Meet our Local Farmers
On the Farm
The dairy community in New York includes both large and small, family-run, dairy farms. It also boasts processing facilities of various types and sizes, including from major global processing companies to small artisanal dairy product makers.
Here are some stories about your neighbors right here in Western New York.
Neighbor Stories
Recent news on local farms, cows, milk and more
Edelweiss Farms
The Borer family is third-generation dairy farmers. They milk 3,200 cows across three different locations and ship the milk to Upstate Farms. With cow comfort their No. 1 priority, you can find the family of five working among their animals each and every day.
Lamb Farms
Kendra Lamb is a fifth-generation dairy farmer whose love for cows and farming started at an early age. She studied Animal Science at Cornell University and moved to Western New York after college to work for an animal health company. As fate would have it, she met her husband through that job, and they’re now married and raising two children (and 2,400 cows!) on their family dairy farm.
Broughton Farm Operations LLC
Kelly Hendrickson is a sixth-generation dairy farmer whose family farm has been in operation for more than a century. It started with just a few hundred cows but has since grown to 2,700 and about 50 employees. Hendrickson now lives on the farm with her husband and daughter “because farm life is the best life.”
Silver Meadows Farm
Ron Klein and his father started farming in 1953, and his son Stan came into the partnership and built a state-of-the-art parlor in the 1970s. Now in its fourth generation, the Klein family has stood the test of time by sticking together and always adapting to the changing times and technology.
Silver Meadows Farm
Ron Klein and his father started farming in 1953, and his son Stan came into the partnership and built a state-of-the-art parlor in the 1970s. Now in its fourth generation, the Klein family has stood the test of time by sticking together and always adapting to the changing times and technology.
Types of Dairy Cows
Ayrshire
A mostly white body is covered with deep mahogany (reddish brown) spots. An efficient grazer, she is noted for her vigor and efficiency of milk production.
Brown Swiss
Docile and friendly, she can be grey, brown, tan and almost white in color. Her milk boasts an ideal fat to protein ratio for cheese-making.
Guernsey
Softer faun brown and white markings cover her face and body. Her milk is golden in color and high in beta carotene, which is converted in Vitamin A.
Holstein
Distinct black and white markings, no two Holsteins are exactly alike. Her ability to convert feed into protein for human consumption is unique.
Jersey
Generally smaller than Holsteins and light to medium brown in color, her milk is generally higher in butterfat.
Milking Shorthorn
Thought to be the first cow breed in America, versatility is one of her greatest attributes.
Milking Shorthorn
Thought to be the first cow breed in America, versatility is one of her greatest attributes.