meet the FARMER
Dairy farming is a 365-day per year job. Cows don’t take holidays, not even Canada Day. Good thing I have some hired hands.
GO
meet the judges
As a dairy cow I produce about 10,000 liters of milk per year. That’s enough to fill about 48 bathtubs, not that you would.
GODoes your family help with the dairy herd?
Does your family help with the dairy herd?
Well, my brother John and I usually get in the barn around quarter to five in the morning. I'm a morning person. And my nephew is generally there too, plus our wives help feed calves morning and night. It feels good to work with my family. We also have three or four staff members. It's a rather large farm, so we need staff to help us.
What makes you most proud about being a dairy farmer?
What makes you most proud about being a dairy farmer?
Having good cows and knowing that my cows and I are providing food for the general population. You know, healthy food… not only milk but ice cream, yogurt... you name it
Do you have a favourite cow?
Do you have a favourite cow?
(Laughing) You know, I have a whole list of favourites. To me the cows are almost like pets. In a sense they're our friends. They're our co-workers. We have one in particular I'm fond of. She's a big, black beauty and one of the oldest cows in the herd. I've worked with her a long time and I've grown attached to her.
Tom Hoogendoorn
Tom Hoogendoorn is one of hundreds of BC dairy farmers. Tom, together with his brother and their families, own Valedoorn Farm. They raise and care for about 300 dairy cows.
Do you ever sing or whistle to your cows?
Do you ever sing or whistle to your cows?
No, and I'll tell you why. In grade three my choir teacher said don't ever sing again. (Laughs) I was crushed but I took it to heart. Now the only time I sing is when I'm on the tractor and it's going full blast so no one can hear me. And believe it or not, I can't whistle.
Have you ever played music for your cows?
Have you ever played music for your cows?
When I used to milk the cows I'd play music all the time. I like classic rock or hard rock, so whatever I like the cows would listen to. Right now our milkers tend to play country or classic rock or some of this new rock out there. It works, you know. It calms them down. They like the same sounds. In one barn we used to play music for them twelve hours a day. The cows like routine. Music will just lull them into gentleness.
Daffodil
Daffodil (Daffy to her friends) loves to moo along to Vivaldi and other classical composers. She has a distinctive flower shaped patch on her back. She likes short walks along green pastures and candlelit dinners of oats and alfalfa.
Jasmine
Other cows say she's the princess of the group. Perhaps it's because Jasmine is so picky. Only the best is good enough for her. She's never been on a Caribbean cruise but she thinks that she'd like it.
Rianne
Of all the cows in the herd, Rianne has the most musical training. She once pastured near an outdoor music festival for nearly four days. Rianne can't play the guitar but she does moo a cappella.
Hester
Every herd has one clown. Hester is ours. No wonder her nickname is Hester The Jester. Her heroes are female comedians. She thinks everything is funny. We sincerely hope that she doesn't find your song too laughable.
Skylar
Nothing can bring Skylar down. She's always in a good mood. And listening to music only makes her happier. She may be a dreamer and idealist but she's no one's fool. In her spare time she makes barnyard figures out of cheese.
MAKE A SONG, AND YOU COULD WIN.
Studies show that if cows like a song they can produce more milk. Can you create a song that cows will love? In this contest the cows will choose the final winner.
Enter before November 2, 2012. Simply use the music generator to build a song and share it with your friends. The Top 15 songs will be voted on by the public until November 16, 2012. Only the strongest tunes will survive. The most popular will be put on a cow "playlist" which means you can watch your song being played for a dairy herd on our "Cow Cam" and see the cows' reactions.
If your song receives enough votes it could survive until the final round, where the cows will be the judges. In the final round, one finalist's song will play each day before milking. The amount of milk will be measured, and the song that produces the most milk will win. The winner will be announced November 26, 2012.
Good luck.
DID YOU KNOW...
The milk you buy at the grocery store was produced locally. It’s about as fresh as it can get, thanks to your friendly neighbourhood cow.
YOU COULD ALSO WIN...
Top 5 Finalists
B&W Zeppelin Air System
+ $250 iTunes gift card
Top 15 Semi-Finalists
Skullcandy Cassette
Over Ear Headphones
+ $100 iTunes gift card
The Skullcandy® Logo and Cassette Headphones are registered trademarks of Skullcandy Inc. The Bowers & Wilkins® Logo and Zeppelin Air are registered trademarks of B+W Group Ltd. iTunes® is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. Apple is not a sponsor of or otherwise associated with this promotion.
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