New book shows off bovine beauties

Oct 22, 2018

A P.E.I. dairy farmer is sorting through almost 20 years of photos

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

A dairy farmer from Prince Edward Island and a livestock photographer from Ontario are creating a photobook to help spread some joy in the industry.

The dairy concessions in the new USMCA have hit producers hard. The new book can provide farmers with a brief escape from the associated negativity, said Bloyce Thompson, owner of Eastside Holsteins in Frenchfort, P.E.I.

“Our industry is in need of some good news,” he told Farms.com. “This book may not change peoples’ lives but, at the very least, they can pick (it) up and see some beautiful dairy cows in beautiful and unique places.”

The book, which is scheduled for release in April ahead of the National Holstein Convention in Charlottetown, P.E.I., features dairy cows modelling in front of provincial landmarks – including Province House (P.E.I.’s provincial legislature) – and Island scenery.

For Thompson, the book serves two purposes: an opportunity to engage with the community and to promote the province’s beauty.

“Non-farmers who pick up this book will see livestock in a different light,” he said. “They’re washed, polished and sparkling. They look like supermodels on the beach. The book also helps to promote Prince Edward Island. The province is so small but has so many beautiful places in it. Maybe someone will want to go visit one of the beaches in the book.”

It is a compilation of photos spanning nearly 20 years.

Vicki Fletcher, a Pembroke, Ont. livestock photographer, was behind the lens for most of those pictures and is co-creating the book with Thompson.

The pair work together when Thompson needs marketing photos of his cows. Many of the photos in the book are pictures that did not make into marketing materials.

“We might be on the way to another location and one of us would suggest stopping somewhere else to take some photos, so we would,” Fletcher told Farms.com. “The project is a look into the fun we’ve had along the way.”

Vicki Fletcher/CBC photo

Video: A Farm Song (Busy) | Parody of A Bar Song (Tipsy) by Shaboozey

Lyrics:

My days begin with workin’, Alarm’s at 5 o’clock,
I Fill 5 gallon buckets, The feeders and the troughs,
This five to nine ain’t workin’, why the heck do I work so hard?,
I can’t worry ‘bout health problems, I can sleep in when I’m gone,

One, here comes the two to the three to the four,
Tell em’ ‘buy another cow, we need plenty more’,
Blue jeans are gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
There’s another flock of sheep that still needs feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

I’ve been working pretty stressed but,
I ain’t changing for some cash,
Lord knows that I’m very blessed (More chores),
But I gotta say it’s hard,
Workin’ outside gettin’ charred,
Living out here on the farm, (more chores)

One, here comes the two to the three to the four,
Tell em’ ‘buy another cow, we need plenty more’,
Blue jeans are gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history
There’s another 20 chickens that still need feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Everybody on the farm getting’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,

Fun, here on ranch that’s what you can’t ignore,
Might be pretty hard but I love it to its core,
Flannel’s gettin’ dirty, what else could I ask for,
Oh my, more chores (Tell ‘em sing with me)

Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
There’s another flock of sheep that still needs feed,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Someone pour me up another shot of sweet tea,
They know me and working hard’s got a history,
Watching cattle in the dark, don’t miss me,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
(Yeeeeeehaw)
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
Everybody on the farm gettin’ busy,
It’s the best bro, go get yourself a farm