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.