Long before the current AI craze, farmers were knee-deep in “AI” every single day – but this was a whole different kind of artificial intelligence. It wasn’t the kind of thing that could run algorithms to predict the stock market, or write you a Shakespearean sonnet on demand. Nope, this was the real deal: Artificial Insemination. And I’ll tell you what, if they’re giving out royalties for AI, farmers should be getting a fat check because, technically, they’ve been using it for decades – albeit with much more hands-on involvement and far less digital wizardry.
Back then, if a farmer wanted to get some prime dairy cows, they didn’t just pop out to the pasture and shout, “Hey, Bessie, time to make a baby!” No, no, they had to bring in the real artificial intelligence. This kind of AI involved carefully selecting, erm, “genetic material” (we’ll leave it at that) and precision placement to ensure that the cows would give birth to the finest calves possible. It wasn’t glamorous, but it worked – and it definitely made the world a better place, one milking at a time. In fact, I’d say farmers are the true pioneers of AI – Artificial Insemination – and they did it without even needing a fancy laptop or a “cloud server.” They just needed a good vet, some know-how, and a sense of humor about it all.
Fast forward to today, and we’re all sitting here trying to wrap our heads around “AI” in the form of robots that can write essays, drive cars, and probably even run for president one day (because, honestly, at this point, why not?). We’ve got algorithms out the wazoo, machine learning that’s “teaching” computers to be “creative,” and AI assistants that might as well be vying for spots on Jeopardy! But here’s the thing: everyone’s so caught up in today’s AI hype, no one can agree on what’s real anymore. It’s like a big technological Wild West where the only thing that’s certain is that your digital assistant will definitely misinterpret your requests at least 30% of the time.
We’ve got chatbots that sound so convincing, people are asking them for life advice (and getting some questionable answers), robots that can do everything from farming to cooking your breakfast, and self-driving cars that are probably just as confused as you are about where they’re going half the time. Meanwhile, the old-school AI of the farm (ahem, Artificial Insemination) is sitting there, sipping its metaphorical coffee, like, “You kids think you invented innovation?” They were the original AI practitioners, and they did it all without getting a single error message or running out of battery life. And they got results, year after year.
But today, it’s all who can create the most realistic AI-generated deepfake, or can an AI write a book that will win a Nobel Prize? It’s chaos, it’s confusion, and no one knows what’s real anymore. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if in the future, your AI assistant starts teaching you how to inseminate your cows (because why not, right?). It’ll be all, “Well, Farmer Bob, after analyzing a decade’s worth of bovine genetics, I think this pairing would give you the best milk yield,” and you’ll be sitting there, like, “Siri, you’re good at weather forecasts, but let’s leave the cow-parenting to the professionals.”
We’re at the dawn of a new age where everything is either automated or automatically questioned. But one thing’s for sure: if AI had to really help farmers like it’s helping us today, you bet there’d be an uproar. Imagine a robot popping into the barn to milk cows while also managing the crops, hauling manure, and making sure the cows get their five-star reviews for the best mooing performance. Oh wait, that might be next year’s upgrade.
Either way, I say farmers should be out here getting royalties for the AI revolution because they’ve been at the cutting edge of artificial for generations. We’ve just got the fancy version now – one that doesn’t smell like manure, but still doesn’t really know what it’s doing when you ask it to explain “simple” things like the emotions of a women. Maybe that’s the next step: AI that understands the complexity of emotions … and cow genes and can explain why your Wi-Fi keeps cutting out. It’s the AI frontier, baby – get ready to milk it!
Meet your farmer – Liz Gerdes. She and her husband run a farm-to-table raw milk dairy and farm Airbnb in Caledonia. If you’re looking for raw milk fresh from the farm, visit gerdesfreshfarm.com or follow her on Facebook @gerdesfreshfarm or Instagram @gerdesliz for more info.
Creamy Mac and Cheese
1 lb elbow macaroni (or any pasta shape you love)
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional for a little flavor boost)
1/2 tsp mustard powder (the secret ingredient!)
Salt and pepper to taste
A pinch of cayenne pepper (optional, for a little kick)
1/2 cup bread crumbs or fried onions (optional, for a crunchy topping)
Cook the pasta: Boil a large pot of salted water, then cook the macaroni (or pasta of your choice) according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
Make the cheese sauce: In a separate pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Once melted, whisk in the flour to create a roux (which is basically the thickening base for the sauce). Keep whisking for about 1-2 minutes so it doesn’t burn, but also gets nice and bubbly.
Add the milk: Gradually pour in the milk while whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Keep whisking until the sauce thickens up – this should take about 5-7 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Cheese time: Reduce the heat to low and slowly stir in the cheddar and mozzarella. Keep stirring until it’s all melted and smooth. This is where the milk transforms into creamy, cheesy heaven.
Season it: Now’s the time to add your garlic powder, mustard powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne if you want a little spice. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Mix in the pasta: Toss your cooked macaroni into the sauce and stir to coat every little noodle in that velvety goodness.
Optional topping: If you like a crunchy topping, sprinkle the breadcrumbs or fried onions on top of your mac and cheese and pop it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, just until it’s golden brown and crispy.
Serve and enjoy: Dish up that gooey goodness and try not to eat it all in one sitting. This mac and cheese is perfect on its own or as a side dish to whatever else you’re cooking.
Apparently AI is good in the kitchen too, because this recipe it A-MAZING!!
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