Jaydn Kimball may only be in fourth grade, but she and
her sister Kennedy, have already had a first-hand education on Maine
agriculture on their farm in Windham. On Beech Haven Ladies Farm, the Kimball
family raises show cows as well as other animals.
Last week, Jaydn brought two cows and a bunny to show to
all of the fourth grade classes at Manchester School.
“They told me I was really lucky and said they were going
to ask their parents to get a cow,” Jaydn said. “They really liked them.”
Jaydn knows all about showing cattle from the type of
halter to use to the practice time, 15 minutes a day, to get the cow ready for
showing at competitions all over the country and at summer fairs.
“It’s a lot of work,” she said. She figures they do about
eight or nine shows a year, many in the summer. Right now the family farm has
14 dairy cows, 4 Angus beef cows, 11 chickens, 24 chicks, 13 barn cats, 6 house
cats, 4 dogs, 2 bunnies, 2 full-sized horses and 2 miniature horses. The
animals they raise are award winners and often come home with ribbons and prize
money. Jaydn has won some money showing her cows and according to her teacher
Stacey Sanborn, when asked what Jaydn wanted to do with the money by her
friends, her answer wasn’t to buy an X-Box or a new phone, it was to put the
money back into the farm and buy more cows.
“Her responsibility shows in the classroom. She has a
strong work ethic. Anything we’re doing here, she can relate to the farm,” said
Sanborn.
“I love waking up every morning and seeing the animals. I
spend a lot of time with my family and doing the work because it’s definitely
worth it,” Jaydn said.
Jaydn’s family does chores four times a day and they wash
all the cows every day, she said.
In addition to farm work, Jaydn also plays basketball and
softball. She hopes to one day grow up to be a vet with her sister. “We’d be
sister vets,” she joked.
Her favorite part of living in a farm is the haying in
the summer and riding in the hay wagon, she said.
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