We all have that favorite recipe that reminds us of home, family and holiday traditions. Here are some that our dairy farmers wanted to share with you.
KENNY JERSEY FARM
Clayton and Renee Kenny own and operate Kenny Jersey Farm in Lawrence County, Pa. These third and fourth generation dairy farmers milk a herd of Registered Jersey cattle. Along with raising cows and crops, they are also raising their two children on the farm.
Renee’s immediate family celebrates Christmas together after the holidays and she says just the simple act of celebrating together is “what brings us together as a family.” The Kennys have a standing tradition of French onion soup, prime rib, twice baked potatoes and green beans. “It is the “perfect” meal in our opinion.” The thought of French onion soup always reminds them of their Christmas tradition and of Renee’s family!
PALMYRA FARM
Ralph and Mary Shank are third generation dairy farmers on Palmyra Farm in Hagerstown, Md. The Shanks currently milk 100 cows, mostly Ayrshires, because of their unique milk qualities that are great for making cheese.
“This is my Mom’s recipe that we grew up on,” says Mary Shank. For the holidays, Mary is more apt to splurge on the crab meat. While she typically makes it with regular Cheddar, Mary has tried it with some other flavors too. In the summer, Mary says, the dish cannot be served without fresh sliced tomatoes.
DEL-ROSE FARM
Del-Rose Farm in Bloomville, N.Y., began as a 60-cow dairy. Today, in addition, Ernest and Barb Hanselman and their family produces and sells sweet corn, tomatoes, peppers, summer squashes, and pumpkins, Barb’s Brown Eggs, and The Farmer’s Wife Baked Goods.
The next generation of the Hanselman family is learning the holiday traditions and creating memories of time spent with grandma baking or cooking. “On a lot of days, but especially on holidays, my family is thoughtful about food on the table and the hands that produce it, and how much of it we produce ourselves,” says Barb. The scalloped corn is a perfect representation. “We have sweet corn, exactly the way we have a lot of dairy. We’re proud to produce it and we’re going to be consuming it at a holiday meal as a celebration of what we do.”
SCATTERED ACRES, INC.
Owned by the Hartman Family, Scattered Acres, Inc., located in Berks and Lancaster counties, Pa., has roots dating back to the early 1800’s. Today, the fifth and sixth generation of the Hartmans operate the dairy, milking 1,100 cows.
“This is a recipe that we have been making since my mother-in-law, Josephine Hartman, shared it with me 50 years ago. We have been getting together to make it every year,” says Diane Hartman. “This year it will only be a small gathering, still three generations, but we will keep up the tradition.”
MAPLEVIEW DAIRY
Mapleview Dairy is a family owned farm that milks 3,200 cows, raises 3,000 heifers, manages 5,000 acres of land and works with a team of 65 employees in Madrid, NY. The fourth generation is now managing the farm and committed to producing high quality milk while being good stewards of the land, animals, and people.
Barbara Fisher, the matriarch of the farm family, adjusted and developed these cranberry cookies just this year to spread some love to team members on the farm during these turbulent times. Barbara likes to stay busy, but with COVID 19 she has had to find new ways to keep going at her normal fast pace. We have to say that the employees are happy to be reap the benefits of her recipe testing!
