Your Neighbor's Opinion - Antibiotic Use in Animals

For a moment, I would like you to picture yourself as farmer. You're milking your cows when you come across a cow that is not feeling well. Her udder is hot to the touch, it appears red, and her milk is not normal. She has mastitis, the most common infection on a dairy farm. However, just because it is more common does not make it any less serious. She is in pain and you want to treat that as soon as possible. You, as a farmer, care deeply for the health of your cows. The next step would be to administer some antibiotics to get rid of the infection as fast as possible so she can start feeling better. Now if people have their way and make it impossible for us, as farmers, to give our animals antibiotics, she would just have to suffer through the mastitis. Hopefully, her body would be able to overcome the infection, if not, she would have to be put down.

One of my favorite calves, Monica, and I, working up close and personal to ensure she is healthy.

Now, picture yourself as a parent. Your child has a very painful sinus infection. The doctor has prescribed antibiotics to help heal your child as soon as possible. But your neighbor has decided that you cannot give your child antibiotics because they do not feel that it is right. Your neighbor does not have to watch your child suffer, your neighbor doesn't have to deal with the consequences of this decision, but they are louder than you and now make the rules. This is how farmers feel about antibiotics. People who have never been on a farm or worked closely with animals are restricting us from helping these animals we care so much for. We are the ones that have to watch them struggle through the pain, we are the ones that have to deal with the consequences of loosing an animal. So please rethink your opinion on antibiotics in animals. We only administer them when the animal is sick and needs it, just like a doctor would for your child. These animal are not just our livelihoods, they mean more to us than you know.

Just Trying to Live a Childhood Dream

My grandma, my sister, and I showing off our close relationship.

A blue tractor, nineties country playing on the radio, a field full of beautiful alfalfa, ready to be cut, my butt bouncing around in the "passengers" or "buddy" seat of the tractor, and my strong, well worn, stubborn, funny Grandpa with his hands on the wheel. I never had a babysitter growing up. My parents would take us to spend the day with my grandparents. This would include ice cream at 9am, probably where my ice cream addition came from, tractor rides, helping feed corn to the cows, and of course, my sister and I both sitting on the lawnmower seat to ensure we were heavy enough to start it and would leave Grandma in our dust.

My first show heifer, Midnight, and I.

 Agriculture is in my blood, my family has been farming for generation after generation. And even though my parents both have off the farm full time jobs, we still have cattle, goats, chickens and various other farm animals that happen to show up. When I was nine, I got my first cow, Dottie. And from there, I fell head over heels for cows. Now a days, not only do they cover my walls and jewelry, they also motivate me in the mornings when I feed them, they remind me why I am here in South Dakota and why I strive to learn as much as I can.

My very first calf, Dottie and I.

Yes, I could be anything I want. Yes, there are many opportunities in Agriculture to be more than "just a farmer." But being "just a farmer," would be a dream come true. Working day in and day out with cattle and feeding the nation with delicious and nutritious dairy products is exactly what I want, and I couldn't imagine a more perfect job.