The Carey Farm: Five generations and counting in Groton

Eric Carey is a Groton High School (GHS) alumnus from the class of 2010, who also earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture science from Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2014, but Eric is most proud of the LLC (limited liability company) he formed with his father, Dan Carey, in 2016 — making Eric the fifth generation of owners of Carey Farm at 305 Lick St. in Groton.

“I’ve always had my sights on running the farm since I was younger,” Eric said. “None of my siblings were interested, and I have always liked the cows, the tractors and field work, and even the haying.”

The proverbial apple did not fall far from the tree with Eric, as Dan is also a GHS alumnus, from 1972, and earned his bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics from Cornell in 1976, having transferred after his first two college years spent at SUNY Morrisville.

As it happened, Dan’s sister, Margaret (now Wilson), graduated from SUNY Morrisville in 1979, along with her roommate, Ann Hatfield — the daughter of Keith and Mary Hatfield — who grew up on their farm in Scipio Center. Through Margaret, Dan met Ann, and they were married in August 1985.

Dan, along with Ann, represents the fourth generation of Careys working the farm, but growing up, Dan, Margaret and the rest of their siblings — Monica, Kathleen (now Howard), Mary (now Cornell), Patricia, Julie (now Lilley) and Rita (now Sheils) — all helped on the farm.

“When I was 12 to 15 years old, we had about 85 cows, and we did have milking machines, but I would have to hand-carry buckets of milk to empty into 90-quart milk cans,” Dan said.  

Similarly, Eric and his siblings, Andrew, Edward and Megan, all grew up cleaning and feeding the heifers. Eric remembers starting that when he was seven years old, and when he turned 11, taking a turn every four days cleaning the milking parlor.

Dan and Ann told the story of the first generation of Careys, Daniel and Mary (Healey), who came from Ireland and moved to Groton in 1899 when they purchased the farm on Lick Street. Daniel John and Marguerite Carey, Dan’s grandparents, were the second generation, and his parents, D. James and Mary (Walpole) Carey, became the third generation.

“My dad and I formed a partnership in 1980,” Dan said. “We had 125 cows and 300 acres of crops, which were corn, hay and oats for our own feed for the cows. By the early ’90s, we had 150 milkers [cows], and in 1992, we built a more modernized milking parlor. In 1993, we added on to the barn and got more cows — bringing us up to 180 head.”

As Eric grew, he continued taking an active part in farm life, but he also played football, basketball and the saxophone in high school, and he ran track & field. In fact, Ann mentioned that many of Eric’s friends came to help with haying quite a bit.

At Cornell, Eric was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho, an agricultural fraternity, and lived in the fraternity house until he returned to the farm and formed the LLC with Dan. By then, there were 200 cows, but before too long, they built a new milking barn and added 100 more cows.

“We’ve replaced and updated the facilities quite a bit since then, and in 1998, we started rotational grazing,” Eric explained. “We’ve been doing it ever since, where the cows are mostly outside from the end of April until November. It works very well.”

Eric further explained that although the farm is 900 acres in total, they need 600 acres for the crops to feed the cows with because the rule of thumb is two acres per cow. Of that acreage needed, they own 475 acres and rent the remaining 125 acres.

“We’re very concerned that 35 of those rented acres will soon be lost to a solar farm,” Eric said. “Farmers can’t compete when a solar company pays such high rent for the land — and then we lose tillable acres for growing food for both animals and people, because animals supply food such as milk and milk products and meat.”

Eric also said that “only 1% of the population today is farmers, and they feed the whole country! If you don’t support policies that support farmers, you’ll continue to lose your local farms and locally grown food — and not just dairy [but] all agriculture! American farmers have the safest and most secure food supply in the world. It’s something not to take for granted, because you don’t want to lose that.”

Despite all of the very real concerns that Eric and his family have, Eric pointed out that “agriculture is still the biggest industry in New York state. The future is still bright. This farm has been here for 125 years now. I’m planning and hoping for another 125.”

Groton on the Inside appears every week in Tompkins Weekly. Submit story ideas to editorial@vizellamedia.com or text or call Linda at 607-227-4922. 

In brief:

Pancake breakfast in McLean

The McLean Fire Department Auxiliary will host another breakfast buffet at the McLean Fire Station from 7:30 to 11 a.m. or until gone, Sunday, Oct. 20. On the menu will be three different kinds of pancakes with real maple syrup, French toast, scrambled eggs, home-fried potatoes, sausage links, ham, sausage gravy with biscuits, assorted desserts, an assortment of juices, white and chocolate milk and coffee. The cost for adults is $13. For senior citizens and children over five years of age, the cost is $8. Children under five may eat free of charge. Debit and credit cards are now being accepted for payment. Toys for Tots will also be collected.

The Auxiliary will also hold a fall bazaar on Saturday, Oct. 26, and there is still space available for vendors. Contact Karen Borst at 607-280-5452 for more information.

Poet laureate visit & book club

Tompkins County Poet Laureate Janie E. Bibbie will visit the Groton Public Library at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17. Her poetry books are available for check-out at the library and for the visit. The regular meeting of the GPL Book Club will follow at 7 p.m. For more information, contact director@grotonpubliclibrary.org or 607-898-5055.

The Johnson Museum at GPL

Cornell University’s Johnson Museum of Art will offer a free workshop on repoussé and masing at noon on Saturday, Oct. 19 at the Groton Public Library. Learn how to create designs in thin metal plates — an ancient technique to create detailed art. Registration is not required but helps to make sure supplies are adequate. For more information, contact director@grotonpubliclibrary.org or 607-898-5055.