As spring segues into summer on Martha’s Vineyard, everything seems to speed up – there’s a palpable energy – and suddenly we’re all eyes and ears about what’s new and exciting. The animals at Slough Farm in Edgartown are no exception. The cows, horses, sheep, chickens and dogs don’t tiptoe into the season; they burst onto the scene like they’ve been waiting for the curtain to rise all year.
And in many ways, they have.
“Everybody gets pushy in the spring,” said Christian Walkis, Slough’s farm manager, with a grin. The animals are antsy after months of mud and hay and holding patterns. The cows plow through electric fences in search of greener pastures, literally.
“We chased the cows around for an hour and a half last night,” Christian added. “They just kept walking through the electric line. They’re done waiting.”
The shift is visceral. The horses have a bounce in their step. The sheep, especially the lambs, bop and chase each other in the evenings like kids at recess. Chickens scratch the first grass furiously, looking for insect snacks.
Julie Scott, Slough Farm’s executive director, put it perfectly: “They’re foodie tourists. Every day when a new pasture opens, they rush in like they’re trying a new restaurant. They don’t just start eating, but they sample everything. It’s like, ‘Has this spot reopened for the season?’”
And, yes, there’s drama too. One particularly curious lamb slipped through a gate this spring and wandered off, only to be found the next morning perched on a neighbor’s front porch. “She just sat there all night, pooped on the porch and waited,” Christian laughed.
Then there are the roosters, otherwise known as the frat boys. They’re always posturing, always performing, always protecting the hens – loudly.
But the seasonal symphony isn’t just noise; it’s movement, harmony, purpose.
“By summer, everything comes together,” Julie said. “All the animals are out, each grazing different parts of the pasture, adding different nutrients to the soil. The chickens follow a few days behind the cows, and it becomes a full ballet with a live orchestra. The work of winter – the feeding, mucking, hauling – gets you to this moment.”
Even the farm dogs have their summer personas. Pete, the tireless border collie, lives to work so much he once herded himself all the way to the Cape Pogue Light on Chappaquiddick. Raisin, the scrappy sidekick, prefers hunting rats and chasing geese – skills at which he’s proficient. Together they keep the place moving, sometimes faster than the humans would like.
Of course, not every moment is picturesque. In early summer, the pastures haven’t fully come in yet. “Everything around the animals is getting beautiful,” Julie said, “but their area is still a mess from winter. They’re just waiting like kids stuck inside during recess.”
But soon enough, the wait is over. The animals spill out into the fields. The tourists arrive. The flowers bloom. And Slough Farm becomes its summer self – a living performance of nature, routine and joy.
Mindy Dutka is a photographer, dog advocate, and founder of dogsimeet.com.
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