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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z 19 N OV E M B E R 2 , 2 0 2 6 F O C U S FA M I LY - OW N E D B U S I N E S S "At the end of the day, if we don't take care of our cows right, stressed cows do not milk," says Carmen. "It's in our best interest to make sure these cows are very comfortable." Looking forward The Fishers' 315 acres of pasture and crop land have about 135 cows, with 55 milked twice daily. The milking herd is housed in a historic barn built in 1970 by Alden's father, Asa Fisher. Rotational grazing occurs from May to October, moving cows to fresh pastures regularly to pro- mote healthy exercise and preserve soil health. The milking herd produces 1.26 million pounds of milk each year, and the farm's milk maintains what's considered an exceptionally low somatic cell count, a measure of milk cleanliness and cow comfort. "We watch those numbers," says Carmen. "If it jumps higher, you know someone in your herd has an issue. These cows are low-stress and living in a clean environment." The Fishers are always looking toward their next goal. "As we complete one project, we start saying, 'What other small change can we make to do things better?" says Carmen. "Calves on a dairy farm are your future." Community connections In the Kennebec County town of Sidney, the eighth and ninth gen- erations of the Bragg family run Rainbow Valley Farm. e organic dairy farm on about 750 acres, mostly leased, has around 380 animals. e farm produces 9,000 to 10,000 pounds of milk per day and has up to 14 full- and part-time employ- ees, depending on the season. At any given time, as many as 10 family members work on the farm. Jeff Bragg, who took over the farm from his parents, Harland and Shirley, has modernized the operation with improvements and projects that include construction Proudly serving Maine for over 50 years C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » Maine has lost a third of its dairy farms. It's a pretty profound loss. It's not because someone wakes up and says, 'I don't want to do this anymore.' It's because it's not feasible anymore. — Carmen Fisher Fisher Farms Diary of a dairy farmer A t Fisher Farms, Carmen Fisher's Facebook page, "CFF Farming," shares insights on daily farm life. Georgie, a milk cow "that has my heart," was recently due to calf but wasn't eating as much as usual. "Perhaps she was lonely. Cows are herd animals after all," Fisher writes. Taffy, a mild-mannered Holstein, was brought in and Georgie got her appetite back. A frozen hydraulic cylinder meant a rough couple of days chopping corn silage. "I put out the call for possible help this morning and within a couple hours I had five offers of assistance." About a newborn: "The weather isn't pretty but this little guy sure is cute!" The dairy diary is meant to reconnect readers with where their food comes from and the people who grow, produce and facilitate it. "Giving people a glimpse at the people taking care of their dairy animals provides a human side to it so people can see the true compassion and care provided these animals," says Fisher. "Despite the fact that these cows are considered a commodity, I want to show people they are still provided the respect and dignity they deserve."

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