- Fold of Liberty Farms in Spanish Fork offers "cow cuddles" with its herd of Highland cows.
- Owner Vernon Stout sees it as a way to help cover the cost of feeding the cows.
- Cuddle sessions are popular, with visitors enjoying "animal therapy" and outdoor relaxation.
SPANISH FORK — Cows are associated with many things: milk, mooing, grazing and beef, to name a few.
But cuddling? For most, cuddling a cow is utterly the last thing that comes to mind, but the owner at Fold of Liberty Farms in Spanish Fork is welcoming visitors who are ready for what he calls "cow cuddles."
"We have Scottish Highland cows, and when we first had them, people would just stop by while we were working out in the field and ask if they could pet and take pictures of them," Vernon Stout, who owns the farm, said.
"We did that for about a year, and I was like, 'Hey, I wonder if people would actually want to come out and pay to pet them' because Highlands are a friendly breed. Doing this would also help us pay for food to feed the cows."
Covering the cost of feed was among the many things Stout was concerned with regarding his newfound side gig. In fact, the now 50-year-old, along with his wife, have only recently embarked on the world of farming after selling an online trading company in 2021 to acquire 50 acres of land.
Farming has been a lifelong dream for the Stouts. Together, they set out to establish a regenerative farm, which is a holistic approach to farming that aims to be more environmentally friendly and sustainable. They first acquired a couple of Angus cows, but when the chance came to obtain a Scottish Highland cow, Stout jumped at the chance.
"Scottish Highlands are the oldest (cow) breed in the world," Stout said. "They've been bred for 1,000 years, and people actually used them inside their homes and had them as pets. They're a very docile breed and just love being around people."
Stout's daughter, Samantha Love, spends a lot of time at the farm, and like her dad, saw the interest people had in the cows they had been adding to their farm. She said she urged her dad to let people come in and experience what it's like to be up close with them.
"Our very first cow was named Nan, and she is so sweet," Love said. "She's actually had a couple of babies on the farm. We quickly realized that Highlands love people. When we started inviting people to come pet them, we called them 'pet-and-feeds' because Highlands love to be pet, brushed and fed treats. In the beginning, we just had a couple of brushes, and we just advertised on Instagram. Now they're called cow cuddles, and they're super popular."
Love also explained that she saw a video on social media of a farm in Scotland inviting people to pet its Highland cows, and it further inspired her to pursue cow cuddles on the farm.
The farm now has 25 Highland cows available to cuddle and has open time slots throughout the week. One visitor, Noemí Castillo, went this past spring with her son and said that it was an experience she'd love to have again.
"I love cows!" she said. "It was great to enjoy the outdoors and cuddle with the cutest cows in Utah County!"
Stout said when people come to cuddle with the cows, he goes through a briefing to ensure the safety of visitors and the cows.
"The biggest issue with the cows is they get jealous of each other, and so as you're petting one cow, another cow might see that you're petting it and want to get petted and kind of come and nudge that cow out of the way," Stout said. "If you're not paying attention, then you could get pushed, too. We make sure that everybody's very well aware about how to do it and all the safety that they need to know."
Love said that one of the biggest concerns visitors have is that they are "petting their next meal." To that, Love explained that all 25 of the Highland Cows that are there for cuddles are not bred for meat, adding there are Highlands in another section of the farm that are.
It was great to enjoy the outdoors and cuddle with the cutest cows in Utah County!
–Naomi Castillo
Another concern was regarding the cleanliness of a cow cuddle. Stout was quick to respond, noting that the nature of regenerative farming is a very sanitary method. He added that the cows are also regularly taken care of by veterinarians and maintained by himself and his family.
"The cows don't have any poop or anything on them," he assured. "They're on grass and eating the grass, and then the next day we move them to a new piece of grass so the old grass regenerates. They get petted often, and typically it's not really a stinky experience at all.
"We have had a fantastic response," he continued. "We've had pretty much all the times sold out. It's a fabulous experience. People come out to the farm just to relax. There have been a lot of people who come out that tell us that they're getting their 'animal therapy.' It's a really fun and enjoyable experience."
Utah Cow Cuddle offers half-hour sessions on Fridays and Saturdays that can be scheduled on Utahcowcuddle.com. They can also be found on Instagram @utahcowcuddle.
