Farmers left holding the bag
I’m just back from a quick trip to the farm. Every trip to the farm is wonderful but a fall visit is always special. After many months of hard labour, the silos are full, the hay is wrapped, and the cows are back in the barn. There is such a peaceful sense of accomplishment.
Having said that, this past weekend was less than peaceful at home; I didn’t realize it when I booked my ticket, but it was the dreaded “time-change weekend.”
I had an early flight back to Halifax, so Dad didn’t get to the barn Sunday morning; he and Mom were taking me to the airport.
While we were having our breakfast, my brother came in. Chores were done earlier than usual… Or were they?
And so it began… While the clock on the farmhouse wall had been adjusted to reflect the new time, the cow’s clock – her internal clock – had not.
If a farmer takes advantage of that extra hour of sleep, his cows will be fed, and consequently milked, one hour later. To maintain consistent production levels, cows should be milked at about the same time each milking. In order to accomplish that, Ronnie and my dad slowly work their way back to Standard Time.
I’d also like to debunk a popular myth about Daylight Standard Time. Many believe we started to move our clocks ahead in the spring to accommodate farmers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Farmers were the only sector to not voice an opinion, so they were left holding the bag.
While it’s quite easy to move the hands of a clock and sleep in for another hour, you can see how it’s not that simple on the farm. I’ve been observing this biannual ritual all my life; it’s both comical and quite serious at the same time.
I hope you’ve adjusted to the new time; the cows will get there by the end of the week.