The Peru Gazette

Farm owner Don Dimock (Left) and Poulin Grain Dairy Nutrition Consultant (Right) discuss strategies to improve the farm’s economic viability and cow health.

The Dimock Farm team, from left, Greg Palmer, Sam Dimock, Bruce Dimock, Don Dimock, and Anne Farrell.

Dimock Farms Has Won Highest Milk Quality Award Every Year since 2004

PERU, NEW YORK: Dimock Farms has been committed to their cows and community by producing wholesome, high quality milk since 1971. Earlier this year, this family farm defended their title for the best overall quality milk for Region 11 in Northeastern NY for 2016, a regional award they have won every year since 2004. In 2007, Dimock Farms had the highest milk quality out of over 1,300 farmer-owners of Cabot Cooperative Creamery located across New York and New England.

What’s their secret? According to farm owner Don Dimock, “Excellent milk quality starts with clean, healthy cows. We fill the cows’ beds with fresh sand, which keeps the cows comfortable and dry. Automatic scrapers clean manure from the barn floors every few hours day and night, which improves cow cleanliness.”

Each cow’s udder is cleaned and dried before she is milked, and then after milking each teat is dipped in a conditioning salve. According to Dimock, “It’s kind of like chap stick for humans. It keeps the skin on the cows’ udder healthy, and healthy udders means that the cows will produce healthy milk.”

For the Dimocks, this attention to detail pays off – they receive about a five-cent bonus for every gallon of milk their cows produce, which is added on top of the pay price that they receive for their milk. Although the milk quality bonus is helpful, the real payoff for the Dimocks is providing a safe and healthy product to consumers.

Maximum cow health also requires that cows consume a healthy diet. Dimock Farms works closely with Dillon Snell of Champlain, NY, a dairy nutrition consultant from Poulin Grain. “Cows are grouped on the farm with other cows of similar age and milk production,” says Snell, “This allows us to feed the cows a ration that exactly meets their nutritional needs.”

Ensuring that a cow’s nutritional needs are satisfied means that she will produce healthy and nutritious milk. Milk provides nine essential nutrients and is high in protein and healthy fats. For the Dimocks, producing food for their community is their top priority, which is why they take their cows’ health and nutrition very seriously.

Today more than ever, every small detail counts towards farm success. The entire team at Dimock Farms follows Don Dimock’s wise words, “Do everything as well as you can, every day. You can’t let anything slip.” Its attention to detail like this that allows Dimock Farms to produce quality milk, maximize cow health, and ensure a sustainable farm business today and long into the future.

Dimock Farms was founded by Don and Martha Dimock. Today, Don is in partnership with his son Bruce. Don’s daughter Anne, his grandson Sam, Sam’s wife Karlie, and herdsman Greg Palmer round out the Dimock Farm team.