Ruminations from The Heritage Farm… Something I do, as well as the cows on our farm, ruminate.
We started farming, with real live livestock, less than five years ago. Turns out that cows are ruminate animals… they have four stomachs, each very specialized. They eat grass/forage and send it off to the first stomach where they have some handy little helpers known as “microbes” that begin to break down the cellulose in the food. It’s just too tough for cows to digest by themselves. Instead, they sit a spell… chewing their cud.
The first stomach, called the rumen, is a holding area where the microbes get started with their work. Then, in a very “earthy” fashion, the cow coughs up a bit and chews it, over and over, until it is broken down enough to send it on to the other stomachs. There the nutrients and energy are retrieved and utilized by the cow. It strikes me, in a strange fashion, that I also ruminate.
Often, I hear/read something that just doesn’t sit right. I can’t take it at face value and send it on its way. It bugs the heck out of me. Sits there like a big lump waiting to be dissected until the parts begin to make sense of the “whole”. Instead I need to take some time and turn it over and over in my head until it begins to make sense, and make sense applied in the real world. I ruminate, break it down and work it over, until I can pull all the good stuff out of it and use it to make sense of the world unfolding around me.
If you care to hear about some of the results of those “ruminations” check in occasionally,
or sign up for an email when something gets posted. It might be interesting to share our thoughts, as well!
It should be an interesting trip… and perhaps useful in a tangible way.
Ruminations 
Amy said,
January 3, 2012 at 2:08 am
Love to hear what you have to say!
kayna5 said,
January 3, 2012 at 10:05 am
Hey Amy, that was really interesting, I didn’t know that cows have four stomachs. I thought they had three. I am looking forward to seeing Bessie’s new calf. *** phacelia ***
amydeee said,
January 3, 2012 at 10:10 am
Actually, that is the picture of Bessie’s first calf (since we got her 3 years ago). It was a little bull calf and he ended up staying on the Ranch up in Hopland. The new owner’s loved him and wanted to keep him. Bessie should have a new calf sometime in March, but Chocolate is due the end of January!!!!