Terra Firma Farm Invites You to 'Meet Your Milk'

Terra Firma Farm in Stonington, which has been feeding and educating local families in southeastern CT since 2004, will host the grand opening of its on-farm creamery from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday June 4 at the new dairy house, 564 Norwich Westerly Rd, North Stonington.

Last fall, Terra Firma owner Brie Casadei launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project that will bring her locavore philosophy to the next level - opening an on-farm creamery that will produce bottled, 100% grass-fed milk. More than 320 backers pledged $50,842 to make the project a reality. She launched the dairy plan with her partner Aaron Bulger.

All of the milk will be made exclusively from Terra Firma Farm’s Jersey cows’ milk and processed in their state certified processing room on the farm. All permits for the dairy are in place. The first milk was made May 22.

On Saturday, there will be farm tours at noon and 2pm, a milking demonstration at 4pm, a raffle for farm store treats, and calf cuddling! Stop by the Milk and Cookie Booth staffed by the The Farmer’s Kids, and enjoy Terra Firm hot dogs and sausages from the grill.

Additionally, Terra Firma is now offering monthly milk shares. The monthly milk share guarantees you fresh, delicious milk every week! When you purchase a share, we set aside a quantity of milk for you once a week, which is then either available for pickup at the farm or for delivery.
There are two ways to get your monthly share of milk:

1. HOME DELIVERY - We have a weekly delivery route that encompasses North Stonington, Stonington, Mystic, Pawcatuck and Westerly.
2. ON FARM PICK-UP - If you live close to either farm site; North Stonington (564 Norwich Westerly Rd) or Stonington (330 Al Harvey Rd) or maybe it's on your way to and from home, you can simply pick-up your milk on a designated day at our Farm Store. While you're there you can purchase many other products that we sell from our farms, like meat, eggs, Faire Ivy Soaps and more from other local farms too!
   
   

We base our prices on $5 per ½ gallon whole milk and $6 per 1/2 gallon Chocolate Milk and 4.2 weeks in a month (for accounting purposes). If you would like to get your milk delivered, there is an $8 delivery fee each month.
Whole Milk Monthly Shares: https://squareup.com/…/terra-firma-farm-n…/item/monthly-milk
Chocolate Milk Monthly Shares:
https://squareup.com/…/terra-fi…/item/monthly-milk-chocolate

The money raised in the Kickstarter campaign helped purchase:

• 6 more bred heifer cows for the milking herd
• A bulk tank and an additional bucket milking system
• Dairy panels and paint to complete the milk processing room and bottling room
• A hot water heater and sink system for equipment sanitation
• A 15 gallon Vat Pasteurizer System for chocolate milk and pasteurized milk

The creamery is located on a second farm property Brie recently obtained, just down the road from Terra Firma. The new property is in North Stonington, at 564 Norwich-Westerly Road (Route 2).

In addition to providing more revenue to keep her local farming sustainable, Brie plans to add dairy farming to her summer camp offerings.

The Kickstarter campaign: http://www.terrafirmafarm.org/kickstart-our-creamery

More about Terra Firma Farm: http://www.terrafirmafarm.org/

What is Terra Firma Farm?

Terra Firma Farm, directed by Brianne Casadei (aka Farmer Brie), is a diversified pasture-based livestock and poultry farm located on two properties in Stonington & North Stonington, Connecticut. It opened in 2004. Using environmentally sustainable practices and alternative energy inputs, we produce 100% grass-fed beef, heritage breed pork, broiler chickens, layer chickens, specialty poultry and rabbits all on pasture. We sell direct at our farm in Stonington and wholesale to local restaurants and coops in Connecticut. As a nonprofit community farm we also have committed our energies to opening up our farm for educational field trips, programs and camps reconnecting our youth to agriculture.