Our Family Farms: Dairy Done Right!
by Matt Mahoney (Images courtesy of Erin Long Photography)
We all know local is better, especially when it comes to dairy! Not only is it fresher and more sustainable thanks to fewer miles of travel from farm to store, it is also made with its community’s interests at heart. Farmers who distribute locally engage with their customers more directly as well as partner with other local businesses, building mutually beneficial connections that keep our dollars local and provide us with food security we can depend on in positive and difficult times alike. Dairy farms, in particular, are fundamental to maintaining the strength of such a system. It is up to us to recognize that the health of this rural economy depends on not just the survival of our dairy farms but their success as well.
Small dairy farmers must face this reality at every step: maintaining functioning equipment, keeping the animals healthy, ensuring the farm is sustainable and operating efficiently. We want the hard work they do each and every day to be rewarded here at the co-op, and so we thank them for all they do by increasing our local purchases each and every year. It is important we recognize that it is up to us—and us alone—to use our purchasing power to elevate local farms, grow the rural economy, and be the inspiration for the change we want to see: farmers with the financial solvency and quality of life they deserve. In return, we get to enjoy high-quality dairy from happy, healthy animals that are loved and have their every need tended to with utmost care. Our Family Farms Co-op is one such farm that completes this circle with purpose, and gives us confidence that the future of our local dairy farms is in the right hands.
For Our Family Farms co-owner Angie and her family, the joy of farming shines brightly through the hard and rewarding work they do. No detail is too minor when it comes to providing for a herd of 400 happy and healthy cows! Their dedication is on point, and it shows in the exceptional quality of their milks, creams, and half-and-half. From milking, calving, cleaning, and managing the robotics to everything in between, the days are chock-full of twists, turns, and excitement (plus a whole lot of moos 
). The time, energy, and resources they invest into their scenic Leyden farm and state-of-the-art creamery make clear to us how committed Our Family Farms is to building a bright future for dairy farming here in Massachusetts!
Check out the video below to see some highlights from our recent visit to Our Family Farms Dairy Co-op and to learn even more!
Can you share some history about Bree-Z-Knoll Farm?
ANGIE: Sure! Bree-Z-Knoll farm produces milk exclusively under Our Family Farms Co-op. It was started by my father and mother-in-law in 1968. They purchased a couple of cows for their daughter to show, and it evolved from there. When I met Randy, they were milking about 65 cows. In 2004, we purchased my parents' milking herd and expanded here in Lyden to milking about 150.
I started breeding to only A-2 bulls about 10 years ago. Today, our herd is likely around 90% to 95% A-2. A-2 is a particular protein in the milk—it's either A-1 or A-2, and people can digest A-2 better. One of the guys who work for us was actually unable to have milk, but once we started processing A-2 he was able to drink it just fine. A lot of Jersey herds tout that they're A-2, but Holsteins and Brown Swiss can be too!
What inspired you to merge Bree-Z-Knoll Farm into Our Family Farms Co-op?
ANGIE: The co-op was organized in 1997 by a group of eight farmers, including my in-laws, who decided they needed to earn more for their efforts. They started by sending all their milk on a single route to a small bottling plant in Southwick, MA, with the Our Family Farms label. We've been in stores for 27 years and continuing on. Since then, we've brought production to our own farm and are producing all of the Our Family Farms milk.
How did reorganizing change the business?
ANGIE: It changed a lot! The plant that was in Southwick, MA, closed down and we couldn't segregate our milk anymore, so we were working with a couple of other co-packers that were still supporting our dairy farms—but it wasn't necessary our milk. So, we completely changed our model when we went to the on-farm creamery. Now, it's all source-specific and comes from the cows right here. We're a closed herd, so we're not bringing animals in or taking them out and coming back. That means we aren't exposed to things like the highly pathogenic avian flu that's become an issue in the Midwest. It's given us another full-time job running the creamery!
What dairy products do you make here at the creamery?
ANGIE: We produce whole, 2%, 1%, and skim both in gallons and half-gallons. We are able to do some whole and 1% quarts. We make strawberry milk, chocolate milk, eggnog, half-and-half and heavy cream. The next product to roll out in summer 2024 is coffee milk! We're excited about that. We've also done hard ice cream base for Town Line Creamery in Bernardston, MA, and are currently working on a soft-serve mix for them as well.
Because our milk comes just from our cows, we have a really high-quality, clean, raw product. When it gets put over to the creamery, it all goes through brand-new, state-of-the-art equipment. So, we're able to put 25 days code on our milk from the day it's processed. A lot of other plants can only do 18 days, so we're really proud of that fact. The stores we deliver to order twice a week, so we're constantly turning over new product.
Can you tell us about the bottling process and how that works?
ANGIE: There was no instruction manual when we started the plant, so the team had to figure out how to work all the machines. We've developed SOPs so that everybody knows exactly how to change the labels, exactly how the label goes through the filler, etc. Everybody has a specific job so that we can make sure the label is on properly, the date code is stamped properly, the cover is sealed, and that it's packed into a crate and wheeled into the cooler as fast as possible to keep the cold chain and maintain our 25-day shelf life.
What are some examples of sustainable practices you use here on the farm?
ANGIE: We grow probably about 95% of our feed for the cows. We do purchase some grain to supplement for milk production. We use rechargeable manure vacuum robots and feed pusher robots. We use manure from the cows on our fields as fertilizer so that we don't have to purchase commercial fertilizer. We planted triticale as a cover crop last fall to grow during the spring. We chopped it off for first cut this year, and that made a great forage for our cows. It's also great for keeping the soil intact all winter long and in the spring. Then, once we've chopped the triticale we no-till plant the corn as well.
Can you tell me about your new robotics system and how that works?
ANGIE: The robots recognize each cow when they come in [to be milked] because of the transponder on their neck. This gives us all the data that we need—like what she made for milk that day, what she had for activity, if she might be in heat or not, whether she's producing enough milk or if there an issue we need to check out. It gives us rumination so we can tell if she's eating well or not. It's a lot of data, and it's all very, very useful to managing the herd. We have two separate milking robots on each side of the barn so that we can drive down and feed without driving through any manure—that's really important!
What's a typical day in the life like for the cows?
ANGIE: The cows have a pretty easy day [laughs]. With the robots, they can get milked whenever they want, they can eat whenever they want, they can drink whenever they want, and they can lay down whenever they want! Back when we were milking in the parlor, we would have to push them as a herd to parlor. So, sometimes they would have to stand in the holding area for an hour or two waiting their turn while we were milking other cows. Now, we don't have to push them, so they're in the barn all the time and can do as much of what they want, whenever they want. We do have dry cows and springing heffers out on pasture, too.
Why is it more important than ever for our local communities to support local dairy farms?
ANGIE: Dairy farms are economic powerhouses. We do everything locally! We get parts from the local guy in Greenfield, we buy fuel locally; our veterinarian is local, our breeder is local. We're not buying grain on Amazon! Every person we do business with is local. When you support us, you're supporting them. Also, we keep open space—this prevents the land from being turned into developments. That can make it harder for the next generation to want to continue. We have kids and hope one day they will want to take over the farm.
How have your relationships with area businesses like River Valley helped the farm?
ANGIE: River Valley Co-op has been a great supporter right from the start. I have a great relationship with Rochelle [your general manager]. We have been in your Northampton store from the get-go, and she brought us into your Easthampton store as soon as it first opened. River Valley makes up a good percentage of our business, so it's nice to be able to work with another co-op that cares about how we farm and how we do things, and wants us to succeed as well.
What do you have planned for the future?
ANGIE: We do hope that the kids will take over the farm in the future. Our oldest is only 14, so he's got a few years to figure it out. We have a really great team right now. All of our employees are dedicated, caring, and just want to work with us to get the job done—and that shows in our product.
We love local dairy! Show your support for Our Family Farms today by purchasing their milks, half-and-half and heavy cream from the co-op!