Nestled in the Litchfield Hills, in a town committed to preserving cathedral pines and covered bridges, there’s a family keeping another piece of New England’s history alive. Sarah and Jeff Casel, artists turned first-generation dairy farmers, are committed to producing delicious raw milk from entirely grass-fed cows in Cornwall.
Calf + Clover Creamery’s 120-acres spans both sides of Rt. 7 and is mostly pasture: green, lush, and life-giving. On any given day, the rolling expanse of field is broken by the Casel’s mixed herd of doe-eyed Jerseys and brown-speckled Normandies. In the warm months, in between the morning and evening milking, the cows graze on the grass. When cool weather hits, the animals are fed hay harvested from these same fields and others nearby.
This age-old way of farming that the Casels practice today is good for both the cows and for the land. The waste hay and manure feed the soil, ensuring future fertility, and healthy cows are reared on a nutrient-dense, natural diet in fresh air and ample sunshine. At Calf + Clover, the milking mamas and their calves, with matching names like English Muffin and English Breakfast, are raised in the field together, while the Casels’ young son Hunter scampers between the stalls in the milk room. Here, at Calf + Clover, the next generations are building on tradition every day.
More Local Stories
Practicing Gratitude with PRWC
At the risk of stating the obvious, 2020 has been one wild ride. It has delivered “ALL THE THINGS” at a pace often too fast to process. 2020 has spotlighted that racism, inequality, and privilege still exist; that our food and other supply chains are flawed; that...
Local Story: Fire Ox Foods
We started our business because we love to eat great, vegetable-based foods, and we wanted to make the food we enjoy more accessible and available. We hope that in doing so we can change how people view vegetables and enable them to incorporate more vegetables into...
Local Story: Abbey of Regina Laudis
Bethlehem Cheese Made by the Nuns at the Abbey of Regina Laudis and Available at New Morning Market. The nuns at the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut, have been making cheese since the mid 1970s! In 1977, the Abbey began making their iconic Bethlehem...