Starting a New Legacy
/Todd, Tom, Barb and Nori Hathorn | Ivy Lakes Dairy LLC
Between class, work and campus dairy activities, college classmates Austin Copenhaver, Garrett Eiholzer and Clayton Wood had big dreams — dreams of owning a dairy together after graduation. But destiny and timing had other ideas. The students at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., each went on to get full-time jobs outside dairy farming after they threw their caps in the air on graduation day in 2009.
But their dream was meant to become a reality. Fast-forward four years after graduation, thanks to fate and a local farmer who was looking for someone to work their way into the business, the friends had their opportunity.
Meaningful succession planning
In 2013, Austin, Garrett and Clayton; along with their wives, Abbey Copenhaver, Libby Eiholzer and Katie Wood; jumped at the opportunity to go into business with Todd and Nori Hathorn, who owned Hathorn Farms LLC in Stanley, N.Y.
The Hathorn farm dates back to 1921, but it wasn’t until 1952 when Todd’s parents, Tom and Barb, started the dairy with four cows in a tie-stall barn. The farm continued to grow and Todd became a partner with his dad in 1982. Over the following 30 years, they added more cows and built freestall barns and a milking parlor. Todd was searching for a way to continue their farm’s legacy, and soon after meeting the former college classmates, Hathorn Farms LLC began operating as Ivy Lakes Dairy LLC. The succession planning was underway.
“We would talk about someday starting a dairy together; and eventually, it actually worked out,” Abbey says of the former college classmates’ dreams.
Successful planning is a vital task when it comes to the future of a farm. The responsibility to ensure all the owners’ goals are met takes thoughtful planning, time and input. For the partners, this has meant a slow, carefully planned transition of management, equity and expansion of the farm. Over a span of years, the partners worked their equity in the farm up, added a new freestall barn and more cows, all the while continuing a fruitful partnership with the Hathorns. Today, the partners share the managerial decisions of the farm, all rooted in the same values.
“In addition to having four partners, we work with a variety of businesses. Teamwork and communication is vital to make decisions that are best for the cows, land and people,” Abbey says.
Being good neighbors
Even as ownership and duties changed, the dedication to the cows, the land and the community never wavered.
Just as they learned from the Hathorns, the families continue to integrate sustainable practices, such as manure spreading to replenish soil nutrients, recycling water and incorporating no-till or cover cropping practices in their fields. In addition, the young partners work closely with the agricultural community to help teach consumers in New York and beyond how dairy farmers care for their cows and the land, where their milk comes from and answer questions or concerns they may have.
These practices reinforce the farm’s mission: “Continuing the tradition of caring for cows, land and people.” And thanks to the diligent planning, shared ambitions and passion for the dairy industry, the families are set up for a lifetime of shared memories fulfilling their dream of managing a dairy together.
Clayton (holding Annie) and Katie (holding Henry) Wood; Garrett and Libby Eiholzer; Abbey and Austin (holding Andrew) Copenhaver| Ivy Lakes Dairy LLC