Falling in Love with Farming It was 20 years ago this past summer when Melissa Breene Jordan fell in love with dairy farming. She was 14, and her father, Kevin Breene, told his daughter she’d be working full-time with him at Breene Hollow Farm. Her other siblings had other interests, but she spent 24 …
Talking Cows Jim Hilton talks to cows. Actually, he says, they do most of the talking. The Norridgewock, Maine dairy farmer explains that transponders on each of his cows continuously send information to his computer for analysis. Thanks to this technology, Jim and his family and farm crew can track a cow’s temperature, overall health and …
Part of the Local Landscape Gary LeClair will tell you that dairy farmers should appreciate that their operations are part of the local landscape. Sure, dairy farmers rarely have time to think about such things – they’re a busy bunch, after all – but Gary recalls one fellow stopping him one day to ask …
A Farm Philosopher Works with Mother Nature The famous Will Rogers may have been a cowboy philosopher, but Massachusetts dairy farmer Will Rogers of Rogers Farm isn’t without his own deep thoughts. Asked about his guiding principal in running his dairy farm, Rogers says simply, “Let Mother Nature do her own work.” Simple advice, but these words of …
Always a Challenge Karie Atherton recalls the memorable summer she worked on a Wisconsin dairy farm. The 20-year-old had answered a want ad, was interviewed over the phone, and soon found herself at Blue Star Dairy in Middleton, working alongside two brothers and their three sons, along with lots of other hired hands. Each noon, the work stopped and …
Pulling Together Dairy farmer Erica Hermonot’s family can look back at 100 years on the same plot of land and recognize that Fairholm Farm’s continued success is due to the power of pulling together. Erica, her husband, Jon, and her parents, Todd and Diane Morin have been farming for four generations in Woodstock. This year they have something …