Our cows are the center point of this farm. We work for them, and they work for us. Our cows graze on our pastures for half the year. The other half the year, they eat hay that we make ourselves or purchase from neighboring farms. In addition to the dairy herd, we raise beef cows and pigs.
We started with a herd of pure Brown Swiss and Jersey cows, but have done quite a bit of cross-breeding in the last 20 years. We now have Milking Devon, Normande, New Zealand Friesian and Kiwi Cross genetics in our herd. Our breeding plan prioritizes holistic health of the cows (e.g. good, strong hooves) and good components (fat and protein) in the milk. Depending on the time of year, we milk between 20 and 30 cows. Every one of our cows has a name, a unique personality, and a special niche in the farm community. Our calves love visitors, so please pay them a visit when you come to the farm. There are typically a few calves to visit in the main barn (ramp just before the large silo) and in the pole barn, past the silo. For 20 years, we milked twice a day, but due to continual staffing shortages, we switched to once a day milking in 2024. We now milk only in the morning.
The beef cows are also a mixed breed herd, with Hereford, Devon, Belted Galloway, and Angus genetics. They are excellent grazers, and are very hardy. Our beef cattle live outside all year, coming inside only when there are freezing rain storms. In the summer they are rotationally grazed through pastures, and in the winter they live on our hay fields eating the forage we put up for them in the summer.
Our pigs are a mix of heritage breeds. We have three breeding sows: a mix of Tamworth and Hampshire. Our pigs eat mostly whey, which we have plenty of as a by-product of our cheese making. We supplement the whey with vegetable scraps and spent grain from local breweries. Our pigs live on pasture where they are rotated throughout the warm months. In this setting, they can root around, eat bugs and grass, and enjoy the sunshine.
All of our beef cows and pigs are slaughtered and butchered at Eagle Bridge Custom Meat & Smokehouse, in Eagle Bridge, NY. We choose to take our animals to Eagle Bridge because they place paramount importance on animal care and high quality meat. They are Animal Welfare Approved and slaughter in the most humane manner possible. They take good care of our animals up until the last moments of their life, and treat the meat with respect as they cut and package it. We are pleased to partner with them!
MEET OUR DAIRY HERD:
PIPPA – #1316
Birthdate: 12/2/2013
Dam: PJ2 & Sire: Campbell
Fat: 4.1%
Protein: 3.2%
BUTTERCUP – #1400
Birthdate: 5/1/2014
Fat: 5.2%
Protein: 4.0%
RIHANNA – #1501
Birthdate: 2/3/2015
Dam: Ruby & Sire: Hawthorne
Fat: 4.7%
Protein: 3.1%
RUTH – #1606
Birthdate: 4/17/2016
Dam: Ruby & Sire: Topaz
Fat: 4.1%
Protein:
Dam: Ava & Sire: Teddy
Dam: Springer & Sire: Peter
PAPAYA- #1809
Birthdate: 5/21/2018
Dam: Patsy & Sire: Pierre
Fat: 4.8%
Protein: 3.4%
KALLA- #1814
Birthdate: 2018
Fat: 4.4%
Protein: 2.8%
PRIMROSE- #1902
Birthdate: 2019
Fat: 5.4%
Protein: 3.2%
RUMBO – #2102
Birthdate: 2021
Fat: 4.1%
Protein: 3.4%
POLARIS- #2107
Birthdate: 2021
Fat: 5.2%
Protein: 3.8%
CSEOPEA- #2110
Birthdate: 2021
Fat: 5.7%
Protein: 3.5%
KALE- #2203
Birthdate: 2022
Fat: 5.3%
Protein: 3.8%
WAFFLE- #2205
Birthdate: 2022
Fat: 4.8%
Protein: 3.7%
PIKA- #2210
Birthdate: 2022
Fat: 5.5%
Protein: 3.4%
PLATYPUS- #2212
Birthdate: 2022
Fat: 6.5%
Protein: 3.9%
PYLIA- #2314
BIRTHDAY: 4/11/2020
Our cows are the center point of this farm. We work for them, and they work for us. Our cows graze on our pastures for half the year. The other half the year, they eat hay that we make ourselves or purchase from neighboring farms. In addition to the dairy herd, we raise beef cows and pigs.
We started with a herd of pure Brown Swiss and Jersey cows, but have done quite a bit of cross-breeding in the last 20 years. We now have Milking Devon, Normande, New Zealand Friesian and Kiwi Cross genetics in our herd. Our breeding plan prioritizes holistic health of the cows (e.g. good, strong hooves) and good components (fat and protein) in the milk. Depending on the time of year, we milk between 20 and 30 cows. Every one of our cows has a name, a unique personality, and a special niche in the farm community. Our calves love visitors, so please pay them a visit when you come to the farm. There are typically a few calves to visit in the main barn (ramp just before the large silo) and in the pole barn, past the silo. For 20 years, we milked twice a day, but due to continual staffing shortages, we switched to once a day milking in 2024. We now milk only in the morning.
The beef cows are also a mixed breed herd, with Hereford, Devon, Belted Galloway, and Angus genetics. They are excellent grazers, and are very hardy. Our beef cattle live outside all year, coming inside only when there are freezing rain storms. In the summer they are rotationally grazed through pastures, and in the winter they live on our hay fields eating the forage we put up for them in the summer.
Our pigs are a mix of heritage breeds. We have three breeding sows: a mix of Tamworth and Hampshire. Our pigs eat mostly whey, which we have plenty of as a by-product of our cheese making. We supplement the whey with vegetable scraps and spent grain from local breweries. Our pigs live on pasture where they are rotated throughout the warm months. In this setting, they can root around, eat bugs and grass, and enjoy the sunshine.
All of our beef cows and pigs are slaughtered and butchered at Eagle Bridge Custom Meat & Smokehouse, in Eagle Bridge, NY. We choose to take our animals to Eagle Bridge because they place paramount importance on animal care and high quality meat. They are Animal Welfare Approved and slaughter in the most humane manner possible. They take good care of our animals up until the last moments of their life, and treat the meat with respect as they cut and package it. We are pleased to partner with them!
MEET OUR DAIRY HERD:
PIPPA – #1316
Birthdate: 12/2/2013
Dam: PJ2 & Sire: Campbell
Fat: 4.1%
Protein: 3.2%
BUTTERCUP – #1400
Birthdate: 5/1/2014
Fat: 5.2%
Protein: 4.0%
RiHANNA – #1501
Birthdate: 2/3/2015
Dam: Ruby & Sire: Hawthorne
Fat: 4.7%
Protein: 3.1%
RUTH – #1606
Birthdate: 4/17/2016
Dam: Ruby & Sire: Topaz
Fat: 4.1%
Protein:
Dam: Ava & Sire: Teddy
Dam: Springer & Sire: Peter
PAPAYA- #1809
Birthdate: 5/21/2018
Dam: Patsy & Sire: Pierre
Fat: 4.8%
Protein: 3.4%
RUMBO – #2102
Birthdate: 2021
Fat: 4.1%
Protein: 3.4%
POLARIS- #2107
Birthdate: 2021
Fat: 5.2%
Protein: 3.8%
KALE- #2203
Birthdate: 2022
Fat: 5.3%
Protein: 3.8%
BIRTHDAY: 4/11/2020