Wild White. Moo-Moo. Valentine.
/It’s very common for people to have a favorite animal — a cuddly dog, a mischievous cat or even a rambunctious rabbit, but what about dairy farmers? They spend their days tending to their cows, running a 24/7/365 operation and ensuring milk makes it to tables around the world. With a herd to care for, you wouldn’t think they’d have time to name their cows. But many do, and this farm family in particular has the naming game down.
Nestled between the bustling city of San Francisco and the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains is a third-generation family of dairy farmers focused on raising happy, healthy cows. At S&S Dairy in Ceres, Calif., Darin Bylsma milks 1,300 cows alongside his wife, Tanya, and his parents, Sam and Sherri, while striving to provide a wholesome childhood experience of growing up on a dairy for the three youngest Bylsmas: Danika, 8; Sadie, 5; and Tarren, 1.
Like many dairy farms, S&S Dairy focuses on keeping their cows as comfortable as possible, so they produce quality milk for people everywhere to enjoy. From 72-inch fans hanging from the top of the barn with variable speeds to adjust the temperature, to sprinklers that turn on at 80 degrees to blow cool water on their cows’ backs on hot days, S&S Dairy ensures their cows are well taken care of. “It will be over 100 degrees out here, and you’ll touch a cow’s back, and it will be perfectly cool,” Darin says.
But for the Bylsma family, their commitment to their herd goes beyond producing milk — they love their cows and treat them like part of the family. It’s the same mentality that’s been around since the dairy’s founding in 1968. “My grandpa originally bought the dairy, and for 25 years now, I’ve been working with him and my dad and taking care of our cows,” Darin says. “If you take care of your cows, they’ll take care of you. I’ve been around it my whole life and it just comes naturally.”
Like other dairy farms, cows at S&S Dairy sport an ear tag with a unique number to identify each cow individually, which ensures accurate records. Many dairy farmers memorize these numbers and can provide information on each individual cow when needed. For the Bylsma family, it goes beyond numbers. They know their herd personally and care for each cow because they love their animals. To show this caretaking mentality, the Bylsmas and their three young daughters took it one step further.
They named their cows. From Een and Twee (Dutch for one and two) to Candy, Valentine and Moo-Moo, certain cows along the way stole their hearts. These cows represent special moments to the Bylsma family. Valentine was born on Valentine’s Day and Candy enjoys eating Hershey’s Kisses. For the Bylsmas, they just enjoy their animals and treat them with the utmost care, attention and love.
Today, their favorite is a heifer named Wild White. “I like Wild White because she’s wild and I’m wild,” Sadie says. With a unique identification tag and number 3061, the Bylsmas make it a point to go search for Wild White when checking on their herd, creating a fun family outing everyone enjoys. “I like that Wild White is a scaredy-cat like Sadie,” Danika says.
The family usually easily spots Wild White mixing in with the others thanks to her identifiable features. “What I like about Wild White is that she has black around her eyes, a black nose and white spots, and that makes her special. She’s different and unique,” Sadie says. With Darin and Tanya by their side, the Bylsma girls can be heard on the farm calling out, “Wild White, Wild White, come say hi to us.”
For Darin and Tanya, naming their herd isn’t just for their daughters to have fun. They want to teach the next generation about truly caring for their herd and each individual cow. And, that continued commitment is starting to pay off. “My favorite part on the dairy is putting straw down for the cows to lay on,” Sadie says. Her favorite chore aligns perfectly with advice from the operation’s nutritionist — well-rested cows produce more milk. So by providing a soft, welcoming area for them to lay down throughout the day, they’re ensuring their herd has enough energy and, in return, produces more milk.
By naming their cows, educating their daughters and creating a wholesome environment on their dairy operation, the Bylsmas practice cow comfort and reveal an unconditional love that many dairy farmers have for their herd.
For the Bylsma girls, they can’t wait for their next outing to spot Wild White.