Dairysmith Holsteins

Dairysmith Holsteins was the recipient of a Delaware County Farm Enhancement Grant award for a milk cooling system project. Dairysmith Holsteins is a 5^th generation dairy, run continuously by the Smith family in Franklin, NY since 1890. Today the farm is home to a beautiful 260 registered Holstein herd, milking 130 cows 3x a day. The focus of the farm is on producing high quality milk from well-bred cows. With the intention of positioning the farm to share the legacy with future generations, operational improvements are driven by the need to be efficient and sustainable.

The milk cooling system on the dairy was installed in 1982 and served the farm well, however after 40 years lacked efficiency and capacity to meet current needs. After research and consultation, the Smith family decided an upgrade of their milk receiving and pump system, installation of a plate cooler, and new condensers for the bulk tank would meet their needs and position them well for the future.

Unfortunately, the ripple impacts of COVID and the challenges in the milk market pushed the project out on the timeline for completion. The Delaware County Farm Enhancement Grant program was well timed for the farm to greenlight the project enabling the Smith family to remain true to their ethos of being a progressive & modern farm. The completion of the milk cooling system upgrades by R&M Farm & Pro Hardware has yielded milk noticeably cooler entering the bulk tank, more efficient use of energy resources and a higher quality product.

Last updated March 7, 2025