The Bad

Names:  Mean & Meaner  or  Mean & Nasty  or Bad and Badder. 
If you can think of more appropriate names for these two beasts of the barnyard, lets hear them.

Ages: unknown, but I guess 5 or 6

Occupations:  Barnyard Bullies.  Every school has one. 
We got 2 in this barnyard.    God help us.

These 2 HUGE angus cows are the junk yard dogs of the hay rack.

They never leave it.

They push cows and calves away from the hay.
They never go out to the field to chew cud or take a walk.
Neither of them had a calf this year and neither are bred.  Both are open.

One of them continues to challenge me while I am unwrapping the plastic netting off the hay rolls after I drop them into the hayrack, every day.

The other one charges me as I top off the water tanks.

If anything happens to me while I am doing chores, and my cold lifeless body is found--its correct to assume that these 2 cows "did it."

Both are hugely obese and eat their weight in hay every week.  $$$

When I first arrived here, I could not believe the rolls of fat on these 2 cows.

Look at this brisket!!!!  All I can think of is corned beef and cabbage each and every time I see this cow.  Not kidding.

One is the size of my truck and the other is just a little less huge.

This is the biggest, baddest cow in the entire State of Vermont

This is the second biggest and baddest cow in the state.

Just let me state for the record that these cows are NOT mine.

I do not know why the farmer who owns this farm continues to shell out $ to keep these 2 troublesome cows.

I cull for 3 reasons, following the "O" rule:  Old, Ornery or Open.

Open cows get fat and can't get bred.
If they do eventually get bred then they have difficulties calving. 
Vet bills follow.

These bad cows really push the other cows around and I constantly worry that they may cause a stillborn birth or late term abortion from my pregnant cows.

These 2 would of been on a fast truck to McDonalds 2 years ago if they were mine.

Cows like these would be perfect to donate to the local soup kitchen.

Tasty cheeseburgers, lasagna, chilli, meatballs, meatloaf, stew, meatpie and of course corned beef and cabbage.    These 2 meaty gals could feed 200 less fortunate people in Vermont and the cow owner could get a nice tax write off.

Next time you buy some Certified Angus Beef (CAB) think of these barnyard bullies and the havoc they create here in Vermont.   Take a few bites for me.

 Lots of cows here and lots of Cow Tales to tell. 

I call it Pasture Gossip.

Music to Feed Cows With

I have been humming this wonderful music as I feed my cows.

Absolutely astonishing video.

Wish we could do this here in this teeny tiny village.

Enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE&feature=player_embedded

Snow Dog

When she isn't trying to avoid the cattle that stare at her, Mavis stays busy.....

Protecting tractors and getting some sunshine.

Protecting hay and practicing agility.

Looking for mice, moles and rouge squirrels

and looking adorable in the Vermont snowflakes.

Not bad for a former homeless dog from South Carolina.

The Good

Name;  Susan
Age:  15+
Occupation: Family Milk Cow     RETIRED

The moment you step out into the field, you notice that "one of these is not like the other ones."           She stands out like a sore thumb.

She is a dairy cow, not a beef cow.
She is brown, not red.
She is horned, not polled.
Her shoulders wing out.
She is ancient. 

Susan was the devoted milk cow for the family that owns this farm.
When the kids were toddlers this cow came to the farm to supply milk, cheese and butter to the growing family.   As the kids got older and Susan aged beyond the capacity to continue to produce her creamy milk products, the kids made their dad promise to never ship this hard working cow for meat.

So here she is, a stoic monument to the past in a herd that does not appreciate her resume or her longevity.

The higher status cows usually kick her away from the hay rack, so I feed her hay seperately and I bring it to her so she does not have to walk far if she is way out in the field.
She likes it when I bring hay all the way over to her and I like doing it.  Makes me feel like I am honoring a special bovine in a way that they like the best...with food.

I also worried that I had never seen her actually stick her horned head inside the hay rack to eat.   I camped out at the farm last week until I watched her finally amble over to the rack and munch hay with the other low status cows in the herd.

I don't know how old she would be in human years but its easy to see that her legs are starting to give out.  She is also deaf.      I was checking fences one day, whistling as I usually do, when I came up beside her as she grazed. She jumped and attemped to run she was soo startled by my sudden appearance.

Are there hearing aids for cows?

I suspect her eyesight isn't too swell either.

I may have to get one of those special yellow road signs that says "Deaf Cow."

Ms. Susan is a real pasture gem. 

I hope she makes it through this tough Vermont winter.

Animal Welfare Approved, again

In October an inspector from the Animal Welfare Approved certification program (http://www.animalwelfareapproved.org/) came to reinspect my cows and the new farm they had moved to in September.       Its a lengthy process, but one that I believe in.      My herd was the first herd certified in the State of Vermont and one of the first in New England. My TailGait herd has now been inspected 3 times in 2 years, in two different locations. My hope is that everyone who buys breeding stock from me will certify their farm, land & cattle and continue the process.
Although I now have a small herd and do not sell my cows as "beef" in a package, the certification is something I have wanted.  Mostly to set a higher standard for my management and to set a good example for others to follow.

Someday my herd will have expanded to the point where I will be able to process and package beef for sale and I feel its important for consumers to know that these animals have been raised humanely and that the land has been nutured as well.

Healthy land makes healthy grass, which in turn makes healthy livestock and healthy meat.

As November came I wondered when my approval letter would finally arrive.

It arrived last week at my small rural post office and I smiled all the way home.

Richard, the AWA inspector, drives to farms all over the New England region.

If you want consumers to know that you raise your livestock to the highest standards, go to the AWA website and sign up.  You, and your customers, will be glad you did.

The Secret Lives of Cows

Its a real motley crew that we share the farm with.  Its a mish mash of cattle breeds, genetics and stories.

I am just now beginning to see their differences and figure out who is related to whom.

Its all one big cow family and like any family, there is some dysfunction in this colorful herd.

In the following days I will be telling some stories about each of the cows in this group and I will be showing some rather unusual photos of what some of these cows do.

I have been a bit shocked about what I have recently witnessed.   It certainly is interesting and I imagine many of you will have comments about some of the cow activities which I am going to reveal.

They may look innocent to the average bystander, but let me tell you that these gals have some really weird idiosyncracies.  And yes, I will name names! (even though most of these cows have no names...yet) 

Stay tuned.

Little Brothers Who Grill

As you know I have been trying desperately to learn to cook a few things in anticipation of my mother and brother coming up for Thanksgiving.
I am a horrible cook and am considered a serious fire risk by my closest friends.
So, imagine my relief when my brother unloaded his grill instantly as he arrived at my house. He unloaded 2 bags of charcoal, 4 coolers plus a quart of lighter fluid and began to "fire up" the grill.

I watched from the safety of the kitchen as I chatted with my mom.

Little did I know that it would be a turkey-less and mashed potatoe-less Thanksgiving.

Instead, little brother brought chicken, sausage and 2 inch thick Porterhouse steaks for our special day.

In addition he brought 8 different kinds of salads and mom made 2 of my utmost favorite desserts:

Snickerdoodles and Tapioca

I have a lot to be thankful for this year, but especially today.

My family traveled a distance to come visit and my little brother saved me from a cooking embarassment and instead brought his favorite grill, gourmet food and great cooking skills to my front yard.

The next morning he even grilled outside as it started to snow, in his pajamas, to make brunch.

I may ask him to vist more often.....

Right on Time

The once lush and full pastures are now all empty of livestock.

My Thanksgiving cactus bloomed this weekend.

Vermont Christmas Trees are cut, wrapped, packed and ready to go south.

Unusual meat rubs are on the shelves and ready to be used this week.

Old barns are closed up for the winter, horses look great with their furry hair and......

the neighbors cows are dressed for winter.

There is a natural clock that can not be denied.  A natural rhythm we all follow.    
   

And if its 8 am, my cows want treats!

If you love cows, eat turkey.

Eating Meat

One of the best explanations of why you should eat pasture raised meats:

http://coldantlerfarm.blogspot.com/2010/11/i-eat-meat.html

Join the discussion.

The Most Forgotten Professional

‎"Who are those who are the last to ask for help, but the first to offer it? Who are those who don't watch the clock to see how much time is left to work, but look at a clock to see how much work they can get done? Who are those who go to work everyday, in all kinds of weather, all times of the day with never a set or guaranteed wage? The FARMER!" ~ R. Ross

Bale #1

The first round bale of hay was fed to the cows today.

The fields are officially at rest for the winter.

I always have a craving for salad when I see them munching on hay.

Delicious Pie Day @ TailGait Farm

I ain't PW, but I am learning how to make pies and breads before my family comes for Thanksgiving.  Unfortunately, I am a much better comsumer than a baker.

This recipe is from my 94 year old friend.

She has 280 years worth of recipes from her mother, grandmother and great aunt.  This is just a small selection of her many old recipe boxes.

Heritage Dutch Apple Pie, with Struddle /Strussel Topping is the Pie of the Day here.

Head baker is Dorothy.  She was a farm wife and had a very large family she had to feed for 70 years as they ran their beloved dairy farm in the most rural part of Vermont.     She is an incredible cook.

First thing she said about this recipe was: "Macintosh apples shrink too much, Cortland apples stay in better shape when baking." 
I went and got fresh, local Cortlands, peeled 6 medium sized, took the core out, sliced them up and got about 6 cups worth of apple slices, ready to go.

Dorothy has a hard time standing up so we used a unbaked pie crust shell-with fluted edges- so she didn't have to try and balance while rolling out crust.

First step was to put the store bought 9 inch unbaked pie crush shell in the pie dish.

Pile the 6 cups of sliced apple onto the pie shell.

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 Tsp cinnamon and 1/2 Tsp ground nutmeg in a bowl or measuring cup. Mix well.
As you arrange the apple slices in the pie shell, layer the cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar mixture.

In a separate bowl combine:
1 cup sifted flour
3/4 cup sugar
Cut in 1/2 Cup soft butter with pastry blender or 2 knives until crumbly.
Sprinkle these crumbs over the apples:

Pile the crumbly mix on top of the apples and pack the mixture on tight as possible.

Bake in 400 degree oven 50 minutes OR until the top is golden brown and apples are tender (stab them with a long fork).
The other option is to bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and then at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Makes a delicious 6-8 servings.

Serve this pie with one or two of the following:
Slice of Vermont Cheddar Cheese
Ice cream
Whipped cream
Maple syrup

This pie did not last 30 minutes after it cooled off.  We ate all of it.  With all of the above combinations.      Fabulous.
We are going to make another one very very soon.  Maybe 2 or 3 at the same time.

Love Cows ? Eat EMU.

I ran out of my iron pills so I cooked up everything in the house that had high amounts of iron in it:

Fresh Emu, beets, sucatash and sweet potatoes.

The emu was delicious. I made really small hamburgers that cooked quickly in a frying pan of butter and a little water. It kept them moist and juicy.

Had cut up watermelon for dessert.  The smoke alarms never went off the whole time I was cooking.

This is a good thing.

I am practicing cooking for Thanksgiving.  My 86 year old mom is coming to see where I moved to. We haven't been together on Thanksgiving in 7 years.

I don't cook, as most of you have guessed, so this is really important that I start now so that I have a decent meal for my mom.

Wish I had some venison or something different for T Day.

I should put the local volunteer fire department on alert....just incase.

Elm Trees and Tamaracks

One of the last elms, that ever existed, is on my old road.   The tree died years ago, yet still has a life.   The birds sit on the limbs to eat their bird seed.  The hawks sit in the tree and wait for chipmunks and squirrels to run by.  Woodpeckers frequently crawl up and down it looking for bugs.

This tree looks very scarry at night.   Yet the tree looks great as the sun sets.

I look at it often as I travel down the road and wonder about all the different things it witnessed over the last 200 years.

In sharp contrast are the Tamarack trees that line the road and fields.  I admit that I did not even know the name of this tree until I noticed the beautful colored pine needles and asked a farmer friend: "what the heck kinda tree is that?"   Unlike other pine trees, the tamarack tree looses ALL of its needles in the fall and looks horrible.   Rumor has it that the Tamarck trees were once very mean to the many many birds that slept in its protective branches at night.  The trees curled up their warm needles and branches so the birds could not enter to stay warm on a very cold night.    Word of this got to God and he was displeased.  He told the tamaracks that if they did not want to protect the birds that so depended on them for warmth that they would no longer need their beautiful pine needles in the fall.    So now every single last stink'n pine needle falls off just when the tree is in its peak splendor.

There is a message in there somewhere....


Be kind to birds.

Burrs & Burdocks

The cows all looked so good.... until yesterday.

I was shocked when I went to check on the herd and saw this:

The new pasture they went into had burrs and burdocks in the far corners of the field.

Of course the 2 big steers that are leaving next week have them the worse.

The momma cows were much smarter and only had a few that I was able to pick off rather quickly.

But these boys.........

This is how they looked just a few short days ago:

How quickly things change when you got weeds and hell rais'n boys to contend with!

Makes me want to go eat a pie!