Cows compete for affection like giant farm puppies.

These cows are living a wonderful life on a beautiful farm in Ontario, Canada. They have acres of lush, green grass to graze on, rolling hills to wander, forested areas for shade, and ponds full of fresh water to drink from. They spend their days lazing in the sunshine, or cooling off under a tree. It's a world full of choice and gently blowing breezes. There is even a large bull named Gus who watches over his herd protectively. Life on this farm is as close as possible to what nature intended for these gentle creatures.

Fiona and Flossey are the two cows here that compete for attention when Dave, the farm hand enters the meadow. These cows are well treated and they respond to kindness with trust and acceptance. They actually seek out human interaction and follow the farmers and Dave around the fields, curiously watching them work. Sometimes they even seem to want to help. These cows are brighter than most people realize and they have personalities and a gentle nature that make them extremely endearing. The cows form bonds with each other, preferring to spend time in the close company of their cow "friends". When given the chance to live like this, the cows develop a social structure and relationships. They even take turns caring for the calves, almost like aunties would do in our own families.

Dave enjoys watching the cows and interacting with them during quieter moments. When it's break time, the cows will sometimes wander over and lie down beside Dave as he sits and takes a rest. And other times, the cows will ask for a scratch on the head or behind the ears, enjoying the petting the same way a family dog would. Surprisingly, these cows will also show a touch of jealousy if one of them gets more attention than they do. Flossey and her sister, Fiona keep Dave busy on this sunny day. He has both hands going and they let him know when he's not keeping up. These are large animals, each weighing more than 450kg (1,000lbs) but they seem to understand this and they take enough care to avoid knocking Dave over with their enthusiasm. It seems we are not the only beings with compassion and an understanding of the need to be gentle.

Farms like these treat their animals with respect. When looking for a place to buy our food, there are a lot of good reasons to support the farmers like these ones who are doing everything right. Although it costs a little bit more to raise beef here than on a factory farm, it's worth spending our money at a place that avoids cruelty and poor conditions for the animals. Farms like this one can usually be found locally too, offsetting a lot of the added costs of transportation and retail. In the end, it doesn't cost much more and we can feel better supporting the farmers close to us while we encourage better care for such beautiful and gentle souls.