Eating fresh & local

Andrew, Shauna and Maia Ferry

What’s so special about a dairy farm this time of year?

According to Shauna Ferry, co-owner of Westport Dairy, “Spring and Summer is so busy on the farm: we’re prepping the land, then planting, then cutting hay throughout the summer, all while maintaining the farm and milking the cows.

“Fall is also busy, but it’s the growing season coming to an end, the corn you planted in the spring comes to fruition and it's finally time to cut it and store it away for the winter. Harvest is an exciting time of year for many farmers because it’s the final hustle; it's almost time to breathe out and relax a little.”

Ferry and her husband, Andrew, own and operate Westport Dairy as well as Pine Hill Dairy (also in Westport). The two own a herd of 100 cows, milking 40 of them twice a day at their Pine Hill Dairy location. Andrew Ferry is a fourth-generation dairy farmer and has been milking cows since he was 15.

“Andrew’s dad had a herd of 300-400 at one time – he would wholesale his milk to co-ops like Dairy Farmers of America (DFA). It was a lucrative business at that time, but the dairy industry changed, and milk prices started to decline slowly. Andrew knew that in order to keep milking cows and maintain a dairy farm, he would have to grow and add value added products.”

In 2012, Andrew did just that, becoming certified to sell raw milk off the farm, the interest in raw milk grew over several years, and it is now a huge hit in and around the community.

“Our milk is tested frequently and for us to be able to sell raw milk, we need to meet rigid standards put in place by the state. Our bacteria counts must be minimal, so we have really good milk, which gave us the drive to open our dairy. We wanted to be able to bottle more of our milk rather than send all that wasn’t used for raw milk to DFA.” Ferry said. Westport Dairy uses vat or batch pasteurization to pasteurize their milk. “It gently brings the milk up to 145 degrees where we hold it for 35 minutes. This type of pasteurization helps to maintain the nutrients and delicious taste of the milk.”

According to Ferry, vat pasteurization is much less common than other methods such as High-Temperature Short-Time (HTST) and Ultra High Temperature (UHT), but this gentler process gives the milk a smoother, creamier taste. In addition to milk, which comes in plain, chocolate, and coffee flavors, Westport Dairy also makes their own line of drinkable yogurts in a variety of flavors. “It’s a popular item, with a clean taste and minimal ingredients. My daughter is two and she loves it.”

Ferry is proud of how much the dairy has grown and the support they’ve received. “It’s a great feeling to milk our cows, then take that milk and make products with it that people really love and come back for each week, sometimes every few days! We dreamt of this for so long so to finally be living it is a great feeling.”

The Ferry family have several goals for the future, one of which is to bring the milking facility back to the home farm on Gifford Road, with an observation window to allow families the ability to watch the cows being milked. Regarding products, frozen yogurt and unique milk flavors could be on the horizon. “We’re excited to continue to learn and grow.” The Westport Dairy store is located at 729 Gifford Road and is open MondaySaturday 8:30 to 5:30; closed on Sundays. For more information, visit their Facebook page.

Local fare

A lot of what South Coast area farms produce ends up in a place where locally grown ingredients are an important part of what's offered: Kate's Simple Eats, at 148 Front Street in Marion.

Owner Kate Ross said her cafe, which has been a fixture in Marion for eight years, uses local farm ingredients whenever possible in a menu that features homemade soups, artisan salads, and gourmet sandwiches. “What we focus on is serving healthy lunches," she said. “Organic pea shoots from Jonathan Sprouts in Rochester, locally grown tomatoes in the summer, and apples in the fall. I want to do lunch… and do it well.”

The result of this focus? "We've developed a great relationship with our customers," Ross said. "People know that they’re going to consistently get fresh, healthy food in a friendly environment. An ingredient that we take as seriously as the food is the atmosphere. You’ll always get a friendly smile, a few laughs, and an occasional song sung from the open kitchen. Kate’s is a happy place which is just as healthy as one of our delicious salads!”

Kate's most popular items are the turkey club made with thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, and their signature “superfood salad.” The latter includes all “superfood” ingredients: fresh baby spinach, red onions, tomatoes, avocado, sweet potato, black beans, quinoa, and toasted almonds with their homemade jalapeño lime dressing. “It’s healthy and filling, as it’s packed with fiber and protein.”

Ross said the cafe tries to play with the ingredients that are at its disposal to bring “flavorful palettes together to make up our menu. We go local with our ingredients whenever possible, especially with our specials."

For more information visit katessimpleeats.com.