Fairholm Farm is Awarded for Their Centennial of Success
In partnership with: Connecticut Department of Agriculture
Fairholm Farm in Woodstock, Connecticut, has grown and thrived over the last 100 years. Third-generation farmers Todd and Diane Morin and their daughter and fourth-generation, Erica Hermonot, with her husband, Jonathan, are working to see another century. Because of its success over the last century, Fairholm Farm earned the prestigious Century Farm Award.
“We are humbled to be in the company of many other farms that have received the same distinction,” Erica says. “Our dairy has been recognized before, including being named Dairy Farm of Distinction in 1999, and winning the Green Pastures Award 2018 and Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) Northeast Area Member of Distinction award 2022.”
It’s no secret the farm has seen its challenges over its 100-year history. Diane’s grandparents, Ethal and Estella Barrett, purchased the property in 1920 for a diversified farm that, like many others at the time, fed the family and provided enough income for the family to live. They also milked Holstein cows and produced dairy products. After Ethal’s passing in 1941, Estella picked up the farm responsibilities with the help of her children – Barbara, George and Doris. The farm changed hands to George and his wife, Cecelia, and their three children – Diane, David and Connie – in the 1960s.
See more: 100 Years Strong: Preserving the Legacy of a Century Farm
Celebrating 100 Years
“Fairholm Farm Inc. was established when I was a child in 1974,” Diane says. “My father, George, focused the farm solely on dairy and improved it as much as he could. My dad passed away in 1988, and my mom and siblings ran the farm together until I married Todd Morin in 1991.”
Since taking ownership, Todd and Diane doubled the herd to 200 cows and raised four children – Angela, Erica, Ashley and Hollis. They began an equipment partnership called Big Iron Farm LLC with Valleyside Farm in 2009, which allowed both farms to purchase larger and better equipment for more efficient harvesting and higher quality forages, resulting in
a healthier, more productive herd.
“Today, my parents, husband and I work together on the farm milking 400 cows,” Erica says. “We’re moving into the future by increasing technological advancements with the herd and land, as well as always trying to do better and still maintain core values that the farm was founded on.”
The farm has been successful for so long because of the forward-thinking and innovation of each family member.
See more: Connecticut Agriculture
“Consistency is how we manage the operation as a whole,” Erica says. “The core values of the business have not changed – love of family and farm.”
The Century Farm Award
The Century Farm Award is given to a farm that has been in family operation for more than 100 years and has outstanding potential to be a successful business for another 100 years. The recipient is selected annually by the Connecticut Agricultural Information Council. Learn more at ctaginfocouncil.org.