The dairy farm is a New England legacy . Yet Connecticut dairy farms , out-produced by massive operations on the west coast , are disappearing at an alarming rate . One of the ways that local farmers are attempting to preserve the legacy is the Farmer’s Cow cooperative . Composed of six dairy farms in the towns of Woodstock , Coventry , Hebron , Thompson , Franklin , and Lebanon , the Farmer’s Cow works toward a goal of preserving the dairy industry and the undeveloped farmland in the state .

On Columbus Day , Graywall Farms , a member of the cooperative , opened its doors as part of the Walktober 2010 series . Graywall is located on 800 acres in Lebanon . 600 of those acres are protected under Connecticut’s Farmland Preservation Program . “ They can’t be developed , they can’t be mined , ” said Robin Chesmer , one of the owners of Graywall . “ This land will remain farmland in perpetuity . ”

David Hevner , who oversees calves at the main farm on Chappell Road , as well as a second location for heifers near the Lebanon Town Green , started a tour of the Graywall facility at a pen containing a newborn calf . In dairy farming , “ they say that if youhave less than a five percent mortality rate you’redoing well , ” said Hevner . “ Last year, we had a . 5 percent mortality rate in our calves . ” The success is due to a number of factors .

Introducing visitors to the Graywall maternity barn , Hevner pointed to a group of cows in a large pen . “ All of those cows are pregnant , ” he said . Cows that are about to give birth are watched very carefully , and led to an area containing clean hay , food , and clean water when they show signs of imminent labor . Female calves , destined to become part of the producing herd , are fed a gallon of colostrum right after they are born , with another half-gallon following within eight hours . “ That’s the most important meal that calf will have in her life , ” said Hevner .

Male calves are put into a separate pen , to be sold off to outside sources . Interestingly , Hevner said that male / female twins are also sold off . “ Seventyfive to 90 percent of the time , the girl twin won’t have a baby , ” he said . “ It’s not worth feeding that calf for two yearsjust to find out she can’t have a baby . ” Female / female twins , said Hevner , do not share the characteristic .

Graywall currently milks approximately 480 cows , three times per day , with a total head count of close to one thousand . Cows are fed primarily on grain , corn , and hay grown at the farm , and produce an average of 10 gallons , or 75 pounds , of milk per cow , per day . The massive amount of manure produced by the herd is used in a variety of ways . Solids are separated from liquids , and the dry portion , resembling peat moss , is used for bedding for the cows . The liquid portion is injected into the ground to fertilize corn . The method cuts down on odor , and helps reduce the loss of nitrogen due to exposure to sunlight . Grass fields are fertilized with top-dressings of manure . “ You do a lot of recycling here , ” observed one visitor . “ Yep , ” agreed Hevner , “ we do a lot of recycling here on the farm . ”

See the complete Walktober schedule at wwwtlgv . org .