BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – The Miller Farm in Hartford, with sweeping views of the Upper Valley, has been farmed for generations. Over that time, a good portion was dedicated to dairy, but the dairy cows are no longer there.
“Farming in a way was what I wanted to do and it was easy for me I didn’t have to move out of town,” said farm owner George Miller.
The milking barn is empty, and the Miller Farm landscape lacks the animals that grazed here for years. After a contract with a local cheese producer was not renewed, the Millers decided to sell the herd of roughly 30 cows.
George Miller has been dairy farming since he was 17 years old. The land has been in the family since 1907. Over the last 10 years, the state has lost roughly half of it’s dairy farms, many of them small family operations, from 939 in 2013 to 484 today.
“The big farms don’t put the cows out to pasture so I think people will recognize that the little farms really were important. It’s always a sad day when we love a dairy farm especially one that’s been around for so long,” said Laura Ginsburg.
Lauda Ginsburg is a dairy expert with the Agency of Agriculture, Foods, and Markets.
“The impact extends well beyond the farm gate. To the people they are buying and sourcing equipment from, who are picking up their milk, who are providing some of their feed and forages,” said Ginsburg.
The Millers say they do have several grandkids who have expressed interest in dairy farming.
“My son actually reminded us on that day. He said you know, it doesn’t mean that they are necessarily gone forever from this farm. The girls may grow up and say really, truly, I want to become a farmer,” said Ginsburg.
The Millers say they have no intention of selling the land. They will continue to farm it, haying the fields and raising a small herd of beef cattle.