From the Ashes - New Life

Isn’t it wonderful how often when you really need a good news story - one appears, like that of the cows you see above. 

In the midst of wild fires flaring up across the country, homes and livelihoods being destroyed and my daughter’s home in Nova Scotia being at risk, a good news story is so very welcome.

The back story began January 23, 2022 on a cold Sunday afternoon when tragedy stuck our neighbours at the Titus Dairy Farm. 

Actually the story begins much earlier as the Titus Farm is a multi generation family farm. Today while, Titus cousins, niblings, aunts, uncles, children and spouses are all on board, Jeff takes the lead, while his father Reid works by his side. Once upon a time Reid’s parents Gladys and Eldon ran the family farm. 

It was on that January day when fire destroyed the family farm barn, immediately killing several cows. More animals died later from smoke inhalation. 

Sirens filled the air that Sunday afternoon, as firefighters gathered from neighbouring Fire Departments. We watched from the kitchen window fire truck after fire truck pass by, on their way to refill their tanks by pumping water from the Kingston Creek through a hole broken in the ice.

Immediately friends and neighbours gathered, offering what ever help was possible. A neighbour arrived with a cattle trailer to transport the cattle to nearby dairy farms. Sand trucks appeared, spreading sand to keep the icy farm yard passable. 

Before the smoke settled, fund raisers began. Neighbours and strangers offered what they could.

That was January 2022.

Out of the ashes of that tragic day, like a Phoenix, new life has risen. 

Yesterday, a friend and I visited that new Phoenix. In the place that once held smouldering ashes and shattered dreams, stands a sparkling new state-of-the-art dairy barn. 

Today the family animals have returned. No longer tied to stanchions, the cows come and go as they please. Features like back and head scratchers and rubber mats make for happy cows.

The wonder of the place (for me) is the robotic milking machine. Truly beyond imagination!

When a cow is ready to be milked, she lines up to enter the milking chamber. A gate opens and in she steps. A computer reads her identification tag and dispenses the appropriate food. Farmer Reid calls it “candy.” 

Then the wonder of wonders… a robotic arm reaches out, washes the cows udder and teats, then installs individual milking cups to each teat. A computer monitors the volume. The robot senses when the milk flow begins to slow, then releases the milking cup, returning the cup to the proper place. The robot proceeds to disinfect the teats, wash the cows feet, open the gate and off she goes. All without human touch! 

The whole deal is so foreign to milking time on the farm of my growing up. I remember watching with awe mom and dad milking by hand… with a dozen cats standing by waiting for a tasty spray of warm milk to come their way. From hand milking they advanced to vacuum powered stand alone milking machines. From there the milk would be carried by hand to the separator. My job was to wash the separator disks. 

Jeff is quick to point out that today’s milking procedure is definitely easier on the body, while at times hard on the head - the early days feeling like baptism by fire. 

The good news continues. Jeff explained how dairy farmers in the area are donating animals to help them build up their herd to what it was before the fire. Donating animals! It doesn’t get much better than that!

This story is one miracle among many that often go unnoticed. 

What about you? Where have you seen a miracle?