(HOST) On a recent visit to the old Poor Farm in Hardwick, commentator Ron Krupp encountered a breed of livestock he’d never seen before.
(KRUPP) When I asked Jonathan Gilbert, the farmer at the Old Poor Farm, what kind of bovines they were, he said, “They’re Randalls.” The more I learned about them, the more intrigued I became.
Randalls originated on the farm of the late Everett Randall of Sunderland, Vermont, starting with his father Samuel J. Randall at the end of the nineteenth century. Much of the breed’s history is anecdotal, but the common thread seems to be that the Randall family kept, bred and selected these cattle in virtual isolation over a period of eighty years.
It seems probable that Randalls are direct descendants of the hill cattle of New England in the last century. The possible sources for Randalls include the Netherlands, Channel Islands, British Isles and Scandanavia. All of these regions contributed settlers and livestock to the early colonies of New England and New York.
Randall cattle are classified as “Critical” by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy. Back when they were first rescued from extinction in 1985, there were fewer than twenty animals left. Today, they number about two hundred.
Having survived the hills of Vermont, Randall’s are a naturally hardy breed with good resistance to disease and parasites. They require minimal shelter from the wind, but like all cattle they appreciate some protection from freezing rains. Access to an open shed seems ideal for wintering Randall cattle.
Robert Gear, writing in the Small Farmers Journal, describes their disposition as one of good mothering ability, aggressive foraging and a general self-reliant attitude. Sounds like a Vermonter all right. As a breed that’s not been subjected to artificially narrow selection standards, much of the natural instincts and intelligence needed by wild bovines has remained intact. Randalls have historically been used as a dairy breed, although they also possess meat and draft qualities. Historically, the most suitable and natural environment for these cattle has been small scale forage-based farms, subsistence farms, and homesteads.
The cattle are medium in size, and all have horns. It’s not easy to describe them, as their appearance varies so much. Most Randalls look a little like a Holstein, but shorter and with a smaller head, with black and white coloring, some mottled and others speckled. The predominant hues are black and blue/black over white – characterized by dark sides, muzzles, ears, and eye rings. An exciting development has been the birth of several Randalls with red tones, a recessive trait that existed in Everett Randall’s herd.
In fact, the coloring of Randalls reminds me of those patches of snow on dark granite outcroppings, as seen from the Interstate on a late winter drive.
Ron Krupp is a gardener and author who lives near Lake Champlain on Shelburne Bay.