What's It Like to Work on a Dairy Farm?

This special bonus interview is brought to you by Undeniably Dairy. For more information, visit UndeniablyDairy.org.

These days, a lot of people are interested in learning more about where their food comes from. For example, so many of us drink milk or give it to our kids every single day, but most of us have never had an opportunity to visit a working dairy farm before. In fact, I was surprised to learn that most Americans live within 100 miles of a dairy farm. So no matter where you live, chances are you have a dairy farm as a neighbor.

Joining me today to give us a peek into a typical day on a typical dairy farm is Tara Vander Dussen, a fifth generation dairy farmer. She's also the president of United Dairy Women, an organization committed to childhood nutrition and supporting local area children's homes. She's played an instrumental role in that organization's fundraising efforts, helping to raise money for children's homes so they have daily access to milk. And in addition, she works as a trained environmental scientist on her own family dairy. She shares her story on her blog, NewMexicoMilkMaid.com.

What's It Like to Work on a Dairy Farm?

Nutrition Diva: Welcome to the podcast, Tara.

Tara Vander Dussen: Thank you for having me!

ND: So, it sounds like dairy farming runs in the family. I'm curious—did you ever consider doing something else or have you always known that you'd be a dairy farmer, too?

TVD: So it definitely does run in my family and it's just a part of our heritage. My husband is a fifth generation dairy farmer as well, but I did not know this is what I always wanted to do. When I went away to college, I knew I wanted to focus in environmental science. Part of me still wanted to consider going to law school and moving out of the rural America small town, and moving to the big city. I was eighteen, leaving for college and ready to explore the world. I ended up meeting my husband and we got married and I moved back to his family farm in the town that I grew up in.

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