Let me tell you about Eyja, March’s Employee of the Month. For almost nine years now, she’s been part of our farm family. That’s 46 in cow years, folks.
I’ve watched her walk to the barn through every season. Spring mornings when the grass is wet with dew. Summer evenings when the sun sits low and golden. Winter days when her breath makes clouds in the cold air. She’s been there for all of it.
Built for the Work
Eyja is a Milking Shorthorn. Her breed carries generations of good, honest work in their bones. They know how to take what the land gives and turn it into something beautiful.
She doesn’t ask for much. Good pasture. Clean water. A gentle hand and a kind word. In return, she gives delicious, nutrient-rich milk.
There’s something special about a cow like Eyja. She’s not just producing milk. She’s keeping this farm alive. Every single day, she turns sunshine and grass into food for families. She heals our soil. She completes the circle that makes a farm more than just a business—makes it a living, breathing thing.
The Story Behind Her Name
Her name comes from Iceland. It means island, and it’s also part of that volcano nobody can pronounce: Eyjafjallajökull. My family visited there the winter before she was born. When she arrived that spring, still wobbly on new legs, we knew exactly what to call her.
Like that ancient volcano, Eyja has her own kind of power. Quiet. Steady. Faithful.
Since Holly retired from milking last year (don’t worry, she’s still leading the herd), Eyja will be our oldest milking cow. In factory farms, most cows don’t make it past five or six years. But here on pasture, with respect and good care, cows like Eyja can work into their teens. She’s watched young heifers grow up. She remembers farmhands who’ve long since moved on. She walks to her spot without being told, like coming home. She’s patient with newcomers still learning the rhythm of the work.
As we start calving season this month, Eyja will go through her “fresh” cycle again—the beautiful moment when a cow has her calf, and her body starts producing milk. Every spring, this cycle begins anew. The miracle of birth. The rush of fresh milk. The continuation of what makes a dairy farm come alive.
That’s what makes someone irreplaceable. Not just showing up, but carrying the memory of this place. Day after day, year after year, Eyja has been our constant.
Some things in this world you can count on. Eyja, March’s Employee of the Month, is one of them.
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