In Wisconsin, fall is a busy time of year- harvesting crops, working the ground and finishing any last minute projects before frost and cold weather settles in for winter.
What comes to mind when you think of Thanksgiving? For many, the meaning of Thanksgiving usually includes feasting, football games, family gatherings, four-day weekends, or the eve of Christmas and winter festivities. With media hype, marketing tactics, the infamous Black Friday sales, let’s not forget why the day was established.
Thanksgiving should be a holiday that we focus on our past, our present, and future endeavors and give thanks. It should be a day to slow down, even just for a few hours (or in some cases a few minutes), and truly reflect on how blessed many of us are.
For me, working alongside my family each day on our farm and including the next generation in our operation is truly a blessing. Not only are we part of the 99% of farms which are family owned here in America’s Dairyland, but we are building upon our past to grow and create new opportunities for generations to come.
This Thanksgiving I challenge you give to others less fortunate. Our family farm made it a point last year and we are proud to continue on this tradition and give back to our community through donations to the food bank. What better way to provide than the very product we produce- milk!
More than 46.5 million Americans, including one in every six children, rely on food banks each year. Milk is one of the most requested, yet least donated items. The great American Milk Drive is the first-ever nationwide program to deliver highly desired and nutrient-rich gallons of milk to hungry families who need it most. It’s simple. You can donate online or at your local grocery store, your donation stays in your local community and your local food bank distributes milk vouchers for free milk to families in need. All it takes is a text or click of a mouse: milklife.com/give
During the holidays make memories – continue long standing family traditions or even start new ones. Our family has made it a point to spend time with extended family and friends throughout the year and especially during the holiday season over a meal filled with family recipes. The kitchen is typically filled with smells of cookies and other holiday treats. We have our favorite family recipes of shortbread, gingerbread and Swiss bratzeli cookies, but if you are looking to add another cookie or dish to your holiday must haves, check out www.eatwisconsincheese.com/recipes for an array of new taste bud delights.
Another tradition of our farm is to decorate our yard. The day after Thanksgiving, for the last thirty years, we have decorated our yard with typical holiday cheer. However, Santa’s sleigh is not pulled by reindeer, but instead by a herd of Jersey and Holstein cows. Putting a fun twist on such an iconic image, truly makes something like our cows so memorable. People look forward to seeing the herd each year and it gives us an opportunity to connect with community and consumers about what we do in the dairy industry.
Please take the time this Thanksgiving to be thankful for a bountiful harvest, celebrate with loved ones, give thanks, and as we head into the holidays- like our herd of cows pulling Santa’s sleigh say, “Have a Dairy Christmas!”
