, that's right.  He saw a bolt about 4 inches long, lying on the side of the road.  Who cares you might say?  And, let me tell ya, I was thinking the same thing.  So what...a bolt, what's the big deal?   We are to be watching a Japanese man spin an egg on the side of a spatula right about now.  He jumped back in the car and said "I think it came out of one of the tractors."    Um, ok .  What makes you think that some random bolt lying on the side of the road about 1 and 1/2 miles from our house, came from one of OUR tractors? 

 Seems that they had been hauling manure all day- yes, on my birthday....it's how he rolls...he loves to create a big neighborhood stink, in my honor, because nothing says happy birthday, darlin' like gagging and retching when you walk out your front door.   Anywho- the tractors had been running to one of our other farms most of the day and taking this same path we were traveling, so when he spied a bolt on the road, he put 2 and 2 together. 

 Now, once he got in the truck, he did indeed confirm that it had fallen out of one of our tractors and just a few minutes earlier.   Ok, Sherlock, how on earth do you know that?  And, like some kind of Native American Indian Tacker, he held it, rolled it around in his hand, licked the end of his finger to test the wind and  took a long sniff and said  "because it's still warm."   I kid, a little bit....he just held it.

I guess at this point, I'm kind of in awe.  This eagle eyed man is forever pointing out deer, fox and various birds of prey on the side of the road when we we are out driving around and I....never....see....a...thing.  I guess it's all those years of hunting? Or maybe they are right there and I am that blind?   Or maybe I'm that self involved that I don't take the time to "LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND ENJOY THE VIEW!!!"   That's a private joke- it's what the DF is always yelling at the kids when they start asking "are we there yet?"  His tirade continues with bits and pieces of:  "...never had movies in OUR car or...no such thing as ipods when I was young" yada, yada, yada. 

On we go to our other farm where we see one of the tractors waiting on it's next load.   The Dairy Farmer walks up and tells the guy he found this bolt on the road and figures it's from one of the tractors.....well, just so happens it was.  It was an alternator bolt and the guy had just put it on.  Had the DF not found it, they may have had a bit of an issue later on that night.  The guy running the tractor looked at me in the truck and shrugged his shoulders as if to say "what the heck?"  And I did the same thing back.

Now, for some reason....I find this story hilarious....I don't know why, maybe because it's so...odd?   But, that is what it's like to live with the super sleuth of Brechland Farms.  I think I just found him a new hobby.  All he needs is this:                                                                    

And I totally call Daphne!

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A tale of two cakes

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away......I made a smart "beep" comment on facebook.  I know, it's very unlike me, but it's true. 

See, I am a CAKE WRECKS junkie.  I love a gal with a good, old fashioned, snarky sense of humor.  Her husband's pretty good too.  But, then again, how hard is it to mock the stupidity of some humans?  Anyway, my birthday was approaching and I saw this on her site:

And I said to myself.....oh yes.....I must have you.....you will be mine!  There is nothing better than a big ass cake to start your birthday off right.  And, the challenge was accepted by none other than my berry best friend.

Now, it is all in how you say it, or you could have a dilemma on your hands......and that is where the fun began.  See, I was thinking I wanted a "big ass" cake......but my "oh so tricky" bestie figured, why not a big "ass" cake.  And here is what she made for me:

How appropriate, right?  A big ole cow butt.....just for me.  So round, so moist, so delicious.  We ate that butt for days!

I must tell you a little bit of the back story behind these cakes.  See, I don't bake (or cook or whatever) and so when one of the punks birthdays roll around, it's our family tradition to schlep their little butts over to The Wal Mart and let them pick their cake out of one of those books covered in greasy finger prints over by the bakery.  It's how we roll.  Ok, it's how I roll.  

Now, my girlfriend, she's a baker and a cooker and  loves to do all that stuff...so her lucky duck kids always have a homemade birthay cake in the shape of:   A PURSE,  A BASKETBALL,  MARIO.....WONDERTWIN POWERS- ACTIVATE!

So, we were celebrating one of her kids birthdays and as she brought out this cute as a button Hello Kitty cake, my son took one look at it, his eyes bulging out in amazement and said, "where did you get that cake?"  And, my BBF...in her oh so sweet mom voice said,  "oh honey, SOME mom's actually make their cakes."  Good Lord, I love her.

Fast foward.....my 40th was quickly approaching and I was perusing Cake Wrecks, as I do every day and I happened upon this:

Oh yes! Challenge ON, baby!  I want this cake....but I want it to say "Farmin' in the Ville,"  you know, cuz that's my blog and all.  As more people started to weigh in, they decided a nice lava cake would work too....you know, as  the manure pit.   Like a good best friend should, she took on the challenge and last night after our dinner together, we all crowded around the back of her mni van to see what she had created:

Oh my stinkin heck!  It's the cutest thing I've ever seen!  I mean, look at the barn!  Look at the animals!  Look at the pretzel fence (which is broken just like ours!!!) and the manure pit, my kids can't wait to dig into that.

We brought this baby home and cut 'er wide open!  It was soooo good because it was handmade with love.

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A perfect storm

So, this morning, I wake up to the younger punk standing beside my bed holding a tray of food....indeed, breakfast in bed, again!  I do have to say that I knew it was coming when I heard The Dairy Farmer and Jr. Edition discussing how to fry bacon.  As a mom, it did make me a bit nervous to know that the child who has never used the stove was going to attempt to cook eggs and bacon all by himself.  I had a visual of spending my birthday morn in the ER with a child who burnt his retinas with hot bacon grease.    Luckily,  the DF decided to hang in the house a bit before work and cook up said eggs and bacon and let Jr. make the toast.  And it was dang good toast at that....about a pound of butter on each slice!  A girl can get used to this!


Guess what else he did? Laid in bed with me while I ate and we watched I Love Lucy.   I love Lucy, I really do.  When Aidan was little...wait....I feel deja vu.....like, I've said this before?   Here's another interesting fact....did you know Lucy first studied acting at the John Murray Anderson-Robert Milton Dramatics School along with classmate, Bette Davis?


She left the school after 12 months because they told her she was not talented enough to be an actress.  If I was Lucille Ball...you know what I would've said?  "HOW YOU LIKE ME NOW?"  BOOYAH!  She happens to be the first female to own and operate her own Hollywood studio....and that's saying something back in the 50's. 

Back on track.  So, the punks gave me their gifts this morning too.   I got Black Heels to Tractor Wheels from my lovely, lovely daughter.  If you are PDub fan...you know my excitement.   And, my son....oh, my son.  He is so good at getting me what he wants, that I just gave in this time and received Just Dance 2 for Wii.  They'll be playing it all day. 

The Dairy Farmer sang Happy Birthday to me loud and off key and told me that's my gift......and my card....so enjoy it.  I also logged on to facebook and had over 25 messages from my FB peeps and you know....dag nabbit, I got a little verklempt.  Please....talk amongst yourselves.....
 

If all goes according to My Big Birth Day plan....I will go see my neurologist and he will be in shock and awe of my amazing recovery.  I will come home and take a nice nap and then meet my most favorite people at Aki for a nice hibachi dinner complete with the little man that pee's out the fire and plenty of yum yum sauce.   Then,  I will share some comfort food at my momma's house on Thursday, hopefully see my small groupies from church on Friday and.......oh mylanta....go visit my better than sliced bread niece this weekend.  That's right....I said it.....we'll be fist pumpin' jersey shore style with my sis, bro in law and boo.   We might invite Snooki...we'll see. 

There you have it.  My birthday is lookin' pretty darn good.   I thought I'd be a little more worked up at the 40 thing, but, I don't feel 40.  Maybe a little health scare puts a new perspective on things? 

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