Ed McGarry always knew that he wanted to be a dairy farmer. It's a passion shared by his wife, Diane, and youngest son, Brian, who operate McGarry Dairy, a 115-head Holstein operation in West Berkshire, Vermont.
Although they would say that being able to do what they love is enough reward, they recently were recognized with one of the biggest honors bestowed by the dairy industry in the state, that of being named the Vermont Dairy Farm of the Year for 2021.
University of Vermont (UVM) Extension and the Vermont Dairy Industry Association (VDIA), in cooperation with the New England Green Pastures Program, present the award annually to an exemplary dairy farm. The winner is selected by a judging team consisting of past award winners who tour nominated farms and consider production records, herd performance, conservation practices and other criteria.
"The McGarrys are a great example of a family that works together and works well," says Marty Waterman, a dairy focus consultant with Cargill Feed and Nutrition in Swanton, who nominated the farm. "They do all the milking and chores themselves and hire custom crews for spreading manure, mowing, chopping hay, planting and harvesting corn. This keeps expenses low and labor in check."
Although neither Ed nor Diane grew up on a dairy farm, they both studied agriculture in college, crediting relatives for instilling in them an interest in farming. They met on the job in the mid-1980s when both worked for UVM Extension. Ed was the Grand Isle County agricultural and 4-H agent. Diane worked as an ag agent in Orleans County.
They bought their first heifers shortly after they married in 1987, renting a barn about three miles from their present location near the Canadian border. Their current farm, purchased in 1993, was owner-financed, which they credit for helping them get started without a large debt load.
"The previous owner knew that we couldn't afford to buy the property all at once, so he sold us half the farm with an agreement for us to buy the rest in five years," Diane says. "By 1998, the farm was ours."
In 2018, the McGarrys purchased a second farm a few miles away for the land, which allows them to produce almost 100 percent of the forages they need to feed their herd. They rent out the six-bedroom 1860 farmhouse on that property as an airbnb.
That same year, they formed an LLC, making Brian, who majored in dairy science at Virginia Tech, a partner in the operation. He was the only one of their four children interested in taking over the family farm although his siblings, Natalie, Annora and Robert, all helped out on the farm while growing up and still lend a hand on visits home.
"Ed and Diane have developed a sensible strategy for the farm's transition to their son that allows them to step back from the day-to-day management," UVM Extension's Tony Kitsos, the awards program coordinator, says. "As Brian becomes more involved in decision-making, he has an opportunity to integrate new ideas, technologies and strategies for success."
The McGarrys currently milk 100 cows twice a day in a double-four herringbone milking parlor, shipping their milk to Agri-Mark/Cabot Creamery. Their average daily milk production is 79 pounds per cow with 4.1 percent butterfat and 3.1 percent protein. Their somatic cell count is consistently under 100,000.
These numbers can be attributed to overall excellent herd management, selective breeding through artificial insemination and careful attention to herd health and cow comfort.
"We house our cows in a freestall barn lined with rubber floor mats with foam underneath and bedding with separated solids to keep the animals comfortable. This ensures consistent high milk production," Diane says. "Our younger animals are on sawdust with bedded pack in the maternity area."
The farmers have 430 acres of owned and rented land, including 200 acres of grass and 35 acres of pasture. They put their lower-producing cows on pasture until June, using rotational grazing for their dry and bred heifers, which helps reduce feeding costs.
Through good crop management practices that include regular soil testing, crop rotation and a well-managed manure program, they are able to grow almost all of their feed although buy 3,500 square bales of first- and second-cut hay for the younger cows.
"The McGarrys have chosen not to make a significant investment in the machinery itself," Kitsos explains. "Rather, they chose to utilize custom operators who do have such equipment, and invest with the operators instead. It's a strategy that fits in well with their family goals."
Ed agrees, adding that "Our custom operators are cognizant of putting up quality feed. They work with us instead of dictating to us what to do." Use of GPS technology allows for precision seeding with no double rows of corn, another cost-saving measure.
They get four cuttings of hay, yielding about 11-12 tons of haylage per acre and four tons of dry matter. For their no-till corn, the yield is 18-20 tons of silage per acre. Because the farm is located in a colder pocket of the state with a shorter growing season, they grow an 83- or 85-day, drought-tolerant corn variety, going for maximum starch.
"We also chop the haylage finer to improve intake and cut down on loads and bunk space," Brian says. Their bunk space was around two feet per cow although they've expanded that to give their animals more room to eat.
"We feed 55 percent forage to our higher group and the heifer group," Ed notes, "and 68 percent for the lower producers." They push up the feed multiple times a day to increase fat and improve rumen function for higher milk production. Close-up cows (those within 21 days of calving) get pre-fresh grain three weeks prior to calving, or for four weeks if a first-calf heifer.
"Our forages are sampled every 10 days and grain adjusted every two weeks," the dairyman continues. "Marty Waterman knows our herd and has analyzed our feed records for a number of years."
The McGarrys were among the first dairy producers in Vermont to experiment with Agolin, a plant-based feed additive, in their cows' diet to increase the butterfat and protein content of milk while helping to reduce methane emissions. The soft study was supported by Barry Callebaut, an environmentally conscious company in St. Albans that manufactures high-quality chocolate and cocoa products.
The farmers raise all their own replacements, breeding their heifers to produce their first calf at around 22-24 months. They strive for a calving interval of 13.4 months.
"We breed for longevity and high fat and protein content," Diane says, "as well as good foot and leg conformation. We pick bulls that will produce medium-sized cows, around 1,500-1,600 pounds, as bigger cows put more weight on their feet, which can lead to more foot problems."
"Another trait we look for is DPR (daughter pregnancy rate)," Brian adds.
To ensure that their calves get off to a healthy start, they are housed in individual stalls in a separate, well-ventilated section of the barn for their first several weeks. At birth they are given a nasal vaccine, dehorned with paste and have their navels dipped.
They get raw cow's milk for seven weeks before being weaned in their eighth week. They are then fed hay, then haylage for three months plus a heifer grower supplement.
"We fed milk replacer to the calves for many years," Diane explains. "Then 15 years ago, when the price increased, we switched to full milk. We saw steady growth in the calves, so never went back to replacer." The farm boasts a zero mortality rate for calves.
The conservation-minded farmers also pay attention to detail when it comes to their land, some of which is located near the Pike River in the Lake Champlain basin.
Brian worked with Dr. Heather Darby, an agronomist with the UVM Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program, to develop a nutrient management plan for the farm. The agronomist also has consulted with them on noxious weeds and conducts PSNTs (pre-sidedress nitrogen tests) to determine the amount of nitrogen available in the soil just prior to sidedressing.
They have participated in other UVM Extension projects including a roof run-off project that diverted water from the freestall barn roof into the manure pit. They also took part in a two-year study, interseeding radishes into corn and other forage crops to increase soil aeration to help improve soil structure and minimize runoff.
"They take pride in being good stewards of the land, continually looking for ways to prevent erosion and nutrient run-off while improving soil health and crop yields," Kitsos points out.
Recently they have begun working with their custom operator, Scott Magnan of Scott Magnan's Custom Service in St. Albans, to inject manure instead of spreading it on fields. This practice will add nutrients to the soil while reducing phosphorus runoff.
They also have reclaimed around 30 to 40 acres of land on the original farm, and some on the new farm, while allowing other land to revert to its natural state.
"Land is a limited resource, so we need to protect it," Diane believes, noting that it's all interrelated--the farm, the cows, the land, the people, the finances. "To stay on top of our game, we need to take good care of all of these assets."
In September, the McGarrys will head to Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield, Massachusetts, to give a presentation about their operation and be honored, along with the five other New England state winners, at a special dinner and ceremony. They also will be invited guests at the VDIA banquet at the Vermont Farm Show in Essex Junction next January.
Other finalists for the award, listed alphabetically, were the Corse Farm Dairy (Leon, Linda and Abbie Corse), Whitingham; Knoxland Farms (Paul Knox), Bradford and Wells River; and R & N Thibault Farm (Robert and Normand Thibault), Colchester.
Media Contact:
Tony Kitsos, (802) 524-6501, ext. 440, or (800) 639-2130 (Vermont calls only), tony.kitsos@uvm.edu