Knollbrook Farm
Cynthia and John Adam, owners, Knollbrook Farm, pictured along with their family
We’re a first-generation dairy farm.
We worked off the farm for 15 years until we could buy the acreage. Currently, we own about 165, and we rent additional acres, so we’re up to about 400.
We started milking in 1998 with 13 cows. We have 240 now.
We basically started from scratch.
We switched from Holsteins to Jerseys because [their milk] has a higher fat content. And they’re just cuter, let’s be real. The Jersey breed has higher butterfat and protein components in a smaller, cuter critter.
In the fall, we’re all about educating the general public and the consumer. It’s great to have an opportunity to give folks a chance to understand what all is involved in growing their food, and having that one-on-one opportunity for people to put a face to what we do.
You have your preschoolers and your school groups that come out, so you have the parents and the grandparents and the chaperones, and there is the opportunity to educate all of them. You’re getting that education in there for the grown-ups at the same time.
We’ve had numerous parents and grandparents say, ‘I’ve never even touched a calf,’ and you bring it out, and everyone gets to love on it.
We get really good, positive feedback.
Our corn maze is 12 acres, and we also have seven acres of pumpkins. There are about six miles of pathways, but we know not everyone wants to spend an hour and a half in a cornfield, so you can make it your own.
I think we had about 1,500 visitors our first year. Now we’re pushing close to 8,000 to 9,000. We will be officially open weekends through October 31.
We design the maze as a scavenger hunt with signs hidden along the way. There are three different types of trivia questions, so you could do Bible trivia, agriculture trivia, and something historical. This year it’s presidential trivia, but we’re only going up through the 40s. Nothing recent! We’re not getting into that mess! Like, which president got stuck in the bathtub?
Well, do you know?
Cynthia Adam, co-owner, Knollbrook Farm, with husband, John
Follow the farm on social media or visit their website at knollbrookfarm.com.
This summer, we're taking a look at some of the small farms and urban gardens you'll only find in Goshen! More stories to come through September.
Written and edited by Wendy Wilson
Original publish date April 2022
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