"This barn was built 7 years ago, I remember because it was the year that Kevin got married"
The farm and the family are one, they have been for the last 30 years since Jerry moved down the street from his father and brother to his own dairy farm. It was this deep connection to the land, to the animals and to each other that rang through the clearest as Jerry and his two sons lead us around their farm, humble but with a shy pride. It was evident how much these men knew about the business from the way they spoke to quotas, to feed mixes for the cows, to efficiencies and costs. They admitted to not having weekly "board meetings" at the kitchen table, but it was clear that the communication shared around the barns, in the fields and at meals was thier their equivalent to our conference calls. They made up an exceptional management team, each with his own specialization but all integrated with each other. When asked about expansion they discussed opportunities for upgrading machinery and also for hiring more people to help with the milking. The first option seemed to be much preferred, the most significant reason being that Jerry, Kevin and Brian liked to have their hands on their animals at least once a day.
I get that. That is how I was brought up, with horses instead of cows. Running your hands down your horses legs, over their withers, across velvet ears and noses, that is how we always knew how our animals were, could predict illness before it got out of control. That was how we connected. Our horses trusted us and we trusted them. It is that intimacy that I feared lost in agriculture these days. It is still so clearly at the heart of things.
For someone who has avoided dairy for a few years for a handful of reasons today completely shifted my persepective. The animals that we saw were so incredibly healthy looking, clean and happy that I was beyond impressed. We heard at length about how happy, calm cows were the best producers and therefore it was in the best interest of the farm to have comfortable, healthy, happy animals. The barns were immaculate. I was also comforted by the fact that no dairy cows in Canada are given growth hormones and that, at least on Jerry's farm, antibiotics are a last resort and if a cow goes on them they are withdrawn from the milking heard for twice as long as required by regulations. It was made clear over and over again just how safe canadian milk is and from this source, looking at their animals and barns, I believe every word. I just makes financial sense in the business to have high quality milk.
All in all I was ultimately drawn to Jerry and his family, his animals and land because they were good, smart people making a living at what they loved. They reminded me of people at home. They are folk who know the feeling of land under their fingernails, hard work in their muscles and joints, and honesty in their lives.
One of the high points of this experience was getting to talk to one of my professors who made the trek out to Delta with us. I'll admit, I don't speak up much unless I feel I am truly going to be a contribution so I have remained relatively quiet in class these past weeks. Strategy is one of my favourite classes because I often find the material immediately applicable to my life and to how I view the world around me. It was a shock to me today when my strategy prof. told me he reads this blog. I am constantly astounded when people take the time, especially with the incredibly busy lives we all lead these days. What it really reminded was to always tell people what you think, what feedback you have for them whether constructive or celebratory. He made my day this morning. Made me remember why I do this, that I CAN do this. Sometimes we just need someone to let us know we are on the right track. That's who I want to be for people.
The farm and the family are one, they have been for the last 30 years since Jerry moved down the street from his father and brother to his own dairy farm. It was this deep connection to the land, to the animals and to each other that rang through the clearest as Jerry and his two sons lead us around their farm, humble but with a shy pride. It was evident how much these men knew about the business from the way they spoke to quotas, to feed mixes for the cows, to efficiencies and costs. They admitted to not having weekly "board meetings" at the kitchen table, but it was clear that the communication shared around the barns, in the fields and at meals was thier their equivalent to our conference calls. They made up an exceptional management team, each with his own specialization but all integrated with each other. When asked about expansion they discussed opportunities for upgrading machinery and also for hiring more people to help with the milking. The first option seemed to be much preferred, the most significant reason being that Jerry, Kevin and Brian liked to have their hands on their animals at least once a day.
I get that. That is how I was brought up, with horses instead of cows. Running your hands down your horses legs, over their withers, across velvet ears and noses, that is how we always knew how our animals were, could predict illness before it got out of control. That was how we connected. Our horses trusted us and we trusted them. It is that intimacy that I feared lost in agriculture these days. It is still so clearly at the heart of things.
For someone who has avoided dairy for a few years for a handful of reasons today completely shifted my persepective. The animals that we saw were so incredibly healthy looking, clean and happy that I was beyond impressed. We heard at length about how happy, calm cows were the best producers and therefore it was in the best interest of the farm to have comfortable, healthy, happy animals. The barns were immaculate. I was also comforted by the fact that no dairy cows in Canada are given growth hormones and that, at least on Jerry's farm, antibiotics are a last resort and if a cow goes on them they are withdrawn from the milking heard for twice as long as required by regulations. It was made clear over and over again just how safe canadian milk is and from this source, looking at their animals and barns, I believe every word. I just makes financial sense in the business to have high quality milk.
All in all I was ultimately drawn to Jerry and his family, his animals and land because they were good, smart people making a living at what they loved. They reminded me of people at home. They are folk who know the feeling of land under their fingernails, hard work in their muscles and joints, and honesty in their lives.
One of the high points of this experience was getting to talk to one of my professors who made the trek out to Delta with us. I'll admit, I don't speak up much unless I feel I am truly going to be a contribution so I have remained relatively quiet in class these past weeks. Strategy is one of my favourite classes because I often find the material immediately applicable to my life and to how I view the world around me. It was a shock to me today when my strategy prof. told me he reads this blog. I am constantly astounded when people take the time, especially with the incredibly busy lives we all lead these days. What it really reminded was to always tell people what you think, what feedback you have for them whether constructive or celebratory. He made my day this morning. Made me remember why I do this, that I CAN do this. Sometimes we just need someone to let us know we are on the right track. That's who I want to be for people.
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