We pulled up into the driveway and we were quickly greeted by three very cheerful (and chubby) dogs. Melissa, wearing a navy blue coverall jumpsuit with heavy duty rubber boots, comes out to meet us. I've never seen anyone pull off a coverall quite as eloquently as she does.
I was introduced to Melissa at a collaborative photoshoot we worked on with Yinger Wong and The Bright Lights. When we met, I remember how I admired her kindness and how intrigued I was when I learned that she was a dairy farmer at her family's farm.
Melissa is the type of friend you meet and just know you have to hang on to. Passionate, charismatic and with a heart of gold.
Melissa's grandparents moved to Vancouver from Holland in the late 50's and had worked for the farm's previous owners. In the mid-60's they had saved enough money to purchase the property and business. The farm has since expanded with additional barns and cows all operated by Melissa, her brother, and parents, who are passionate about agriculture and continuing the family business.
As we toured the property, Melissa had excused herself a couple of times - which gave us a good opportunity to experience the real tasks and challenges that are all part of her job. A cow had just given birth and she had to attend to the new born calf to make sure it was cleaned up. Another time, she jotted down notes of the cows who were showing signs of heat - which is one of the early signs to detect when a cow is ready to get pregnant. Monitoring is key to dairy farmers, as this helps to determine the cycle of milk production, timing of breeding, and the cows' health. Towards the end of the visit, Melissa left to deal with an emergency situation, in which a cow had accidentally got her head stuck into a small space. Luckily, the cow was gently maneuvered out of the tiny area under Melissa's watchful care and quick thinking.
A big role that Melissa plays in the business is caring for the herd of 500 cows and making sure that steps are taken to prevent illness. Taking a peek into her medical cabinet, you will find that the majority of the space is occupied by preventative care items such as calcium supplements for mothers who have just given birth. There is also some treatment in the medical kit, such as treatment for cows who have mastitis (udder infection). Cows are generally quite healthy with the majority of the issues occurring during the first two weeks of giving birth.
A large area of the 300-acre farm is dedicated to growing corn that is mixed into the cattle feed. The feed is prepared at the farm and is quite an incredible sight when you look at the layers and layers piled up high.
One of my favourite moments at Melissa's farm was seeing the dogs interact with the herd. Look how adorable Sadie is while getting so much affection. No caption needed!
You can imagine how ecstatic I was to pet all the animals!
Melissa told me that the bad farmers can't stay in the business for long without caring about the herd's well-being. If you treat your cows well, they will treat you will. That's how you can tell from the good farmers and the bad.
Thank you Melissa for having me over at your farm and Yoshi for the photos!