Eating with the cows?

Just a little note in the NHK  documentary about life on a farm in Poland.  First, the father spread straw on the dinner table, then they put a tablecloth over it and had a family meal. There was some sort of exchange of greetings or blessings. Translated from Polish through Japanese, I think they were saying they were blessed and prayed for each member of the family. Then later he gathered the straw from the table top and went out and fed it to the cows, by hand, so that he could try to give a little to each of them.

Interesting symbolism in having the family and the cows eat together.