If the sheriff's coming up the driveway to collect your cattle, where do you hide them? In the kitchen, natch. At least that's what Leonard Manhart allegedly did with some of his herd of purebred Dexter cattle, one of which, Cletus the bull, is the last descendant of a herd once owned by Bobby Kennedy. Yes, that Bobby Kennedy.
Manhart lives on 36 mostly wooded acres near the village of Mountainhome, of the more picturesque places in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains, a mecca for East Coast tourists. Eileen Pasquin, of Pocono Animal Rescue, was following up a tip about Manhart's cattle exploits, and could find only a few animals roaming around the property. Then she spotted hoofprints leading into the house.
"I actually didn't believe I was seeing it," she told Pocono Record reporter David Kidwell. "It didn't make sense, so I just yelled for someone else to come look," she said.
In short order, Barrett Township's police chief, Steve Williams, arrived to take a look for himself, and very soon Manhart's cattle had been moved to nearby farms where, presumably, they are being better cared for. They reportedly looked a little scrawny when they were moved.
Of course, there are two sides to every story. You can read Manhart's side, and watch a video of his explanation here: http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091011/NEWS/910110331
The alleged Dean Foods/DFA connection, and whether it's been good or bad for dairymen in the Northeast, is an issue that's headed to U.S. District Court in Burlington, Vermont. According to an article in this week's Lancaster Farming by correspondent Steve Taylor, the issue will probably take years to settle. You can read more about it here: http://www.lancasterfarming.com/node/2336
Are you sure you wouldn't rather work in an office? I just hope these guys aren't on the public payroll.
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