One of the main reasons I’ve been cutting dairy out of my life is due to the treatment of the cows. I went to a farm once before when I was really little, but all I can remember is that it smelled pretty pungent. The Cornell Teaching Dairy Barn gave me a chance to see first hand how this particular dairy bar is run.

Once the other Rose Scholars and I got to our destination, that familiar, intense smell wafted out of the barn and just about singed off my eyebrows.  All the dairy cows were in a line and being prepared for a milking.  Our tour guide informed us that the suction cups placed on the cows apply about the same pressure as a nursing calf.  There is also a disinfectant and moisturizer applied to the teats prior to milking.

After the milking station were the more permanent residences for the cows.  They were complete with backscratching machines, lines of food, and individual pens for the animals.  While the sleeping quarters for each individual cow looked pretty small, they opened to a much larger space, so the animals did not appear claustrophobic.

At the end of our tour, we were able to pet calves, which each had their own, small covered pen outside of the dairy farm.  Petting them was cathartic in a way, and I also got some really awesome close-ups of them.

I still think harvesting another mammal’s milk is pretty weird, but I was relieved to see that at least Cornell seems to treat its dairy cows well.