FORT KENT - For the Janz's it's more than just a hobby farm, it's a way of life.
For the past seven years the family have raised calves on their acreage north of Fort Kent, expanding what at first was just a small pen to what it is today.
It all started when Matt Janz's daughters, Madeleine and Mya, got into 4-H.
Madeleine was the first of the pair to raise an animal, followed by her younger sister.
"I really enjoy being able to go outside and have fun with family and bond with my animals. It also taught me responsibility and how to take care of things other than myself. It also gives me the chance to partake in activities like 4-H, 4-H has taught me a lot about life skills like public speaking and sustainable food sourcing," 15-year-old Madeleine said.
Mya, 12, added, "Living in the country has let us be a part of 4-H. I have learned a lot in 4-H, like how to do public speaking and community service. I love going outside and spending time with my animals and taking care of them. Having the baby calves running around is really fun."
In addition to the two cows and their calves, the small farm also welcomes market animals for a portion of the year.
“We’ve had upwards of four additional steers that we feed out and then butcher," detailed Janz.
Having a farm on top of their careers and school keeps them busy, but the Janz's don't mind it one little bit.
“I like it because it’s relaxing, it’s a de-stressor almost because you don’t worry about your day-to-day job in the evenings and you work with the animals and I find it as a de-stressor and relaxing,” expressed Janz. “Why we got into it was for the kids, and that’s how it started."
From picking up square bales in the summer to ensuring their cows are healthy and happy, Janz said there's a lot of responsibility when it comes to hobby farming, something he taught his daughters from day one.
“They go and do their daily feedings, they have to make sure the animals are healthy, I taught them how to look and see if they’re sick or not, how to judge them in terms of making sure their wellbeing is being looked after, just the whole responsibility of making sure they have nice and dry beds, and they aren’t sleeping in filth and making sure those animals are looked after,” he explained.
But ensuring they're kind to the animals isn't their only concern.
“We obviously have the wellbeing of the environment, because with a hobby farm, you know the animals create manure. You have to handle it properly or any of the other issues that come with having a farm, making sure it’s all dealt with in an environmental manner," stated Janz, adding in their case they pile up the waste and some of their friends use it as compost in their garden.
Before they could bring livestock into their lives, the Janz's had some heavy lifting to do.
“Our acreage is small and it didn’t have any of those amenities, so we had to build everything from scratch," noted Janz.
The first year they built a pen and shelter, using a trough for water. Every few days they had to fill the trough and, in the winter, keep an eye on it to make sure it didn't freeze over.
“Over the years, we put in a waterline and a sump water, so that was a little bit more of an investment, and when we did that, we also expanded the pen for the cows,” Janz said.
The farm isn't just for the fun of it, it puts food on their table.
“I think the biggest pro is you know where your meat comes from, it’s from your farm to your table and you know where it’s coming from,” detailed Janz. “I think that’s one of the big benefits is you reap what you sow, kind of like a garden, you get to enjoy the fruits of your labours."
They've also had chickens, which also provided them with eggs, but Janz said, they can always be difficult because of predators.
Janz said the other benefit of the farm, is the lessons that come out of it.
For example, his daughters take on a lot of responsibility when it comes to their animals, raising them from calves.
“I think it’s great because you’re preparing them for the future with giving them those responsibilities, I think they learn a lot and I think they will probably be better people because of it,” stated Janz.
Sheri Janz said, "Having a few animals on the acreage is such a positive experience for our family. It offers a great distraction from the day-to-day stressors of work and school. Working together as a family with our animals and around the acreage has offered us immeasurable rewards."
Madeleine and Mya aren't just in charge of bringing up healthy and happy cows, they also help bring them into the world.
“Probably one of my favourite parts of having the hobby farm is the babies. Having baby calves, having the kids partake in that when they are calving and them raising that calf, I like that. This time of year, we put our cows in the south part of our yard and give (the calves) some of the lawn for a few weeks. We call them our lawn babies for the few weeks before we send them out to pasture,” detailed Janz. “The calves kind of have free rein of the yard, and it’s fun."
His daughters love it.
“They take ownership of the animals and they spend a lot of time with them."
