Farmers on the Rise
ALL THAT’S DAIRY IS
gold
Story and photos by Michelle Kunjappu
As charming as the little two-room structure is, it just wasn’t cutting it anymore. In fact, the tiny former doctor’s office at Chesapeake Gold Farms, where Wes Miller, the sixth generation to operate a dairy on that farm, and his wife Amanda began selling their dairy’s valueadded products, just started to get a little cramped.
T
he farm’s employees were packing boxes on the same podium that they were using to ring customers up and Amanda was making regular treks to a nearby walkin refrigerator to fill customer orders, so the couple decided to make a change. A $10,000 prize from Farm Credit’s inaugural Farmers on the Rise award
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program paved the way for the farm’s most recent acquisition — a large mobile jobsite trailer. After some good old fashioned elbow grease and a fresh makeover, the trailer will house a small office, packaging area, and a storage area for the dry goods and packing supplies. “The plan was to get a shed
or trailer where we could be behind the scenes, packing for retailers and events,” says Amanda, “and have the two-room ‘cheese hut’ remain the point of purchase area for customers who come to the farm for Chesapeake Gold cheese, butter, yogurt, and beef.” Looking down the road, the couple hopes to construct an on-farm creamery and possible retail space, however “we needed something to fill the gap,” says Wes, who has been managing the dairy since 2012. The addition is part of the Millers’ effort to help the family farm remain profitable and productive in the coming years. The home farm includes 250 acres plus an additional 1,000 acres they’ve purchased and to other acreage that the family rents to raise the operation’s corn, soybeans, small grains, and hay they sell to local horse farms. Amanda has also begun growing and selling cut flowers on the property. The milking herd includes 180 cows and heifers made up of mostly Holsteins and Guernsey cows. Farm Credit has been a part of the family for more than 30 years, as the institution financed small equipment loans before taking over the mortgage last spring “because they have competitive rates and valuable staff,” says Amanda. “It’s nice to pick the phone up when you have questions or problems, as opposed to other lenders where you’re just a number. We’ve developed a relationship with someone who’s in the ag industry,” she adds. “From an underwriting perspective, it’s not just solely looking at numbers,” agrees Geoff Delamater, Farm Credit loan officer. “We weigh local factors in our decisions and understand the cyclical nature of commodity prices. There’s more to it than strictly looking at dollars for us.” “I like that there are the farmers on the Farm Credit Board who I know,” says Amanda. “They’re responsible people; they’re weighing in with their opinions and really understand our needs. It’s nice feeling like they get me.” The step toward their dairy’s valueadded products was both calculated and sudden. Wes’ parents, Bob and Diane Miller, had wanted to do onfarm processing. “We had been talking with cheesemakers and doing research,
