The Farmer's Cow

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Past Happenings
Events and Recognition

News Library

A Story of Success in the Hard Pressed Business of Dairy Farming
View an online video of the Chesmers and a success story in dairy farming
by The Farmer's Cow.

State Officials and Students Visit Hartford Farmers’ Market
Students from Hartford’s Burns Elementary School and government officials visited a local farmer’s market to learn about farming and healthful foods and to enjoy a delicious Connecticut Grown lunch.
Connecticut Weekly Agricultural Report - September 19, 2007

Fairs Remind Us How Important Local Farms Are
When the Woodstock Fair opens its gates Friday, there will be a new feature farm organizers hope will entice visitors. For the first time in New England, there will be a birthing center where seven Holsteins may go into labor.
The Norwich Bulletin - August 30, 2007

Fairgoers to this year’s annual Woodstock Fair have the chance to see a cow calve in the Barnyard Babies Birthing Center, a tented area designed to educate visitors about calving and the everyday experiences of today's farmers.
Visitors to the 147th annual Woodstock Fair, taking place on Labor Day weekend, from Friday, Aug. 31, through Monday, Sept. 3, may find that they're "Lookin' for Fun in All the Right Places.”
The Journal Inquirer - August 30, 2007

Woodstock Fair Debuts a Birthing Center
The Woodstock Fair is set to debut a brand new exhibit featuring expectant cows in the hopes that a baby calf will be born during the fair, which opens Friday, August 31st and runs until September 3rd.
Norwich Bulletin - August 25, 2007

First of Its Kind Connecticut Event
In a first of its kind event in Connecticut, visitors to the 147th annual Woodstock Fair will have the unique opportunity to see cows calving in the new “Barnyard Babies Birthing Center.”
Connecticut Weekly Agricultural Report - August 15, 2007

Local Milk Producer Opens Farm for Tour
A tour guide tells guests about the workings of Hytone Farm in Conventry
The Reminder Newspaper - July 27, 2007

Fair Could Be A Birthplace for Calves
For the 147th installment of the Woodstock Fair, officials are setting the stage for an exhibition of miracles - the miracle of life.
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
- July 25, 2007

Buy Local Milk to Help Support Dairy Farmers
Unless we want to see dairy farms turned into housing subdivisions, we must all take an interest in what's happending to our local dairy farmers.
The Norwich Bulletin - Our View Editorial, July 17, 2007

Tour a Dairy Farm. Cowabunga!
Connecticut’s Backyard Newsletter - June 2007

Connecticut Department of Agriculture Unveils New Campaign
With a display of Connecticut-grown plants and flowers as a backdrop at the regional produce market, here, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture kicked off a comprehensive, statewide advertising and public relations campaign to raise consumer awareness and support for state farmers and locally grown products.
The Produce News - May 25, 2007

The Last Green Valley
Honors Local Groups
At its annual meeting on May 11, Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor, Inc., the nonprofit management entity for the Congressionally-designated National Heritage Corridor popularly known as The Last Green Valley, celebrated those who work to keep the valley green.
The Last Green Valley QSHC, Inc. - May 15, 2007

Dairy Support Land is Vital Part of Farmland Preservation
Farms in Connecticut produce a rich range of products – everything from apples, broccoli, and cut flowers to eggs, Christmas trees, and turkeys.
CT Farmland Trust - Spring Newsletter

Dairy Collective Builds A Brand
For Robin Chesmer of Lebanon, the demands of owning and operating a Connecticut business include the conventional, such as managing production, distribution, marketing and advertising, as well as the unconventional - that is, ensuring that his cows have time enough to "socialize."
The Hartford Courant - April 13, 2007

Treasuring The Legacy Of The Farmland
Let's start with an easy riddle. What's the one thing that today's Connecticut resident has in common with the region's very first people and all those who will ever be here in the future?
The Hartford Courant - April 8, 2007

Simmons Wins Committee OK for State Business Spot
Former Congressman Rob Simmons Tuesday moved a step closer to assuming the office of state business advocate.
The Norwich Bulletin – March 21, 2007

Vo Ag Students Get A Taste of the Real World
Local vocational agriculture students used a school project and turned it into a real world experience. Most of the time, people think that farming is the main and only staple of the vocational agricultural program.
The Middletown Press – March 10, 2007

CT Farms Prepare for Spring
The poet Robert Frost knew firsthand that a farmer’s work was constant, even in winter. And in Connecticut this season, farm establishments will work tirelessly to prune, plant, maintain and prepare for the seasons ahead.
ctvisit.com - December 30, 2006

Economic Squeeze Threatens Historic Working Farm
The landmark, centuries-old Tiffany Farms could cease operations, the result of historically low wholesale milk prices and increasing farming costs.
New London Day - December 17, 2006

Farmers Get More Milk Money From Premium Product
It's tough to be a dairy farmer right now. Business costs are soaring and wholesale milk prices are low.
Associated Press - November 12, 2006

At Thanksgiving, Load Your Plate With Connecticut-Grown Products
From relishes to wine, turkeys to seasonal pies, Connecticut’s farms enrich
your holiday planning.
Associated Press – November 12, 2006

Thousands Found These Routes Are Made for Walkin’
Nearly 5,000 people hiked, strolled and ambled through The Last Green Valley during the region’s 16th annual Walking WeekendS.
Last Green Valley – October 18, 2006

Franklin Trail Helps Preserve Nature
A local dairy farm, a nature preservation group and the country's largest big-box retailer marked a collaborative effort Saturday to preserve open space.
Norwich Bulletin – October 8, 2006

Fields Of Learning: Eating Local And Organic Foods
Is - Literally - A Growing Movement On Campus
Four years ago, this was an abandoned lot of hemlock trees and poison ivy. Now tomato vines climb to the sky...
The Hartford Courant – October 5, 2006

Fall Means Corn Mazes for Many New England Farms
For many, fall in New England means the crunch of turning autumn leaves and the sight of bright orange pumpkins along the side of backroads.
boston.com – September 27, 2006

In Sharon, Trust’s Fund Raiser Features State Farms' Bounty
The annual benefit for the Connecticut Farmland Trust is an event where the well-heeled meet the steel-toed to talk agriculture and cuisine.
The Litchfield County Times - September 14, 2006

The Farmer's Cow Finds Its Way To The Supermarket
Robin Chesmer of Graywall Farms in Lebanon stands beside the sign advertising The Farmer's Cow – a Connecticut-produced milk that has been in stores for roughly one year.
The Newtown Bee – September 10, 2006

Home Grown: Dairy farmers Get TogetherTo Sell Milk Locally
Over the years, Graywall Farms owner Robin Chesmer never knew what to tell visitors who asked where they could buy the farm’s milk, since it went to various destinations and was sold under different brand names after being processed.
The New Haven Register – September 10, 2006

The Celebration of Connecticut Farms
Paul Newman, Connecticut Public radio host Faith Middleton and Jacques Pépin will serve as honorary hosts for the event. Approximately 700 guests will attend this invitation-only event.
www.wtnh.com - September 3, 2006

How You Gonna’ Keep Them Down on the Farm?
Although 91 percent of us believe that farmland should be saved, Connecticut is still losing more of its farmland than any other state in the nation.
The Reminder Community News – September 1, 2006

Festival Draws Crowd to Mansion
The annual Open Air Market and Festival at the Wadsworth. Mansion had a little bit of everything Sunday - except sunshine.
The Middletown Press – August 28, 2006

Destination For Foodies (And Wonks)
Sometimes you have to leave a place to appreciate it.
The Hartford Courant - August 20, 2006

The Sweet Smell of Home-Grown Success
When visitors used to ask Robin Chesmer what happened to the milk from his cows at Graywall Farms in Lebanon, he would tell them he didn’t know.
The New York Times - August 13, 2006

New Product Review
The Farmer’s Cow is an innovative, premium milk brand produced and marketed by Connecticut family-owned dairy farms.
Dairy.com – August 1, 2006

DeStefano Plans Dairy Farmer Aid
Democratic gubernatorial candidate unveils plan to aid Connecticut dairy farmers
The Norwich Bulletin - July 13, 2006

DeStefano Vows Aid For Farms
New Haven Mayor John DeStefano, running in the Democratic primary as a candidate for governor, listened to concerns of farmers at Graywall Farms in Lebanon.
The Willimantic Chronicle - July 13, 2006

Energy Prices, Bad Weather Squeeze Farmers
Local farmers say 2006 is turning out to be a year to test their resolve.
The Norwich Bulletin - June 23, 2006

Connecticut Celebrates “June Is Dairy Month”
What Is Your First Thought When You Hear The Word Dairy?
Connecticut Weekly Agricultural Report - June 21, 2006

Drowning In Bad Luck
Dairy farmers struggle to stay afloat as heavy rains bury profits
The Hartford Courant - June 13, 2006

How To Support Your Local Farmer
Saving farms will need just a little more optimism and some good old-fashioned
Yankee ingenuity
The New York Times - June 9, 2006

State Linking Agriculture Tourism Efforts
Connecticut’s farmers hope to cultivate a bumper crop of tourists by joining forces
with state officials.
Associated Press - April 11, 2006

Energy Costs Fuel Farmers’ Concerns
Local farmers voice their concerns over high energy costs and fuel prices with
U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman at Graywall Farms.
The Willimantic Chronicle - May 13, 2006

Lieberman Listens to Farmers’ Energy Woe
Most industries are dealing with the higher costs of energy by raising prices
on their products and passing the costs along to consumers.
The Norwich Bulletin - May 13, 2006

Local Dairy Farmers Optimistic About First Four Months of Cooperative Venture
With the help of a $50,000 federal matching grant, a group of local dairy
farmers take over distribution of their own milk, under their own label.
The Norwich Reminder - March 17, 2006

A Truly "Local" Milk
Connecticut dairy farmers running their own business, from production to
marketing to delivery.
The Regional Standard - November 2005

Milking A Business Opportunity
Early support from Guida’s Milk, a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, three years of aggressively building a partnership and learning to be marketers - a little group of CT farmers is on the cusp of something huge.
The Hartford Courant - November 14, 2005

Local Milk Graces Store Shelves
In the last month the fruits of years of labor of a group of local Connecticut dairy farmers sits on the shelves in Stop ‘n Shop supermarkets.
Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger - November 10, 2005

Eastern Connecticut Farmers Team Up, Produce Their Own Brand
About 85 percent of those interviewed said they would be more inclined to buy a product if they knew it was produced locally.
The (Waterbury) Republican-American - November 6, 2005

Local Farmers Unite for ‘Fresh Squeezed’ Milk
With The Farmer’s Cow milk available in 90 stores across Connecticut, Ned Ellis and five other family owned farms are out to proved that the the dairy industry can
survive in Connecticut.
Rivereast New Bulletin - October 28, 2005

Local Farmers Doing Well In Deal With Stop & Shop Squeezed’ Milk
The Farmer’s Cow farmers are banking that Connecticut consumers would rather buy milk that is produced solely from Connecticut milk.
New London Day - October 14, 2005 .

The Farmer’s Cow Fresh Connecticut Milk
Lebanon, CT – A band of innovative CT dairy farmers is poised to reintroduce
locally produced milk.
Putnam Traveler - October 2005

Milk Cooperative is Moo-ving Partnership
Lebanon, CT – With a milk market cluttered with Hood, Garelick Farms and supermarket-brand milk products, local consumers soon will have another choice – one in which the calcium-rich staple of any child’s diet comes from neighboring farms.
The Chronicle - September 26, 2005

Region's Dairymen Hope To Strengthen The Farms That Remain
Six Farmers To Market Milk With ‘Farmer's Cow' Label
Montville/Lisbon, CT – There has always been an element of gambling involved in farming. The growth of crops can be vulnerable to the vagaries of New England weather. Market fluctuations beyond the farmer's control can cut into profits without warning.
New London Day - June 20, 2005

Federal Grant to Promote State’s Dairy Industry
Lebanon, CT – The Farmers Cow, a group of six Connecticut family owned dairy farms, recently received a $50,000 value added development grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to develop a business and marketing plan for their milk and dairy related foods produced in the state.
Regional Standard - April 10, 2004

Dairy Farmers Unite to Market Milk
Lebanon, CT – Some enterprising dairy farms are counting on local appeal and federal support to make their milk products stand out on supermarket shelves.
Norwich Bulletin, Eastern Connecticut Today - April 6, 2004

Lieberman visit highlights dairy plight
Lebanon, CT – With the help of a $50,000 grant, the owners of six eastern Connecticut dairy farms are hoping to sell milk and other dairy products under their own label.
The Chronicle - Tuesday, April 6, 2004

^ Top of Page

Past Happenings, Events & Recognition

Opening Day at the Coventry Farmer’s Market
New Location at The Nathan Hale Homested
- June 1, 2008 from 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m

Proud Sponsor
The Farmer’s Cow is a proud sponsor of The Northeast Organic Farming Association’s Cultivating an Organic Connecticut conference at Windsor High School, Windsor, CT
- Saturday, March 8, 2008

Meet One of Our Farmers’ and Their Cow!
Hebron Maple Festival, Hebron, CT Wenzel Sugar House, 522 East Street
- March 8th and 9th.

Master’s Table Indoor Farm Market
At Nonnewaug High School, Woodbury, CT.
- Saturday, March 15th

Family Health and Fun Expo
At the Norwich Comfort Suites.
- March 30, 2008

Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns
Wesleyan University in Middletown
- April 4 – 6, 2008.

October 6th: 2pm Moos & More!
Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor Walking Weekend
Enjoy a walk at TFC Member Cushman Farms, in Franklin. Visit the cows at milking time, tour the barns & fields, take an optional walk through the woods and over the hill to visit the calves.

October 13th: 10am Cows, Fields & The Farmer's Cow
Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor Walking Weekend
Enjoy a walk at TFC Member Graywall Farms, in Lebanon. Tour the dairy barn, see the cows being milked, walk the fields & enjoy the views!

October 14th: 2pm Over the Hill and Through the Woods toFort Hill Farms We Go!
Quinebaug-Shetucket Heritage Corridor Walking Weekend
Stroll through the gardens and Maple Grove Lane Way at TFC Member Fort Hill Farms, in Thompson. View the hills of the tri-state area in fall & see where the crops are grown for The Farmer’s Cow milk.

2007 Fairfield County Heart Walk
- Sunday, October 28, 2007

The American Heart Association’s 2007 Rocky Neck Heart Walk
-Sunday, October 14, 2007

Tour des Farms
The Farmer’s Cow, a proud sponsor of The 2007 Tour des Farms
- September 29 and October 13, 2007

Heart Walk
See The Farmer’s Cow tent at the 2007 Greater Hartford Heart Walk
- September 30, 2007

Celebrating Agriculture
Woodstock Fairgrounds.
A day filled with agricultural displays, family events, food & entertainment! Free admission & parking. Enjoy a hayride and farm tour of TFC Member Fairvue Farms.
- September 22, 2007

Celebration of Connecticut Farms
The Farmer’s Cow is a proud Supporting Sponsor of the seventh annual “Celebration of Connecticut Farms” at Belltown Hill Orchards, South Glastonbury.
- September 9, 2007

Calving Barn at the Woodstock Fair
Woodstock Fairgrounds.
A unique opportunity to see the wonder of calving. Mother cows courtesy of TFC Member Fairvue Farms, located right next to the Woodstock's Fair Grounds.
- August 31 - September 3, 2007

Open Air Market and Festival
The Wadsworth Mansion at Long Hill Estates, Middletown, CT.
- August 26, 2007

Kiddy Day at the Corn Maze Adventure
Fort Hill Farms,Thompson, CT.
Enjoy the kid's Moo Maze sponsored by the Farmer's Cow. A fun way for youngsters to learn about agriculture.
- August 25, 2007

Visit us at “The Great Chili/Chowder Cook-Off Challenge
The Lebanon Fairgrounds, Mack Road (Off Routes 87 & 207) Lebanon, CT.
- August 25, 2007

Corn Maze at
Fort Hill Farms
2007 Moo Maze
The Moo Maze
August 18th - November 10th
Download PDF [406KB]

Opening Day for Corn Maze
Visit the Moo Maze on opening day on at Quintessential Gardens at Fort Hill Farms in Thompson, CT.
- August 18, 2007

Mapleleaf Farm Tour
Route 85, Hebron, CT.
Take a tour and see the calves at a TFC Member farm on beautiful Gilead Hill in Hebron.
- August 18, 2007

Plant Science Day
Lockwood Farm, Hamden
- August 1, 2007

Midsummer Festival: A Celebration of The Arts and Market “En Plein Air”
Sunday, July 28th 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, CT.

July 21st: 12 - 4pm Hytone Farm Tour
Route 44, Coventry, CT.
Learn where The Farmer’s Cow milk comes from & how it is produced.

Connecticut Open House Day at Graywall Farms
49 Chappell Road, Lebanon, CT.
Take a tour of an operating dairy farm that is a Member of The Farmer's Cow. View the milking facility and dairy barns.
- June 9, 2007

The Coventry’s Farmers’ Market
- June 24, 2007

Cure Tuberous Sclerosis Walkathon
- May 19, 2007

Voluntown Substance Abuse Prevention Council Health Fair
April 27, 2007

The Farmer's Cow On WPNR
Robin Chesmer with Faith Middleton
- April 4, 2007

Taste The Farmer’s Cow Milk
Lyman Orchard’s Winterfest and Food Expo Saturday
- March 3, 2007

Meet One of Our Farmers’and Their Cow!
Hebron Maple Festival, Hebron, CT Wenzel Sugar House, 522 East Street
- March 10th and 11th, 2007

Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut
Cultivating an Organic Connecticut conference
- March 10, 2007

Corn Mazes at Fort Hill Farms in Thompson, CT
- August to November 2006

Open Air Market and Festival at The Wadsworth Mansion at
Long Hill Estates, Middletown, CT
- August 27, 2006

Congressman Rob Simmons to Visit ShopRite in Norwich
- August 2006

Plant Science Day, Lockwood Farm, Hamden, CT
- August 2, 2006

Hytone Farms Open House
- July 2006