The Farm Today

The Davenports milk 65 Registered Holsteins and Ayrshires and have about 70 youngstock. Jim and Karen own the majority of the animals, though Kristen and Laura each have their own herd of around 20 animals each. Jim's brothers Bill and Scott have their own animals in the herd. Milking occurs twice a day, at 3:30 a.m., and 3:30 p.m. Jim does most of the early mornings and other farm help does the afternoon milkings. The milk is picked up every other day by a milk truck owned by Agri-Mark. Agri-Mark is a farmer owned Co-op that owns both Cabot and McCadam Cheese. To learn more about Agri-Mark, please feel free to visit its website. 

While still being members of Agrimark, Tollgate Holsteins has found an additional avenue for getting a more substantial "living wage" by being a member of and selling its high quality milk through Hudson Valley Fresh. HVF is a group of mainly Agrimark members whose milk qualifies for AMI mid- to high-range quality premium criteria. Having a much higher quality standard than the federal order allows Hudson Valley Fresh dairy products a better taste and a longer shelf-life. Consumers, it seems, are willing to pay a little extra for the best. Just as with Cabot & McAdam cheese, all profits go straight back to the farmer-owners. Please see more at the HVF website.

Dairy products are great food for people, but the cows require something a little different in order to be at their best. They are fed a mixed ration of grass silage, corn silage, and other minerals that has been decided for them specifically by a dairy nutritionist, who visits the farm on a monthly basis. The cows are also fed hay before the afternoon milkings in order to increase their fiber intake. All of the hay, haylage and corn silage used by the cows is grown and harvested on the farm. Stored manure from the herd is carefully applied to all the acres on the farm, based on soil tests and the needs of the crop being grown. So far, all of the Phosphorus and Potassium needs are met by the herd's "organic" fetilizer output. The milking cows average over 10 gallons of milk per cow, per day on a diet of over 70% forage.