Earlier this spring, I had the chance to go turkey hunting down in Florida. Like any typical dairy farmer on vacation, I found myself visiting a local dairy farm. Our hunting guide was along for the visit, and despite being someone who grew up in a rural area and is very connected to the land, some of his questions surprised me. It was a good reminder that it doesn’t matter how smart a person is, or if they have common sense, in the end, you don’t know what you don’t know.
Those of us involved in agriculture have been told time and again that not only is the average American three generations removed from the farm, but also that only 2% of our population is involved in production agriculture. When you divide out that 2% of the population into people who know dairy farming, that percentage shrinks even more. It’s not Joe Schmoe’s fault that he doesn’t know what a free stall barn is, that cows eat TMR, and have something called a dry period before they have a calf.
Farmers use terms that are common to us but unknown to the outside world. Our day-to-day looks different from the day of the school teacher, the banker, and the golf pro. I am sure if I sat in on their day, I’d be confused at some points as well.
With that in mind, I have decided to start a series of short posts on our blog that will explain some of the small details and terminology we use on the dairy farm. As I write more posts, I will add the links to this post and turn it into a glossary.
If you have something you’d like to ask about or have explained, send us a message or leave a comment on our Facebook page, and I will do my best to answer you!