Follow organic dairy farmer Jonathan Gates as he reports weekly from his Vermont family farm. Howmars Farm is a certified organic dairy farm, one of many Organic Valley/CROPP Cooperative farmer members who supply the milk that goes into making Stonyfield's yogurts and smoothies. The entire family pitches in on this third-generation farm. Check out some of the happenings on his farm and post your comments. Jonathan loves to get feedback from readers.
welcome to
the bovine bugle
Falling in love with Vermont, and Autumn, all over again
My son, Noah, has asked me what is my favorite season on the farm. We are blessed to have all four wonderful seasons here in northern Vermont, each one having its own special qualities. But the days during the peak of autumn's glorious colors have no equal. I can remember my first fall at home after my four years at the University of Maine-Orono. It was like I was introduced to the beauty of a Vermont autumn all over again.
Early this evening, I stepped out of the barn while cleaning up after milking and saw the mist rising on the flat below the barn. I skipped up to the house to get my camera and take some shots of the hauntingly beautiful images unfolding in the dwindling daylight. The mist forms when the ground is warmed during the day, and then the rising heat from the earth hits the rapidly cooling night air. We see this quite a bit during the summer, but tonight the mist against the backdrop of the rich fall colors was stunning.
By the time I was done in the barn, darkness had fallen and the beautiful hillsides were hidden until morning. I made sure the turkeys and chickens were in for the night as I headed up to the house for supper. A barred owl hooted in the woods behind the house, asking "Who cooks for you, Who cooks for you". I wonder if it was the owl I saw land on the stack of round bales the other morning around 4:30. It sat on a corner of the stack for about a minute before gliding silently off on its wide spread wings. Amazing birds, like the amazing fall colors, making our little farm a special place to live.
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Gorgeous. Someday I'd like to see it in person.
Posted by: Helen Dasher | October 29, 2009 at 06:41 AM
So gorgeous! Thanks for sharing.
liza
http://goodtogrow.wordpress.com
Posted by: Liza Wheeler | October 31, 2009 at 02:41 PM
We love the Stoneyfield Farm organic smoothie! But are your plastic containers BPA free?
Posted by: dion pineda | November 04, 2009 at 05:33 PM