Cougars and Cows.

There are few ways of life that are as demanding as that of a dairy farmer. One of the biggest demands is the amount of dedication required to excel and be successful. The Conant family of Conant Acres in Canton, Maine know well these requirements and demands

It’s an art form they have mastered and mastered well, all the while being the farm where “Families come First”. The proof is in the proverbial pudding if ever you get the chance to step foot on their farm or take time to visit with them in the show barns at any of the fairs where they show their string.
…and then there is basketball season.

There’s the show ring, the barn and the hardwoods. This family is dedicated to them all.

When the Dirigo Lady Cougars Basketball Team takes to the hardwoods there are Conants in the bleachers, on the sidelines, and on the court as fans, coaches and of course players. The fans include a minimum of 2 generations of Conants who are very devoted and intense. On the sidelines is where Debbie (Conant) Keene can be found assisting the Head Coach. And on the court, that’s where you will find Maine’s Dairy Princess, #25, Miss Kaicey Conant.

This is not Betty and Duane Conant’s first season…nor will it be their last. Intrepid fans they are, as dedicated to their family as they are their cows.

Daily practices, 2 to 3 games a week, club teams throughout the year, playing, practicing, work, 4H meetings, milking, coaching, classifications, homework, snowstorms, life. There are only so many hours in the day and yet this family manages to fit it all in because they do have their priorities straight: Families Come First.

Mom Heidi is always there. Dad Dennis too. Proud, dedicated and driven. These are the cheerleaders every child should have.

Every town has its team and something to make them special. It just so happens that Dixfield, Maine has its Cougars and its cows. Its Lady Cougars have gone 16-2 this season and they are charging into the post season seeded 3rd in their class. Not too shabby. But before they get to the post-season tournament they will settle the Conference title by playing the only team that has dealt them losses this year : the Boothbay Seahawks. It will be a tough battle and a great game and there is no doubt that the Cougars will have some very supportive cheerleaders in the stands. Just as there is no doubt that the cows at Conant Acres will be well cared for and tended to because basketball game or no basketball game they are part of the family that comes first.

Are they going to win? We shall see, but the Cougars have a secret weapon: they’ve made their team their family and they come from a place where family comes first.

They spell team “Family”

You can learn more about Conant Acres, one of the 1,200 farm families that makes up the Cabot Creamery Cooperative, by visiting their Facebook Page or take a Virtual Tour of their farm.