Dog Blog
If you’ve ever been out to the farm, chances are you’ve seen a farm dog running around at some point. I wanted to give them a formal introduction. This post is for the pups!
Papi
Papi is top dog around these parts. He’s been farming alongside Jamie for 13 years now, first in Massachusetts and now here. He is one of the most incredible dogs I’ve ever met. Papi is a one-person pup, devoted to Jamie and no one else. He’s gotten slightly more friendly in his old age, but even now it is a privilege and an honor to have Papi sit on your lap-nay-even walk across your lap in the farm truck. When it is cold in the office in the winter, Papi stares up at me, demanding that I put my jacket down for a bed. Obviously, I comply. Papi, aka Little Papi, is named after a certain famous Red Sox player you may know. Papi likes to strut his stuff after he comes back from the groomer with his bandana and his “puppy cut.” His favorite foods are donuts and pizza, both of which he can tell you have even before you open the box.
Skeeter
Skeeter is a mild mannered pup. He is probably the best behaved dog on the farm. He belongs to Chelsea and Alex, who live in the crew house. Skeeter gets along with all humans and all dogs. He loves pets and pizza crusts or any food he can get, really. Skeeter loves to ride to shut the chickens in at night and will catch a ride with any crewmember who is doing that chore. On a hot day, Skeeter’s black spot gets a lot hotter than the rest of him. When Skeeter gets some really good butt scratches, he “smiles” by baring his teeth. A little unsettling at first, but you get used to it.
Calvin and Hattie
Calvin and Hattie, aka the rat pack, are my pups, so I must say I think they are the best doggies on the planet. It may have gone to their heads a bit, though. These chihuahua mix pups sure are cute, but boy do they know it. They will never let anyone touch them and Calvin will let out a loud bay if anyone makes any sudden moves, like standing up. They have become more and more relaxed and less jumpy than when I got them a year ago. They are pretty successful at chasing runaway chickens back into the fence, being scared of toddlers and squeezing onto my lap at the same time.
Franklin
Franklin is a young little pup. Cynnie got him when he was a young puppy about a year ago. He is learning his electric fence, so he is not down at the barn as often as he used to be, but when he does come down, the first thing he does is lay down in any puddle of water he can find.
Jenkins
Jenkins is the newest member of the farm dog gang/Jamie’s family. He has just learned how to come down to the barn by himself and he knows how to get into all sorts of trouble. A true puppy, some of his favorite pastimes are annoying all the other dogs and trying to bite off your nose, all while looking irresistibly cute with his scruffy little coat.
Luka
Luka is a beast of a dog. He belongs to crewmember Lane and hangs out in the storage barn while we work in the fields. He enjoys swimming in the pond for hours and hours and chasing the shadows of butterflies, to the absolute cutest effect.
Boots
While not strictly a dog, Boots the cat still deserves a mention here. She just showed up on the crew house door step one day, where Nat took her in. She is an incredible mouser and a pretty snuggly little kitty and she is just about the cutest cat ever.
Bear, Lulo, Whiskey and Eddie
These doggies are the keepers of the sheep. Eddie is a behemoth of a great pyrenees who looks quite a bit like a sheep himself. He might be seen lumbering around the dairy barn. Bear and Lulo are the adorable border collie pair that belong to Tom, our sheep farmer. The two are thick as thieves and can be found rolling in the nastiest thing they can find. Whiskey is a herding dog as well and often times needs to get his energy out by chasing his owner Kyle’s truck around the farm.
Your dog on the farm
Since I’m talking about dogs, I wanted talk just a bit about how your dog fits in here. All the dogs mentioned above live or “work” at the farm, so you might see them running around off leash, especially if you come around lunchtime. As for your dog, we would love for you to bring him or her with you to the farm! Since there are so many people and cars around on Saturdays, we ask that you don’t bring your dog on that day. Any other day of the week, you are welcome to bring your dog on a leash and walk around the walking trail or other parts of the farm. For food safety reasons, please don’t bring your dog into the PYO field to pick with you.
A big shout-out to YOUR dog, and all the dogs of the world, especially the farm-family dogs not mentioned in this post: Kira, Ella, Abby, Tina, and more!
