DAIRY CULTURE
CATTLE SHOWS
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Something quite popular within the dairy industry was the idea of cattle shows. There were different types of cattle shows. Sometimes there were only smaller cattle shows done strictly on farms or dairies that were pretty small and really only done for the purpose of selling and buying cattle. However there were also very large cattle shows that were part of larger agricultural shows. Cattle shows served as a way to sell cattle, give out cattle awards and share ideas, news, and speeches as a community. It was a way to not only share the latest news within the agricultural world but also in the larger political and social worlds as well. These shows however did not only draw from Worcester county but from the greater New England area as well. The Worcester Agricultural Society typically put on these shows, or other agricultural societies within the county depending on where the show took place. Within the city of Worcester, there were shows typically done on the Worcester agricultural fairground which was a little bit east of Elm Park. At these various cattle shows, there were many awards given out based on who had the best cattle. Some of the winners were cattle from various Worcester and Worcester county farms such as Alta Crest whose Ayshire cows won many awards. In the photo gallery one can find a picture of a typical set up of the cattle shows within Worcester.
WOMEN AND DAIRY
For many years before the industrialization period, dairy processing and collection was the work of women. Women were out milking the cows and churning the butter created from it and an impressive amount of dairy was being produced during this period before industrialization. Yet, as industrialization arrived this momentum of women’s labor was stifled as it became more lucrative to ship milk and use machines to process milk instead. Markets extended out to Boston and Providence and women were no longer taking on the labor-intensive processes of dairying in the same degree and manner.