• Home
  • About
  • Connect
  • Press/Media

The Pinke Post

  • Life in North Dakota
  • Recipes
  • Small Town Living
  • Women In Ag

Posted By Katie On May 17, 2012 19 Comments

From the voice of a North Dakota dairy farmer

Filed Under: America's Farm Table, Family Values, Life in North Dakota Tagged With: agriculture, dairy, family, family farm, North Dakota, rural life 19 Comments

This week, through my work with state government, I left the Capitol, meetings, emails, conference calls and more to spend a morning in my favorite work environment, a local farm. I was simply filling a request for some pictures of a dairy farmer that lives near us. I can actually see the dairy from our house despite it being a few miles away from our house. It’s between wide open spaces on the expansive prairie and I had never visited.

I snapped the photos and have yet to do any editing to them. I know I won’t get stuck in the muddy waters of government too often if I can have days like this stunning morning was on the dairy farm. Besides the fresh air, cows, fresh calves and inside look at the milking parlor, the best part of the visit was the conversation.

 Farmers have a way of keeping it real, saying it like it is and telling their own authentic story.

As we walked the farm to capture the photos, the dairy farmer told me about his family operation. I asked questions. I have toured dairy farms from New York to California before in my previous working life. But to tour the dairy farm I can see from my North Dakota prairie home was unique for me. It’s my home turf. While they aren’t my cows, the milk our family drinks comes from the supplier that picks up milk daily at this farm. I asked more questions probably than if I would have been at a far from home farm.

The ladies in the parlor let me get a close shot with my phone .

Farmer Curt told me about how all of their manure from the cows is spread across their farm fields. I said that is sustainable as it gets but do people actually know that story. Do people know how farmers use waste to actually improve the soil? The soil grows corn, grass and other feedstocks. The cows eat the feed, produce milk and the sustainable cycle continues. I’ve read the expert opinions. But actually seeing it and hearing from the farmer’s point of view resonates the strongest for me.

Finally I just asked Curt if I could capture a little of what he was saying to me on video on my phone. Without hesitation, he agreed. Here is Curt, in his own words.

It was unscripted, conversational and from the voice of a dairy farmer on the North Dakota prairie. What he says is rooted in reality. It reminded me that even though I represent North Dakota state government now and my career has changed, my passion has not. I work for farmers, for the industry that I love, on the land my ancestors broke in 1884. I’m right where I am suppose to be.

As I departed the farm, Curt’s last comment to me was, “Katie, keep doing what you’re doing.” And as I drove away, I thought to myself, thank you. Thank you, Curt. Keep doing what you’re doing.

Linking up for Rural Thursday and Thankful Thursday today.

Pin It

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Email
  • Print
Previous Post: « Don’t throw dirt
Next Post: Eclipse on the North Dakota prairie »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Maple Lane says

    May 17, 2012 at 9:51 am

    What an interesting post. I really enjoyed the pics and video. Found you via Thursday Blog Hop.

    Reply
  2. My Journey With Candida says

    May 17, 2012 at 10:47 am

    There is nothing and I mean nothing … more real than a farmer. They work so hard and most people have no idea.

    Great Post!!

    Reply
  3. Coloring Outside the Lines says

    May 17, 2012 at 11:10 am

    Very interesting post- I have always wanted to visit a dairy farm. Farmers are the backbone of our society,

    Reply
  4. Tanya says

    May 17, 2012 at 11:29 am

    that was a good story! i’m glad you got out and met your neighbor 🙂

    Reply
  5. Lisa @ Two Bears Farm says

    May 17, 2012 at 11:31 am

    Sounds like a great place! I love that he purposes the waste from the animals!

    Reply
  6. LindaG says

    May 17, 2012 at 12:27 pm

    Great, thoughtful post.

    Reply
  7. TexWisGirl says

    May 17, 2012 at 12:59 pm

    i spent my first 13 yrs on a Wis dairy farm, and every spring, the manure spreading was an ‘odiferous’ time. 🙂

    i loved the way you said ‘now’. reminded me of my family.

    Reply
  8. TexWisGirl says

    May 17, 2012 at 1:00 pm

    (actually the word you said was ‘about’). 🙂

    Reply
  9. EG CameraGirl says

    May 17, 2012 at 1:56 pm

    I think it’s weird that governments put so many regulations on farmers but let bankers – especially rich ones – do whatever they want.

    Reply
  10. edenhills says

    May 17, 2012 at 4:42 pm

    Yeah for farmers!

    Reply
  11. J.Rhoades says

    May 17, 2012 at 5:17 pm

    What a wonderful post. All of us in the ag industry need to encourage each other like this. I can’t wait to explore more of your blog, it looks like we have a lot in common!

    Reply
  12. J.Rhoades says

    May 17, 2012 at 5:17 pm

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    Reply
  13. Tricia @ Bluff Area Daily says

    May 17, 2012 at 6:24 pm

    I hear him! All the added rules & regulations is exactly why my father quit the furniture moving industry after 55 years in business!!! It’s getting out of hand & out of control!

    Reply
  14. Nancy says

    May 17, 2012 at 8:38 pm

    Making use of every by-product possible is so necessary these days. Great post and video, Katie.

    Thank you for sharing at Rural Thursdays this week.

    Reply
  15. Pat says

    May 17, 2012 at 8:54 pm

    Very interesting post and video.

    Reply
  16. Michelle says

    May 18, 2012 at 12:28 am

    A great post Katie. Curt really does a lot of work and I think most people are a bit out of touch with how much work it does take to run a farm. A dairy farm especially. I have to say that I loved hearing that Nodak accent!

    Reply
  17. ~Kim at Golden Pines~ says

    May 19, 2012 at 10:27 pm

    This was a really good post! My husband grew up on a farm in Wisconsin and I know he would agree as well.

    I greatly admire those who remain in farming with their families even when pulled in another direction!

    Reply
  18. Bath Tub Mama says

    May 21, 2012 at 12:24 am

    Wow. You git some great pics.

    Reply
  19. Anonymous says

    December 31, 2012 at 1:18 pm

    tiffany outlet store vxvupio tiffany and co outlet eyeliuh tiffany outlet store vazfskl http://www.michaelkorsoutlet-2013.net
    toms shoes outlet bzclzh hsfwwo toms shoes sale ejwhfj hwnzvy toms shoes outlet isieqm http://www.coachoutlet-2013.net

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to the Prairie…

I am a mom of three kids and a wife to Nathan. Together we live on the North Dakota prairie, 97 miles from a Starbuck's. I share about family, food, farming and the prairie that I love. I used to commute 98 miles one-way to work but it required too much coffee. So now I am home, consulting, speaking, writing and primarily, juggling family life.
See more of our life on the prairie... Facebook | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter

Stay in Touch…

Get the news from the prairie delivered directly to your inbox when it's hot off the press!

from my kitchen. . .

Hunk of Meat Monday: Slow Cooker Corned Beef & ALL the fixins’

Homemade Guacamole, Gooseberry #4 Recipe

Momma’s Shepherd’s Pie Recipe, Gooseberry #5

farm life

Favorite Farm Girls

  • Beyer Beware
  • GOODEness Gracious
  • The Wife of a Dairyman
  • Fresh from the Farm

Griggs Dakota

Visit our 5th generation family farm...

Latest Recipes

How To Make Snowman Sundaes

Real Farmwives & Friends: My Favorite Christmas Entertaining Recipes

Rhubarb Sauce Recipe

More Posts from this Category

Life on the Prairie…

More Posts from this Category

Women in Agriculture

Ladies Night on a North Dakota farm

Sarah Nasello’s Party on the Prairie Giveaway

Debbie Lyons-Blythe of Kids, Cows and Grass & The Need For Organ Donors

More Posts from this Category

Footer

Archives

Categories

Meta

  • Log in
  • Entries RSS
  • Comments RSS
  • WordPress.org

Copyright © 2025 ·Captivating Theme ·Custom Designed by Design Chicky· Log in

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.