Philip and Rebecca Brand are the owners of Brandmoore Farm, a diverse operation with beef and dairy cattle, pigs, laying hens and an organic vegetable garden. Neither Philip nor Rebecca grew up on a farm, but they have always been interested in agriculture. The couple recently welcomed visitors to their farm through a program hosted by NOFA-NH and the Granite State Graziers.

This farmland in Rollinsford, NH, goes back to the early 20th century, when it was purchased by the Aikman family. The land was used as a beef farm at one point and as a commercial dairy operation in the 1980s and ‘90s. Robin Aikman worked to place the land in conservation, serving as a habitat for both wild animals and ag use.

Philip was working on the land when it was operated by Brookford Farm. When the owners were looking to move to their current location in Canterbury, NH, they needed to pass the property to someone else. As Philip described, “it all just “came together” and he and Rebecca started leasing the land in 2012.

Looking back, Philip admitted they weren’t ready at the time to take over the farm, and that they “tried to do everything all at once.” They immediately brought cows onto the farm, so they were hand-milking twice a day while renovating the barns and learning their roles.

Even with this headstrong approach, the couple made it through and has improved their operation since. Philip doesn’t believe there was a moment the couple felt they “made it” in the business – “it kinda comes and goes.”

They’ve realized how much they can improve “just by doing things a little bit better” – like the difference you can make by adjusting your current practices instead of changing your herd size.

The farmland is about 400 acres, half being open land and pasture, the other half remaining wooded, with Salmon Falls River running behind the property. Although the land is more than they usually need to feed their animals, the extra land has come in handy during drought seasons when the pastures can’t regenerate fast enough. The Brands also sell extra hay while keeping enough intact to retain nutrients in the land.

Brandmoore Farm currently has 50 cows total, including various beef breeds, Jersey dairy cows and beef x dairy crosses. They run a retail operation, selling fresh milk, yogurt and cheese, hay, eggs, pork and vegetables. Since the farm is located in a “nice area with a lot of support for local agriculture,” they are able to market most of their products through the farm store.

All the cows are born and bred on the farm. After trying multiple calf/cow combinations, Philip prefers using nursing cows to provide for the calves. He believes this is the best system both for the cows and for his family to manage, as long as they’re monitored to ensure the calves get enough milk.

Doing things a little bit better at Brandmoore Farm

The milking herd is mostly Jersey, but the farm has a variety of beef breeds and beef x dairy crosses as well. Photo by Kelsi Devolve

The cows are grazed on certified organic pastures from May 1 until Thanksgiving. There are two grazing groups, each with their own pastures: a dairy herd of about 15 and a beef herd of 35. Since the dairy herd is brought in and out daily, they are given a new pasture each day which gets them “excited to go back out again.”

The beef herd grazes the same section for about three days, starting a fresh rotation every 30 days on average. The pastures are sectioned off with a temporary fence consisting of a single strand of wire and white stakes.

The Brands manage their pasture by clipping and mowing the area post-grazing. Philip used to think that the cows would manage the pasture by grazing, but quickly realized “they will leave what they don’t want, and they’ll continue to graze what they do.” Brandmoore Farm is currently working with NRCS to reseed their pastures to improve pasture regeneration.

In terms of manure management, the Brands keep an eye on the animals’ proximity to the river behind their property to prevent runoff and contamination. Otherwise, Philip feels the animals are moved frequently enough that the manure doesn’t build up in one spot. They have a manure pit and a compost system on site, and they spread their manure in autumn.

For water accessibility, they have a well feeding into a lane and strip system for the dairy cattle across the street, a central water system for the beef cattle and water wagons if needed.

The dairy barn has a three-cow herringbone milking parlor and a bedded pack for housing. There are currently eight cows being milked once a day at 7 a.m., producing an average of 20 gallons per day. For the first few years, the Brands were milking twice a day, but when an ice storm caused a power outage, the couple didn’t milk them in the evening, and then never went back.” This change did lead to a drop in production, but since they are not a production-oriented business, it was worth it for the extra freedom.

The beef herd also has a bedded pack for winter housing. Philip considered trying to out-winter the beeves, but after a short trial he wasn’t happy with the amount of erosion and manure that was right near the river.

Although the farm was constructed to feed chopped silage, the farm’s chopper broke and they’ve switched to feeding dry and wrapped round bales. Philip is happy with their switch, but “wouldn’t be surprised if down the road [they] incorporated doing some chopped back into the mix as well.”

Philip and Rebecca are happy with their current farm operation but are hoping to expand their herd size to 70 to 75 cows. With their diverse production, they have been able to provide local food to the community, help preserve farmland and make a living for their growing family.

“We are proud to be a part of a legacy of continuing a farm that’s been farmed for a long time,” Phillip said.

For more information, visit brandmoorefarm.com.

by Kelsi Devolve