By Lucia Coutermarsh, Vermont Country correspondent.
HARRISVILLE, N.H. — At the Granite Oak Farm in Harrisville, Brian and Laura Bradford maintain a cozy business that provides people with the opportunity to hug, pet and snuggle with their cows.
Biscuit, Peppermint and Barley are the three professional cuddlers of Granite Oak Farm, whose cuddling services are available to anyone who is intrigued or in need of a little animal therapy.
Brian Bradford got the idea for cow cuddling when he went to the fairs as a child and experienced the love for cow cuddling firsthand. Once he was able to purchase land and cows, he began the cow cuddling business in hopes that it would bring as much joy to others as it did to him. Now, as Brian Bradford runs the front end of the business, Laura Bradford, his wife, operates behind the scenes.
“People use it a lot as a bucket list item. They’ve always wanted to cuddle a cow. And for others, it literally is like therapy for them,” Laura Bradford said. “We’ve got some folks that will come once a month, once every other month. They’ve told us that they get along with their coworkers better now. They’re not as stressed as they used to be. And for a lot, it’s just something fun and unique to do.”
The process for cow cuddling begins with booking a session on the Granite Oak Farms website. After reading through the detailed descriptions of each cuddler’s distinct personality, the customer can then book a session with their desired cuddler: $35 for 30 minutes or $55 for 60 minutes, and an additional $10 for every additional person added to your party.
Making your way to the farm, you will likely be greeted by Santiago, Diego or Rodrigo the roosters, and Skittles the farm dog who will lead you to your cuddler. As safety precautions, Brian and Laura Bradford ask that people wear closed-toe shoes and be 10 years of age or older to enter the stalls with the cuddlers. People are invited to hug the cows, brush their fur, lay down with them or enjoy their company as the calming effects of the animal therapy take over. Hand sanitizer and a hand washing station are also available to customers after their cuddling session.
“My favorite part is just seeing people’s reactions to it. We’ve built friendships through this by the clients that return and we’ve got this great kind of support base of people that follow the farm and reach out to us with anything exciting or funny that happens,” Laura Bradford said. “I love that part and I think it’s fun building those relationships.”
During my visit at Granite Oak Farm, I had the pleasure of experiencing the snuggles of all three cow cuddlers. Having never petted an animal besides dogs or cats, I was able to get my fill of cow cuddles as I sat with the cows in their stalls and petted their surprisingly soft fur as I felt the stresses of the day melt away. I’d like to believe that myself and the cows got what we wanted out of the experience.
The Bradfords explained that they typically get mixed reactions when they tell people what they do, but the reactions they get from their customers reaffirm their beliefs in the helping effects of their business.
“People either get really excited or they’re confused, and they want to know more,” Laura Bradford said. “I found that typically when I’m out and people say, what do you do? And I explain how my husband I have a farm and we do cow cuddling, I usually have to repeat myself a couple times. But the general kind of consensus when people get here is just one of excitement. And the sounds kind of coming from the stalls during cow cuddling. It varies between, you know, lots of laughter and just having, you know, a great time or to just complete quiet, because the cows lay down. They’re laying on the couch, cuddling the cow, and they’re just completely sending out.”
Another one of their goals as a local business operating out of a small town is to drive more tourism to the surrounding towns and their businesses. Since many of their regular customers come from all over New England and other parts of the country, they often try to direct their customers to other local businesses they enjoy.
“We’re a big proponent of supporting local businesses. Harrisville has been amazing and welcoming to us. We have people that will stop by just to say hi, and we love that. That was a big reason why we picked this area to move the farm to,” Laura Bradford said. “So that’s another big one, is being surprised at how far people travel and then making sure that they go out and spend their dollars elsewhere to spread the love. It’s kind of a nice way to spread that exposure and make sure that folks know what else is around here.”
Cuddlers on Wheels, or C.O.W., is the next endeavor that the Bradfords hope to accomplish as they have begun to take their cuddlers to events so more people can experience their cuddling effects.
“We had a person reach out a couple of years ago for a celebration of life. And so he took Lily, the only big cow that we use for cuddling. She’s super gentle and amazing to that and just everyone loved it had such a great time,” Laura Bradford said. “If you would like us to bring a cow to you, then we can. Pricing varies depending on what they’re looking for, how long they need us for. We’d like to stay within 30 miles or 30 minutes of the farm. But there’s some flexibility with that. It’s just kind of like, tell us what you want to do and let’s see what we can work out.”
