Adam Young, 33, and his wife Chandler are the owners of Young Crest Farm, a thriving dairy operation in Antwerp, NY. Young’s journey began at 19, with just $100 in his pocket. Today, his farm is worth $2.5 million – a testament to his dedication and business acumen.

A fourth-generation dairy farmer, Young is the first generation to run his own farm. He hopes his sons Acre (3) and Arlo (1) will one day inherit Young Crest Farm, continuing its legacy as a multigenerational enterprise.

“You must be good at one thing to make it successful,” Young said. “Since we’re family-run, we work with our family members. To succeed, we focus on mastering what we do before expanding into anything else.”

Young Crest Farm has earned multiple milk quality awards, including New York State’s Dairy of Distinction in 2023. When Young purchased the century-old property, it was in decline.

“The farm used to be a conventional dairy operation, but things went downhill before we took over. We’ve invested heavily in improving the property,” he explained.

Recognition for his dairy work was a significant milestone for Young, who attributes their success to a commitment to regenerative agriculture.

Young Crest Farm manages 50 grass-fed organic Holsteins, shipping milk to Maple Hill Creamery, a cooperative of 150 farmers.

“Maple Hill Creamery provided us with an opportunity,” Young said. “We average $44 per hundredweight for our milk. We’ve really refined the process of producing milk without grain. Healthy soil directly impacts healthy cows and milk production.”

By prioritizing grazing, foraging and soil health, Young discovered an entirely new approach to farming.

“Feeding grain doesn’t pay,” he stated. “When my wife left her teaching job, her salary was covering the cream bill. There just wasn’t money in it.”

While their yields are lower due to avoiding synthetic fertilizers, the Youngs have embraced composting, enriching their fields with nutrients at recommended rates for optimal microbial health. It’s a slower process, but Young emphasizes efficiency and effectiveness.

Young Crest Farm also cash crops, selling large quantities of silage and dry hay. Their dairy operation incorporates mob grazing paddocks, shipping approximately 12,500 lbs. of milk per cow per lactation, totaling around 600,000 lbs. annually.

Recently, the Youngs expanded into organic beef and pork sales after noticing imported organic pork at Aldi.

“We want to support our local community, and that’s why we started this venture,” Young said.

Chandler launched their Facebook page, and the farm partnered with Amazon to distribute their meat products. Young Crest Farm now serves customers as far away as Florida and Ohio.

“We’ve had requests for milk, but we aren’t licensed to sell directly. We encourage people to purchase our milk through Maple Hill Creamery,” Young said.

“Our goal is excellence, and we’ve achieved it through milk quality,” he reflected. “Our profitability lies in our cows. We’ve recently started selling meat, but dairy remains our focus – producing high-quality milk with no grain.”

Find their Facebook page by searching “MEATS by Young Crest Farm.”