Take time to pet a Holstein calf, or two

EAST CANAAN — David Jacquier of Elm Knoll Farm decided to celebrate National Dairy Month in June by bringing his calves to the people.

Showcased on a stretch of lawn next to the farm house on Route 44, Jacquier has stationed his calves under colorful umbrellas and encourages passersby to stop and pet a Holstein.

Jacquier said that each summer, campers at Lone Oak Campsites in East Canaan ask to see the calves in the barn, so this summer he decided to bring them to the people.

“Every day we get about 100 people stopping to see the calves,” Jacquier said. There are more calves under umbrellas behind the barn.

“They do well under these umbrellas,” he said, adding that he plans to continue keeping calves on the lawn until September so that anyone interested can stop and  “look and touch.” He rotates the calves in and out of the barn about every week.

Calf hutches, the boxy white shelters seen from the highway and which confuse some observers into thinking the calves are being readied as veal, cost $700 each, according to Jacquier.

“These are dairy calves,” Jacquier said. “Make no mistake.”

Jacquier, who has been farming since he was in high school, noted that children love to get close and touch the cows and added that it brings people closer to the farm experience. One caution he mentioned  is on a sign posted out by the calves. “We are not potty trained,” it reads.