Careers in Production Agriculture

Dairy Farmer

Job Description

Dairy farmers maintain herds of milk cows. They supervise the breeding, feeding, milking and managing of the herd. In many situations, dairy farmers raise the crops used to feed herds, so planting, cultivating, harvesting and storing grains and forage crops is a major part of the work. Dairy farmers must also be familiar with and maintain the high technology and expensive equipment used in dairy farming.

Skills

• The dairy farmer should like working outdoors with crops, livestock and machinery
• He/she should have good business sense and be able to make successful major and minor farm management decisions
• The work requires a knowledge of soil chemistry, plant and animal physiology, genetics, nutrition, entomology, farm management and economic

Preparation

High school courses in agriculture and college degree in dairy or animal science. Part time work experience on a farm.