Choiniere Family Farm
Guy and Beth Choiniere own the Choiniere Family farm, located in Highgate Vermont. The Choiniere farm is a small, family run organic dairy that has been in the family for quite some time. In fact, Guy’s father was the previous owner and still helps with tending to the cows and other chores that need to be done around the grounds. Guy and the family take pride in knowing each and every cow’s name and one of their biggest passions is soil health and how it relates to the health of the cows, their milk, and the planet. The Choiniere’s have two children, Matt and Hannah, who also help out and share stories from around the farm.
Choiniere
A tour of the Hoop Barn
2:10What's a hoop barn, you ask? Watch this clip and find out!
A tour of the Hoop Barn
Matt's Egg Dilemma
1:07The eggs at the Choiniere Farm are too big to fit into regular sized egg cartons! These free range hens are so happy to see the sun and roam like they're supposed to, they lay some enormous eggs.Matt's Egg Dilemma
Tapping a Maple Tree
2:58Matt Choiniere takes us to the Bouchard organic soy bean and maple farm. In this video, we learn how to tap a tree. From drilling the hole, to attaching the classic maple bucket - we learn the step by step process!
Tapping a Maple Tree
Tapping a Maple Tree
2:58Come join Matt as he visits a local organic soy bean farm, that also produces maple syrup.
Tapping a Maple Tree
Cheese Making
0:50One of the last steps in making blue cheese - milling the curds, and scooping them into molds.
Cheese Making
Appearing Curds
0:54The whey is slowly starting to drain and curds are beginning to appear. Dawn explains more about the blue cheese making process.
Appearing Curds
Boucher Blue Cheese
2:31Matt takes a trip to the Boucher farm, and visits with Dawn to learn how blue cheese is made...
Boucher Blue Cheese
Goat Milking
2:37Watch Matt's cousin Lori milk the goats at nearby Blue Top Farm ...
Goat Milking
Winter Arrives on the Farm
1:56Guy pans his camera around the front yard of the farmhouse and across the street to show the winter scenery. He talks about what he and his family do on the farm during the winter.Winter Arrives on the Farm
Walking on New Road
2:24The cows return to the barn, walking along the new cattle lane Guy built for them. Guy discusses the new road surface, as well as the pleasant surprises of a new calf in the barn and having ...Walking on New Road
Update on Hershey and Kiss
2:05Hershey and her calf, Kiss, are “doing great” and continuing to bond.Update on Hershey and Kiss
Typical Sunday
0:45After a long, busy week of calving and other farm duties, all the humans and animals on the Choiniere Family Farm look forward to a laid-back day.Typical Sunday
Trying to Lift the Tractor
0:17Hannah demonstrates that “working on the farm really builds some muscles.” (Guy cautions: “Don’t try this at home.”)Trying to Lift the Tractor
Sustainable Systems
3:01“A successful farming system is a sustainable farming system. My definition of ‘sustainability’ is a system that can make it through the good times and the bad.” Guy presents a chart showing a ...Sustainable Systems
Spiffy and Spunky
0:57Matt explains that Spiffy had a heifer calf a few days ago. She and her calf, Spunky, will spend the next few weeks bonding in the hoop barn, which serves as the “maternity pen” in summer. Then ...Spiffy and Spunky
Scout Working off Energy
1:02Scout follows an infrared beam from Jessy’s flashlight around the barnyard until he tires out.Scout Working off Energy
Roller
2:01Guy’s been working on the cattle lane, making it smoother and flatter for the cows to walk on. It’s just been completed with the help of an Ingersoll-Rand blacktop roller. “I wanted to show it to ...Roller
Ninja Dog
1:11It’s a pleasant late-summer day in the Choinieres’ back yard. Foraging chickens keep Scout company as he wrestles with a stick twice as long as he is—“Whenever Scout gets excited, he goes and ...Ninja Dog
New Way of Spreading Manure
1:40Matt explains that he and Guy have begun to inject manure into the field via a tractor with a tank, instead of laying it on top of the grass. “This is a more effective use of our manure, because ...New Way of Spreading Manure
New Cattle Lane
2:03The cows are walking on their newly resurfaced cattle lane, which is easier on their feet as they cover the long distance between pasture and barn. The lane passes under the local two-lane road ...New Cattle Lane
A New Calf is Born to Hershey
1:45Minutes ago, Hershey gave birth to a new calf. She uses her tongue to clean the calf off and to stimulate her circulation. The calf tries to stand, but her legs are too wobbly yet.A New Calf is Born to Hershey
Moms with Their Calves
2:22Most of the cows are returning to the barn from pasture, but three who have just had calves are lingering in the field with their new babies. Guy lets them stay there; they need to eat extra grass ...Moms with Their Calves
Late September Day
3:18The cows are out at pasture. Guy talks about how many calories they burn per day just by making milk, and how he keeps up with their nutritional needs.Late September Day
Kittens Don't Mind the Heat
2:04The barn kittens are feisty and playful, even on a muggy summer afternoon. The other animals, especially Scout the black Lab, aren’t quite as energetic.Kittens Don't Mind the Heat
Intro to Blue Top Farm
0:51Matt visits neighboring Blue Top Farm, another organic farm, run by his cousins Luke and Lori Choiniere. Blue Top milks goats, and Matt shows us the goats at feeding time, just before they’re milked.Intro to Blue Top Farm
Hippo and Milk Fever
2:12Hippo the cow is ready to have a calf…and milk fever. Guy explains that she needs calcium, which he gives her subcutaneously in liquid form to get her through calving.Hippo and Milk Fever
Hershey and Her New Calf Bond
1:37Hershey the cow and her new calf, Kiss, bond with one another in the loafing barn. Kiss is still wobbly on her legs. Hershey is extremely protective of her, even chasing away a nearby rooster.Hershey and Her New Calf Bond
Healthy Cows
3:52Guy talks about how stress makes cows vulnerable to illness, which he combats with natural solutions.Healthy Cows
Go-Kart
0:59Matt discusses his Go-Kart, which he bought when he was in fifth grade and learned how to drive on.Go-Kart
From Cow to Tank
2:41Guy, with Hannah’s off-camera help, shows us the path milk takes from the cow through the milking machine into the tank, and how it has to be churned to keep the butterfat from separating from the ...From Cow to Tank
Feeding Fields
1:07Guy films and discusses the fields he harvests for winter feed.Feeding Fields
Fat Cows
3:25Guy explains how lush grass grown in healthy soil, and the harvested feed farmers make from it, help cows get the nourishment they need year-round.Fat Cows
Dropping Milk
2:40Hippo, an excellent producer, demonstrates how a cow lets down her milk.Dropping Milk
Cows Out at Pasture
2:12The Choinieres’ herd of Holsteins munches on green grass in the paddock on a beautiful day. Guy tells us that this is the first anniversary of Farm Cam.Cows Out at Pasture
Cow Massage--Ooh, Ah!
1:43“Stonyfield” the cow enjoys the massage brush. “The cows absolutely love that thing,” Guy says. “They just scratch every part of their body they want to scratch.”Cow Massage--Ooh, Ah!
Chickens Get a Snack
2:14After supper, the Choinieres’ neighbor, Pat, comes over with leftover pasta wrapped in aluminum foil for Guy’s Rhode Island Reds. Scout, the black Lab, gets his share, too.Chickens Get a Snack
Chickens vs. Cats
1:04Both the chickens and the barn cats drink out of the same milk dish. Sometimes, they get a little territorial over it.Chickens vs. Cats
Chicken Scratches
1:17As the cows leave the barn on a cold day, the chickens scratch and peck around in the hay, aerating it.Chicken Scratches
Catching Kiss
1:08Kiss, the calf born to Hershey the cow, is about to be bottle-fed for the first time. Guy hangs onto her and gets her accustomed to a human touch, while Scout the dog sniffs around curiously.Catching Kiss
Cats Sleeping in the Hay
0:43Matt films three barn kittens sleeping in the hay together.Cats Sleeping in the Hay
Between Chores, a Little Sledding
1:47Taking a break from chores, the Choinieres celebrate the end of mid-term exams by coasting down a snowy hill.Between Chores, a Little Sledding
A Rare Day Off the Farm
1:14The hard-working Choinieres take a well-earned day off ...
A Rare Day Off the Farm
A First--Spiffy Likes Apples
1:39Spiffy the cow all of a sudden decides she likes apples. Quite a bit. Guy takes close-up shots of her nose as she licks and finally eats the apple.A First--Spiffy Likes Apples
A Bad Place to Nap
1:15Near the hooves of a 1,500-lb. cow is not an ideal place to get in a cat nap. Guy moves the kitten out of the way before she gets stepped on.A Bad Place to Nap
