Hawthorne Valley Farm – Ghent, NY

Hawthorne Valley Farm was established in 1972 and is a diversified farm producing high quality, Biodynamic and sustainable foods while offering farm-based education opportunities for children and adults. The team at Hawthorne Valley Farm manages herds of Certified Animal Welfare Approved by A Greener World (AGW) beef cattle and dairy cattle on the farm in Ghent, New York.

The Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW beef and dairy cattle are managed outdoors on pasture according to the highest animal welfare standards, something of great importance to Hawthorne Valley Farm’s ethos. The Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW cattle on the farm are also rotationally managed, grazing one section of pasture before being moved to fresh fields. This type of management allows grass to recover before cows return to graze again; it also keeps the soil properly fertilized and minimizes the buildup of internal parasites, thereby avoiding reliance on chemical treatments.

The livestock management team on the farm is proud to have found a practical way of raising calves on their mothers, a practice unheard of in commercial dairy settings. This practice, while sacrificing some milk production, is much better in the long run, allowing mother cows to pass on a lot of knowledge to their young during the first weeks of their lives and establish excellent calf health. This is especially beneficial in Hawthorne Valley Farm’s closed herd. Both their beef and dairy herds are made up of breeds that are inherently dual purpose and the cows’ behavior and integration into the herd has improved with the institution of this practice.

The Hawthorne Valley Farm Store is open from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily and visitors are welcome to enjoy a self-guided tour of the farm. For more information on purchasing Hawthorne Valley Farm’s Certified Animal Welfare Approved by AGW dairy products, call (518) 672-7500 or visit hawthornevalleyfarm.org and follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.