Locust Hill Dairy

Mannsville, New York

Locust Hill Dairy

Mannsville, New York

Locust Hill Dairy has a strong relationship with Farm Credit—which is helping them build an even stronger operation. 

Renee and her husband Timothy began Locust Hill Farm in 1975. When they first started out, they had 39 cows and 165 acres. They have continually grown since that time, and today, they have close to 3,000 cows, 2,800 heifers and upwards of 5,500 crop acres growing corn silage and hay.

Just this past year, they converted the business to an LLC to bring in the members of the business’s next-generation–their two daughters Jessica and Amanda, and their husbands, Bruce and Brian, respectively.

The people make the difference

The Alfords began their current relationship with Farm Credit in 2008 when proposing an expansion. “We had previously been with a local bank that closed their ag department,” said Renee. “We moved to another bank that then had financial difficulty, so we turned to Farm Credit.”

“We’ve enjoyed working with the Burrville office,” continued Renee. “People make the difference and working with the staff in Burrville has been a very good experience and right for our business. They are in tune with agricultural trends and rising opportunities.”

In 2015, the Alfords built another dairy with a double 30 parallel parlor. When both facilities are at capacity, they’ll be able to milk close to 4,000 cows.

More than a lender

Additionally, several years ago when their tax preparer retired, they brought their tax planning and preparation business over to their trusted financial partner—Farm Credit East.“ Our tax consultant, Mark Kellogg, has been very enjoyable to work with,” said Renee. “He makes it easy for us to understand the tax law and how it applies to our business. Any time we’ve had an issue, Mark has handled it promptly and easily.”