| A Little
History ... |
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In 1778, Noah Parsons III moved with his family to farm on what is now
Easthampton Road in Westhampton. 225 years later, the Parsons family still owns
and farms that same land. Today, the farm is run by brothers Henry III and
Edward Parsons. Henry manages the herd while Ed oversees the crops and
equipment. The farm grows the feed for their cattle on land owned and rented by
the farm. Currently the milking herd consists of roughly 100 registered
Holstein (the majority), Swiss and Jersey cows.
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As the farm has passed from
generation to generation, it has seen many changes. A sawmill was built in the
1840's and remained in operation until the early 1970's. Henry and Ed's father
and mother, Mahlon II and Bertha, instigated the switch to registered cattle in
the 1950's. With a B.S. in Animal Science from the University of Massachusetts,
Henry began concentrating on genetics for type and production in the early
1970's. A new freestall barn and milking parlor were constructed in the early
1980's. Ed and Henry built a commodities shed in the late 1990's and are
currently updating and renovating the parlor.
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Bertha and her four sons: Dale,
Henry, Mahlon, and Ed (left to right). |
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The Present Company ...
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Besides Ed and Henry, several others
are involved in making the farm run smoothly. In addition to sugaring and
sawing logs, Mahlon still regularly helps out with chores. Henry's wife, Margie
(also a UMass AnSci grad), often milks and feeds calves. Westhampton treasurer
and accountant, Margie also handles the farm’s finances and bookkeeping. Trina,
Edward’s wife, works off the farm but also lends a hand whenever she can. The
younger generation includes, on Henry and Margie's side,
Ethan and his younger sister
Kate, and on Ed and Trina's side, Clint and his
younger brother Lee. Ethan is a researcher at MIT, while Kate works as a soil
conservationist for the Massachusetts Natural Resources Conservation Service. A
Cornell Ag. school graduate, Kate is based in Pittsfield and regularly pitches
in. Clint, a recent UMass NRE graduate, is currently an officer in the
Department of Homeland Security. When not fishing for Catfish Hunter, he keeps
an eye on Minnesota's border with Canada. Lee lives in the area and helps out
on weekends.
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| From left to right: Clint, Trina,
Lee, Kate, Margie, Ethan (standing); Ed, Henry (kneeling) and Bear. |
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| And a Little Glory ... |
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In 1998, Henry and Edward Parsons
were named the Massachusetts Outstanding Dairy Farmers. In competing for this
coveted award, farmers are judged on the basis of farm management, crop
management, milk quality, and service in the dairy industry. The award was
widely recognized to be the result of the brothers' attention to detail,
meticulousness in monitoring their cows’ environment, and paying the utmost
attention to feeding and breeding. The Parsons family was honored along with
the winners from each of the other New England States at an awards ceremony
held at the Big E.
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| Outstanding Dairy Farmers Ed and Henry Parsons
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