Hudson Valley Fresh Dairy

Jen DeForest and Jim Lawrence met in 4H. In 1999, they bought their first cow together, a Brown Swiss, and started Stormfield Swiss Farm.

“I just really wanted to do this,” Jen says, “and the Brown Swiss were the friendliest cows I’d ever seen.”

They run their dairy on Knapp Farm, a 400-acre property started by Jen’s great grandfather in 1927, which is now owned by Glenn and Marie Metzger. “I worked for Jen’s great grandfather when I was five years old, brushing the cows,” says Glenn.

Jen and Jim milk their cows twice a day, at 5:30am and 4pm. During summer days the cows beat the heat – and the flies – in a barn cooled by a large industrial fan the size of one of the walls. At night they go out to pasture, and in the winter, this schedule reverses.

Their story of joining Hudson Valley Fresh is an interesting one. “Before we even joined, [Founder Sam Simon] sent the truck here to get our milk,” says Jim.

Jen adds, “He must have learned about the quality of our milk from the milk tester. One day we got picked up by our normal truck and the next day another truck showed up for Hudson Valley Fresh. I said, we’re not in it. The driver said Sam told him to come pick up our milk.” Sam certainly did recognize their commitment to producing a quality product, and knew they’d be a great fit for Hudson Valley Fresh.

Hudson Valley Fresh made it easy for them to join, giving them the chance to buy their share over time. “We’re the smallest farm. There are times that we get paid more from our share in Hudson Valley Fresh than we get paid for our milk. That makes a huge difference for us,” says Jen.

“It’s a very good relationship,” says daughter Jenna, who plans to follow in her parents’ footsteps. Her mother laughs, “You want a straight answer here, ask Jenna.”

Notable Awards and Community Involvement:

• Winner of the Dairy One Outstanding Quality Milk Award in 2005 and 2008.
• Past recipient of the Grand Champion Brown Swiss at the Dutchess County Fair.
• Members of the New York State Brown Swiss Association.
• Proud leaders of the Northern Dutchess 4H Club, where they foster a love for agriculture in the next generation.