By Kelsey Biel
When I think of hard-working, dedicated, persistent, and passionate people, a dairy farmer immediately pops in my mind. Dairy farmers are some of the most committed people to their work. They wear many hats besides being a farmer; dairy farmers are nutritionists, environmentalists, and community members.
One of my favorite things on my family’s dairy farm is feeding calves. Dairy farmers care for all their calves and cows to make sure they are being fed a nutritious diet every day. We work together with different nutritional technicians to help improve the herd’s diet. Working with other professionals is a crucial component for a dairy farmer success, making sure all the cows are fed a well-balanced diet.
Taking care of our environment and land is crucial to dairy farmers. This is the land that farmers have called home for generations, keeping the dairy farming tradition alive. Dairy farmers account for less than 2% of all greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and that number continues to decrease due to continually evolving practices to become greener.
Dairy farmers are community members. One dairy farmer works with many jobs and businesses in each community to keep the farm going. This helps the communities grow, and make many connections with our fellow community members. Dairy farmers are also willing to step up and be on school boards, assist with county fairs, and employ high school aged kids for job readiness.
Being a dairy princess has always been a goal of mine. I remember the first time I went to a dairy princess coronation as a second grader and remembering the crowing of the girls and I wanted to become a princess myself. However, dairy princesses are more than just princesses, we are advocates for the dairy community. It’s crucial that a dairy farmer’s story is being told because there is so much misinformation on the internet. I know dairy farmers are some of the hardest working people and being a dairy princess I hope to make the farming community transparent for other consumers.