1. Tell me do cows drink milk?
Cows don't drink milk, but we feed milk to the babies. The babies are fed milk twice a day. They really love drinking their milk, and it helps them grow really fast. When the calves grow older though, their stomach changes so then they can eat forages like grass and hay so they don't need to drink milk anymore.
2. Explain me how do you milk cows?
Milking cows is one of the most important jobs on the dairy. Cows must be milked 2 times per day, every day of the week. In the past, you had to milk cows by hand, which was a lot of work. Then in the early 1900s, the milking machine was invented to milk cows so people don't need to milk cows by hand anymore.
3. Tell me what do you want everyone to know about you – the dairy farmer?
Being a dairy farmer is a great way to live and raise our family, even on the worst of days. We are also very passionate about taking care of our cows.
4. Tell me do milkhouse doors have to open outward?
No, they do not have to open outward. However, if a screen door is, attached, the screen door must open outward.
5. Tell me do cows take baths?
Surprisingly the cows take a shower 2 times every day. So they stay pretty clean. Before getting milked, the cows wait in the wash pen, where sprinklers wash the cows. This makes sure that they are nice and clean before getting milked.
6. Tell me what challenges you as a dairy farmer?
Weather, for sure, and milk pricing. Two things I cannot control.
Cow's milk, a quality protein source, is made up of primarily whey and casein proteins. Whey protein is a high-quality protein. Compared to many other proteins, on a gram-to-gram basis, whey protein delivers more essential amino acids to the body and is absorbed quickly and efficiently.
8. Tell me do I have to sanitize the teats of the cow before I put on the milker unit?
Sanitizing of the teats shall not be required if the udder is dry and the teats have been thoroughly cleaned (not dry wiped) and dried (manually wiped dry) prior to milking. The determination of what constitutes a dry udder and cleaned and dried teats shall be made by the regulatory agency.
10. Tell us what is one thing you recycle, reuse or repurpose on the farm?
We recycle the local college's horse bedding. We mix the bedding with lime to kill any bacteria and use it for bedding in our barns. Once it has been soiled there, it is pushed into our manure pit where we are able to capture the nutrients in the manure to reduce the amount of commercial fertilizer we use.
11. Tell me what do you usually wear to the barn?
Normally, I just wear jeans and a t-shirt or sweatshirt and work boots. But in the winter, I wear many layers to the barn, including sweathshirts, vests, Carhartt coveralls, a jacket, a hat, gloves and Lacrosse-style insulated pac boots. Sounds like a lot – it is! I have weighed my winter layers and it is over 20 pounds of additional clothing!
12. Tell me how much calcium do I need?
The National Academy of Sciences recommends American adults consume 1,000-1,300 mg of calcium per day, depending on age and gender. Eating three servings daily of milk, cheese or yogurt can help you meet these recommendations. Teens and those over age 50 have higher calcium needs, thus eating four servings of dairy foods can help them meet these recommendations. To find out how much calcium you need - and how many Americans aren't getting enough - see Calcium Fact Sheet from NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.
According to the United Nations Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO), probiotics are “live microorganisms, which when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” Traditionally, these “friendly bacteria” were found in fermented foods such as yogurt and cultured milk, but can now be found as an added ingredient in milk and cheese as well. Some strains of probiotics have been associated with digestive health, while others may benefit the immune system.
14. Tell me if your cows could talk, what would they say about you?
That I am punctual, and reliable! And they would say they can always count on me to give them a hand when they need it.
15. Tell me what is one thing you are most proud of in regards to the farm?
As farmers, we have worked very hard over the years to improve the health and overall comfort of our cows. But the biggest thing we are proud of is the job the farm did in helping us raise three great kids, who will be there to help at the drop of a hat and who have a great work ethic.
16. Tell me how many servings of dairy should I have daily?
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that all Americans over the age of nine should consume three cups/servings of milk or milk products each day (1 cup of milk, 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese or 2 ounces of processed cheese equals one serving); two and a half cups per day are recommended for children aged four-eight years; and two cups per day for children aged two-three years.
17. Tell me how do cows drink water?
Did you know the average cow drinks 30 to 50 gallons of water every day! That's a lot of water, so we have water troughs in the pens for the cows so they can have free access to water whenever they want. The water troughs are as big as your bathtub at home
The water troughs never run out of water, when the cows drink the water, the valve automatically turns on to refill the trough with more fresh clean water.
18. Tell me how do you decide which products to grow?
We base it off of demand, and what we can grow sustainably on our farm. I've been offered sheep for free which I refused because we didn't have the carrying capacity on our farm for them and the cows. I've been questioned about goats, which are verboten on our farm. I've had goats before, never again.
Currently we raise cows, because I like cows and that's really our main product. We also raise pigs because they do well in the woods and about half of our farm is wooded. Otherwise half of our farm would go unused or we'd have to log it. Plus we can turn pigs in about 8 months, vs. 2 years for cows so it's a quicker turn around on our investment. Lastly for pigs, I REALLY love our pork so even if we went 100% to cows, I'd still keep a few pigs on the farm for our family.
19. Explain me what are the health benefits of dairy foods?
Enjoying three servings of milk, cheese or yogurt is a deliciously easy way to help build stronger bones and healthier bodies because together, these foods provide a powerful package of nutrients. Cow's milk is a good or excellent source of nine essential nutrients including protein, calcium, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus and pantothenic acid. Studies show that dairy foods, when eaten as part of a healthy diet, improve overall diet quality and may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis, caridovascular disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
20. Explain me do you do anything special for your cows or calves?
There are lots of things we do for our cows and calves. For example, the food they eat is called a TMR (Total Mixed Ration) and that is balanced so that every bite is the same and highly nutritious. We balance their diets to the amino acid level, meaning they eat better than many humans. Also, when the weather cooperates, our cows are able to go outdoors and stretch their legs and lay on some grass.
21. Explain me what kind of fertilizers do you use?
We use no commercial fertilizers, nor organic ones. Our program is all about building soil health, not about applying a band-aid to resolve a problem. If we build the soil health, we don't need fertilizer. We are into our fourth year of building soil and have over 2″ of topsoil.
About 2″ of topsoil, from 2014, in an area that has underperformed other areas of the pasture.
We feed produce daily and much of that produce goes back into the soil either through a byproduct of ingestion by our animals (poop) or by direct contact with the soil (biodegradation). Fresh produce is the only thing we add to our farm and we bring about 20,000 pounds of produce per day onto our farm. That means we divert from the landfill over 7 million pounds of organic material where it instead goes into our soil every year. Obviously much of it is water in the produce but we are still adding quite a bit of actual organic matter to our soil.
22. Basic Manager Dairy Job Interview Questions:
☛ At Dairy Farmers Milk Co-Operative we always strive to provide the best products to our clients. How do you ensure a product is of high quality?
☛ Wholesale and distribution requires strong negotiation skills. How would you rate your negotiation skills from 1-10?
☛ Do you have any training in sales or business negotiation?
☛ At Dairy Farmers Milk Co-Operative we are always interested in finding new vendors and clients. Tell me about your experience in business development.
☛ Wholesale and distribution requires excellent organizational skills when it comes to purchase orders and inventory management. How would you rate your organizational skills from 1-10?
☛ At Dairy Farmers Milk Co-Operative we prefer to hire candidates with a post-secondary education in Business or Marketing. Take a moment to walk me through your post-secondary education.
☛ Market analysis is very important to us at Dairy Farmers Milk Co-Operative. What steps do you take to research the performance of a product before choosing to import it?
☛ What has been your best performing product in the past 12 months? Why do you think it has done so well?
☛ How do you feel that globalization has affected the wholesale and distribution industry in the USA?
☛ How familiar are you with NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement)?
☛ Many of our clients and vendors operate in other countries and time zones. Are you able to accommodate their needs by making yourself available outside of typical work hours?
☛ How do you properly vet potential new vendors?
☛ Many of our clients and vendors operate in other countries. Do you speak multiple languages? If not, how do you manage potential communication barriers?
☛ At Dairy Farmers Milk Co-Operative we are looking for sales professionals who can make an impact on our business immediately. How do you plan to do that?
☛ Tell me when you have delegated tasks effectively.
☛ Do you have any experience training or coaching others?
☛ What motivates you?
☛ How do you like to be recognized for your accomplishments?
☛ When have you had to change a major component of your project due to new information being presented?
☛ Where do you see yourself a year from now?
☛ What are your salary expectations?
☛ What career path interests you the most in this company?
☛ Tell me about an idea you have implemented at your last job.
☛ Tell me about an error or mistake you made because of a breakdown in communication from you or one of your team members.
☛ What do you know about our company culture?
☛ How do you manage a large workload?
☛ How do you deal with uncomfortable situations?
☛ Are you applying for any other jobs?
☛ Tell me about a time that you were asked to collaborate on a project with a colleague whom you did not necessarily see eye-to-eye with. How did you ensure that you got along well and met your deadline?
☛ Tell me about a time that you narrowly missed a deadline. How did you ensure your project was completed on time?
☛ In a team environment, tell me about a critical decision you have made in the past that greatly affected your team's performance.
23. Explain me why is milk pasteurized and what is pasteurization?
French doctor and scientist Louis Pasteur invented the process of pasteurization more than a century ago. Pasteurization is the process of heating milk to at least 161° Fahrenheit for 15 seconds to remove milk-borne pathogens. This simple process destroys harmful bacteria while maintaining milk's quality, taste and nutritional value. Since its discovery, pasteurization has safeguarded much of our food supply, including milk and dairy products. By heating raw milk in specially-designed equipment, pasteurization ensures the safety and wholesomeness of milk.
Federal regulations require that all milk intended for direct consumption be pasteurized – as a matter of food safety. Some state laws circumvent these regulations by allowing raw milk sales through farms and cow shares. All raw milk sold to consumers in the United States is required to be labeled as such.
24. Tell me how do you feed the animals on the farm?
On the farm, we have a big area where we store all the food for the cows. It's basically our farms kitchen. Cows can eat a lot of different things, so we have a tractor with a big wagon that mixes the different food together.
Just like people need to eat a healthy diet, cows also need to eat healthy. So we have a nutritionist come to our farm to figure out what feeds the cows should eat.
The real question is do we allow them indoors? For the chickens, yes we do. They have a coop where they come and go as they please. Everybody else spends all their time outdoors. Our barns don't have areas for animals, everyone stays on pasture or in the woods.
26. Tell me what kinds of pesticides can I use in the milkhouse, and what kind can be stored there?
Only pesticides with specific directions for use in the milkhouse can be used or stored in the milkhouse. All pesticides must have an EPA registration number on their labels. No pesticide, including automatic intermittent dispensers, can be used during milking time. All milk and milk contact surfaces must be protected during pesticide use.
27. Explain me do you have any recipe recommendations/suggestions?
First, it's grass fed beef. That means it's leaner than store bought beef and will dry out quicker than what you are used to. When you cook your first steak, pull it before you think it's ready. It's better to be a little under than a little over. The way I cook my steaks is:
☛ Take your steaks out of the fridge and let them come up to room temperature. No you won't die if your steak gets warm.
☛ Sprinkle kosher salt and black pepper on both flat sides of the steaks.
☛ Place a cast iron griddle pan over high heat till it's nuclear hot. Leave it on high for 15 minutes on a gas burner, I don't know how long for electric. Yes you will scorch off the seasoning. It's worth it and not a big deal. Make breakfast the next day and the grease from your sausage or bacon will quickly reseason it.
☛ At the same time pre-heat your oven to as hot as it will go.
☛ When everything is hot, and you've unplugged the smoke alarm (the pan will smoke as it heats) place the steaks onto the hot pan AND DON'T TOUCH THEM for at least 45 seconds. There will be lots of smoke and noise, that's good. When you flip the steaks to the other side for another 45 seconds, you should see a crust on the cooked side that is brown and in some spots almost black but not quite. It should look like these pork chops (yes this is basically the recipe for pork chops)
☛ After another 45 seconds for the second side, the whole pan goes in the oven for 2-3 minutes. 2 for medium rare, 3 for medium.
☛ After two minutes, pull the pan and flip the steaks, then 2 or 3 minutes again.
☛ After the last bit of cooking, pull the pan and place the steaks on another pan, covered with aluminum foil for at least 7 minutes. Don't cut them, touch them, poke them, or peak. This is the time you finish your veggies, call the kids, set the table, and open the wine (or second bottle if you are at our house).
☛ Enjoy, and send me an email and let me know how your beef was.
☛ Note I didn't include times for well done. I have family members who only eat well done steaks. If they come here, they get medium steaks, sorry. If you are going to cook your steak well done, you are murdering something I've spent years making as good as I can. Leave a little flavor in the meat and have some pink so you can taste the flavor.
28. Tell me how do dairy foods help build stronger bones and teeth?
Dairy foods provide a unique mix of nutrients including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, protein and vitamin D that work together to help protect bones, by maximizing bone density and slowing age-related bone loss.
The positive link between calcium in dairy products and bone health has been established for decades through dozens of clinical studies. Research shows dairy foods, when consumed as part of a healthy diet, improve overall diet quality and may help to reduce the risk of osteoporosis:
☛ S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. 6th Edition, Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office, January 2005.
☛ S. Department of Health and Human Services. Bone Health and Osteoporosis: A Report of the Surgeon General. Rockville, MD: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Surgeon General, 2004.
☛ Heaney, R.P. Calcium, dairy products, and osteoporosis. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 2000;19 (suppl): 83s-99s
Yes, if the milk bucket does not draw its vacuum directly from the milk line. The vacuum must come off a separate line. If the milk line is also your vacuum line, this is not acceptable because overflow from the bucket will go directly into the milk line. Ultimately, the safest method is to have separate herds for treated cows and untreated cows. The treated cows should be milked last, or with completely separate equipment.
30. Explain me how do you deal with your weeds? insects? diseases?
We encourage insects. We do not deworm our cattle or pigs unless they are showing signs of distress. We will then do a fecal analysis and see if worming is warranted and if so, we will then deworm. Since beginning our current management practices two years ago, we have not dewormed any cattle and have had no need to, confirmed by fecal tests. Dewormers cause cow poop to be toxic to bugs which means we have poop that stays on the ground as dried up patties rather than being turned back into the soil by the big and little critters. We rotate our cows with daily paddock moves. It takes about 30 days for the cows to make a lap of the farm. By the time they make a lap, the poop from last time is gone. When we wormed cattle, those patties would stay for months.
For weeds, when we have an area that is growing something we don't like (thistle, bitter weed, etc.) we make sure that is the area where we drop off our produce for the day. This causes a few things. One, the soil is disturbed by the high impact of cattle as they feed. As the cattle do their thing, they poop, pee, and spill a lot of produce which is then trampled into the ground. The end result is a bare patch that has high concentrations of manure, urine, and organic matter. We've just changed the soil biology in that spot, which will result in a more favorable plant growing there. We do not seed an area like that, we let nature decide what is optimized to grow there. Often, it's the grass that we want. If it's not, then we wash, rinse, repeat till it is. If weeds are what comes back up, then we needed more health in that patch of soil.
31. Tell me why can't I just take a supplement to get the calcium I need?
More than just calcium, milk, yogurt and cheese also contain other essential nutrients needed for health and wellbeing. While a calcium supplement may help you meet your daily calcium needs, you likely miss out on these other important nutrients that dairy foods provide. Good nutrition depends on overall healthful eating and the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, National Institutes of Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics believe that individuals should attempt to meet their nutrient needs through food first.
32. Explain me how often do I have to scrape the loafing shed or change cow bedding?
The loafing area should be scraped often enough to control excessive fly growth in summer. Otherwise, the cleanliness of the cows is the guide that should be followed. If the cow's udders, flanks and bellies are dirty, scraping should be done more often. Likewise, if udders, flanks and bellies are dirty, free stall bedding should be changed more often.
33. Tell us how do you feed them? What do you feed them? Do you use organic feed?
We feed everyone except the chickens grass, produce, sunshine, and water. The bees pretty much feed themselves. We do give them honey/supplement in the winter.
34. Tell me what is the last thing you do on the farm before calling it a day?
I walk through the barns to make sure everything and everyone is OK
35. Tell me how many hours do you typically work in one week?
I work between 60 and 80 hours, depending on the season.
