by Patricia Grotenhuis

A musician who became a farmer seems like an unconventional path, but David Murray, a boy raised in small town Ontario, eventually found his dream job owning and milking  a herd of cows.

He has embraced the industry, taking on a number of roles on local, provincial and national levels.  With a background including music, retail and restaurant work, many people would question why Murray decided to farm. 

“I liked milking the cows.  I still do,” says Murray.

It is a simple answer, but a truthful one.  His commitment to the industry has earned him a spot in the 2012 Faces of Farming Calendar published by the Farm Care Foundation. His page is sponsored by Gay Lea Foods, a farmer-owned dairy cooperative that David and his wife Annamarie have been members of for many years.  The photo, one of the most unique ever taken in the calendar’s history, combines David’s love of music and cows and shows him out in a pasture field playing the piano while his cows appear to enjoy the concert.

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Posted by Farm and Food Care on June 1st, 2012 :: Filed under Animal care,animal handling,Barns,careers,Dairy cattle,Family vs factory farming,Farm life,milk,Sustainability of the family farm
Tags :: animal care, dairy cattle, farm, Farmers, milk

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By Patricia Grotenhuis

A love for cows can lead someone to many different jobs and places.  For Abbie Medwell, it led to a career of travelling around Canada going from one dairy farm to another.

Medwell works for Holstein Canada as a “classifier”.  She has had the job for 10 years now, and loves the opportunities it gives her.  She also appreciates being able to see cows from all different breeding programs and genetics.

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Posted by Farm and Food Care on May 2nd, 2012 :: Filed under Canada,careers,Dairy cattle,milk
Tags :: careers, dairy cattle, Farmers, milk

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Luisa D’Amato, Waterloo Region Record, 02 Aug 2021

It’s Sandi’s turn to be milked.

She stands patiently in the barn, her pale-pink udder bulging between her long legs, as dairy farmer Terry Lebold wipes her teats with antibacterial solution and attaches four suction cups to them.

Within five minutes, about 20 litres of milk has been vacuumed out of her, the white liquid whirling through transparent plastic tubes. Lebold touches her hind flank lightly, disconnects the machine and quickly dips her teats in a reddish iodine solution to prevent infection.

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Posted by FFC on July 22nd, 2009 :: Filed under Canada,Dairy cattle,Farm life,Veal
Tags :: agriculture, Canada, Consumers, dairy cattle, Farmers, food, milk, Ontario

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