Oak Ridge Dairy details harvest operations, A2 milk shift and new packaging plans

Seth Baylor, chief executive officer of Oak Ridge Dairy in Ellington, discussed the farm’s seasonal operations and product expansion during an interview on the Town of Ellington show. He described silage harvest schedules, equipment investments, steps to process milk through the Modern Milkman distribution network, and plans for new packaging and retail distribution.

Baylor said Oak Ridge farms roughly 3,000 acres and that corn silage season began the day before the interview. “We usually bring around 1,200 to 1,500 loads in a 10 day window,” he said, describing the chopping and storage process used to preserve whole plants for cattle feed. He added the farm will combine about 500 acres this year, leaving some corn seed in the field to be harvested later.

The scale of equipment for that work is substantial, Baylor said: a corn chopper recently purchased cost about $680,000, with the header attachment about $200,000, “so you’re close to a million dollars,” he said. Baylor noted those machines are used intensively for short seasonal windows.

Oak Ridge has been increasing on‑farm processing and retail presence. Baylor said about 10 percent of the farm’s milk is currently processed at the farm’s own plant. He described partnerships and distribution expansions through Modern Milkman, saying Modern Milkman recently opened a distribution center in Danbury and Oak Ridge will soon ship from a distribution hub in North Attleboro, Massachusetts. “Modern Milkman has been growing … servicing over 10,000 customers,” he said, and he said Oak Ridge products are now in about 60 grocery stores.

Baylor described product diversification: Oak Ridge bottles milk in glass, supplies an ice cream base for local soft‑serve vendors, bottles cider in partnership with Bishop’s Orchard in Guilford, and has been testing soybeans and other feeds. He also described a partnership to roast soybeans with a roaster the farm uses for a high‑protein feed product.

On herd and production matters, Baylor said the farm has about 3,000 cows and roughly 2,600 are milked daily. He described a methane digester installed on the farm that captures gases from manure to produce renewable energy and leaves liquid nutrients for fields; solids are processed into recycled bedding. “We squeeze them so dry that we actually use them for recycled bedding,” he said.

Baylor said Oak Ridge has been testing and grouping the herd to supply milk labeled A2/A2 protein only. “All of our milk in our bottles is now all A2/A2 protein,” he said, and described the change as intended to help consumers who report sensitivity to conventional milk proteins. He also acknowledged there is scientific literature on A1/A2 protein differences and framed his remarks as the company’s testing results.

Looking ahead, Baylor described two retail initiatives: a self‑serve, 12‑by‑20 foot unmanned building with refrigeration to sell Oak Ridge products locally 24/7, and a planned canning line to produce a 12‑ounce aluminum single‑serve milk can. “We’re actually putting in a canning line this fall, to hopefully launch it next year,” he said, calling the packaging effort an attempt to position milk as a premium single‑serve beverage.

First Selectman Laurie Spielman, who hosted the interview, praised Oak Ridge’s community involvement, noting the farm opens for events such as Touch a Tractor and movie nights. “Everything that Baylor family and Oak Ridge does for the town of Ellington, it’s just wonderful,” she said.

Baylor framed much of the product expansion as a response to volatility in farm milk prices: by expanding direct sales and branded products Oak Ridge seeks higher margins and more stable outlets for its milk. He described work on new packaging and product lines while continuing traditional farm operations.

The farm’s stated near‑term milestones include completing the canning line installation this fall, launching the aluminum single‑serve can product next year, and opening a self‑serve retail kiosk in town in the coming months. Baylor also said Oak Ridge will continue distributing through Modern Milkman and retail partners.