Cedar Mountain Farm: 4-H and Showing Cows

Taken from the full article written for DigInVT.com by ZL.

Cedar Mountain Farm is a working family farm in Hartland, Vermont. Located at Cobb Hill Cohousing, owners Stephen Leslie and Kerry Gawalt (with their daughter, Maeve) have been farming for decades.

We caught up with Maeve Leslie-Gawalt to learn about her involvement in 4-H and showing cows. At the time of writing, Maeve is 13 years old and has grown up on the farm. She is a core part of the Hartland 4-H Cattle Club, a local group of students that generally meets after school on Wednesdays at the farm.

Tell us about 4-H in Hartland

The club was started 5 years ago, when Maeve was 8 years old. It’s an official club, comprised of a handful of students (the numbers have fluctuated). The members do fundraisers and go to fairs. In a normal year, the club would attend 5 area fairs, staying in a camper for 4-5 days. This year (2020), the club has been meeting by Zoom once per month and doing quiz bowl. Maeve only attended one show, the New England Holstein Show, this year.

Maeve on the far left and showing through the years.

To prepare for fairs and shows, Maeve walks the cows she is working with 2-3 times a week; they practice show walking. She also washes them once a week to get them used to it, as the cows can find it stressful. Then, there’s the grooming! Maeve explained how clipping works, that it enhances and accentuates various aspects of a cow’s body: some fluff is left on the topline, fading is done on the stomach, and the legs, head, and ears are clipped neatly. Every component of the body is judged in showing. Maeve says it takes hours to do, 1.5 to 5 hours per cow...5 for “Whipped Cream.”

Who is Whipped Cream?

The farm has 60 Jersey cows, and standing out in the crowd are two Holsteins. Maeve really liked the idea of owning a Holstein and working with a larger cow. So, in 2016 when she was in 3rd grade, having saved up her money, she bought the Holstein that she named Whipped Cream. Maeve says Whipped Cream has quite the personality and is a spicy gal!

How are the cows named on the farm?

The first letter of the mother’s name is used. The strongest lines right now are C, B, and D names. Some letter lines have died out or been sold, but each family line is known for their own personality and beauty. D’s have a loving, go-lucky vibe and B’s have more attitude!

“For instance, last year I took Chanel to the World Dairy Expo in Wisconsin. Her mom is Coco and she has a daughter, Champaign, that I hope to take next year.”