We celebrate our hardworking dairy farmers not just on National Farmers Day, but each and every day of the year!

To celebrate National Farmers Day, which is observed on October 12th, we bring you our Chef Meets Farm special, featuring Emmy award-winning culinary producer and chef, Anthony Contrino, and farmer Nate Chittenden of Dutch Hollow Farm. What happens when a city chef travels to a farm to cook outside of his element? Watch to find out!

Watch the full episode of Chef Meets Farm!

Farmer Nate and chef Anthony Contrino showcasing culinary skills in celebration to National Farmers Day.
Farmer owner and chef cook pasta sauce on wooden table, celebrating National Farmers Day.
Farmer and chef showcasing a glass bottle of milk, surrounded by cooking supplies on a wooden table.
A glass bottle filled with milk placed on a wooden cutting board, accompanied by a vase filled with water and sage.

The fall inspired Butternut Squash Pasta Bake recipe featured in this episode is a fan favorite!

Two ceramic bowls filled with butternut squash pasta, accompanied by a small bowl filled with shredded cheese.
A frying pan being filled with cheese and milk sauce to make butternut squash pasta.
A woman's hand filling a ceramic bowl with cooked pasta and butternut squash pasta sauce.
A woman's hand sprinkling shredded cheese onto a bowl filled with butternut squash pasta.
A ceramic serving tray filled with creamy butternut squash pasta, delicately decorated with a leaf of sage.

Watch additional episodes of our Chef Meets Farm series

National Farmers Day is observed annually on October 12th to honor and pay tribute to farmers, who have dedicated their lives to feed our nation. Their contributions range from providing a sustainable and secure food supply to providing jobs and stimulating our economy.

It is believed that the day was set to be celebrated on October 12th as it is after the traditional time that many crops would have been harvested in the Fall, so farmers could join in on the celebration! It is a long standing tradition that dates back to before modern farming practices, in fact it was once referred to as ‘Old Farmer’s Day’.

The first celebrations of it date back to a simpler time when farming and agriculture was more of an everyday way of life for many Americans. Today there are a variety of more modern ways that you can celebrate and show support to the farmers in your life. Including sending a thank you text or e-mail, shouting them out on social media, or any other creative ideas that you can think of!

At American Dairy Association North East, we represent nearly 9,000 dairy farmers throughout the northeast. Dairy farmers have an eye on the future of our shared resources and are committed to feeding communities and giving back.

A special message for our hard-working dairy farmers from Olympian and dairy farmer, Elle St. Pierre.

Established in 1976, Dutch Hollow Farm is owned and operated by the Chittenden family in Schodack Landing, NY.

Farm owners accompanied by guest chef Anthony Contrino, enjoying butternut squash pasta.

Watch the videos below to learn more about Dutch Hollow Farm!

Fun on the Farm at Dutch Hollow Farm

Dutch Hollow Farm Virtual Farm Tour

Watch episodes from our This American Dairy Farmer series to learn more about local dairy farm families and how they sustainably produce your milk and dairy foods all year round!

Promoting National Farmers Day

Check out some great ways to celebrate National Farmer’s Day in our recent  blog

Join the Rally Around National Farmer's Day