The story of the Farmer’s Cow is a love story . It puts faces to the figures behind a report by the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics that claims Connecticut’s agricultural industry contributes 3 . 5 billion dollars to the state economy . The industry is responsible for 20 , 000 jobs and significant benefits in the way of recreation , wildlife preservation and quality of life . Dairy farming accounts for almost half of agricultural processing in the state .

In order to understand those figures , the ReminderNews visited Fort Hill Farm in Thompson , Connecticut , where farmers Peter and Kristen Orr own about 1000 acres . They have 214 cows ( as of 4 a . m . on January 9 , 2011 , with the birth of the little Guernsey “ Lighthouse” ) , some guinea hens , fields of lavender , strawberries and blueberries and an ice cream parlor where ice cream is sold in season . When they first purchased 92 cows in 1997 , they didn’t have the resources to bring their product to market efficiently or effectively . The Orr’s and six other farm families got together , pooled their resources and created The Farmer’s Cow . Today , their products include milk , cream , ice cream , eggs and seasonal beverages .

The farmers and the farms of The Farmer’s Cow include : Paul and Diane Miller from Fairvue Farm in Woodstock ; Bill , Tom and Greg Peracchio from the Hytone Farm in Coventry ; Ned and Renee Ellis from the Mapleleaf Farm in Hebron ; Jim and Don Smith and Nate Cushman from the Cushman Farms in Franklin and Robin and Lincoln Chesmer from the Graywall Farms in Lebanon .

The birth of The Farmer’s Cow came about after visitors to the farm began asking where they could buy milk from their cows . “ There was an incredible resurgence of interest in local farms . People wanted to know where their food came from , ” said Peter , who studied agronomy at the University of Connecticut and Penn State . People wanted to identify the source . They wanted to know the face behind the food , he said .

Tankers pick up the milk every morning and bring it to the processing plant where it is processed the slow , old fashioned way , with low temperature pasteurization . The milk goes from cow to grocery shelf in less than 24 hours . “ We get e-mails every week telling us how good the taste of our milk is , ” Orr says .

“ Peter is the scientist of the farm . I’m the Chief Inspirational Officer , ” Kristen Orr said . She is proud that her maiden name O’Leary means calf herder . She pulls out a half pint of milk the group started selling last fall . “ Calf pints , ” she said as she pointed out the details on the Farmer’s Cow logo : the tufted head is a Guernsey , the face is Jersey and the spotted body is Holstein . All three breeds make up the Farmer’s cow herd . “ They’re good-natured breeds , ” he said . Orr uses artificial insemination techniques to improve his herd and to improve the components of milk , the butter fat and protein .

They take pride in the care they give their cows , the food they feed them and the milk they process from the herd . They take especially good care of the cows about to give birth . Two months before they’re due , they put them out to pasture . Calves are taken from their mothers soon after birth and kept in separate pens for health reasons . “ The newborn calf has no built up immunities . We feed them the mother’s first milk , the colostrum milk , which is rich in antibodies and minerals . We feed them more than the mother would , ” she claims . It takes a calf from two to two and a half yearsto join the milking herd .

It isn’t just the cows that she prizes . Kristen Orr loves the land . Dairy farms save wide open spaces , she says . Dairy farms need fields to pasture the cows . They need fields to grow hay and corn with which to feed the cows . The fields need to be contiguous and not far from the barns .

“ We’re helping to save 10 , 000 acres , ” she says of the Farmer’s Cow group . “ I love this land . I love driving down the road and seeing wide open spaces . ”

Not only are farms pretty , they are tax efficient , according to Orr . “ For every dollar paid in taxes , farms require about 30 cents worth of services back from the town . For residential properties , that dollar paid in taxes requires about $ 1 . 30 in services . ” And dairy farms provide infrastructure support . If dairy farming went away , the infrastructure would crumble , he said . If the infrastructure crumbles , there would be less over-all agricultural industry in the state .

For every acre of production , there are 2-3 acres in wood and wetlands , and wetlands are important aquifers . For every acre of wood and wetland , there is an abundance of wildlife dependent on it for survival . This is what the Orr’s are passionate about . It isn’t just milk , cream and eggs ; it’s quality of life . It’s what they want for their family and their community .