MONROE - Squeeze. Release. Repeat.
That's the key to milking a cow by hand, members of the Cheese Days royal family learned Sunday. Monroe Cheese Days King and Queen Gary and Corie Grossen, Princess Olivia O'Dea, daughter of Jerry and Claire O'Dea of Monroe, and Prince Noah Zimmerman, son of Travis and Kayla Zimmerman, Monticello, gathered at the Randy and Pam Wyss farm in rural Monroe to learn the ins and outs of milking in preparation for the traditional Cheese Days milking contest planned for Saturday.
There's some things to keep in mind, Pam Wyss told the youngsters and for the benefit of others in the small crowd of onlookers not well versed in bovine etiquette.
"Don't run up to them. Let them know you're there" so the cows don't' get startled, she said. She noted that Sierra and Decca, the Wyss farm cows the royalty would be practicing on were both "very gentle, very good girls."
It's a good idea to get personal. "Ask if they have a name," she advised.
Get the cows feet in the right position so the milk-collecting bucket is out of harm's way. And before reaching in, wet your hands with some milk, she said.
Despite the quick overview, 8-year-old Olivia was a bit reluctant to give it a try. Randy Wyss coached her, telling her to "squeeze down, real gentle." With a little more coaxing from Randy Wyss and her dad, Olivia got what she came for: A thin stream of milk hitting the pail.
She admitted afterward to being a little nervous.
"I thought it was going to be slimy," she said of the cow's teat. "It was smooth, warm. The milk was very warm."
It was also Noah's first time to milk, but he seemed a natural. In no time, Noah, also 8, had two steady streams of milk filling his bucket.
He was enthusiastic about his practice run.
"It was fun!" he said.
Corie Grossen said she had milked once before, but wasn't very successful.
"I couldn't get much milk out," she said.
She got help from Steve Streiff, himself a former Cheese Days king, who was helping tutor the newbies in the art of milking.
"You don't want to pull down too much," he cautioned. He also urged her to remember to release after squeezing. "That's probably why you didn't get much before," he surmised.
Gary Grossen scarcely needed the lesson. He grew up on a dairy farm and had milked before. But it was a "long, long, long, long time ago," he said. Still, he got straight to work and saw his liquid reward in no time. "I plan on winning," he said.
This is the eighth Cheese Days the Wysses have hosted the pre-Cheese Days milking practice. Randy's family has been taking cows to be milked since the 1960s, Pam said.
The contest begins at 1 p.m. Contestants will milk four cows, for one minute each. In addition to Cheese Days Royalty, Cheese Days Ambassador Charity Rood, Monroe Mayor Ron Marsh and Green County Board Chairman Art Carter are scheduled to compete. There will also be eight teams of four representing Cheese Days sponsors and an open class. Participants for the Open Class will selected by lottery, Wyss said.
And that means any former milking all-stars can show up for a shot at the title - even if it's a been a long time. Because milking is a lot like riding a bicycle.
"It's something you don't forget how to do," Streiff said.
That's the key to milking a cow by hand, members of the Cheese Days royal family learned Sunday. Monroe Cheese Days King and Queen Gary and Corie Grossen, Princess Olivia O'Dea, daughter of Jerry and Claire O'Dea of Monroe, and Prince Noah Zimmerman, son of Travis and Kayla Zimmerman, Monticello, gathered at the Randy and Pam Wyss farm in rural Monroe to learn the ins and outs of milking in preparation for the traditional Cheese Days milking contest planned for Saturday.
There's some things to keep in mind, Pam Wyss told the youngsters and for the benefit of others in the small crowd of onlookers not well versed in bovine etiquette.
"Don't run up to them. Let them know you're there" so the cows don't' get startled, she said. She noted that Sierra and Decca, the Wyss farm cows the royalty would be practicing on were both "very gentle, very good girls."
It's a good idea to get personal. "Ask if they have a name," she advised.
Get the cows feet in the right position so the milk-collecting bucket is out of harm's way. And before reaching in, wet your hands with some milk, she said.
Despite the quick overview, 8-year-old Olivia was a bit reluctant to give it a try. Randy Wyss coached her, telling her to "squeeze down, real gentle." With a little more coaxing from Randy Wyss and her dad, Olivia got what she came for: A thin stream of milk hitting the pail.
She admitted afterward to being a little nervous.
"I thought it was going to be slimy," she said of the cow's teat. "It was smooth, warm. The milk was very warm."
It was also Noah's first time to milk, but he seemed a natural. In no time, Noah, also 8, had two steady streams of milk filling his bucket.
He was enthusiastic about his practice run.
"It was fun!" he said.
Corie Grossen said she had milked once before, but wasn't very successful.
"I couldn't get much milk out," she said.
She got help from Steve Streiff, himself a former Cheese Days king, who was helping tutor the newbies in the art of milking.
"You don't want to pull down too much," he cautioned. He also urged her to remember to release after squeezing. "That's probably why you didn't get much before," he surmised.
Gary Grossen scarcely needed the lesson. He grew up on a dairy farm and had milked before. But it was a "long, long, long, long time ago," he said. Still, he got straight to work and saw his liquid reward in no time. "I plan on winning," he said.
This is the eighth Cheese Days the Wysses have hosted the pre-Cheese Days milking practice. Randy's family has been taking cows to be milked since the 1960s, Pam said.
The contest begins at 1 p.m. Contestants will milk four cows, for one minute each. In addition to Cheese Days Royalty, Cheese Days Ambassador Charity Rood, Monroe Mayor Ron Marsh and Green County Board Chairman Art Carter are scheduled to compete. There will also be eight teams of four representing Cheese Days sponsors and an open class. Participants for the Open Class will selected by lottery, Wyss said.
And that means any former milking all-stars can show up for a shot at the title - even if it's a been a long time. Because milking is a lot like riding a bicycle.
"It's something you don't forget how to do," Streiff said.