We
own and operate a small dairy farm in Arcade, NY. Jim has
been in dairy farming all his life. His father and
grandfathers were dairy farmers as well. Sarah comes from a
dairy farming background as well. Her grandfather, Isidore
Meyer, was president of the Buffalo Milk Cooperative, one of
Upstate’s predecessor cooperatives.
Our herd is comprised of Holsteins and Jerseys. Jim has
developed a rotational grazing system with laneways,
paddocks, and water where their seventy milking cows and
young stock graze on over 70 acres of pasture from May
through October. Over the years, we have received many
quality milk awards from Upstate Niagara Cooperative and the
Super Milk program.
In 2008, following our nomination by two of our
neighbors, we received the first Wyoming County Pride in
Agriculture Good Neighbor Award. We have been blessed and
try to give to our community in a variety of ways. [We are
active supporters of 4-H. Serving on committees and hosting
the young people for Dairy Judging are a couple of examples
of our commitment to the youth in the program. We are active
in our local church and are always ready to help whenever
there is a need.
As members of Cornell Cooperative Extension and Farm
Bureau, we are aware of the issues facing today’s farmers
and support programs to assure the future success of the
agriculture industry. Jim recently hosted the Wyoming County
Dairy Institute’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Math) Camp participants, sharing his wisdom and
experience with the young people who spent an entire week
exploring the many facets of the dairy industry in a variety
of formats from farm visits to plant tours. We have also
hosted many pasture walks where farmers gather to learn more
about the principles of grazing and share their experiences
with one another. At Empire Farm days in August this year,
Jim will be on a panel of farmers for the Dairy Profit
Seminar, sponsored by PRO-DAIRY. They will be discussing
relationships and experiences between dairy producers to
produce crops, share equipment and work collaboratively.]
We have three children. The oldest, Matthew, is a
chemical engineer in Boston, Massachusetts. Our second son,
Kevin, has a degree in animal science from Cornell and works
for another Upstate Niagara producer on a large farm (1700
cows) in Gasport. Kevin’s daughter, Payton, is four years
old and loves coming to Grandpa and Grandma’s farm,
especially in the fall when the majority of cows have their
calves. Our daughter, Jeanine, a senior at Pioneer High
School, is busy making plans to attend college and pursue a
degree in education.
