Guess what! We’ve sponsored a cow! and what’s better than one cow? TWO COWS!
President & CEO Steve LeClaire and his wife Joy, who is also our bookkeeper and ace registry runner, have personally sponsored two Whittier Farms calves through The Raelyn Calf and Herd Sponsorship Program.
What does it mean to sponsor a calf? Read on!
In 2020 The Raelyn Calf and Herd Sponsorship Program at Whittier Farms was founded and created by long time resident of Sutton, Linda Turgeon. Linda was looking for a special gift for her daughter Raelyn. Linda also wanted it to be a gift that gave back to the community. The idea was sparked when remembering how much Raelyn loved animals and her fondness for cows. She knew that the gift of care and support of Whittier’s dairy cows would be perfect. The farm had always been such a huge part of Raelyn's younger years. Living close by, the family would walk to the farm frequently to visit the cows and the farm store for a treat. The daily drives by were the highlight of Raelyn's day as she always announced "Hi Cows!" Whittier Farms is thankful for Linda's creative thinking and Raelyn's love for their cows as this program builds upon Whittier Farms’ stewardship and sustainability.
Learn more about how you can sponsor a cow by clicking here!
Why Olive & Eunice?
After much name debate, "Olive" and "Eunice" were decided upon to honor Sutton dairy matrons Olive Sherman Perry at The Maples and Eunice Perry King at Arthur King's Farm.
Both The Maples And Arthur King’s have roots going back to the earliest settlers in Sutton, but enjoyed their heyday in the 1940’s through the early 1960’s. The Maples operated on Singletary Avenue while Arthur King raised his herd on Uxbridge Road, near Bond Hollow. Olive and Eunice helped to support the farms and the families of two once thriving and important farms in town. Both women were close friends of Mary Stevenson Benjamin, wife of SBIA founder, Stephen E. Benjamin!
Sutton and the surrounding area has a rich history of family-run dairy farms. Unfortunately, as the dairy industry changed over the decades, many of them closed for good. Whittier Farms remains as the only full time dairy farm in Sutton. In addition to supporting young calves through the Raelyn Calf and Herd Sponsorship Program and supporting our friends & neighbors at Whittier Farms, we also wanted to highlight the importance of keeping agriculture alive and well here in Sutton by honoring legacies.
In the photo above, taken by the Whittiers, Olive is the black calf with bright blue jacket. She was born on February 16th. Eunice is the black and white calf and was born on February 1st. Both calves currently reside in their own calf hutch. We can’t wait to follow along as they grow up! We’re proud to be Caring for the Next Generation and supporting local agriculture and businesses.
