But, only in a wishful sort of way.
I miss cows.
There, I've said it. So, if you're not a cow fan, you may venture away. But understand you'd be sorry. I have great, no exceptional photos from back in the day are here. Library of Congress and Blogger permitting, as they sometimes interrupt posts.
Sepia Saturday - where we travel the fabric of yesterday to our present day, seems like the appropriate place to bring this cow story.
Yep, I just heard of another dairy farmer packing in his buckets and selling off his cows.
Minnesota casually known as "Land of 10,000 lakes" is a bit of an understatement, but you already know that. If you're a Minnesotan!
A good idea of who we are-
If you only watch one youtube video today, make it this one! Be prepared to roll on the floor, laughing!
Our official motto is "L'Etoile du Nord" French- Star of the North. Minnesota's first settlers, were Dakota and Ojibwe/Anishinaabe and a majority of European settlers arrived from Scandinavia and Germany, to make Minnesota their new home.
All across the globe settlers have established permanent residences from faraway places. Seas were filled with fish, and treetops everywhere held birds not in flight. Farms and livestock weren't in short supply. But, where are the cows today?
I live in a small rural community of 1500 residents and this area was first settled in 1854, and Minnesota became a state in 1858. Our township is fortunate to still have the highest percentage of high-quality farmland in all of Dakota County.
Right near our house we've lost too many dairy cows and other livestock.
Are the hunters taking over what once was a thriving land?
As dairy farming was back in 1939.
Welcome to the Brandtjen Family Dairy Farm, in Dakota County, Lakeville, Minnesota
Brandtjen's Guernsey cow.
Photo taken September 1939
Dairy farmer, in Dakota County, Minnesota, on his Brandtjen family farm. Just one silo and barn pictured here.
Photo taken September 1939
What it looks like this last summer of 2014.
What it looks like this last summer of 2014.
Wise Words of Worthy Advice
"We need to keep cowmen on the ground." - J.B. Bright, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Refuge.
Photo taken September 1939 of hired hand for the Brandtjen Dairy Farm.
"This is (hearty) Minnesota- If you don't graze it or burn it, it will become Forest." - Bruce Freske
September 1939 at the Brandtjen Dairy Farm.
This link will take you to another post about what the Brandtjen Dairy Farm is today.
The spirit of a family dream lives on, without the cows.
I'm not by any means describing a Minnesota or other land primarily for the use of farming.
Even though it once was a striving force in Minnesota.
Minneapolis Skyline
1939 September
Minneapolis Skyline today
Commerce is necessary, as are our throngs of hunters thinning the overly populated deer and other wildlife animals in specific areas.
Farmington, Minnesota back in September 1939.
Just don't let farming and especially, the cows, be wiped out.
27 comments:
Great post! I love cows too. All your photos are great :)
It's sad that times are changing where a farmer can no longer make a living with industries like these.
We sold all our cattle this year.
"If you don't like the weather, wait 9 minutes."
Love that! Also the pics are all great.
~
Hi Karen, I absolutely love cows. However, living in a big city (Montreal), as you can imagine, I rarely get to see any! I thoroughly enjoyed this post with the info and photos, and since you are a newer reader to my blog, perhaps you haven't seen this video which I posted quite a while back on my blog. I love how attentive the cows are. :) Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXKDu6cdXLI
I came from a ancestors who mostly raised tobacco and hogs with a cow for milk and chickens for eggs... But it is sad the small farmer is a thing of the past, just as more and more farmland is disappearing.
Love those old cow and barn photos! My daughter's in-laws are dairy farmers in Gippsland, about two hours south of Melbourne, with about 450 cows, but no iconic barns like they have there in Minnesota.
Hmmm - much food for thought here. You've left me ruminating quite a bit.
I'm afraid many of the linked images don't show on your post, Karen, though a click on the broken link box will display some of them separately.
I've never known farming though it is in my family roots. Part of those roots are in Glenwood, MN. Last year I watched a terrific 2005 film about Minnesota called Sweet Land. It is the story of a Norwegian farmer and his German mail order bride in the 1920s but its real theme is about the love of the land. A very beautiful film for anyone who appreciates the ties between farming and family.
Well done. I really love this, cows and all. Hug.
Kilroy was here.
I really like the old building in that last shot. :)
Mike, thanks I noticed that too, this time only one didn't open. Not sure what's up. You are right that is a very good film to see if anyone gets the chance.
Great set of photos, Karen but there where five that didn't open. Cows are lovely beasts.
You got something against bulls?
I had the same problem with the photos, but enjoyed the ones I saw. I grew up in farmland, although I never lived on a farm myself. Enjoyed summer visits with my step-grandparents who were small dairy farmers. I never understood how those cows knew to come to the barn at just the right time until I had my first baby. haha
Those are some good looking barns! Many of those in Michigan are falling apart. Because the cows are gone, I guess.
You are a wonderful ambassador!
ALOHA from Honolulu
ComfortSpiral
=^..^= . <3 . >< } } (°>
Darn, many of these photos don't show for me either. But I love cows. Nothing much cuter than a calf. Prettiest cows -- it's a toss up between Guernseys and Holsteins.
...for some reason a lot of images aren't loading...they have broken icons. Which makes me very MOOOOOOdy.
But, the one that 'stands out and shows a bit of eye candy was the farmer in bib overalls....I was beginning to wish for a centerfold to show up soon. But wait, Minnesota's winters are cold....you know what cold temps do to those farmers oysters? Right?
Never mind.
I really like the contrast of the then and now photos!
I forgot to tell you that the photo taken September 1939 of hired hand for the Brandtjen Dairy Farm didn't load for me.
I have lived in Minnesota a long time, but I didn't grow up here. A lot of things people say here still seem strange/funny to me.
Clicking individually to open each photo then going out and coming back in did the trick and i was able to view all these wonderful images.
Hi Karen,
Enjoyed a bit of history about cows. Goood photos! x Deers on the roads and other animals....someone has to take care about them...
Very neat photos! I could look at this stuff all day!
There are (luckily) still a lot of cows where I live, and there will be more now the European Union has finally lifted the so-called milk quota. Unfortunately most of the cows are standing in the barns. Did you notice my recent post about a cow retirement home (link)?
I live in a mostly rural, agricultural area (with the exception of the city I'm living in) - our county is known as Sonoma Cowny - but over the past years vineyards have taken over. It's primarily wine country now, although there are still areas where the cows dominate in our microclimate. I'm glad that they're still there since I like cows very much, and I hope they will never disappear.
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