We have a different kind of farm prep to do now that winter has arrived in northeast Wisconsin. We do everything we can to keep our employees comfortable and warm in the cold temperatures. Since our work is always outside, the weather forecast is always in the forefront of planning ahead and scheduling.
When the weather forecast is predicting a large snow storm we need to take action. All hands are on deck during and after the snow. If there is a lot of snow, it can take 3 or 4 employees digging out all day before all of the driveways are clear. One of the first places that we clear out snow is around the parlor. We need to make sure that the employees can get in to milk and that the milk trucks have a path to haul the milk.
Making sure the cows are fed is also a top priority when there is harsh weather in the forecast. When we know there will be a big snow storm or its going to get really bitter cold, we feed the cows extra the day before. We need to make sure the cows are fed and don’t miss a meal. If they have to wait for us to dig out or unfreeze machinery, they get hungry.
The extra planning and earlier mornings always pay off when we know there is going to be bad weather.
