Van Lieshout’s Brabant Farm – ‘Thank A Farmer’

We’ve teamed up with Whites Farm Supply and James Wesley to ‘Thank a Farmer‘ at FrogFest. We’ve been asking you to nominate farmers who deserve recognition and 2 will be James Wesley’s special guests at FrogFest June 15th. Today we thank the vanLieshout's in Verona - Joe, Paul, Phil, Pat, Henry and Joe Jr. who run Brabant Farm, nominated by several people.

Henry and Johanna vanLieshout emigrated from the Netherlands and moved to Verona in 1968, where they purchased a farm with a 115 stall cow barn. Over the years the brothers got married and started families of their own. They also steadily grew the herd to its present size of 700 cows, as well as expanded the farm facilities to accommodate the herd.

Pat and Lory vanLieshout are community oriented with involvement in their church, Cornell Cooperative Extension, 4-H, Holstein Club, Farm Bureau, Leatherstocking Decorative Artists and their children’s school Holy Cross Academy; where Lory is also the art teacher.

Joe and Samantha vanLieshout take care of the nutrition and feeding all the cows. Whether it's plowing or cultivating the fields, picking rocks, spreading manure, mowing hay, chopping, hauling hay or corn silage Joe is there to do it. He is one of the best mechanics on the farm, if he can't fix it he's figuring out how, according to his wife.

The vanLieshout's always strive to enhance the public perception of farming by maintaining an attractive farmstead. They have been a Dairy of Distinction for 28 consecutive years and regular recipients of the Super Milk Award for high quality milk production. In 2000, they also won the National Milk Quality Award and were recently named the 2013 recipients of the Dairy Farmer of the Year Award by Oneida County Dairy Promotion.

The vanLieshouts often have school groups come and visit the dairy farm giving the students the opportunity to learn how a modern dairy farm is run.

Thank you Michele Beach, Samantha vanLieshout and Cornell Cooperative Extension,  for nominating the Brabant Farm and thank you to all the van Lieshout's for what you do everyday. We’ll put you in the random drawing to be James Wesley’s special guests at FrogFest June 15th, so he can ‘Thank a Farmer.’