Because All Dogs and Cows go to Heaven

My favorite picture of the nice clean barn at Cindy and Ray's

Yesterday, I cried, hard, all day long, in the tractor, in the pickup, in the shop, everywhere. When I woke up, my mom had texted my fiancé and I for me to call her as soon as I got up. I knew something was wrong, but what had happened was never what I had imagined.

            “Hey Mom, what’s up?” I could hear the sadness in her voice as she said, “Cindy and Ray’s barn started on fire and they lost all the cows.” It didn’t sink in for a few minutes because that is what nightmares are made of. I wanted to sit and cry, but the cows out here in McLaughlin needed to be fed, so I got up and headed to the tractor. About half way through feeding, I got to thinking about all of the good times, good cows, and great memories I had in that place. I stopped the tractor and sat there sobbing.

            That barn, those cows, and Cindy and Ray are the reason I was sitting in the tractor.

            I had always loved cows, but when I started there at 17, Cindy taught me how to truly care for and love those ladies as if they were a part of your own family. Ray taught me to pay great attention to detail to ensure the best outcome for the cows and the farm, as well as how to be rational when it came to the cows. That barn taught me that calluses are your best friend when working a wheel barrel, to not put all your weight into a broom when your boots no longer have any grip left (I have a scar to prove this one,) and that no time in the barn with your sister is ever wasted (especially when you're creating parodies). Rudy taught me that there is nothing more precious than a good old farm dog. And those beautiful, amazing cows taught me that nothing worth having comes easy, that getting up early for cows is way easier than getting up for school, and that I want to spend the rest of my life working for and with these great beasts.

A cute baby calf and myself.

My sister, Laura, with one of our favorite cows, 106.

           
             I thank God every day that Cheryl referred me to work for Cindy and Ray. I would not be the person I am today had they not taken the time to teach and mentor me. I pray that all in the barn went quickly and that they are all waiting for us on the other side (because all dogs and cows go to heaven).

The Award I Never Thought Would Come My Way

Two weeks ago at the Miss Central States Fair pageant, I won an award that I never imagined I'd win, not even at a local pageant. I won the talent award.

I have always seen my talent as a weakness, and it has always been the area of competition I worry about the most. I cannot sing or dance, the talent that seems to dominate the Miss America stage. All I can do is talk. So I've tried to spice it up every way possible, to make it seem more like a true "talent." Everything from poetry to auctioneering and even a civil rights speech that was comprised of three famous speeches. But all of them seemed to fall short. At the end of the night, I'd win interview, and then nothing. I just could not seem to get it right.

Miss Colorado performing her talent at Miss America.

Then I sat down and thought long and hard about what I was doing wrong. I watched Miss Colorado, Kelley Johnson's Miss America monologue over and over again. What was it that made her's so successful? And then it hit me, she was being 100% herself. All of my talents were what I had thought the judges and audience wanted to hear, not what I wanted them to hear.

As I prepared for Miss Central States Fair, I looked through my blogs, trying to see what exactly I wanted to talk about. I came across this post from October, http://thefarmingbeautyqueen.blogspot.com/2015/10/just-trying-to-live-childhood-dream.html. I decided then and there I was going to talk about all the things that may have contributed to my dreams of becoming an "American Dairy Farmer," the title of my monologue.

Me and my heifer, Midnight.

In the Saturday pageant, Miss Rapid City, I did not win talent, but I did happen to take home the interview award. And at the end of the night, I had people coming up to me saying "you're the dairy girl, I loved what you said up there." By being truly myself, the audience could see my passion and see the personal side of being a dairy farmer. And Sunday, when I won that talent award, I was beyond shocked, and so honored to have shared my story (in a minute and a half), to yet another audience.

Performing my talent on Sunday.

I cannot wait to share my passion with more people throughout my year as Miss Central States Fair. Now you know why I compete and why I LOVE the Miss America Organization.

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.

Runny Noses: Not Just for Humans

It is that time of year again, where the seasons are changing and it seems that everyone is getting a cold. And as it turns out, cows seem to get colds around this time of the year too.

I am one of the Fall cold victims myself and today at work, this beautiful little girl had a runny nose too. Just like I will do for myself, we'll keep an eye on her to make sure that it does not turn into anything more serious. Now if it does, the vet will be called to diagnose her and together we will set a plan of action for her to get back to being healthy and happy. Now if it does get more serious, this is where I would be very happy that vets are able to give antibiotics, just like doctors are. If I were to get a sinus infection, I would definitely want antibiotics, just like this little lady would be if she got an infection. Hopefully, however, both of our immune systems take over and we will be back to being healthy very soon!

The Difference Between Learning for a Test and Learning for Knowledge

I took my first Advanced Placement course when I was a junior in High School, the whole time I heard "this will be on the test." The second half of my high school career was learning for the sake of preparing for a test. All I had to do was take in a bunch of information until the beginning of May and then it could all be forgotten at the completion of "the test." Unfortunately, due to this mindset, I looked at college this way as well, only seeming to take in what I thought would be on a test. And I feel as though my classmates are doing the same thing, but then I spent a summer learning for the sake of gaining the knowledge and it opened my mind to a whole new world.

This past summer I had an internship with Cargill Animal Nutrition, as a dairy focused consultant intern. I worked with so many great minds in dairy nutrition that were bound and determined to help me grow as an individual and as a student. Over the summer, I spent so many days learning the ins and outs of the science behind dairy cattle nutrition. There was no test to prepare for, no homework to turn in. The only goal was to learn and understand more of what my future might hold.

Some beautiful cows from this summer indulging in their delicious TMR/breakfast.

As I start my senior year of college, I find myself reading and listening to lectures more closely, and asking questions because I'm curious, not because it is going to be on a test. I now want to go to class because I want more knowledge, not because I want the letter A on my transcript. College is not simply a stepping stone to great things, it is our present, our right now. From now on, I'm going to live in the present and soak up every ounce of that $15,000 a year education.

Support Comes in Many Forms: Sometimes Even Butter

Some may think that walking on a stage in front of hundreds of people hoping to become the dairy princess that I had been idealizing my entire life could have been be the loneliest moment of my life. I was standing there, looking out from the backstage curtain, only able to see the bright lights and maybe a couple people in the front row. Nerves took over and all I could think was "don't trip, don't trip." Then it was my turn, I took a deep breath and stepped out there in my white, sparkly gown that I loved so much. The next thing I remember is a huge lump in my throat and tears welling in my eyes. There were over fifty people in purple shirts standing and screaming my name. They had come from all parts of my life to support me in this journey. I knew from that moment on that no matter what happened that night, I was loved and had the support of all of my family, friends and fellow farmers.

So to those twelve amazing young ladies that take the stage this Wednesday, and to all those lucky women that will follow in our footsteps, good luck! But I want you to know that even if you don't win, you still have the backing of Minnesota's Dairy Farmers, your families, and all of us former butterheads the rest of your life, in all your adventures. Also you will never have to struggle in the "What makes you unique" get to know you game ever again! "I have a 90 pound block of butter that looks just like me" always wins!

Day 3 Miss SD: How Cow Shows are like Pageants!

Day 3 at the Miss South Dakota Pageant was super busy with production items. During the breaks, we all get to talking and I was telling someone how preparing for a pageant is like preparing for a dairy show. For those of you who are not from the cow world, you will think I'm crazy, but those of you who have shown might see where I'm coming from.

Pre-Show/Pre-Pageant:
Before the show you work constantly with your heifers on walking, just as a pageant contestant does with her swim suit and evening gown walks. Your heifers must keep their head high and strut their stuff, just like a contestant in the pageant. Also when you practice setting up your heifer, you emphasis her strengths and fix her weaknesses, exactly like when contestants pick swimsuit posses. You also work on slimming down your heifers to make sure that she is in the right condition and we are in the gym everyday, also watching what we eat. Then before the show you shave your heifer to show off her strengths and femininity. The pageant girls shave their legs to make them look as sleek and feminine as possible.

Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev, showing off all the work she put in for her walk.

Show/Pageant Day:
You get up early, shower to make sure you are fresh and clean, ready to go. Then you spend quite a bit of time doing your hair and make-up, to help emphasis your strengths and hide your weaknesses. Showmen get up early (or don't go to bed at all), give the cows bathes, then style the hair on their spine, or "top line," to make her look as straight across her back as possible, as well as sharper (thinner) throughout. We even rat our cows tails like a good number of pageant girls will do to their hair.

My heifer, Rio, showing her style off with that straight top line and sleek black coat after winning.

In Ring/On Stage:
You get out their and let all of your hard work show, strutting and showing off all of the skills you have honed. And if something goes wrong, you smile and let the judge(s) see who you are and the work you've put in.

My sister, Laura, supporting me through everything.

Support:
Both of these amazing activities would not be the same without all of the support. In my show life, as well as my pageant life, my family has been the key to my success. I could not have made it this far without any of them. Tomorrow I will go more in-depth on this, but I cannot thank them enough so why not thank them in this blog post too?

Why pageants and the Miss America system?

When I was 18 years old, Betty Thompson, Miss Oklahoma 2011 and 1st Runner Up to Miss America 2012, came and spoke to a room full of Minnesota county Dairy Princesses at our May Event. We were all so taken back that this gorgeous beauty queen was a farm girl and promoting milk, just like us. She instantly became a celebriting to me and someone I aspired to be. Although after that, the Miss America Organization got pushed to the back of my mind because I was so focused on being a dairy princess and then a college student. However, Betty Thompson did tweet back at me with some bottled milk resource links for a speech I did in school, I was pretty pumped!

When Betty Thompson spoke at May Event.

Then one day I overheard some girls at school talking about the Miss SDSU pageant. I thought "huh, that sounds fun" and I thought of the great stories I had heard at May Event from the wonderful Miss America contestant. But then I went home, saw cookies and decided I did not want to diet. So again, it slipped my mind, until unfortunately my best friend's mom passed away and my boyfriend's aunt was injured at work. I was driving home from the funeral when it hit me, life is so short and I need to make the most of it for myself and those around me. So I contacted the director of the pageant, which was a week away, and she was thrilled to have another girl sign up.

I love getting to work with the older generations.

At South Dakota's Miss Amazing pageant!

Why is this pageant system for this farm girl who's a tomboy? Because I love helping people and promoting chocolate milk. The joy that it brings me when I get to see the people around me light up simply because a queen stopped to talk to them, is priceless. The countless hours I get to go to the gym and work my body is so good for my overall health and confidence. I am so lucky to be able to use my fully functioning body. And of course, the scholarship I will receive for being Miss Brookings will help me to fund part of my education at South Dakota State next year! I also hope to inspire young women to follow their passions like Betty Thompson inspired me. So after reading this, my question to you is why not?

TBT: I Wanted to Get Out There and Sparkle

In honor of June Dairy Month, I took this throw back Thursday to 2012. At the age of 18, I got the opportunity to compete for Princess Kay of the Milky Way. In May of 2012, I was selected as a finalist, qualifying me to be a part of Princess Kay Coronation in August. I had to get a dress for this wonderful event and I wanted to shine. I wanted to walk out on stage (the moment I had been dreaming of since I was a little girl) and just sparkle in front of the hundreds of people. I did a lot of online shopping and found a gold, sequenced dress at Glitz at the Mall of America. So my mom and I drove down only to find out that they only had the white/silver version of it and only one left. But to my surprise, the one they had left was just my size and fit me perfectly. From the moment I tried it on, I knew it was THE DRESS!

Signing an autograph for my amazing cousin Michael who travelled all the way from California!

I will never forget the moment when I stepped out on stage and the more than fifty people in purple shirts, who were there to support me, jumped and screamed my name. When I got off stage, I almost cried because I was taken so aback by the wonderful flood of support from my family and friends. I am so lucky and grateful for all the amazing people in my life. I do not know where I'd be without them!

Happy June Dairy Month!

Today is the start of June Dairy Month! June is dedicated as a month to promote the dairy industry all across the United States and I am so happy to be a part of this! The past years I have posted something every day and this year will be no different. I will be posting on my Instagram and Twitter accounts a fun fact everyday of the month or just a fun dairy thing I see! You can follow me at @maggiejo20 on both of those accounts!

 Tonight I am staying in quite a nice hotel and they have a picture up of Holsteins on the wall. I thought, "wow only in Wisconsin would I find dairy cows in a nice hotel." So I snapped a picture of the picture and that was my June Dairy Month post for today on Instagram.

And today's tweet was all about my internship. This summer I am doing a study that involves manure and I have to clean the manure then squeeze out the water and weigh it. So as I was doing this, the farmer walked by and gave me the weirdest look. I couldn't help but laugh because I love doing research and being in the barn and he was just so disgusted.

I hope you keep up with all my posts and enjoy everyone else's June Dairy Month posts that you can find at #junedairymonth.

Scholarship: Go Big, Go Blue, Go Jacks!

Another one of the points of the crown is scholarship. The Miss America Organization is actually the largest provider of scholarships to young women across the nation and this is a reason most girls find the Miss America Organization in the beginning. So this Tuesday, I am going to go more in-depth on my school experiences and why I chose South Dakota State.

I started at South Dakota State University in August of 2012, but that is not where my SDSU Journey began. When I was a freshman in high school, my mom went to the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls, SD. While she was at the show, she stopped by the SDSU Dairy Science booth. She thought it looked like something I would be interested and brought me home a packet of information. I was so excited about the details about the school that I saw. The dairy science department had 100% job placement in the students' field of six months after graduation, with salaries starting at $45,000, almost $100,000 in scholarships each year, and it was going to only cost me $15,000 a year. To top it off even more, it was in the beautiful and Agriculture based South Dakota and they made their own ice cream (the reason my dad was hooked when we visit.) I immediately emailed the head of the dairy science department and have never looked back.

I only ever wanted to be a Jackrabbit, I only applied to be a Jackrabbit, and I am so proud to be a Jackrabbit. This school has done so much for me and has brought me out of my shell, helping me become the woman I am today. Never have I ever regretted coming to this amazing school and am so thankful for all of the amazing memories I have made and look forward to making so many more! Go big, go blue, go Jacks!

What a Weekend!

This past weekend was our Pre Pageant weekend for the Miss South Dakota Pageant. With this only a month away, we got the chance to learn all of our production dances (or for the non-dancers like myself, at least try to), do a set of mock interviews, check over paperwork, get wardrobe help, and more importantly, get to know each other better. To top it all off, we got the amazing opportunity to speak with South Dakota's Secretary of State and former Miss South Dakota, Shantel Krebs, and Attorney General, Marty Jackley. After both of those talks, I can definitely see myself one day becoming a part of South Dakota politics and making a difference on the legislative side for the Dairy Industry. It was such an honor to hear them speak about the on goings at the Capital in Pierre and their personal stories, including how they got to be so successful in this great state.

Miss South Dakota and the Class of 2015 with SD Attorney General, Marty Jackley.

All of the events of this weekend have me so excited and nervous for June. It truly showed me all of the progress I have made so far, but also all of the things I still need to keep working on before the pageant. And no matter the results on June 20th, I have just been so thrilled with the experience so far and only foresee more positive things for the rest of my year as Miss Brookings.

Always Improving

Here I am working on a research project
 to help increase growth rates of calves.

"Simply doing what the previous generation did will not keep the farm competitive in the long run." Nor will it produce enough to feed the world's growing population. To me, this quote, taken from my Farm and Ranch Management class book entitled Farm Management by Kay, Edwards, and Duffy, really speaks to todays generations, both on the farm and off.

On the farm, we sometimes like to get stuck in our ways, getting in the mindset that it has always worked so why wouldn't it keep working. But we must challenge ourselves to keep striving for better. To keep pushing the limits of what we know and the success of our farms. Agriculture as a whole has made huge improvements over the years and many farmers have taken great advantage of this. I just wanted to post this to remind us to keep striving and improving.

Off the farm, this can remind each person who eats or wears clothes, that farmers must keep improving, like the rest of our lives. Our cows can't walk out to the pasture each day like they did on my grandpa's farm, but our cows can produce 1/3 more milk per day in a comfy barn.

My take on the Chipotle Video.

The Scarecrow Commercial

Last week in my Argument and Debate class, my teacher showed us this commercial in the link above made by Chipotle. After just a few seconds of viewing it, I knew I was never going to eat at Chipotle ever again. The way they portray production agriculture is heart breaking and very disturbing. Although I was taken aback by this  commercial, I was glad my teacher showed it because I got to explain to the class why I was hurt and angry. I got to tell those twenty students that I am apart of the hard working farmers who take great care of their animals to produce the most nutritious product possible to feed the world. I really emphasized the feeding the world part, due to the fact that without modern agriculture practices, there would not be enough food for us to eat. I just wish that everyone could tour a farm and see with their own eyes what actually happens and that we have nothing to hide.

THANK YOU FARMERS!

So June Dairy Month is coming to an end, and I have made it everyday with posting a picture of the dairy industry I love. But now I'd like to take a moment to thank all of the dairy farmers for everything. If you eat today, thank a farmer. If you are wearing clothes, thank a farmer. They all work so hard to provide us with the things we need to live. I'd also like to thank the cows, they often get over looked, and these ladies (and gentlemen when it comes to meat) work so hard to provide us with nuticious food. And by working hard I mean sleeping 14 hours a day, eating 6 hours a day, and bumming around the other 4:) 1% of america feeds everyone, and they are often overlooked themselves. So THANK YOU FARMERS!!!

How I Know my Cows are Happy:)

A few weeks back I was letting the cows out of the barn for the afternoon, I came up to this one cow and when I reached for her collar, I realized she was loose. She was loose all day long, could have walked out of her spot and right out the door of the barn, but she didn't, she stayed there. Why would she leave, she has everything she could have ever asked for there? She has all the food she wants and the ingredients are fresh, the recipe, which has been created by her personal nutritionist, is strictly followed. It is put together by "Cow Chefs" as I like to call myself, who have at least 2 years of experience in feeding. If she was not on the farm she would have to scavenge for food and wonder where her next meal is coming from. She has all the fresh clean water she needs, even enough to play in. She has fans blowing when its warm outside, cooling her down, and the doors closed when it is cold outside, to keep her warm. If she was on her own, she would be exposed to the elements, which would be really hard on her. Also when her udder gets full, it is cleaned to keep her healthy and milked out, keeping her comfortable. If it didn't get milked out when it was full, it would just stay full, and that would hurt. She also would be more prone to getting an infection. Then most importantly, she was surrounded by all of her friends, why leave when you can hang out with your friends all the time? She has the perfect life. Its like how kids have to live with their parents, who feed, clothe and care for them. Yes kids have to obey their parents rules, like when to go to bed and when they can leave to go out and when they have to stay home, but without parents, kids would be in a world of trouble. And that is how I know my cows are happy, they have farmers to keep them happy and healthy. Sometimes I think they live better than I do.

A Calf Story: Robert Joseph



Robert Joseph, just one day old.



This is the story of how Robert Joseph can to be in this world. It starts out the same as any story, a heifer who's just living her life to the fullest; eating, sleeping, training with her handler, and of course traveling the county going to shows, like any show heifer does. Until one day, the farmer thinks, "I bet she would make a great addition to my milking herd, I should breed her." So that night the farmer opens up her Stud Book, to pick out a very nice bull for her young star, Bobbie Jo. After looking through almost the entire book, she is about to give up, thinking that no bull is good enough for her hefier, when she stumbles across Man-O-Man. This bull has it all, the ease of calving, the high production of milk, and the looks; everything she was hoping for for her dazzling heifer. The next day, the breeder comes by with a straw of Man-O-Man for Bobbie Jo. And it must have been a match made in heaven because she took the first time, to the farmers delight.

Bobbie Jo at the county fair.

Over the next couple months, Bobbie started to put on some weight, was eating like a horse, and her udder started to form, her body was getting ready to join the milking force. Throughout the whole nine month gestation, everything was on track for Bobbie and things were looking great. But just like in humans, sometimes cows have trouble during labor, as was the case for Bobbie Jo. Lucky for Bobbie, farmers take amazing care of their cows, and the vet was called once the problems started to arise. Turns out Robert Joseph was just a little too big for his mother, but with a little help, he came out with no problem. After that, the farmer and vet noticed that Bobbie wasn't feeling well, she had an infection in her udder, called mastitis. But after a little medicine from the vet, she is feeling great and happy to be apart of the great milking team that is helping feed the nation, definitely worth giving up her crazy heifer ways.

As for Robert Joseph, he is in his own hutch, where he gets milk twice a day, and has grain and water all the time. Here he will live, until he is about a month old, then he gets to move in with others his age, like going to school. He as a very fun near future ahead of him.



Bobbie Jo at work, milking like the great cow she is!



Weather: Everything in Moderation

As old as time, people have been trying to control this crazy thing we call weather, from rain dances to sacrifices to the gods because of a drought. But no matter what we do, weather is one thing we cannot change, as much as we want to. And weather lately has been a big problem in agriculture. Last year was such a bad drought that a lot of farmers lost their corn, skyrocketing corn prices. This year, winter left then came back again and again, the snow lingering into late April, this killed a lot of people's alfalfa. This year the price of hay will skyrocket. Putting farmers in yet another tight spot. Today the farm I milk for had to sell seven cows because they will not have enough haylage and hay to support them. Quite a few of them were past featured cows of the week, including Grandma Cow.

"Rain is a good thing" says Luke Bryan, but I have to admit in this situation there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Too much rain can cause flooding which will kill the crop. But not enough will kill the crop too. Like my grandma always said "everything in moderation." If only Mother Nature would listen and help out the farmers by giving out a more consistent weather pattern.

My First Little International Experience

One of the first times leading Cheese.

For those who don't know what Little I is, according to sdstate.edu, "Little International is a two-day agricultural exposition planned, organized, and implemented by students at South Dakota State University for the benefit of high school and college students." I got the opportunity to participate in the dairy fitting and showmanship contest. You draw an animal out of a hat and I got a Brown Swiss numbered 392 and that I named her Cheese (so she was Brown "Swiss Cheese.") 

Topping our show apparel with girly colors, me in pink and cheese in purple:)

The first day I worked with Cheese, she flipped herself over four times, ran me through a puddle on my knees, and ran me into a post. Not the first day I was expecting, since I heard that Brown Swiss were stubborn, so I was expecting to pull her around all day, not her pull me around. Within the next two weeks, she slowly and surely improved each day. By the time of the show, we were very close and she would even give me fist bumps with her nose, none the less, a pretty cool cow. We even got 6th in the fitting show, the best topline I have ever done, but she had a little trouble in showmanship, placing us towards the bottom, although we still had fun. Overall I will definitely be doing Little I again next year, it was a great two weeks of school that felt like summer, getting time to spend with cows.

Cheese and I with our 6th Place ribbon.

The best topline I've ever done.