REMSEN, N.Y. (NCC News) – Retirement is supposed to be a time for leisure and luxury, but not for former veterinarian Steve Burton.
“A lot of my colleagues are sipping funny drinks in the Caribbean and calling it retirement,” Burton said.
The beaches of the Caribbean make way instead for the muddy fields of Bardwell Farms in Remsen, where Burton spends his days tending to his cattle. With over 100 cows to his name, Burton is never without something to do.
“I look forward to getting out of bed every morning, “Burton said. “I guess you could probably say I’m nuts. But gosh, it keeps me physically in shape. I look at other folks my age and watch them hobble around.”
Burton is not just breeding his cattle for his own personal enjoyment. He is doing so to try and save a breed, and with it a piece of American history. The breed which Burton is raising is the American Milking Devon, which dates back to the first European settlers of what is now the United States.
“Back in the early 1600s when the pilgrims were making their trek over to North America, they needed some livestock,” Burton said. “These animals had a relatively small frame as opposed to some of the other breeds. And they fit well on the ships. So they came to what’s called Plymouth, and the rest is history.”
Burton has been raising Devon cattle since 2012, when he and his wife took a trip to Maine, saw the oxen at a fair and bought them on the spot. His amassing of his 100-plus cows has stemmed not just from his love of the companionship of the animals, but his desire to save the breed itself, as the nonprofit Livestock Conservancy has placed the Devon on its list of critically endangered cattle, with just over 500 in existence.
“We got into this because we wanted to raise some oxen, because they’re just a joy to work with as far as draft animals go,” Burton said. “And we found out that there weren’t really a lot of these creatures in the world. And all of them are in North America. We’re trying. We had 36 calves this year. So we’re doing our our darndest.”
Burton has done more than just his darndest to save the breed. With about a fifth of all Devon cattle in existence on his farm, he does not use them for meat or for milk. His purpose is driven by one thing: the bond he has with his cows.
“When their day comes, they will be buried here,” Burton said. “They won’t be going to any meat market.”
