Valley Livestock Marketing Cooperative
News from the Farms

Posted December 5th

To our customers-

After six years of serving a growing customer base, Valley Farmers is throwing in the towel and calling it quits at the end of this year.

We have enjoyed every minute of our existence, despite the many pitfalls and
glitches.  Working with animals and loyal, appreciative customers has been the main benefit.  We have deep feelings about our commitment to local, grass fed agriculture, and that commitment will continue.

But the time required to market livestock from a diverse collection of growers
to sell into a diverse collection of buyers is more than a volunteer job.  And that folks, is how our coop operated:  on a volunteer basis.

Our volunteers asked for early retirement.  No package, no watch and no pension.

A marketing coop was a good idea, but we could not make it happen with a profit margin sufficient to pay the folks who made it happen.

Where does that leave our customers?

By and large, you will have to make contact with individual growers.  The farmer-  producers listed below may be able to fill your orders.  Or they may not.  It will depend on the time of year and whether they have the time or inclination.

Sir William Angus is the one operation that closely mirrors what Valley Farmers does on the grass fed beef side.  They also have a herd of Berkshire pigs that are reputed to be the favorite amongst chefs.  Valley Farmers carried these pigs and you may have had one.  If they can not fill your order, go down the list until you hit pay dirt. 

You the customer is going to have to do what Valley Farmers did for you – match the source with the order, and maybe solve the delivery problem.   Probably not one of the growers is going to be driving meat around to customers’ houses or places of business.  So, chefs, learn to drive to the farm or the slaughter plant and pick up your meat.        

Many of us will continue to offer our customers “freezer orders”, namely sides and split sides of beef and sides of pigs and lambs, all custom cut, wrapped and frozen.   But you will have to wait as no farm will have these orders all year round or on short delivery times.  Prices will vary.  Each farm will have to figure out the
butchering and cutting problem, one that becomes more serious as markets grow and the number of butchers shrink.

This website will change in the next few weeks, morphing into a coalition of growers as of December 15 and perhaps continuing or perhaps disappearing.

After December 15 telephone or email individual farmers.  The telephone will be terminated and the valleyfarmers email will end. 

Kathy Blackshaw – Lamb year round, pastured eggs year round, honey and advise,  seasonal.  860 364 0802 

Sir William Angus, Craryville, NY – Bruce and Justin Conover – 518- 325-3105,
sirwilliamangus@taconic.net .  Black Angus beef and Berkshire pigs, year round,
vegetables and flowers and cuts of meat at the farm.

Larry Lampman, Fox Hill Farm, East Ancram Rd, Ancram, NY 518 – 329- 2405     
Feeders and breeding stock.  Beef, veal and baby beef available by special arrangement.

Ridge Field Farm, Chestnut Ridge Road, Millbrook, NY, Bob Wilcox, farm manager,   845 877-1128,  Angus and Hereford breeds, freezer beef available year round by special order.

Thunderhill Farm, Rte 82, Stanforville, NY 845 868- 1306.  Turkeys in season, chickens in the summer by advance order, eggs all the time, pork sometimes.

Turkana Farm, 110 Lasher Avenue, Germantown, NY. Peter Davies and Mark Schetzer, 518 537-3815.
Chickens and heritage breed turkeys, geese and Karikul sheep, Osabow by Tamworth pigs.  All by special order.  Vegetables too.

Jerry Lape, 6f56 Mineral Springs Rd, Cobleskill, NY 518 234 2067.  Pigs year round.

Robert Kitchen, 480 Farm Rd, Copake, NY  518-325-1190. Pigs off and on.  By special order. Raised in big pastures,

Old Saw Mill Farm, Old Saw Mill Rd, Germantown, NY; 518-537-5404,
Chuck Abraham.  Pork and chicken in the freezers available most of the time; lamb on the hoof; acres of apples, pears and plums. Mostly wholesale, but retail customers welcome at the barn.  Call first.

Sandy Saunders, Stone Barns, Old Boston Post Road, Garrison, NY.  His own line of Angus.  Cuts available from the freezer.  Otherwise, order in advance for freezer beef.