A real 'Crop Dog'

Kari and Terry Hollman got "Breeze" when the Border Collie was 9 weeks old. Since then, the dog that was once afraid of the tractor has become an all-around "crop dog." See how Breeze helps out on the Hollmans' Isle, Minnesota, farm.

• - See more from Kari on Farmersforthefuture.com

From the time the pup made it onto Hollmans' farm, she took a liking to the work that goes on there. At first, she took a major liking to their cattle. Even as a puppy, she would "watch the cattle with such intensity," Kari says.

But, she hated tractors at first. "She was scared and crawled under the seat and got stuck," Kari says of Breeze's first time in the tractor cab. Fortunately, the tractor's air-ride seat allowed Kari to get her out.

Breeze eventually got accustomed to the tractor cab, though. "I would put her inside my coat while driving and zip her in. At first, she'd crawl into the sleeve to hide," Kari says. "Now, we can't keep her out of the tractors. She goes with us whenever she can."

Breeze makes herself at home in the Hollmans' Ford 7740 tractor, New Holland 8560, whether they're working in a field or using it to feed calves, like here, where Terry is feeding silage "under Breeze's watchful eye," Kari says.

Hollmans also have a 1968 David Brown 990 tractor Kari and Terry use for smaller jobs around the farm. Breeze has taken a liking to the open-cab tractor too. "Her nickname is 'Monster,'" Kari says. "She is a little spoiled and slightly psychotic, but never mean."

The tractor's not all work for Breeze, though. On days when the cattle take priority over Hollmans' fields, she uses the cab for a nap spot, like here, where she's "napping during tag and vaccination day," Kari says.

But, when it's time to go to the field, the "Crop Dog" doesn't have a lot of patience.

"My husband was filling the tractor with fuel and [Breeze] was anxious to get a move on," Kari says of this photo.

But, once Breeze is aboard and the fieldwork's underway, she's just as much a part of the farm as her human counterparts. "My husband packs up her food and water and brings her with to cut hay," Kari says.

And, it's not just once in a while. Breeze almost needs to be in the tractor cab, Kari says. "She does the chores with me every afternoon, the window open and her watching as the silage augers out," she says.

But, it's not all work and no play for Breeze. Here, she takes time to torment the Hollmans' farm cat, Boo.

Kari and Terry Hollman are happy to have a "crop dog," not a cowdog. "She's not a cow dog. She's a crop dog, and we're okay with that," Kari says. "She lives in the house with us and there's less mud in the tractors."

• - See more from Kari on Farmersforthefuture.com