Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76Plough Quarterly • Summer 2015 11 The milk is treated and the yoghurt is prepared by dairy enthusiasts in our community of two hundred, where it is enjoyed by children and adults alike. Brown Swiss cows are known for their docile temperament, longevity, good feet and legs, and high production. Originally bred in the Alps, they may be one of the oldest breeds of dairy cows, and the protein-to-fat ratio in their milk is ideal for cheese-making. One Brown Swiss, Glad Ray EJ Paris of Ohio, presently holds the world dairy record for lifetime combined pounds of protein and fat; she is still going strong at age seventeen. Named after the Swiss milk-chocolate brand, Milka is treated royally by everyone involved in our community barn – from the kindergartners who poke handfuls of hay to her through the fence, to the schoolchildren who help feed, water, and brush her, to the adult volunteers who milk her each morning and evening and then pasteurize the daily yield. Other volunteers include the electrician who fixed the motor on the vacuum pump, the plumber who put a new floor drain in her stall, and the farmer who grinds, mixes, and delivers her feed. It truly takes a whole village to raise a cow. She accepts all this attention with unassum- ing aloofness, or with a playful kick and a run around her pasture, her tail slapped up over her back. In return, she presented us last year with a healthy bull calf who now weighs seven hundred pounds, and she gave us 17,833 pounds of milk – more than eleven times her body weight – during her ten-month lactation. Milka is a teacher, too, if we are wise enough to listen – she shows us how to responsibly care for her and for the rest of God’s creation. By her behavior, she lets us know that if we keep her clean, dry, and comfortable, she will do her best to produce milk. A bemused shake of the head gently rebukes anyone who splashes her when filling the water tub. She tells us when she wants to be milked and when her udder is sore. (If it is, there’s always a reason, and she makes it clear that we had better fix the problem fast!) She is curious, investigating anything new in her domain; on rainy days my black umbrella is closely eyed and thoroughly sniffed. We too should be attentive to and curious about the world around us. Milka moderates the behavior of us humans who care for her. If we rush and are impatient, she becomes nervous. When we treat her well, she responds calmly and generously. Perhaps, in reality, it takes a whole cow to raise a village.  Mahlon Vanderhoof is a teacher at the Fox Hill Bruderhof community in Walden, New York. Th e G o o d E a rt h M A H L O N V A N D E R H O O F Lessons from aVillage Cow Smooth, creamy yoghurt, whipped and cool, with a bit of sugar. Where does it come from? From our five-year-old Brown Swiss cow, Milka. Above: Milka, the community cow, poses for her portait, painted by one of her loyal fans. Painting by Ian Mow