Dairy-farming is a taxing profession, just like most other types of farming. Cows need to be milked twice a day and balers and lawn mowers must be employed to gather hay for winter feed, reports the Maysville, Kentucky, Ledger-Independent. Owners of dairies - or any sort of farm - have to be multi-taskers familiar with agricultural science, accounting, mathematics, meteorology and stocks.
In some parts of Kentucky, however, the dairies are falling by the wayside as prices have been extremely low, costs have been up and young people are increasingly opting out of the farming profession, states the news source.
The arduous aspect of working the land was discussed by a former farmer, Norman Ruark, who ran a dairy with her late husband. She reflected on the demanding nature of the business to the media outlet.
"It keeps you tied down," she said. "I don't know if there was a best part to it ... I never liked to milk ... but we did and we kept on for about 30 years," she observed.
For those whose work is connected to the land, John Deere provides equipment to increase productivity. The D450 Self-Propelled Windrower, for example, features a deluxe operator's cab and a 200-horsepower Tier 3 engine, according to Deere's website.
Dairy farm owners look to stay afloat
Dairy farms in Kentucky are fading away.