Camilla and Billie Joe roam the organic grasses of Bivalve Dairy.
production, due dates and somatic cell counts. In just a year,
enclosed the porch as a mudroom. They kept the kitchen in
40 of the 75 cows were certified organic. The Taylors had an
place, as well as the large dining room built for the ranch
easier time qualifying the pasture land as organic, because
hands to gather at lunch.
Sharon never used pesticides.
Keeping a bull or two on Bivalve and employing five men to
Karen's cousins extend the West Marin circle of ranching
family, working the land that today is within the Point Reyes
help in ranch operations — the herd now numbers 200 milk-
National Seashore. When the Taylors moved to the farm to
ing cows. Soon, the Taylors will complete the necessary per-
raise their children with traditional values in a rural lifestyle,
mitting process to produce Bivalve farmstead cheese.
they couldn't predict the experience would be so profound.
"As a family and as a farm, they've faced the challenges over
Billy Joe was 18 months old (and two years before his di-
the last four decades and they've come up with solutions," says
agnosis) when his parents recognized his special relationship
David Lewis, who works with local farmers as director of Marin
with animals. Out of sight for a moment, the toddler wandered
County's UC Cooperative Extension. "Sharon improved condi-
toward the barn as the heifers were being brought in for their
tions on the ranch and Karen and John took it to the next step."
afternoon milking. Cows like routine and can get restless or
worse, stampede, when startled. In their midst was Billy Joe.
A Place to Flourish
The Bianchini Ranch is down the road from the Straus Family dairy, the first of about a dozen organic dairies in the coun-
"We thought he would be trampled. But the cows just parted," Karen said.
"There was something very calm about the situation," John
ty. Of the 800 acres of rolling green hills, the Taylors work
said. "He didn't disturb them at all. At the same time, here was
about half and live on just a few. The classic 1920s farmhouse
this tiny kid with 1,200-pound animals."
nestled in a hollow of the hillsides sits across from the milking
When Billy Joe was four, he attracted two young foxes living
barn and just down from the foreman's cabin. They converted
in a culvert in front of the house. John watched the pair curl
an attic space in the farmhouse for their third child, Eva, and
up next to Billy Joe while he played on the ground with his toy
SUMMER 2013 • FLOURISH
33
