Justine Satterlee didn’t grow up on a farm. In fact, she started her career doing hair. But today, she’s up before sunrise managing dairy cows at Sanborn & Sons, a family-run dairy farm in Hubbardston, Michigan.
As herd manager, Justine does everything from checking pregnancies to feeding calves — all part of a demanding and fulfilling life in dairy farming. In all, Justine manages a herd of 1,400 — 700 milking cows and 700 young heifers. A heifer is a cow, typically younger than 2 years old, that has not yet given birth to her first calf.
“I started washing equipment and doing odds and ends,” she says. “Then I told the owner, ‘I want to learn everything about cows.’ That was five years ago.”
The day begins early on the dairy farm
Justine’s workday starts around 4:30 a.m. Every day looks a little different. “Some days I’m getting cows ready for herd health checks or breeding. Other days, it’s moving cattle or giving calves fresh bedding.”
Sanborn & Sons milks their Holsteins three times daily — at 10 a.m., 6 p.m. and 2 a.m. The cows live in freestall barns, meaning they can move around freely between milkings to eat, drink and lay down when they want — a detail that highlights how dairy cows are cared for in modern farming.
“They get milked, then go back to their sand bedding,” Justine explains. “It’s like a beach in there and they love it.”
Cow health meets smart dairy farming
What does a dairy farmer do besides milking cows? A lot, it turns out — especially when it comes to health and wellness. Justine uses modern tools to monitor her herd, including “CowManager” ear tags that send alerts to her phone.
“It tracks temperature, nutrition, health alerts,” she says. “I can tell right away if something’s off and go check on her.”
She even jokes that some kids think she’s a veterinarian. The truth is she’s very tuned in to the cows. “I know who’s who by their ear tags. My boss was shocked once when I said a certain cow was in the fifth stall on the south side — and she was.”
Cow comfort is an important part of the job
On Michigan dairy farms, cow comfort matters. “They’re like employees — they’re working every day to produce food for us,” Justine says. “I treat them like gold.”
Cows rest on fresh sand bedding that’s cleaned and replaced weekly. There’s plenty of ventilation to keep them cool — plus a cow brush that spins when they lean into it. “It’s like a spa treatment,” she says.
Comfort directly impacts milk production, and comfy cows produce more milk. That’s a big part of how dairy farmers prioritize animal welfare.
Growth, Jerseys and a focus on sustainability
Ideally, each cow gives birth once a year, which keeps her milk production going.
She hopes to double the herd size and add Jerseys — a breed known for richer milk. “They don’t give as much milk as Holsteins, but their components are typically higher, especially protein and butterfat.”
Like many dairy farmers in Michigan, Justine also helps grow most of what the cows eat. Corn, hay and silage are harvested right on the farm.
“Even our manure gets mapped and spread on fields to boost the soil,” she says. “It all goes back to the cows — it’s a full cycle.”This type of sustainable dairy farming practice helps reduce waste and support the local ecosystem.
Local milk, real purpose
Justine also coaches basketball and softball — and she makes sure the kids on her teams enjoy fresh local milk during the season. “The kids just love that it’s so local,” she says.
Each day, a refrigerated truck picks up about 60,000 pounds of milk from Sanborn & Sons. From there, it’s processed and delivered to Michigan families within 48 hours — a great example of how milk gets from farm to table.
Justine loves educating kids on how milk gets from the Michigan farm to their homes, connecting her daily work with the dairy foods families enjoy every day.
“You gotta like your job. You gotta get up every day and like what you do,” she says. “Since finding this job, I’ve grown so much — and I just want to learn more.”
This content is sponsored by United Dairy Industry of Michigan / Milk Means More. Learn more at milkmeansmore.org.
Find more articles like this at Metro Parent’s How to Get Kids to Eat Healthy.
