Essay: The Importance of Cows

April 9th 2009

Animals have always helped humans. They help us do heavy labour, hunt, and they provide us with food. One such important animal is the cow. Cows have been bred for over thousands of years. From the past to the present and even in the future, cows play an important role in human history. Canada, traditionally being an agricultural producer, cows is one of the main resources. Our farmers are well-known to the world for their advanced technique in cattle farming. Everyone should know that cows are important animals because they help humans in many ways.

If you go to any supermarket, you will find that many of its products are from cows. Even by just looking in the dairy section, the great variety of selection can make you confused. For example, there are countless types of milk (homo, 2%, 1%, skim, half-half cream, whipped cream, buttermilk, chocolate-flavoured…you name it!). There are also many more dairy products such as cheese, yogurt, and ice cream. Dairy products are essential to our society and are important parts of healthy living. One of the main benefits is that they provide us with the calcium our body needs to build strong bones and teeth. In fact, consumption of dairy products helps prevent osteoporosis, “a disease which in which bones become fragile and more likely to break” (ONF). Dairy products are delicious not to mention that they’re packed with nutrients and are significant to our everyday lives. Imagine eating pizza without cheese on it!
Now we head to the meat section where beef is the dominant produce. In western cuisines, beef is an important food source. From fast-food junk to backyard grills to high-class steakhouses, all of those places boast the mouth-watering juiciness of beef. As chairman Mao once mocked of the people of the Soviet Union “potato plus beef, you are in communism paradise.” This simple meat actually became a politic example of good life. In other words, it signifies how valuable this meat is for us, human beings. In scientific terms, “Beef contains a power pack of nutrients, including zinc, iron, protein and many B-vitamins-nutrients that work as hard as you do every day” (eatright.org). These minerals help your body replenish blood, carry oxygen, build muscles and lots more.

Once I asked a neighbour about how he possibly grew his tomatoes plants so enormous like a tree. The old gentleman told me his secret, it’s very simple. Just dig a hole and fill it with a bag of cow manure. It serves as a natural fertilizer that does wonders for your plants. People these days are more and more concerned about their health and the environment so organic farming is becoming a big trend. Using cow manure for fertilizer may be an old well-known trick but converting it into kilowatts is definitely a new tech. In the United States, farmers are practicing to turn cow manure into fuel. “One Pennsylvania dairy farm is already saving $60,000 a year by turning cow manure into energy using an anaerobic biodigester. A recent study from the University of Texas at Austin calculated that the 1 billion tons of manure produced in the U.S. annually could generate about 88 billion kwh of electricity—2.4 percent of annual consumption—and eliminate 99 million metric tons of greenhouse gases.” (CowstoKilos)

Cows are made of treasures from head to toe. They are so generous, only taking nothing but water, grass and grain but in return they are ever-giving. They provide us with milk, dairy products, beef, nutrients, a natural fertilizer, and an energy source. They have a huge impact on our modern lives. Cows are great examples for humans. Don’t ask so much from the earth, instead, contribute as much as possible. That’s why cows are important and should be treated with greater respect.



Bibliography

- National Osteoporosis Foundation.
http://www.nof.org/osteoporosis/index.htm April 3 2009

- Cattle
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle. April 3 2009

- Important role of cows
http://www.stashtea.com/teatour/54.htm April 3 2009

- Beef: Nutrients that work as hard as you do
http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/nutrition_1048_ENU_HTML.htm April 3 2008
- Cows to Kilowatts: U.S. Farms Save Big Turning Manure to Energy http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/earth/4285577.html. April 3 2009