Utah dairy farmer, circus performers switch places for TV series

Utah dairy farmer, circus performers switch places for TV series

(Photo Courtesy of Edelman Media Services)


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FAYETTE, Sanpete County — An old adage says that to know someone you must "walk a mile in their shoes," so a local dairy farmer and two California circus performers did just that for a TV series.

In an effort to help Americans understand where their food comes from and to give them an inside look into the lives of farmers across the U.S., Dairy Management Inc. decided to create a TV show.

"Nowadays, people are interested in where their food comes from, but they don't exactly know," Edelman Media Services senior account supervisor Carrie Becker said on behalf of Dairy Management Inc. "This was an opportunity to show that aspect of dairy farming and where dairy comes from, but also in a way where people can put themselves in their shoes."

Sanpete County dairy farmer Trent Bown was selected for the three-episode docuseries, "Acres and Avenues." Bown is a sixth-generation dairy farmer and runs two farms: Bown Dairy Farm in Fayette and Deep Creek Dairy in Levan. He said each day they milk around 1,110 cows at the Bown Dairy Farm and about 900 at Deep Creek Dairy. Between both operations, they have around 5,000 holstein heifers and calves.

"I would say I've been involved full-time in the dairy industry for about 16 years," Bown said. "(Running the farm) was always my goal. That was always a dream of mine."

Bown said he was surprised when he was contacted to be on the show, but Edelman Media Services Vice President Tia Harris in connection with Dairy Management Inc. said he was perfect for the docuseries.

"We really love the heritage story," Harris said. "About 97 percent of our farmers are family farmers … and Trent had a great story of their reason for expanding their farms to make room for more generations. He's a really likable guy… and we wanted to share his story."

As part of the series, Dairy Management Inc. decided to pick two California circus performers and have them and Bown job shadow each other for two days.


About 97 percent of our farmers are family farmers … and Trent had a great story of their reason for expanding their farms to make room for more generations. He's a really likable guy… and we wanted to share his story.

–Tia Harris, VP of Edelman Media Services


Circus Vargas entertainer and illusionist Patrick Marinelli said his family has been performing in the circus for five generations. At age 6, Marinelli began performing and now travels through California with Circus Vargas, performing trampoline acrobatic acts.

"I was obviously born and raised into it," Marinelli said. "It's a family traditional thing. … It's just in our roots. … I had my whole family teaching me — my uncles, my aunts, my grandparents."

As an eighth-generation circus performer, Celeste Fernandez also has a long history with the circus. She has worked with Marinelli at Circus Vargas as a creative makeup artist since 2012.

When Fernandez and Marinelli arrived at Bown's Dairy Farm on July 8 and began helping him with the daily chores, they said it was different and harder than they expected.

"They made me work right away," Marinelli said. "It was straight up, grab a shovel and start shoveling the poop and start feeding the cows the hay. … I did not think it was going to be that hard. … It wasn't really physically challenging, it was more being used to the heat because you always have to be outside and getting used to the cow smell. You do get used to it at a point, but at the beginning it, like, burns your nostrils."

Photo: Courtesy of Edelman Media Services

Despite the smell, Fernandez said she was happy to be on the farm and see that the cows were well cared for.

"I didn't know how a farm worked to begin with," Fernandez said. "I didn't know if the animals were being mistreated or if they were starving or hot or stuff like that. It was really nice to see that Trent and his family take excellent care of the cows. They are the priority on the farm."

Bown also went and shadowed Marinelli and Fernandez at the circus in San Luis Obispo, California. He said he attempted some of Marinelli's trampoline stunts and Fernandez painted his face like a circus performer. Although their jobs are all very different, Bown said they had discovered they had many things in common.

"I saw similarities, not in industry, but our family stories and family values are very similar," Bown said. "I worked with my uncle and father and brother and kids and their story was very much the same."

Bown, Marinelli and Fernandez all said the job swap was a very informative experience and they hope to meet up again in the future.

"Acres and Avenues" will premiere in September on DairyGood.org.

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Faith Heaton Jolley

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