Up North.
photos courtesy of De Vor Dairy Farm & Creamery
PEOPLE | NATURE | ARTS | NOSTALGIA | BUZZ | WISDOM | CURIOSITIES
PASTURE PETS by KIM SCHNEIDER
Head to De Vor Dairy Farm & Creamery, where the only rule is: Please, cuddle the cows.
D
e vor dairy farm & creamery owners Henk and Jackie De Vor were taking a break in their Kalkaska pasture, chilling with their herd and a picnic—their favorite way to de-stress—when Jackie said, “I wish everybody could have a day in our life.” Thus, the inspiration to offer “cow cuddling” was born. Here among the red barns and pastures of the former Shetler Family Farms, the De Vors raise and milk their grass-fed herd and make Old World farmstead gouda as well as several varieties of ice cream. Their Jersey girls love soaking up attention; as Jackie likes to say, “Happy cows make the best milk.” The De Vors started offering hour-long cuddling sessions with the herd in 2022. Cow cuddling isn’t a foreign concept to Henk, who grew up in the Netherlands and studied agriculture and cheesemaking. Cow hugging (koe knuffelen) is a common therapy there for children with disabilities, and some farms offer it as a wellness practice. JUNE 2023
0623_TVM_upnorth.indd 13
13
5/9/23 2:26 PM
