North Star Dairy

Coming from an IL corn and soybean farm background, before this shoot, I had never seen a dairy of this size. Not even close. You might be wondering, Erin how do you advocate for this type of agriculture, when you've never even seen the real thing? For me, the answer is simple. I TRUST the people in agriculture, whether they're growing crops, raising livestock or milking cows.In farming, we're going to do what's best for the land, because it's every farmer's dream that one day his kids, grandkids and great-grandkids will farm the same land he does. With livestock, they're going to do what's best for the animal, so the animal has a good life and thrives. Thriving animals mean profitable business, which will also be passed down generation after generation.Sure, there are always going to be a few bad apples, as with any profession, but you know what? I have yet to personally meet one of those bad apples. When Rob of North Star Dairy sent me the quote, "This business is about the 3 F's: Faith, Family and Farm, in that order," all I could think of was YES! That is who we are. That is production agriculture. There are countless others that go by the exact same motto, and North Star Dairy is an excellent example of just that. Here's a look inside what they do. They've been in Hereford, TX for about 10 years, after relocating out of southern California. Cooking for a big crowd - the guys at NSD scoop up different ingredients to mix into the feed. One of those ingredients is cotton seed, which gives the cows their fiber! Rob and Val's son Trent was playing in the seed the whole time I was taking pictures here, and was so cute I had to snap this one. Like most farm boys, he often tags along with dad. All the ingredients are added into this bucket, where they are mixed with water and whey. Silage... ...is stored under huge white tarps, held down with recycled tires. Here, they are checking each cow to see if she's pregnant. I think I'd rather been on the front end of things... ...instead of the back end. I've always been a little squeamish! The girls in the milking parlor. Cleaning up as they walk in. Before they are milked, their udders are sprayed with iodine, which disinfects them. Then the worker wipes the iodine off, using a different towel for each cow. Inside, the milk goes into storage tanks, where each load is tested to make sure there aren't any antibiotics in it. Little Trent imitating his dad. Adorable. Inside the nursery. There are about 15 calves born every day! Trent learning how to tell his dairy's story... ...through pictures!Such a beautiful place in the panhandle of Texas. Follow North Star Dairy on Facebook to learn more about what they do!