honoured to speak to an agricultural class there. They were prepared for a lecture on animal production, new cropping methods, marketing, soil management, chemistry used on the farm or some other subject closely related to agriculture. When I stepped up in front of the class, (a position that I had never been in before), they were a bit surprised when I announced that I would be talking about the most important subject they will take in university.

They were even more surprised when I explained that psychology is the most important subject. Then I started to list a few opportunities they would have to use it on the farm or other places too.

The first chance to use psychology is at a very young age when in a family situation with mom, dad or other family members. When playing sports it takes more than one super star to win the cup. The entire team must work together. An arrogant coach may make you do things right but the team will play much harder for a coach who makes the team feel like each member is special, necessary and a friend.

In a farm situation, everyone who works on the farm, sells feed, seed, fertilizer, animals, equipment, buys what the farm produces and everyone else you meet will have to be greeted and dealt with in a manner that makes them want to meet or deal with you again. You will quickly learn that life will be a lot more fun if you deal with the neighbours, your partners, your family and especially, your spouse in a very amicable way.

It was on the farm with my grandfather, bringing the cows in from pasture to be milked that I first noticed that there was always the same cow who led the herd in single file down the cow path to the barn. I soon noticed that it was not the biggest, toughest bully but an animal that knew when milking time was and when to lead. It was also a cow that knew that the first cow to walk past the old apple tree got the freshest, juiciest windfalls. This was usually a very friendly cow, that would even let a farm boy of five or six pet her. This would be my first lesson in how a group chose a leader.

It was many years later, that I observed that the first few cows to walk into the milking parlour every day were the cows with the largest milk production records. Because they were the first cows to get milked they were also the first cows to return to the feed bunk and have a pick of the best feed. Because they were the first to eat their fill at the bunk, they were also the first to get to rest in their stalls. Cows produce many more times the milk when resting than when standing or walking. Again these leaders were not the biggest, toughest bullies in the herd, just the smartest.

On dairy farms, the milk production must be almost the same every day of the year. Milk cows produce the most milk the months just after having their calf. This is normal in nature. Babies need milk when young but as they get older, they need less milk and their diet gradually switches to more solid food. That’s why dairy farmers try to have different cows calving all year long. Cows at different stages in milk production require different rations that supply different needs. As cows enter different stages in production they are moved to pens where the ration fed in that pen more closely matches their requirements. This also helps keep cows from getting too fat or too thin.

When a different animal is moved into a new pen sometimes she is bullied by a tougher boss cow. When a cow delivers her first calf she is usually smaller than the older cows and hence often the younger cows are kept in a separate pen where they are all the same size.

If a cow is bullied by more aggressive cows she is usually moved into a pen with smaller less aggressive animals. If an animal becomes a bully cow, she is moved to a pen of bigger more aggressive animals.

Many successful dairy farms today employ ladies to work on the farm, or the farm may be managed or owned by ladies. Ladies seem to have more compassion and understanding of the feeling and needs of domestic animals. Animals that are raised in a less aggressive environment grow up to be more gentle and easier to work with.

When women are present on farms, animals are selected and culled because of their attitude. An animal that consistently shows aggression is quickly culled from the herd and usually end up as Big Macs. These aggressive animals are seldom sold to another dairy farmer because they could injure or kill someone there too. The gene for aggression will be passed on to the offspring and hence if she lives more aggressive animals can be produced.

Education in psychology is never mastered, it goes in the herd forever!

Chris Judd is a farmer in Clarendon on land that has been in his family for generations. gladcrest@gmail.com

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