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Field Notes – Summer 2012

August 7, 2012

by Rich Dinsmore

My wife thinks I’m cheating on her…I guess maybe I am.

I’ve fallen in love again; I can see the same feeling in Cookie’s gaze as she snuggles-up to me over breakfast at the farm. A couple of weeks ago the dynamic (and the Biodynamic®) of the farm changed in a very interesting way. You see, Cookie brought 12 of her girlfriends with her to Harmony Farm and into my life. Twice a day we do a little bonding over a cup of coffee and a bucket of grain or at the bathtub as she gets a drink of water. By the way, did I mention that Cookie (#519) is a heifer?

Cows looking at the camera

Harmony Farm works closely with Bair-Trax Dairy located on Children’s Home Road in Troy, Ohio. Raymond and Phyllis Bair, their son David, and wife Annette manage Bair-Trax Dairy which is a certified organic dairy farm that sells milk to Horizon Dairy as well as “herd-shares” to local residents. David recently decided to “pasture” his young herd of heifers here at Harmony Farm. The extended drought in Ohio and other parts of the country has stressed livestock farms as the pastures dry-up. We have been fortunate to have enough rain to keep our pasture viable for grazing. In addition to the pasturing, Harmony Farm provides certified organic/Biodynamic® hay to the dairy.

So what?

In a Biodynamic® Farming operation an “animal” component is a key element to the overall health of the farm. The cattle improve the health of the soil by providing fertilizer and aeration. Healthy soil equals healthy plants and herbs!

I admire Phyllis, Raymond, David and Annette, as their job at the dairy farm is 24/7. Our youngest daughter (Kaitlyn) and I spent an evening recently milking the cows at Bair-Trax Dairy and know first-hand that this is hard work.

Kaitlyn at a milking station

If you would like to learn more about Bair-Trax Dairy or herd-shares you can contact the farm directly at (937) 339-3179 or via email at: cowsintherapy2@juno.com

Rich

A cow kisses a man

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