I was sitting in a room full of dairy farmers recently, fidgeting in my dress slacks as the meeting was about to begin. There was lots of chatter about who was from what area, how many cows each of us milked and of course the weather.
The agenda was rather long, and everyone had their cup of coffee in hand, prepared to listen to hours of reports and speakers. Suddenly the lights dimmed, and the presentation screens came to life with a photo roll of dairy farmers from around the country. And while I’m a big sucker for beautiful photography, the song playing with the photos nearly brought me to tears.
I wish every farmer in the world could have been sitting in that room to hear the words as they echoed through the air that morning. I knew the tune from the radio, though I’m guessing some may have heard it for the first time. It went something like this: “This is my fight song, take back my life song. Prove I’m alright song. My powers turned on, starting right now, I’ll be strong, I’ll play my fight song. And I don’t really care if nobody else believes, because I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me.”
Just imagine those words against a backdrop of a gray haired man and his son standing in their barn. Or a woman in a beautiful green pasture next to a beautiful black and white cow. Then there were the Jersey calves, the young couple or the silhouette of a father and his young son walking the feed lane. Imagine it with a picture of your friends, your neighbors or your own farm. I felt goose bumps because the people in those pictures were sitting in front of me, and to my left and right. They are just the same as my family and friends. They are the same as me.
Now let’s be honest; dairy farming isn’t for the faint of heart. While by most standards I might not be classified as thick skinned, I have come to learn a few things from those men and women who have been at it longer than I have. But can I tell you something? It scares me when I see them start to give up. I get to thinking maybe I was too naïve in those big goals I set or those dreams I imagined. Now don’t worry; I know that the world isn’t all sunshine and roses, and that’s not what I want anyone to think. But what I do know is that giving up won’t get us anywhere.
What I saw in that room that morning was determination. I saw a message that we’re not giving up as an industry, and we’re not going to stop imagining new possibilities of a bright future. So the milk price is low – let’s figure out some new innovations to help us with business. So the consumers want to know where their food comes from – let’s talk to them. So my family has a hard time getting along – let’s learn a better way to communicate. I needed to hear that as a 27-year-old who has put her faith and future in the dairy industry.
That tiny little video clip put some fire back in my belly because I know I’m not alone. And while “I don’t really care if nobody else believes” in all that I think the world can be, sometimes I need to hear that I’m not the only one. At the risk of offering unsolicited advice, from a young dairywoman, if any of you have the opportunity to tell those around you that you’ve still got some fight left in you, please do, because I bet if you ask them, they might just need the chance to say, “I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me.” PD
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Laura Flory
- Dairy Producer
- Hillside Farm
- Dublin, Virginia
