Our Cows are Ladies

It's true - our cows are ladies! They are thought of as ladies, referred to as ladies and treated like ladies. These 500 ladies are part of our extended family - they are who we are if you know what I mean!

Our lives revolve around the cows - literally! On our farm, we milk 3 times a day. So these ladies depend on us to get that job done - no matter what. Every single day! And it is a proven fact - the better you treat them, the better they treat you. Dairy cows must be healthy and well cared-for in order to produce pure, wholesome milk. Our cows receive regular medical care, including periodic check-ups, vaccinations and prompt treatment of illness. They have nutritious diets and clean healthy living conditions. Nothing but the best for our ladies!

I used to tease my hub for putting those ladies above HIS lady! I have numerous examples of when he changed plans at the last minute because the cows needed something. Whether it was mixing an extra batch of feed because they were running low late at night or hopping out of bed at 2:00 in the morning because something was broken in the milking parlor or even leaving family dinners to help a cow with calving, he always thinks of the cows first!

I laugh when I tell the story of my very first Thanksgiving dinner with my hub's family back when we were just dating. We had just sat down at the dining room table - everyone's plates were full of delicious food - candles burning - saying grace... And just before everyone had a chance to dig in -someone yelled out 'the cows are out!' Much to my surprise, everyone jumped up from the table and threw on boots and coats and ran out the door! Not knowing exactly what to do - I just decided to follow suit! I grabbed my boots and coat and headed out. After a good 45 min. of herding the ladies back in to their pen - we headed back in to our 'cold' Thanksgiving dinner! Thankfully a little zap in the micro and all was well. But - from that day forward - I knew where I stood with these ladies. They were top priority to this family!!!

And, I have to say - after officially being in this family now for 10 years - I am proud to call myself a 6th generation dairy farmer and certainly to be one of the 'ladies' on this farm!