Holsteins, History and Heart: Life on a Vermont Dairy Farm

It’s easy to understand why Eric Paris can’t choose a favorite place on his Vermont dairy farm. He has several favorites. There is the barn where he and his wife, Cathy, milk Holstein cows. There’s an area with a grand view of the White Mountains in neighboring New Hampshire. There’s Quimby Field, rich with history. And every part of that organic farm becomes his favorite place when his grandchildren are by his side.

As the wind carried leaves from the trees on a sunny fall day, the grandchildren, Josie and Blane, were visiting, along with other family members who helped share the story of the family’s legacy: Tamarlane Farm. 

More than 100,000 family farms have been lost in the past decade, and only 2,500 certified organic family dairy farms remain. Of the six farms once found on their ridge, the Paris family farm is the only one that hasn’t closed its doors for good.

Farms may be disappearing from the landscape, but Cathy and Eric have no intention of giving up farming anytime soon.

“We absolutely love our life. We love what’s going on. My only regret is that I can’t do it again,” Eric said.

On Food

After getting a boost to pick a fresh apple, 5-year-old Josie slipped her small hand in Grandpa’s and led him off, eager to share the excitement of discovering a new pumpkin in a nearby patch.

Love nurtures. Nature nurtures. Food nurtures.

Putting organic food, such as fresh-picked organic apples, in the family’s bellies is deeply important, Cathy said. In fact, it’s just as important as ensuring the cows have nourishing food.

There are so many chemicals and preservatives in much of today’s food, she said. “Everything I buy, even if it’s quite expensive, is organic. Investing in your health is worth it. It’s about how you feel daily, and it’s about your diet.”

Eric sees many benefits in choosing organic foods. One reason, and something consumers can feel good about, is that all Organic Valley cows are pasture raised. USDA Organic standards require that, during the grazing season, all organic dairy cows spend at least 120 days on pasture and receive a minimum of 30% of their diet from fresh pasture grasses. “Also, no synthetic hormones, pesticides or herbicides are allowed in organic production, and rightfully so,” Eric added.

The cows on the Paris family farm produce milk that goes into Organic Valley Grassmilk® milk.

The family wants to ensure others also have access to wholesome, organic food. Not far from their farm, they own two restaurants, Mosaic Restaurant and Freighthouse Market & Cafe. Their daughter Bonnie manages both. The restaurants offer a variety of locally sourced foods, and they use organic ingredients in many dishes.

Cathy enjoys the sense of community created at these restaurants and the knowledge shared. “We are learning from our customers; there are more and more ways to be healthy, and to eat healthily,” she said.

Of course, they sell Organic Valley® products at their establishments and use them in their restaurant kitchens.

On Cow Care

The couple milks 27 cows. This is a relatively small dairy farm — even by our cooperative’s standards! We’re proud that the average herd size on our farms is fewer than 70 cows, which is 4.5 times smaller than the national average. Why do small dairy herds matter? Like children, farmers know each cow and their tendencies. By being up close, they can spot and act on potential issues early.

“If the cows are happy, clean and comfortable, that makes us happy,” Cathy said, while watching the cows munch away in a field of greens.

The cows are never fed grain, as required by the Organic Trust Plus Certified Grass-Fed Organic Livestock Program™. For a product to bear a Grass-fed seal, the farm must be certified organic and meet stringent standards. Organic Valley’s grass-fed products fully comply with those standards.

Cathy and Eric both agree they saw positive changes by eliminating grain.

“When we stopped feeding grain to our cows, we did notice a real rise in their overall health, well-being and longevity,” Eric said. 

On Organic Certification

Organic production starts from the ground up. Farmers like the Parises put great care into keeping healthy soil. Manure from the cows is spread on the fields, providing essential nutrients. They avoid overworking the land to keep it vital and the grass growing — a necessity to keep their cows content.

The family officially became certified organic in 2003, and they soon saw positive changes in the cows, including fewer stomach, foot and reproductive issues.

Because organic production has been so rewarding for the cows and family, Eric said, “I would never go back to conventional production.”

Cathy and Eric have friends and family who pitch in at the farm, including their son Ben, who helps keep all the farm machinery running with his mechanical abilities. But it is still a lot of work.

At one point, the couple milked more than double the number of cows as they do now. Along with those, came a much more labor-intensive lifestyle. It took some of the joy out of farming. They wanted to run the farm without hired help, so they went back to having a smaller herd.

It made sense to them and allowed for a more environmentally sustainable operation. (The family won Organic Valley’s first Sustainability Award more than a decade ago.)

Along with keeping chemicals that can be harmful to human health out of the ecosystem, Eric began a business to do his part to return food waste to the earth, while improving soil health. Simply put, he mixes the waste with wood chips and manure and uses an innovative aeration system to turn it into compost that is approved for use in organic production.

He receives approximately 10 tons of food waste weekly from restaurants, grocery stores and institutions. When school is in session, it goes up to 12 tons.

“We really, really, really, as a family, are trying to leave this world a little better than we found it. It's our duty. It’s our responsibility,” Eric said.

And they are.

Along with being thoughtful land stewards, they are deeply involved in their community. They bring The North Pole Express to town each winter, offering community members a chance to enjoy holiday train rides. Eric holds town offices and serves on the history advisory board. In 2022, they were inducted into the Vermont Ag Hall of Fame as the Agricultural Innovator.

On Life

Organic Valley’s mission is to provide a stable, sustainable pay price to farmers so they can continue farming with their families. It all started in 1988, when farmers found a way to market their goods and make a living by producing organically derived food.

Eric said farm families need to address sustainability, not just for today but for the future. 

“This means forward-thinking measures that will ensure healthy soils, healthy crops, healthy animals and a profitable farm that will sustain the health, happiness and prosperity of the farm family,” he said. “Healthy soils, healthy crops and healthy animals are a direct result and a direct reflection of a sustainable farm and a healthy, happy and prosperous farm family, and vice versa.”

This feeling of family and farming was apparent as Grandma Cathy gave Josie a piggyback ride while the family reminisced, walking down the lane toward the original farmhouse. The nearby barn, built in 1860, has seen many changes over the years, along with the arrival of new generations.

“We feel very blessed to live and work here,” Cathy said.

After a morning spent touring the farm and talking about its past and future, it became clear Eric had another favorite place that he hadn’t mentioned: sitting on the deck, taking in the landscape and sharing local food and stories with his family and friends.