Churchtown Dairy

Beautiful replica of a Shaker style barn, lovely gardens to peruse and the farm store had neat products: Full Moon Ghee, raw milk, cheeses from the dairy and herbal concoctions made right at the farm. Worth a visit if you are in the area.

Visited for garden tour. Guide was very experienced in uses of plants & herbs. He answered all questions - we thoroughly enjoyed this experience. We then strolled the lovely spaces. You must step into gift shop. Cheese is wonderful. Do make the trip - the drive is beautiful. Enjoy

I discovered Churchtown Dairy when I came across an Eventbrite ad in my email on "Cheesemaking for Home Cooks." I decided to sign up for the course and also did a tiny bit of research on this dairy. What do you get when one of the heirs to the Rockefeller fortune, Abby Rockefeller, decides to create a dairy farm based on regenerative farming practices? Churchtown Dairy. It is, bar none, the best looking farm I've ever come across. They hired builder Rick Anderson to design the farm. Admiring one of the designs, the round barn, on its own, is worth the trip. Beauty moves us in ways I can't explain but is this place all show, no go? The intro course I took was casual and informative. They have raw milk to purchase (I didn't know raw milk can only be purchased on a farm). Others items for sale include farm made cheeses including a Camembert style (Peggy), a washed rind (Coperthwaite), and others to choose from...beef, pork, medicinal garden products, some books, and gift items (picnic knives, cutting boards). I bought some raw milk in one of those old timey glass bottles. The separation of the milk from the milk solids was apparent. I gave it a little shake and had a glass. Good but I don't know if my palate is sensitive enough to discern the difference between this and regular pasteurized and homogenized stuff. I also bought some Coperthwaite cheese, the washed rind camembert. This had a distinct character; it smelled/tasted of grass and barnyard. I could almost picture the cows in the barn. Fresh cheese - bright and tangy...went well with a bit of honey on a cracker. In my humble opinion, this place gets by on more than its good looks. It also serves as an educational and community center. It's definitely worth a trip..more than one to take in all it has to offer.

We would have liked this place more if anyone had acknowledged we were there, including the woman behind the counter who didn't look up when we entered the store (empty!) and looked at her phone the entire time. Lost sale, for sure.

Amazing dairy off the beaten trail in Columbia County. They have a great farm store that sells cheese and milk right from the farm in addition to herbal tea grown on the premises and other local products. They also have a nice selection of agriculture books. They have a very nice garden and bee hive (yes you can buy local honey here too). There are covered tables in the garden to have a relaxing picnic. They have a beautiful one of a kind large round barn and you can visit the milking shed and see baby cows. This is a great place to go year round. In the winter, the views are in the barn.

Best farm. Reminds me of my childhood memories. 😌 Pictures wont justify.

A dairy farm and botanical garden with raw milk, cheese and other items made onsite. A spotless, huge, beautiful circular barn constructed like no other I have ever seen. Check their website for events and tours.

This place is like a temple for the cows!!! Animals have this great environment and people who take care of them with a lot of love. Fresh milk and cheese are so tasty that I bought few bottles to go! They also have classes so check their schedule when you visit.

ORIGIN: Churchtown Dairy is the vision of Abby Rockefeller. Abby took 250 acres of vacant agricultural land and built a dairy farm that is both beautiful and sustainable, a beacon of biodynamic farming. CONCEPT: Churchtown Dairy not only enacts more sustainable agricultural practices, but also strives to inspire and educate others to do the same. Books and workshops dedicated to sustainable practices that are oriented away from profit-driven food production are available. EXPERIENCE: Churchtown Dairy offers gathering space to learn about the dairy's products, as well as handcrafts and agricultural skills. So far I've learned how to make kombucha and the basics of beekeeping through Saturday workshops led by a talented and inspiring local resident, Colleen Quinn. For example, there are monthly tastings of the dairy's cheeses led by the dairy's cheese monger in which up to ten guests are welcome to bring along beverages. The dairy also provides space for those looking to gather and expand their needlecraft skills. Products of Churchtown Dairy, as well as other local farms, are available in refrigerator cases and shelves in one of the dairy buildings. TIPS: I have learned about upcoming events by checking the community board inside the dairy, following the dairy's Instagram (@churchtown_dairy), and the dairy's website.

I discovered Churchtown Dairy when I came across an Eventbrite ad in my email on "Cheesemaking for Home Cooks." I decided to sign up for the course and also did a tiny bit of research on this dairy. What do you get when one of the heirs to the Rockefeller fortune, Abby Rockefeller, decides to create a dairy farm based on regenerative farming practices? Churchtown Dairy. It is, bar none, the best looking farm I've ever come across. They hired builder Rick Anderson to design the farm. Admiring one of the designs, the round barn, on its own, is worth the trip. Beauty moves us in ways I can't explain but is this place all show, no go? The intro course I took was casual and informative. They have raw milk to purchase (I didn't know raw milk can only be purchased on a farm). Other items for sale include farm made cheeses including a Camembert style (Peggy), a washed rind (Coperthwaite), and others to choose from...beef, pork, medicinal garden products, some books, and gift items (picnic knives, cutting boards). I bought some raw milk in one of those old timey glass bottles. The separation of the milk from the milk solids was apparent. I gave it a little shake and had a glass. Good but I don't know if my palate is sensitive enough to discern the difference between this and regular pasteurized and homogenized stuff. I also bought some Coperthwaite cheese, the washed rind camembert. This had a distinct character; it smelled/tasted of grass and barnyard. I could almost picture the cows in the barn. Fresh cheese - bright and tangy...went well with a bit of honey on a cracker. In my humble opinion, this place gets by on more than its good looks. It also serves as an educational and community center. It's definitely worth a trip..more than one to take in all it has to offer.

Beautiful decor. Fresh milk. Nice area to stroll around. The owner goes a great length into details including their compost toilets. Nice selection of ending library on current farming and food topics.

Wonderful tour of the farm and learning about the medicinal gardens. The milk and cheese were a delight and enjoyed greatly.

It is a work-in-progress right now, but mark my words, this place is going to be great one day. This is a very high-minded farm that focuses on dairy, medicinal plants, and education. And it's being built with (literally) Rockefeller money. What is built so far is an enormous and gorgeous round barn with a slate roof which is used for events (and supposedly housing the cows), a cheesemaking operation (including underground cave!), and a cafe. There's a greenhouse under construction and you can get a tour of the gardens, farm, and cheesemaking at certain times during the week. But we were there on a Saturday to check out the self-service cafe. Right now it's a pay-what-you-will deal with cheese plates, soups, and the like. We felt a little awkward with the payment system, so we just went for the dairy case. We picked up a half-gallon of raw milk and two cheeses. I've never had raw milk before (legally you can only buy it at a farm) and unsurprisingly, it tasted like milk. The only difference in taste is a bit of a, umm, grassy undertone. But otherwise identical to your pasteurized grocery store milk, at least to my mouth. The raw milk goes into the cheeses, and the Coperthwaite cheese is a must-buy. It is a beautiful round soft cheese that is melt-in-your-mouth delicious. There's definitely a passion for what they do here, and a ton of investment going into it. I'm looking forward to what else gets built here. Apparently hiking trails are in the future! I don't know when I'll be back, but I'm holding on to my glass milk bottle for my eventual return.

I love visiting the Churchtown Dairy! Whether it's enjoying their "community table" (aka yummy food every weekend) or just visiting the cows, it's always a great time. The barn is beautiful--truly one of a kind. Definitely recommend!

Visited earlier this year. Very friendly folks, good cheese and the most zen cow barn ever. Picked up one of their herbal teas as well, so fresh and vibrant.