In late June, I was invited to be part of Dairy Day at the Capitol where members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly celebrated June Dairy Month. Senator Elder Vogel Jr., the chair of the Senate Ag Committee, hosted the event, with Minority Chair Senator Judy Schwank, House Majority Chair Representative Eddie Day Pashinski, and House Minority Chair Senator Dan Moul all speaking at the event. They all spoke about the hard work and dedication of our Pennsylvania dairy farm families and the huge contribution these farms make to our Commonwealth every day of the year.
When Senator Schwank talked, she spoke about the dairy cow and what an amazing being the cow is. She said if you ever worked around dairy cows, you would know how intelligent and gentle they are. Her remarks reminded me of Robert Fulghum’s poem, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” So, I began to think about all the things we could learn by emulating a dairy cow.
We all know that many children’s books can go too far in personifying animals, and that is not my intent with this article. Cows are food-producing animals who provide a purpose of taking resources that we cannot utilize ourselves and making them into a product we can eat. Still, anyone who has ever worked around dairy cows knows that they are highly social animals and have specific characteristics that set them apart from other animals, including other types of cattle.
Here are five characteristics we commonly see in dairy cows that we could all learn from.
- Gentle. Although a dairy cow’s disposition can be different depending on what environment she is in, in most cases dairy cows are very calm, gentle creatures. In terms of a human characteristic, gentleness is often seen in how we handle adversity and how we interact with each other. It’s described in being slow to raise your voice and in acting with kindness instead of judgement in your relationships.
- Consistent. Dairy cows like routines, whether it’s being milked every morning at 5 a.m. or knowing the feed truck is arriving at 10 a.m. They like their routine and are predictable. Anyone who has ever worked for an inconsistent boss or has been in an unpredictable relationship knows the value of consistency. Also, the only way you ever achieve a goal or master any skill is through consistency and staying the course. Being consistent in your relationships, in your work ethic, and in how you approach the world also lets others know they can depend on you.
- Approachable. Most dairy cows let you walk up beside them without moving and, even in the first milking, they let you put the milker on without kicking. Even when they get out of their pens, dairy cows are often easier to get back to where they belong than other animals are. Being approachable is the foundation of any good relationship. It can be demonstrated physically by smiling, using eye contact, and being open with your body language. It can also be demonstrated through actively listening, considering other perspectives, and being open to new ideas.
- Curious. I find it funny how you can have something minorly different in their environment – like a bucket sitting in the parlor – and every single cow must check out what it is and why it is there. Dairy cows are naturally curious about everything around them – some more than others. Having that natural sense of curiosity is what gives us the capacity to learn new things, break bad behaviors, pursue new ideas, and have empathy for others. Those who approach life with curiosity are generally happier and more fulfilled than those who don’t.
- Transparent. Dairy cows are very transparent. When a cow is not feeling well, you can tell by how often she is chewing her cud or if her eyes are sunk in or weepy. If she is agitated, you can tell by her movements and how she holds her ears. If she is overheated, she doesn’t lie down and crowds with other animals. Unfortunately, most humans are not that transparent. We are not open with our emotions, and we often create false pretenses because we are afraid of being vulnerable and judged. The world would be a much better place if we were all willing to bring our authentic selves to every situation the way cows do.
Too often in our society, we focus on the bad and what is wrong with the world, instead of the good and what’s right about the world. We can learn a lot from how dairy cows interact in their world. They don’t know anything different than the environment they have been handed – whether it’s living in a tie stall, free stall or pasture-based dairy. Yet they are contented in whatever environment they’ve been given. Just imagine how different our world would be if we all approached life with that same sense of gentleness, consistency, and curiosity.
The Dairy Day event at the Capitol was a good example of celebrating what’s right. Too often we hear about the partisanship and polarity that can exist within our government today. But Dairy Day was a bipartisan celebration of Pennsylvania’s vibrant dairy industry and a way for all legislators and policy makers, including Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding, to come together in appreciation of the role dairy farm families play in providing a local source of dairy products, good jobs, valuable economic revenue, and strong rural communities. It was a great event.
Editor’s Note: This column is written by Jayne Sebright, executive director for the Center for Dairy Excellence.