shortly began scooping up parcels of the former
farmlands for housing communities.
In arrive Peggy Rockefeller, of the fabled Rockefeller
family. Wanting to preser ve the treasured pastures
around the Hudson Valley, Rockefeller began
purchasing plots as they came to auction. Eventually
she amassed over 3,000 acres. In 2008, a decade after
her passing, her daughter Abby Rockefeller assumed
operations of the land at Churchtown. Her vision was
to build a beautiful dair y farm that would be an anchor
of the community.
Construction of the iconic Round Dome barn began
in 2012, and subsequent years have seen the farm grow
to the 28 dairy cows and their calves, 28 beef cattle, a
sprinkling of pigs, and 12 employees who call it home
today. The team is focused on a return to the biodynamic
farming and small-scale agricultural practices common
before the industrial boom.
"Nothing is wasted, or as close as we can manage
it," says Deputy Director Amy Gavaris, as she tours us
between the milking barn, creamery, and the medicinal
gardens. Plants from the gardens are turned into
homeopathic remedies and field crops, fertilized by
manure compost from the herd.
In 2017, Matt Spiegler arrived from Jasper Hill Farms
in Vermont to kick off the cheese production as head
cheesemaker. In 2019, he was joined by Grace Pullin from
Talbott & Arding to assist in cheesemaking and manage
Talbott & Arding
cheesemonger
Brad Daschbach
Talbott & Arding in Hudson, NY
Grace Pullin (left) and
Matt Spiegler flip wheels
at Churchtown Dairy
Dinner with friends
under the round dome at
Churchtown Dairy
