Embracing the Moo

There are two types of people in this world: cat lovers and dog lovers.

I am a cow lover.

If you feel like your cat or dog makes you a better person, you know how I feel about my cows.

Believe it or not, I used to hate cows; I thought they were dirty and unintelligent. I thought I would never own a cow.

I was right about the dirty part... cows will find the only pat of manure in a green grassy field and lay on it.

Once I got to know cows, I learned that they are not only intelligent (in a cow kind of way), but wise. I love that cows can transform grass, which on its own is not very nourishing to me, and turn it into the most delicious, nutritious food in the form of grass fed raw milk.

A few weeks ago, a lovely Hindu family visited my farm. They came to buy real milk, but mostly, they came because they love cows and they wanted to meet mine.

A family from India (who now live in America) came to visit my cows. They were not shy to communicate that cows are sacred to them.

The father told me that they worship cows. I asked him to explain it to me, and he said that they view cows like their mother because cows nourish us with life sustaining milk. They never eat beef.

He didn't say this, but I suspect that the zen nature of cows might also be a part of the Hindu reverence for bovines. There is something so calming and peaceful about being in the presence of cows. They radiate Zen. If you have been stressed out, in a rush, or feeling agitated, go out and sit with the cows for a while... especially when they are grazing fresh grass. Nothing puts me in a right state of mind better than time with my cows.

Perry giving me kisses.

My cows trust the routine that I set and don't try to escape. That allows for so much freedom in where I can graze them because their fence is minimal, just a strand of wire that most of the time isn't even electrified. It's more guidance than hard containment. It makes me think how much better our society would be if we could cooperate and trust each other rather than having to invest so many resources into protecting ourselves from people who try to take advantage of others.

To be honest, I admit that not every moment with cows is peaceful and calm. They have their moments where they absolutely drive me crazy. I have learned to think like a cow so that I can create situations that will help them want the same thing that I want. The key is cooperation. I have become expert at setting up win-win scenarios for me and my girls. This has made it so that almost always I can enjoy my cows instead of cursing them!

Training a new cow to milk is a great lesson in patience. When you want to milk an animal that is roughly ten times your size, you quickly learn that cooperation is better than coercion. If you get mad, you will have a scared cow on your hands, and the last thing you want is a scared 1,000+ lb animal in close proximity with your head. It is your job to make sure that she feels safe on the milk stand. No matter how frustrated you feel, you have to speak gently and tell her what a good girl she is. The beautiful thing is that cows respond well to kindness. It is an incredible way to train your brain to use positive reinforcement.

Giving Melrose an alfalfa treat.

Being such large animals, you might think that cows are unafraid. The truth is they are surprisingly timid. Changes to routine are scary to them. New barn kittens can scare a full grown cow witless.

I am so grateful for the raw milk that my cows give me. It is the most nourishing food that I know of. It healed my husband's COPD. I can feel its life energy flowing into my body when I drink it. After so many years of drinking real milk, I can't imagine life without it. There's no better way to pack nutrition into my diet.

I read an old saying that went something like this...

Cows have four teats: one for the calf, one for the family who milk her, one for the barn yard animals, and one for the village.

Cows are generous and full of goodness. Even their manure makes the world a better place by increasing fertility in the pasture and on my garden.

Park just moments after birth.

My cows are an endangered heritage breed from Canada, Lynch linebacks. I like to call them "pre-industrial" because they are the way cows have been for hundreds of years. They were never changed under intense breeding and corn- and soy- heavy feed to produce industrial quantities of milk. Modern dairy cows are fragile creatures who are walk a fine line with nutrition and health because their bodies produce more milk than they can naturally sustain. My girls will never win a trophy for how much milk they produce, but the milk they give me is the best grass fed milk nature can make.

You can come milk with me and experience these sweet girls too!

Buy my raw grass fed milk!