I have a strong appreciation for the dairy cow—and the wonderful dairy industry—so it only seems fitting on Cow Appreciation Day to express my gratitude. Dairy cows provide so much to us through a variety of tasty products, but for me, they have provided even more—my life’s true passion.
At the age of seven I was given a very unique Christmas present—an Ayrshire calf. My aunt and uncle, along with my cousins, own and operate Castonguay Ayrshires, and my uncle quickly saw how much I loved to visit the calves on their farm. To him, it only seemed fitting that I should have a chance to raise my own calf and show her at the local county fairs.
What no one realized at the time was what an impact that one calf would have on the rest of my life. Starlight was my first 4-H project, which spurred 10 years of 4-H activities, a college degree in dairy science and a career in agricultural marketing. Today my husband and I have two Brown Swiss heifers at our home that we hope to show one day.
Thank you to the beautiful bovines that have made all of this possible. Here are a few photos of the ladies I appreciate today!
My first heifer, Starlight
My sister Abby and I sporting milk mustaches at the county fair
Showing Pamela at the Wisconsin State Show in 2010
Our Brown Swiss bovines, Wisco and Waterloo