Local farmer shares lessons from decades of agricultural experience

SALISBURY — Local farmers Allen and Robin Cockerline shared insights into thefarming industry and their decades-long agricultural journey during a talk at the White Hart Thursday, May 7. The event was part of the inn’s ongoing speaker series.

“I was smitten with dairy farming as a child,” Allen Cockerline said of a passion that has guided him through about half a century and across multiple states.

Today, he and his wife operate Whippoorwill Farm in Salisbury, where they raise grass-fed Angus cattle —an approach Cockerline said was once viewed skeptically in the industry.

Raised in Middlesex County in Massachusetts, Cockerline grew up in a region once dominated by small dairy farms, many with herds of just six or eight cows. Over time, he gravitated toward vegetable farming and eventually opened his own farmstand in Concord, Massachusetts.

His work later brought him to Litchfield County, where he managed a Falls Village farm purchased by Tom Coolidge with the intention of raising sheep. The operation later transitioned to dairy farming, and Cockerline remained there for 23 years before starting his own venture.

While he was able to secure easy financing with the help of the late John Rice, a loan agent for farmers, it was a challenging endeavor.

“I remember someone telling me that he thought it was easier getting into farming than getting out of it,” Cockerline said. “It’s a commodity business. You can do everything right and work on scale and it still doesn’t always work.”

In December 1999, as milk prices declined, the couple left the dairy business and purchased property on Salmon Kill Road, where they began raising grass-fed beef instead of grain-fed cattle.

Cockerline said many people doubted the viability of the approach.

“If it failed, we knew it was on us,” he said.

He said a tipping point came with the release of Michael Pollan’s book “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” which inspired people to think about the food they consume — expanding demand for grass-fed beef.

Today, Cockerline manages about 350 acres, much of it rented free of charge. His herd numbers approximately 80.

He said it takes about 30 months to raise a proper steer, allowing for the meat to marble and become tender.

To his surprise, customers now travel from across the region to purchase their meat in large quantities.

Cockerline gives back by working with students at Hotchkiss School’s Fairfield Farm, teaching them about growing crops that help supply meals at the school.

The event was sponsored by the Salisbury Association, Sharon Audubon, and the conservation commissions of Salisbury, Sharon and Cornwall.