CABOT, Vt. — Molly Brook Farm, a seventh-generation farm in Cabot, has been named the 2022 Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year.
Myles and Rhonda Goodrich own and operate the 565-acre hillside farm, which has been in the same family since 1835. It has been a registered Jersey operation since 1917 and is renowned internationally for its superior Jersey genetics. Since 2018, it’s been a successful certified organic dairy with a high-producing herd that has earned a number of quality milk awards from Stonyfield Organic, where they ship their milk.
The farmers milk 70 cows on a twice-daily schedule in a step-up walk-through milking parlor. Their rolling herd average is 14,939 pounds with 5 percent butterfat and 3.8 percent protein.
The milking herd is housed in a light-filled 60-ft. x 160-ft. free-stall coverall barn and turned out to pasture between milking in the warmer months. Calves and cows drying off are housed in an 1835 barn, one of the original structures on the farm.
Cow comfort is a top priority with kiln-dried sawdust for bedding on top of pasture mats, cow brushes for self-grooming and fans for good ventilation. Spring-fed cow waterers are cleaned every few days.
Pasturing their animals has helped reduce their carbon footprint as they typically get four crops of hay each summer, which equates to 16 tractor trips over the 100+ acres used for pasture. They average 575 round bales and more than 600 tons of haylage during the cropping season, which they supplement with organic grain from Morrison’s Custom Feeds, Inc. in Barnet. They also purchase 400 organic second-cut small square bales from a local hay grower to feed their young stock.
The Goodriches raise all their own replacement stock, breeding their heifers to produce their first calf at around 21 months of age. They strive for a calving interval of 12 months.
They breed year-round although prefer not to breed their animals to calve in January over concern for the cow. They work with a sire analyst to match the strengths of the bulls with each individual cow, breeding for good feet and legs and for A2A2 genetic selection.
Their commitment to being good farmers extends to their community and beyond. They help promote the dairy industry by hosting farm tours and have collaborated with the local Cabot School for on-farm work experiences for middle school students. They are active participants in many of Stonyfield’s promotional activities including its “Date with a Cow” Valentine program in 2021, which allowed people to book a 15-minute virtual date with a cow from one of the farms that supplies milk for the company’s yogurts.
The award is presented annually to an exemplary Vermont dairy farm by University of Vermont Extension and the Vermont Dairy Industry Association, in cooperation with the New England Green Pastures Program. This is the second time that this farm was been named the Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year, the first time being in 1987 when Myles’ parents, Walter and Sally Goodrich, operated the farm in partnership with Myles.
Other finalists for 2022 were Mike and Denna Benjamin, Franklin, and Skyline Holsteins, Derby.
–University of Vermont Extension