M is for Misconceptions

5 Misconceptions about Dairy Farming

• Dairy Farmers are their own boss so they set their own schedule. Not true. Yes, we are our own boss, but we don’t have total control of our schedule. Cows are creatures of habit and for their health and comfort, the ladies need to be milked at regular intervals.
• Farmers are uneducated. Definitely not true. Many farmers are college educated and all are also required to take classes to renew permits and licenses. Farmers need to be nutritionists, veterinarians, accountants, mechanics, meteorologists, agronomists, etc. etc. etc.
• Big farms are owned by big companies. Not true. 97% of all United States farms are family owned. Bigger farms may be owned by two or three generations, but they are still family owned. No matter the size, all farms have the same commitment to taking great care of their land and animals.
• Dairy Farmers never get a day off. Our cows do need to be cared for every day, that’s true, but we do take time off. It may be just an afternoon excursion on a rainy day, or a family outing before spring planting begins or after fall harvest is complete, but we do leave the farm.
• Farmers are rich. Ha! Not usually! Farmers have a huge financial investment in their land, machinery, and animals, that’s true, but I don’t know any farmer with a Scrooge McDuck money vault.

Scrooge McDuck was NOT a framer.