A herd of dairy cows in Agassiz got their first foray into the field on Good Friday (April 18) — and almost ended up right back in the barn.

Creekside Cheese and Creamery invited the public to watch the cows leave the barn for the first time this spring. It is always an exciting moment for both the bovines and those who come out to enjoy the idyllic scene and wander around the farm afterwards.

The crowd of a couple hundred lined up along the fences just before 11 a.m., and then erupted in cheers of joy as the herd charged out of the barn and into the meadow, guided along by farm workers.

Then, just as quickly as they filed out, many of the cows turned around and tried to run back into the barn. But they were headed off at the barn entrance and steered back out, where they galloped, jumped, butted heads and played, before settling in to graze for the day in the sunshine.

The first day of spring on the farm has become an annual affair, and staff at the farm handed out plenty of free samples of cheese and milk, while guests mingled with the various farm animals and shopped at the small attached store.

Reprinted with permission from the Chiliwack Progress, also owned by Carpenter Media Group.