Secret Dairy Farm Footage (So Boring)

You might say that was a boring video about boring farms. Many people might agree with you.

Want to know the real #insidesecretamerica about farms? We're boring. We don't make sensational headlines 99.999% of the time.
— Carrie Mess (@DairyCarrie) August 1, 2013

National Geographic recently ran an episode called Inside Secret America and showed videos of cruelty to animals. Of course they wanted the viewers to assume that all animals are mistreated. If you are a major network and air the video above nobody is going to watch it. You need something sensational not boring. You have to show something out of the ordinary to get attention.

We have never been mistreated like this on The Farmer's farm and we believe that animals are well treated in all but very rare cases. Making sure we our healthy and well cared for is The Farmer's number one priority because his livelihood depends on me. I suspect other farmers feel the same way.

My #dairy farming family works long hours each day to ensure that our cows are happy and healthy! #insidesecretamerica #farmstrong
— Leah James (@PineValleyDairy) August 1, 2013

Just because you've seen one doesn't mean you've seen them all. We don't stand for animal abuse either. #supportfarmers #Insidesecretamerica
— Hannah Anderson (@HanAnderson26) August 1, 2013

All of this is more poignant to me because I could have been the focus of one of those stories yesterday. I fell down. No, that isn't true. I was knocked down; I was bullied by another cow and I fell. I tried to get up on my own, but the wind was knocked out of me by the fall and I was more nervous than I cared to admit and simply could not get up. I looked like one of those downer cows the news media like to show. I could imagine the host asking if I had mad cow disease and how many hours I had been laying there. How shameful I would have felt if that had been said of me.

Nothing could be further than the truth.The Milkman heard me fall and immediately called for help. The Farmer arrived moments later to my aid. It is a bit of a struggle to move a more than a thousand pound animal; I'm no small calf anymore, but The Farmer and The Milkman took great care in their work. Again had a camera recorded a snapshot of this would it be contrived as abuse? I would hope not because they were helping me do what I could not on my own.

They put me on a level spot in a grassy field and The Farmer brought me some hay and grain. He watched me eat for a bit and examined me the best he could for further injury. Finding none he eventually called me to get up and patted me on the back. I hesitated, took a deep breath, and slowly climbed to my hooves. My legs were sore, my pride was wounded, and yet I could stand. The Farmer continued watching me, but I paid him no mind and polished off the feed and got a drink from the nearby water tank.

There were no cameras or reporters there to document what happened so you have only the word of a cow to take as the truth. Maybe The Farmer should have taken photos, but I was glad he had his entire focus on my at the time. Were he and The Milkman heroes? I don't know, but they sure helped me out. I imagine they would just say they were only doing their job. What a boring answer.

Boring doesn't make the headlines of the news and it doesn't get attention on television.  And if doing a good job and taking care of animals is boring then I, as a dairy cow, don't want The Farmer to change.

Agent 277, reporting from the Udder Side.