Nominations are now being accepted for the 2012 Connecticut Agriculture Information Council Outstanding Young Farmer.  2012 Application

Read below to learn about Matthew Peckham- the 2011 Outstanding Young Farmer!

The 2011 CT Outstanding Young Farmer is Matthew Peckham,

By Erin Pirro, CT Agricultural Information Council

Connecticut farms come in all shapes and sizes, and this year’s Outstanding Young Farmer is a true proponent of the old adage “bigger is not always better.”  Matt Peckham of Elm Farm in Woodstock milks a herd of around 140 Holsteins with some Jerseys mixed in.  He owns 140 acres in partnership and rents another 150.  In fact, he often jokes that he’s on his way to having the smallest dairy farm in the county, as everyone else grows around him.

But as we know, location is often a deciding factor in any farm size decisions.  The availability of land, especially crop land is harder to come by, as more and more people realize that Connecticut – and its quiet corner – are a great place to live.  So, as a progressive dairyman with not much room to expand his operation physically, Matt set out to change the things he could.  That meant concentrating on efficiency.  And it doesn’t always come in the form we typically expect.  

For instance, Matt is making use of an NRCS grant to install a manure pit.  Many observers said he’d never fit manure storage on his farm, but thinking outside the box and working with his team of engineers, Matt has been able to design storage with over a year of capacity, compared to the 7 months that is required.  It involves pumping manure underground for 450 feet, and only slight modifications are necessary even in a winter as cold as the one we’ve just had. 

Matt chose to undertake this project for several reasons.  Environmental stewardship is important to him, as is efficiency on the farm.  The other big reasons– and there are 4 of them – are his children: Caleb, who’s 9, Grace, who’s 7, Graham, who’s 2, and Tucker, who’s just 1.  Matt and his wife Christine work as hard as they do so they can preserve and protect the farm for their next generation.

Matt got his start in dairying while he was in high school and college, when he worked with his grandfather, Robert Peckham on the family’s dairy.  When his grandfather passed away, Matt was the one to pick up the reins of the farm and brought the leadership to the operation it needed.  His young ambition and love for the cows have driven him to assess the farm business from a completely different angle.  Realizing he can’t be everywhere all at once, Matt spends a good deal of time on the phone and tracking input costs. 

A close friend and mentor once told Matt that he could make a lot more money for his farm sitting behind his desk, and Matt chuckles to tell the story today.  “I didn’t believe it at first,” Matt said, but he was definitely right.  Matt took courses and learned management planning, budgeting, and how to utilize DHI’s herd management records program.  Integrating what he’s learned, Matt will tell you the results definitely reflect the new management style and practices.  He also credits his attentive employees who are true team players with attention to detail for being able to execute the plans he’s made.

Though his day-to-day work is more than a full-time job, Matt enjoys working with his community.  Each spring, he hosts the Old Iron Tractor Club at his farm, where antique tractor enthusiasts bring their favorite piece of equipment to the farm and plow around 20 acres for the farm.  It also brings out the community, as the audience grows every year.  Matt admits it’s fun for him, too, being an antique tractor buff himself.

One thing you might not expect from this soft-spoken young farmer is that he enjoys the political work he’s done with Farm Bureau.  He was active on the ‘Save Dairy’ campaign and has testified several times before the Environment Committee, educating our legislators as to the realities of life on a dairy farm, the practical and appropriate production techniques, and how agriculturists were the first environmentalists.  

 And if that’s not enough to convince you how important education is to Matt, take a ride out to Matt’s farm.  He’s built a new calf barn that has a visitor-friendly layout, and hosts many school groups.  Matt spends time giving tours and educating his neighbors about what he does.  He educates himself on the latest technology, learning about no-till cropping practices and injecting manure into the soil for fertilizing, instead of the typical spreading.  He’s matched these practices with the light soil at the farm, finding the system and practices that work best for him as a manager, for his cropping program, and his land and environment.  Matt’s care and concern for these precious natural resources will no doubt deliver a successful farm operation to the 7th generation as he’s planned. 

Please join me in congratulating this year’s Outstanding Young Farmer: Matthew R. Peckham.