Walnut Ridge Dairy: Seven Decades of Dairy Farming Built on Partnership

In Tompkins County, New York, Walnut Ridge Dairy began with one couple's wish to farm. Joan and Dave Hardy bought the land in the 1950s and worked hard to see it succeed. Today the farm milks 2,200 cows, and it is run by a partnership of families that has grown alongside the herd.

Steve Palladino arrived in 1984 and became a partner in 1988. The partners built the farm's first barn and milking parlor, the space where cows are brought in to be milked, and over the years more partners joined. John Fleming came in as a partner in 1999. When Skip Hardy retired in 2013, Keith Chapin stepped in.

Keith compares joining the partnership to a second marriage. Everyone has to be comfortable, and everything has to work together. Part of what drew him to Walnut Ridge was the partners' reputation across the industry as good, honest people. Steve sees it the same way. A partnership takes trust and time to learn one another, and because the partners have always shared the same goals, it hasn't been hard.

Growth hasn't always been smooth. Steve admits that when you build a new facility, you expect everything to go great. Then milk prices dropped, and the farm went through some growing pains. For Steve, getting through that stretch was a major milestone.

The same teamwork carries through the whole farm. Dave Nabinger, head shop manager and mechanic, says the crew often ends up scattered across the farm, yet everyone works toward the same cause. Herdsman Thomas Glabach watches the young heifers, female cows that haven't yet had a calf, grow up and join the milking herd. He compares it to watching a kid grow up.

Jacob Palladino has been part of the farm's story for most of his life. When he was about seven, he was asked whether he thought he'd be the boss one day. He smirked at his dad and said he wanted to be his dad's boss. Now that he is joining the partnership as John Fleming retires, Jacob jokes that he isn't his dad's boss yet, so he'll settle for being his partner.

Jacob credits both his dad and Keith with his growth. From Steve, he learned how to be a good person and a good teammate. Keith taught him about cows and was willing to teach him as much as he wanted to learn, so the farm's knowledge passes along to the next generation.

For Steve, having his son join the farm is touching, though he doesn't let it change the farm's focus. He wants Walnut Ridge to continue whether it's carried on by the Palladino, Hardy, Chapin, or Fleming families, because the farm belongs to everyone involved. 

Every day, the partners and their team show up to care for the land, the animals, and the people who work alongside them. Jacob hopes that culture of teamwork, with animals, land, and people as the priorities, continues for years to come.

From Joan and Dave Hardy's first years on the land to Jacob's place among the partners, Walnut Ridge Dairy has grown through trust and shared goals. Together, Steve, Keith, Jacob, Dave, and Thomas are New York Dairy.

Watch our spotlight video on Walnut Ridge Dairy here: https://youtu.be/mSAzc9RKQec