Are you ready to own a Randall Lineback?

Posted on | May 1, 2009 | No Comments

I have received many phone calls over the years from people wanting to discuss owning bovines, raising a calf or other questions. It has been great to talk you all. I would like to share with you a list of questions I suggest you ask yourself if you don’t have experience owning large animals. Answer these questions honestly, and they will help guide you to a decision of whether or not you are ready to own a large animal. 

1. Do you own enough land? Cows are very tough on the land; a few acres of land with a few cows can be a big mess in short order. At the bare minimum, you can expect a single cow to devour 3-5 acres of pasture during the summer season. Of course, every area is different, and whether you’re in a wet or dry area of the country will make a huge difference. Ask your local Department of Agriculture to get specifics for your area. 

2. Do you have a reliable hay source? Whether you purchase feed or put up your own, you must be sure you have enough. There is nothing worse than having to look for feed in the spring if you run short! 

3. Do you have a shelter for the animal? My recommendation is to have at least a 3-sided shed that is on dry ground for protection during inclimate weather, no matter where you live. I have found this to be more than adeqate for the Randall Linebacks for the winter here in Northern Vermont. It provides shade on hot days too. Cows have shows remarkable determination when it comes to their “home base”; there are countless stories of cows refusing to leave (and stay out of) their barn during a barn fire. Always remember that the cow barn is their safe place!

4. Do you have an adequate water source? Cows can drink an amazing amount of fresh water! A lactating a cow can consume as much as 40 gallons a day. For the fresh cow (right after calving), we bring warm water for her to drink. I have seen some drink as much as 25 gallons in a short amount of time. This is calming, and helps to take up space in a cow’s gut to avoid a displaced abomasum. So water is very important. Also consider that in colder climates, you’ll have frozen water to deal with every day for months. Hauling water from your home is an option, but from experience I can tell you that carrying five gallons of warm water at least twice a day, every day, all winter long, can be a drag!

5. Are you prepared to deal with the other end… waste? There is a LOT! A single cow can easily produce as much as 35 pounds of urine and 65 pounds at least of manure each day. So if you have just 2 cows, that’s 36 tons of manure in a year to get rid of! So having a plan for disposal, whether a big compost pile or fields to spread it on, is important. 

6. Do you have access to a large animal vet? No matter how sure of yourself you are, or how skillful you are with animals, there will always be occasions when a veterinarian is needed. I do most of the vet work for the farm here, which holds about 140 cows, heifers, and calves, but many times the vet will be called for an emergency. Some of the drugs used for the care and health of your cows are only available from the vet. Vaccinations for healthy cattle are necessary as well, and some states may even require it if the animal (or animal products) are to enter the food chain. Check with your state veterinarian. 

7. Do you plan on milking your cow for your own use?  Ok, this is a biggie for many of you. If you want a homestead cow, a rare breed animal could be right for you. A rare breed cow is typically a multi-purpose animal (used for milk, horsepower and/or beef) and will give less milk than a dairy breed. If you were to have a Holstein or a Jersey as your family cow, be prepared for a lot of milk, as they will produce around 10 gallons of milk per day during their peak milk production at 60 to 90 days. That’s a lot of hand-milking, and a lot of milk to process and consume by one family. A Randall Lineback, on the other hand, will (in my experience) produce around 4 gallons a day at her peak, which is still a lot but managable. Learning to milk properly is a art form in itself. Cleaning procedure is very important (the cow and your milking machine or container). Learning to identify mastitis is also very important for the safety and health of your family and the cow. 

8.  How are you going to breed her? A cow kept for milking will need to be bred each year. Will you use artificial insemination? If so, you or someone else will need to have a semen tank available to hold the frozen semen. You will also need to learn to breed the cows or have a breeding service do the insemination. Do you have a source for semen of the breed you want to have? Will you own a bull? This requires alot of care, as bulls will need to be isolated from the ladies at times and will require strong fences too. Never turn your back on a mature bull; dairy bulls are notoriously unpredictable especially as they get older, so be careful if keeping a bull is your chosen method. Just think, how would your neighbor feel about having a 2000-lb. bull in their yard if he were to get out of the fence? And how would you catch him again?

9.  Do you have reliable feed and supplement sources? Many people have told me they’ve heard that heritage breeds can survive on poor quality forage and pasture. While it’s true most cows would survive, they would be much healthier, happier and more productive on high quality forage and pasture. I strongly believe in providing trace mineral salt blocks and some small amount of protein, energy, and mineral supplements during a cow’s peak stress times. Whether you use kelp or conventional sources, cows need this stuff. For example, here in northern New England, the land is very low in some trace minerals including vitamin E. This one trace vitamin can be very helpful for the reproductive health of the animal. So check with your Ag Department and find out what you should be looking out for in your area. 

10. Do you have a babysitter? Once your cow starts milking, she will need to be milked daily and on a schedule. If you want to take off for a weekend or a few days, you will need someone reliable to take over while you’re gone.

If you answered “yes” to all of those questions, ask yourself this: Do you really want to care for a 1000 lb. 3-year-old that, with the proper care, may live for 20 years? If so… you need to have a cow. They are loveable, fun, entertaining, a lot of work, and sometimes completely crazy but will provide a wonderful service to your family. There is nothing like having fresh milk, cheese, butter and other dairy delectables made by you and your new boss, the cow.

A special word about rare breeds: When you own an animal of an endangered historic breed, you have a responsibility not only to the animal you own, but also to the breed. The decisions you make about your animal concerning breeding and husbandry may well affect the breed’s survival and its genetic diversity. It is very important that you don’t lose sight of this.

Porch Boxes

Posted on | March 16, 2009 | No Comments

When milk was delivered to homes, it was common for customers to have a “porch box” for the fresh milk to be left in. Porch boxes were used to keep milk cool in the summer and above freezing in the winter; in summer they would usually contain ice for refrigeration.

Around 1947, the first of Randall Farms porch boxes were given to “good” customers. These were galvanized metal boxes with insulation and “Property of Randall Farms” in raised letters, and held 6 quarts of milk.

Thank You

Posted on | March 12, 2009 | No Comments

I just wanted to take a minute to thank a few special people. First, my father, Warne Randall, and cousin Harry Randall. Without their contributions to my efforts, this could not have even started. They were there in the thick of it during its hay-day. Their help in facts, dates, pictures and thoughts cannot go unnoticed.

There are many others who have been a great help. Mrs. Mack, a neighbor and summer- and then full-time-resident since the 1920s; your memories of a past that I could never know have been so valuable. Edna Davis Giffen, my cousin and local history resource. My grandmother, Sarah Randall. Bottle collectors from around the country. Sammy and Michelle Harris, for their help and memories. Ron Bush, a special thank-you to you.  Those of you whom sent memories and comments have been an inspiration and brought a focus of how important this project is. And to Chantel, my wife and partner, a big thank you for your timeless patience, knowledge of the English language, and inspiration to me to make this passion I have for where I grew up into something timeless. And finally hours of taped interviews with my grandfather Waldo Randall (Pop Pop). Every second I ever spent with Pop Pop has become a part of who I am today; how I wish I could have had so many more years to spend with him. (The questions I have for him now!)

Thank you all and keep your input coming. Lots more to come!

Pond and Ice House

Posted on | February 25, 2009 | No Comments

It is not known if there was an ice house on the Phillips farm when the Randall family purchased it in March 1885. It was never mentioned in the journals of John S. Randall, which he kept until his death in 1886. It is surmised that an ice house was built shortly after the main barn was built in June 1889. The pond, and the ice it supplied, was a very important resource for cooling the milk from Forrest Randall’s herd of dairy cows; in fact, it became a necessity as the dairy farm continued to grow.

Early pictures show a two-story ice house with three doors on a stone foundation. Several newspaper accounts from the Port Jefferson Echo, a local newspaper, mention Forrest Randall and his ice making. 

January 16, 1904 “Forrest Randall had a gang of men at work monday and tuesday filling his ice house. The ice is nearly a foot thick, a few inches of the top layer being snow ice” 

Feburary 2, 1907 “Forrest Randall and James H. Hopkins have been taking advantage of the recent cold weather to replenish their stock of ice” 

November 27,1909 “Forrest Randall has taken down his old ice house and is building it up new” 

The reason for the dismantling of the ice house in 1909 is not known, but after 20 years of service, it may have been rotting or new ideas and technology may have come into play. The photographic record shows a change in design in the new 1909 ice house: it now rested on a foundation of cement with walls that rise at least four feet on all sides except where the doors are located. At the time of this rebuilding, Forrest was nearly 40 years old.

In recorded interviews, Waldo Randall (born 1914) remembered that ice was always purchased for the home and the farm milk house. (Ice was purchased in 300 pound blocks from Long Island Ice and Fuel in Port Jefferson until the 1960s.) So the rebuilt ice house, by the 1920s, was no longer needed or used. The building sat as a relic of the past until the early 1950s. 

 

As the milk processing facility grew, so did the use of water for cooling the milk and cleaning the machinery. The clean water from the milk coolers was diverted to the pond. The waste water from the plant would be deverted to a cesspool. Sometime in the 1930s or ’40s, the pond went from a 1 to 2 foot depth to something much deeper in order to handle this waste water. At this time the rock wall in the pond was eliminated and the pond expanded away from the road. (A large rock on the east side of the pond was a place that generations of  children of the family and community used to fish and play on was left.)

 

 

So by the 1950s, during wet times the pond was overflowing into the cow pasture. Harry Randall took the building down to the foundation and installed an irrigation pump and motor inside. The roof was then replaced by Donald Murphy. This allowed the pond to be pumped out to irrigate the pasture and crop land. The pump originally had a Ford flat head engine on it, and when that finally failed, a PTO shaft was used  to be hooked up to the Farmall tractor. Once again, the pond and the Ice house had a use. This was used in this form till the mid 1960s. 

 

 Once again the building became a icon of times past. Unused except by the children at the farm whom used it as a place to play during rainy days as well as shelter for the winter time skaters.

The pond continued to be used for a water source for pastured animals and a place of play for generations of children. It was also the home of countless ducks, geese, fish and eels. (Sometime in the early 1970s someone put a trap filled with eels  from the Mt. Sinai harbor in the pond for keeping and some how they were released. For years the eels survived in the fresh water and when the pond flooded there were eels out in the pasture.)

 

 

The importance of the pond and its ice house cannot be underestimated. Without the water storage for pasturing animals, the ice to cool the milk, much of the growth of the farm could not have happened so early on. The importantance was noted by John S. Randall shortly after purchasing the farm in 1885. “Went to work on my pond” during a very dry summer. 

After the sale of the farm and development proposed in the 1980s the Town of Brookhaven preserved the pond and to have it left untouched. It is sad to note that the years since the pond has been slowly filled in and the natural drainage that once kept it with water has been so altered that it now just resembles a wet swampy area. This once valuable resource will undoubtly in the future be missed and would be needed once again as history has shown us in the last 100 yrs. 

A second pond was created around 1949. This pond was the by product of a 18 foot deep leaching field that was overwhelmed by the waste water from the bottle washer. For years it got bigger even though it was used to irrigate, and as a pasture water source for 55 to 65 cows. But in 1978 the water was tested by officials. They found the water to not contain enough oxygen and a treatment plant of sorts would be needed. This was not done and the days of processing milk were over. This pond was to the south of the barns and tended to be the best for skating. 

 

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Randall Farms in art

Posted on | February 3, 2009 | No Comments

Since the late nineteenth century, Randall Farms was a popular place for artist to practice their craft. This started in the 1890s with William Van Pelt, a Brooklyn NY photographer who spent much time in the Mt. Sinai community photographing everyday life events. The Randall family and their farm were also the inspiration of many photos; the first were of the family home and post office.

Many photos were taken of Forrest B. Randall’s new barn, which he built in his late teens. One of the first photos taken of the farm was of the two story-ice house and the pond. It is assumed that Forrest was dabbling in names for his establishment, as this photo has an address label on the back, addressed to E.C.Randall PM Walnut Dairy Farm Mount Sinai L.I. NY. Eliza Catherine Randall was Forrest’s mother; she had taken over the postmaster’s job following the death of her husband John in 1886 until 1907. The Walnut Dairy Farm is very interesting, as it is the only reference to the farm being of this name. It is also interesting that at this point (c. 1900) it was a “dairy farm”, as the establishment of the industry was in its infancy but apparently Forrest had made the decision to focus on dairy.

More photos from the 1900 time period were taken by William Van Pelt, of different views of the barn, pond, cows and people.

The farm became a place for painters and photographers to frequent. Another famous photographer, A.S. Greene from Port Jefferson, also had photographed the family farm house/post office in 1907; this photo appeard on a postcard. In 1938, another postcard signd by local photographer Charles Davis and entitled “Filling Time” depicted the filling of the silo with corn.

In 1947, a wonderful painting was done by Robert Zoeller. Mr. and Mrs Zoeller were part-time residents of Mt. Sinai and were both well-known painters of the time. This painting was purchased by my grandmother, Marion Randall, as a gift to my grandfather, her husband Waldo.

 

During the 1950’s Raymond Freemantle painted water colors of the farm. In 1993 Estelle Econoply did a painting from a black and white photo of the pond and barn.

As farms disappeared from the scene on Long Island, Randall Farm became a subject of a time gone by for many professional and amateur artists of all kinds. If you have photos or art work of Randall farms, I would love to see it.

Calving problems: the twisted uterus

Posted on | January 4, 2009 | No Comments

Problems can happen during calvings. Sometimes quick attention is necessary, and with others you can wait and see what happens. Breed matters too; based on my experience, for example, because Holsteins are bred for size, they can more often have problems calving. This can be avoided by choosing a calving-ease bull to get a smaller calf. In our herd, virgin Holstein heifers are bred to Jerseys in hopes of avoiding calving problems.

A twisted uterus is a fairly common caving problem which can be very puzzling unless you know what to look for. Many of these are observed by just looking at the cow; she may look uncomfortable and “off”. Also she may start contractions as normal, but will give up after some time. This is a sure sign that something is amiss. If you are really tuned into your cows, you will notice a problem.

To be sure that this is what is wrong, put on a breeding glove. Go in anally and follow the curvex to the uterus; if this is the case, you will feel a quarter to half twist in the uterus. To fix this problem… call the vet if you are at all unsure of your skills!

You may be able to feel the calf while you are inside; you can hold on to a leg or something to feel for movement, to see if the calf is alive. If you are ok with fixing this yourself, use some iodine to disinfect the vulva and your arm. Use some lubrication if necessary, and go in vaginally and determine whether the twist is clockwise or counter-clockwise. Then go in as far as possible and try and turn the calf in the direction opposite to the twist. This is not easy to do; it takes a tremendous amount of upper body strength. Remember, you are moving a full-term calf! The cow may not be fully dilated, so please be gentle at first.

I have been successful at doing this myself about half the time; the other times, the vet will need to be called in. It is a judgement call that a cow owner must make, as many times the calf may be dead. So if it is your best cow, and the calf is alive, I would advise you to get to the phone as fast as possible.

Randall Farms book

Posted on | January 4, 2009 | No Comments

I am working on a book about the farm I was raised on. Randall Farms (formerly Arrowhead Farms) was a dairy farm in Mt. Sinai, Long Island. My family that has been involved in agriculture for over 300 years, including over 200 years on the north shore of Long Island. My family milked Guernseys and processed and bottled our own milk for over 50 years. We had door-to-door delivery as well as a wholesale route and drive-through farm store. We also picked up milk from other farms and bottled under other names. I have been collecting memorabilia, stories, history, and photographs of the farm for years now, and recently decided to assemble this information in book form.

My family’s farm was the center of the community for many years. The drive-through milk store brought hundreds of people each day to our once-small community to pick up their basic food stuff, share gossip, visit with friends. The Randall family was also a backbone for the local fire department, church and later a growing population.

I have recently found some milk bottles that none of my living relatives knew existed. They were some one-quart round pyroglazed bottles from the early 1940s. I have found all kinds of things that have given me a better understanding of events that happened before my time. I have tried many tactics to reclaim my family’s history, including craigslist.org, ebay.com, milk bottle collectors etc. to find these items. I even found a bottle that I did not have in a antique shop in Concord, NH. If only the bottle could tell the story of how it got there!

If you have any suggestions of where to find Randall Farms or Arrowhead farms memorabilia, people who had their milk delivered by us who may have stories, or anything else that is related in some way to our farm, I would love to hear from you. I am even interested in history, bottles, photos etc. of the other farms we bottled milk for. I will keep you updated of my finds. Many generous people have already helped me with my quest; I will share with you my finds, photos, and stories I am collecting.

Daisy gives birth to her third calf

Posted on | December 8, 2008 | No Comments

This is a normal calving sequence featuring Daisy, one of my Randall Linebacks. Lucky for all of us, everything went smoothly!

Welcome Randall Lineback and Dairy Enthusiasts

Posted on | December 7, 2008 | No Comments

Hi everyone! In case you don’t already know me, let me introduce myself and my intentions for my new blog. I live in northern Vermont and I am a life long farmer (dairyman). I have spent most of my life working with dairy cows. I have been working with the Randall Linebacks for about 5 years now as a pet project. I am a director in the Randall Lineback Breed Association and a rare breeds conservationist.

In April 2006, one of my cows, Daisy, and I traveled to Vermont’s capital. Daisy was to represent the Randall Lineback breed, for the passing of a new Vermont law to designate that breed as Vermont’s first state heritage breed. I was responsible for the introduction of the bill, and am proud to have seen it through to becoming law with the signature of Governor Douglas.

At home, I also do much of my own vet work, artificial insemination, and nutrition management for all the cows in the dairy herd, including Jerseys, Holsteins, Brown Swiss and, yes, Randall Linebacks.

My objective for this blog is to record day-to-day events, as well as more unusual things that occasionally happen, in a commercial dairy farm. I would also like to share my knowledge and offer any help that I can to make the bovines of the world happier, healthier and more productive for the people who work with them.

Ask any questions you may have concerning your own cows, whether they are Randall Linebacks or any other breed. If you do have Randall Linebacks I would love to hear from you and invite you to share your experiences and photos. And I am always looking to learn something new too! Thanks and enjoy.

Daisy and Dolly Come Home

Posted on | December 5, 2008 | No Comments

Due to the dairy barn being full for the winter, there was no room for my “pets” project… so my Randall Linebacks, Daisy and Dolly, had to come home. I built them a small loafing shed next door at my woodworking shop, pulled it down the road with my tractor, intsalled 1200 feet of fence and brought my cows home. Daisy and Dolly will be outwintering here at home this year!

Recently Written

• Are you ready to own a Randall Lineback?
• Porch Boxes
• Thank You
• Pond and Ice House
• Randall Farms in art
• Calving problems: the twisted uterus
• Randall Farms book
• Daisy gives birth to her third calf
• Welcome Randall Lineback and Dairy Enthusiasts
• Daisy and Dolly Come Home

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• Center for Sustainable Agriculture - Promotes sustainable farming systems, including grazing and pasture management.
• Farming Magazine - Farming on a small, ecologically-conscious scale, including the bonds connecting people, land, and community.
• Hamilton Rare Breeds Foundation - A not-for-profit foundation in Hartland, Vermont whose goal is to propagate, conserve,and educate the public about rare breeds of farm animals.
• New England Heritage Breeds Conservancy Inc. - Conserves historic and endangered breeds of livestock and poultry and encourages production of these breeds to advance farmland preservation, biodiversity and sustainable agriculture.
• Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont - A not-for-profit association of farmers, gardners and consumers working to promote an economically viable and exologically sound Vermont food system for the benefit of current and future generations.
• Organic Dairy Discussion Group - Discussion board focused on organic dairy practices.
• Randall Lineback Breed Association - The official site for the Randall Lineback breed of cattle. RLBA is a not-for-profit organization that was formed in 2005 to preserve, protect, and promote this unique American breed. Includes registry services, detailed history and photos.
• Randall Linebacks at Chapel Hill Farm - An informative site about the Randall Lineback herd at the historic Chapel Hill Farm.
• Real Milk - Everything you ever wanted to know about raw milk. This site is a project of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
• Rural Vermont - A not-for-profit farm advocacy group that represents those who are opposed to corporate industrial agriculture.
• Small Farm Today - The original how-to magazine of alternative and traditional crops, livestock, and direct marketing, established 1984.
• Stackyard - An agricultural supersite presenting a diverse group of topics from the agriculture world.
• The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy - A not-for-profit membership organization working to protect nearly 100 breeds of cattle, goats, horses, asses, sheep, swine and poultry from extinction.
• Vermont Living - Topics of interest for anyone who lives, farms or visits in the Green Mountain state.
• Weston A. Price Foundation - A not-for-profit foundation dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet through education, research and activism.

About

Randall Linebacks are a rare breed of cattle which originated in Vermont and are steadily gaining popularity. Here you will find photos and stories about my own Randall Linebacks, as well as my experiences on New England dairy farms.

My childhood home, Randall Farms of Mt. Sinai, NY is also a subject near and dear to me. I have been collecting photos and memories and will share some of them here.

(The name is a coincidence; historic Randall Farms and the Randall Lineback breed bear no known connection.)

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