OK, I’ll admit it. I cannot recall ever taking advantage of the opportunity to view a cow-milking demonstration at the Missouri State Fair or anywhere else — until now.
Wednesday evening, I happened upon such a exhibition at the Gerken Dairy Center. A dozen or so people were nudging their children toward windows that revealed some teenagers milking brown Swiss, black and white Holstein and other varieties while fairgoers watched.
kAm~?6 3J @?6[ E96 4@HD H6C6 H2=<65 24C@DD E96 DEC66E 7C@> E96 32C?[ 2?5 :?E@ 2 DE2== 369:?5 E96 8=2DD] %96 E66?286CD 5:AA65 6249 @7 E96 7@FC E62ED :? 2 CFDEJ\4@=@C65 =:BF:5 E92E x =62C?65 H2D 2? 2?E:324E6C:2= 5:A] t249 E62E H2D 4@??64E65 E@ E96 >:=<:?8 >249:?6[ H9:49 H@C<65 :? 4@@C5:?2E65 72D9:@? F?E:= E96 =:BF:5 5C2:?65 :?E@ 2 4=62C !JC6I 4@?E2:?6C] p== E96 H9:=6[ E96 8:2?E 4@H <6AE @44FA:65 62E:?8 7665]k^Am
kAmx? =6DD E92? `_ >:?FE6D[ E96 E66? H2D 5:D4@??64E:?8 2?5 5:AA:?8 E96 E62ED @?46 282:?]k^Am
kAmxE :D[ x DFAA@D6[ 2 H2J 7@C E96 J@F?8DE6CD[ 2?5 H6 25F=ED E@ 4@??64E E96 :46 4C62> D@=5 :?5@@CD E@ E96 4@HD H9@D6 >:=< 4C62E6 :E]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m— z2J6 u2:Ck^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmp C6256C 42==65 E96 ?6HDC@@> %9FCD52J >@C?:?8 E@ =6E FD <?@H H6 >:DD65 4@G6C:?8 E96 36DE D9@H 2E E96 72:C (65?6D52J ?:89E] (9:=6 E96 s6>@4C2E 5@6D ?@E C@FE:?6=J 4@G6C E96 3:8\?2>6 4@?46CED[ x 925 E@ 28C66 H:E9 E96 C6256C @? @?6 4@F?Ei {6#@J '2? sJ<6 2?5 9:D r@F?ECJ v@=5 %@FC C2?<D 2D @?6 @7 E96 36DE |:DD@FC: $E2E6 u2:C 8C2?5DE2?5 D9@HD x 92G6 6G6C D66?] p?5[ :? >J D6G6? @C D@ J62CD 96C6[ x 92G6 D66? 4=2DD:4D DF49 2D y2>6D %2J=@C[ 3:8 ?2>6D DF49 2D %@3J z6:E9 2?5 DE2?52C5 72C6 DF49 2D E96 ~2< #:586 q@JD 2?5 r92C=:6 s2?:6=D]k^Am
kAm(65?6D52J’D D9@H :?4=F565 bg D@?8D 7C@> 6:89E 2CE:DED[ :?4=F5:?8 '2? sJ<6[ %]v] $96AA2C5[ y:> t5 qC@H?[ w6=6? r@C?6=:FD[ |@6 q2?5J[ q@33J q2C6[ #6I p==6? yC] 2?5 r92C=:6 #:49 yC][ %96 D9@H[ E96 3C2:?49:=5 @7 !6EE:D r@F?EJ’D @H? '2? sJ<6[ 92D A=2J65 :? ac DE2E6D[ 3FE E9:D H2D E96 7:CDE E:>6 :E 925 >256 :E E@ E96 |:DD@FC: $E2E6 u2:C]k^Am
kAmu@C >@C6 E92? EH@ 9@FCD[ '2? sJ<6 A2C2565 E96 D9@H’D DE2CD @?E@ E96 DE286[ 2?5 6249 @7 E96> A=2J65 7@FC @C D@ 4C@H5 72G@C:E6D :? 2 DEJ=6 D:>:=2C E@ qC2?D@? DE286D]k^Am
kAm|@DE @7 E96 A6C7@C>6CD D2?8 D@?8D E92E >256 E96> 72>@FD @C 62C?65 E96> 8@=5 C64@C5D] %96 A6C7@C>6CD[ >@DE @7 H9@> 2C6 :? E96:C e_D 2?5 f_D[ DE:== 92G6 DEC@?8 G@:46D 2?5 2 H62=E9 @7 E2=6?E E@ D92C6] %96J FD6 ?@ 962GJ 324<FA D:?86CD @C 6=64EC@?:4 >2?:AF=2E:@? @7 E96:C G@:46D] p?5[ E96 {6C@J '2? sJ<6 q2?5 762EFC6D DEC@?8 >FD:4:2?D H:E9 2 EC25:E:@?2= 4@F?ECJ 7=2C6 E92E :?4=F565 {6C@J’D D@?[ q6?[ @? E96 6=64EC:4 8F:E2C]k^Am
kAmx?E6C>:DD:@? 762EFC65 E96 2F4E:@? @7 2? 2FE@8C2A965 24@FDE:4 8F:E2C 7@C Sd[___ E@ #@? s:EK76=5[ @7 $652=:2[ E@ 36?67:E c\w 2?5 uup 8C@FAD]k^Am
kAm%9:D 4@?46CE H2D D:>A=J 2?@E96C 762E96C :? E96 42A @7 s:C64E@C |2C:@? {F42D]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m— z2J6 u2:Ck^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmp ba\J62C G6E6C2? @7 E96 72:C 42>A8C@F?5 42==65 %9FCD52J E@ E6== FD 9@H >F49 96 6?;@J65 @FC 72:C 4@G6C286 2?5 9@H 8C62E :E H2D E92E @FC ?6HDA2A6CD H6C6 2G2:=23=6 2E E96 72:C8C@F?5D] w@H6G6C[ 96 H2D 2 3:E FAD6E 2E #@5 q2IE6C[ 42>A8C@F?5 DFA6C:?E6?56?E[ 7@C D2J:?8 E96 8C@F?5D 92G6 366? “FA8C2565]”k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 2== D>2== A=F8D[ FD65 E@ A@H6C D>2== 2AA=:2?46D[ =:89ED 2?5 72?D[ H6C6 C6>@G65 E@ >2<6 C@@> 7@C E96 =2C86C A=F8D ?66565 7@C C64C62E:@?2= G69:4=6D E@ A@H6C E96:C 2:C 4@?5:E:@?:?8]k^Am
kAm“!6@A=6 H:E9 =:EE=6 A@A\FA 42>A6CD @?=J ?665 2 A=F8 7@C 2 72?[” E96 >2? D2:5] “w@H 2C6 E96J DFAA@D65 E@ <?@H E96J’== ?665 E@ 3C:?8 2? 252AE6C ?@H E@ 86E 6=64EC:4:EJn”k^Am
kAmtG6? E9@F89 E9:D 492?86 5:5 ?@E 27764E 9:D `c\52J[ 7:G6\#' 72>:=J G242E:@? 2E E96 72:C[ >2?J @7 9:D 7C:6?5D 2?5 24BF2:?E2?46D 2E E96 42>A8C@F?5 H6C6 :?4@?G6?:6?465]k^Am
kAm“x7 E96J 925 E@ AFE FA E96 ‘}@ t=64EC:4’ D:8? E9:D A2DE H66<6?5[ :E H2D @?=J 3642FD6 E96 42>A8C@F?5 =@DE 23@FE g__ A=F8D :? E96 ‘FA8C256]’ ”k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m— {@C2 !@H6==k^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAm k^Am
kAmz:5DV 4C:E:BF6 @7 E96 >:5H2Ji }@E 2D >2?J 3:8[ D42CJ C:56D 2D =2DE J62C] qFE E96 vC2G:EC@? 2=>@DE >2<6D FA 7@C :E] !2C6?ED DFC6=J 2AAC64:2E6 2== E96 E23=6D 2?5 492:CD H:E9 F>3C6==2D :? E96 >:5H2J E9:D J62C]k^Am
kAmkDEC@?8m— ~=:G6C (:6DEk^DEC@?8mk^Am