Tis’ The Season! It’s time for Twinkling Lights, Decking the Halls, Family and Eggnog.
Yes, I included eggnog. Eggnog is serious business in my family. We already have my 3 year old obsessed with it. And there may or may not be five cartons of Friendly’s eggnog ice cream in our freezer…. No judging.
So, where does this family get their eggnog? No, do not say that H word. That is not eggnog.
THIS is eggnog.
Smyth’s Trinity Farm in Enfield is where we get our eggnog. And it’s also where we go to get milk, butter, yogurt and other delectable dairy treats! We are spoiled to have one of the best dairy farms in the state right in our back yard!
Smyth’s Trinity Farm is a small family owned and operated dairy farm here in Enfield, Connecticut. The farm’s history dates back to the early 1900’s and it is now run by the fourth generation of Smyths. Everything happens on this farm. The cows are born here. They are milked here. The milk is processed on site and either bottled or turned into something even better (like yogurt or eggnog). And then it’s sold right in the farm store on site. You know where your milk is coming from and that is one of the best things. How often can you say you know where your food comes from?
While farm operations are running every day, the store is open to the public Monday through Friday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturdays from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. They are closed on Sunday.
They also offer farm tours by request. We actually reached out to the manager, Anne, who arranged for my son and I to come check the farm out! Our playgroup in town also had a tour of the farm last year. The Smyths take major pride in this farm and they love the cows, so they are always happy to show things off and talk to their customers. The love definitely showed from every person I spoke with at the farm. They are all very knowledgeable about the animals, the farm and the production. I came up with some pretty far-fetched questions, and they could answer everything! I feel like I have a whole new understanding and appreciation for the dairy farm life!
Smyth’s Trinity Farm is located at the intersection of Route 5 (Enfield Street) and Oliver Road.
(Google Maps)
From Route 5, you’ll see a sign directing you to the farm. You can also see the farm from the road. But during the warmer months, it’ll be hard to miss the cows grazing.
The entrance to the farm is located on Oliver Road, just after their sign. You’ll see a gravel driveway that will lead you to the farm store.
I actually visited the farm twice last week, once with my son on a Wednesday afternoon and a second time on a Friday morning by myself. When we first visited, we arrived during afternoon chores. So the farmers were all hard at work! But one took a break to show us around.
Most of the cows were in the milking barn. It was actually almost milking time. We had a chance to get an up close view of the cows while they were in there!
And when I say up close, we even got to pet one of these beautiful girls!
We also met the newest additions to Smyth’s Trinity Farm! I could not believe that one of these calves was less than a week old! Can you imagine having a child this big!!
The milking barn during the morning looks totally different when it’s empty!
Where do they go when they are not being milked?
During the warmer weather, you’ll find them grazing in the pasture. But one of the things I learned, cows eat everything. Grass, roots, the dirt underneath it. So when the ground is warm and healthy, that’s okay because it will grow back. But when the ground is cold and dead, they’d end up destroying the pasture.
During the colder nights and days, you’ll find the cows inside this barn where they can feed and stay warm. It was nearly empty on our first visit (since the cows were about to be milked).
A few cows were in the barn though; and I learned that these girls were pregnant (and close to having their calves)!
Now, this is one of the things I never knew about cows. Basically, by age 2, they can get pregnant. The cows on this farm are artificially inseminated. Once they are pregnant, they continue to be milked for the first seven months; but then for the last two months they are given a little break (“dry period”) while they gear up for labor. Cows are pregnant for 9 months, like us. So all those times I felt “like a cow” at the end of my pregnancy, I wasn’t that far off…
Once the cows have their calves, they can be milked again. The female calves become part of the Smyth family, and the bulls are auctioned to other farms. This is a dairy farm after all, no place for a bull.
The pregnant girls in this barn were very friendly. And like any expecting mom, they loved my little boy. He was pretty curious to check them out, and they were awfully nosy too!
When I returned that Friday, I found this barn full with all the feeding cows! It was apparently lunch time! They were happily munching away on their hay, corn meal and grain!
And just like my visit on Wednesday, they were all very curious when they saw me poking around their barn. I even made a few friends. All of the cows here have names, which is indicated on their tags. That came in handy because I could never tell who was who – even though the farmers told me they all look different and have distinct personalities!
After getting to know the cows a little bit, we learned more about the milk production at Smyth’s Trinity Farm. The milk is processed on the farm. It takes ten hours to bottle the milk! This includes cleaning and sterilizing the bottles, separating the milk and cream, pasteurizing and homogenizing the milk, bottling, labeling, and finally packing it into crates. We did not visit on a milk processing day; but we were there for a yogurt making day. Since the process needs to be kept clean, we were not able to see too much of that. But we caught glimpses of the farmers hard at work making their delicious yogurt!
Once they have a completed product, it is brought over to the small store right on site.
Inside the store, you’ll find the cashier as well as three coolers stocked with their products. The store accepts cash and credit card. Depending on what they have recently produced (and what hasn’t sold out), you can usually find milk (whole, skim, 1%), chocolate milk, yogurt (many flavors), cheese, butter (unsalted and salted), kefir and cream (heavy and half & half). I’ve also found strawberry and coffee milk. Seasonally they have eggnog. They also sell meats from local farms, as well as eggs and honey.
The milk is sold by the gallon and the quart.
All of their prices are listed inside the store.
One important thing to note, and perhaps my favorite feature of Smyth’s Trinity Farm, is the glass bottles they use for their milk, cream and eggnog. The bottles add a nostalgic feel to your dairy purchase – it’s not too often you see that anymore! But there is an additional cost of $2 for each bottle deposit. BUT if you return your bottles, like they ask of you, they waive the deposit on the next purchase. You only lose the money if you hoard their bottles. Trust me, I am guilty of this crime. They really do kindly beg of you to return the bottles, because they need them! You’ll find the bottle deposit area inside and outside the store. DON’T FORGET YOUR BOTTLES!
If you are local, you can also have their milk delivered to your home. Yes, milk delivery. Is that not the most retro, most awesome thing ever? Home delivery service is offered to Enfield, Somers, Suffield, Windsor Locks, Ellington and Longmeadow, Massachusetts. For more information on home delivery, click here.
We had a great visit to Smyth’s Trinity Farm! I stepped in a little more cow manure than I would have cared for (I’m such a city girl), and my child was definitely a bit of a crazy man (it was that time of day), but I enjoyed learning about these cows and how the farm operates. It was a pretty amazing thing to learn where my milk comes from!
One visit to Smyth’s, and you’ll quickly understand why this is one of our family favorites. The Smyth family are a great bunch of people. And they have created a happy home for these beautiful cows. And it shows, because the milk is out of this world.
So, make sure you add egnog from Smyth’s Trinity Farm to your menu this holiday season. It’s going to become a permanent fixture on your table every year!
This about sums it up…
4 Oliver Road – Enfield, Connecticut
(860) 745-0751
Farm Store Hours:
Monday to Friday: 6 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday: 6 a.m. -4 p. m.
Closed on Sundays
Features:
- Dairy Products Sold in Farm Store (milk, flavored milks, cream, butter, yogurt, eggnog), as well as eggs, honey and meats
- Dairy Products also found at several local stores and at farmers markets in Ellington, Springfield and New Haven
- Milk Home Delivery
- Tours available on request
- Family friendly
- Cash and credit card accepted
- Strollers will be difficult to maneuver
- Small parking area
- No Restrooms