What do you think a farmer looks like? Dirty? Smelly? Maybe you imagine the stereotypical caricature of a portly man wearing overalls and leaning on a pitchfork. According to the American Farm Bureau the average consumer is more than 3 generations removed from the farm. Perhaps you are like most of the population. You’ve never had a chance to talk with a real dairy farmer. You’re concerned about the safety of your food and the way animals are being treated.

The good news is dairy farmers are concerned about the same things you are! Producing safe, quality milk is something we take pride in. Farmers want to care for the earth so that flourishing, productive land can be passed on to their children. Farmers know that only healthy, happy cows will produce milk.

If you’d like to “meet” a real farmer check out Face of a Farmer. The Erie County Agricultural Society interviewed my dad for their new webpage. Click on the link below. You can read the article about my dad and watch the video in the top right hand corner. I hope you’ll see that farmers are people too and that they care deeply about their families, their farms, and their communites.

http://www.ecfair.org/face-of-a-farmer/archive/richmond-farms-dairy-2012/

Here’s a picture of a real farming family: