In this image taken from video, sheep form the shape of a heart in a field in Guyra, northern New South Wales, Australia, Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021. Ben Jackson, a sheep farmer stuck in lockdown, was unable to attend his aunt's funeral, has honored her memory with the ultimate tribute, sheep organized in the shape of a love heart. (Ben Jackson via AP)
An Australian farmer couldn’t go to his aunt’s funeral because of pandemic restrictions so he paid his respects with a novel alternative: dozens of sheep arranged in the shape of a love heart.
Drone-shot video of pregnant ewes munching barley in a paddock while unwittingly expressing Ben Jackson’s affection for his beloved Auntie Deb was viewed by mourners at her funeral in the city of Brisbane in Queensland state this week.
Jackson was locked down at the time across a state border at his farm in Guyra in New South Wales state, 430 kilometers (270 miles) away.
“It took me a few goes to get it right ... and the final result is what you see. That was as close to a heart as I could get it,” Jackson said on Thursday.
Jackson started experimenting with making shapes with sheep to relieve the monotonous stress of hand-feeding livestock during a devastating drought across most of Australia that broke in the early months of the pandemic.
He discovered that if he spelled the names of his favorite musical bands with grain dropped from the back of a truck that the flock would roughly adopt the same shape for several minutes.
“It certainly lifted my spirits back in the drought,” Jackson said.
“This heart that I’ve done for my auntie, it certainly seems like it’s had a bit of an effect across Australia,” he added, referring to emotional social media responses.
“Maybe we all just need to give ourselves a big virtual hug,” he said.
Jackson said he was lucky to have any grain left on his property after a mouse plague this year that followed the drought.
He continues to supplement the pregnant ewes’ diet with grain to improve their condition before they give birth.
A Ukraine city falls, if you have an Iconic Fitbit, you'll want to hear this, and leave Girl Scouts alone! Here is all the news you Need2Know for Thursday, March 3, 2022.
In the past few years, Betthany Frankel has made a major name for herself as a philanthropist after founding the
BStrong initiative, which has provided relief to people impacted by natural disasters as well as the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, BStrong is shifting its focus to Ukraine, raising millions of dollars in donations for those impacted by Russia's invasion. Bethenny Frankel, the founder of BStrong, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Ari Redbord, Head of Legal and Government Affairs at TRM Labs, discusses how Binance, Coinbase and Kraken's decision to not unilaterally ban all Russian users from their platforms could put a dent in the West's plan to economically punish Russia.
One of Europe's leading micromobility providers, TIER mobility, is expanding into North America after acquiring the micromobility operator, Spin. Ford Motor Company previously owned Spin but is now selling the company to TIER Mobility, which says the deal will make it the largest multimodal micromobility operator in the world in terms of the number of cities it operates in and the number of vehicles in its fleet. Lawrence Leuschner, CEO of TIER Mobility, and Ben Bear, CEO of Spin, join Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
World Central Kitchen is Ukraine helping to feed people remaining in the country or fleeing from the Russian forces. Nate Mook, CEO for the non-profit, joined Cheddar New to discuss the efforts being made to help those in need in a very tenuous situation and how the invasion disrupted the lives of Ukrainian people."We met a young woman from Kyiv who had crossed into Poland, she had a great job, she just moved into a new apartment. She was really excited about decorating her apartment. You know, things that we all do on a day-to-day basis, and she had to just abandon her life," he said.
Digital consulting company Publicis Sapient has its sights set on the Metaverse. The subsidiary of the French advertising giant Publicis Group is announcing a new partnership with NFT auction house Portion in an effor to help brands deliver experiences in the metaverse, including the sales of products. Publicis Sapient CEO Nigel Vaz joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "In the context of our collaboration with Portion, the first experience that we created was with Decentraland, which is a virtual world," he said. "And car manufacturers in this metaverse, in terms of their buyers, can interact with a virtual person, (and) they can view quality NFTs. They can examine a virtual vehicle, be inside the car, rev an engine, open doors, all without leaving their homes."
National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is a campaign to educate the public about the harsh realities of eating disorders, but also to provide support and visibility to individuals and families affected by an eating disorder. Sarah Adler, clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Vittorio Assaf, co-founder of Serafina, joins Cheddar News to discuss two new concepts from Serafina Restaurants in NYC: Cafe Serafina and Serafina To-Go. Assaf also talks about the company's new cookbook.
Maude Okrah, co-founder of Black Beauty Roster, joins Cheddar News to discuss how her company is working with WarnerMedia to provide diverse makeup and hair stylists for actors of color on set.
