Our Story
Over the course of several growing seasons, we realized that our farm, with its sloping fields and clay soil, was not ideal for vegetables. We knew we wanted to keep farming, but we felt we needed to find a different way of farming in order to make a living for our family, which now included our son, Hugh. We started to think about diversification and value-added opportunities, and since Bruce grew up on a dairy farm, cows seemed a natural fit.
After years of planning, building, and seeding, we bought our first 4 Jersey cows in 2006. Initially, we processed all of our milk into yogurt. Our yogurt was a success in our local market, so we soon tripled our milking herd to 12 cows. For the next 14 years, we milked our small herd of grass-fed cows and produced yogurt, bottled milk milk, fresh cheese curds, and several different varieties of fresh and aged cheeses.
Around 2015, we built a small bakery in our processing facility and we started making breads, granolas, and cookies to sell along with our dairy products. In 2020, we sold our cows in order to focus our attention on our bakery, grow some small grains and cut flowers, and have a little freedom from the schedule of milking cows twice a day and processing milk several times a week.
Our family has farmed together for over 20 years now. It’s been an adventure and an experiment, and every year brings new successes and challenges to our small farm. We keep at it and we keep adjusting and adapting because we truly enjoy our way of life, and we enjoy serving local customers who believe in the importance and beauty of small farms.
