The History of Yorkmont Farm

The main location on 22a in Hampton with 400 acres by Walter Jr and Mary Perry. Originally known as Hickory Ridge Guernsey the herd consisted of all Guernsey cattle.  Previously owned by, Don Scott. and purchased for a massive $18,000, big money for those times. Moving from the family farm in Ira, Vermont to start a farm of their own. Shipping milk to Maple Wood Dairy in Fair Haven, VT getting paid a good premium for Guernsey Milk. 

Purchased 40 acres, previously owned by Woody McCuen, next door which included sugar maple grove of about 600 taps to produce maple syrup. Walt collected sap with a pair of heifers he yoke trained. Sap was boiled at the neighbor's farm owned by Larry Mashak (who ended up being Dave's Grandfather on his maternal side) 

​

Another neighboring farm came up for sale 300 acres, previously owned by Arthur Thomas, though Mary was against this purchase Walt decided it was an investment he could not pass up on and turned out to be an excellent one at that.

​

​

​

Walter was ahead of his time with agritourism starting U-Pick for the "Perry's Potatoes" he had been growing for many years. This became very successful and continued several weekends every fall on the farm up until 2020.

​

​

​

​

​

​

The herd took a move from all Gurnsey cattle with the addition of 27 Holstein heifers from a farm in Dutchess County. There was no longer a good premium for Gurnsey Milk with the creamery. This led to the name change to Yorkmont as there was already a Holstein herd with the name of "Hickory Ridge". With the addition of these animals more housing was needed, and a metal free stall barn was built off the side of the original bank barn. Today these barns are still used and the farm mostly all Holsteins, with a few Jerseys mixed in. There was a milking parlor added off the free stall in 1968 that is also still used today.

Walt's son, Dave's Father, Walter III joined the farm after attending Cornell for a few years. Later he left the farm and started his own farm with Dave briefly before he found his final calling selling dairy wash soaps and running Perry's Main Street Eatery, before his passing in 2015. He was a great supporter of the farm and loved to watch his grandkids show cows at the fair.

​

​

​

Later, Walt's two other sons Jeff and Kevin joined the farm after taking other ventures off the farm following their time at school. Both were very handy with equipment and helped to keep repair bills low around the farm. Jeff continued to be on the farm until his passing in 2009. Kevin continued to be on the farm until his retirement in 2016 and now runs a mechanic shop down the road with his son Justin.

​

Walt Jr stuck around the farm until his passing in 2003. He helped keep things running day to day and enjoyed spending time with his two Belgian mares named Kit and Kat. They were his pride and joy he used them to gather sap, plowing, digging potatoes, on top of giving wagon rides any chance he had. They were a staple around the farm for about 30 years and brought great joy to many who visited them at the farm or at the fair. 

Following Brittany and Joe getting married, Joe joined Yorkmont to run things day to day alongside Dave. Joe had previously spent many years farming on his own family farm and attending Vermont Technical College to study Dairy. 

​

​

​

​

After over 30 years being on the farm Dave bought out his Partner/ Uncle Kevin and became the sole owner of Yorkmont Farm. Though there was a farm stand where potatoes sold for decades the old sugar house was renovated into a new and improved Yorkmont Farm store where our homegrown beef and other local products are sold.  

New in 2024 will be the Yorkmont Farm Creamery. We will be taking milk straight from the lovely ladies of Yorkmont Farm and the milk will be pasteurized and bottled within a few hours for the freshest milk you can get!! Our milk is now available in our farm store enjoy our white and chocolate milk anytime and keep posted to our Facebook page to see what special flavors we have available which include coffee, maple, sugar cookie, shamrock, strawberry, orange cream and more!! STOP BY TODAY! ​

​