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Transcript: Dairy Herdsperson
[Bright music plays]
A child says, WHEE!
t.v.o. kids and Riverbank Pictures Original.
[Giggling]
[Upbeat music plays]
Gears turn on a blueprint. Text reads, T.V.O. kids presents.
A girl with black hair in short, tight braids wears a blue long-sleeved shirt. She stands beside a boy with short, curly brown hair wearing a brown long-sleeved shirt.
The two kids say, WELCOME TO TRADING SKILLS!
They cross their arms and stand back to back. The brown-haired boy points to a video of the black-haired girl riding in a tractor.
The black-haired girl says, THE SHOW WHERE WE TAKE TURNS TRYING A SKILLED TRADE. I'M AKEYLAH.
The brown-haired boy says, AND I'M BRODY.
Akeylah, the black-haired girl, says, A SKILLED TRADE IS A JOB THAT REQUIRES A SPECIAL SKILL.
Videos show Akeylah and the brown-haired boy Brody trying different skilled trades.
They say, THERE ARE LOTS OF SKILL TRADES.
Brody uses a virtual reality headset and controllers.
Brody says, AND YOU MIGHT FIND THE PERFECT
TRADE FOR YOU!
Akeylah makes dough and rides an aerial lift.
Akeylah says, MAYBE THERE'S A TRADE THAT COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
Brody explores a greenhouse.
Brody says, SO COME WITH US INTO THE TRADES.
Together, Akeylah and Brody say, ON TRADING SKILLS.
Title: Trading Skills.
[Upbeat music plays]
In the Skill Space, Akeylah and Brody eat bowls of ice cream at the work table with a carton of ice cream between them. Akeylah wears a purple long-sleeved shirt, and Brody wears a dark green long-sleeved shirt.
Brody says, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY, WE ALL SCREAM?
Akeylah smiles and says, FOR ICE CREAM. I'D LIKE TO PERSONALLY THANK THE COWS WHO MADE THE MILK FOR THIS DELICIOUS TREAT.
Brody asks, WHY DON'T YOU THANK THEM IN PERSON?
Akeylah furrows her brow.
She asks, HOW DO I DO THAT?
Brody says, A SKILLED TRADE, OF COURSE. THERE'S GOT TO BE ONE BASED AROUND COWS.
Akeylah reads the side of the ice cream container.
She says, IT SAYS HERE THAT A DAIRY HERDS PERSON IS A SKILLED TRADE WHERE YOU TAKE CARE OF AND MILK COWS. HOW CONVENIENT!
Outside a cowbarn on a dairy farm, a man with short brown hair and glasses moves cow feed with a pitchfork. He wears a dark brown, yellow and brown plaid shirt unbuttoned over a white T-shirt that reads, Milk.
Brody says, IT ALSO SAYS THERE'S A DAIRY HERDSPERSON NAMED JORED IN PLATTSVILLE, ONTARIO.
The brown-haired man, Dairy Herdsperson Jored DeBruin, smiles.
Brody says, WHY DON'T YOU GET A “MOVE” ON AND I'LL STEER YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?
Akeylah says, SOUNDS GOOD.
She leaves the table.
She says, JUST ONE MORE BITE.
Akeylah runs back to the table. She takes another bite of her ice cream and then leaves.
Brody says, LIKE I SAID, WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Gentle, cheerful music plays]
On the dairy farm, Akeylah wears a light blue, short-sleeved button-down shirt over a white, long-sleeved shirt rolled past her elbows, jeans, and black rain boots.
Akeylah narrates, I WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE NEXT PERSON TO JOIN THE HERD OF HERDSPEOPLE, SO I MADE MY WAY TO PINE HILLS DAIRY, WHERE JORED LOOKS AFTER HIS COW FRIENDS.
Akeylah meets Jored by a fence outside the cow barn in a large field.
Akeylah says, HEY JORED!
Jored says, HI AKEYLAH, WELCOME TO THE FARM!
He high-fives Akeylah.
Akeylah says, I'M TOLD THAT A DAIRY HERDSPERSON WORKS WITH COWS.
Jored says, THAT'S RIGHT, WE FEED, MANAGE, AND MILK COWS. PLUS, WE GET THE MILK READY TO BE SHIPPED OUT.
[Cow mooing loudly]
Akeylah says, I THINK I CAN HEAR YOUR FRIENDS. CAN I MEET THEM?
Jored says, SURE, HERE THEY COME!
He turns toward the cow barn. Akeylah turns and watches cows walk out of the barn into the field where Jored and Akeylah stand.
[Akeylah gasping]
[Cows mooing]
Akeylah says, WHOA!
[Cows mooing]
The herd of cows walk past Jored and Akeylah.
Akeylah asks, WHY DO YOU LET THE COWS OUT HERE?
Jored says, BECAUSE IT'S GOOD FOR THEIR LEGS, GOOD EXERCISE, AND PLUS THEY GET TO EAT FRESH GRASS.
Two cows eat grass near a fence.
Jored says, THEY ALL HAVE A NAME. THIS IS OLIVIA.
He raises his hand toward one of the cows.
Akeylah says, NICE TO MEET YOU, AND NICE TO MEET YOU, AND NICE TO MEET YOU, AND NICE TO MEET YOU TOO, AND YOU BACK THERE.
She points to different cows.
Akeylah asks, OH, WHAT'S YOUR NAME?
A cow raises its snout.
[Cow mooing]
Akeylah says, OH DOLORES. NICE TO MEET YOU DOLORES.
[Cow mooing]
Akeylah asks, WHAT'S NEXT ABOUT BEING A DAIRY HERDSPERSON?
Jored says, WELL, DO YOU WANT TO FEED THE COWS?
Akeylah says, SURE!
Jored says, LET'S GO!
He walks away from the herd of cows with Akeylah.
[Cow mooing]
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Cheerful music plays]
Elsewhere on the farm, a tractor tows a large piece of machinery. Another has a loader scoop. Akeylah climbs onto a seat in a tractor. Jored sits in the seat beside her.
Jored says, WELCOME ABOARD.
Akeylah says, SAFETY FIRST.
She pulls her seatbelt across her waist.
Jored says, THAT'S RIGHT.
Akeylah pulls her door closed. Jored drives the tractor toward one of the buildings.
Jored says, FIRST THINGS FIRST, WE'RE GONNA PUT THE FEED IN THE MIXER.
Akeylah asks, HOW MUCH FOOD DO COWS EAT A DAY?
Jored says, THEY EAT ABOUT 23 KILOGRAMS OF FEED PER COW PER DAY.
He scoops cow feed, known as blender mix, from a pile wrapped in plastic.
Jored says, COWS LIKE THE SAME FOOD EVERY DAY. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?
Akeylah says, I DON'T LIKE THE SAME FOOD EVERY DAY. I NEED SOME VARIETY.
Jored backs up away from the feed.
He says, SO WE'RE ADDING DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS INTO THE MIX SO THAT COWS GET EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED. WE TAKE IT FROM THE BAG.
Jored turns toward the large piece of machinery on the other tractor. Akeylah gives a thumbs up through her window.
Jored says, AND WE DUMP IT IN THIS MIXER.
Akeylah says, WHOA!
Jored tilts the tractor scoop, full of feed, toward the mixer.
Akeylah says, AND DUMP IT IN.
Jored dumps the feed into the mixer.
He says, AND THERE YOU HAVE IT.
Akeylah says, I HOPE THESE COWS ARE HUNGRY.
Jored says, THEY SURE ARE.
He drives the mixer tractor alongside the cow barn. Akeylah rides in the cab with him. The mixer pours the feed into a line before the cows inside the barn. The cows poke their heads through bars and eat the feed.
Akeylah says, HERE WE GO.
Jored says, SO HERE WE ARE FEEDING THE COWS THEIR BLENDER MIX OF FOOD, EXACTLY ALL THE NUTRIENTS THEY NEED FOR HEALTHY GROWTH.
Akeylah says, YUM, YUM, YUM. EAT UP, LITTLE COWS.
More cows stick their heads through the bars and start eating.
Jored says, NOW THE COWS HAVE THEIR FOOD.
He continues past the cow barn. The cows munch on their food.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Gentle, cheerful music plays]
In an office on the farm, Jored and Akeylah sit at a desk with a computer and two monitors displaying data.
Akeylah asks, WHAT'S THIS FOR?
[Akeylah gasping]
Akeylah asks, CAN COWS USE EMAIL?
Jored says, NO, THEY DON'T. THE KEY TO BEING A DAIRY HERDSPERSON IS MANAGING YOUR COWS. AND WE DO IT RIGHT HERE ON THE COMPUTER. WE TRACK THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR DATA RIGHT HERE.
Akeylah asks, WELL, HOW DOES IT WORK?
Jored says, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS COW HERE, WE CAN PULL UP HER GRAPH AND IT SHOWS THAT SHE HAD A SPIKE.
Jored shows Akeylah a graph on the computer.
Akeylah asks, A SPIKE IN WHAT?
Jored explains, THAT'S A SPIKE IN HER TEMPERATURE. SO I CAN SEE THAT HER TEMPERATURE HAS FLUCTUATED. AND I USE THAT TO MANAGE. EACH COW HAS AN EAR TAG IN THEIR EAR AND THAT MEASURES THEIR TEMPERATURE AND HOW MUCH THEY'RE EATING.
Jored shows Akeylah a line graph.
He says, SO THIS IS HER RUMINATION OR HOW MUCH SHE'S EATING. AND THE BLUE DARK BLUE LINE HERE IS HOW MUCH SHE'S WALKING.
Akeylah asks, WHAT DO THESE DIFFERENT COLOURS MEAN?
She points to a monitor showing I.D. tag numbers organized by colour.
Jored says, SO THE RED ONES HERE HAVE HAD BABIES. THE BLUE ONES ARE POSSIBLY PREGNANT. THE GREEN ONES ARE ALL PREGNANT. AND THE BLUE ONES HERE ARE WHAT WE CONSIDER DRY COWS.
Akeylah asks, WHAT ARE DRY COWS?
Jored explains, DRY COWS ARE COWS THAT ARE NOT BEING MILKED 60 DAYS BEFORE THEY HAVE THEIR NEXT CALF.
Akeylah says, KIND OF LIKE A VACATION.
Jored says, PRETTY MUCH. AND THAT'S HOW YOU MANAGE THE HERD. IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF MY JOB.
Akeylah says, I SEE. YOU'RE KIND OF LIKE THEIR FRIEND, BUT ALSO THEIR BOSS. I GUESS BEING A DAIRY HERDSPERSON TAKES A LOT OF COW-CULATING.
[Cow mooing]
Akeylah says, COME ON. COW-CULATING WAS A WINNER!
She leaves the desk.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Upbeat music plays]
In the cow barn, a cow eats feed through the bars of its closed-off space.
Akeylah narrates, NEXT, JORED PUT ME TO WORK AS AN APPRENTICE AND I HANDLED
THE CLEANING DUTIES.
Akeylah walks toward the cow with a broom.
Akeylah says, HELLO THERE!
She pushes the feed closer toward the cow.
[Akeylah humming to herself]
In a timelapse, Akeylah tidies the rest of the floor with the broom and pushes the feed closer to the cows.
Akeylah says, EXCUSE ME.
She sticks a pitchfork in a pile of hay.
Akeylah narrates, AND I ALSO GAVE THEM A SNACK.
She lifts hay off the pile.
She says, I GOT THIS ESPECIALLY FOR YOU GUYS.
Akeylah drops the hay into the cow’s space. In a timelapse, Akeylah gives the cows more hay.
[Akeylah humming to herself]
Akeylah wipes her forehead with the back of her hand.
She says, PHEW.
Akeylah holds a large scoop of white powder.
She narrates, ALONG WITH SOME NUTRITIONAL POWDER!
Akeylah sprinkles the powder over the cow’s feed.
She says, LOOKS GOOD.
[Akeylah humming to herself]
Akeylah sprinkles the nutritional powder across another line of feed. A cow eats hay piled outside its closed-off space.
Akeylah walks over and says, WHAT A MESS. WERE YOU RAISED IN A BARN OR SOMETHING? OH, WAIT. THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE YOU WERE RAISED. NEVER MIND. CARRY ON.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Gentle, cheerful music plays]
Later, in the cow barn, Akeylah and Jarod sit in chairs between the cows.
Akeylah says, QUIET ON THE SET COWS!
She looks over her shoulder at some of the cows, then back at Jarod.
Akeylah says, JORED! HOW DID YOU BECOME A DAIRY HERDSPERSON?
Jored says, WELL, WHEN I WAS 11 YEARS OLD, MY GRANDPARENTS HAD A DAIRY FARM AND I STARTED WORKING THERE, WHERE I DID EVERYTHING FROM SWEEPING THE FLOOR TO BEDDING THE COWS WITH STRAW, TO MILKING THE COWS AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THEM.
Akeylah asks, DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL TO BECOME A DAIRY HERDSPERSON?
Jored says, I SURE DID. WHEN I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, I WENT ON TO COLLEGE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH RITCHTOWN CAMPUS, WHERE I TOOK MY DIPLOMA IN AGRICULTURE, WHERE I LEARNED ABOUT TAKING CARE OF COWS.
Akeylah asks, WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR TRADE?
Jored says, I LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S MORE OF A LIFESTYLE THAN A CAREER. EVERY MORNING I WAKE UP AND I GET TO WORK WITH THESE COWS. EVERY MONDAY MORNING WHEN I COME BACK TO WORK, I AM OVERJOYED TO SEE THEM AGAIN. THEY'RE ALL WAITING FOR ME.
Akeylah asks, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME WHO WANTS TO BECOME A DAIRY HERDSPERSON?
Jored says, I WOULD SAY LOOK AT GETTING INVOLVED IN YOUR LOCAL AGRICULTURE CLUBS LIKE 4-H. GO TO THE C.N.E. WHERE THERE'S ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE A LOCAL FAIR, CHECK OUT THE COWS THERE, SEE IF YOU LIKE IT.
Akeylah nods and says, I DO.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Gentle, cheerful music plays]
A calf sniffs the bars of its pen. The calf shares the pen with another calf. Jored leads Akeylah to the pen.
Jored says, AND THIS IS WHERE WE KEEP THE BABIES.
Akeylah says, CUTE! HI THERE!
She follows Jored to a pair of calves in individual housing pens.
Jored says, AKEYLAH, MEET CARAMEL AND OLIVE.
Akeylah says, THEY'RE SO CUTE! HOW OLD ARE THEY?
Jored says, CARAMEL IS A DAY OLD, AND OLIVE IS A WEEK OLD.
Akeylah says, ONLY ONE DAY?!
Jored says, AND ALREADY 110 POUNDS.
Akeylah asks, WHAT DO THEY EAT?
Jored says, CALFS ARE DRINKING MILK, AND BOTH OF THESE ARE ON 8 LITRES A DAY ALREADY.
Akeylah says, THAT'S A LOT OF MILK FOR A BABY.
Olive sticks her head through the bars of her pen and licks Akeylah’s jeans.
[Akeylah laughing]
Akeylah says, OLIVE, ARE YOU HUNGRY? I THINK SHE'S HUNGRY. CAN WE FEED HER?
Jored says, WE SURE CAN. LET'S DO IT.
He passes a large calf feeding bottle to Akeylah.
Jored says, HERE'S A BOTTLE FOR OLIVE.
Akeylah holds the bottle in front of Olive. Olive latches onto the bottle.
Jored says, AND I'M GOING TO FEED CARAMEL.
Akeylah says, HERE YOU GO OLIVE. DRINK IT UP.
[Sucking]
Olive drinks the milk from the bottle.
Akeylah asks, HOW'S CARAMEL DOING?
Jored says, SHE'S CHUGGING. HOW'S OLIVE?
Akeylah says, DOING GOOD.
Milk drips down Olive’s chin.
Akeylah says, DRINK UP!
[Sucking]
Akeylah says, SHE'S ALMOST DONE! GET EVERY LAST BIT.
She tilts the bottle toward Olive.
Jored says, PERFECT.
Olive pulls away from the bottle.
Akeylah says, ALL DONE. I THINK WE'VE MILKED THAT FOR ALL ITS WORTH.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Gentle, upbeat music plays]
Akeylah stands outside the cow barn.
She says, I'M WILLING TO BET THAT THE TRADE OF DAIRY HERDSPERSON HAS A LONG AND STORIED HISTORY. I'M GETTING INTO CHARACTER, SO LET'S FIND OUT.
Akeylah pulls on the hood of a cow onesie.
[Cow mooing]
In black and white, Brody wears overalls over a T-shirt and carries a stuffed toy cow.
Akeylah narrates, CANADA'S DAIRY HERDSPEOPLE BEGAN IN THE 1600S WHEN FRENCH SETTLERS BROUGHT CATTLE WITH THEM. AT FIRST, COWS WERE MILKED BY HAND INTO A BUCKET.
Brody walks across a farm with a bucket.
Akeylah narrates, BUT IN THE 20TH CENTURY, INNOVATIONS LIKE THE MILKING PIPELINE, WHICH USED PIPES RATHER THAN BUCKETS TO GATHER MILK, CHANGED THE WAY DAIRY HERDSPEOPLE WORKED.
In a room with milking equipment, Brody looks through a pipe.
Akeylah narrates, IN 1995, THE DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO WAS FORMED, WHICH MEANT DAIRY FARMERS WORKING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE DELICIOUS MILK TO ALL.
In colour, a driver steers a milk truck around a farm. Brody drinks milk from a glass bottle. In a cow barn, cows look through the bars of a fence.
[Mooing]
Cows walk down a row of milking machines.
Akeylah narrates, IT WAS TIME FOR THE HERD TO GET TO WORK PRODUCING MILK AT PINE HILL'S AUTOMATIC MILKING MACHINES.
Akeylah meets Jored in the milking room.
Akeylah says, HEY, COWPOKES! SO, HOW DO WE MILK THESE BEAUTIES?
Jored says, WELL, WE START BY STRIPPING THE UDDER, DIPPING THE UDDER, AND THEN WIPING THE UDDER, AND THEN WE HANG THE MILKING UNIT ON. YOU WANT TO SEE HOW IT WORKS?
Akeylah says, OF COURSE!
Jored walks up to a cow standing against one of the machines.
He says, SO LET'S START BY PULLING MILK OUT, WE'RE CHECKING FOR QUALITY.
He pulls on each of the cow’s teats, and milk squirts out.
Jored says, AND THEN WE PUT THIS DIP ON TO CLEAN THE TEATS.
He dips each cow teat into a bottle with a dark liquid.
Jored says, AND WE LET THAT SIT, AND THEN WE TAKE OUR TOWEL, AND WE WIPE THE TEATS CLEAN, AND THEN WE PUT OUR UNIT ON.
He swaps the bottle for a clean white towel and dries the cow’s teats. Jored then wipes the teats clean and reaches for the milking device.
Akeylah asks, THIS THINGY?
Jored says, SO WE GRAB IT LIKE THIS, WE PRESS START, AND WE PUT IT ON.
He holds the bottom of the device, known as a milking cluster and attaches nozzles on the device to each of the cow’s teats.
Jored says, AND THE COW GIVES HER MILK.
The milking cluster pumps milk from the cow.
Akeylah says, SO THEY HAVE TO GET MILKED EVERY SINGLE DAY?
Jored says, EVERY COW GETS MILKED THREE TIMES A DAY. WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY THIS ONE?
Akeylah says, SURE.
Jored says, ALRIGHT, WE STRIP THE TEATS.
Akeylah gently pulls on a cow’s teat.
She says, MINE'S NOT WORKING.
Milk squirts out of the cow’s teat.
Akeylah says, OH, THERE IT IS!
Jored grabs the dip bottle with the dark liquid and passes it to Akeylah.
Jored says, OKAY, AND THEN OUR DIP.
Akeylah dips each of the cow’s teats in the bottle.
Jored says, AND THEN OUR TOWEL, WE'RE GONNA CLEAN THE TEATS, MAKE SURE THEY'RE NICE AND DRY.
Akeylah dries the cow’s teats.
Jored says, PRESS THE START BUTTON, THE BIG GREEN BUTTON.
Akeylah presses a green button on a panel and attaches the milking cluster nozzles to the cow’s teats.
Akeylah says, AND FOUR. THERE YOU GO, DOLORES, YOU'RE ALL TAKEN CARE OF.
[Upbeat, cheerful music plays]
The milking cluster milks the cow.
Akeylah narrates, BEFORE THE MILK IS SENT OUT, IT GOES TO PROCESSING TO MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE FOR THE SHELVES.
In a processing room, a machine mixes milk inside a large tank.
[Sloshing]
Outside, a driver backs up a milk truck. A white-haired man with glasses and a neatly trimmed beard unloads a hose from the back of the truck and slides it through an opening in the building. The man pulls the hose out, and the driver leaves. Akeylah waves to the truck.
Akeylah says, GOODBYE MILK. AND THAT'S THAT.
She dusts off her hands.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Gentle, cheerful music plays]
Back at the Skill Space, Akeylah walks down the stairs with a piece of paper.
Akeylah says, HEY, BRODY, MY BOVINE FRIEND DOLORES SENT ME A LETTER.
She joins Brody at the work table.
Brody says, A LETTER? WHY NOT AN EMAIL?
Akeylah says, YEAH, SURE. A COW USING AN EMAIL. GET REAL.
Brody asks, WHAT DOES IT SAY?
Akeylah unfolds and reads the letter.
She says, THE LETTER SAYS, DEAR AKEYLAH, MOO-NY THANKS FOR HANGING OUT WITH THE HERD. HOPE YOU HEAR THE CATTLE CALL AND DROP BY THE PASTURE AGAIN. YOUR FRIEND DOLORES.
Brody says, SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE AN HONORARY MEMBER OF THE HERD. ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER TRADE.
Akeylah smiles and says, CHECK!
Brody says, JOIN US NEXT TIME AS WE TRADE PLACES ON OUR JOURNEY TO LEARN NEW SKILLS.
Akeylah says, THE NEXT ONE COULD BE THE ONE THAT TAKES MOO. I MEAN YOU TO THE TOP.
Brody and Akeylah wave and say, BYE!
End credits. Hosts, Akeylah James and Brody Agmon. Tradespersons Jored DeBruin. Written and directed by Johnny Mitchell. Produced by Francis Mitchell, Johnny Mitchell, David Mitchell. Produced in association with t.v.o.kids. Logo: Riverbank Pictures. Copyright 2024 Riverbank Pictures.
A child says, WHEE!
t.v.o. kids and Riverbank Pictures Original.
[Giggling]
[Upbeat music plays]
Gears turn on a blueprint. Text reads, T.V.O. kids presents.
A girl with black hair in short, tight braids wears a blue long-sleeved shirt. She stands beside a boy with short, curly brown hair wearing a brown long-sleeved shirt.
The two kids say, WELCOME TO TRADING SKILLS!
They cross their arms and stand back to back. The brown-haired boy points to a video of the black-haired girl riding in a tractor.
The black-haired girl says, THE SHOW WHERE WE TAKE TURNS TRYING A SKILLED TRADE. I'M AKEYLAH.
The brown-haired boy says, AND I'M BRODY.
Akeylah, the black-haired girl, says, A SKILLED TRADE IS A JOB THAT REQUIRES A SPECIAL SKILL.
Videos show Akeylah and the brown-haired boy Brody trying different skilled trades.
They say, THERE ARE LOTS OF SKILL TRADES.
Brody uses a virtual reality headset and controllers.
Brody says, AND YOU MIGHT FIND THE PERFECT
TRADE FOR YOU!
Akeylah makes dough and rides an aerial lift.
Akeylah says, MAYBE THERE'S A TRADE THAT COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
Brody explores a greenhouse.
Brody says, SO COME WITH US INTO THE TRADES.
Together, Akeylah and Brody say, ON TRADING SKILLS.
Title: Trading Skills.
[Upbeat music plays]
In the Skill Space, Akeylah and Brody eat bowls of ice cream at the work table with a carton of ice cream between them. Akeylah wears a purple long-sleeved shirt, and Brody wears a dark green long-sleeved shirt.
Brody says, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY, WE ALL SCREAM?
Akeylah smiles and says, FOR ICE CREAM. I'D LIKE TO PERSONALLY THANK THE COWS WHO MADE THE MILK FOR THIS DELICIOUS TREAT.
Brody asks, WHY DON'T YOU THANK THEM IN PERSON?
Akeylah furrows her brow.
She asks, HOW DO I DO THAT?
Brody says, A SKILLED TRADE, OF COURSE. THERE'S GOT TO BE ONE BASED AROUND COWS.
Akeylah reads the side of the ice cream container.
She says, IT SAYS HERE THAT A DAIRY HERDS PERSON IS A SKILLED TRADE WHERE YOU TAKE CARE OF AND MILK COWS. HOW CONVENIENT!
Outside a cowbarn on a dairy farm, a man with short brown hair and glasses moves cow feed with a pitchfork. He wears a dark brown, yellow and brown plaid shirt unbuttoned over a white T-shirt that reads, Milk.
Brody says, IT ALSO SAYS THERE'S A DAIRY HERDSPERSON NAMED JORED IN PLATTSVILLE, ONTARIO.
The brown-haired man, Dairy Herdsperson Jored DeBruin, smiles.
Brody says, WHY DON'T YOU GET A “MOVE” ON AND I'LL STEER YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION?
Akeylah says, SOUNDS GOOD.
She leaves the table.
She says, JUST ONE MORE BITE.
Akeylah runs back to the table. She takes another bite of her ice cream and then leaves.
Brody says, LIKE I SAID, WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Gentle, cheerful music plays]
On the dairy farm, Akeylah wears a light blue, short-sleeved button-down shirt over a white, long-sleeved shirt rolled past her elbows, jeans, and black rain boots.
Akeylah narrates, I WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE NEXT PERSON TO JOIN THE HERD OF HERDSPEOPLE, SO I MADE MY WAY TO PINE HILLS DAIRY, WHERE JORED LOOKS AFTER HIS COW FRIENDS.
Akeylah meets Jored by a fence outside the cow barn in a large field.
Akeylah says, HEY JORED!
Jored says, HI AKEYLAH, WELCOME TO THE FARM!
He high-fives Akeylah.
Akeylah says, I'M TOLD THAT A DAIRY HERDSPERSON WORKS WITH COWS.
Jored says, THAT'S RIGHT, WE FEED, MANAGE, AND MILK COWS. PLUS, WE GET THE MILK READY TO BE SHIPPED OUT.
[Cow mooing loudly]
Akeylah says, I THINK I CAN HEAR YOUR FRIENDS. CAN I MEET THEM?
Jored says, SURE, HERE THEY COME!
He turns toward the cow barn. Akeylah turns and watches cows walk out of the barn into the field where Jored and Akeylah stand.
[Akeylah gasping]
[Cows mooing]
Akeylah says, WHOA!
[Cows mooing]
The herd of cows walk past Jored and Akeylah.
Akeylah asks, WHY DO YOU LET THE COWS OUT HERE?
Jored says, BECAUSE IT'S GOOD FOR THEIR LEGS, GOOD EXERCISE, AND PLUS THEY GET TO EAT FRESH GRASS.
Two cows eat grass near a fence.
Jored says, THEY ALL HAVE A NAME. THIS IS OLIVIA.
He raises his hand toward one of the cows.
Akeylah says, NICE TO MEET YOU, AND NICE TO MEET YOU, AND NICE TO MEET YOU, AND NICE TO MEET YOU TOO, AND YOU BACK THERE.
She points to different cows.
Akeylah asks, OH, WHAT'S YOUR NAME?
A cow raises its snout.
[Cow mooing]
Akeylah says, OH DOLORES. NICE TO MEET YOU DOLORES.
[Cow mooing]
Akeylah asks, WHAT'S NEXT ABOUT BEING A DAIRY HERDSPERSON?
Jored says, WELL, DO YOU WANT TO FEED THE COWS?
Akeylah says, SURE!
Jored says, LET'S GO!
He walks away from the herd of cows with Akeylah.
[Cow mooing]
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Cheerful music plays]
Elsewhere on the farm, a tractor tows a large piece of machinery. Another has a loader scoop. Akeylah climbs onto a seat in a tractor. Jored sits in the seat beside her.
Jored says, WELCOME ABOARD.
Akeylah says, SAFETY FIRST.
She pulls her seatbelt across her waist.
Jored says, THAT'S RIGHT.
Akeylah pulls her door closed. Jored drives the tractor toward one of the buildings.
Jored says, FIRST THINGS FIRST, WE'RE GONNA PUT THE FEED IN THE MIXER.
Akeylah asks, HOW MUCH FOOD DO COWS EAT A DAY?
Jored says, THEY EAT ABOUT 23 KILOGRAMS OF FEED PER COW PER DAY.
He scoops cow feed, known as blender mix, from a pile wrapped in plastic.
Jored says, COWS LIKE THE SAME FOOD EVERY DAY. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?
Akeylah says, I DON'T LIKE THE SAME FOOD EVERY DAY. I NEED SOME VARIETY.
Jored backs up away from the feed.
He says, SO WE'RE ADDING DIFFERENT INGREDIENTS INTO THE MIX SO THAT COWS GET EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED. WE TAKE IT FROM THE BAG.
Jored turns toward the large piece of machinery on the other tractor. Akeylah gives a thumbs up through her window.
Jored says, AND WE DUMP IT IN THIS MIXER.
Akeylah says, WHOA!
Jored tilts the tractor scoop, full of feed, toward the mixer.
Akeylah says, AND DUMP IT IN.
Jored dumps the feed into the mixer.
He says, AND THERE YOU HAVE IT.
Akeylah says, I HOPE THESE COWS ARE HUNGRY.
Jored says, THEY SURE ARE.
He drives the mixer tractor alongside the cow barn. Akeylah rides in the cab with him. The mixer pours the feed into a line before the cows inside the barn. The cows poke their heads through bars and eat the feed.
Akeylah says, HERE WE GO.
Jored says, SO HERE WE ARE FEEDING THE COWS THEIR BLENDER MIX OF FOOD, EXACTLY ALL THE NUTRIENTS THEY NEED FOR HEALTHY GROWTH.
Akeylah says, YUM, YUM, YUM. EAT UP, LITTLE COWS.
More cows stick their heads through the bars and start eating.
Jored says, NOW THE COWS HAVE THEIR FOOD.
He continues past the cow barn. The cows munch on their food.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Gentle, cheerful music plays]
In an office on the farm, Jored and Akeylah sit at a desk with a computer and two monitors displaying data.
Akeylah asks, WHAT'S THIS FOR?
[Akeylah gasping]
Akeylah asks, CAN COWS USE EMAIL?
Jored says, NO, THEY DON'T. THE KEY TO BEING A DAIRY HERDSPERSON IS MANAGING YOUR COWS. AND WE DO IT RIGHT HERE ON THE COMPUTER. WE TRACK THEIR HEALTH AND THEIR DATA RIGHT HERE.
Akeylah asks, WELL, HOW DOES IT WORK?
Jored says, SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS COW HERE, WE CAN PULL UP HER GRAPH AND IT SHOWS THAT SHE HAD A SPIKE.
Jored shows Akeylah a graph on the computer.
Akeylah asks, A SPIKE IN WHAT?
Jored explains, THAT'S A SPIKE IN HER TEMPERATURE. SO I CAN SEE THAT HER TEMPERATURE HAS FLUCTUATED. AND I USE THAT TO MANAGE. EACH COW HAS AN EAR TAG IN THEIR EAR AND THAT MEASURES THEIR TEMPERATURE AND HOW MUCH THEY'RE EATING.
Jored shows Akeylah a line graph.
He says, SO THIS IS HER RUMINATION OR HOW MUCH SHE'S EATING. AND THE BLUE DARK BLUE LINE HERE IS HOW MUCH SHE'S WALKING.
Akeylah asks, WHAT DO THESE DIFFERENT COLOURS MEAN?
She points to a monitor showing I.D. tag numbers organized by colour.
Jored says, SO THE RED ONES HERE HAVE HAD BABIES. THE BLUE ONES ARE POSSIBLY PREGNANT. THE GREEN ONES ARE ALL PREGNANT. AND THE BLUE ONES HERE ARE WHAT WE CONSIDER DRY COWS.
Akeylah asks, WHAT ARE DRY COWS?
Jored explains, DRY COWS ARE COWS THAT ARE NOT BEING MILKED 60 DAYS BEFORE THEY HAVE THEIR NEXT CALF.
Akeylah says, KIND OF LIKE A VACATION.
Jored says, PRETTY MUCH. AND THAT'S HOW YOU MANAGE THE HERD. IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF MY JOB.
Akeylah says, I SEE. YOU'RE KIND OF LIKE THEIR FRIEND, BUT ALSO THEIR BOSS. I GUESS BEING A DAIRY HERDSPERSON TAKES A LOT OF COW-CULATING.
[Cow mooing]
Akeylah says, COME ON. COW-CULATING WAS A WINNER!
She leaves the desk.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Upbeat music plays]
In the cow barn, a cow eats feed through the bars of its closed-off space.
Akeylah narrates, NEXT, JORED PUT ME TO WORK AS AN APPRENTICE AND I HANDLED
THE CLEANING DUTIES.
Akeylah walks toward the cow with a broom.
Akeylah says, HELLO THERE!
She pushes the feed closer toward the cow.
[Akeylah humming to herself]
In a timelapse, Akeylah tidies the rest of the floor with the broom and pushes the feed closer to the cows.
Akeylah says, EXCUSE ME.
She sticks a pitchfork in a pile of hay.
Akeylah narrates, AND I ALSO GAVE THEM A SNACK.
She lifts hay off the pile.
She says, I GOT THIS ESPECIALLY FOR YOU GUYS.
Akeylah drops the hay into the cow’s space. In a timelapse, Akeylah gives the cows more hay.
[Akeylah humming to herself]
Akeylah wipes her forehead with the back of her hand.
She says, PHEW.
Akeylah holds a large scoop of white powder.
She narrates, ALONG WITH SOME NUTRITIONAL POWDER!
Akeylah sprinkles the powder over the cow’s feed.
She says, LOOKS GOOD.
[Akeylah humming to herself]
Akeylah sprinkles the nutritional powder across another line of feed. A cow eats hay piled outside its closed-off space.
Akeylah walks over and says, WHAT A MESS. WERE YOU RAISED IN A BARN OR SOMETHING? OH, WAIT. THAT'S EXACTLY WHERE YOU WERE RAISED. NEVER MIND. CARRY ON.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Gentle, cheerful music plays]
Later, in the cow barn, Akeylah and Jarod sit in chairs between the cows.
Akeylah says, QUIET ON THE SET COWS!
She looks over her shoulder at some of the cows, then back at Jarod.
Akeylah says, JORED! HOW DID YOU BECOME A DAIRY HERDSPERSON?
Jored says, WELL, WHEN I WAS 11 YEARS OLD, MY GRANDPARENTS HAD A DAIRY FARM AND I STARTED WORKING THERE, WHERE I DID EVERYTHING FROM SWEEPING THE FLOOR TO BEDDING THE COWS WITH STRAW, TO MILKING THE COWS AND FELL IN LOVE WITH THEM.
Akeylah asks, DID YOU GO TO SCHOOL TO BECOME A DAIRY HERDSPERSON?
Jored says, I SURE DID. WHEN I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, I WENT ON TO COLLEGE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH RITCHTOWN CAMPUS, WHERE I TOOK MY DIPLOMA IN AGRICULTURE, WHERE I LEARNED ABOUT TAKING CARE OF COWS.
Akeylah asks, WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR TRADE?
Jored says, I LIKE THE FACT THAT IT'S MORE OF A LIFESTYLE THAN A CAREER. EVERY MORNING I WAKE UP AND I GET TO WORK WITH THESE COWS. EVERY MONDAY MORNING WHEN I COME BACK TO WORK, I AM OVERJOYED TO SEE THEM AGAIN. THEY'RE ALL WAITING FOR ME.
Akeylah asks, WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR SOMEONE LIKE ME WHO WANTS TO BECOME A DAIRY HERDSPERSON?
Jored says, I WOULD SAY LOOK AT GETTING INVOLVED IN YOUR LOCAL AGRICULTURE CLUBS LIKE 4-H. GO TO THE C.N.E. WHERE THERE'S ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE A LOCAL FAIR, CHECK OUT THE COWS THERE, SEE IF YOU LIKE IT.
Akeylah nods and says, I DO.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Gentle, cheerful music plays]
A calf sniffs the bars of its pen. The calf shares the pen with another calf. Jored leads Akeylah to the pen.
Jored says, AND THIS IS WHERE WE KEEP THE BABIES.
Akeylah says, CUTE! HI THERE!
She follows Jored to a pair of calves in individual housing pens.
Jored says, AKEYLAH, MEET CARAMEL AND OLIVE.
Akeylah says, THEY'RE SO CUTE! HOW OLD ARE THEY?
Jored says, CARAMEL IS A DAY OLD, AND OLIVE IS A WEEK OLD.
Akeylah says, ONLY ONE DAY?!
Jored says, AND ALREADY 110 POUNDS.
Akeylah asks, WHAT DO THEY EAT?
Jored says, CALFS ARE DRINKING MILK, AND BOTH OF THESE ARE ON 8 LITRES A DAY ALREADY.
Akeylah says, THAT'S A LOT OF MILK FOR A BABY.
Olive sticks her head through the bars of her pen and licks Akeylah’s jeans.
[Akeylah laughing]
Akeylah says, OLIVE, ARE YOU HUNGRY? I THINK SHE'S HUNGRY. CAN WE FEED HER?
Jored says, WE SURE CAN. LET'S DO IT.
He passes a large calf feeding bottle to Akeylah.
Jored says, HERE'S A BOTTLE FOR OLIVE.
Akeylah holds the bottle in front of Olive. Olive latches onto the bottle.
Jored says, AND I'M GOING TO FEED CARAMEL.
Akeylah says, HERE YOU GO OLIVE. DRINK IT UP.
[Sucking]
Olive drinks the milk from the bottle.
Akeylah asks, HOW'S CARAMEL DOING?
Jored says, SHE'S CHUGGING. HOW'S OLIVE?
Akeylah says, DOING GOOD.
Milk drips down Olive’s chin.
Akeylah says, DRINK UP!
[Sucking]
Akeylah says, SHE'S ALMOST DONE! GET EVERY LAST BIT.
She tilts the bottle toward Olive.
Jored says, PERFECT.
Olive pulls away from the bottle.
Akeylah says, ALL DONE. I THINK WE'VE MILKED THAT FOR ALL ITS WORTH.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Gentle, upbeat music plays]
Akeylah stands outside the cow barn.
She says, I'M WILLING TO BET THAT THE TRADE OF DAIRY HERDSPERSON HAS A LONG AND STORIED HISTORY. I'M GETTING INTO CHARACTER, SO LET'S FIND OUT.
Akeylah pulls on the hood of a cow onesie.
[Cow mooing]
In black and white, Brody wears overalls over a T-shirt and carries a stuffed toy cow.
Akeylah narrates, CANADA'S DAIRY HERDSPEOPLE BEGAN IN THE 1600S WHEN FRENCH SETTLERS BROUGHT CATTLE WITH THEM. AT FIRST, COWS WERE MILKED BY HAND INTO A BUCKET.
Brody walks across a farm with a bucket.
Akeylah narrates, BUT IN THE 20TH CENTURY, INNOVATIONS LIKE THE MILKING PIPELINE, WHICH USED PIPES RATHER THAN BUCKETS TO GATHER MILK, CHANGED THE WAY DAIRY HERDSPEOPLE WORKED.
In a room with milking equipment, Brody looks through a pipe.
Akeylah narrates, IN 1995, THE DAIRY FARMERS OF ONTARIO WAS FORMED, WHICH MEANT DAIRY FARMERS WORKING TOGETHER TO PROVIDE DELICIOUS MILK TO ALL.
In colour, a driver steers a milk truck around a farm. Brody drinks milk from a glass bottle. In a cow barn, cows look through the bars of a fence.
[Mooing]
Cows walk down a row of milking machines.
Akeylah narrates, IT WAS TIME FOR THE HERD TO GET TO WORK PRODUCING MILK AT PINE HILL'S AUTOMATIC MILKING MACHINES.
Akeylah meets Jored in the milking room.
Akeylah says, HEY, COWPOKES! SO, HOW DO WE MILK THESE BEAUTIES?
Jored says, WELL, WE START BY STRIPPING THE UDDER, DIPPING THE UDDER, AND THEN WIPING THE UDDER, AND THEN WE HANG THE MILKING UNIT ON. YOU WANT TO SEE HOW IT WORKS?
Akeylah says, OF COURSE!
Jored walks up to a cow standing against one of the machines.
He says, SO LET'S START BY PULLING MILK OUT, WE'RE CHECKING FOR QUALITY.
He pulls on each of the cow’s teats, and milk squirts out.
Jored says, AND THEN WE PUT THIS DIP ON TO CLEAN THE TEATS.
He dips each cow teat into a bottle with a dark liquid.
Jored says, AND WE LET THAT SIT, AND THEN WE TAKE OUR TOWEL, AND WE WIPE THE TEATS CLEAN, AND THEN WE PUT OUR UNIT ON.
He swaps the bottle for a clean white towel and dries the cow’s teats. Jored then wipes the teats clean and reaches for the milking device.
Akeylah asks, THIS THINGY?
Jored says, SO WE GRAB IT LIKE THIS, WE PRESS START, AND WE PUT IT ON.
He holds the bottom of the device, known as a milking cluster and attaches nozzles on the device to each of the cow’s teats.
Jored says, AND THE COW GIVES HER MILK.
The milking cluster pumps milk from the cow.
Akeylah says, SO THEY HAVE TO GET MILKED EVERY SINGLE DAY?
Jored says, EVERY COW GETS MILKED THREE TIMES A DAY. WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY THIS ONE?
Akeylah says, SURE.
Jored says, ALRIGHT, WE STRIP THE TEATS.
Akeylah gently pulls on a cow’s teat.
She says, MINE'S NOT WORKING.
Milk squirts out of the cow’s teat.
Akeylah says, OH, THERE IT IS!
Jored grabs the dip bottle with the dark liquid and passes it to Akeylah.
Jored says, OKAY, AND THEN OUR DIP.
Akeylah dips each of the cow’s teats in the bottle.
Jored says, AND THEN OUR TOWEL, WE'RE GONNA CLEAN THE TEATS, MAKE SURE THEY'RE NICE AND DRY.
Akeylah dries the cow’s teats.
Jored says, PRESS THE START BUTTON, THE BIG GREEN BUTTON.
Akeylah presses a green button on a panel and attaches the milking cluster nozzles to the cow’s teats.
Akeylah says, AND FOUR. THERE YOU GO, DOLORES, YOU'RE ALL TAKEN CARE OF.
[Upbeat, cheerful music plays]
The milking cluster milks the cow.
Akeylah narrates, BEFORE THE MILK IS SENT OUT, IT GOES TO PROCESSING TO MAKE SURE IT'S SAFE FOR THE SHELVES.
In a processing room, a machine mixes milk inside a large tank.
[Sloshing]
Outside, a driver backs up a milk truck. A white-haired man with glasses and a neatly trimmed beard unloads a hose from the back of the truck and slides it through an opening in the building. The man pulls the hose out, and the driver leaves. Akeylah waves to the truck.
Akeylah says, GOODBYE MILK. AND THAT'S THAT.
She dusts off her hands.
[Bright music plays]
Title: Trading Skills.
[Gentle, cheerful music plays]
Back at the Skill Space, Akeylah walks down the stairs with a piece of paper.
Akeylah says, HEY, BRODY, MY BOVINE FRIEND DOLORES SENT ME A LETTER.
She joins Brody at the work table.
Brody says, A LETTER? WHY NOT AN EMAIL?
Akeylah says, YEAH, SURE. A COW USING AN EMAIL. GET REAL.
Brody asks, WHAT DOES IT SAY?
Akeylah unfolds and reads the letter.
She says, THE LETTER SAYS, DEAR AKEYLAH, MOO-NY THANKS FOR HANGING OUT WITH THE HERD. HOPE YOU HEAR THE CATTLE CALL AND DROP BY THE PASTURE AGAIN. YOUR FRIEND DOLORES.
Brody says, SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE AN HONORARY MEMBER OF THE HERD. ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER TRADE.
Akeylah smiles and says, CHECK!
Brody says, JOIN US NEXT TIME AS WE TRADE PLACES ON OUR JOURNEY TO LEARN NEW SKILLS.
Akeylah says, THE NEXT ONE COULD BE THE ONE THAT TAKES MOO. I MEAN YOU TO THE TOP.
Brody and Akeylah wave and say, BYE!
End credits. Hosts, Akeylah James and Brody Agmon. Tradespersons Jored DeBruin. Written and directed by Johnny Mitchell. Produced by Francis Mitchell, Johnny Mitchell, David Mitchell. Produced in association with t.v.o.kids. Logo: Riverbank Pictures. Copyright 2024 Riverbank Pictures.
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