WESTMORELAND, N.H. — This summer Windyhurst Farm, owned by the Adams family of Westmoreland, New Hampshire, was nominated for consideration for the New Hampshire Dairy Farm of the Year. It was judged by a group of former farm winners and selected as the best entry in 2021. The criteria were based on cattle management, environmental practices followed, cropping, and community involvement. The program was started in 1948 as a way of recognizing good pastures. The farm is milking 270 Holstein cows, with a total herd of 525 head with replacement heifers. They are maintaining around 600 acres of farmland in the Connecticut River Valley and Cheshire County.
As a result of this honor, the Adams family was invited to an awards banquet held in conjunction with the Eastern States Exposition (Big-E) in West Springfield, Massachusetts. This is sponsored by the New England Green Pastures Committee, which raises funds from the dairy industry and former winners to cover the cost of the event. The family worked with UNH Cooperative Extension in developing a Power Point photo presentation about the farm which they showed at the banquet. Usually, the banquet is held on the fairgrounds of the Big-E, but this year it was Friday night, September 17, at the Crestview Country Club in nearby Agawam, Massachusetts, to provide more space for COVID safety.
Stuart Adams, of Windyhurst Farm, attended the banquet, along with 10 other members of family. The farm was hosted and introduced by Carl Majewski, UNH Extension Field Specialist from Cheshire County. Stuart gave the presentation about the farm at the banquet, along with four other New England winners (Rhode Island did not have an entry). At the conclusion of his talk, the farm was presented the Green Pastures Silver Pitcher Award, sponsored by Shawn Jasper, New Hampshire Commissioner of Agriculture, Markets & Food.
The entire family was provided overnight accommodations at a local hotel and had a special breakfast with all the winners the next morning and had the rest of the day to visit the Big-E. Windyhurst Farm will be recognized at other local New Hampshire agricultural events during the year. The previous generation was a winner in 1975 when the farm was under the ownership of Roger and Ellie Adams.
–John C. Porter, UNH Extension