On Valley Ho Farm, everything is about dairy.
In 2017, the 200-acre, Middletown, Maryland, farm added a flower business to stay afloat. Now, the flower business has bloomed, and the dairy operation was recognized as Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association’s Producer of the Year.
“There’s hundreds of really good cooperative farmers in the co-op. So we were kind of surprised to get that honor because we know so many people that are doing such a great job,” said Jamie Derr, who runs the farm with her husband, Chris, their two sons and Chris’ family.
The association’s Producer of the Year is given to a farmer whose operation positively affects the animals, environment and community.
The flower business added an agritourism element to the farm, connecting it with the community through classes and cut-your-own events. Despite events being geared to flowers, Derr said her family takes advantage of the opportunity to teach about the dairy farm and to share the milking experience with visitors.
“It’s almost like we trick them to come here with flowers, and then we teach them about dairy farming,” Derr said.
The flower business has also helped fund renovations for the cows, which have included construction of a new heifer barn, purchase of new mattresses and updates to the freestalls in the past couple years. The Derrs are also working to add a pasture so their milking cows can exercise.
“As you can afford it, you make improvements,” Derr said.
To keep her flower business original, Derr includes various crops from around the farm, depending what is in season. She’s used barley, sorghum sudangrass and wheat, among other things.
Derr sells at two farmers markets weekly, a daily indoor market and at a roadside stand on the farm. She has grown her business through social media, specifically finding traction in joining the surrounding area’s community groups.
She strives to post four times a week and includes topics from around the farm, not just about the flowers. She also advertises the business in her community’s magazine.
Across the farm, the Derrs focus on their environmental impact. They’ve fenced cattle out of the stream and put a buffer of thick grass around the body of water. Non-milking cows are also kept in rotating pastures.
Source: lancasterfarming.com
Photo Credit: bouquet-pexels-monicore
Categories: Pennsylvania, Business, Livestock, Dairy Cattle