One of the fun topics that sometimes arises in a Polish Heritage Society (PHS) meeting has to do with the family cow. The members of the PHS that tended to the family cow, whether on their own property or their grandparents’, loved that animal. They have very fond reminiscences to share. The people at Oakridge Dairy Farm in Ellington love their cows, too . . . all 2,800 of them! They believe that a happy cow produces better tasting milk.
At the next meeting of the PHS, the guest speaker will be Seth Bahler, 5th generation owner of this 130-year-old operation. He will talk about the modern methods used at the largest dairy farm in Connecticut. Many of the processes are based on the fact that cows are happiest when they have a routine. One of the state-of-the-art devices used in the operation is a 72-stall rotating carousel that milks a cow in 10 minutes.
The next Polish Heritage Society meeting will be on Wednesday, March 4 at 10 a.m. at the Suffield Ambulance Center. Write down and bring your favorite cow story to be shared at this, or a future, meeting. All are welcome. If Suffield Schools are closed due to weather conditions, the meeting will not be held.