making milk and selling milk

Sunday we got a delivery of brewers’ grain (they seem to always want to bring it on Sunday when Victor calls them to order some) of course there wasn’t enough cash in the house to pay for it so Garry and I had to hurry back from church after stopping at a cash machine (there are ATM machines all over the city) so we would be back by two when the truck was supposed to come. As you can see it all fit in the storage pits now- no spillage- wasting the stuff that would get dirt mixed in it, and the liquid from the brewer’s grain running over the drive- turning it into a soupy mess.
The brewers grain is the only thing available- we cannot get any more ground corn (kokarootsa- it has a ring to it) so Garry has almost quit feeding it (I think that means the 30 liter a day cows may be getting a bit to eat) but believe it or not milk production has gone up not down- the cows had a new high on Monday with 719 liters of milk in one day. With May first falling on Sunday the holiday seemed to still be ongoing on Tuesday. Monday Garry really wanted to go over and get a load of hay from the farm we bought it from since we were completely out of hay to feed, but no one was working. Luckily they were back to work at the farm yesterday so he went with Maxim and got hay before lunch.
We have half a dozen customers for brewers grain now, some that come everyday to pick up and couple buckets full, one that gets maybe half a ton once a week (he used to be a milk customer- but now he has enough from his own cows for his customers.) They are feeding it to cows or pigs. Garry says the new batch must have been off the top of the pile, it’s not as wet (a good thing- you get more grain and less water for your money.) It is a good way to meet more people in the village, and a way for them to feed their animals without needing a lot of money. Since we buy in bulk we can sell it cheaper than they can buy it elsewhere- even with a slight markup. It does mean that someone needs to be around to deal with brewers’ grain sales, the bulk milk buyers usually phone ahead so we know when they plan to come. We still have some 2-10 liter customers that walk in, mainly people in the village, and more on the weekends when the “cottagers” come out from the city. Easter weekend Garry gave a few barn tours, complete with calf petting for some young families that were visiting relatives in the village.

So this week Garry says he’d like to sell all the milk, get paid for all of it, and empty the tank and wash it three times. So far once. Monday the milk tank was empty again finally (it had been since Tuesday – almost a week) Garry hopes to get it empty and washed three times a week for higher quality milk to sell. At least twice.
One problem is trying to get the buyers all here between milkings, since we milk three times a day. It might get empty today (Wednesday) – if it gets close, they may put what’s left in cans (Garry muttering- Trying to avoid cans) since the first Oleg likes his already turning to sour cream. Yesterday both Olegs came and even paid for the milk they got. Some of the buyers have caught up on paying for the milk they are taking. A few weeks ago they were all behind like a week’s worth in paying – which hurts the cash flow while the fields were being planted- seed, fertilizer, fuel for the tractors, need to be paid for as we get them.
The lady milk buyer is back. Her van was in this morning. Of all our buyers she seems to be able to sell the most milk. Unfortunately she went on a two-week holiday to Egypt while she was gone her employees had the van break down and didn’t come for more than a week. We sold some of what she’d normally buy to other people, but we had to throw some away. She sends payment for what she’s buying now, with her driver. Victor had told her she could get 400 liters so that’s how much money she sent on Friday, the first time the van made it back here, so that’s all they bought, although Garry wanted to sell more and empty the milk tank. Some of the buyers come and get a pile of milk and then don’t come back, because they couldn’t sell it all we think. Oleg two- or brother Oleg as they are now calling him (he is a Christian) now comes to fill one 300 liter vat instead of three like before. So we need her as much as she needs us.