In early May, I led a seminar on cattle welfare for the California beef and dairy industries. On the morning of the seminar, a faculty member from Fresno State University took me on a tour of a large dairy operation in California’s Central Valley.
I was greeted by a herdsman that was about the same age as my parents. He looked me in the eye and shook my hand in a manner that left me with a great first impression. When I asked if he would be attending the seminar later that day, his no-nonsense response — “Why should I take time out of my day to attend your seminar?” — didn’t surprise me, because I hear similar responses quite often. I didn’t mince words in my reply.