tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post4423346325563223118..comments2024-03-08T01:37:39.323-05:00Comments on Getting Stitched on the Farm: The Day The Cows Went AwayKristin Nicholashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09038900681076035087noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-5805411443933896122008-04-18T14:36:00.000-04:002008-04-18T14:36:00.000-04:00That is a sad story that didn't end up so badly. ...That is a sad story that didn't end up so badly. Being a fan of land conservation, very glad it didn't go to developers!Tinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12095420943932529360noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-59165269519692376712008-04-14T23:52:00.000-04:002008-04-14T23:52:00.000-04:00Oh, Kristin! I read this with my stomach tied in ...Oh, Kristin! I read this with my stomach tied in knots, at the edge of my chair, exhaling a huge sigh of relief along with you as I scrolled down, reading, and finally got to the part with the Wildlife Management sign. Phew. <BR/>You do the land and the people who have farmed it, and the animals, too, such honor here with your words and pictures, and also by appreciating how much you lucked out, too, with the changes that have taken place.<BR/>We have a friend here who grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin. He doesn't farm here aside from a small orchard and a patch of potatoes and corn, but he still wakes up before the crack of dawn as was bred into him as a small boy.<BR/>Yeah, I'll never be a true local here, either, but at least our boys will be.Irishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06210760028111581098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-37690603996066238212008-04-11T17:16:00.000-04:002008-04-11T17:16:00.000-04:00This post is one of the reasons i read your blog. ...This post is one of the reasons i read your blog. Such wonderful writing on an important topic.<BR/><BR/>congrats that it worked out so that the hillside is safe.southern galhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16788322356884352516noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-11145351297454479562008-04-11T12:40:00.000-04:002008-04-11T12:40:00.000-04:00Thanks so much for sharing this beautifully writte...Thanks so much for sharing this beautifully written story. I've lived much of my life near rural and wilderness areas that border on big cities and I've seen the steady encroachment of the city on this beautiful land. Once it's done, there's no going back.<BR/><BR/>I'm glad that your hillside, while different than it was, is safe. I hope the cows have found themselves in another beautiful spot.Susanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03853484593347916090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-63250868223796345362008-04-10T19:25:00.000-04:002008-04-10T19:25:00.000-04:00Perhaps those cows still dream of the beautiful pl...Perhaps those cows still dream of the beautiful place they lived on top of the world.Feliciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16315635566608283734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-87002090684617197162008-04-10T14:28:00.000-04:002008-04-10T14:28:00.000-04:00Let me add my thanks for this story. I am reading...Let me add my thanks for this story. I am reading The Omnivore's Dilemna now, and was reading this morning about the industrialization of the organic food movement. We live in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, in what was once a dairy farm county. We were relieved to see the largest neighboring farm go to a couple who breed Appaloosa horses. They don't have much money and have worked hard to build their own fences, plant shade trees, build the place back up. There were three brand new foals this week.<BR/>We used to wake up some mornings to find a ring of cows circling our house in the mist - that hole in the farmer's fence! But the other nearby farm is now rented - the house to one family, the fields to a cow calf operation. It's still country, still mostly open and lovely, but how are we going to feed ourselves in this country?<BR/>Don't get me started!Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08081696975112970993noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-42369965152152325422008-04-10T11:36:00.000-04:002008-04-10T11:36:00.000-04:00Thank you for your heartfelt story. It's so comfo...Thank you for your heartfelt story. It's so comforting to know others share these familiar feelings and values. I married an 8th generation dairy farmer, and am blessed to have been welcomed into his very large family and small, tight-knit rural community. Our land has been in his family nearly 200 years. We make our living milking 50 cows. I am also one of a group of farm people - mostly dairy wives - who came together to create and support a statewide agricultural land trust that preserves working farmland. Reading your words, and the comments of your readers brought tears to my eyes. I will share your sentiments of hope and inspiration with our group.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-36915350550457550522008-04-10T09:25:00.000-04:002008-04-10T09:25:00.000-04:00Oh man, my heart was pounding as I literally raced...Oh man, my heart was pounding as I literally raced to the ending. I grew up in a small town in RI, and my grandparents (immigrants from the Azores)were farmers. Some of my most vivid memories are of visiting them each Sunday after church, feeding the chickens and looking at the green peppers floating in a big metal trough, getting ready to go to the market in Providence.<BR/><BR/>My dad used to have to walk to a neighboring farm every day with a metal pail to get the milk. He even walked in his sleep to do it! Last year, my dad bought the farm property and all that's left is a small "barn" with a few cows which are owned by an old man and which my father has allowed to stay. When I visit, my dad takes me to see "his children" and I feed them apples. It's funny to see these huge beasts literally running up to us. What a hoot! I don't know what is going to happen to this property. I'm hoping that it'll stay the way it is and, some day, I'll get to retire there on a small piece of that land and have my own chickens and grow my own peppers. All this beautiful, wide open land with so much history is being developed and it breaks my heart. I'm crossing my fingers that this won't be the case in this instance.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for sharing your story and reminding me of those special times. Blessings,Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-85145570521040953362008-04-09T20:06:00.000-04:002008-04-09T20:06:00.000-04:00I struggled to read your last paragraph as tears w...I struggled to read your last paragraph as tears were rolling down my face.I work for Tuttle's Red Barn the oldest farm in America still owed by the same family. I am not a Tuttle but I share your love of the farms and know the hard work it take to get from one year to the next.When March comes we all celebrate knowing that although the hard work is yet to come we have made it thru one mare year.Thank you for reminding me how lucky I am to be connected to something so special.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-18900250175525526062008-04-09T19:50:00.000-04:002008-04-09T19:50:00.000-04:00Incredible story, beautifully written! Thank you!Incredible story, beautifully written! Thank you!Sharon Rosehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09138838305306645079noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-33825546950616846862008-04-09T18:05:00.000-04:002008-04-09T18:05:00.000-04:00I read fearing what the result would be. I read an...I read fearing what the result would be. I read and scrolled. Thank goodness for the outcome. I am so glad for you and your family.KSeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17267736470665844095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-59239244712254226032008-04-09T17:00:00.000-04:002008-04-09T17:00:00.000-04:00my heart was in my throat hoping for the best outc...my heart was in my throat hoping for the best outcome to this ... where i grew up (eastern long island, both forks) farms are disappearing and those evil subdivisions are taking over. *sigh* this news while still sad has made my day for what it is not ... thank you for sharing it.pennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15641517313370608713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-63004555682910074862008-04-09T15:58:00.000-04:002008-04-09T15:58:00.000-04:00It makes me sad to think how much our rural landsc...It makes me sad to think how much our rural landscape is changing. In the Chicago region farmers are being offered huge amounts of money to sell their farms. The money is nice, but as many say, they end up giving up a life known to them for 6-8 generations. I watched one community go from farm fields to strip malls in just two years. All that gorgeous black soil gone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-68878475473582252002008-04-09T15:47:00.000-04:002008-04-09T15:47:00.000-04:00Thank you for the beautiful essay.Thank you for the beautiful essay.Lesliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13896225590676052139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-29219137340490168612008-04-09T13:41:00.000-04:002008-04-09T13:41:00.000-04:00Those of us who love the country side and want to ...Those of us who love the country side and want to preserve it often find ourselves at odds with the older farmers. The value in their land is their retirement fund and of course they want to get as much money as they can for it. Hardly anyone can afford to buy large tracts of land to use only for farming these days. Unfortunately, dividing it up into subdivisions seems to be the most financially rewarding. I'm hopeful that the "eat local" movement will inspire more of us to be willing to pay a little more for our food and buy it from a local farmer who is still working hard to maintain farming as a way of life.Dianne MacDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10168188912154245536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-7456539583842128982008-04-09T10:01:00.000-04:002008-04-09T10:01:00.000-04:00Thank you for your beautiful words. Change does co...Thank you for your beautiful words. Change does come, but not always for the better. Loss like this fills my heart with sadness, but thank goodness the land is being respected and cared for.<BR/>Perhaps one day people will wake up and value the small farm enough to support it, although it will probably be too late.<BR/>Here in Oregon we have fancy-shmanzy houses being built on land that used to be farmed. It galls me when these people complain that they can smell the cows or pigs from a nearby farm that is still hanging on.ellenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18245099394863979981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-84807309302951027052008-04-09T04:02:00.000-04:002008-04-09T04:02:00.000-04:00Kristin, you write so well. Thank you for craftin...Kristin, you write so well. Thank you for crafting this account. Examples similar to yours are happening not only in rural parts of the U.S. but also here in Ireland.Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08193395027474680289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-87117256360268015652008-04-09T03:03:00.000-04:002008-04-09T03:03:00.000-04:00I add my thanks for writing this story. My grandp...I add my thanks for writing this story. My grandparents had a small ranch in eastern Colorado when I was growing up. It has now been subdivided into 5 acre ranchettes and covered in mobile homes. I have so many good memories of what it was like - hot prairie in the summer, icy cold winds in the winter. I went out to look at it once a couple years ago - I'll never go back. It hurts too much. I am so thankful that the property near you has a different story! We are losing so much of our history through out of control developement.ColoradoColumbinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12831303862762448098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-70210828830428311752008-04-09T00:37:00.000-04:002008-04-09T00:37:00.000-04:00Thank you for sharing this story. I was glad to s...Thank you for sharing this story. I was glad to see that at least the land is being kept open, even if the old dairy farm is lost. This country needs its small farms; I, too, wish a way could be found to keep this part of our heritage alive.Wool Enoughhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10949051835843038070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-4063584694760783882008-04-08T22:59:00.000-04:002008-04-08T22:59:00.000-04:00Our little town in PA has changed so much in the p...Our little town in PA has changed so much in the past few years. What was surrounded by farmland, grazing cows and beautiful views is now being replaced by big industrial centers. There is one road not far from me where I can still see the beauty of the farms but I suspect that will be gone. Traffic is horrendous and the big trucks rumble on the road. Gone are the deer that feasted on our meadow. Thank you for your story. I can appreciate it.Joanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00754229075553937614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-43906398532876503362008-04-08T19:52:00.000-04:002008-04-08T19:52:00.000-04:00It's so sad, isn't it, that dairy farms can hardly...It's so sad, isn't it, that dairy farms can hardly survive anymore--or just plain can't--around here... it was very sad in Belchertown when the last working dairy farm shut down. Fortunately the family decided to try to continue with beef farming. I hope they can make a go of it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-65620893153325518112008-04-08T18:53:00.000-04:002008-04-08T18:53:00.000-04:00What a sad and sweet story. Thanks for sharing in ...What a sad and sweet story. Thanks for sharing in your elequont way.<BR/>roothAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-38079846392044339692008-04-08T18:51:00.000-04:002008-04-08T18:51:00.000-04:00That last photo reminds me of an illustration in t...That last photo reminds me of an illustration in the book "First Snow" by Kim Lewis. If you don't already know her <A HREF="http://www.kimlewisbooks.co.uk/books.html" REL="nofollow">books</A>, then I think that you and Julia would both enjoy them.Rebeccahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00754758286887474609noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23619317.post-74122700924619287362008-04-08T18:26:00.000-04:002008-04-08T18:26:00.000-04:00Thank you for sharing this story and the beautiful...Thank you for sharing this story and the beautiful photos with me. I too feel sad for the cows. The dairy farmers here in Australia have also been dealt a very harsh hand over the last 15 years with supermarkets selling their milk for less than it costs to produce it. I'm so glad your neighbours were able to preserve their land and stay in their homes when the change had the potential to be so destructive.Lily Boothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18385219883166874326noreply@blogger.com