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Meet The Cows
Why We Do What We Do
At Heslep’s Coastal Cattle, we believe farming should be personal. Our cows are raised with love, care, and a mission to bring the community closer to where food really comes from. PJ and Pita are part of that mission — and they’re just the beginning.
Love PJ & Pita already? Here’s your chance to be part of their story.
Your donation helps care for the cows, create unforgettable moments for kids, and keep real farm life thriving.
Pita - Big Momma
Pita (pronounced pee-ta) is a 6 year old Holstein, born in August 2019! She is also Mother to PJ - yes this is a Mom-Daughter Power Duo! I (Stephanie) first met Pita when she was less than 1 year old, as a heifer here at Hopkins (previously Green Acres Dairy). She was shorter than her herd mates which made her stand out. Pita was always happy to come greet me whenever I entered the pen she was in, she would come over and ask for head (or butt!) scratches. I grew very fond of her.
She was an amazing, attentive mother to her calves, and then she was a powerhouse milking machine! Typically averaging over 120 pounds of milk a day (that’s almost 14 gallons of milk per day!) When the dairy closed in early 2021, I could not BEAR to see her leave, so with much persuasion, I was finally granted permission to let her stay and live out her days as a happy retired mama cow.
she is pictured when the dairy was still open!
Pita was still producing milk at the time, so she went to a friend's dairy in Harrington to finish out her lactation (Lactation is just a fancy word for when a cow is making milk. A cow will keep making milk for about 10 months after giving birth — and that whole period is called a lactation. Once it's over, she takes a break (called a “dry period”) before having her next calf and starting the process again.)
During her time at the dairy in Harrington, Pita caused a lot of trouble. She would play with the woman who milked the cows hair, she would steal the milking towels out of their towel bin and throw them around - she truly lived up to her name (Pita stands for Pain - In - The .. well you can finish it)
When she finished out her time milking there (where she averaged pounds of milk a day), she finally got to come home and hang out not only in our pasture where we could see her from our window, but she also gets to hang out with her daughter, PJ.
Pita has been recently been SUCH an amazing part of the School Field Trips, Cow Educational Events, and Hopkins Birthday Parties. She is gentle, sweet, and LOVES snacks. We love Pita very much, and we hope you get to know her and love her too.
Fun Fact: Pita will eat about any snack she is offered
PJ - The Sassy Sweetheart
PJ is a 4 year old holstein that was born in October of 2021. She was born at our friend's dairy in Harrington where Pita was milking, we picked her up the day she was born and brought her home (here she is pictured before she grew to the huge size she is now!)
Growing up, PJ thought she was a dog. She was well behaved enough that during the day, we would let her out of her pen and she would run around the yard with our dogs and help herself into the garage (I may have let her in the house a couple of times too *shh*) She was the true beginning of our kids learning and getting to be a part of a life with cows. That was very special to us.
From Cow Cuddles to Community Impact
PJ and Pita may be the first cows you meet, but your donation reaches far beyond them.
At Heslep’s Coastal Cattle, we’re growing more than just a herd — we’re building a mission-driven farm that educates, connects, and one day feeds our community through local, pasture-raised beef.
When you give, you’re helping us:
🐮 Feed and care for every animal in our growing herd
📚 Host field trips that teach kids where their food comes from
🛠 Build the infrastructure we need to raise a full beef herd
🥩 Move closer to offering local families high-quality, ethically raised beef
This is about more than cows — it’s about creating something that truly matters to our community.
Whether it’s $10 or $100, your donation helps us stay small, stay local, and stay focused on what matters: caring for animals, feeding families, and connecting people to their food.
While PJ was still in her hutch in the yard, she was obsessed with bananas. If she was out frolicking in the yard, all we would have to do is wave a banana and she would come running back. Now? She doesn’t go crazy for them anymore, PJ has grown to think she is some sort of queen and should only get premium treats like cookies. (Who can blame her I guess right?)
PJ has never been bred, which means she has never had a calf and she has never milked. Why does she have horns? It is a common misconception that only bulls grow horns. Female cows grow horns too, in fact there are only a few breeds where both the bulls and cows are naturally polled, which means they do not grow horns.
You normally do not see a female cow with horns because we dehorn them, which just means that when they are only a few days old we put a paste where the horn bud will grow and it keeps them from growing. We do this for the matter of safety, for ourselves and for the cows. Cows with horns know very well that they have them and so if they feel a time to use them - they will.
I wanted to teach PJ to have her let me ride her, but it was a no go with Rob. So PJ’s job was to be a beautiful little heifer who got to live the life on the coast and hang out with her mom. She is a very smart cow, and we knew she was meant for more. We are really happy to see her thriving with all of the creamery guests, and especially with the kids during school field trips and parties.
Fun Fact: If you make kissing sounds, PJ just might come over to you for some pets!