Every morning (Yes, you read that right, every morning), my alarm clock rings long before the sun says hello. I roll out of bed, stretch my stiff neck, whisper “I love you” to my wife, and sneak down the squeaky stairs. If I’m lucky, I trip on one of my kids who decided the floor next to my bed was the best place to be just because it was near me. That is the closest I’ll ever be to feeling famous. We’ve all heard the stories of those crazies who camp on the sidewalk outside of a concert venue just so they could be the first ones in to see their favorite band. No, I’m not admitting to fanboying… (That’s a story for another day). I do, however, love feeling like the famous one when I get to carry my sleeping groupie back to bed where they belong.
Why do I get up long before the sun, every day? Because cows never take a day off and even if I think it should be a holiday or a sick day, they still made me an udder-full of the most delicious milk. Would you like to follow me to the barn today? Get out of bed, let’s go! Pull on your boots, it might get messy.
My commute to work is pretty nice. As we walk across the yard, make sure you look up and see the stars ‘proclaiming the craftsmanship of their Maker.’ It’s my favorite part of my commute.
Getting to the barn and starting everything up is a little like waking a sleeping giant. The lights come on with a flash all the way down the long barn. The fans start their low rumble, as the giant awakens. I dodge the cats blocking my path on my way to get the cows for milking. If you look left, you’ll see the calf nursery where the babies are still snuggled into their bedding. They can sleep for a little longer. We’ll feed them later. The first thing we need to do is bring in the cows for milking. They’re already getting up, ready to come into the milking barn when they hear me open the gate. As we follow the stragglers in, let’s groom their sand-beds. We clean out any soiled bed and smooth it flat for the lazy ladies to return when they wish.
Now it’s time for milking! The milkhouse needs to be set up first. The pipeline swings over to the into the cooling tank so the milk ends up in the right place. You can flip on the vacuum pump if you like. The hum and rhythmic pulsing sound of the milkers is a welcome soundtrack. Each cow needs individual attention as we prep them for milking. Washing their udders as they start to let down their milk. Then we’ll put on the milkers and watch the milk flow freely, filling the cooling tank and making room in the udders for the day’s production. It’s always a wonder to see the abundance of milk flowing out of the pipeline. After each cow has been prepped, milked and sent back out to eat, you can help me with parlor cleaning, calf feeding, taking care of the other animals, fixing, and hauling manure.
Meanwhile, outside, while the cows are getting their individual attention during milking, their home is getting reset for them. They will return to find freshly groomed beds, their floors will be completely scraped clean and have fresh feed waiting to be enjoyed. On warmer days, fans blow fresh air across the stalls and sprinklers intermittently spray to make sure the cows stay comfortably cool. When they meander their way past, they can even get a rubdown from the cattle brush.
“I’m hungry” – are we done for the day, you ask? No, these are only the hours before breakfast. It might feel like groundhog day twice a day every day because it all needs to be done again in the evening. With the middle of the day filled with everything else that needs to be done.
It’s a good life, and a full life.
There’s a new rage called the backyard cow. Maybe you want to jump onto this cattle-wagon! Buy a cow and let it mow your lawn! Then you too can get all the benefits of a strict schedule, a boss that moos at you, a nicely “fertilized” yard, craters the size of hooves by your sidewalk when she escapes, endless feeding, a friend named Dr. Vet, and all the most delicious milk you could want that you make into yogurt, cheese, kefir, ice cream, and so much more!
OR, you could forget all the trouble of owning your own and just come visit my family and enjoy all the benefits, and skip a whole lot of work.
Meet your farmer – Jonathan Gerdes. He and his wife run a farm-to-table Raw Milk dairy and farm airbnb in Caledonia, Minn. If he isn’t in the barn, you can find him dating his wife, playing with his kids, leading youth group, or flying in the sky. Visit gerdesfreshfarm.com for more info.
Chocolate Milk
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. hot water
1/4 t. salt
Splash of vanilla
Mix well and add to 1 gallon of milk, or store in the fridge as syrup to make a glass at a time.
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