Once the grass starts growing (finally) in northwestern Vermont, the pace picks up here at Howmars Farm and doesn't ever to seem to slow down until snow flies. It's hard to believe the cows will soon be starting their third rotation already through the grazing paddocks. The cows are producing well, the milk is a nice yellow color, and we've dropped the protein level in the grain from 14 percent to 10 percent. Today we moved some year-old heifers and steers over to their summer pastures.

The paddock the youngsters started in was also the paddock that Maple, our horse, had over-wintered in and was still residing in. After the heifers and steers finished checking out their new place, they started checking out Maple. Maple holed up in the barn along the fenceline, and watched the juvenile delinquents over the wall. At one point a heifer got too nosy, and Maple let out a WHOOSH! that sent them all scattering. Not a very brave bunch.

With these 10 animals moved over by the house, and 12 older bred heifers across from the barn, that makes room behind the youngstock barn to turn out the 9 animals still in the youngstock barn. That way we will be satisfying the requirement that all animals over 6 months must be on pasture. The boys are quick to point out that it also means no shoveling gutters for a while. It's soooo nice when it's grazing season here on the farm.