the aha! moment
After much discussion things came to a head in the summer of 1989. The farm partners took steps towards converting their conventional confinement dairy farm to a friendlier, more traditional style of pasture based farming - where the cows are turned out to pasture and allowed to harvest their own feed and spread their own manure.
Pasture had been meticulously prepared and all that was needed was to liberate the cows. Some cows were gathered and led to the gate. Karl was hesitant and couldn't bring himself to open the gate. After all, it was a different farming system than he had learned about in school. Impatient, Robert rushed passed him and threw open the gate.
... What took place was an AHA! moment — the sheer joy on the faces of the cows, walking and grazing for the first time on the lush pastures nature had bred them to enjoy, brought smiles of joy to the brothers' faces.
Before everyone could throw their weight behind rotational grazing, including father Ed, Jerry first had to throw his weight behind the last reluctant cow, and push her out the gate. Even the reluctant cow, after a week or two, was running in the pastures, her hooves now cushioned on fields of grass.
...cautious at first, but convinced by what they saw, the farm partners enthusiastically won father Ed's approval for the transition to rotational grazing. And that is how Saxon Homestead Farm began its return to life-enhancing farming.
Our cows truly enjoy being on pasture. Since that first paddock was built many years ago, our families have developed a highly efficient, livestock sensitive and environmentally friendly farming system. Cattle are more content on pasture; the pasture system provides a solid foundation for high levels of cow comfort and animal well being. Of course, our milking cows have comfortable barns to take shelter in during the coldest days of winter, and during spring and fall wet periods if they want to.
Before everyone could throw their weight behind rotational grazing, including father Ed, Jerry first had to throw his weight behind the last reluctant cow, and push her out the gate. Even the reluctant cow, after a week or two, was running in the pastures, her hooves now cushioned on fields of grass.
...cautious at first, but convinced by what they saw, the farm partners enthusiastically won father Ed's approval for the transition to rotational grazing. And that is how Saxon Homestead Farm began its return to life-enhancing farming.
Our cows truly enjoy being on pasture. Since that first paddock was built many years ago, our families have developed a highly efficient, livestock sensitive and environmentally friendly farming system. Cattle are more content on pasture; the pasture system provides a solid foundation for high levels of cow comfort and animal well being. Of course, our milking cows have comfortable barns to take shelter in during the coldest days of winter, and during spring and fall wet periods if they want to.
Karl Klessig
