5 Lessons From My Time as a Dairy Farmer

After many years with IBM, I found that my job wasn’t demanding as much of my attention and I had some extra time on my hands. So naturally, I decided to become a dairy farmer.?

Isn’t that what everyone does with their spare time?? ??

Well, it turns out that this hobby-turned-passion taught me quite a few valuable lessons that applied to both life and business.

So today I’m sharing 5 lessons I learned from this fulfilling experience that you can begin to apply to your own life:?

Lesson #1: Follow your curiosities?

In the summer of 1985, I attended the Addison County Fair with my husband, Jack, to view the tractor pulls. As Jack spoke with the machinery dealers, I strolled over to the barns where I discovered people dressed in white clothing showing their cows. I picked up a program and scanned the information. I learned of the prize for winning - a painted portrait of the cow - and thought to myself, “I wonder if I could figure out how to win that?”?

I had never even pet a cow before, yet, I wanted to learn more. Plus, I love a good challenge and pushing myself out of my comfort zone. Without this initial curiosity, I likely would not have spent years as a dairy farmer and gained these valuable lessons that I’m sharing with you now.?

So my advice to you, follow your curiosities, no matter how random or silly they may seem. You never know what journey they’ll take you on, what they’ll teach you, and how you’ll grow outside of your comfort zone.

Lesson #2: Find the white spaces

I had an idea, now I just needed an opportunity. So I began my research and learned there was a Brown Swiss dairy auction in Cobleskill, New York. Most champions at the Addison County field days were Holsteins, which are the most prominent dairy breed. I thought that pursuing the market “white space” with the Brown Swiss might set me apart in competitions. Spoiler alert: it did!?

Plus, Brown Swiss were also the most friendly and most beautiful breed of cows in my (and others’) opinion. In fact, some farmers in Switzerland had the cows living in their house and considered them part of their family.

Sometimes the right opportunity isn’t always the obvious one. Look for the white spaces and use that space to make the most of the opportunity at hand.

Lesson #3: Take time to research

Once I had the cows and the farm, I needed some information. Lots of it, actually. To learn more about dairy farming and all that went into a show, I ordered books–specifically the 4H books used by kids! When they arrived, I remember flipping through the pages and soaking up the information, like how to wash cows properly and how to clip their hair. In those days you’d often find me shearing hair off the cows with one hand holding the clippers and the other holding a book! Without those resources, I’m uncertain how successful I would have been in these early days.?

Regardless of what it is you want to know, someone has probably already asked the same questions and documented the information for you. So take the time to do the research, as it’s likely to save you more time in the end and help you achieve your desired outcome.

Lesson #4: Put in the hard work

While you can learn so much from research, some knowledge is best acquired by rolling up your sleeves and getting your hands dirty. This is exactly what I did when I needed to learn how to milk my cows. I drove to the nearby Shelburne Farms, where I begged the owner for a job milking cows every Saturday and Sunday for minimum wage. Oh, and did I mention this gig started at 2:30 AM??

Everyone thought I was crazy, but I thought, “why not?” How else was I going to learn the ins and outs? Over the next three months, I spent every weekend milking 80 cows, four at a time. On top of my job at IBM, it was tiring work, but those hours of practice and repetition taught me how to milk a cow productively and efficiently. By the time my first calves arrived, I was prepared.?

When you want to get good at something and achieve a goal, put in the work to learn the important lessons. Consider opportunities where you can go above and beyond. It’s almost always worth it.?

Lesson #5: Ask for help

During my time as a dairy farmer, there was so much that I learned by asking for help. I acknowledged that I was starting at the bottom of the heap with minimal knowledge. After all, not many folks take up dairy farming on a whim! While I could have shied away from asking experienced dairy farmers for help, what good would that have done me??

For any questions I had about the cows in regards to clipping, feeding, health, milking, showing, or you name it, I sought out the experts, fired off my questions, and listened intently. What I didn’t learn from books or by doing it myself, I learned from experts in various aspects of the dairy field. It’s the same in a career! Don’t just pattern yourself after one expert, find the BEST in each area you want to learn.

Never be nervous to ask for help. It’s a necessary step to learning how to do something right. Plus, it gives you an opportunity to learn from the best experts and mentors in your field.

The Outcome?

While I reflect back on this time of my life with fond memories, there were moments when I experienced great frustrations and doubted my ambitions. There were endless challenges related to feeding, mechanical equipment, electrical service, and more.?

Whether we were tired or sick, we had to milk and take care of the cows, twice a day, every single day, rain or shine. Even through the hardships, I decided to stick with dairy farming and focus on achieving my goal of having an award-winning cow. And the hard work paid off! I still remember the incredible feeling of hearing the judge call out my cow’s name for Supreme Champion!

While you might not have ambitions of becoming an award-winning dairy farmer, I hope you can find ways to apply these lessons to your own goals and passions. If you’re interested in learning more about my stint as a dairy farmer, I share about it in more detail in Breaking Through the Silicon Ceiling.

Sincerely,?

Chris King