Kids Corner: The Traynors

Carol Traynor
18 years old
Senior

When do you do chores? I do the 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. milkings year-round. Before night milking, I also help with the birds and calves when needed. We have 50 chickens and 30 turkeys.
What is your favorite chore and least favorite chore? My favorite chore is milking cows because I get to spend time with them one on one. My least favorite chore is taking care of the chickens. My heart is more into the cattle than the chickens.
What is your favorite animal on your farm? My 12-year-old Milking Shorthorn cow, Sweet Pea.
What is your favorite subject in school? Agriculture. I really like the large animal science portion of our overall ag program.
What do you want to be when you grow up? I’m trying to look at jobs in ag business as well as communications, marketing and sales jobs within the ag industry. I’m also interested in the broadcasting end of it, such as being on the radio like Pam Jahnke.
If you had a farm, describe what it would look like. It would be a big dairy with all the calves on-site. I’d have over 100 acres and continue to grow. I would milk cows in a 12-by-12 step-down parlor. I would start with 50 cows and expand my herd from there. I would have Milking Shorthorns and maybe venture into Ayrshires as well.
What is your favorite dairy treat? Cheese.
What is your favorite part about farm life during the summer? Being with the cows and having no schedule to do homework. I like working with my fair babies and being outside.
Are you involved in any activities? What do you enjoy about it? I’m involved in 4-H and FFA. My favorite is FFA because I get a lot of opportunities and get to explore a lot of avenues in that organization. I can go a lot of different places in FFA that I probably can’t go anywhere else.

Faith Traynor
15 years old
Sophomore

When do you do chores? Normally at night starting at 3 or 4. I sometimes help in the mornings too.
What is your favorite chore and least favorite chore? I like helping with crops; driving tractor is my favorite chore. My least favorite chore is feeding the animals because it gets exhausting.
What is your favorite animal on your farm? My calf, Holly. She is a Holstein-Milking Shorthorn cross.
What is your favorite subject in school? FFA/ag class because I really enjoy the teachers.
What do you want to be when you grow up? A field manager for dairy farms.
If you had a farm, describe what it would look like. It would be a larger dairy farm with a lot of acreage so I could provide feed for my animals but still have extra to sell. I would have 2,000 acres and a big shop to park all of my fancy equipment and newer technologies.
What is your favorite dairy treat? Ice cream or cheese.
What is your favorite part about farm life during the summer? Getting to be outside in the fresh air. I like to do a lot of stuff and experience new things on the farm in the summer. Not a lot of kids my age have this experience, so I’m grateful.
Are you involved in any activities? What do you enjoy about it? I am in 4-H, FFA and the Super Mileage Club in which we build a small racecar and take it up to Road America. We run it around the track to see how far it can go before it runs out of gas. Then, we alter it to get more mileage. My favorite activity is FFA. I’m very active in it, and I get to experience a lot and meet new people and other kids with the same interests.

Cody Watkins
15 years old
Sophomore

When do you do chores? Every other night and every morning. I do a little bit of everything. I feed, milk and mix stuff. I’m a utility player that helps wherever I’m needed.
What is your favorite chore and least favorite chore? My favorite chore is feeding calves because they’re funny. My least favorite chore is working in the hay mow because you get sweaty and the hay sticks to you.
What is your favorite animal on your farm? Our bull, Coy. He’s really funny, and he’s my best friend.
What is your favorite subject in school? History.
What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to create my own business, probably something in engineering.
If you had a farm, describe what it would look like. I would have 75 acres and lots of animals – pigs, beef cows and chickens.
What is your favorite dairy treat? Cheese or yogurt.
What is your favorite part about farm life during the summer? Being here more. During school, I’m not here as much and I also have after-school activities.
Are you involved in any activities? What do you enjoy about it? I am in 4-H, FFA, football, wrestling and weightlifting. My favorite is definitely football because it’s what I’m best at, and you can legally hit people so it’s kind of fun. My position is offensive lineman.

Ellie Traynor
12 years old
Seventh grade

When do you do chores? It depends. I usually do night chores starting around 3 or 4. Sometimes in the summer I do morning chores too.
What is your favorite chore and least favorite chore? My favorite chore is feeding my calf, CB. My least favorite chore is feeding hay because you get itchy.
What is your favorite animal on your farm? My calf, CB. She is an all-black Holstein-Jersey cross that we bought from a family friend. She’s a winter calf, and she won junior champion at the Rock County Fair.
What is your favorite subject in school? History or math.
What do you want to be when you grow up? Maybe something with engineering. I like how things are built. I could see maybe being a mechanic, engineer or designer.
If you had a farm, describe what it would look like. It would be bigger than this farm. I would have Holsteins and Milking Shorthorns and keep growing. The cows would be milked in a parlor setup.
What is your favorite dairy treat? Ice cream.
What is your favorite part about farm life during the summer? Getting ready for the fairs and the simple fact I get to be home for hay and harvesting.
Are you involved in any activities? What do you enjoy about it? I am in 4-H, basketball, softball and also maybe volleyball when I start middle school. My favorite activity is 4-H and showing at the fair. There are a lot of great people at the fair to teach you a lot of life lessons and skills like respect and leadership.