Charm, one of our calmest cows, delivered a stillborn calf one night. To make the best of it, we went to a neighbor's dairy farm and discovered that a bull calf (no use to a dairy farmer) had been born that morning; the farmer gave him to us on the spot. Many beef cows will not readily adopt a calf, but we thought Charm might. Tied up, she allowed the calf to nurse, and within 24 hours, she was as protective of the little Holstein as she would have been of her own. We rarely name animals who will be sold in the fall, but this one was special - we call him "Sparky" after the dalmations in firehouses.

This year we had over 40 calves, with a nice balance between bulls and heifers. Come visit any time and see them as they grow. In the fall, we keep the very best for our own herd and sell the rest to other breeders or farmers who buy them as feeders for the beef market.