Rick Osofsky, Ronnybrook Farm Dairy
Rick Osofsky and his daughter, Kate, both graduated from Wesleyan University and now own and manage Ronnybrook Farm Dairy, in the heart of the Hudson Valley. And through Bon Appétit’s Farm to Fork program, the picturesque farm supplies the Wesleyan campus with milk, yogurt and frozen yogurt.
Ronnybrook’s website reads: “Hopelessly out of date, and proud of it.” Rick’s operation is the quintessential example of what you imagine when buying from a small, local, and owner-operated farm. Their herd of cows, which the Osofsky family has taken care of for almost 70 years, has access to pasture and outdoor exercise every day of the year. Unlike the vast majority of large dairies, Ronnybrook grows the cows’ supplemental feed themselves, onsite. By doing so, Rick can control the factors he cares most about, such as not using pesticides or genetically modified seeds. He minimizes waste and costs by using manure as fertilizer whenever possible and rotating crops to promote healthy soil.
In 2010, the farm added a solar thermal system that heats water for the onsite processing, saving the farm an estimated 2,000 gallons of oil annually. Last but not least, by processing everything onsite and delivering only in the Northeast, most Ronnybrook Farm Dairy products move from cow to consumer in less than 24 hours!