Knowlton Farm

by Nicole Zappone @TheChronicleCT

A local farm with over 300 years of history and several generations of farmers still operates over 400 acres across Ashford. Knowlton Farm, which is located at 95 Knowlton Road, is owned and operated by James and Bethany Knowlton. Since 1725, the family has owned and operated the farm in Ashford. The farm is a family-run business that sells beef, raw milk (through a herdshare program) and hay. “The farm has changed what kind of farming it has done over the years,” Bethany Knowlton said. The farm has done everything from sheep to apple cider brandy and more. The farm still has some old liquor licenses and there used to be an apple orchard on the property.

James and Bethany Knowlton pose with some of their cows at their farm, Knowlton Farm, located in Ashford.

Across 400 acres, the farm is along Route 44, borders Mansfield, and sits over an open pond.

Today on the farm, the couple has beef and a milk herd and sells hay. This year has been good for the pair as they are already sold out of the hay.

“Our customers basically buy a share of a cow (herdshare), so they get the milk from that cow,” Knowlton said. “Every week they come pick up and pay monthly.” Customers can use glass or plastic jars for their milk pickups and must return them each week for a refill. Customers can also pick up beef at the farm stand. “When we talk about animals on the farm, we have our beef herd and our dairy herd,” Knowlton said.

The couple has close to 60 cows on the farm, and they are housed together. There are some second-generation cows on the farm, and even one offspring, known as the escapee.

“For our dairy side, we have been expanding with the Jerseys, because that is what the customers want,” Knowlton said. “The Jerseys have a creamier milk to them and a higher butter fat content.” On the beef side, they have a mix of Herefords and other breeds. They have tried with Angus before.

“Our son is a big help and loves to come out and do chores with us,” Knowlton said. “He helps us stock and do chores every night. He’s growing up and learning the way.” There are also pigs on the farm, which will arrive sometime in June, and the couple is hoping to get USDA certified so they can sell the cuts from their stand.

At the farmstand, there are a number of products for sale, such as ground beef, beef patties, sweet Italian sausage patties, stew beef, kabob, bone-in short ribs, steaks, roasts and organs.

The farmstand operates on the honor system: customers come in to see the price list (by the pound), add up how much they take, and calculate the total. Once they have the total, they pay in cash or by check and place it in a metal box. “We will be putting our signs back up, saying spring is here and that we are open,” Knowlton said. “We have been waiting, as it’s been a long winter.” The farm also has chickens and the couple is working towards getting eggs out in the farmstand once they have enough.

James Knowlton said hay is one of their biggest sellers. “It’s funny, because at first when I started doing it, it was slow,” he said. “When you get recommended to people, then the people get another horse or two, more keep going out. Each customer is taking more and more hay.”

The farm currently has a few calves named Chocolate, Chip, and Cookie, who were born just a few weeks ago. On the farm, there is no shortage of names, such as Karen, whose daughter likes to sneak around the fence and escape.

Throughout the years, the farm has undergone many changes in where cows are milked and in the breeding system. The couple has about 58 cows, split between beef and dairy. The five dairy cows are milked twice a day. At this time of the year, most of the cows are out, but when the weather starts to warm up, they will be moved to another part of the farm.

As a teacher at Killingly High School, Bethany Knowlton teaches in the agriculture education program as the plant science teacher. “Simon and Bumble, we let them (KHS) borrow for the first half of the school year, so the kids can get some experience working with cows without owning them,” she said. “They’re a little tamer because they were loved every day, all day by high school kids.” As the ground dries, the cows are let out to roam the property. To get proper nutrients, salt bricks are left out for the cows so they get all their vitamins.

Knowlton Farm is located at 95 Knowlton Road in Ashford. For more information, call 860-487-4163.