Janine Spichtig 鈥� Mindy Farms
Originally from a 90-cow Jersey herd, Janine Spichtig completed her Agricultural Internship at Mindy Farms, a dairy farm owned by the VanSleeuwen family in Lancaster, ON. The VanSleeuwens milk about 250 Holsteins, in a double 12 parlour.
Spichtig鈥檚 regular tasks included milking, all calf feeding and health care, breeding and vaccinating cows, cleaning and bedding, and some fieldwork.
鈥淚 have learned many things on this farm. I have learned that any system works for cows if you manage it well. I learned that, with calf health, you have to pay attention before it is too late because once it is too late medications cannot help anymore. So, pay attention to changes,鈥� she emphasized.
鈥淭he reality with much bigger farms is quite different from what I expected. The management is very different.鈥� She explains, 鈥淭here are a lot more preventative actions in place because it is harder to manage ketosis (for example) when you have so many cows, so you spend the money on preventatives to help you out.鈥�
Spichtig observed other management skills that will assist her in her career in agriculture. 鈥淪ome new skills I have learned on this farm is the idea of organization and always being prepared. This can help me with my future work, as being organized ensures your workflow is well underway as everything is being done, written down and easy to understand.鈥�
She also became more observant during the course of the internship. 鈥淚 learned to pay attention to small things that could mean bigger things down the road by incorporating it into my work routine. For example, when milking look for cows that could be lame, or when pushing in feed watch for cows that do not go to the feed bunk (could be sick).鈥�
Spichtig summarized her positive experience with this conclusion: 鈥淚 love working on Mindy Farms. I enjoy being able to work with cows and with machinery. I have learned a lot here.鈥�
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Originally published in the Quebec Farmers Advocate in the September 2020 edition.聽