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Third-generation farm in Corcoran offers calf cuddles
A Minnesota dairy farm is inviting people to experience the viral trend of cow cuddling, giving city dwellers and animal lovers a chance to connect with agriculture in a whole new way. Brother and sister duo of Quinci and Caleb started Curious Cows and Company to share their love for the dairy industry with as many people as possible. FOX 9's Hannah Flood took a trip to the farm to get the full experience.
CORCORAN, Minn. (FOX 9_ - A Minnesota dairy farm is inviting people to experience the viral trend of cow cuddling, giving city dwellers and animal lovers a chance to connect with agriculture in a whole new way.
Opening their doors to the community
What we know:
Quinci Schmidt and her brother Caleb Scherber grew up surrounded by cows, each with their own personality.
"They do definitely have their own personality," Schmidt tells FOX 9.
The siblings are third-generation farmers, working on a barn built in 1912, and they remember their grandfather milking cows in the old parlor.
"68 years after their grandfather bought this farm in Corcoran," said Schmidt, who noted the family is finding innovative ways to keep the farm running. "We grew up with cows, we’ve been with cows all the time since we were kids, but so many people don’t have that opportunity."
As the area around their dairy farm has grown, the Scherbers wanted to reach out to their neighbors.
"As the community grew, we wanted a way to be able to open our doors to the community," said Schmidt. "We thought this would be a great way to be able to open our doors. They can meet us, they can meet the cows, they can ask whatever question they want about what’s going on."
The Scherber family’s approach combines tradition and new ideas.
"You definitely see the family farms and farms in general needing to be creative and figure out what other steps they can do to help the farms," said Schmidt.
The farm also uses technology to stay efficient.
"This is a milking robot," said Scherber. "The cows are free roaming in the barn and can choose to come whenever they want to milk themselves."
Calf cuddling experience
Why you should care:
The Scherber family created their calf cuddling business as a way to build connections and share their way of life.
"This is our cuddling pen," said Schmidt, showing off the special space where visitors can book appointments to interact with the calves.
Some guests come just to nap with the calves, while others enjoy grooming them.
The Scherbers select calves that are 3- to 6-months-old, and have laid-back, social personalities, making them perfect for petting, playing and relaxing.
"I just love hearing the stories of people expressing how they’ve always wanted to pet a cow," said Schmidt.
Even though the cuddling sessions are not the farm’s main source of income, the experience is helping the family stay afloat and build a community.
"It’s really fun to be able to share our story, but be able to share the cow’s life, what the cows do every day, what life is like on a dairy," said Schmidt.
The Scherber family hopes their efforts will help more people understand and appreciate the work that goes into dairy farming, while also giving their cows a little extra love.
What's next:
To learn more about the calf cuddling sessions or the family farm, visit their website here.