Counting Blessings on the Farm

Jerome, one of my Belted Galloway steers, is more of a couch potato than a calf. All of my calves are all friendly and a joy to be around. What a pleasure to share Miles Smith Farm with a herd of fifteen affectionate calves.

After 20 years raising cattle, you'd think I'd be unaffected by June, the cow who walks over looking for scratches, or Tazzy, the mini-pig grunting for dinner. But despite the years, the critters still pull on my heartstrings. I melt when Venus, one of my Belted Galloway calves, looks at me with blue eyes, begging me to scratch her neck.

A farmer's life is not all fuzzy calves, grunting pigs, and mellow steers. Just like in 2022, two calves died this year. I broke down sobbing with each death. We're here to keep the babies alive but try as hard as we can; sometimes, we fail.

Maybelle, the pregnant cow

My other cattle need my attention, so I mourn for the lost souls and focus on the living, like Maybelle, the very, very pregnant cow. We thought she was due a month ago, but she keeps getting bigger and bigger. Last week, veterinarian Dr. Lauren put on an arm-length glove and reached in to check. "Yep, there's a live calf in there. The calf should be born in a week or two," she said. So we wait some more and watch Maybelle waddle around the pasture until that calf decides to join the herd.

Curious Bleu

There are other joys, like Curious Bleu the steer, who makes me laugh when he gallops to the fence for a bite of smashed pumpkin like a racehorse crossing the finish line. Then there is Topper, my 1,500-pound Highland ox, who walks up to me in the pasture, puts his head on my shoulder, and closes his eyes as I scratch his chin.

While counting blessings, here are a few unique qualities of my herd:

• Highland cattle grow long, shaggy coats that protect better than L.L. Bean's most rugged parkas. They only need food, water, and a windbreak to thrive in the cold. They don't need a warm, cozy house; they are designed for winter.
• Cattle don't hold grudges. If I feed them late, all is forgiven once they're fed. They have no emotional baggage.
• Cattle eat grass, weeds, and brush to make my fields look like well-manicured lawns. They trim around rocks better than the best weed whacker and fertilize as they go.
• No matter how often I've seen a calf born, it's still a miracle.
  
  
• Curious cattle remember individual humans. Name tags are not required for humans. Cattle know who we are.
  
  
• A halter-trained, 50-pound heifer will still be halter-trained when she grows into a 1,000-pound cow. For cattle, a lesson learned is always remembered.
  
  
• Cattle respond to my commands because I know how to coach them. And guess what? I'm now a people coach, too.

As I walk around my farm, I look at the ever-changing clouds, hanging like a ceiling of cotton balls one minute and the next racing across the heavens in streaks of white. Rather than fuss about the yard that needs cleaning or the trash that needs to go to the dump, I look up. Most evenings, the sunset is God painting in pastels with clouds stretching along the horizon, reflecting pink, yellow, and blue as the Earth spins into the night. When I take the time to see the magic in the sky and in my cattle, I feel all is well and that this farmer and my bovines are one small but essential piece of the universe.

Words of Wisdom

Here's a simple human tip from Cow Coach Carole: Find one thing to be grateful for today, anything: husband, wife, dog, the sunset, your best friend, or even your car. Gratitude makes all the difference.
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Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm, in Loudon, N.H., where she sells beef and other local products. She can be reached at carolesoule60@gmail.com. Carole also coaches humans, helping them achieve the impossible a little at a time.