The breed’s high protein and butterfat content is also a major contributor to the farm’s economic success and the cooperative it belongs to, Hudson Valley Fresh, which has seen milk consumption rise dramatically wherever its products are sold.
“It’s a local cooperative with high-quality milk,” Isaac Coon said.
Coon Brothers will be one of the stops of the upcoming National Guernsey Convention slated for June 26-July 1 in Saratoga Springs. The event includes competitions, social activities and a cattle auction on Saturday, July 1 at Saratoga County Fairgrounds in Ballston Spa.
Hudson Valley Fresh, based in Poughkeepsie, was co-founded by its president Dr. Sam Simon, an orthopedic surgeon who grew up on a farm and went back into agriculture after retiring from his medical career. The cooperative is comprised of about a dozen members whose mission is to save family farms and keep farming alive in the lower Hudson Valley.
Products are sold at many places including the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park and in three local colleges in the Hudson Valley.
But the co-op’s most important market is metropolitan New York, ranging from restaurants at all three major airports to trendy Manhattan coffee shops.
“Coffee shops love our milk,” Isaac Coon said. “It makes better lattes because of the higher fat content.”
Coon Brothers has about 100 Guernseys, almost one-third of its 340 head of milking cows.
“They’re a lot friendlier and easier to work around,” Coon said. “Plus, they’re nice to look at.”
The Coonses have shown their animals at the Dutchess County Fair, New York state’s second largest county fair, and the Eastern States Exposition near Springfield, Massachusetts.
The rest of the herd is Holsteins.
Other breeds such as Jersey and Brown Swiss are found at other farms that market through the cooperative.
All milk is sold to Agri-Mark. Hudson Valley Fresh buys back the milk it needs for processing at its bottling plant in Kingston, the former Boice Brothers Dairy. The rest stays with Agri-Mark. This way, there’s always a buyer for all the milk that Hudson Valley Fresh farms produce.
Farmers still make more money, even after buying back milk from Agri-Mark, said Peter Coon, Isaac Coon’s father.
“That’s because consumption has gone up 30 to 40 percent wherever our milk and dairy products are sold,” he said.
Hudson Valley Fresh milk is flash pasteurized at 164 degrees, versus ultra pasteurized, so it retains its original flavor. Also, artificial hormones are not used to stimulate milk production.
Simon launched Hudson Valley Fresh by holding tasting events throughout the New York City area and asking people to compare the difference between the cooperative’s milk and what they were used to drinking. He grew up in Middletown and now owns and runs the 150-acre Plankenhorn Dairy Farm in Pleasant Valley.
Coon Brothers was founded in 1953 by Dirck Coon, Isaac Coon’s grandfather, and his late brother, Garry.
Dirck’s sons, Peter and Dave, run the farm with Peter’s sons, Isaac and Amos.
The herd is primarily managed by Dave and Amos while Peter and Isaac oversee field work. Coon Brothers manages about 2,100 acres, most of which is rented. It owns 200 acres.
Isaac Coon said development pressure isn’t a problem near his farm, unlike other parts of the Hudson Valley.
“A lot of wealthy people from New York have purchased farms in this area,” he said. “They want somebody to use it, to preserve the rural character, and they can afford to pay for it.”
Most of the farm’s land is cropped for alfalfa hay to feed cattle, along with rye, corn and soybeans for grain. Ninety percent of the feed the cows eat is grown on the farm. Extra corn is harvested then sold to several local feed mills as well as a large chicken farm.
Soybeans are marketed as a commodity for overseas destinations.
Half the land is protected from development.
Coon Brothers ships almost 22,000 pounds of milk daily.
The farm has a history of conservation stewardship.
It was named Conservation Farm of the Year by the Dutchess County Soil and Water Conservation District in 1977 and 2001. Dirck Coon was a director on the conservation district board from 1979 to 1983.
In 1985, Coon Brothers enrolled in the USDA’s Long Term Agreement, enabling them to identify all highly erodible land and put a conservation farming plan in place. Over the years, they have made consistent strides in farming innovation.
In the 1980s they began the practice of total mixed rations, blending, by machine, a combination of nutritionally balanced forage and grains. This improves milk production, the cows’ health and their reproductive performance.
The latest technology is a computer system that helps keep track of the cows. Each cow wears a neck chain with a computer transponder attached. The device identifies the cow as she enters the milking parlor then records the amount of milk she produces for the day and also records how active she has been, similar to a pedometer. These tools track data that helps the Coonses provide better care for their animals.
Isaac Coon said he’s looking forward to the National Guernsey Convention because of the networking opportunities it affords.
“You get to meet with other people and see what they’re doing to,” he said.
Paul Post is a freelance writer in eastern New York. He can be reached at paulpost@nycap.rr.com.
Source: Lancaster Farming
Link: http://www.lancasterfarming.com/farming/dairy/demand-for-guernsey-milk-key-to-ny-farm-s-success/article_4c3be458-8188-5fd3-9318-d0a2e6d4764a.html
