Jumping for organic joy

When Danish Cows See Fresh Spring Pasture, They Jump For Joy From NPR

"They're running a little late," chides an elderly gentleman, tapping his watch at 12:02 p.m. He's come to this farm near the Danish city of Ikast, along with about 1,500 others, to celebrate what has become something of a national holiday in Denmark. It's the Sunday in mid-April when thousands of organic dairy cows at 75 farms across the country are released into the green fields of spring. At exactly 12 noon. Eh hem.
Ah, but here they come!
Cows, despite their tendency to lumber, become almost sprightly when treated to a change of scenery. They leap, they kick, they tussle, they bellow with joy. Danes, who're also emerging from the long, dark winter, are nothing if not empathetic.
With children cheering from their parents' shoulders, the first wave of cows come galloping into the sun. They shoot down a driveway lined with onlookers and go bouncing — literally — into the nearest field. As Canadian cow experttold The Salt's Maria Godoy in 2014, cows tend to get an extra spring or leap in their step "whenever something new or unexpected happens."
In the pasture, the frolicking and playful head-butting continues for a good 20 minutes before the whole bovine party settles into munching. And the Danes wander off to the food tent to do the same.
The idea of turning this age-old "dancing cow" phenomenon into a spectator sport arose about a decade ago when the folks at Organic Denmark were searching for a way to make the concept of organic more visual.