For Fred and Suszyne Burch, farming is a way of life that brings their family closer together.
Fred and Suszyne Burch began Burchdale Farm in 2015 in Fort Ann, NY. At Burchdale, they milk 24 cows twice a day. While Suszyne and Fred do most of the work on the farm, they have three children who help with the daily chores in the barn, and Fred’s father helps with the daily milking. The Burches love raising their children on the farm because they “learn the meaning of life, hard work, family values, respect, and responsibility.”
Throughout the spring, summer, and fall, they are busy planting fields, chopping, and making hay. During the winter, they keep busy with equipment maintenance and improving farm infrastructure.
It’s important to the Burches to teach their community about dairy farming. They regularly host their local 4-H group to work on farm projects and crafts. Suszyne recently started an Adopt-A-Calf program. Local classrooms can adopt a calf, and the farm sends updates about the calf’s growth, feed programs, and development.
The Burch family even takes their vacations on the farm property in a separate cabin so that they’re never too far from the cows while they make new memories with family and friends. Suszyne shares that “farming is a way of life that brings a family close, and even closer to mother nature. As a family farm, we strive to provide the best lifestyle possible for our animals; often their needs supersede ours, but we wouldn’t change this lifestyle for any other. We love our animals and are proud of the healthy and delicious products that we can provide for other families.”