Family farms are the backbone of today’s food production throughout the world. In the United States many of these farms have been handed down in families from generation to generation. Each family farm is steeped in rich legacies and traditions, uniting time-honored values and a deep commitment to the land. The United Nations has declared 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming, not only to encourage the practices that feed the world, but also to honor the strong values that family farming imbues. Ancestry.com has recently teamed up with Cabot Creamery, a cooperative of 1,200 dairy farm families in New York and New England, to promote their new Farmers’ Legacy Collection of cheddars. The Farmers’ Legacy Collection celebrates the families and farmers who own Cabot – farmers like Beth Kennett.
Beth Kennett—known as Farmer Beth—and her family own Liberty Hill Farm, a 240-acre Cabot Cooperative dairy farm located in Rochester, Vermont. The farm has been passed down from generation to generation and is a true family affair. In addition to farming, Beth and her husband Bob opened their home as a bed and breakfast in order to help visitors understand the day-to-day life on a working dairy farm dedicated to sustainable farming practices.
Today, Liberty Hill Farm provides guests the amenities of a farm-stay vacation nestled within a green landscape. In addition to relaxing in beautiful surroundings and participating in farm activities, guests enjoy Beth’s home-cooked, farm-to-table meals from her own family recipes. Beth and Bob seek to promote a sustainable lifestyle, passing that message on to Liberty Hill Farm guests through the thoughtfully prepared meals and the experiences they provide.
A true pioneer in agritourism, Beth was presented with the prestigious Vermont Chamber of Commerce “Innkeeper of the Year” award in 2013.
The Kennetts are just one of the 1,200 farm families who own Cabot and who take pride in their contributions to the community and the values and traditions of their families.
To celebrate the farm families who own Cabot, they are hosting the Cabot Farmers’ Legacy Recipe Contest (entries close on September 5, 2014). Fans will have the opportunity to share their prized family recipes by incorporating one of the Cabot Farmers’ Legacy Collection cheddar cheeses for a chance to win a $5,000 cash prize in addition to a $5,000 donation to a volunteer organization of their choice. For more information on how to enter, visit http://www.cabotcheese.coop/legacyrecipe for information and regular updates.
In addition to the Cabot Farmers’ Legacy Recipe Contest, Cabot Creamery is helping promote volunteerism throughout the country with the Farmers’ Gratitude Grille tour. The Gratitude Grille provides freshly prepared meals to participants at volunteer events around the country. At the events, volunteers are able to sign up for a free Ancestry.com trial membership to promote the growth and knowledge of their own family history.
Join us and savor your family’s legacy today!