April 20, 2009 - Milk Cows

April 20, 2009 – Milk cows
The Organic Horticulture class is going on a slow pace. I myself show up an hour late for class every time. But I got a good justification. I cook meals for my family and bathe my mom before leaving. I don’t know about others. The landowner where the practicum takes place has never anything ready for the class. This time, he didn’t have material for compost. Last time, he didn’t have the land plowed and hired a tractor to do the job after the class had started.
Nevertheless, it is always nice to see my instructor willing to teach and genuinely caring for us. We meet classmates around the hardwood farm table at the veranda drinking strong sweet coffee and listen to stories. The class itself could be resumed in less than an hour if well conducted with Jose’s concentrated effort.
But time that we spend waiting for things to happen, we can talk. In one of these conversations, I mentioned working with milking cows to the president of Rural Worker’s Union. He gave me a good feedback, perhaps, thinking of selling his calves for me to start the business. During lunch, my Rural Entrepreneur class instructor sit right beside me. I used this time to flood him with questions. Most people like to show knowledge and complain what everybody knows. He suggested working with milking cows as it is suited for small farms. I talked to my father about it. I even learned that there is finance for the sector. I am very enthusiastic about it. I have the land and want to work. I just don’t have the money (or the knowledge). I start talking to people. Soon, I am going to visit some neighbors and take a specialized class on the subject. I can even see myself not only caring for the cows, but also processing milk products.