I am sure you are wondering what is the relationship between Autism and Labor Issues? We are currently experiencing the “lack” of a reliable employee on our farm. Yes, we had a millennial age employee decide to just not show up for work. To be honest, we were given a heads up when she posted on her Facebook page that she was looking for a new job. So what does this have to do with our son with autism?

Our son is having some major problems with missing assignments (more than my fingers and toes). So while we need to milk the cows, we must also balance trying to get caught up in school and completing missing assignments. It is tough trying to balance both issues. I am doing my best and hope while getting the cows milked 3 nights a week I can also help my son develop a system to stay on top of homework and successfully navigate his way through Sophomore year.

A Family Farm is where the entire family works together, plays together, and makes a life together.

Just a week ago today, the dairy community lost an amazing young lady and her father to a tragic car accident.  I have been trying to make sense of this accident ~ I just can not. Instead, I can do my best to help Anna’s mom and sister Kara do the best they can to move on and create a new “normal” as a result of this tragedy.  I have attached the Go Fund Me page that helps accomplish this.  If at all possible, please donate to this amazing family in Anna’s memory.

https://www.gofundme.com/memoriam-for-mike-and-anna-teachman

                         

The Washington State Dairy Women are heartbroken about the sudden loss of Anna Teachman and her father, Michael in a tragic car accident.   Our thoughts and prayers are with her family, especially Lori and Kara, friends, and the dairy community during this difficult time.  Anna, our 2017-2018 Washington State Dairy Ambassador was a wonderful representative of the dairy community and we are so blessed to have had this beautiful ray of light in our lives.  We will miss her greatly.  If you would like support the Teachman family, please go to the Dairy Farmers of Washington Facebook page or wadairy.org for more information on the GoFundMe account.   If you would like to send your condolences by mail, the address is:  Lori Teachman, c/o Washington State Dairy Women, PO Box 354, Silvana, WA  98287. 

When we hear the word promotion, most think a “limited time offer” or “special item with this purchase”.  But for dairy farmers, promotion means so much more.  Each dairy farmer is required to pay into a promotion program.  In Washington State, I pay into the Dairy Farmers of Washington.  This group is responsible for promoting the goodness of all things dairy and telling the farmers’ story.  The work this group does is amazing and so creative.  The dairy farmers who milk cows in the Pacific Northwest truly benefit from the creativity and drive by this amazing group of 17.

I have attached an example of one of the coolest promotions to date.  “Bessie on the Barge”.

Check out “This is Washington Dairy” from Dairy Farmers of Washington on Vimeo.

The video is available for your viewing pleasure at https://vimeo.com/253677947

About Us

We are blessed to have 3 children: Zach 18, Cassy Jo 15, and Joey 14.  This photo represents last Tuesday.  Why Tuesday?  Well, my oldest resumed the next chapter in his WA State FFA State Sentinel journey.  He will be in and out of our home for the next year while competing this long sought position.  Our daughter began Drivers Training ~ heads up to all those drivers in our area.  Joey ~ our autistic son who hates the dentist/orthodontist,  well he now has braces.  It may not seem like much, but Tuesday just felt like my kids just flew “light speed” to the next chapter of their lives.  At least I am along for the ride to help guide them and help them when needed.

This past weekend I had the privilege to participate in the first voyage of “Bessie” the cow through the world famous Ballard Locks.  Ballard Locks is a very popular tourist destination in Seattle.  The Dairy Farmers of Washington took the bold and courageous decision to float “Bessie” through the Ballard Locks in celebration of June Dairy Month.  We handed out cheese, chocolate milk, and coffee flavored milk beverages to the many visitors and spectators at the maiden voyage of “Bessie”.  Never before has such a large cow made her way through the Locks ~ stay tuned for future voyages of “Bessie”.  You never know where she may turn up next.

When the call came I was not so sure what to expect.  I accepted the invite from DMI to the 2017 SXSW event and now its time to get started.  The ride from the airport was an adventure.  Did everyone know  there is no UBER in Austin??  After some quick thinking, I caught a cab ride with 3 other attendees.  Did I mention en route to the Convention Center one of my cab mates commented she hates dairy?? Talk about awkward!!!!  The other cab mate works in marketing for USC Athletics.  She mentioned she is here at SXSW to attend crisis training for social media.  We had a few laughs talking about the USC Football program and its challenges.  I will admit she has a pretty cool job.

The dairy hating cab mate asked if any of us had any extra tickets or a floor she could crash on??  Again…..AWKWARD!!  All I can say is there are people everywhere, it’s raining, and I am super excited to get started.  Today I have a few seminars I plan to check out this afternoon.  I have my Starbucks in hand and now it’s time to get going.  Just need to find my map and figure our which way is North…….

It’s Official ~ I have a badge and a swag bag.  

My 12 year old announced this to me a few days ago.  It was in passing, probably after he had read a space story or finished creating another flying object with his legos.  I smiled.  You see… my 12 year old is diagnosed autistic so I was actually fairly surprised he thought about his future and what he might want to be “when he grows up”.  But there is whole other thought that comes to me after he announces his career goals.

We own and operate a dairy farm.  My husband is following in the footsteps as his father.  His father did the same thing (he had a few detours).  We have 3 children, so isn’t it assumed that one of our kids will take over the farm when we are done?  We talk about it sometimes over dinner or during a trip that for sure involves a cow.  Our oldest son and daughter have expressed interest in coming home and assuming the day to day dairy operations (only after college and working for someone else).

I always worry about what my youngest son would do.  Typically I worry more about him completing his homework, making his AR Goal in Language Arts, or not eating anything with gluten.  But the thought of him not being here every day is something that never entered my mind.  I figured the way he loves to “tinker” and build unique things, he would come home and build a self-designed robotic milker or implement some cool flush system not yet created.  But a career with NASA?

I guess I will appreciate the gift he gave me that day.  The gift that he does have goals, he has dreams, and he does have a future.  What a blessing my little Joey has given me.

Dreaming of rockets and trip to Mars.