burlington when the coronavirus pandemic forced the university of vermont to close and send its students home the alarm spreadwhat would happen to the cowsthe universitys beloved herd of about 100 dairy cows is normally tended by students taking part in the cooperative for real education in agricultural management program or cream and without those students the fate of the cows seemed to be in jeopardyin no time dozens of cream alumni and students clamored to spend their spring and summer caring for the holsteinsi would rather do nothing else than this over the summer said recent graduate claudia sacks of macungie pennsylvaniaon a recent hot weekday she rose in the dark to help milk the cows at 330 am by early afternoon she was shoveling out the calves stalls when she sees her favorite cow lazlo she hugs her around the neck and gives her a kissive learned so much from them she saidtheyve taught me how to be a kind person and how to love other people you go into the barn and you see one of the cows licking another cow and its just i dont know just a sense of sisterhood almost between them so its really lovely to see the family that theyve formed between themselves but also the family that we can form with themthe other six students are passionate too about the animals and hope to go veterinary school they know the cows by name how much milk each one is giving who each cows sire is who shes bred to and when shes due to calve said faculty adviser and veterinarian dr steve wadsworthmany have other jobs as well and are working at the farm because they have a passion for animals and agriculture he saidthese cows as well cared for as any animals in vermont maybe any animals in the country he said these students love these cows to piecesand it shows as they talk to the cows while guiding them into the milking parlor or try to move a cows leg while attaching the tubes of the automatic milking machine to her teats they milk the cows twice a day feed them and the calves muck the barns and help with births any time of the day or nightamid a pandemic some workers said they are glad to have meaningful chores and to be with the animalsthe herd manager matt bodette couldnt be more grateful he was inundated with calls and text messages from students and alumni wanting to help or checking in on the farm probably 70 to 80 wanted to take up the work but uvm only needed seven workersthey have really really shined in every single way possible and i am i will never forget them bodette said choking up theyve been like a little family for me and im truly grateful