Down to earth
Guy Choiniere is a third-generation dairy farmer in Highgate, Vermont. Ten years ago, he was on the run, responding to poor soil, sick cows, and stagnant milk prices.
In 2002, Guy’s parents told him they wanted to transfer the farm and retire.
When Guy and his wife, Beth, ran the numbers it wasn’t pretty. Even with 50 cows and 165 acres, there wasn’t enough money to run the farm and provide Guy’s parents with a retirement income.
Actually, there was one way. If they transitioned the farm to organic, they’d get back the money they spent on synthetic fertilizers, hormones, and pesticides. And get paid more for their milk.
The transition was tough at first — soils needed to be rebuilt, and the cows needed a fresh paddock to graze every day. Guy was still on the run.
One day, a seasoned organic farmer gave Guy a piece of advice: let the soil do the work.
Guy listened. He poured his energy into building up the soil. He became a veritable poster boy for organic dirt. And the effects trickled up: healthier soil meant healthier crops to feed his cows, who, in turn, got sick less and produced more milk.
The best part? If you ran into Guy on the farm today, he wouldn’t just have a smile on his face. He’d have time to stop and chat.
