All Work and No Ballet Make for a Dull Cow

Older Agent 377 Practicing an Arabesque

Farm work is hard on everyone, and you don't have to be an undercover bovine spy to know that.  Day in and day out in all types of weather can be a stressful life is you don't take some time for yourself.  The agents of C.A.L.F. are no different.  In order to relieve stress and anxiety I have ordered mandatory ballet lessons for all agents.

It is unknown to most people that the bovine body form is one of the most graceful of God's creatures.  With our long straight backlines, our feminine faces, and our graceful legs, we are powerful dancers.  Oh, the joy of watching a group of cows in motion warms the heart.

I have heard The Farmer say many times that to be productive you must be a happy, healthy cow.  A 1,500 pound bovine producing more milk than a high school football team can drink in a day needs to be in shape.  The Farmer makes sure that a nutritionist keeps a well balanced diet coming to us daily.  And if a little ballet on top of that can help us stay healthy and perform our mission better I'm sure he'll never be the wiser.

Agent 101, reporting from the Udder Side.

Quality Not Quantity

When fresh hay is served up to the herd it is almost impossible to get any work done.  I have a list of jobs for all the agents to be working on, but when they here the skid steer coming to put hay in the manger they forget everything I've taught them.  We have to focus on what we are here to do.

The Farmer seems to always stay focused.  He is constantly checking his equipment to make sure it is maintained well. We have also intercepted his internet data and have seen that he checks his milk stats almost daily.  He can go online and see the results of the quality tests on the milk being shipped to find out if anything needs to be tweaked or given extra attention.  That is quality control.

Now I am dealing with quantity control.  As soon as the quantity of hay is diminished I'll be able to get some work out of these agents.  I'll let them eat now and enjoy it, then they'll be happy to finish their jobs.

Agent 101, reporting from the Udder Side.

Back To Basics

After last week's terrible report from Agent 214, I decided she needed to be sent back for more training.  She mooed and complained about it.  She said she would do better and did not need to go back to training, but I knew better.  Sometimes we all need to get back to basics.

The Farmer, I've noticed, does no work like he was twenty years in the past, either.  I know he makes an effort to stay up-to-date on all types of dairy and farming information.  The Farmer attends seminars put on by state extension agents, and attends other farm group meetings.  Being involved is a great way to be in the know, and to get ahead.  The new things The Farmer learns at these meetings can help him become a better steward of the animals and the land, as well as make the farm itself more profitable.

Now it is time for me to get back to basics and practice my knitting.

Agent 101, reporting from the Udder Side.