Our farmers are excited to announce we are now offering even more premium, local dairy products – Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy will now be distributing Cabot products!
Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy LLC. was formed in 2013, but our group of 11 original family farms had been farming in the Hudson Valley and shipping high quality milk for many years, sometimes even many generations, prior. Before Hudson Valley Fresh was created, our farmers were proud suppliers for a nationally recognized and award winning co-operative that is synonymous with quality: Cabot Cheese.
Hudson Valley Fresh and Cabot have therefore had an extremely close relationship from the start. When our group of farmers got together in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s to discuss ways to market their milk locally as a premium product from a distinct region and caliber of farms, Cabot, or rather, the parent co-op that markets Cabot Cheese, Agrimark, was one of the very first calls.
How could we segregate our milk, process, package, and market it? Could it be done? Agrimark supported us by allowing us to test out this theory, and through the invaluable help of local politicians, agribusinesses, and professional organizations, our grassroots operation slowly took shape. Today, three of our original farms have retired and stopped milking cows, but 8 family farms remain, with 9 trucks serving local customers and distribution partners bringing our product all over the East Coast.
Today, if a tank of our milk is not needed by Hudson Valley Fresh to fulfill our own orders, that tank of milk goes to one of Agrimark’s processing facilities in either Vermont or Springfield, Massachusetts to make cheese, butter, or milk powder. Our farmers are proud to provide milk to both of these tremendous products, and are excited to announce that as of June 2024, we will be offering distribution of Cabot products!
Award Winning-Cheese
The production team behind the Cabot brand knows how to make some phenomenal cheeses, with the national and international designations to back it up! In 2024, Cabot picked up 1st Place Extra Creamy Sea Salt Butter and 1st Place Pepper Jack at the World Championship Cheese Contest. In 2023, the National Milk Federation awarded them 1st place Sharp Cheddar and Colby Cheese, as well as 1st place Triple Cream Vanilla Bean Yogurt. Cabot had countless other products awarded placings in both competitions, and just like our team at Hudson Valley Fresh, they know that the little things are really the big things when it comes to producing a consistently high quality product – it’s all about the details!
We are excited to be able to offer Cabot branded products to the local businesses we partner with and will be spreading the good word about the work that farmer-owned cooperatives like Hudson Valley Fresh and Cabot do for family farms.
Are you a local farm market? Restaurant? School? Interested in sourcing premium local dairy, fresh from the farm? Reach out today to get more information about our product offerings and to set up an account!
So you’ve heard Hudson Valley Fresh produces quality milk, but what does that mean? How do you produce quality milk, and more importantly, how do you maintain that premium quality all the way from the cow to your cereal bowl? We are very proud and excited to share our most recent third party audit results below, and coupled with our unmatched milk quality standards for our farmers, it’s clear that we continue to show Hudson Valley Fresh is all about quality.
Milk quality is what we’ve built our company around, is what our farmers work tirelessly to maintain, and is what our processing team monitors obsessively. It’s all about quality, objective, black and white, “look at the data,” quality.
What Milk Quality Looks like on the Farm
Quality milk starts with a quality diet for our Hudson Valley Fresh cows. They eat a variety of high quality oats, alfalfa, barley, soybeans, and corn silage. About 65% of their diet consists solely of homegrown forage! All this hay helps the cows immune system which helps her produce more omega-3 fatty acids in the milk, which makes a better quality cream. Our farmers also strive to keep our cows comfortable and their udders clean, which further contributes to a proven, higher quality milk.
How do farmers make sure their milk adheres to the Hudson Valley Fresh quality standards? Every month our farmers test each individual cow through the Dairy Herd Information Association (DHIA) for SSC or somatic cell counts which are white blood cells in the milk. Elevated levels of SCC’s in the milk indicate infection in the udder, and they measure the cows overall well being. Hudson Valley Fresh farms are under 200,000 per mL, while the legal limit in the U.S is 750,000 cells per mL.
The common range for our farms is 45,000 to 160,000 cells per mL. The low somatic cell counts make a more flavorful, higher quality milk. Our farmers go above and beyond to make sure their cows are healthy and produce the highest quality milk!
What Milk Quality Looks like at the Bottling Facility
Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy has a third party audit performed annually. This audit consists of an outside company that comes into our facility and evaluates our documentation and protocols, and lets us know how our team can continue to improve in all different areas of dairy processing. This is above and beyond what is required by state and federal guidelines, and in addition to the testing done by our state regulator.
Our processing team regularly does ample in-house testing in addition to sending out finished product samples to a third party lab every single week. This is to ensure we are consistently producing a high quality product. Some of the in-house tests we perform are for butterfat levels and for antibiotics, as state law regulates that ALL milk (organic or not) MUST test negative for antibiotics prior to bottling.
Even though we have one of the oldest milk processing facilities in New York State, our quality team is exceptional at operating at a high caliber level when it comes to proven quality results. Our farmers are very appreciative for their efforts, and extremely proud to report that…
our 2024 audit score was a 98.99 out of 100!
Factors contributing to a high score in a third party audit such as this would be a clean production facility, properly trained employees, and the assurance that on site plant personnel and management have a basic understanding of day to day operation from start to finish. Every member of our team, including the farmers, the truck drivers, and the bottling team – all are deserving of recognition for contributing to this tremendous continued success!
Where You Can Find our Quality Milk & How You Can Support
Check out our Store Locator and type in your Zip Code and find the nearest retail location carrying Hudson Valley Fresh. Don’t see your favorite store on the list? Feel free to tell the store manager you want to see our premium, local dairy on the shelf!
We are proud of our team, our cows, and the work we do — but none of it would be possible without you! Thank you for appreciating all the hard work that goes into producing a premium product, and enjoying our products in your home or business.
You probably remember the “Got Milk?” campaigns with famous athletes and might remember the slogan “3-A-Day” based on the USDA’s food pyramid guidelines, but do you know the real, true benefits of consuming real dairy?
It’s more than a pairing with cereal or a few drops in your coffee – fresh, wholesome dairy has a long list of benefits that impact long-term human health. Below, we highlight some of those health benefits, including new research so you can dive into these topics for yourselves!
— reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and lower blood pressure. Read more!
— supportive of bone health, especially in children and adolescents. Read more!
— protection against the development of metabolic syndrome. Read more!
— dairy is the most cost effective way to get 3 of the 4 nutrients most Americans need more of in their diets (Calcium, Vitamin D, and phosphorus). Read more!
Sure, you can get Calcium from other sources, like dark green vegetables, but there is no package like dairy that includes 9 essential nutrients and high quality protein in a single serving. Curious about the actual United States Dietary Guidelines? Click here.
No matter what the other “milks” on the shelf say, there is no substitute for fresh, high quality, wholesome dairy. We took a look at Hudson Valley Fresh whole milk head-to-head with some alternative products, and here’s what we found.
In conclusion, we all want to choose healthy foods for ourselves and our families. In reality, life is all about moderation and good health most certainly comes from a well-balanced diet and an active lifestyle. For specific questions about your own dietary needs we recommend speaking with a doctor or dietitian, but for any farm or milk-related questions you may have, please feel free to reach out to us at info@hudsonvalleyfresh.com
“While dairy farmers are struggling at this time they are saddened by the number of people standing in line at food banks. They are dismayed to know that milk is being dumped and wasted when there are so many in need. Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy is privileged to partner with Scenic Hudson to provide help to our local communities” says our founding farmer and managing partner, Dr. Sam Simon.
Our farmers are so incredibly thankful for the overwhelming support we have received from our community since the creation of our company over 10 years ago, and are honored to be a part of a collaborative effort that provides nutritious, local food to those who need it most now.
Also in May of 2020 we were honored to be the dairy provider to a World Central Kitchen distribution event in Queens and Brooklyn, thanks to a partnership with the Farm On! Foundation. Here are some images courtesy of the World Central Kitchen Instagram.
Posted February 13th, 2020 — Filed under News
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Farmer-Owned Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy, Producing Milk from Ten Local
Family Farms, Now Conveniently Available for Apartment Delivery
Great news friends! Farm to Fridge home delivery is now available for NYC residents due to our new, exciting partnership with URBN playground. Check out the press release below and download the URBN app to place your order today!
URBN Playground, a boutique amenity consulting and management firm, today announced its partnership with the farmer-owned dairy company, Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy. The partnership will enable apartment residents in Manhattan and Brooklyn to place orders for farm-to-fridge fresh milk and dairy products through the URBN Playground concierge app.
“We’re very excited about this partnership with Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy. Not only will this service provide delicious, high-quality dairy products to residents, but it also aligns closely with our values at URBN Playground. We consider it a privilege to be able to support local farmers who believe strongly in the welfare of their animals and sustainable farming practices, and to be able to educate more people in our community about the difference this makes,” said Jeremy Brutus, co-founder of URBN Playground.
Residents can place their order on the URBN Playground app for fresh, minimally-pasteurized milk, all-natural yogurt, sour cream, and other products and have them at their doorstep in as little as 3 days.
The strict milk quality standards upheld by Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy, combined with an intense focus on cow comfort, animal health, high forage diets (cows are fed diets consisting of over 70% forage that are 100% home grown), and sustainable farming practices all translates to a quality difference in the milk. The result is a creamier, sweeter tasting milk that contains more naturally occurring Omega-3’s compared to other milks available at supermarket. Additionally, all their products are antibiotic free and the farmers pledge to not use rBST!
Some of the awards that Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy boasts include six National Dairy Quality awards, eight Agrimark #1 Top Quality awards, and a ten-year NYS Supermilk track record.
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with URBN Playground to have our award-winning milk made easily available to apartment dwellers. We’re grateful to see growing interest and demand in high-quality, locally-produced milk, as this supports a living wage for real, local family farms and helps us preserve Hudson Valley farmland,” said Dr. Sam Simon, founder of Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy.
The initial rollout of the delivery service will be made available for Brooklyn residents living at Level at 2 N 6th St and the Oosten at 60 S 8th St, and for midtown Manhattan residents living at ARO at 242 W 53rd St and Sessanta at 229 West 60th Street, and consecutively will be made available to more residences throughout the city.
Posted October 7th, 2019 — Filed under News
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After a tough workout, you’ve probably heard you need to re-hydrate with fluids and supply your body with electrolytes. Something you may not know, however, is that those electrolytes and so many other important nutrients post-workout can come from nature’s most nearly perfect food – milk!
Chocolate milk is a natural choice post-run, ride, or meet. Full-fat milk actually ranks higher than other beverages, including water, when it comes to hydration. That’s right, milk improves your hydration status more than water alone!
In addition to the importance of hydration, chocolate milk in particular contains the ideal carbohydrate to protein ratio. Since replacing muscle fuel (glycogen) after exercise is essential to an athlete’s recovery, a post-gym beverage like milk provides the energy and the PROTEIN necessary to replenish what was lost and provide muscles with the nutrients to properly recover.
16 grams of protein in every 13 oz bottle of Hudson Valley Fresh chocolate milk!
We have some exciting news friends! Have you ever wanted to visit
one of our Hudson Valley Fresh farms and meet the cows and the families who
work so hard to produce the premium quality dairy you and your family love?
Join us Sunday October 6 from 11am – 4pm for Cabot Open Farm Sunday. Three of our farms will be hosting open houses so you can ask any questions you may have and learn more about where your food comes from.
In addition to meeting the cows and getting a tour of the
farm, we will have many fun family activities such as petting zoos, scavenger
hunts, name-a-calf contests and even a corn maze! There will be food available
and the opportunity to interact with the farmers themselves.
Hudson Valley Fresh is a proud partner of Cabot Cheese, who is graciously putting on a series of Open Houses throughout the Northeast in celebration of their 100 year anniversary. The makers of the world’s best cheddar, that also happens to be naturally lactose free, also produce butter, a whey protein powder, and shredded cheese that you may have seen in a grocery store near you. And great news, when you purchase Cabot products, you are supporting real family farms too since Cabot is also farmer-owned.
Who’s hosting?
Tollgate Farm – Jim and Karen Davenport are excited to be hosting visitors to their farm on Fox Hill Road in Ancramdale NY. You can meet the cows, take a hay ride, and check out their incredible Hudson Valley view. Here you can also enter a name-a-calf contest and visit the Hudson Valley Fresh table, where we will be pouring samples of Hudson Valley Fresh chocolate milk! Check out the details here.
Willow Brook Farm – the Beneke family looks forward to welcoming guests to their farm located right off Route 22 in Millerton NY. Does anything scream fall-time like a corn maze? We think not! Try not to get lost in the field but when you finish up, check out the barns, the petting zoo, and our Hudson Valley Fresh table. On your way out, be sure to stop by the Farm Store for some locally produced items and quaint rustic gifts. Check out the details here.
Dutch Hollow Farm – the Chittenden family of Schodack NY is excited to host guests from near and far at their 5th generation dairy farm where three generations currently farm together. The Chittenden family proudly raises Jersey cows, which are known for their shorter stature, rich and creamy milk, and spunky personalities. Enjoy some ice cream, check out their Dairy Discovery center, and buy a grilled cheese at the Farmer’s Feed Bunk Food Truck – all the proceeds from grilled cheese sales will be donated to the food bank! Check out the details here.
Please feel free to tag us in pictures from the day @hudson_valley_fresh, we hope to see you there!
One of our very own Hudson Valley Fresh farmers, Jim Davenport of Tollgate Farm, was awarded the National Dairy Quality Award from the National Mastitis Council for the SIXTH time in 2018. This prestigious award recognizes dairy farms from across the country for their efforts in producing a premium quality and clean product and go above and beyond in terms of overall herd health and animal welfare.
What’s the secret to producing premium quality milk? It’s actually quite simple.
“You need to start with clean and healthy cows, a good, consistent milking routine, really clean milking equipment and a bulk tank that is cooling the milk fast. Those are some of the more important factors that help us consistently produce high quality milk,” says Jim.
We are so proud and honored to have such dedicated farmers represent Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy, proving that our quality truly can’t be beat. Congratulations, Jim!
Check out our “Our Farmers” page to get to know Jim and all our other Hudson Valley Fresh farmers better!
According to a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, you can now enjoy full-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese guilt-free.
Researchers at the University of Texas Health Science Center have found that dairy fat contributes to a lower mortality risk and presence of cardiovascular disease. The study included 3,000 participants and results showed that participants with higher fatty acid levels, thus those having consumed whole-fat dairy products, had a 42% lower risk of dying from stroke.
This is in line with what our founder, Dr. Sam Simon, has been saying all along – with so many readily available fat soluble vitamins available in whole milk, why choose anything other than what nature intended? Our whole milk is non-standardized and over 4% fat – meaning just as the cow produced it, we bottle it. Simple, natural, fresh. Got local milk?
Posted February 13th, 2024 — Filed under News
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When a five-star restaurant prepares a dish, they take great pride in carefully sourcing ingredients, selecting only the finest inputs to create a delicious meal. For coffee shops, the attention to detail should be the same! Do you know where your milk comes from?
Lattes generally consist of 60 mL of espresso and 300 mL of steamed milk – that’s a lot of milk! At Hudson Valley Fresh, we proudly produce award-winning milk for customers who value the principle at the core of our farmer-owned cooperative: quality.
Dairy quality is objective, factual, and highly tested. Every trailer of milk that leaves the farm is tested for quality. You measure dairy quality via leukocytes, or somatic cell counts. Just like humans, when a pathogen or infection is present, cows white blood cell levels rise. A lower somatic cell count (SCC) level therefore indicates better animal health.
The legal limit of SCC to sell milk in the United States is 750,000 cells/mL – all ten of our family farms had to demonstrate verified quality tests under 200,000 cells/mL for an entire year before being accepted into Hudson Valley Fresh, and today, our farms are averaging 130,000-150,000 cells/mL. That’s just a fraction of what is “allowed.” Truly, quality isn’t an incentive for our farmers, either, it’s a standard. If a tank of milk does not meet our strict quality standards, it is not bottled under the Hudson Valley Fresh label.
We are constantly testing for quality!
Our ten family farms win annual regional milk quality awards, and several have gone on to win “Super Milk” and even National Dairy Quality awards – one of our farms, Tollgate Holsteins, has been recognized as one of the Top 6 Herds in the Country a total of SIX TIMES. How do we do it? Attention to detail, cleanliness, focusing on cow comfort, and feeding high forage diets. Our farmers take great pride in the quality of the product they produce, and work hard with their families to produce a safe, nutritious, high quality product that other families may enjoy too.
A lower somatic cell count doesn’t just mean healthier cows, it also means a higher quality, creamier product. When cows are healthy, comfortable, and low-stressed they give off a higher quality, sweeter milk. Our whole milk contains more naturally-occuring Omega-3’s than other commercial milks, with no need for synthetics! Recent research has shown numerous benefits for this very important fatty acid.
Why else is our milk ideal for baristas? Our whole milk is not ultra-pasteurized and non-standardized, meaning it is >4% butterfat, just as the cows produce it! Pasteurization is the heating of milk to kill off any potential bacteria. From a food and consumer safety standpoint, all milk being sold off the farm must be pasteurized. At Hudson Valley Fresh we minimally pasteurize – meaning we heat milk to 145 degrees F for 30 minutes – for a farm fresh taste instead of heating it to higher temperatures in order to extend shelf life.
Because of the forage rich diets, how we manage our cows, and the unique blend of all five major breeds of dairy cattle, Hudson Valley Fresh whole milk is naturally creamier than most commercial whole milks, which by definition must contain at least 3.25% butterfat. Rather than skimming off what we don’t “need” to keep in the milk, we pass along the rich, nutritious >4% butterfat whole milk to our customers exactly as the cows produced it.
Whether it’s some cream in your morning cup of coffee or whole milk used for creating incredible latte art, we are so appreciative of all our customers out there who care about quality, who care about where the farms are, who care about supporting local, family owned and operated farms and who recognize and appreciate the #hudsonvalleyfresh difference!
Ever wonder what it’s like to grow up on a dairy farm? We created this fun collection of photos to share a glimpse of what life is like for a farm kid. Hope you enjoy!
If you’re a farm kid, you’ve probably taken a lot of family pictures in a barn or field.
teaching lessons about hard work and patience along the way…
showing cows is a family tradition in the Beneke family
Hudson Valley Fresh is honored to represent these ten family farms – moms and dads, husbands and wives, and brothers and sisters – just like your family, only maybe a little different.
Thanks for reading! To learn more about all of our family farms, visit the Our Farmers page.
What’s it like to be a cow on a Hudson Valley Fresh dairy farm, you ask?
Our farmers strive to ensure that the cows in their herd are healthy, free from pain or discomfort, and are as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Every day throws new challenges at our farmers – be it due to the weather, having to get work done in the fields, or something breaking down at the absolute worst time – regardless of these challenges though, a good farmer always puts his or her cows first.
On our farms, cows are milked twice per day, roughly twelve hours
apart. Most milkings start between 3 and 4 AM. Our animals are grouped together
by age and status in order to manage them better and feed them more accurately
for their physiological requirements. In the mature herd this means the milking
group is kept in one group, while the dry cows are kept in a separate group.
Bill Kiernan, patriarch of Walt’s Dairy located in Copake, NY pictured with a group of Dry Cows
What’s a dry cow? A dry cow is a mature cow who has had a calf in the past but is not currently producing milk. Cows need to have a calf in order to start and keep producing milk, but between having calves, and after being milked for about 10 months out of the year, they are “dried off” and given a 2 month break from producing milk. This break usually involves a fresh pedicure by the hoof trimmer and lots of rest and relaxation.
How do we keep so comfortable? For starters, each stall has
a comfy mattress topped with shavings to absorb moisture. It’s not a Queen-sized
Serta with thousand count sheets, but the cows enjoy them just the same.
Keeping these stalls not only comfortable, but clean and as dry as possible, is
a huge factor in producing a premium quality milk.
Fresh feed, water, and a comfy stall at Stormfield Swiss in Wappingers Falls, NY
FUN FACT – One of our farms actually uses sand for bedding – what’s more enjoyable than lying on the beach?
Lying time is an important measurement that our farmers take note of – cows on our farms lie down for over 10 hours a day, which is just how we like it! While cows only sleep for two to three hours a day, a 1400 pound animal that is lying down is able to put more energy into producing a higher quality milk and more of it!
Another important part of keeping cows comfortable has to do
with the environmental temperature. Cows have thick skin, which means they prefer
colder temperatures and dislike the summer time heat and humidity. Our farmers help
keep the girls cool by providing lots of fans, plenty of water, and sometimes
use sprinklers and evaporative cooling as extra measures. When cows are hot,
you can tell – they pant, stick their tongues out, and they often don’t want to
eat as much, which means their milk production goes down. We therefore find it
very important to keep the barns cool and animals out of the direct sun as much
as possible.
We’ve talked about comfort a lot. How do we keep the cows
healthy? A lot of it has to do with the same reinforcement of close monitoring,
and preventative holistic care. Our farmers work with these animals every day,
from 3 AM often until well past dark. If something is off in their behavior,
feed intake, or gait, our farmers recognize it. It’s not just any one individual,
though – successfully managing cows is a team effort. Our farms have teams,
including family members and often employees that are treated like family
members, that are all on the same page when it comes to having high quality
standards and putting cow care first. We also work regularly with licensed
veterinarians and highly trained dairy nutritionists (dieticians for cows) to
ensure that holistically, we are aware of everything we can be of what is going
on in the herd and how we can do better. Whenever a diet change or a
homeopathic method of remediating something is an option, we are all for it.
Do you still have more questions?Reach out to us to talk to one of our farmers, or better yet, meet one of our farmers in person! Several of our farms will be hosting Open Farm Days this Fall where you can get a tour of one of our farms, meet the cows, and maybe even enjoy a hayride with a scenic Hudson Valley view. You can also always find us at the Dutchess and Columbia County Fairs, where we can talk about our passion over a fresh, Hudson Valley Fresh milkshake from the 4H booth.
As your neighbors, as fellow parents, and as fellow members
of your community, we look forward to talking about what we are passionate
about with you in the future – producing premium quality milk and farming in
the Hudson Valley!
Posted January 21st, 2019 — Filed under News
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We get it, between the bitter cold temperatures and the piercing wind, winter can be tough, especially here in the Hudson Valley.
So why not try warming up with some muffins? And not just any muffins, muffins that include some real dairy in them! This recipe is quick, easy, and oh-so-delicious. Rest assured, you can swap out the fat-free yogurt for our whole milk plain yogurt, or even try mixing it up by substituting plain for a flavored option!
Make some for your family, for your child to bring to share with their classmates, or for your colleagues at work. Once you give it a try, share about it, too! Post a picture & tag us on social media. With the ovens going and the good times being shared, we can all be a little warmer, and perhaps our bellies a little fuller, despite the winter season!
Want more delicious recipes? Here’s a few of our favorite links:
Just like you, we care about what we put in our bodies. We all want food that is readily available,abundant, nutritious, sustainable and most importantly – safe! This film does an incredible job discussing a controversial topic surrounding food – genetically engineered crops and modern plant breeding.
For an incredible in-depth look at our society’s relationship with food and food systems, we highly recommend you take 90 minutes out of your day to watch this film.
