The Morning

As the first rays of light peek through the hazy morning air with yellow and orange on the horizon, dairy farmers are already well into their day. And, while every dairy runs a little differently, some things don’t change: The hours are long, and the cows never take a day off.

The mornings start early — anywhere from 4:30 to 6 a.m. — and with a big pot of coffee topped off with milk or cream, of course. Every day begins and ends the same way: with the cows. First on the to-do list is to check in with the girls, making sure they’re happy and healthy. As the early morning sun starts to rise in the sky, dairy farmers often drive by their barns and pens while they sip on their first cup of coffee. Then, the morning chores begin. Chores change by the day and season, but there’s never a shortage of things to clean, mend, track and catalog. Between morning chores, the farmer stops in for a quick breakfast before beginning the first milking of the day.

At around 7 a.m., the girls head to the milking parlor. As creatures of habit, dairy cows prefer to be milked on a scheduled, regular basis. A symphony of moos will often let dairy farmers know if they’re running behind schedule. Once the cows are milked, which takes around four to seven minutes per cow, they’re hungry and ready to eat. Feeding the cows their rations soon after they’re milked replenishes important nutrients. It turns out breakfast is the most important meal of the day — even for cows.

While the cows chow down, farmers move on to feeding the calves. As the future of the herd, calves need to stay strong and healthy. Once everyone has enjoyed their breakfast, the farmer will tend to the land, keeping the fields in tiptop shape to produce the highest-quality feed for the herd.

The milk truck pulls into the farm mid-morning and loads up the milk. The fresh, delicious milk will later get delivered to a processing plant and made into all the products you love, like milk, cheese, butter and ice cream.

The job of a dairy farmer is complex and continuous. From planting crops to turn into feed, to monitoring rations and herd health, to fixing a tractor, the work never stops. But it’s a job that comes full circle every morning when they add a splash of milk or cream to their cup of coffee to power them through the day.

The Afternoon

As morning fades into the bright light of afternoon, dairy farmers are hard at work with the first chores of the day complete. Coffee mugs sit long empty in the cabs of pickup trucks or abandoned in the kitchen sink, with only a slight ring remaining. And, even though our hardworking dairy farmers have already checked, milked and fed the cows, done the same for the calves and loaded the milk truck, there’s still more work to do.

Chores change by the day and season, and after stopping in for a quick lunch — and a glass of milk or two — dairy farmers continue their day. In between the morning and evening feeding, the farmer will push up the feed with a tractor to make sure the cows can reach their meal. The girls love to sort their food while eating, sometimes pushing the food out of their reach.

As the cows chew contentedly and digest their meal, they leave behind manure. The farmer will flush the lanes the cows stand in while they dine to remove the manure. This helps keep the ladies clean and happy.

Every dairy runs a little differently, but all farms have manure management equipment and technologies in place to practice sustainability on their farms. Some farms compost the solid manure, and use the composted manure for recycled bedding and the wet manure for irrigation. Other farms have implemented manure digesters to break down the methane in the wet manure to turn it into energy to go back to the grid.

Afternoons are also filled with the business of running the farm, as well as conference calls and leadership opportunities within the dairy industry. The farm may receive a visit from a field representative with Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) to share Cooperative information and assist the farmer in producing the highest-quality milk.

In between conference calls and farm visits, the farmer will take inventory of feed, like cottonseed, rolled corn and hay, as well as medication to make sure there’s plenty of nutritious food and medicine, if needed, for the herd. The afternoons are also used to prepare documents, host employee safety and training meetings and ensure requirements are met for industry regulations.

The role of a dairy farmer may change day to day, morning to afternoon, but some things remain constant: The hours are long and the cows never take a day off.

The Evening

The slanting rays of the setting sun give a warm tinge to the evening horizon as afternoon fades to evening. But even after a full day of taking care of the cows and managing the business of running the farm — from conference calls to farm visits to taking inventory — dairy farmers still can’t call it a day quite yet. They have a few more chores to complete before the day is over.

Not every day on the dairy is the same — chores change with the seasons — but cow comfort is always a top priority. Before the evening dinner for the cows and calves, the excess feed is removed from the feed bunks. This ensures their dining room is ready for their next meal.

Dairy farmers stop in the house to check in with the family before the evening takes hold — often after the kids get home from school. Tennis shoes are unlaced and traded for work boots, so the whole family can help feed the calves and cows. Producing around 10 gallons of milk each day is hard work, so the girls are fed a combination of hay, grain, silage, proteins, and vitamins and minerals to make sure they’re in good health.

After the herd has been fed, the family will head back to the house to enjoy some downtime and dinner themselves. And even though dairy farmers have already had a long day of work, they still have a few to-do’s to check off the list.

Before heading to bed, the girls will be milked one final time for the day. Their strict milking schedule keeps them comfortable and happy. After the milking is complete, dairy farmers check the maternity pens and tend to any newborns. While every dairy runs a little bit differently, one thing is the same: Every day begins and ends with the cows. The final task for the day is to check on the girls one last time to make sure everyone is comfortable and happy before bed.

After a full day of hard work, the occasional moo breaks the silence of the evening as the dairy farmer heads back to the house to rest and tackle it all over again the next day.