River Plain Dairy Farm in Lebanon, CT 4-27-12
When Mom was undergoing her chemo treatments for cancer she met a really nice young woman named Alexis. Alexis is the mother of four young children and the wife of a dairy farmer. At her young age she is also battling breast cancer and still taking care of her family and helping with the farm! Since mom and I are also former farm girls we became fast friends. When Alexis invited us to visit her farm, we readily accepted! So, while I was down in CT last Friday we stopped by for a visit after Mom’s radiation treatment.
The Barn
The Farm House
The Farm Kitchen
The Farm Pond
The Farm Pasture
The Farmer’s Cows
Since this is a dairy farm there were Holsteins everywhere, but there were other animals as well. Here is what I saw around the barnyard:
Turkey
Pigs
Piles of Pigs!
Pigs at play!
While we were outside taking the tour we saw this injured coyote run across the front pasture. It seemed to have a hurt rear leg which it held limply above the ground never putting any weight on it. There wasn’t much we could do so we watched as it ran off. How strange it is to see coyotes all over New England. When i was growing up around here you never saw them. You never even heard of them being here in the northeast, but now they can be seen everywhere, even in the city and suburbs of Boston!
Out on the woodpile I spotted a chipping sparrow with an insect in its beak.
It struck a handsome pose after gobbling its meal.
Of course, I did count the birds while I was here. As you can imagine, there were tons of blackbirds feeding on the freshly manured fields of the farm. Turkey and black vultures soared overhead and robins hopped about on the lawn. We tried to take a walk down through the pastures but it was a very windy and cold day. We soon turned back, but not before I spotted a pair of Savannah Sparrows in some brush. Out on the pasture I heard the distinctive cry of a killdeer as we hurried towards the barn to get out of the wind. After touring the milking barn, we went back into the house where a woodstove blazed on the kitchen hearth! Alexis then made us hot chocolate with fresh cow’s milk. Yum!
Mom and Alexis in the farmhouse kitchen 4-27-12
With all the beauty around me, the most beautiful thing of all was seeing these two women smiling after all they have been through. Alexis’ hair is already growing in. Mom’s is just a soft white peach fuzz but I am sure that by the time I come back for a visit her’s will be growing in too!
It was now naptime on the farm. Time for us to go.
Good-bye cows!
Good-bye Farm and Thank You Alexis for the tour!
To learn more about River Plain Dairy Just click on the links below:
What a great meeting of souls and inner strength. Such a well run and prosperous farm in the old diversified farming style. A lovely day out for you both and obviously so nice for Alexis too.
ReplyDeleteLooks like I'll have to add her to my prayer list.
Your mom seems to be taking it in her stride as much as that is possible.
I still miss my sister terribly. Today would have been her 80th birthday.
Hugs . . . Arija
This is such a wonderful farm, love all their animals. But you're right, the two smiling ladies are the most beautiful of all.
ReplyDeleteOur farms here in southeastern Minnesota used to look like that. Now they specialize in just one thing (hogs, cattle or corn) and are very large. Many are corporate owned. Our school and town are shrinking as families and young adults moved away. Sad....
ReplyDeleteI did love that beautiful photo of the Chipper though... :)
Arija, thank you for your prayers for my Mom and once again, I am so sorry about the loss of your sister. I cannot even imagine losing mine! My heart goes out to you. I hope that your memories of her give you some comfort.
ReplyDeleteGaelyn, thanks!
Troutbirder, my grandfather was a farmer and I used to help out on a dairy farm when I was young, then we even had a few pigs, cows, and goats when we were first married! I think family farms are so important and I am so glad there are a few left in CT, but many of them here have been sold off for roads and developments! It is sad to see all that pasture land go away. The old farms make great habitat for birds. I saw so many on this farm!