Concord Monitor – From the Farm: A farm is more than a business

After 22 years of raising cattle, you’d think I wouldn’t be affected by June, the friendly cow who comes looking for scratches, or Tazzy, the grumpy mini-pig, grunting for dinner. But despite the years, creatures still touch my heart. I melt when Owen B, a yearling Scottish Highland steer, looks at me with his big eyes, and Curious Bleu, our riding steer, lets me sit on his back.

There’s more to a farmer’s life than fluffy calves, funny pigs and tolerant oxen. Last year two calves died and I burst into tears each time. (I know this sounds weird, coming from the owner of a meat farm, but I can’t help but feel the way I feel.)

Fortunately, no calves have died this year and the weaned babies watch eagerly when I give them their food twice a day. Then, after they finish munching, they will bounce around the paddock, raising their heels as they frolic and frolic in youthful joy.

We have “angels” who help us on the farm, like Jean Blodget, who feeds the critters when we need help. Jean, the “Water Play Queen” of our farm camp, made sure campers cooled off under the sprinklers after working with the livestock. Jean, a farm friend, is not afraid to take the plunge and try new things. And then there’s Cameron, who had been one of our summer campers and now volunteers to feed and brush the calves and do whatever needs to be done, including walking Cody the dog.

No matter how bad my day has been, my spirits soar as I walk down our farm path, the autumn leaves crunch under my feet and the sunlight, as if shining through the stained glass windows, filters through. through the leaves of the trees arching over the road. I’m enchanted by Eleanor the donkey, who keeps her feather companions, the goats, the sheep and Tazzy in line.

Eleanor is in charge, and they all want to follow her if she leaves the enclosure. At mealtime, Eleanor brays until she attracts our attention, demanding dinner for her friends. I love them because they remind me of the wonders that abound here – like these calves that sneak under the fence to eat fallen apples, naughty but so cute.

And Topper and Finn, my pair of 4,000-pound oxen, pull a log sled and turn left or right on command. (If only her husband Bruce was so docile!). I will be at the Sandwich Fair on October 12th with Topper and Finn, where I will be entering them in the Log Scoot competition in the afternoon. That these enormous beasts obey the orders of my little self never ceases to amaze and delight me.

I am also charmed by the friendship of Owen B. and Venus, a Belted Galloway heifer, who ignores Mason the bull and stands next to Owen licking his face. They are inseparable.

But above all, my heart goes out to people like you, who buy us beef and pork and who keep our little world afloat financially. Whether you buy our meat or products from other New Hampshire farms, thank you. Your support ensures the survival of local farms like ours.

We couldn’t do it without you. THANKS!

Carole Soule is co-owner of Miles Smith Farm (www.milessmithfarm.com), where she raises and sells local beef, pork, eggs and other products. She can be reached at [email protected]. Carole is also now a certified life coach who helps humans and K-9 students achieve the impossible, little by little.