Generator Preparations Paid Off

Monday, July 17, 2023
Hello friends,
             

The recent storms have been widely scattered, and they have had some impressive cloud formations, but did you get any rain?  Last Wednesday we got a storm, and our new generator was tested.  We were in the middle of milking and the power just went out.  The milkers dropped off and the cows began dripping milk on the floor.  We knew what to do.  Bill immediately flipped off the air conditioner, and I turned off the bulk tank so that when the generator kicked on, the milk machine with its significant start up power draw,  would have enough power to let us finish milking.  We waited a little longer and realized that there was a switch on the generator that needed to be on “auto”.  Then we were back in business and the cows got a little extra grain while they waited.  When the power came back on, we turned on the air and the bulk tank.  The power went off two more times, but each time we had a system and our generator preparations paid off!
             

The pasteurizer is working just as it was designed to work now.  The part came, was installed, and we immediately began to make yogurt.  We are still catching up, but that will be our focus.  Meanwhile, the boiler went out on our big cheese vat.  I kid you not!  When we built the creamery, we got a good deal on a tankless hot water heater type boiler that came out of a carwash in the 1980’s so it has had a long productive life and finally gave out.  As we consider its replacement, we are thinking of the future and the possibility of a bigger cheese vat down the line.  Meanwhile, we will focus on catching up with the fresh cheeses in the small vat…..