Monday, June 13, 2011

Jacquier's Farming in Action

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of farms left in all of our local towns. Fortunately, there is a farm in East Canaan, owned by The Jacquier's, called Laurelbrook Farm, which reflects the national trend of industrial farming. In other words...big business. Over 1,000 cows to feed and milk every day requires vast amounts of food. Pete and his family and workers harvest silage from open land for miles around. Today I caught up with them on Jackson Hill Road, on Austin Jackson's old farmland. This morning, going to work they were just arriving to cut the first cutting. Tonight by 8 pm they had it all cut, wind-rowed, loaded into 18 wheel trailers and hauled away. Sometimes they store silage in Amenia Union, and truck it to East Canaan later when they have time and need it. I'm not sure where todays went, but the fact in less than 12 hours they cleared all of Austin's old fields of all the first cutting.....wow! I guess time is money, and boy they made time count today. I feel sure they are off readying for another cutting as I type @ 10pm. With rain forecast, they probably won't cut tonight unless they know they can get it in before the rain gets here. Amazing business. Amazing family.

Here is a whole series of the progression from one truck leaving loaded, to another pulling in and loading immediately. Not a wasted second.









5 comments:

  1. Your're right, Rick. The only way to make general dairy farming viable economically is through factory farms. And those guys do work really hard.

    Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the Jacquiers own Elm Knoll Farm, which is just down Rt 44 from Laurelbrook. I don't know the name of the family that owns Laurelbrook.

    I pass both every day, commuting back and forth from Winsted. I wish they could find a way to let the cows out of the barns for a daily stroll the way John Perotti still does at Lone Pine Farm In Millerton. But such is life ...

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  2. T--I went to School (100 yrs. ago) with Phil, the auctioneer. His Dad is Bob I do believe, and Peter is his brother. They own the farm closest to Norfolk, with all the different facilities, and the huge composting open structures out back. I believe that to be Laurelbrook. I think I have them straight. You drive by everyday. I drive downtown. I may be wrong. Someone will let us know for sure I bet...

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  3. I know for sure that the Jacquiers own Elm Knoll, which is the smaller of those two big farms in East Canaan. Maybe they actually own both farms. That is certainly possible.

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  4. Laurelbrook and Elm Knoll are both Jaquier farms. I believe David Jaquier owns Elm Knoll....he is Pete's cousin?

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  5. LAURELBROOK IS OWNED BY PETE JACQUIER AND HIS IMMEDIATE FAMILY, WAS OPERATED BY HIS FATHER BOB JACQUIER. ELM KNOLL IS OPERATED BY DAVID JACQUIER, PETES OLDER BROTHER AND BOBS ELDEST SON.

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