'Industrial' not right term to describe large dairy farms

Jan 06, 2020 at 09:13 AM CST
I’ve increasingly heard the word “industrial” used to describe large modern dairy farms. Recently, the term appeared 16 times in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story. As a dairy farmer and proud owner of one of these farms, I feel that the word suggests a soulless, grim, unfeeling enterprise. This would not describe my farm nor almost any dairy of any size I have ever been privileged to visit. The fact is that dairying, no matter the size of the farm, is hard work that demands the owner’s total commitment. Farmers who don’t love their cows or the environment enough to care for them properly will soon be doing something else for a living.

Jan 06, 2020 at 09:13 AM CST

I’ve increasingly heard the word “industrial” used to describe large modern dairy farms. Recently, the term appeared 16 times in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel story. As a dairy farmer and proud owner of one of these farms, I feel that the word suggests a soulless, grim, unfeeling enterprise. This would not describe my farm nor almost any dairy of any size I have ever been privileged to visit. The fact is that dairying, no matter the size of the farm, is hard work that demands the owner’s total commitment. Farmers who don’t love their cows or the environment enough to care for them properly will soon be doing something else for a living.