On Feb. 26, the App State chapter of Turning Point USA hosted an event called “Cows for Capitalism” on Sanford Mall. The event was initially scheduled for Feb. 2, but was postponed due to inclement weather. The event featured a highland cow, brought by Crooked Creek Highlands.
Member of the App State chapter of TPUSA and senior history major Wyatt Byrd said the chapter invited Crooked Creek Highlands to campus to support local businesses and encourage students to interact with and learn about cows. Byrd said the organization’s intent was to show support for small businesses instead of big industrial food companies like Tyson .
“We support capitalism and we think that mom-and-pop shops and small farms and stuff like that can truly benefit from capitalism as a whole compared to say socialism or communism,” Byrd said.
Byrd said the App State chapter hoped the event would increase campus engagement and create a fun interaction with students.
“We just want people to come out and enjoy a Highland cow,” Byrd said.
Crooked Creek Highlands is a family-owned farm based one hour west of Boone in Hamptonville. Owner Evan White accompanied one of his cows as students approached the pen and were able to pet and brush the animal. White said the farm does events such as farm tours and parties with an emphasis on education.
White said the cows at Crooked Creek Highlands are primarily used for breeding and are sold as pets. He said they also sell them for genetics and show the cows competitively, sometimes traveling around the country.
“54% of American kids under 24 have never seen a cow, not even through a window,” White said. “North Carolina is losing farmland — the second fastest in the country, only behind California. And then there are a ton of jobs in agriculture that people do not realize are there.”
