Small-Batch Dairy Farming Offers a Fresh
Taste in Every Glass
By Rick Osofsky, Ronnybrook Farm, Ancramdale, NY
Consumers have enjoyed smallbatch
products ranging from wine
and bourbon, to chocolate and
honey for centuries. Today, many
small-batch products can be found
at farmers markets throughout
New York City.
At our family-owned dairy farm
in the lower Hudson Valley, smallbatch
is our specialty. Every
Saturday, and for more than 30
years, we have loaded up cases
of glass-bottled milk and dairy
products before dawn and traveled
to New York City to set up at farmers
markets.
Visit the Greenmarket locations at
Union Square, Grand Army Plaza,
Fort Greene, Greenpoint, Jackson
Heights or Forest Hills and you’ll
find dozens of our dairy products,
including cream on top milk, butter,
and eggnog. Our family farm is less
than 90 miles from New York City,
so products get from the farm to
your table in less than 48 hours. You
can find our products in more than
60 retail groceries in the New York
Metro area such as Whole Foods and
Eataly and throughout the Hudson
Valley at specialty groceries such as
Adams Fairacre Farms.
On our 150-cow farm, and at other
dairies across the State, farmers
follow stringent safety protocols.
Among the indicators of cleanliness
is a low somatic cell count. This is
important because lower counts
produce a better product, resulting
in longer shelf life.
When working with the animals,
gloves are worn at all times,
whether we’re milking the cows,
trimming their hooves, or providing
care. To cool milk when it leaves
the cow at 101.5 degrees, we use
equipment that transports it to
refrigerated holding tanks. Using
technology and an intricate piping
system to move the milk, we’re able
to chill it down to 37 degrees.
All milking systems, both in the
barn as well as the creamery are
rinsed, washed and sanitized by
sophisticated automated cleaning
systems which are controlled
electronically. All the information
concerning each step in the
cleaning process is recorded in
real time and made available for
inspection by both State and
Federal Agencies.
Cows are social animals. They
respond to human interaction
which directly impacts their
production and milk quality. With
just three employees, our farm
takes a traditional approach while
keeping the health and safety of
the animals, and their milk, our top
priority.
Our cows spend most of the
time, weather permitting grazing
outdoors. They come in twice each
day to be milked. They are named
after their mothers. The first letter of
their name is same as the first letter
of their mother’s name. It is widely
accepted that cows with names
produce more milk than cows that
have only numbers to identify
them. The ethos of Ronnybrook is
best captured by the phrase – Old
Fashioned and proud of it.
Our family-founded operation
dates back to the 1940s. After
more than 80 years of transporting
milk to processors in Western
Massachusetts and Connecticut,
we took steps to shift to on-site
production in a 20 by 20 foot space
– at that time supported by secondhand
equipment. With the number
of family-owned dairy farms rapidly
shrinking, we made the decision
to remove the middle man from
our business model; allowing us
to process and market our milk
ourselves.
Today, we’ve expanded to 22,000
square feet and in the same
location we started. Our signature
Creamline™ milk is pasteurized
but not homogenized, and the
cream will rise to the top. All of our
products are manufactured using
all-natural ingredients. The New
York Times has called us the Dom
Perignon of dairy.
So when you visit local markets or
stores to purchase milk and other
dairy products, know that the cows
received the best care, the milk is
the highest quality, and the farmers
and employees thank you for your
support. We invite you to visit our
Ancramdale farm store; and contact
us at (518) 398-6455 to schedule a
tour.
Brought to you
by New York
Dairy Farmers
Schneps Media December 2, 2021 5