MONEE, Ill. — Farmer Luz Klotz trimmed the brightly striped coat of Reba, a 1,600-pound heifer that lounged on the ground under twinkling fairy lights. Teenager Joey Puckle wanted to impress his girlfriend with an invitation to his high school prom, so he paid $75 for an hour-long cow cuddle session at the farm.
Pakuru managed to surprise his animal-loving girlfriend Emma. For Ruth and her husband, Dan Klotz, these visitors are key to paying for feed and keeping their small farm running.
Thanks to social media, paying farmers to cuddle with half-ton heifers is all the rage in the United States. For visitors, cuddling dairy and beef cows can be therapeutic, or just an adventure for city dwellers looking for some good old country fun.
But the practice of opening barn doors to the public faces new risks after the U.S. Department of Agriculture confirmed avian influenza on dairy farms in nine states.
Scientists say the outbreak is likely more widespread among the more than 26,000 licensed dairy farms across the country, as H5N1 particles were detected in about 20% of milk samples. A dairy worker in Texas has tested positive for the virus, and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is monitoring more than 100 infected people.
Government officials say the risk of human infection is low. But state and federal officials are urging livestock and dairy farmers to limit outside visitors as much as possible.
In Michigan, where one dairy cow tested positive, the state’s agriculture director signed an emergency response order this week that includes new hygiene measures and restricted access to dairy farms and commercial poultry farms starting May 8. .
The order does not explicitly prohibit cow hugging. But Tim Bowling, director of the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, told Reuters: “From a human and animal health standpoint, now is not a good time to hold cows. This is to protect cows and humans.” he said.
Any restrictions could create financial problems for small family farms that rely on cow cradling and other agrotourism practices for their economic lifeline. Cow cuddle sessions at Des Vaux Dairy Farm and Creamery in northern Michigan are booked weeks in advance and are covered by the farm’s insurance premiums.
“I’m not worried about bird flu, because the farm is already open to the public and safety measures have already been taken,” farmer Henk de Voor said.
Luz and Dan Klotz, owners of Luz Farm in Illinois, have also taken protective measures to keep visitors safe and keep their farm open. For every hour he holds a cow, he is paid a bale of hay. This is enough to feed a small herd of cows for a week.
“It’s very helpful,” Dan Klotz said.
Weekend sessions at Clarksville Cow Cuddling at Mary’s Land Farm in Maryland are booked for the next two months. Demand is also high at Kadru Corral in Arizona, Texas Gaushala Farm in Texas and Sunset View Creamery in New York, farmers said.
From yoga classes with baby goats and feeding piglets to corn mazes and sunflower fields, more than 28,600 U.S. farms will offer some kind of agritourism or recreational service on their land in 2022, with 32% or 12 Generated $60 million in revenue. more than five years ago, according to USDA data.
U.S. farm incomes are expected to fall by the most in 18 years due to low crop prices, with small farms particularly hard hit, according to USDA data.
“Agrotourism is a real economic driver for small farmers who have found a niche,” said Kurt Covington, senior director of institutional lending at Agamérica Lending.
she meant “yes”
Public health experts say avian influenza is spreading from migratory birds to dozens of species around the world. The USDA believes the virus is primarily spreading among cows through contact with raw milk, Rosemary Sifford, the USDA’s chief veterinary officer, said in a conference call with media.
The USDA has not released the names of the dairy farms where cows tested positive, but the affected farms range in size from 300 to 23,000 cows, the USDA told Reuters.
“All dairy producers, regardless of their size, should redouble their biosecurity efforts and be vigilant in monitoring and controlling diseases in their herds,” a spokesperson for the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service said in a statement. said.
Cow Cuddle hosts say they have taken steps to ensure the safety of visitors and their animals.
Joey’s mother, Linda Puckle, first saw a post on Facebook about Luz Farms’ cow snuggle sessions and pitched the idea to her son. Joey asks the farmers if they can make a banner in Emma’s school colors that says “Prom?”
A week later, a banner was placed over the farm’s calf, Yogi, as country music blared from a broken radio in the barn. Pakuru gave his girlfriend Emma Myers a nudge on the shoulder. “Good?” he asked.
“I love cows!” shrieked 16-year-old Emma. Pakuru grinned. It wasn’t necessarily the answer he was expecting, but he thought she was saying yes.
