Hi all and happy Thursday!
The sun is FINALLY out here in Syracuse and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it allows for my maiden kayak voyage to take place, and more importantly, for much needed field work to commence in full force across the New York farmlands.
I came across an article written by Louis Longo for Hoards this fall that I'm posting as suggested reading. I hope you find it as intruiging as I did. Growing up in New Hampshire, a very traditional dairy area, it was ingrained in me that family farms were the backbone of the dairy industry. I worked for one, my fellow 4-H friends were born and raised on them, and at that point, I couldn't fathom that the 1,000 cow plus dairies that litter the countryside in my current location, were anything but competition in it's most devious form.
Today I know better, and I can appreciate the hard work and precise management that goes into dairies of all sizes, and more importantly, I now realize that the size of the farm does not dictate the quality of care the cows receive. It does not signify the committment of the owners to the task of producing a nutrious food, nor does it guarantee success or failure to that individual business. I love driving through New England, passing by turn-of-the-century red barns and seeing cows grazing hillsides. I also love driving by the large dairies near my new home- with their rows of barns perfectly aligned, signifying the advancements our industry has made in the past several decades and our commitment to producing milk and dairy products to feed a growing global population. I believe our country has room enough for both types of dairy farming; for embracing our foundation of putting in an honest day's work, caring for the environment and our animals- and magnifying these core values to keep up with growing food demand. There is no winner when the size of dairy farm defines its value to the whole, so I hope we can learn to take pride in all of our quality farms, and turn rather to more important issues at hand.
til next time,
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