Name: Milking Cows and Making Cream
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Milking Cows and Making Cream

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My dad was a small dairy farmer. He milked on average, approximately 50 cows twice a day, 365 days a year. The only time I remember my dad taking off was when he had back problems and was literally bed fast for a few months. Only then did he allow someone else to milk the cows. Oh we helped him out from time to time but for the most part dad was quite content in the dairy barn, listening to country radio, with a Roy-tan cigar in his mouth, washing off udders and placing milkers on each cow that came through. He knew which ones would be first and which ones were last. Which ones kicked and those that didn’t. He knew how much milk they gave and when it was time for them to go dry. Many of the nights that my mom worked, I spent in the milk barn with dad. I didn’t like to sit in the house by myself so I would go down to the barn and sit on the steps of the pit while dad milked. The cows came in single file. The old barn held three on each side, then we upgraded to the new barn that held six on each side. Which is funny because I have seen the large dairies up north that milk nonstop all day, hundreds of cows per day, so my daddies little dairy wasn’t much compared to those but it was all we needed, and definitely all he wanted.
After they came in the barn, the feeders would release the feed and while they ate, their udders were washed and dried. Then the automatic milkers were placed on, and began to milk each cow. I can still hear the rhythm of the the milkers as they kicked on and off, almost like a metronome. I watched the milk collect in the little circular vessel under the milkers, then travel up the rubber tubing to the glass pipes that run across the top of the barn and into a big glass container from which it was emptied into the large stainless steel cooler. From there it was kept cool and mixed periodically until the tanker truck arrived for pickup. The cows were so used to this routine that not only did they come in the same way everyday, but they would start to release the milk upon entering the barn, so yes they were leaking milk from their udders before the milkers were placed on. After all the cows were milked and turned out to pasture, we had to clean everything. The milkers were cleaned by running water mixed with a cleaning solution through the milkers, tubing, pipes and so on, then rinsed thoroughly. Then we had to wash the barn out. All the manure and debris had to be cleaned up and removed. It usually took dad about three hours from start to finish each time he milked.
Dad never was in a hurry to go to the barn. He got up, drank his coffee, eat his breakfast, watched a little GMA, then go out to feed the calves and finally start milking around 9 am. Of course this put him back in the house around noon, just in time for lunch and local news and weather. From then, he done his business, whether going to other farms tending to cows(dad was the unofficial local vet), baling hay, planting crops, working on equipment and so on until time for supper. He would eat supper, watch some tv, then finally make it back out anywhere from 8-9 pm. Did the whole routine again, and got back in the house about the time my mom got home from working the evening shift in the factory usually around 11:30-12:00. Did I say 365 days a year?
Dad quit school in the 8th grade to help on the dairy farm, and for 48 years of his life he did just that. The increasing rules and regulations upon small town dairies, finally took its toll on the dairy operation and dad retired in 2000.
At that time, there was only one dairy farm left in Greene County Arkansas, and it too soon closed. Leaving behind a legacy and memories of days gone by that only a few know and remember.
Dad didn’t quit the cattle business though, he kept the cows and tended to them daily. They were apart of him. After dad passed way, we had to sell the cows. It was bittersweet, because although it was sad to see them go, my husband and I were able to purchase some of them to go along with our own herd. So in a way the legacy is still seen in some of those little black and white calves running around our pasture.
When I talk about the dairy farm, the first comment I get from friends is usually “they made the best ice cream”. Well duh! Yeah it was whole milk and cream straight out of the cow. Talk about creamy and rich! Yarnell’s, Breyer’s, Blue Bell etc…, don’t have nothing on fresh dairy milk! Another thing we used to make was butter. From time to time, dad had a cooler of milk he couldn’t sell because of one thing or another, so he would have to dump it. It was really hard to watch a full tank of milk go out on the ground. So we made butter. No we didn’t have the old wooden churn, but we had a nice glass one that you turned with your hand. And if that wasn’t enough, you could always put it in a jar or mixer and shake or mix until it turned into butter. Yep that’s all there is to it. And it’s so good, no coloring added, no artificial flavors, just pure butter. Good stuff! See back then it was against the law to sell your milk to the public. We always had people coming to the barn asking if dad would sell them some. However just in recent years, they have legalized the sale of small quantities of raw milk for public consumption. Unfortunately now there’s no dairies close, or none that I know of, because I would love to get my hands on some fresh milk! We all were raised on it, unpasteurized, straight from the cow, whole fat milk. Oh and we are healthy, no bad bacterial infections from it. Insert eye roll here. But I’m so very thankful for these memories. Sometimes I’m asked why we didn’t take over the dairy operation. The answer to that is….. well, it’s just too much work! But it’s the work my dad loved, and for that I’m forever grateful!
One of my dads favorite treats was eating ice cream! Whether it was homemade or store bought, he loved it! So I thought it would be appropriate to include a recipe for homemade ice cream. Yes it works best if you have an ice cream freezer, but nowadays you can purchase one at any local department store and most are reasonably cheap. I had the same cheap plastic one from Walmart for years until I finally purchased a nicer one. Of course I remember when I was a kid we had a hand cranked one that we took turns cranking, until what seemed like our arm was gonna fall off. However, it was well worth the work and wait.
Now since we don’t have fresh milk we substitute half~n~half, whipping cream , evaporated milk and for extra flavor, sweetened condensed milk.
          Finished product             Dad enjoying his ice cream       
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Homemade Ice Cream
6 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 can sweetened condensed milk
3 T. Vanilla extract
1 (16 oz.) box of half n half
1 (8 oz.) box of whipping cream
1 (12 oz.) can of evaporated milk
1/2 tsp salt
Whole milk
Rock salt
Ice
Mix eggs, sugar, condensed milk, vanilla, half n half, whipping cream, evaporated milk, and salt together until smooth. (Note: you can temper the eggs by heating some of the milk and adding the eggs a little at a time until incorporated to make a smooth custard). I do not temper mine but it’s up to you. Once combined, pour mixture into ice cream freezer container and add whole milk until it reaches the fill line mark, usually located on the inside of the container. Mix well. Insert paddle into the container, add lid and attach motor. Lock down tight. Add ice alternating with rock salt until the freezer is entirely filled with ice and salt. Turn on freezer and let it start turning. You may have to add a little more ice and salt as it melts but depending on how big your freezer is, it can take anywhere from 20 min to an hour to make your ice cream. My freezer holds about 1 1/2 gallon. Your freezer will slow down and finally stop when your ice cream is finished! Remove motor, lid and paddle. Serve and enjoy!
Everyone has different recipes for their homemade ice cream so this is just an example, however I’m leaving you with an easy no fail sherbet recipe that is really good:
Easy Orange Sherbet
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
2 liter bottle of orange soda
Mix together and freeze in ice cream freezer as stated in the above recipe.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my posts and remember to like and leave a comment to let me know your here!
Gods Peace,
The Handy Heifer

My dad was a small dairy farmer. He milked on average, approximately 50 cows twice a day, 365 days a year. The only time I remember my dad taking off was when he had back problems and was literally bed fast for a few months. Only then did he allow someone else to milk the cows. Oh we helped him out from time to time but for the most part dad was quite content in the dairy barn, listening to country radio, with a Roy-tan cigar in his mouth, washing off udders and placing milkers on each cow that came through. He knew which ones would be first and which ones were last. Which ones kicked and...

Milking Cows and Making Cream

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