Farm Blog

I have to pause in my cow stories to tell you a little bit about a similar creature. Like cows, this one does not exist outside of human influence. It depends on humans to raise it, generation after generation. A feisty goat herd turned loose to fend for itself could conceivably survive many decades—or indefinitely—without human interference. The plants in T-bone’s Forest of Kale have set seed and started another generation of vigorous kale without any help from me. Corn,

Cookie the Wonder Cow inspects the first Hawthorn Farm butter. Daniel and I stepped outside to say our usual pre-meal grace. Cookie saw us and mooed conversationally. “Yes, Cookie, we are grateful for the fat I squeeze from your glands!” I called, giving her a grandiose wave. Daniel looked at me sideways. “Not. Appetizing.” “It’s just the truth. Think about it!” On the farm, it’s hard to gloss over the biological realities of life. If it’s not appetizing, just wait a da

Cookie the Wonder Cow tried to jump over the fence when she saw her old owners departing. She’s a loyal beast, that one. After I hastily rigged some hotwire (electric fence) she stayed put, at least. I left the bedroom window open so that I could talk to her in the night. Sure enough, she loves company, and bawls when left alone. Daniel spent the next morning sitting in her paddock observing her. Observing, in particular, how she had trashed the grass in her nervous half