The Family Business

Growing up on a dairy farm, or any farm for that matter, is in my opinion the best way to grow up.

 Although, I don't know what it would be like otherwise. I can tell you that my brothers and I had an awesome childhood. Farming was and is our life. It's everything. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Farming isn't our job, it's literally our life. And I say that in the best way possible. Were there times that I wished farming wasn't there to be in the way of making summer plans, weekend getaways and pretty much any kind fun/travel? Yes! We couldn't just pack up and take a vacation or go visit out of state family or spend the weekend on the water. We couldn't just leave the farm. The cows need to be fed and milked twice a day. We didn't have a team of employee's that we could leave to work. We were the team.  Doesn't leave much room to do much of anything. 

 It takes schedules and planning ahead of time to make it all work. 

We did find a campground  close enough to home that we would spend a week at in between crops. The boys would take turns traveling back and forth for afternoon and morning milking. Dad and Tyler would leave after lunch and travel home to milk the afternoon milking, stay the night at home and milk the 2 AM milking then travel back to camp. Ryan and Kyle would take the next turn.

We made this an annual thing, usually the first week of August until the boys were all married and we found it harder to all do it together.

I cherished the time when we were able to step away from home and take a break from it all. Tensions were always a little high at the end of those weeks, but we always enjoyed our time together.

Finding time to get away, no- MAKING time to get away is always a challenge. When they can, Mom and Dad make the trip to Pennsylvania for a long weekend to visit my oldest brother Ryan and his wife Chelsea.

6 years ago, Ryan and Chelsea moved to Pennsylvania to attend Bible College.

Yup. Big brother was moving off the farm to an entirely different state! That was not an easy pill to swallow. When they told us they made the decision to leave the farm, we were devastated. Heartbroken but at the same time happy for them and excited for the opportunity they were about to have, but sad, to see them leave. They broke the news right before our busy season was ramping up. Ryan told us that he wouldn't leave until the end of the year. He would stay through summer and fall crops - he didn't want to leave us high and dry. Very McKeen of him. 

 Growing up, it was always the plan that Ryan would become partner with Dad and someday takeover with the other two boys. Now, that plan was quickly derailing. OUR plan anyway- God's plan was panning out perfectly. 

There was definitely hurt feelings for a longtime. Probably until the night they left honestly. 

It certainly wasn't all warm and fuzzy leading up to them leaving. Especially for the boys. Who could blame them? For their whole lives they could see the three of them working side by side and now that dream was being ripped apart. At least that's what it felt like at that moment.

That night was the most emotional I've ever seen my entire family. It was SO hard. We never had to deal with something like this before. 

It was different for the first few weeks with them not being here. Daily phone calls, texts and family group Snapchat were helping us all get through it. They were only a 7 hour drive away. For us farm kids, that's a long ways! Mom and Dad and myself have

made many trips down to visit. We even got Kyle to go with his wife and two kids (at the time)! If you know Kyle at all, that's a really big deal!. 

For the first few years, they would try to travel home any time they had a chance. Holidays, long weekends, etc. Now that they are busier with school and working on campus, they have a harder time coming up for quick visits. With so many family and friends to see in a short amount of time, it's a very stressful time.

We do cherish any time they do come. If it's for a longer visit, Ryan will usually on the farm while he is home. You can't take the farm out of the boy!

Without Ryan in the farm picture anymore, Kyle and Tyler have stepped up and taken the role as partners with Dad. They are preparing themselves to take over once Dad is too old, or crippled to continue running the place. You may laugh, but it's a serious thing. Dad will not stop working on this farm until he physically can't. Which, in the eyes of his grandkids, will be never! Papa is the strongest man EVER in their eyes. Let's be honest, he's the strongest  man in all of our eyes.

Don't tell him,but he isn't as young as he used to be. But you can't keep a farmer down. Even the heifer that ran over him and put him there. A story for another day.

It's crazy to think back when we were younger when we would talk about all the "someday" 's and realize that those "someday" 's are now! 

The someday's we dream about now are for the next generation. Kyle's 3 and Tyler's 2 kids. The 5 of them are farm kids through and through. I have no doubt that most of them will carry on the farm when we are all old and gray. They have the passion and that's all it takes. 

Passion, Hard Work, Determination, Patience and Faith. 

That's the Family Business.

                                       

Home of SMJ Jerseys

Here at Silver Maple Farms, we raise Jersey cows. The Jersey breed is the second largest (in number) breed of dairy cattle in the world. Jersey's are on the smaller side of the dairy cattle breeds and are famous for high milk production and high butter fat in their milk. 

The love of Jerseys started before Dad's family moved to Albion. The farm came with Holsteins when they bought it so the herd became a mix. 

For a while when we were younger, our herd was half and half Holsteins and Jerseys. Jerseys were keeping the butter fat high and the Holsteins were keeping the milk tank full. 

As the boys got older, the more interested they became in breeding and growing the herd. 

We breed our cows by AI (artificial insemination)....look it up ;). 

For a long time, Dad was the only one who could do the breeding until Ryan took the breeding class when he was a teenager. Later on, Tyler took the breeding class as well.  

There is a lot that goes into breeding! You have to spend time researching bulls,studying traits and genetics to make sure you choose the right bulls for your herd. 

Over the years Dad and The Boys have built a strong dairy herd. The Jerseys have slowly taken over since then. We are now about 95% Jerseys. We register them all into the American Jersey Cattle Association. That's where our prefix comes from.  SMJ - Silver Maple Jerseys.

We aren't breeding our Holsteins with Holstein semen anymore, we are only breeding them with dairy beef bulls. 

We built the Jersey herd up with good breeding that raised their milk production so instead of just pulling their weight in high butter fat, they were now excelling in quantity. 

 Because of this good and successful breeding, Dad received the Master Breeder award from the New England Jersey Breeders. Quite a big deal in the Dairy/breeding industry.

I won't sit here and tell you that Jerseys are an easy animal to raise. They are very fragile at a young age. Just one gust of a cold wind can knock everything out of a Jersey calf. Their immune systems are weak, so its very important that they get good colostrum and the antibodies they need to have a good start. You also have a very small window to get those antibodies into that calf. If not in the right amount of time, it can be too late. The unfortunate part of farming is that not every calf makes it. Some get a bad start and are behind the mark before life even starts for them. Some have a terrific start, but 10 days later they die. Sometimes you can go months without loosing a calf. Sometimes you go through months that more calves have died than have lived. It's the chance you take. Farming is a risk all around. Thankfully, we have a great Vet team that is always on their A game helping us problem solve during those not so good times. 

It takes a patient person to raise Jersey calves. That's Mom. She has solely fed our calves for at least 6 years. Before that, she and my grandmother shared the duties of feeding twice a day. 

When a calf is born, we almost immediately take the calf into the barn to a warm pen with hay and sawdust and a heat lamp to keep it dry and warm. Why do we separate mom and baby? No, we aren't being cruel. We are actually keeping the calf safe. We don't want the calf to suck off her mother because there could be bacteria on the mothers udder that will infect the calf before she gets her immune boosting antibodies. Another reason is that when our cows give birth, they are in a group of other mother cows (unless separated due to birthing troubles) who are curious of the new baby and can end up trampling the calf to death. Contrary to popular belief, we are not being cruel by separating mom and baby. 

The new calf is given a series of shots that are vitamins to help give her a jump start before she has her first gallon of colostrum. She then gets 2 more quarts within twelve hours of the first gallon. 

She'll get bottle fed twice a day for at least 2 days before she would be put onto a pail. 

We currently have automatic feeders instead of our previous pail system.

Our calves are given RFID tags in their ear when they are born to read in the feeder. Once the calf is programmed in, her number reads in the computer and it will mix up the amount of milk that specific calf needs. When first put onto the machine, the calf gets 15 feedings a day (equals to about 2 gallons of milk) that they can eat whenever they would like. As they get bigger, the feedings increase to 20 feedings a day ( equals to 2 1/2 gallons of milk) until they are old enough to wean at about 8 weeks old. At that point they are moved from the group feeding pen to a separate pen where they continue to be fed grain and water. Once they are adjusted to that feeding plan, we gradually move them from pen to pen according to age until they are old enough to breed. 

What about the Momma cows? What happens to them? 

After they give birth, we move them to the milk barn. Their milk is separated from the milk tank for the first couple of milkings because of the dry treatment they got when they were dried off to calve. 

Her first milking is saved for her calf. If her colostrum tests high enough in nutrients, we will feed it to her calf or freeze it for later. 

Once her milk is clear of the dry treatment, her milk will then go into the tank. Once she comes back into heat ( just like a human cycle) she'll get bred again and if she settles, she will eventually be dried off to have another calf. 

Dairy Farming isn't just feeding and milking cows! There is SO MUCH that goes into making it full circle. It takes a team and we are so grateful and blessed to have such an amazing team of family and farm hands that all work together for the same goal. 

What Happens While You Wait?

Planting is done. What happens while you wait?

 Once planting is done, the first crop of grass is usually ready to be cut. One 'season' ends and another one rolls right in. There's a reason we call it Busy Season.

 It begins with mowing the grass. Just like you would mow your lawn, but bigger. Kyle would head out early in the morning to begin the days cutting. He'll mow for a few hours to get two, three, sometimes four fields knocked down depending on the thickness and how fast it will dry. Tyler would then go behind him and merge the many thin rows of grass into fewer, thicker ones. Usually two or three rows into one.

Once he has moved onto the next field, Ryan would come in with the tractor with a chopper hooked to it and a large dump wagon pulling behind that. The rig looked like a toy I had as a kid - you know, the Mother Duck and her ducklings all tied together?

 The chopper pulls in the rows and chops them up really fine and blows it into the big dump wagon. Once the wagon was full Kyle would come up beside the wagon with the dump truck and Ryan would dump the grass into the truck. Kyle would then drive the load to the farm and dump it onto the silo pad where Dad would be waiting with the bucket tractor to begin making a pile, packing it down by driving back and forth.

 On and on, back and forth until all the grass was picked up. At the end of the day, Kyle would get back in the tractor with the mower attached and mow for a couple more hours to get a jump start on the next day.

Today, we have since upgraded the three piece tractor, chopper, wagon rig with a big self propelled chopper that blows directly into the truck. Way more efficient.

What about the cows? If everyone was out in the field all day, who would tend the cows?

After morning milking, the cows get fed and the barns get cleaned out before anyone heads to the field.

 Mom and Grammie milked the afternoon shift when I was too young to work. We also had a few hired hands over the years that did the job as well. When I was old enough, I took the task over. Not my favorite job. I wanted to be in a tractor somewhere. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.  I worked where I was needed and that was the milking parlor.

Mom also worked where she was needed. Still running from field to field bringing tools, chains, water, lunch. If we weren't eating picnic style in the field , it was grab and go. Eat where you can, when you can.

If Mom wasn't running errands for everyone else, she was usually in a tractor on the feed pile next to Dad helping him pack the grass down which is one of, if not, the most important jobs on the farm. If the grass doesn't get packed in tight enough, it will spoil and will be no good to our cows.

This process would go on for 2 sometimes 3 weeks. Like everything else, it would depend on the weather and how many breakdowns we would end up having,

Breakdowns like:

The chopper chain breaking.

The chopper spout getting plugged.

The worn out tie rods on the dump wagon snapping on a tight turn.

The tire on the dump wagon falling off and rolling into the pond.

The truck overheating.

The chopper getting stuck because the operator went through a wet hole when he was too full...again.

The truck getting stuck because the load that was just dumped was too heavy.

I could keep going but, you get the point.

When the process was complete, we would cover the grass pile with a thick plastic and weigh it down with tires. A job that no one enjoys. It's a dirty job and its usually pretty warm when we do it.

We would usually do it at the end of the day after the work was done, or if it was really hot out, Dad would let us wait until morning when it was cooler. Unless it was going to rain. Then we would HAVE to cover it that night. Once the pile is covered, it 'cooks' until 2nd crop. At that point, it gets uncovered and the next layer gets put on over it. Sometimes we would make a separate pile depending on the size of the existing pile and how much grass we thought would be coming in for 2nd crop. The time span between 1st and 2nd crop is usually about a month. During the time in between, the fields get fertilized with manure to give them a boost for the next cutting. This time is also used to get projects done, because there is ALWAYS a project to get done and doing maintenance work on the equipment.  

When we were kids, Mom and Dad would sometimes set a day aside to take us on a day trip.

A number of Maine beaches, Fort Kent, and York's Wild Kingdom are a few of the places that I remember well. One of our favorite activity's we got to do as a family was go to Gifford's Ice Cream and go mini golfing . Dad and the boys would use the batting cages too.

Yes, farm kids get to have fun off the farm too!

That's what happens while we wait!

If Farming Were Easy

If farming were easy, everyone would be a farmer. 

 Farming is in no way easy. It takes a special person to be a farmer. That person must be patient, strong willed, and a little bit crazy. 

 Growing up, I witnessed Dad go through just about every situation you could think of. There were good times and bad times. But through it all, Dad never lost sight of what was important. He always thanked God no matter what circumstance we were in at the time. 

Planting season is ALWAYS a trying time. It starts with preparing the fields for new growth. Spreading manure ( such a sweet smell) is first  then the harrow- like a big rototiller- tills up the ground and gets the nutrients from the manure into the soil. This is usually all done by The Boys. Then the planting starts. Always done by Dad. Usually done in a one to two week span, depending on the weather. 

When I was a kid, the tractor that was used to plant was an old John Deere that had a roof but no door or windows. It was quite possibly the loudest tractor there ever was. Day after day, Dad would climb aboard the monster and plant the day away. Wearing a t-shirt, Dickies work pants, work boots, a baseball style hat with some kind of Farm brand on the front and ear protection, Dad spent hours in the field breathing in dust. Every couple hours, it would be time for him to fill up the 6 row planter. 

Like clock work, Mom would head out with the farm truck full of corn seed to where ever Dad was planting that day and drop off bags of seed as well as a drink and maybe a snack or lunch if it was that time. She would pull into the field just about the time Dad was coming to the end of the row. He would put the obnoxiously loud tractor in park and gingerly jump down off the steps. Hours on a the tractor in a rocky field does no favors to the back. Dust flying off his pants, dirt darkening his face, he would pick up the seed bags one by one and carry them on his shoulder and fill up the bins. He never said much. Mom didn't take it personally. She knew it was usually because he was tired or his back hurt. He would take the water she brought him, say "thank you" and "love you" and be on his way. Mom would drive back to the farm, have one of the boys fill the truck with seed for the next trip and continue on with the next task. Making lunch, cleaning the house, tending the calves, running here, there and everywhere she was needed. Remember, Dad wasn't the only one in the field. The Boys were hard at work as well. And it wouldn't be "busy season" without breakdowns at least once a day! Bring tools here, bring chains to pull someone out of a mud hole there, turn around and it would be time for Dad to fill up with seed again! Sometimes I used to wonder who had the more exhausting job. Don't forget- I was still a little girl at this point. So she had me to tend to as well. I was a pretty good tag-along though. 

Dad would usually be in the field from 7:30 am-5:30/6:00 pm. Mom would have supper ready for him after he had a shower. We would all wait to eat together. Dinner conversations usually consisted of how  field work went that day, how the cows milked and how much ground Dad got planted. After the meal was done, Dad would usually go to bed almost immediately. But its only 7:00! Yes, but the cows need to be milked at 2:00 am and then starts another day of dusty fields. 

This is usually how things went on a good week. Good weather, minimal breakdowns and no problems. 

Not always the case. Sometimes it would rain every other day and Dad could't be on the fields. Or, a chain on the planter would keep breaking after every 3rd pass. Up and down, on and off the tractor he would go to fix it but it would just keep breaking. Time was ticking away, more rain was on its way and little to no corn was in the ground. Nothing would make him more angry than the thought of not getting the work done because of constant breakdowns. Especially when weather was coming in. 

Remember when I said that on Sundays we limited work to milking and feeding cows? Well, that rule gets broken every once in a while. Like when there is rain in the forecast and if he doesn't get the seed in the ground now, it'll be too late. I remember a few Sundays going to church without Dad because he was in the field. He hated it but it didn't happen very often. Sometimes you have to do what you have to do. 

Then the day would come. The last field. The last kernel of corn would be put into the ground. Planting would be over. Praise Jesus. 

Moods were automatically improved and we would usually celebrate by getting to go out for supper. Something that was few and far between when we were young. 

Planting season is one of the most difficult times on the farm. Stress sometimes get the best of us, tempers fly, and words are said that aren't meant. But we know that its only for a short time and then we can watch the reward over the next few months. 

Today, its still stressful and exhausting, but its a bit easier.  Dad has since upgraded his tractor to a closed cab with air conditioner and a swivel seat that is easier on his back. He still works like a dog until he is so exhausted that he practically collapses when he gets home at night. That part hasn't changed. I don't think it ever will. It's who he is. God made this farmer to work until the job is done. And I will forever be grateful for the hardworking man he is. 

If farming were easy, everyone would be a farmer. 

Well, guess what. It isn't and they aren't. God hand picked the farmers to work this land. We're just lucky enough to be some of them. 

 

How It All Started

Dad's family moved to our little farm town of Albion in central Maine in May of 1973. 

David and Jean McKeen ( Grampa and Grammie) moved up from southern Maine with 5 kids , one on the way and Grampa's parents. Leaving behind but not forgetting the memories, friends and the precious baby (Douglas) they had lost 11 years prior.

  The family had purchased the little farm on the hill that had a barn and a farmhouse as well as the old farmhouse at the bottom of the hill for Great Gramp and Grammie to live in. 

May 11th 1973 , the family made the trip to move into their new forever home as well as welcome the newest member of the family! That's right. Grammie gave birth to a baby girl on the same day they moved in. Quite the eventful day! 

The family of 8 began their life here in Albion and became a well respected farming family in the area. Grampa David was a trustworthy,faithful,godly, hardworking man. He instilled those traits into his children; Dave, Davene, Dan, Darrell, Dennis(Dad) and Dawn. 

Year after year Grampa worked alongside his wife and kids to make ends meet. They raised up a nice herd of dairy cattle, harvested crops off the acres of land they had. They were stewards of the land. 

They did it as a family. 

7 years after moving to Albion, Grampa David lost his battle with cancer at the age of 42 in September of 1980. Leaving the farm in the hands of his wife and children. Not only did Grammie have 6 kids to raise on her own, she had a dairy farm to run.She also went back to school and graduated high school with her son Darrell. All while managing the farm and family. Talk about the weight of the world on your shoulders. Thankfully, the boys were old enough to handle most of the work.  

 Grammie jumped in and became the manager of it all. The four boys took over and farmed on just like their father had taught them.

The year following their fathers death, Grammie and the kids hosted Maine Farm Days at the farm. Something Grampa David always wanted to do but never got the chance to. This was a chance for the locals as well as the surrounding farming communities to witness how much hard work, blood, sweat and tears the McKeen family had put in before and after the loss of Grampa David. 

 As time went on, the boys grew up and started families of their own and would eventually move on with their lives. The girls did the same after going to school. 

In the end,years later it came down to Dennis. Dad. He would be the one who stayed and carried on his fathers legacy. But he wouldn't do it alone.

On November 7th 1987 he married the preachers daughter from Skowhegan. Becky Turner. And yes, if you're wondering if farmers get honeymoons, they do! Although, Dad cut theirs short because...well, hunting season! Don't worry, Mom forgave him. 

On August 16th,1988 they had their first born son, Ryan James. 

A year later, they decided to move to Maryland for a change of scenery- try something new. Everyone needs to find their own way. Dad wanted to know what it was like off the farm on the hill in Albion Maine. So, they packed up and headed for Maryland. Leaving the farm in the hands of his older brothers, Dave and Dan. 

 Dad worked for a farmer for 5 months when he got the call from home. It was Grammie. She was calling to tell him that his oldest brother Dave was leaving the farm and they needed his help. She asked if he would come home. Dad knew this was what God wanted him to do so, they did. 

Back on the farm just a few months, July 24th 1990, Kyle Louis was born. What a great way to start a farming family. Two boys who could work alongside their Dad. 

Less than two years later on January 31st 1992, Mom was 100% sure she was having a baby girl. 

"Another Boy!" exclaimed the doctor. Let's just say Mom was...less than impressed. But only for a moment.  Little did she know that Tyler David would grow up to be a sweet little Momma's boy who gave the best hugs and had the biggest heart. "That's it. I'm done." she said to Dad. She was finished having kids. She sold all of her baby things because that was IT. 

Guess what? God had different plans. Dad also did a bit of convincing ;) 

Four years later on March 11th 1996 mom FINALLY got her baby girl. Lynsey Rachel. 

"It's a girl....with RED HAIR!" Wait, WHAT???  Yep! Sure enough, Great Grampa McKeen's red hair finally made it through the blood line and landed on ME. And with that, our family was complete. 

God gave Dad 3 boys to help him on the farm. And after 3 boys, God gave me to Mom because He knew she needed it! :) Actually, she tells people "God gave me 3 boys because He knew I wouldn't have been able to handle more than one girl" 

I try not to take offense to that. ;) 

And so, that's the short version of how it all started. I can't wait to tell you how it continues!

The Beginning

Hi friends.Welcome to the Farm!
 Let me start off by introducing myself. I'm Lynsey. Better known as the Farmers Daughter.
 I grew up on a Dairy Farm with my 3 brothers in a small town in Maine. My Dads family has owned this farm for over 40 years and still going strong. Out of his family, just my Dad and my Grandmother have ties to the farm. My Grandfather passed away when my Dad was only 14 and left everything to his wife and 6 children. That is a story for another day. One that I will tell, but not right now.
 My mother home schooled all 4 of us kids. Not an easy task but she made it seem easy. Still to this day I do not know how she stayed sane. She is a saint for sure.
My parents made the decision to home school us when my oldest brother was in 2nd grade. Keeping us home was the best decision they ever made. We witnessed so many amazing things on the Farm. We learned way more than if we were stuck in a classroom. The farm was our classroom in many ways.
When the boys were old enough ( 8 / 9 years old), they started seriously working on the farm alongside Dad. Milking at 2:00 a.m, chores (feeding the cows, cleaning out the barns...) field work, milking at 2:00 p.m, more field work and then doing it all over again the next day. School would be done in between chores and lunchtime usually.
When we were young, it wasn't just Dad and the boys. With a couple hundred head of dairy cattle, there is no way that would have been possible with just Dad and a couple of boys under the age of 10. We had a couple of hired hands at the time that helped run things.
Even when we weren't old enough to "work" on the farm, you can bet we were right there watching, riding and "helping" in anyway we could. When school wasn't happening, we were right there in the middle of it all.
Usually while the boys were working with Dad, Mom and I would have the house to ourselves to get my school done and make the boys goodies to enjoy when they got home. Or we would take a day usually once a week if not every 2 weeks to travel a few towns over (40 minute drive) to visit my grandparents ( mom's parents) for a few hours. Most of the time I would have to bring my school with me if it wasn't done already. One of the pros to homeschooling! It can be done anywhere! Even in the car during football practice when the boys were in high school!
We wouldn't stay past lunch time because Mom had to get back to feed calves or milk cows. Oh yes! She wasn't just a stay at home, teach the kids, clean the house, feed the family,balance the check book farm wife. She also works alongside Dad. If I wasn't with her in the calf barn or the milk parlor, I would usually be found with Dad either in the tractor or the dump truck ( especially in the summer) while the grass crop was getting harvested.The best naps I had as a kid were on a hot July day on the bench seat of a GMC dump truck with my pillow on Dads lap. The smell of fresh cut grass and truck fumes bring me much comfort.
At the end of each day, we would all go home ( less than a mile from the farm) . Mom would make us dinner, we would watch some TV and then off to bed we went, wake up and do it all over again!
Thinking back on the days of my childhood brings me so much joy. I loved those days.

Day in and day out the work never stopped. There was no 9-5 it was sun up to sun down.
Except on Sunday. On Sunday's we went to church. The cows still had to eat and be milked but that was what it was limited to. My Dad taught us at a young age that it was important to recognize Sunday as a day of rest because that's what God intended it to be.
God has blessed our family and farm richly over the years. Now, that doesn't mean that we were or are rich, but He has always given us what we need. 
Many years I watched Dad pray and pray and pray during planting season and harvest season.
There have been wet springs and dry springs. Some too wet to get a tractor on the field so it would hinder the planting of corn or the first crop of grass. Some too dry so the corn wouldn't grow or the grass would burn up too quick. Through it all Dad prayed and prayed and prayed. God always answered. Not as quickly as Dad might have wanted but He answered. On years that it was too dry and the corn struggled to grow, we would have a bumper crop and would end up with more than we needed. On the wet years , the process may have taken longer, but we would have another bumper crop. Like I said before, God has blessed us richly and we always give Him the credit. Something else that Dad taught us at a young age.

Growing up on the Farm was fun, exciting, exhausting, frustrating and rewarding.
I wouldn't have wanted to grow up anywhere else.