Meet the Meyer Family

by Carrie Branovan

Go back. Way back. Back to a time when large families rolled up their sleeves, worked the land together, and shared a vision for themselves, each other, and the world.

Now fast-forward, to a modern, stainless steel, surgically clean, computer-programmed milking parlor that looks like the helm of a starship, and meet the Meyer family. The entire family that is. Because that's how it is up here on this pristine hilltop in Hardwick, Vermont: they ALL milk cows together. All three generations.

As the cows file happily in and out, two year-old Lila toddles around underfoot in her pink chore boots and overalls with a cup of freshly picked blueberries in one hand, and an egg in the other. Various relatives sweep her up, kiss and tickle her until she giggles, and set her back down. Lila's Grandma, Patty, wears a blue rubber apron as she selects a homeopathic remedy for a cow with an injured knee. Lila's Grandpa Steve snaps his red suspenders as he guides the freshly milked cows out to pasture. Uncle Nick, 28, puts the milkers on a new round of Holsteins standing quietly to one side of the double 6 parallel parlor, while Uncle Taylor, 31, cleans and readies the next round of cows for milking.

Lila's dad, Andrew, 35, hoses down the blue rubber mats on the floor. Lila's mom Mary, 36, gathers supplies.

This is home.

Taylor directs my gaze to two plaques mounted high on the white walls: "Highest Quality Dairy Award State of Vermont." Andrew says, "That's not just top quality among organic producers, that's top quality in the entire state. Compared to 1300 other farms, we produced the highest overall quality milk in the state for the last two years in a row."