The Dairy Blog

Hi Guys and Gals, I have just returned back to Milwaukee after my first vacation that wasn't due to speedskating. I traveled to Hawaii, the island of Honolulu. I have some very dear friends that own a vacation home there, which they have been urging me to get out to for the past four years. I finally buckled down and decided that this year and this point in the season was my best opportunity to take a break. I did, however, do some training which you can see in this photo.

On to training topics, this week has been a recover week for the team, which I was in dire need of. Our program has three week phases with a one week recovery for the entire season. It allows us to keep building strength that is needed through the season, and to keep us from over training. 

Skating is going very well for me to this point, and I am looking forward to our next three week building phase. I have also attached my tentative racing schedule so you can get a glimpse of my coming year.

I hope that you are enjoying "good ole" Mayfield milk for me, seeing as they do not have it here in Milwaukee for me to enjoy. I am looking forward to the day that I get back to Georgia to enjoy my favorite dairy!!!

Well, I have the weekend left of my recovery, and start back hard on Tuesday. Please keep me in your prayers, and always keep a smile on your face!! A day without smiles is a day wasted!!!!  (courtesy of my mother)

Charles Ryan Leveille

P.S. Check out my website: http://crlspeedskating.com/ for more pictures from Hawaii.

I’ve had a hard time getting motivated to write this blog. Generally, I should write about “growing up Mayfield.” However, the death of Scottie’s mother, my Aunt Muriel, has emotionally saddened me beyond any event in recent memory. I have attached part of her obituary as it lets us all reflect on a life lived fully in the American tradition. Sometimes obituaries do not disclose a person’s true character. I remember the little things – snow cream, oatmeal cookies, the vegetable garden, all the soup and sandwich lunches over the years, etc. She was a true leader in the community she lived in, as shown in the obituary. But, what it does not reflect is the total commitment she made to projects. For example, the obituary reads, “She is credited with organizing and helping to found the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum.” Well, this she did -- from local fundraising to state and community grants. But, while driving by the Museum, you would also see her pulling weeds from the flower beds. She was that kind of worker.  

June was always the best month growing up on the farm. The long days started with meeting at the show barn to work with cows we would exhibit at the Fall fairs. Usually, Scottie and I were at the barns before 6 a.m. Somehow, we found time for sports, fishing and fun things, such as bike rides to town and mowing on the cub cadet tractor!

My recent work schedule has involved having lunches in physicians’ offices all across the Atlanta area to discuss our new milk - Nurture by Mayfield. The most interest is in Nurture’s ability to stimulate the intestinal microflora to produce immoglobulins. This is very important every day, not just when taking antibiotics or suffering from intestinal infections. The research shows that the probiotics in Nurture will make us healthier, so we will be sick less frequently.

Many nurses and doctors report that they are not milk drinkers because they are lactose intolerant. We have known for a long time that the cultures in Nurture eased some symptoms of lactose intolerance, but it is my opinion that many folks who think they are lactose intolerant are truly not. Many of those people want to drink milk for its nutrition, and Nurture may be the milk for them. Several have said they can drink Nurture without getting an upset stomach. If you give it a try, I suggest starting with half a glass or so. Then, if there are no problems, increase your Nurture consumption to one or two glasses per day. To get the full probiotic benefit, you should drink two or three glasses per day.

Muriel Shadow Mayfield

Muriel Shadow Mayfield, age 79, of Athens, died Friday morning, May 4, 2007, at Woods Memorial Hospital in Etowah, TN.                                             

A native of Winchester, TN, she spent most of her early years in Meigs County. She was a daughter of the late W. A. and Mary Ermlich Shadow of Decatur, TN. She was preceded in death by her husband, C. Scott Mayfield, Jan. 8, 1998; a daughter, Marilyn Shadow Mayfield, July 22, 1956; and a sister, Mary Shadow Hill. She loved God, her family and her community.

She was an active member of Keith Memorial United Methodist Church, where she served on many committees.

She was the recipient of the 1981 Mother of the Year award at the Athens Annual Chamber of Commerce meeting. She was active in the Parent-Teacher Association and served as President of Ingleside School PTA.

She was an avid gardener, who was interested in conservation and beautification of the county and city; she was a charter member of Kanusita Garden Club. She was also a talented decorator, an artist, a renowned seamstress and a lover and restorer of antiques and furniture. She has been recognized for her many achievements, including being active in the American Jersey Cattle Club and Tennessee Jersey Cattle Club; leader in the 4-H Club and Cub Scouts; she was a founding member of the Youth Affairs Committee and the League of Women Voters of McMinn County, where she was president of each organization; she helped found the Association for the Preservation of Tennessee Antiquities. She also served on the Tennessee Centennial Committee. She is credited with organizing and helping to found the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum. 

She was given the VIVID Award by the City of Athens.

She was instrumental in helping the Education Foundation bring the Imagination Library to McMinn County.

The family suggests that memorials be made to McMinn County Living Heritage Museum, 512 West Madison Avenue, Athens, TN 37303; Keith Memorial United Methodist Church, 600 West Madison Avenue, Athens, TN 37303; or the Education Foundation (Imagination Library), c/o Nancy Perdue, 114 Ashley Court, Athens, TN 37303.

While visiting the doctors’ offices a few weeks ago, I found a true Mayfield fan. Mrs. Mize (office manager) just LOVES MAYFIELD.  She said she has always told her daughter if she were ever to choose a life of crime (although she was not encouraging that), she would not steal a Brinks (money) truck but go for the Mayfield truck instead. I thought that was really cute.

I tell you a Mayfield MOM is dedicated when she is on her morning walk and starts looking in neighbors' recycle bins to see if they have empty Mayfield Milk Jugs and is tickled pink when they do. Now I did not lift the lids off -- I just looked in the ones without lids.

Mayfield Mom Pamela Burdell

I am behind at least one month posting a blog. This is a catch-up blog. Besides being busy as usual, in the past six weeks I have had some unexpected life events. Without getting into too much detail, I want share a little with you. Also, I want to visit about Nurture and milk pricing.

On Friday May 4, my family lost our Mother. We had lost our Dad almost 10 years ago. These are difficult life events. Losing your second parent has an impact I did not expect. There is too much finality attached to losing your second parent. Those of you that have experienced that know, and those who have not will someday. I would say be prepared, but I am not sure you can.  You can enjoy your family as long as you have them. I was very lucky to have the Mother I had, and am very appreciative to her for the person she was. She made many positive marks on our world.

On the 15^th of May, I had a very unusual situation. Somehow I developed a small tear in my esophagus. Because of a heart condition called atrial fibulation, I take a drug called Coumandin. Its purpose is to thin your blood and therefore prevent the possibility of a stroke from the atrial fib. Because of my thin blood, I lost enough blood to end up in the hospital. All is well now, and I am much better. I tell this story to share my opinion about Coumandin. The number the medical people use to define the thickness of your blood when on Coumandin is usually called “your Coumandin level.” The number is normally 1.1 if you are not taking Coumandin. If you are, they want you between 2.0 and 3.0. Having the experience I had, I recommend keeping it between 2.0 and 2.5.

OK, now let’s talk about milk. By now you may have seem some of our advertising with respect to Nurture. Nurture is our new name for NuTrish. We changed the name because we have increased the level of acidophilus and bifidum cultures in the milk. We did this so you can drink two or three glasses a day and boost your immunity. You cannot tell we increased the amount of good bacteria because it does not affect the taste. In the taste tests I have conducted, people cannot tell the difference in the new Nurture 2% and our regular 2%. Nurture allows people to continue to drink the milk they love and boost their immune systems. Personally, my household drinks 1% Nurture. Sales of this new product are doing well, so the word is certainly getting out abut the benefits. If you want more information, go to www.NurtureMilk.com.

Lastly, I feel like I should talk about milk prices. The prices dairies like Mayfield pay the farmers for milk has increased 45 cents per gallon since December. Obviously this increase has made it to the store, and most consumers are noticing and asking what is going on. Before I try to explain, I need to tell you to hold on to your hats. The predications that I just got say the price we pay for milk will increase an additional 32 cents a gallon on July 1, with 13 cents more in August and 6 cents in September before it will stabilize.

So why is this happening? There are three driving forces. First, due to the increases in the cost of producing milk on the farm -- primarily fuel, feed and fertilizer, farmers are making choices to control costs that tend to reduce the amount of milk they produce. This reduced production affects the overall supply of milk. Demand for milk that people drink is stable. The consumption of cheese is up. We are seeing an increase in milk product exports.

With supply flat or slightly down and demand up, prices will go up. That is what is happening.  I think prices are going up more than they should and will come back down, but in the short term we are going to experience the highest prices ever for milk off the farm. None of us like to pay more for milk, but I can tell you the farmer needs this increase. With all the alternative fuel initiatives, the price farmers have to pay for feed is very high. Generally speaking, every cost on the farm is up.

We recognize milk prices are very high and Mayfield milk is one of the higher prices, but with our special process to maintain the fresh taste of milk and our yellow jug to protect that great taste, Mayfield is a great value for people who really love to drink milk.