Amanda Dolphin and her sisters are the sixth generation of dairy farmers at Junion Homestead Farm in Casco, which was established back in 1868. Currently, on the farm, she works with her sisters, her brother-in-law, and her parents milking 225 cows.
One of the cooler things for her to experience growing up on the home farm was that there was never the “this is a male-dominated industry” stereotype because it was always the daughters and their father. “I never really thought anything of it, we never had any brothers, it was always the sisters and I working alongside dad,” Dolphin said. That was the norm for the family.
She explained how she thinks back in the day women were still doing the same things on the dairy that they’re doing now, but there was more of a label on them such as the “farmer’s daughter” or “farmer’s wife,” but not anymore. Many women now play major roles on dairy farms and within agriculture in general.
Even though she works with the family on a daily basis, she considers the cows to be her coworkers. “I don’t go to an office and work with people, I work with cows,” Dolphin went on to say that she loves working with them because you get to see the whole life cycle and it’s pretty amazing, “we’ve got grandmas here, moms, sisters, cousins, aunts.” She even knows the family trees of the herd.
Much like her keeping an impressive memory of the cattle’s lineage, her children are also very invested in the animals. Each of her kids has their own cow families and when there’s a calf born she said they’re always excited to welcome a new life to the farm. She admits, “it’s just a great place for them to be.”
Looking to the future, if her children choose to be a part of the farm, they’d be the seventh generation at the dairy. Dolphin explained that even if they pick a different career path, she just hopes that the lessons learned on the farm stick with them. For example, a great work ethic and a realization of where their food comes from so they can hopefully share that with others. If the farm has taught them anything, those have to be the top two lessons learned.
Another lesson she’s learned on the farm is that the cows will always be there waiting for you no matter what the weather or what day it is. “They don’t care that it’s Christmas, they don’t care if it’s your birthday, they rely on you to take care of them,” Dolphin said that it’s all a part of the end goal, “we strive to do the best we can to produce that end product of milk for the consumer.”
She said that getting dairy products to the consumer is so important because they can be very critical of agriculture. If we’re being honest, farming isn’t always portrayed in the best light. Dolphin brought up how she wishes some people could truly comprehend how greatly dairy farmers care about the land and care for their animals. If they could see that, they’d understand. “We pour our heart and soul into agriculture…we do everything for the cows,” Dolphin said.
That statement frankly shows how important it is for farmers and everyone else in the ag industry to keep sharing their stories and being a voice for the farming community.
Hear the full interview with Amanda on our podcast page.
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