Truth from the Trenches
By Melissa Hart

Having downed my third cup of coffee and one of those pre-packaged powered sugar doughnuts, I think I’m ready to take on the Happy California cow that is now a dead cow because she got mad and went on a tirade at the California State Fair.

It made the newswire recently that a cow in a birthing center at the California State Fair got loose and couldn’t be corralled, so they shot her and she died. I’ve read several different accounts on the episode, all with different perspectives, so suffice it to say: The cow was loose and is now dead.

It’s a shame that the cow had to die, but I want to make sure we don’t throw the baby away with the bathwater on this one. One bad incident should not cause county and state fairs across the country to shut their birthing centers down.

Whether it’s called the “Birthing Tent,” the “Miracle of Life” tent or the “Moo Booth,” watching animals give birth is an amazing experience for everyone. There isn’t a calf born on our farm that I don’t absolutely love to watch. Giving birth never gets old, no matter what the animal, and for our city cousins to enjoy such an event is a privilege that doesn’t come along every day.

No matter what the age or stage or gender, everyone can appreciate a new life being born and the magic it brings. That’s right, I said magic. It’s nothing short of a miracle to watch the birth of anything, simply because it does not happen by chance. This is a process that is totally and completely designed by God and has “miracle” written all over it.

We can assist in the delivery, we can accelerate the onset of labor or we can perform surgery to bring a life into the world, but we are in no way responsible for the living, breathing life that is born; only God is in charge of that.

And that is exactly why we marvel at it. That is why people stand behind a gate in the hot summer weather to wait for a calf or a goat or a pig to be born. We have no control over the situation and when that baby is born, we stand with our mouths gaping open – and if you’re a mother, your heart melts because you know exactly how it feels to have a newborn life handed to you. It’s simply a miracle.

Not only can this be a place to witness a miracle, but think of the conversations that could begin with our consumers. While waiting for the birth of the calf, think of the captive audience we could be telling about the goodness of our products.

And what about the folks who would be wondering where these animals came from? Think about the chance to tell a huge audience the story of our family farms. This is an audience who is ready and willing to listen, and are hungry for what we have to offer (pun intended).

While the California cow incident was unfortunate, it should not be a deterrent to other birthing centers at other state and county fairs. This is something that we, as livestock producers, can do for the world to see. Under the careful watch of trained personnel and veterinarians, this can be a tremendously positive glimpse into the world of agriculture that we desperately need, especially now.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with comments for Melissa Hart may write to her in care of this publication.