History runs deep at Monument Farms Dairy where the James and Rooney families have been producing and bottling milk for 95 years.

Jon Rooney: My cousins, Pete and Bob James, and I are the third generation. Their dad was Steve James, second generation to run the farm. My mom, Millicent James, married Jim Rooney. My mom was the farm’s treasurer, and my dad Jim managed the dairy plant until I came back on the farm in 1984, after college and a couple of other jobs. Right now, Pete is the farm manager, Bob oversees the methane digester and electricity production, and I manage the dairy. And the fourth generation? Dan and Ben are Bob’s sons. Dan handles sales and distribution, and Ben serves as farm mechanic. Pete’s son, Tyler, focuses on crops and soils with his dad.

Edible Vermont: Let’s begin with a brief overview of the farm’s history.

Jon Rooney: Our grandparents, Richard and Marjory James, started the farm in 1930. Richard started bottling milk in his basement, and the farm slowly grew from there. They lived in the house right next door to what’s now the processing plant. My mom, Millicent, and her brother, Steve, grew up in the farmhouse with two other siblings, Eleanor and Patricia. Steve was the father of my cousins, Bob and Pete James. Bob and Pete grew up just across the park from the farmhouse.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in whole milk consumption in the last five years. Research has shown that dairy fats have beneficial effects on blood sugar levels and don’t have the negative impact on cholesterol as previously reported.” –Jon Rooney

Where did you grow up?

JR: In the brick house across the road from the dairy. So yeah, our entire family lived right here on Weybridge Hill, within sight of the farm. We all helped on the farm in various ways, from picking rocks in the fields to helping with hay during the summers. The boys started driving tractors when we were 10 or 12 years old, like most farm kids did back then. Unfortunately, farm equipment is so much bigger now and does more of the work we used to do by hand. It kind of changed the nature of how younger kids can get involved on farms nowadays. The fourth generation of James—Dan, Ben, and Tyler—got their start mowing lawns around the farm. Like most farm kids, they gravitated to what interested them: mechanics, working with the cows, equipment, fieldwork, or whatnot. People’s talents shine through eventually.

As plant manager, what are your responsibilities?

JR: I oversee the milk processing and packaging and quality control. Until a year ago, I also hauled all the milk from the barns about three-quarters of a mile down Route 23 to the plant. On big production days, it could take five trips in the 3,000-gallon tanker truck to transport the milk.

Tell me about the herd.

JR: Our Holsteins have a pretty good life. They live in spacious and airy free stall barns, which means they are free to move around. We take their care and comfort seriously. They have mattresses below the bedding for increased comfort, and their bedding is changed three times a week. Pulverized lime is put down twice a week to raise the pH level and to kill any bacteria. We take advantage of the newest technologies to always improve our cows’ lives. We joke that we treat them like professional athletes. More than 65 percent of their feed is grown and processed here on our farm’s 2,000-plus acres.

This fall, we’ll be milking around 560 cows. In early summer, we finished construction on more cow housing so we may increase the herd size. We’re not considered a large dairy farm on a national scale but we’re fairly substantial by Vermont standards.

What distinguishes Monument Farms Dairy?

JR: We’re categorized as producer-handlers, meaning we produce, process, and market our own milk. There aren’t that many large farms that choose to process and market their own milk. Because we’re independent, our prices aren’t governed by the federal market system, although we do report to them. We can set our own prices, charging enough to keep us in business while ensuring we can provide high quality for our customers.

How about the product line itself?

JR: There are four varieties of milk from whole to skim, chocolate milk in whole and 1 percent, half & half, and heavy cream.

Top sellers?

JR: Chocolate is popular of course, but you might be surprised that we’ve seen a significant increase in whole milk consumption in the last five years. Research has shown that dairy fats have beneficial effects on blood sugar levels and don’t have the negative impact on cholesterol as previously reported. Chocolate milk has also become popular as a post-workout drink. In fact, many of the Middlebury College athletic teams specifically stock their team rooms with our milk.

“We’ve seen a lot of country stores being bought out by convenience chains that can’t offer the same personalized experience. So, to support these independent country stores that are vital to the culture of so many of our communities, we hired a team that produced a series of videos shining the spotlight on many of these country stores. We have the videos posted on our website, and they’re really fun to watch as a great reflection of Vermont culture.” –Jon Rooney

Where is your milk distributed?

JR: We do the majority of the distribution ourselves, primarily on the west side of the Green Mountains north to the Canadian border, over to Enosburg Falls and Montgomery, and south to Rutland, Castleton, and Fair Haven. We also make a trip through the Mad River Valley once a week, and our milk is distributed through Farm Connex in Hardwick and Upper Valley Produce in White River Junction. When people want our products and are willing to make arrangements to get them there, we’ll generally find a way to make it work.

I’ve seen your milk in some larger grocery store chains as well as in many independent grocers and country stores around Vermont. It seems you have a soft spot for country stores.

JR: We do. We’ve seen a lot of country stores being bought out by convenience chains that can’t offer the same personalized experience. So, to support these independent country stores that are vital to the culture of so many of our communities, we hired a team that produced a series of videos shining the spotlight on many of these country stores. We have the videos posted on our website, and they’re really fun to watch as a great reflection of Vermont culture.

What’s the response been?

JR: People love them! It always generates a lot of online chatter when people see their local country store highlighted.

In a time when so many dairy farms are struggling, what accounts for your family’s success?

JR: I guess I would point to our closed system that allows us to manage all aspects of our business and to produce a consistent, high-quality product. We know exactly what our cows eat and the conditions under which the milk was produced and processed.

And you also seem like pretty nice folks to work with, people who care about their broad community.

JR: We put a lot of effort into developing and sustaining relationships with our customers, and we make sure that we deliver consistency. Our 50 employees are friendly and courteous, and that filters through all aspects of the business.

Crystal ball for the future?

JR: Pete, Bob, and I often joke that we’re approaching our expiration dates, so the next phase of the farm will fall on the shoulders of the fourth generation: Dan, Ben, and Tyler. They’ll be determining the capacity of the land and barns and the size of the herd. How much milk we want to produce would impact the expansion of the processing plant. Monument Farms Dairy has always evolved slowly over the decades, and I imagine the next generation will continue that trend.

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