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.”

The Skiing is Fine

. . . at least it was until it was 57 and raining on Christmas!

We are part of the Hartland Winter Trails. Many of us love skiing right out our doors, so to speak.

Happy Solstice 2020

Photos by Sandy

It's a Puzzler

The Cobb Hill 2020 Solstice Puzzler!

Bill had us puzzling over 20 images taken on the property. Here are some snapshots. There were rules, tips, and boundaries. And prizes? Of course. For all those that get them all correct. A fun activity while covid-homebound on the Hill.

Gratitude Wall

Thank you, all, for making this Thanksgiving special. Side dishes, beverages, and/or notes of gratitude were safely swapped. Just because we can’t gather doesn’t mean we can’t cook for each other, show some cheer, and be thankful up and down the hill.

Halloween a Smashing Success

This year's Halloween might arguably have been more fun than traditional trick-or-treating. Looking for a pandemic alternative that could engage both kids and adults safely, a small group of neighbors planned a spooky hour of events. Folks showed up in costume, placed their pumpkin in the "pumpkin patch" and waited for the parade to begin. Set to the Ghostbusters theme, we then paraded ourselves around our green. Children then enjoyed the fire and sipped apple cider. Returning to the common house porch, we were in for a ukulele treat. Complete with narration, our ukulele players performed Monster Mash! Then for the pumpkin carving prizes and corny Halloween jokes . . .

Know why skeletons are so calm? Because nothing gets under their skin.

And the moment the kiddos had been waiting for . . . candy! We ended with a goofy skit in the pumpkin patch and warmth around the fire on a chilly evening (with full moon!).

Gratitude for the organizers, bringing us together in such creative ways.

Brilliant Fall Day

3rd Annual Garden Tour

Our garden party looked a little different this year, but several of us still wanted to host it and celebrate our beautiful gardens. The last two years, we’ve made it an appetizer/cocktail party, with each garden offering a food or drink made with items from the garden (think grilled corn, fruit popsicles, cucumber lemonade, adult beverages, shiitake spread, pickles…).

With the pandemic, we did not want to share food & drink, but came up with other ways to enjoy time together and admire the gardens. We put together a garden scavenger hunt (find a mushroom, how many wheelbarrows do you count, best smelling plant, etc.); we gave out prizes in various categories (best garden party outfit, best in show garden, garden w/most unusual plant, etc.); there was a raffle at the end, with the money going to our local food shelf; and garden jokes along the way.

What did baby corn say to mommy corn?

Where’s popcorn?

Why did the tomato turn red?

Because he saw the salad dressing!

Why do fungi have to pay double bus fares?

Because they take up too mushroom!

Many of us garden, though it is by no means a requirement of living here! Most (all?) of us gardeners were able to give our gardens extra care this season, as we worked from home and had more flexible schedules.

Gubernatorial Candidate Visit

David Zuckerman was able to visit on a Friday night and chat with us (from atop a hay wagon - he is a farmer after all). He is the current Lieutenant Governor of Vermont and is running for Governor this year.

Outdoor Land Use Committee Meeting

"This year we are trying something new in the market garden. After 20 seasons of "traditional" organic tillage, we are establishing permanent "no-dig" beds. The beds are covered with a thick mulch of compost to build fertility and suppress weeds. The paths between the beds are filled with wood chips to invite beneficial fungi into the garden environment. We hope this method will reduce labor, produce nutrient dense vegetables, build topsoil, and sequester atmospheric carbon."

-Stephen Leslie, Cedar Mountain Farm

Aerial Shots

In April, Integrity Energy took some aerial shots of the finished solar project.

Isolate & Create E-Cookbook

Ever wanted to cook a meal from a local restaurant in your own kitchen? Now you can! Released May 15th, the “Isolate and Create” digital cookbook features delicious recipes from 15 Vermont restaurants. All profits go to the Vermont component of the Restaurant Strong Fund, a national effort to provide grants to restaurant workers who have lost income due to the pandemic.

Creator Jenna Rice (of Jenna Rice Marketing), who runs her own business as a freelance photographer, web designer and graphic designer, was inspired after seeing a friend in Boston start a similar project. She reached out to local restaurants she knew for recipes and was connected to more across the state by the Vermont Fresh Network. 

For help on the culinary side, she enlisted her sister, Nora Rice. Nora, who graduated last year from Ashburton Chefs Academy in the United Kingdom, had been working at the Herb Farm, a renowned restaurant in Woodinville in Washington State. Back in Hartland, Vermont to stay home and safe, the two teamed up to cook and photograph each dish.  

The digital cookbook has been an immediate success, with over $2,000 earned already. “I was surprised just by how willing everyone was to contribute a recipe and how many people have purchased it so far,” Jenna said. “I think it shows that we live in a pretty special and giving, supportive, community.” 

The Isolate and Create digital cookbook can be purchased for $20 and features delicious spring and summer recipes, desserts, and cocktails from restaurants, caterers, a distillery, a winery, and more! The e-cookbook includes Putney Mountain Spirits in Putney, Mad River Distillers in Waitsfield, Kate Wise Cocktails and Solstice at Spruce Peak in Stowe, Skunk Hollow Tavern and The Hartland Diner in Hartland, Public House Pub and Chef Brad’s Crazy Side in Quechee, Odyssey Events in Bridgewater, Michael’s On The Hill in Waterbury Center, Bistro de Margot in Burlington, Piecemeal Pies in White River Junction, Richmond Community Kitchen in Richmond, Artisan Eats Vermont in Windsor, and Let’s Pretend Catering in South Hero.

All profits go to the Vermont component of the Restaurant Strong Fund, a national effort to provide grants to restaurant workers who have lost income due to the pandemic. 

Original article by Henry Allison for Vital Communities.