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Why Henry Ford Wanted to Abolish Cows and Make Milk with Machines
If he had his way, the famous automobile maker would have dramatically changed the dairy industry forever
With his mass-produced automobiles and other cutting edge practices in manufacturing, magnate Henry Ford developed a reputation in the business world for his ingenuity. However, not all of his ideas were winners or caught on. In particular, after his cars became a household name, he proposed abolishing dairy farms and replacing cow’s milk with a substitute made by machines.
Ford was an industrialist who revolutionized manufacturing and transportation during the first half of the 20th century. As the founder of Ford Motor Company in 1903, he pioneered the assembly line and mass production of affordable automobiles, most notably the Model T.
Born on a Michigan farm, he began as a machinist and engineer, developing his first self-propelled vehicle, the Quadricycle, in 1896.As his business grew, his innovative ideas helped dramatically reduce car prices, making automobiles accessible to middle-class Americans.
He was also a champion of efficiency and workers’ rights, represented best by popularizing the five-day work week. This all helped him become one of the wealthiest individuals of his time. Accordingly, when he spoke, many people listened, but he was far from infallible.
In 1925, cows came under the scrutiny of Ford, who viewed them and their milk production as a horrible waste that needed to be dramatically changed. In an interview appearing in Farm and Fireside, he proposed abolishing dairy cows and replacing them with machines capable of producing synthetic milk in the name of efficiency.
A vegetarian who didn’t partake much in animal products, Ford had no personal use for milk, but came to abhor what he saw as horrible waste in its production. He explained:
“I don’t believe in dairy cows. They are the most inefficient creatures in the world. It only takes twenty days of actual farm work to grow and harvest the crop on a dairy farm. The rest of the time is spent taking care of the animals. It’s all wrong.”
