Provided by Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Association
Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative congratulates 50 year member Kettle Wind Farm of Nokesville for 50 years of membership.
Paul House has been farming his whole life, and his grandfather, John House, was a charter member of Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers for another Virginia property, Dutchland Farms. His adult children, Kyle House and Stephanie Cornnell, help run the farm and business operations. Their mother, Flora, passed away from cancer a few years ago but her presence on the farm remains. It was she who came up with the name for Kettle Wind Farm, putting together the location of the original farm property, adjacent Kettle Run, and the fact that there was always a little breeze blowing there.
Kettle Wind Farms encompasses 4,000 total acres with the milking parlor positioned close to the road, and the barns and calf housing reaching back toward the fields. Cow comfort is a priority for Paul and Kyle, and looking at the cows resting on their new mattresses bedded with sawdust, it’s clear that the work has paid off. Kettle Wind has two farm locations with 300 milking and dry cows, largely Holsteins with a few Jerseys. Their calves are raised in a greenhouse setup and in hutches, and their heifers are raised at a nearby farm. Kyle notes that technology is key to helping them to stay on top of their herd and head off issues at the earliest opportunity; individual neck collars assess the health and condition of each cow throughout the day.
Paul and his family have diversified Kettle Wind Farm over the last two decades. They operate two small sod companies and have invested in the specified equipment, cutting as much as 12 acres per day. They remain very cognizant of their responsibility to the environment as farmers, and have been lauded for their conservation efforts. Kettle Wind also grows 2,000 acres of soybeans and 800 acres of corn, and 400 acres of wheat.
Located southeast of Manassas, the House family finds one of their biggest challenges is the loss of farm land to suburban sprawl. Stephanie notes that they need to be continuously looking for new income avenues, and to maximize the land and opportunities available. Paul said, “What I’m most proud of is that we started with a ‘65 Chevy and a Craftsman tool box and we’ve built this farm into something that employs 20 people and my children are with me in this business.”
You can learn more about our member farmers like the House family by visiting the Maryland & Virginia website at mdvamilk.com. Check out our You Tube channel featuring our 50 Year Member, Kettle Wind Farm, and other outstanding farmers at bit.ly/MDVAyoutube.
