Keep the crowds coming

Many of us have been to the local county or state fair and know that the cattle barn aisles are always filled with people of all ages. And, if you’re trying to get a cow ready on show day, these people might seem like the biggest nuisance in the world. But think twice before getting angry with or rude to these people. The public walking through the dairy barns to see cows and displays is a great way to promote our industry. Many of these visitors don’t come from a farm background and don’t have the opportunity to see or touch cattle on a day-to-day basis, and if you’re rude to them, even once, it’s likely that they won’t ever come back to the barns again and will leave with a negative opinion of the dairy industry.

For instance, this past week I was trying to get my cow ready for our county futurity when an older man came up with a group of people and stood around the cow I was trying to prepare. Instead of being rude and telling them to get out of the way, I told them they should stand back and explained what I was getting her ready for. The group took interest in the concept of a futurity and how to get a cow ready and began asking questions. Again, I took the time to answer them and told them when and where the futurity was taking place. Later, I noticed the same group watch the entire 29-head class, which lasted nearly two hours.

Showing cattle is such a small aspect of a very large industry, but it’s important for us to advertise our families, farms, and our great industry every chance we get. Those people walking through the barns once or twice a year are the ones buying milk, butter, ice cream, and other dairy products off the shelves on a daily basis.