Baily’s Dairy

All photos by Chris Barber

A red shop at the top of the hill is loaded with milk, honey and produce. The signs along the road let people know that the farm is in the dairy cow business.

By Marcella Peyre-Ferry Contributing Writer

The Unionville Community Fair has its roots as an agricultural fair, and still highlights the community’s ties to its farming history. Baily’s Dairy is one of the area’s most prominent—and long-standing—farms, and is still in operation and popular with residents today. Baily’s Dairy dates back to 1874 and has earned Pennsylvania’s prestigious Dairy of Distinction Award. Sisters Becky Baily and Meredith Baily Parsons are fourth-generation farmers helping to operate the property.

“Together with our father Barnard Baily, we manage the cows and daily operations of the dairy farm,” Parsons explained. “Becky’s husband Eric manages the bottling plant. Our son, fifteen-year-old Tyler is growing up on the farm and is a huge help with daily chores. We also have a handful of family friends and neighbors that also help keep things running smoothly each week.”

Area residents are fortunate that they can shop for the very freshest produce and dairy products with milk pasteurized and bottled right on the farm for delivery to about 25 other markets and restaurants each week. Baily’s Dairy Farm Store offers milk, ice cream, brown eggs, cheese, seasonal produce and more.

“After our wholesale orders are complete, we stock our farm store with our pasteurized milk,” Parsons said. “We have relationships with about 40 others local farmers/artisans and offer their products as well. Our customers appreciate knowing that their

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Continued from Page 69 food is locally sourced and natural. When people purchase from our market, they are not only supporting our family business but many other families in the community at the same time.”

Baily’s Dairy at Pocopson Meadow Farm is the only farm in the West Chester area producing hormone-free, 100% natural milk and dairy products right on the premises.

About 80% of the cattle at Baily’s Farm are American Linebacks. Derived from an old English breed, you can recognize them by their speckled coat, dark muzzle, dark ears and a white stripe down their back. The rest of the herd includes Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Guernsey, Holstein, Jersey and Milking Shorthorn.

There are about 80 cows in the milking herd, and they enjoy a grass diet and the freedom of grazing in the fields spring through fall. Cows are bred for conformation and longevity, not milk production, and hormones are never used to increase growth or milk production. The Baily family is proud to run a successful small dairy while ‘allowing cows to be cows.’

Baily’s Dairy has a long relationship with the Unionville Community Fair.

“Our grandmother, Dorothea, used to enter her jam, cakes, and sewing projects. Our father, Barnard, remembers entering the” Hocus Pocus” class and the “Freak of Nature” class for vegetables as a kid and as he got older he enjoyed growing Indian corn and pumpkins for the fair. Becky, Tyler and I have all grown up entering items in table competitions but have always preferred exhibiting our cattle in the dairy show,” Parsons said.

You can see some of the best cows from Baily’s Dairy at the fair, and if harvest season has gone well the Baily family will have other crops in the exhibition as well.

This year, the family will be sending several Ayshirres, Jerseys, Linebacks and one Guernsey cow to the fair for Tyler and five other 4-H members to show.

“The fair is a really friendly competition for the farmers that take the time to enter their agricultural exhibits. It is even more fun for us to get to show off what we grew to the public, plus Unionville’s dairy show is one of the most competitive cow shows in Pennsylvania,” Parsons said.

On a personal level, Meredith and her family enjoy participating and attending the fair.

“I like how it draws together the whole community and still feels like an old-fashioned gathering,” Parsons said. “There are no carnival rides so kids are able to focus more on the educational opportunities found in the exhibits, livestock, games and entertainment. The fair is also known to have really good food!”

For more information, visit Baily’s Dairy on FaceBook, or check out the website at www.BailysDairy.farm.com.

Photos from top to bottom: - Drivers will know that the shop at the top of the hill sells fresh milk and ice cream. - A man and his child pay a visit with the Baily’s Farm alpha cow, Priscilla, who visited the Taste of the Fair in October of 2020. - The Baily’s farm shop also sells fresh plants. - Signs for the Baily’s Dairy farm greet drivers along LenapeUnionville Road in Pocopson and note that it has been in business for more than 100 years. - The shop is open all day for fresh produce and milk.

70 Fall 2021 • Unionville Community Fair