Christmas with cows

Santa may have a herd of reindeer, but North Carolina's Anderson Family Farms celebrates Christmas with a herd of beef cattle.

In 2022, Pete Anderson and his oldest daughter, Meg Anderson Palmer, decided to open the farm up to visitors for "Christmas with Cows". My sons and I caught one of the last hayrides of the holiday season, getting to see the farms' herd of cows and calves up close.

Before we bundled up for the ride, the boys had the chance to practice their lassoing skills. I don't think they are ready for the wild west yet, but they had a great time trying to rope a calf. Luckily it was made from a hay bale and didn't put up much of a fight.

Then we got a tour of the working facilities, which have been changed since Pete's grandfather worked cattle on the same land in the 1960s. The Andersons have incorporated design principles by Dr. Temple Grandin to make the going through the cattle chute less stressful for the cows. Watching my oldest son ask questions about the working chute made me wonder if he would feel things the same way as Grandin, since both have Autism.

Finally, it was time for the hayride in the pasture. As we rode down the path, Pete showed us the different feeds they give the cows. It was interesting to learn he is feeding rice bran from our state's only rice farm, Tidewater Grain Company.

The tractor pulled to a stop and the cows came closer. Then feed was poured in troughs along the side of the trailer and the cows were up close and personal. My boys had a great time petting the cows and putting hay in the trough. My oldest fell in love with cow number 257. He asked for her entire life history and made sure I took pictures of him petting her.

As the tractor pulled us out of the field, we stopped to see the calves who were laying around the field or playing in the round bale of hay. It all ended to soon for my sons, who started asking if we could go back before our car ever left the parking lot.