Carter Farm Dream Team

A Yoke of Twin Oxen: Enjoy this guest post about the story of the two oxen that inspired the current farm logo...

Enjoy the story of the two oxen that inspired the current farm logo! And, consider subscribing to Mark Carter’s Writing Cabin:

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When I stepped into the dairy barn early one cold Minnesota winter morning, I heard the bawling of two newborn calves. Hattie had given birth to twins. The two cute little bulls were up and at ’em with vigor and volume. Their birth year was around 1980.

The calves’ dam and sire were both purebred Ayrshires. They passed the beauty of their colors and patterns on to the twins. Their two boys were about as identical as one could ever expect in a spotted species. A perfect bullock pair, which Carters quickly dubbed the future oxen dream team.

The Carter boys had previously trained a couple of other teams of Ayrshire oxen, but they were mismatched in size, color, and temperament. The new twins had it all, right down to their DNA.

The young bulls were steered, and they were forever sweet. And they would have been in style even at the mall with their matching nose rings. They grew to huge and could pull with ease.

Unlike the other cattle on the farm, the twins kept their beautiful horns. The Ayrshire breed grows long horns that, when mature, turn a graceful flourish on the ends. Even the twins’ horns matched.

What were their names? Good question. That varied. We considered Jake and Max. Sometimes, they were Mike and Ike, and, sometimes, they were Sven and Ole. Usually, they were just called “The Oxen.” Ayrshires are a Scottish breed, so maybe we should have called them something like Jack and Mack.

Over the years, the twins pulled logs, strawberry and pumpkin wagons, parade floats, sleighs, and carts.

After many years of work for the farm, the oxen spent their last days side by side, grazing and chewing cud. These well-loved and honest-working boys both died of natural causes at an old age.

They were the last and best oxen on the farm. A couple of their massive oaken yokes hang behind the performance stage at Carter Farm. The current farm logo honors these mighty twins and all oxen who plowed deep and partnered in toil with the farmer.

—Mark Carter