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FARM
& GIFT SHOP HOURS
Memorial Day to Labor Day
Monday - Friday 9am to 3 pm
Saturday 9am to noon
Sunday closed
Online Store 24/7
Take a Self-Guided Tour Brochure While Visiting The Farm
From
Memorial Day Weekend to October 1st
ADMISSION:
Adults,
$4; Children, 2-12, $2; Under 2, Free |
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 The
Carman Brook Maple Farm attracts visitors year round from
around the world. The Self-Guided Tour Brochure walks you
through the dairy barn while giving you interesting facts
about how animals are cared for and milk is produced.
The family members and employees you meet on the
farm are more than happy to answer your questions and share a
view into their livelihood.
The dairy barn is the ultimate in cow comfort. The bovines are
the envy of their peers with cow air-conditioning, waterbed
mattresses and tiled feed alley. The Nursery is full of
attention seeking calves. From newborn to six months, these
babies get lots of TLC.
The
Fortin family began dairy farming on the Fortin Road in
Highgate Springs, Vermont, in 1911. Five generations later the
family continues farming combining the traditional farming
values and lifestyles with today's labor efficient technology.
The sugarhouse is
open year round. Enjoy the maple flavors and aromas
coming from our family owned and operated Vermont Maple
Sugarhouse. Where you can enjoy our family's tradition of
making Vermont maple syrup.
A scheduled group
tour with someone who lives and works on the farm is
available for parties of 15 or more. Call the
sugarhouse at 1-888-84-MAPLE (6-2753) for rates and times.
DIRECTIONS TO THE FARM: Directions from I89 North: Take I89 North to Exit 21 Swanton. At the bottom of the exit ramp at the stop sign take a right onto Route 78 and an immediate left onto the Frontage Road. You will continue North (I89 will be on your left) for 3 miles. At the 4 corner stop, go straight to the Fortin Road. The farm is 1 mile on the left.
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The milkhouse
is the room that stores the milk and milking equipment. The
Carman Brook Farm (CBF) is a tie stall barn with a pipeline
milking system that milks the cows in the barn. Twice a day the
milking equipment is brought out to the cows. |
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The bulk tank holds 1900 gallons of milk.
The milk truck picks up our milk and delivers it to the St. Albans Cooperative Creamery. From there it's off to Ben & Jerry's, Lucille Farms, Stoneyfield Yogurt or Stop & Shop. |
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The
dairy barn ties up 112 animals. The first cows you'll see are the
milking herd. The milking herd averages 85 animals. Milking takes
place twice a day, 4:30 a.m. and p.m. You are welcomed to join us!!
The barn is designed for cow comfort. Cow comfort and milk production
go hand in hand.
The cows enjoy waterbed mattresses, eat off a tiled feed alley
and enjoy a larger stall giving them more room than older barns. From
May 15th to Nov 15th, they enjoy going outside for exercise in green
pastures.
Dairy cows drink about 35 gallons of water and eat about 120 pounds of
food each day. |
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The
balloon curtains are regulated by temperature sensors and computer
monitors. The ventilation system in the barn takes advantage of the
natural airflow but also keeps the animals warm in the winter and cool
during the summer months.
At the end of this alley are heifers. These are the teenagers of the
herd. Averaging about 12 months, they are awaiting breeding and
veterinary services. When they are 2 years old, they will have their
first calf and enter the milking herd. |
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The farm produces haylage, corn silage and dry hay on 200 tillable acres. Spring, summer and fall are busy times of planting and harvesting enough crops for twelve months. The balance of the ration is purchased grain from a feed company.
The feed mixer's computer program automatically mixes the food to the right proportions for each group of animals. Recipes are stored and animal numbers are entered daily into the program. The farm produced forages are tested every other week and the rations are revised for optimum animal nutrition. |
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The youngest animals are kept in the nursery, from newborn to six months. Until 3 months of age they are being fed milk twice a day.
The rations change quickly here, from molasses grain, to hay, to some silage. The calves learn how to drink water from a bucket and then how to work a water bowl.
The calves are especially curious and will try to touch and lick you. The nursery is by far the favorite place to visit. The calves really like people and are very trusting. |
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QUESTIONS:
Email your questions to be answered by someone who lives and works on the farm. |
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