05/22/2026
Its been a rollercoaster of a week! Nyxie had her first calf on Saturday afternoon, a long legged heifer we named Nori. Then the mini heat wave arrived! Nyxie kept Nori hidden in cool tall grass, and I couldn’t find her again until Wednesday morning when the heat broke. Normal behavior but still nerve wracking for me. Meanwhile, the herd was really struggling with the high temperatures so early in the season, because they haven’t fully shed out their winter coats. They have shady areas, and plenty of water, but it was easily 95 in the shade, and just brutal in the sun. A few cows were showing signs of heat stress, which can be deadly. I was out there with a hose, sprinkling the ones who weren’t stressed further by the water, carrying buckets to ones who seemed too overwhelmed to make their way back to the waterer, and dumping buckets on the ones too far for the hose to reach.
Everyone made it through, but it was a scary couple of days. It looks like more moderate temperatures for the coming week, and I’m grateful for that. We have 3 or 4 more cows that look close to calving, so I’m spending lots of time in the field. Praying for smooth uncomplicated births this year!
Find us this weekend at the Gloversville Farmers Market on Saturday, 8:30-12:30 and the Schenectady Greenmarket on Sunday, 10-2 🌱💚
