Laura Daniels: Let’s talk about farming without all the buzzwords
Wisconsin dairy farmer Laura Daniels
Back then, visitors seemed open-minded and appreciative, amazed at what we did as a family. They were in awe of our cows, too, and maybe even envious that we got to be with them every day. They didn’t think about farms as diversified, conventional, sustainable, factory or family.
Today, I farm with my family and our herd of Jersey cows, and these new descriptions break my heart because none of them accurately describe our farms today. They are marketing labels, not an indicator of quality or animal care.
I don’t think agriculture is as broken as the “food thinkers” would have you believe. At the base of it, we all want the same things – healthy people, healthy communities, healthy animals and healthy soil and water.
Today I fear some visitors would come to our farm thinking they already knew more than we do about caring for our soil and our cows. Would they come to tell us how to farm? I fear that a real conversation with the already-righteous would be impossible.
Please don’t get me wrong. I don’t know everything about this very complex natural business. While I have been in dairy farming my entire life and have a degree in dairy science, I still have much to learn. I am open-minded because I must be able to do what is right for my land and animals. My business depends on it…
Daniels (lauradaniels@uwalumni.com) is a dairy farmer whose family operates Heartwood Farm in Cobb, about 60 miles west of Madison in Iowa County.
Her full editorial is available at: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/opinion/column/guest/article_eac0d8b2-59e8-11df-a2f0-001cc4c002e0.html
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