ABOUT BENDING BRANCH FARM
"The willow which bends to the tempest,
often escapes better than the oak which resists it."
-Sir Walter Scott
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OUR MISSION
We believe that life is healthier and less of a challenge when we work in harmony with the environment and its natural cycles rather than trying to impose our will upon them. It is our mission to offer small-batch, high-quality dairy products using milk from healthy, happy,
humanely treated animals.
In order to accomplish this, we feed locally sourced grain produced at a feed mill in Vermont, and hay that is never sprayed with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. We keep our goats on fresh browse (goats prefer scrub and brush over pasture) as often as the weather will permit, and intend to expand the land we have available to the goats
as we grow.
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Cheesemaking is the synthesis of creativity, science, and gastronomy. Much like the process of making wine, the environment, or terroir, and the health and happiness of
the animals comes through in the flavors of the final product. We are excited by the challenge of exploring
new flavors and styles of goat cheese and expanding
our offerings to include raw milk, yogurt, and cow's milk cheeses, made with milk sourced from
local organic dairies.
In our cheesemaking, whenever possible, we source
our ingredients from local organic producers. We are continuously exploring new methods and technologies
to improve the sustainability of our production.
Fostering relationships with other farms and businesses
in our community is a cornerstone of our philosophy
as we work to expand our local food network. Building
a strong local food community is just one aspect of our effort to reduce "food miles" and our
overall carbon footprint.
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OUR STORY
Bending Branch Farm is owned and operated by
Dan Field and Megan Baptiste-Field. We grew up in the Monadnock Region of southern New Hampshire, where
we were both raised in families that focused on
education and creativity blended with a passion for exploring nature, protecting the environment, and
enjoying good food.
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We spent 20+ years engaged in creative professions in
the worlds of theater, film, television, and themed entertainment. We moved frequently to follow the work
in these fields, which took us all over the country and
gave us the opportunity to experience many diverse
local environments, cultures, and cuisines.
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In 2020 we re-evaluated our priorities, and made the decision to return home to New Hampshire, seeking a
new adventure. Our love of the environment, animals,
and local food led us to pursue a new path
in sustainable agriculture.
In 2021, we both started working at
Main Street Cheese, LLC, a small goat dairy and
creamery located in Hancock, NH. While working there,
we fell in love with the process of cheesemaking and
caring for the herd of Alpine dairy goats, predominantly descended from the reknowned Roeburn line.
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At the beginning of 2022, the owner of Main Street
Cheese, LLC decided to step back from the farm and cheesemaking side of her business in order to pursue
other interests, and she offered us the opportunity to purchase her herd of goats and rent her cheesemaking facility.
Thus, Bending Branch Farm was born!
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