12/05/2025
The bakehouse officially has a name! Named after my beloved dairy cow who started it all and as an effort to keep her legacy alive, I bring you, Gretta’s Bakehouse!
If you ever had the privilege of meeting Gretta, you loved her. She was the sweetest, in your pocket, puppy dog cow. On July 28, we said goodbye to a legend. Gretta was more than a cow. She was a friend and a large piece of my heart. Over half of my adult life included her. When I came up with the idea of wanting a cow in 2014, everyone thought I was crazy. It’s not everyday you just decide you want to bring a cow home, especially without any know how of how to even care for one. I did my research, read book after book and began my search for the perfect cow. We went to visit a farm that had both Gretta and her mom up for sale. I instantly fell in love with the pasture puppy that greeted me that rainy afternoon. We had a job to do and that was put up fencing for a pasture and then I could bring her home! Gretta was 18 months old at the time with her first calf on the way. I had 6 months to establish a bond and routine with her before the baby was due to be born. We learned everything together and she taught me more than I could even begin to fit on this page. She taught me dedication, hard work, perseverance, confidence, and an unwavering love between a girl and her cow. The joy she had to be a mother was the most precious thing I ever witnessed. It didn’t matter whose it was, Gretta was going to mother and care for that baby. She was the heart of this farm, the mother and grandmother to all. She raised 8 babies of her own and 5 adopted, the most recent being Halen’s baby Honey. And while Gretta was retired from milking and no longer produced milk of her own, she raised Honey teaching her all the things momma cows teach their young and gave Gretta a purpose these last few months. After Gretta’s last calving last year, her health began to decline, arthritis set in, and it was with that I decided to retire her to live out the rest of her days here with zero demands, just to live peacefully. In early July, her arthritis got so it was more and more difficult to manage and it became hard for her to walk and get around. Her eyes didn’t tell me she was in pain but her body told me differently and I never ever wanted her to suffer. On that hot summer morning, our vet came to lay her body to rest in the pasture where she spent the last 11 years. With family and friends surrounded, we said our goodbyes. There will never be another like our Gretta girl and she will forever be missed. Her legacy will live on through the many daughters and granddaughters she has and now this bakery. I’m excited for what’s to come and am looking forward to bringing you along with me!