About Cherry Grove Farm

The Dairy Herd

Our ladies are a mixed group of Jersey, Milking Short Horn, Red Ayreshire and Dutch Belted cows, with a Holstein or two thrown in for good luck. Once blended together, the diversity of fat and protein in their milks allow us to explore a range of cheese styles. This is a distinctly American approach to cheese making.

Our herdsmen practice rotational grazing, moving the animals regularly to keep the pasture healthy, give it time to rest and rejuvenate, and ensure the best possible forage for each season. The cows’ milk reflects the changing grasses and pasture plants season by season, and you can taste these seasonal shifts in our cheese varietals.

The Sustainable Whey

As a sustainable farm, we try to reuse and recycle everything possible. Cheesemaking produces a large amount of whey. We feed that protein-rich liquid to our Berkshire pigs, who spend their days foraging in the woods and pastures. Whey can also be spread on the fields to add minerals back into the soil. With more pasture than our 120 head dairy herd needs, we graze a herd of about 180 Katahdin sheep and a small number of beef steer to help crop the fields. Our mixed heritage egg laying chickens are fully pastured, living in mobile coops that follow the herds as they move through the fields.

Cherry Grove Organic and Z Food Farm, both organic vegetable growers who share our vision of healthy, sustainable farming, lease farmland from us for their fresh produce CSAs. Seeing small scale agriculture flourish once again is rewarding, and we have a sense of fulfillment from the effort to preserve farmland and see it help support a new generation of farmers.

The farm has been in the Hamill family since 1902.  In keeping with the family’s historic commitment to conservation, Cherry Grove Farm is managed in cooperation with mother nature. Our remaining land is wetland and woodland, offering natural habitat for native plants, songbirds, wild turkey, deer, fox and other native creatures.

Visit the Farm

Cherry Grove Farm is open to the public, because we understand the importance of knowing exactly where our food comes from. The meats produced on the farm are processed without nitrates or preservatives so you can expect a clean, quality product. Our customers are encouraged to visit year-round, to enjoy the pastoral setting, participate in tours and classes, and develop a relationship with the source of their food.