Welcome to the Donia Farms Blog! We wanted to start this to better connect with our customer and use this as a platform to release information about modern farming and more excitingly provide you with some delicious recipes.
As many of you know in visiting our website or social media platforms, we are a family farm, passionate about what we do. The farm was founded in 1955 and until 2013 we were unable to link what we did on our farm to a product on the shelf. That changed in 2013, we decided that we wanted to put our name on some products so that we could link our story and what we do, to a product consumers could get behind.
It seems so often a bundle of bananas goes brown on us. This browned butter banana bread is the perfect solution! With warm hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, and the addition of walnuts and coconut, this loaf is best enjoyed warm as an after school snack with a generous smear of butter or peanut butter. Have a picky eater? Sub the walnuts for chocolate chips!
These scones are simple to make and are great for breakfast or with soup for lunch! Our favourite is to use a combo of white and orange cheddar with ambrosia apples, but a combination of your favourite hard cheeses will also be delicious.
Modern dairy farms focus on cow comfort and providing our cows with low-stress environments. Barn design and use are aiding in creating a comfortable environment for our cows. Modern dairy barns allow the cow free access to feed and water. The barns are designed to keep the air flowing, so it’s fresh. We have beds that are comfortable and clean. With our barns, we can also protect our cows from the adverse weather, and any other threat to them.
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One of the top priorities we have is to create an environment for our cows that is comfortable. Over the last 20 years, we have been dedicating more time and resources to promoting cow comfort. It is one of the easiest ways to increase milk production. Happy, comfortable, and healthy cows produce more milk. Not only is it the right thing to do, promoting better welfare is good for our business. You and I prefer variety, but cows prefer consistency, routines that they can predict.
You can’t beat a hearty and creamy chicken noodle soup! Its loaded with chicken, veggies and orzo, and finished with our milk and cheddar cheese. The secret sneaky ingredient to this soup is a pack of Liptons Chicken Noodle Soup!
We love serving this salad with a steak and creamy garlic mashed potatoes! It brings a simple freshness to any meal!
This loaf is so good! Made with butter, olive oil and plain yogurt it is super moist and the perfect afternoon pick me up or dessert.
There are many versions of the indulgent Cheese Burger Soup, but this is our favourite. We love to serve this with fresh bread and our Big Salad. Its great to pack for the cabin, ski hill, or on cozy nights in.
We love Big Salad! Serve this salad with the lettuce and the toppings separate so you build your salad yourself. The more toppings the better in our opinion! This veggie packed salad is an awesome side to lighten up an indulgent meal, or great on its own. Pair it with your favourite dressing or go with our Yogurt Jalapeno Ranch.
This apple feta salad is fresh and light with the yogurt poppyseed dressing! It is wonderful for lunch or as a side for dinner with chicken or steak.
A Dijon Garlic Balsamic Dressing paired with a Blue Cheese & Pear Salad… This goes wonderfully with steak.
I have started making this dressing and salad nearly every week since my cousin, Amanda, made it. My husband says, “That was the best salad ever!” and “Can we have Amanda’s Salad tonight.”
Have you ever read or heard a headline, seen an advert, or listened to a story and thought do farmers really do that? The reality is that 99% of the time its a false claim designed to attract attention, with very little to no attention to facts, truth or contexts. Admittedly there are times we are disappointed with the actions of one of our colleagues in our global industry. More often we are proud of the thousands of farmers across the world that work diligently to provide you with the actual necessities of life, food.
Seven months pregnant and I suddenly had the urge to master the chocolate chip cookie. Who doesn’t want to be the mom with the best chocolate chip cookies? I envisioned an oversized chewy classic cookie – one that would be on repeat for me to make with my family.
Our main objective in developing a diet, whether grass-fed or conventional, is to make sure our cows are getting the proper nutrients, to be healthy cows. We formulate diets with the help of our nutritionist, who is specialized in dairy nutrition. On our farm, we have over 10 different diets. Depending on the cow’s age, milk production, and gestational period, she will require different food.
Don’t underestimate the goodness of an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie! Every time I make Oatmeal Raisin I am reminded how good they are. These cookies freeze well and are heavenly when warmed up from frozen for 25 seconds in the microwave.
Have you looked at the milk cooler lately and seen the different types of milk? Or have you read an article saying you should be drinking a specific milk type?
We are peanut butter fans! All things peanut butter are good in my books, and these chewy peanut butter cookies are no exception.
Our posts, Modern Dairy Cow Diets and The Use of Grain, explain in depth the need to create a balanced diet for our cows to be healthy and perform. Those posts also highlight the need for energy in their diets. Energy supports milk production, reproduction, body fat, and metabolism.
Our diet for the grass-fed cows is 20% grains and 80% forages. When you compare that to our cow fed a balanced diet, the ratio is 40% grain and 60% forages. Our grass-fed competitors are 30% grain and 70% forages.
Sunday mornings are often chaos around the farm when we are trying to get kids (and husbands coming in from the barn) out the door for church or family events. This quick and easy one bowl muffin recipe is a go-to and always a crowd pleaser.
Introduction
Apple Feta Salad with Yogurt Poppyseed Dressing
Big Salad with Yogurt Jalapeno Ranch
Cheese Burger Soup
Tomato Bocconcini Salad
Amaretto Poppyseed Loaf