June is National Dairy Month, and it would be hard to find anyone more passionate about what they do than Noble County dairy farmer Abbie Herr.
“I always say that I have milk running through my blood because I just love dairy,” says Abbie from Herr Dairy Farm near Kendallville. She says she’s always been involved in the dairy industry.
“My family had a small dairy farm in South Whitley, Indiana, so I grew up on a dairy farm and my husband’s family is a long line of farmers, as well as my family. It’s just always been a passion of mine.”
Abbie says she and family decided to install robots to help milk the cows around five years ago.
“We made the decision because we were having a hard time finding labor, and it has been the most wonderful experience putting those robots in,” says Abbie. “The cows are so relaxed. They go in and they milk on their own time. I always say they are ‘ladies of leisure.’ They can go eat when they want, they can go milk when they want and then they can just lay around and be lazy.”
Abbie says throughout National Dairy Month in June, it’s important not to take the dairy industry for granted.
“Any kind of farming, I feel, is not for the faint of heart,” Abbie says. “It’s a lot of hard work and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love what I do. I love being with the animals. I love this life so much and I love to be able to provide healthy dairy products for everyone across the country.”
Click BELOW to hear the full interview with Abbie Herr from Herr Dairy Farm in “The Dairy Download Podcast” presented by American Dairy Association Indiana.