Corn was waist-high in the Pacific Northwest on July 4, when I sent my 8-year-old out to measure. We already had a few hot days in June, upward of 80 degrees. And before you laugh, that’s hot for us.

The summer is always incredibly welcomed out here, but brings with it a few challenges. Our farm office fridge is adequately stocked with Gatorade, Coke and water that all have a faint taste of medicine. We tend to start seeing some milk loss and reduced conception in the cows as they struggle with the temperature, and water systems are pushed to the max. Heat abatement is taking center stage as we work to take off any extra bits of plywood and roll down the curtains to improve airflow. Misters are working in overdrive and extra garden hoses are running from backup wells.

The Faber kids are entertained by visiting a friend who has a river property equipped with an old milk pump that pushes water down a silage tarp running along the sandy bank shore. I’ve come to the stark realization we aren’t in the tax bracket to have friends with oceanfront or lakefront property, and we are firmly ensconced in the riverfront people category. We may, however, still be above the swamp people and subdivision people, so there is some solace in that.

It's interesting that for decades, our particular area of the country has been known for the highest milk output per cow. This title has waned somewhat as other parts of the country have embraced better heat abatement techniques to improve milk output. Our temperate climate also results in great grass growing conditions, and we produce very highly digestible feeds.

This is a very unique part of the country, and we are truly blessed to live here.

It has also attracted many purple-haired individuals who have turned nature into their religion. The long winter and spring months of the Pacific Northwest is aided by many turning to other substances to make the short days go by better. It’s not by accident that this area has some of the most successful small craft breweries and one of the largest coffee chains in the country.

These couple of months of moderate climate and greenery allow for this area to be the most beautiful in the U.S. If you ever get a chance to be on the Puget Sound among the small islands with the sun setting, it will give you a whole new appreciation for a place that has many warts and flaws. It’s also the time of year when nature may try to extract its revenge and limit your ability to breathe with a whole host of pollen from a variety of grasses and trees.

While many will take this opportunity to live like an early 1800s settler and hike in the backwoods, your fearless author prefers to wait for the National Geographic special.

So wherever you are, I wish you cool cows, good conception, lots of milk and the ability to breathe when you go outside.