10/12/2026
Milking the Cow: Today’s Homeschool Lesson 🐄
All the kids sat in the front row in front of a “cage” that held the cow. Her name was Luna. She was born during a lunar eclipse at Fiddlesticks Farm back in 2023. 🌙
The cow walked herself in, looking calm and familiar with the contraption (which, to be honest, looked terrifying to me 😅), while the gentleman (the farmer) explained that Luna eats around 37 lbs of hay A DAY and that’s what she needs to produce milk.
He said that if they fed Luna onions 🧅, her milk 🥛 would taste like onions. 🤢
Before the demonstration, he also explained that he had to “pat” (more like hit and punch, in my opinion 😬) her udders to let her know that it was time to release the milk. “If she had a baby, the baby cow would hit her with its head—not very nicely,” he said.
A couple of minutes later, he squeezed each teat to make sure the milk was flowing. Each time, a thin stream of milk shot out. Then, he connected the machine to the cow, and in a short amount of time, the container was filling up.
Literally just like us, human moms! The similarities, even in the most complex and, at the same time, simple processes, are remarkable. Take the stimulation needed to trigger a letdown, for example!
As a lactation educator, I’ve seen many moms, both prenatally and postpartum, who have no idea that stimulation is needed for milk to start flowing. Breastfeeding mothers need to feel safe to produce and release milk (just like Luna!). They need proper nutrition and hydration, and sometimes, what we eat can even affect the flavor of our milk!!
What an amazing lesson! At least for me 😅😅 (Obviously, I’m not a country gal!). 🐄👧
I have to admit, though, that I always felt a little sad watching a machine take the milk from the cow. It gave me the same feeling I get when I see a mom who doesn’t want to pump but feels she has to.
🧡🌻🌾
