Editor’s Note: The date for this event, originally scheduled for December 1, has been changed to December 8 due to a predicted snow storm.
Hudson — Churchtown Dairy and the Crescendo Singers invite you to join in a Christmas serenade to the farm’s dairy herd on Sunday, December 8, at 5 p.m. Why? Because Mary’s son was born in a dairy barn. You know the rest.
Cows have been keeping Christmas for a very long time (i.e., about 2,019 years). This makes “Away In a Manger” one of our most historically authentic Christmas carols. And since it’s long been known that cows respond to music, it should come as no surprise that many serious-minded dairy farmers serenade their herds from time to time. And the folks who run Churchtown Dairy, a biodynamic farm (in Churchtown, New York, also known as Claverack, which itself is also known as Hudson) are as serious about the well being of their animals as a farmer could be. They’re also serious about sustainable agriculture and regenerative communities. So they are focused on more than just cows. Their mission is about raising public awareness of the positive impacts ecological agriculture can have on human health and on the whole planet. This includes development of just and resilient food systems. (They also enjoy a good Christmas carol.)
The cows at Churchtown Dairy are not only receptive to the Christmas carols, but they seem to have a distinct preference for certain songs over others. How do we know this? Churchtown Dairy Executive Director Kam Bellamy knows it when — no joke — she sees the animals walk out of the barn in response to an undesirable piece of music. (You know you’re not in Kansas anymore when you visit a farm that has an Executive Director.)
If you can’t join the fun on December 8, no problem. The dairy will host these events every Sunday in December, but the Crescendo Singers (along with a brass ensemble!) will appear only on the 8th.
Caroling to the Cows
Sunday, Dec. 8, from 5 to 6 p.m.
Churchtown Dairy
357 County County Route 12, Hudson, New York
Admission is Free
