When I was 23 years old, I sold bull semen and cow embryos. Somehow people outside of farming find that to be quite funny. They bust into full-fledged laughter when I describe my airplane conversations around answering the question “so how do they get the semen?” which was always the first question after I explained my job.

I didn’t understand the humor in semen and embryos for quite some time; I thought it was quite serious business to know the cow families and breeders well enough to be able to adequately represent U.S. genetics. Likewise, it’s back-breaking work to get show cattle ready. However, I find myself explaining dairy shows as cow beauty pageants, complete with the tubs we use as toilets while our sprayed and glittered cattle walk to the show ring (runway) – and people always start snickering.

Humor evokes emotion. Emotion results in human connection. Connection piques curiosity. We don’t have to explain the complex business of farming in one line; we simply have to create a human connection. [Read more…]