Turns out they did run after all, and we have proof! Thanks to the efforts of a technologically savvy, musically inclined local cow lover, you can watch video of the cow herd making a break for the green fields of the Breakneck Hill Conservation land on Sunday, May 3. Video below...

Well, it’s more of a brisk walk than a run. We leave the running to the bulls in Pamplona...

The pasture has gotten very green over the past week, which means it is time for the belties’ annual jaunt from their winter house over to the Breakneck Hill Road Conservation Land. They’ll be moving on Sunday morning. Stop by and welcome them back.

This Sunday, April 5, 2009 there will be a 4H livestock meeting at 1:00PM at Breakneck Hill Farm.
We will be showing cattle techniques and pasture management.

We will be greeting our newest member, a registered American Milking Devon heifer calf from the farm of John and Bonnie Hall in Westbrook, Ct.

She is 3 months old and has already gotten use to a halter. We will be working with her to take to the Fair and will start to make a concerted effort to halter break at least one of the beltie heifers.

Anyone interested in ordering chicks, it is time to bring your list. We will discuss needs for brooding the chicks once they arrive.

Finally, if we have time, we are way behind collecting maple sap and will be tapping trees for a sugar boil later in the month.

This morning the Breakneck Hill Cow Fund hosted the first of what we hope will be an annual event -- the Breakneck Hill Cow Pie Raffle and Fun Run. A great time was had by all and we raised enough to pay for two months of hay for the cows this winter. We have posted a few pictures in a photo album -- click the first picture to get a better view. Thank you to all who participated. A complete list of winners and fun run participants is below:

1 lap/1.25 miles

16:35  Michaela Kosa*First place female 12 & under arriving with Lori Marcoulier
Patrick Freeman

2 Lap/2.5 miles

17:18 Robert Clayton *First place male 13 & older
17:26 Adam Gilfix
19:05 Alex Kriz
20:45 Cameron Marcoulier *First place male 12 & under
20:50 Chloe Andre*First place female 13 & older
22:05 Jolynne Denapoli
23:36 John Freeman
24:10 Melissa Healey
25:30 Rebecca Christanson
26:30 Alisa McGowan
26:31 Paul McGowan
26:50 Jim Shocrylas
27:55 Lindsay Dougherty
27:56 Tom Dougherty

All-Star Cow Walkers

Chloe Pierson
Chris Pierson
Sandy Kiess
Hal Kiess

Cow Pie Contest Winner
Izzy Dorsey

Celtics Tickets Winner
Jill Trehab

Please join us on Sunday, November 9 at 10 am for our first annual "Cow Pie" Contest and Breakneck Hill Cow Fund Cross Country Race and Fitness Walk to benefit the cows.

Cow Pie Contest: 100 squares will be marked in the community garden area and whichever one is marked by the first cow pie wins. Only 100 tickets will be sold at a price of $20/ticket, and you could win up to $300! Cows will be released into the community gardens at 10:30 am.

Run/walk: $10/runner or walker. Race starts at 10am. This is the perfect opportunity to get out and enjoy the conservation land in early November. The course will consist of repeating the loop around the Breakneck Hill Conservation Land two times. The course will be marked with flags and volunteers. A course review will be available on the kiosk the week before and at the race. Refreshments will be served after the race!

For more information visit southborobelties.org or email
Joyceg1@yahoo.com or lpbourdon@aol.com.

The Woodville Trailbusters 4H club is now offering livestock projects at the Breakneck Hill Farm in Southborough. Click here for more information.

The Breakneck Hill Cow Fund is sad to learn of Ann Leavitt's passing this week.  She was dedicated to the Town of Southborough and worked tirelessly on behalf of the Breakneck Hill Conservation Land and was a long-time supporter of the Cow Fund.  Indeed, her contributions were instrumental to the existence of the Breakneck Hill Conservation land that we all enjoy.

The Belties have been the recipient of some attention from several of our local news organizations recently. First, the Metrowest Daily News did a story a few weeks back (including an embedded video starring Laurie Bourdon talking about the cows).

Not to be outdone, Paul Bourdon was recently on New England Cable News.

Both stories highlight the challenges of raising funds for the cows in a down economy. We thank the reporters for their attention and those supporters who were moved to donate to the cow fund as a result of the stories.

The cow herd has made its annual trek across Breakneck Hill Road and onto the conservation land. The herd is currently on the back pasture, but it's worth a walk to go check them out. The apple trees are in full bloom, and we already have several new calves with several more to come.