01/01/2026
We have some very sad news to share. On Sunday, we lost Dude. He was eating well and seemed himself on Saturday night, which makes his passing all the more shocking and hard to accept.
He was a little thinner, but there were no obvious signs that something was wrong. We’d been supplemental feeding him. He was slower and walked more stiffly, but that seemed like arthritis and age catching up with him. He was nearly 18 years old and, right up until the end, still very much himself… a big butthead.
He was such a big presence here.....the farm feels different without him. After a long conversation, we’ve decided not to replace him. This means a huge shift for us and for the future of the farm. We will have a few more years of meat sales, and after that, our remaining cows will stay with us for the rest of their lives.
This marks a new chapter for us. It's scary, but it is the path forward.
