Cow cuddling: Why a Newfoundland farm is offering quality time with these 'gentle creatures'

Chloe is a working dairy Guernsey cow. A gentle giant, according to her keepers.

She weighs about 1,200 pounds. So when she sits, she tends to stay sat down for a while: Making her an excellent cuddler.

Chloe is a rising star at Lester’s Farm Chalet in St. John’s, N.L., one of the latest farms to jump into the viral cow-cuddling trend sweeping farms across the continent.

“She’s probably one of the kinder cows I’ve met,” said Sophia Vallis, who has been working with the farm this summer. “She’s super kind, super gentle.”

Jim Lester’s farm hopped on the cuddling trend in early August, and his time slots have been pretty well sold out ever since.

For $20, you can get 20 minutes with the animals, all overseen by staff. Visitors can feed, groom, and maybe even lie beside the cattle.

“They’re really amazed by a cow’s demeanor, and just being around these big, gentle creatures,” he said. “What a feeling it gives them, a sense of relaxation.”

It’s a small business boost for the farm — it certainly gets more people in through the doors — but Lester also said it’s nice to see people reconnect with nature, and animals, in a novel way.

Jim Lester’s family has owned and operated farms in the Brookfield Road area of St. John’s, N.L., for generations. (Garrett Barry, CTV News)

“I’m a big believer that people have to get their hands dirty, get their hands back in the soil and experience the positive side of agriculture,” he said.

Jim and his family have been farming in St. John’s for generations. His relatives operate the Lester’s Farm Market with a focus on vegetable sales on a neighbouring lot.

And cows, Lester believes, are a great way to reconnect with the earth.

“They’re probably a bit underappreciated for what they can offer for the human soul,” he said. “Cows are one of the older domesticated livestock species. … They’ve been around humans a long time.”

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Each of their cattle has a different personality. In the few weeks since they’ve seen increased traffic, Chloe seems to be thriving, Vallis said.

“People come and they are floored that they can just get to sit down and crouch down with the cows, let alone like, lean up against them” she said.

Chloe and the other cows get a bit of a kick-back for their efforts.

“A lot of our cows here are very used to people,” she added. “They enjoy being with people, and they really love the treats. The treats are their favourite part.”