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Udderly Amazing! Hundreds Watch World Hand Milking Championships

Hand milking cows is one of the world's oldest traditions and professional occupations. Farmers with cows used to gather milk to feed their families and sell some of the milk on the market to make a profit. However, with the industrial revolution and automation of food production, much of the old traditions are giving way to cold and unemotional machines. One town in Italy has organized a special annual event to remind people of the old relationships between a farmer and his or her cow. Welcome to the third annual World Hand Milking Championship, which took place in the Italian alpine town of Malonno on Sunday. Hundreds gathered to watch competitors race to milk the most from their cows in two minutes. Competitors sat beneath their own cows and squeezed milk fresh from the udder straight into a bucket the old fashioned way. The winner was defending champion Gianmario Ghirardi, who milked 8.749 liters of milk from his cow Mirka. Ghirardi was awarded €3,500 prize money, or about $3,840, as well as the 'golden bucket' trophy. Nutritious, delicious, and all natural - yum!