Come, Bos

It takes just a split second of inattention to tear Jerry Duggan away from a lifetime of caring for his herd of Jersey cows. The dairy farm's best chance for survival is a young man who has done a tour of duty on a battlefield and finds similarities ... life and death situations with hidden dangers. To save the farm he'll need to master the give and take dance with the cows at the heart of the job. Can his choices bring him satisfaction and serenity or will they lead him to loss and tremendous heartache? "This is a book that has been a lifetime in the writing. Few have had the milk stool in the barn that I've been privileged to have for more than 30 years. I have known good cows, bad ones, clean ones and messy ones, the ones who are the best and brightest and the ones who have died from incurable diseases. For a good portion of the time, I also worked as a journalist, so I took along my notebook. The stories I wrote for local newspapers about dairies and farms in three New England states where I milked cows form the basis of this fictionalized story of people, places and bovines. This book also is a warning about the dire consequences of not insuring our food supply stays local, plentiful and safe, a message about the need to continue the American heritage of abundant farms and food. Primarily, however, this book is a love story to cows. The hope is that it initiates a discussion of how we have treated them and the farmers who care for them." Follow the journey to retain and even bring back dairy farms at www.keepthecows.com.

Lucille Benoit is a journalist and dairymaid. She worked in both fields in three New England states for more than 30 years. A graduate of the University of Rhode Island, she currently makes her home in Rhode Island with her husband and family of three dogs and three cats. Contact her at lucillebenoit18@gmail.com and visit the Come, Bos website: www.keepthecows.com Join in the conversation about dairy farming and cows. Lend your ideas in the battle to stem the loss of farms, keep the ones we have and start new farmers on the journey.