Nicole and Jon Weronski were both raised around farming, and the influence it had on their early lives drove the determination they both have today.
Nicole grew up on a dairy farm where her parents maintained a small herd. She recalled helping her mother do most of the chores on the farm, and how much she enjoyed farm life as a child.
“I really enjoyed growing up on the farm and being around the animals,” said Nicole. “I was outside a lot, and I knew I wanted a farm, but I wasn’t sure how I was going to get there.”
Her dream of dairy farming didn’t waver, but as she was approaching high school graduation, her mother passed away. “My dad sold the dairy herd but I was able to keep all of my mom’s replacements,” she said. “As they calved, I purchased some from my dad and he helped me get started. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without him.”
After starting with a just few heifers, Nicole continued to add to her herd as she was able. Shortly after graduation, she married her husband Jon, whose grandfather had farmed.
“When we got married, we knew we wanted a farm of our own,” said Nicole. “We looked at a few farms but nothing worked out. In 2020, the farm where we are now came up for sale.”
The farm the Weronskis purchased in Collins, NY, hadn’t been operated as a dairy farm for about 20 years. Nicole recalled what it was like to purchase a farm without fully realizing the amount of work it would require. Two generations had milked at the farm, but it was run down and needed extensive repairs.
“We didn’t have a lot of time to look over the property, so we were blindsided about how rough the barn was and what it needed,” said Nicole. “We completely gutted it – nothing was salvageable. We tore out all the concrete, re-studded every single stud in the barn and did a lot of work on the foundation. Most of the sub-footing posts were rotted so we had to jack up the beams and relevel them.”
Jon’s father was a major contributor in helping the young couple refurbish the barn. “He was here every weekend to help,” said Nicole. “It’s so sad to see old barns falling in and falling over. I’m proud we were able to save this one.”
In 2022, the Weronskis moved their dairy cows to the farm they named Golden Fields Dairy. They continued to house heifers at Nicole’s dad’s farm until their own heifer barn was completed last year.
Today, the couple have 70 dairy animals, milking 40 of them with a pipeline system in the refurbished tie-stall barn. “This is the first year I’ve milked this many cows,” said Nicole, who started with just two milking cows. “It’s been a long journey to grow. We had a forage issue last year, which was a roadblock, but you have to get over things like that and pay bills.”
In summer and until the weather is unsuitable, cows are outside for a portion of each day. The Weronskis plan to construct a paddock area adjacent to the barn that will allow them to let cows out during bad weather.
Nicole handles most of the milking for the herd. Photo courtesy of Golden Fields Dairy
Nicole said building a quality dairy herd wasn’t difficult because her mother had established a group of nice cows that worked well for her. As she learns more about operating a dairy farm, Nicole is focusing on genetic improvement.
“We have really nice cows that work for what we do,” she said, adding that she keeps pedigree information on all the cows. “They might not work for someone else, but they work for us.”
Part of improving a herd includes sire selection. Because it can be difficult to get a technician to the farm for timely AI, Nicole keeps a semen tank and can breed cows when a tech isn’t available.
The Weronskis are grateful for help from Nicole’s father when it comes to managing crops. “We buy our own equipment as we can afford it,” said Nicole. “Fortunately, Jon is a mechanic and can fix things.”
Crops include corn and hay for haylage. “We buy some dry hay from my dad,” said Nicole. “We acquired some extra ground this year so we shouldn’t have to buy as much.”
Golden Fields Dairy’s milk is picked up by Upstate Niagara Cooperative. Nicole uses some of the milk for the hand-crafted milk soap she’s been making for about four years and marketing for a year. “Formulating a recipe is a bit tricky,” she said. “It isn’t a quick DIY project – there’s a lot that goes into it.” She sells the soaps at a local farmers market and other outlets.
The Weronskis have faced their share of challenges in starting a farm, but remain optimistic while realizing there are always opportunities to learn. “No one really teaches you how to farm,” said Nicole. “Even if someone goes to college to be a farmer, they aren’t going to learn everything they need to know. Learning from experience and from others’ experience and not being afraid to ask is huge. It’s also nice to have neighbors who are willing to help a start-up farm.”
Nicole and Jon continue to plan for the coming years. Nicole knows her ideas are big but she’s willing to do the work to make those ideas happen. For now, the goal is to pay down the debt from rebuilding the farm. She and Jon also want to acquire more of their own equipment, sell as much soap as possible and enjoy how far they’ve come.
“If you have an idea and are determined to make it a reality, anything is possible, and that’s where we are,” said Nicole. “We’re living the dream we had four years ago. People might say ‘You aren’t going to make it, the farm is too small, why do you want to work so hard,’ but those comments fuel me to prove them wrong. This is what I want and I’m not going to stop.”
by Sally Colby
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