Preferred counties/regions
- Capital Region
- Albany County
- Columbia County
- Greene County
- Rensselaer County
- Saratoga County
- Schenectady County
- Washington County
- Hudson Valley
- Dutchess County
- Ulster County
- Sullivan County
- Orange County
- Putnam County
- Schoharie County
- Otsego County
- Herkimer County
- Oneida County
- Central
- Cortland County
- Madison County
- Onondaga County
- Oswego County
- Cayuga County
- Finger Lakes
- Livingston County
- Monroe County
- Ontario County
- Seneca County
- Wayne County
- Yates County
- Chenango County
- Delaware County
- Schuyler County
- Tompkins County
Desired acreage
- 6-10
- 11-20
- 21-50
- 51-100
- >100
Farming Status
Established farmer: Over 10 years of farm management experience or ownership
Currently farming full-time
Primary reason for farming
Farm will generate the majority of my income
Farming status, plans, and practices
Until May 2022, we were farming full time and producing cheese while searching for a new location for our business that would allow for diversification of our farm enterprises. An unexpected regulatory change made resuming cheese production impossible after we made a move in late April of 2022. We are once again seeking a new location that will allow us to re-imagine and diversity our farm enterprises.
I have been producing artisan farmstead cheeses using homegrown goat milk for nearly 20 years. My LGBTQ kiddo would like to be the second generation to own the business. To continue our farm, and facilitate their movement into ownership of the business. If the required infrastructure becomes available we would expand our dairy product line, as well as developing a raw milk market and/or frozen desserts. Additional diversification into flowers, medicinal herbs, and specialty veggies are other possibilities we are considering. For the past several years our sales have been a blend of regional wholesale and farmers markets and festivals as well as on farm workshops and events. In 2020 we pivoted to more online sales and a cheese CSA to help feed our neighbors during the Covid-19 pandemic.
We are an experienced, capable and collaborative team interested in caring for the land. We are seeking a secure employment or tenure arrangement that will allow us to re-imagine and diversify the farm.
Farm Experience & Education
- Farm owner
I have owned and operated the farm since 2003. We accomplished steady growth since 2007 and after overcoming difficult hurdles in 2015 increased production by buying in additional milk and began a search for a new location that would accommodate scaling up. A move to a larger location in 2019 allowed for scaling up wholesale and then the pandemic changed everything.
I have completed FDA compliant FSPCA Preventative Controls for Human Food training. Acorn Hill Farm has been a NOFA-NY Farmers Pledge farm. I have also presented workshops at NOFA-NY winter conferences and on-farm field days for those interested in dairy goats and value added production. More recently, Acorn Hill Farm spent a day with a team from the Cornell Small Farms Program filming a segment for an updated series of videos for Voices of Experience and I presented a webinar for the Cornell Beginning Farmers program. We have also participated in organic potato variety trials for a NOFA-NY program. Prior to farming I worked in both clinical and administrative positions in healthcare.
Generation 2 grew up on the farm. They have taken on the role of herd manager as well as learning cheese production. They have a strong desire to diversify the farm and they have sought out advice from established farmers in the region on organic, certified naturally grown, low till and no till methods as well as season extension. We are currently participating in the Cornell Farm Financial Learning Circles program to sharpen our business side skills and give gen 2 the tools needed to run the business. We also participated in a Cornell study on forage and feed in dairy production in summer 2022.
Farming Plans and Practices
Farming method or practice
- Organic (not certified)
- Regenerative/Sustainable
Primary crops
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Vegetables
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Fruits
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Flowers or Ornamentals
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Other Crops
Primary livestock
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Goats/Sheep
Goats: We have a herd of dairy goats. We use their milk for value added production of cheese, yogurt, fudge, and other products.
Ducks: Duck eggs
Vegetables and Fruit: We have historically grown a market garden including herbs used in cheeses, berries and a few fruit trees. We have experience with value added farm products such as jams, baked goods, and pickles. We would like to renew this aspect of our business.
Marketing Method
Since 2004, we have marketed at farmers markets, wineries, festivals, and wholesale distribution. Over the past couple of years we pandemic-pivoted by developing a cheese CSA and expanding our online sales. We also offer cheesemaking workshops, kid cuddling sessions, and farm tours to share the farm with the community.
Farm business plan or farm resume
Farmland Needs
Infrastructure required
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Barns - Equipment Storage
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Electrical access
-
Farmer housing
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Fencing
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Water access
Cheese production requires two rooms with floor drains, hot and cold water, and washable walls. Electricity to run refrigeration is also needed. These conditions can be met in a ready to use facility or via creative re-use of existing infrastructure. For example, shower stalls in a horse barn can be modified to meet the requirements or older dairy barns often have the needed spaces with some modifications/updates. The goats also require a barn for shelter from rain and harsh winter weather. Fencing for goats can be installed by us.
Access to a greenhouse or high tunnel is desirable. This would allow us to immediately develop a market garden component to the business.
Desired Tenure
We are flexible and we are interested in working with folks who understand farming to some extent. We are open to collaborative arrangements, employment or farm management opportunities, as well as leasing arrangements that can accommodate our existing dairy goat operation in some version and, ideally, allow us to add a vegetable and fruit components to the business. This had been done at our original location through a market garden along with some tree fruit and berry production. The fruits were used in low sugar jams and the herbs were used in our cheeses. All growing was done using organic methods.
