A bit of history…
How Global Cow Started
Working with dairy cattle comes naturally to Global Cow. I grew up on a dairy farm of about 250 milking Holsteins in Winnebago, Illinois.
I have always loved cows. I showed them in 4-H, and, like all of my friends, my sisters and I worked on the farm.
Our father also strongly encouraged international awareness. We hosted Indian visitors, welcomed two Japanese summer exchange students, and my father hired an Iranian young man during the Iranian hostage crisis.
The wonderful University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign strengthened international agricultural connections. While there, caring professors encouraged me to combine international interests, language study and agriculture.
After earning degrees in agricultural communications and in Spanish, my first job was testing a new program in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Brazil was next, where I taught English for seven months.
The Holstein Association USA brought me to Vermont in 1991, where I worked as an international marketing director. There, I started to work with international trainees and interns from around the world.
In 1993, the Holstein Association restructured and largely left international market development. It was a bit of a dilemma for me: should I leave? Or stay–and find out what might happen with this new relationship with a special guy?
I decided to start my own business, mostly to find out where the relationship might go.
As they say, “the rest is history”! 🙂 In 1995, the “special guy” and I got married. We celebrate 25 years of marriage in September of 2020.
Our son, Nathaniel, is 21 and a college junior, studying construction management. Next is son Ryan, 19, who has started working as a plumber’s apprentice. Daughter Kiran is 15, and a sophomore in high school.
Exchange students have expanded our family further. We are now hosting “Spanish daughter #3”, following two other extraordinary Spanish daughters. We also have been blessed by hosting two “sons”, one from Spain for the summer, and one Brazilian for a semester. All have added something unique and special to our lives.
It sounds somewhat naive. But I truly, firmly believe that there is nothing more life-changing than international experiences. I am completely convinced that the world would be a better place if everyone were able to live abroad.
We are all so interconnected–our world is smaller every day.
Global Cow helps to make those connections, especially in the dairy world that I so love and appreciate!
Jill
P.S. My favorite part about this work is hearing back from how people feel their international experience changed their lives. Check out the testimonial page if you’d like to read some of their stories, too! (It’s fun!)
Global Cow Facebook Page has more more photos–including the “office dogs”. They are Sofie (left), a 10 1/2 year old Yellow Lab, and Aspen (right), a Bernese Mountain Dog puppy who came to us the end of February 2020.
Our family–and many friends–also fondly remember our Rottweiler, Abby, who is in our 2019 Christmas card photo (above). She held the honor of “Global Cow office dog” for nearly 12 years, from July 2008 through February of 2020. You can read all about Abby in the blog post, “Surrounded by Love.”
SILVER LININGS
This is a daily response to the COVID-19 pandemic, finding at least one thing positive to come out of it. One comment I’ve heard: “Reading your column of ‘silver linings’ has become one of my ‘silver linings’! Thank you for writing this!”‘
DAIRY DREAMING
These are directly about dairy, and ways to experience ag internationally. Dairy Dreaming also brings any updates on possible new immigration statuses, or any other legislation or any other dairy information that dairy producers will find interesting.
EDUCATION MATTERS
This more traditional column looks at family life, with a particular emphasis on how education shapes us all. Often, it includes a special look into the high school exchange students’ fun while in the USA. It is published mostly bi-monthly in the local paper.
EXCHANGE EXTRAS
This is a special look into the high school exchange students’ fun while in the USA. It includes a lot of heartfelt moments sure to make you pause!
BEAUTY OF THE DAY
Since 2015, I have searched for something beautiful every day, and then posted it to social media. (Follow Global Cow on Instagram to see them–or subscribe to receive them daily.)