…when we began our English project. Entirely new pure traditional Devon bloodlines. And here is one: Buttercup from Brian Drake’s Essington Park herd. Bred there…born here…and now with her first calf. Brian has since retired and his herd, one of England’s oldest, has been dispersed. The sire of this month old well-mannered bull calf is our Churchill…out of Gavin Hunter’s great cow Tilbrook Cashtiller. The shortage of pure, traditional Devon bloodlines has become so critical in England that one breeder we know has thrown up her hands and is using an Angus bull this year, hoping for better luck next year. We’ll never forget spotting Buttercup’s dam on her pasture…

..the next generation. It was front and center for this year’s crop of yearling-plus heifers. Not quite ready to breed and that’s the problem. Breed now and calve in the fall with the attendant problems plus rebreeding difficulty? Or wait until they’re ready which could mean calving in the equally difficult winter months. Church on the right voted to go ahead and he’s the one who gets up in the dark and will have to deal with the problem either way. Grandpa on the left voted to wait but of course he’s in Assisted Living where he can do nothing but express an opinion. Curt and Carolyn in the middle…

…this one for the gentlemen to go along with the spa for the ladies. (See below) While the ladies cuddle up with the cows in one pasture, the men could enjoy soccer in another pasture. Let’s go to the tape! David

Nothing really new here but it summarizes where science is and where it’s going. Will the government eventually mandate that we must follow? https://apnews.com/f628e7c65c794995b19977b7c1cdc10c David

…and it certainly fits our wellness theme. A farm in New York offers spa treatments including “cow cuddling”. For $75 an hour you can snuggle up to a cow. Seems their body temperature and heart rate are good modifiers of the human condition. Of course that’s in New York; not sure our cows will work that cheaply. Thanks to longtime Devon friend Shauna Wobeser for sharing the link. David https://beyondblindfold.com/cow-cuddling-is-the-new-wellness-trend-now-and-it-costs-300-for-a-90-minute-session/

…but then you know the old saying. It wasn’t that long ago that today’s over-populated Washington suburbs were wonderful, if not terribly productive, farmland. Even up to 40 years ago, super malls like Tyson’s Corner had to demolish barns and feed stores to make way for the likes of Bloomingdales and multi-tier parking garages. Still the old day’s and ways are not forgotten. Driving down the main street in Falls Church recently I noticed a statue of a farmer feeding his pigs. Investigation informed me that the statue was erected by the family of mega auto dealer Don Beyer in 1985. Seems the Beyers started out raising pigs on a…

…is hard to do. Over the years we have spent a lot of time, effort (and money) on our pastures. The results have been gratifying and we reached a point where even seed and fertilizer salesmen were at a loss to recommend anything else. But now four years of neglect caused by health issues are seeming to take their toll. The heavy rains, flooding and pugging did their best (worst), too. Weeds have moved in and there could be still more next spring filling in bare spots. Actually from afar the pastures look pretty good…but we do want to measure now and hold some pastures back as we try several…

I had a long weekend at Thistle Hill Farm two weekends ago and loved my time there. I fixed fences with young Church, visited all the herd and delivered minerals to the different pastures, and worked on some weed-eating along the fence, done the old-fashioned way in my case- with hand clippers! I loved spending so much time outside, especially the ability to breathe in deeply the (relatively) clean air on the farm. Over the last year I have been taking an environmental health course with Dr. Walter Crinnion, learning about the ubiquitous toxicants in our air, food, and water. Even according to the EPA, there isn’t any area in…