Blue Meets a Dairy Cow
Blue picks out his pumpkins.
With the end of Blue’s first year and the beginning of his second there have already been several changes. One of the biggest changes (so far) has been a change in milk – where it comes from and what kind of milk he’s getting.
Until a couple of weeks ago, Blue got all of his milk from me, but with a sudden decision on Blue’s part to “self-wean” all of that changed. We began offering whole cow’s milk and decided it would be a good idea to learn a little more about where our milk comes from.
So we decided to visit a dairy farm.
It just so happens that we have some good friends who live on a family farm. Devin and Nancy Bell live on Clear Weather Farm and primarily grow corn and soybeans, but also have a pumpkin patch and a small herd of dairy cows. We visited the pumpkin patch and picked out a few for Blue, but it was the cows that stole the show.
HandyMan holds Blue up to see the cows.
As soon as we walked into the barn, the cows began to wander in from the attached pasture. We stood at the gate and a couple of the cows walked over, as if to inspect the little person perched on the gate. Nancy put on her gloves and began getting ready to milk them. Since Nancy is just getting started building her dairy, she only has a few head right now – and uses the milk to make butter and soap.
Even though the milk isn’t used for drinking, Nancy still took every precaution to keep the milking process sanitary and to keep her cows healthy and happy. It was obvious that the cows didn’t mind being milked – walking right into the stall and happily munching on grain while Nancy put the milkers on. It reminded me of when I would pump my milk for Blue. If you’ve ever breastfed a baby, you know that it is uncomfortable (and sometimes downright painful) to be full and when the baby nurses or you pump there is welcome relief! Cows obviously find the same to be true with milkers.
Blue pets Callie the dairy cow.
When Nancy was done milking the cows, she offered to let Blue meet one of them. Nancy led Callie (all of her cows have names) out and I carried Blue over to meet his first cow. Blue eagerly reached out his hand to pet Callie and I made sure that Blue was nice to her. He was.
I’m so glad that we were able to visit a farm and learn more about how cows are milked. There is comfort in knowing and seeing firsthand how farmers treat their cows with gentleness and care as well as seeing the measures that were taken to make sure the milk is clean and sanitary, even milk that will be used to make soap!
Guest post by MRS
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Blue looks like he was having fun. Think that he has enough pumpkins! I love HandyMan’s little pose, its like superman. Hope all is well with you all!
Thanks for commenting! We are doing well and had a lot of fun picking out pumpkins (we only took home 4) and learning more about milk!
How wonderful that you were allowed to spend time with your own child – Looks like a real bonding situation… Makes me that much sadder knowing that these dairy cows continually have their babies stolen from them… All so we unweaned humans can steal the milk. Seems like there’s an element of fairness and “kind treatment” blatantly missing from this scenario enabled only by “might”.
Thank you for inviting comment.
Bea – HandyMan and I have made a decision, based on our beliefs on animal agriculture & nutrition, to give Blue whole milk to drink. Babies need fats, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins (B2, B-12, A, & D) and minerals (calcium, zinc) in order to grow and develop appropriately. Milk contains all of these things in one 8-ounce glass. Blue’s pediatrician recommends that Blue gets 16 ounces a day and that is our goal. I realize that Blue could get these nutrients in other types of foods, but no other food contains all of them at once. Blue is already starting to refuse vegetables, throwing them on the floor in favor of fruits, cheeses & meats. I want to know that Blue is getting the nutrients he needs to grow and thrive and they can all be found in milk – something he drinks enthusiastically.
I respect that you have a differing opinion and I believe 100% that you are entitled to it. I hope you can do the same with me.
As a dairy farmer my life revolves around the care and well being of our animals. Being a 3rd generation dairy farmer and raising the calves on the dairy myself. I can assure you that after a bit of bonding time they are placed in their home where they are monitored and taken care of. They are the heart and soul of our operation and our future. Cows and humans are different. I am grateful that I am able to provide our communities with fresh, healthy dairy products. I am proud of the care and heart that goes into it. I am also proud of the people that don’t listen to “opinion” but go out and see for themselves how farmers take care of their animals to provide food, food that so many people in our world do not have.