Lunch with seven Cows

A beatiful and memorable encounter between cows and humans was celebrated on 28th August in Tammenpää milk farm in western coast of Finland, Angelniemi. Seven Eyeshire cows: Narcis, Urania, Andorra, Tooticki, Äppel, Fauna and Eddy, were the honoured guests, invited to have a lunch with some 20 human guests, spending a marvellous afternoon together around the same table.

The ingredients of the meal were peas, rye and apples. Photo: Sami Perttilä

The concept for this meal of cows and humans is by Kultivator artist group, that has “married” the art and agriculture and work their “agri-artistic” projects from Ooland island next to Swedish coast. Angelniemi based Kia and Matts Boijer hosted the Lunch with Cows in their organic farm, Mikko Kivelä cooked delicious soup of  fresh peas, baked bread, with an  apple desert. We drunk milk.

Since almost ten thousand years now, we live very close to each other, and has indeed affected each others lives and beings a great deal. Our relation has been practical and very close physical, but we have not yet really grown into exchanging a lot of thoughts, or even trying to meet at an intellectual level. This informal lunch meeting intends to be a small start of a more mature and interesting way of being together. We have no prepared speakers, no translators or list of topics that must be discussed, but! Questions about our future relation, and sustainable survival may come up!  KULTIVATOR

Cows did not hurry away from the table after the feast, they stayed calmly next to the table after finishing their plates. We were told, that next day, at the same time, they we waiting to eat together with us by the table. This makes me happy, the desire to spend some time together has been reciprocal – and I am waiting for the next chance to make this happen.

Mats Boijer feeding his cows. Photo: Ulla Taipale

The lunch was documented by Petra Kallio, Sami Perttilä, Andrea Vanuchhi and Jarmo Markkanen in paintings, photographs and video.  The framework of the event is Halikonlahti Green Art -project, an initiative of artist and curator Tuula Nikulainen and Sunny Future association. The exhibition, called Food Chains, will be opened at Salo Art Museum next Friday, 9th September. It is curated by Tuula Nikulainen and Ulla Taipale. More information about the exhibition here.

Hope you enjoy seeing the video – and feel free to rethink your own relationship with the cows – or others that you did not have a meal with before!