Save the Casta cow
Save the Casta cow
Save the Casta cow
Save the Casta cow
Save the Casta cow
This campaign is closed
Save the Casta cow
The Story
First of all, a very brief history of the Casta breed of cattle.
The Casta cow is the native breed in the Central French Pyrenees. It has a long and ancient history. Apparently, its origins can be traced back to a meeting of the Celtic and Iberic tribes in the Pyrenean Mountain range in pre-Christian days. Unfortunately, since the end of the Second World War, this breed has moved slowly towards the edge of extinction. As farming became increasingly industrialised, rustic breeds such as the Casta were cast aside in favour of more selectively bred breeds, [the Friesan / Holstein or Limousine for example] whose milk or meat yields made it a more attractive option to farmers pressured by the increasingly market-led nature of their business.
We currently have 9 Castas - 1 young bull called Mascard, 7 heifers - Judith, Jacinth, Jalie, Lorelei, Lys, Lotus and Llivia and 1 old lady called Reine. We are about to embark on the next phase of our project - to begin breeding calves and therefore trying to stabilise and slowly increase their population.
The current world population of Castas is 340.
Why fundraise?
Since the winter of 2015, when I started keeping Casta cows, I have fallen increasingly under their spell. I grew up on a beef farm in England, yet never before have I met such an intelligent, sensitive and deeply rustic breed of cow. I have had the privilege of being accepted as a part of the herd and therefore, have had a window into the depth and richness of their daily lives. It was in October 2016 that my appreciation and gratitude for them took a quantum leap: a beloved younger brother committed suicide and after the initial shock, it was not to a therapist or counsellor that I turned, but to the Castas. Their unconditional presence seemed to bring about such a feeling of peace and quietness, that little by little, the pain surrounding my brother's death began to ease. These cows helped me heal and for that, I feel forever in their debt.
By way of saying thanks, I had the idea to start trying to raise awareness about the Castas. What I really wanted to do was simply share with others what they had done for me - to give other people the opportunity to spend a few hours or days in their company and relax so deeply that even the hardest things could somehow be accepted.
A Facebook page was created called Being with Cows. Through this page, I created a series of retreats on our farm, where people could come and stay for several days and simply, as the title suggests, be with the cows. All out of gratitude.
How you can help?
I decided to ask for funds through fundraising to continue to expand awareness of the Casta breed itself yet more specifically, its potential to facilitate healing in people caught in a period of suffering, trauma or pain. If the funding target is achieved, the money will be used to advertise the Retreats we hold on the farm, so that more people can have the chance to receive help in a possibly unexpected way. It's difficult to express in words how deeply grateful I am to our small herd and equally difficult to express the depth of the wish to share this with others.
The funds can help save the Castas from possible extinction, yet of equal importance, perhaps help save others from following the path my brother took. To me, it seems a win-win situation.