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Mission Statement:
Our commitment to protecting and improving the health of the earth and its
cultural relationships, we strive to raise the social and ecological
inhabitants. Through the development of economic, educational, and
awareness of individuals regarding the production of their food.
The Milk:
Hawthorne Valley Farm is a modern, diversified, biodynamic farm. Our farm
spans over 400 acres of mountain, open fields and meadows, and flowing
creeks and streams. At the heart of the farm is a closed herd of 60 Brown
Swiss and Jersey cows which, to a large degree, provides the pulse for and
rhythm of the adjunct operations. The cows furnish the milk for our dairy
operation; prescribe, to some extent, the cover and feed crops grown to
nourish them and the horses, pigs and laying hens; and provide, along with
the other farm animals, the basis for our compost, which is essential for
building the soil fertility to ensure that the cycle is continuous.
Throughout the year our cows are free to move around outdoors. From April
to October they are rotationally grazed on over 200 acres of pasture,
coming into the barn only for their 2 daily milkings. The exercise and
exposure to fresh air and sunlight offer countless health benefits to the
animals. No hormones or antibiotics are used in their feed, and the milk
and dairy products from the herd are certified by the Demeter Association,
meeting its biodynamic and Organic Standards.
The Cheese:
Hawthorne Valley Farm produces a variety of artisan cheeses, including
cheddar, Alpine (a brushed rind, Swiss mountain cheese), and Edamer (an
Edam-like cheese). Alpine is made exclusively from spring and summer
milk, when the cows are grazing on lush pastures of grasses and wild
flowers. All of our cheeses are made from raw milk in the large Swiss
copper cheese vat pictured above—the only copper cheese vat in New York
State!
Cheesemaker Abe Madey will craft a variety of cheeses throughout the year
that best expresses the characteristics of the seasonal changes in the milk.
Cheeses then age a minimum of 60 days, and up to 2 years, in our cheese
cave. Hawthorne Valley has been making cheese on the farm since 1972,
and it is now available to a wider audience for the first time since inception
of the farm.
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committed to land stewardship based on
sustainable agriculture.
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New York's only copper
cheese vat.
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cheeses age a minimum
of 60 days, and up to 2
years.
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