Georgia Dairy Farmer Teaches NBA Superstars How to Milk a Cow by Hand

NBA superstar Charles Barkley told one of his producers that he couldn’t remember the last time he had a glass of milk. The producers smiled and came up with the idea to not only have Barkley, but also his TNT show co-stars, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, who are also NBA superstar legends, to learn how to hand milk a cow.

The basketball trio were introduced to a Madison, Georgia, dairy cow, as Katelin Benkoski from Big Sandy Creek Dairy Farm was tagged by several friends on Facebook for the need for animal actors. More specifically, what they were looking for was a dairy cow “in milk” that could walk up a ramp and that could handle bright lights and cameras for the TNT show.

The Benkoski family knew just the cow they could use from the farm’s 80-cow herd that would perform well in that kind of spotlight. Rosie, a five-year-old Red and White Holstein cow, who weighs approximately 1,300 pounds, strutted down the ramp into the TNT studio.

“Oh, so she weighs a little less than Shaq,” teased Charles Barkley upon meeting Rosie, who has been shown at several fairs and is often used with milking demonstrations for the farm’s agritourism business. 

“I got the call on Monday, and they asked if we could be in Atlanta on Thursday,” Katelin says.

John and Julie Benkoski, along with their three daughters, Katelin, Alissa and Leah, lean into any opportunity they can to educate people and have good positive feedback for dairy farmers. Although this opportunity was a big hit with the family, Julie was starstruck and John joked that “no way the NBA stars grow to be as tall as they were without the help of milk’s nine essential vitamins.”

The NBA trio was definitely surprised and visibly nervous to milk Rosie. Only Charles Barkley was willing to pull up a stool and hand milk a cow, but all three stars were interested in the process.

Katelin says Rosie was the true star and has felt like a diva back on the family’s farm since her TV appearance. “She definitely thinks she is queen of the herd now.”

Big Sandy Creek Dairy Farm

Big Sandy Creek Dairy Farm was established in 1947 when the grandparents moved from Connecticut to Georgia. The farm is located about an hour south of Atlanta. The family currently milks 80 Holstein cows and runs a well-established agritourism entity that provides school tours, summer camps and more.

Katelin shares that her mother is a schoolteacher and her father used to be a school bus driver for the local school, and the family incorporated their love for education to engage more with their community to tell their dairy’s good story. “My parents began noticing a disconnect in consumers and agricultural education with a lot of people not knowing where their food comes from,” Katelin said.

The farm’s agritourism business has been going on for nearly two decades, although it paused after Hurricane Katrina, as people did not have the funds to do field trips. They opened their doors again seven years ago and have been part of the Adopt a Cow program for three years.

To watch the TNT segment featuring Big Sandy Creek Farm, visit www.youtube.com/watch?

EDITOR’S TAKE:

Great idea to shine a spotlight on agriculture and how it can bring people together – even NBA superstars! Although this promotion was done as a challenge to the ball players, it definitely provided a platform to share a message about agriculture with an audience that is likely more urban and may have no connection to where their food comes from. Perhaps you have an idea that could bring agriculture closer to the general public and also shine a bright light on your dealership? Maybe there is an agritourism operation in your area that could help cross-promote your dealership in some manner. Any famous people near you that could help draw a crowd for some type of challenge involving agriculture? And if you need support from our CAG team – we’re always available to help.