Chadwick Farms

Tucked away in the beautiful northern shore area of the Bay of Quinte you’ll find Chadwick Farms, a farm that has been in the Chadwick family for over a century. Rob and Jillian Chadwick along with their two daughters, Gia and Gemma, represent the fourth and fifth generation respectively to run the farm. The original farmstead, purchased by Rob’s great-grandfather following World War I, has since undergone extensive expansion and change. Throughout the years, however, the one thing that has remained the same and has been integral to their success is their steadfast values of integrity and working together as a family. In the past decade alone, there has been considerable progress and growth at Chadwick Farms. In 2014, the farm transitioned from a tie-stall barn to a free stall barn with a parlour, and since then, they have also more than doubled their quota holdings. Today, 75 cows are milked twice daily in a double-six parlour, achieving over 1.7kg of fat per cow, which far surpasses their original goal of producing 1.5kg of fat per cow. Rob & Jillian believe success is never just about one big change that makes the difference, it’s about ensuring every small detail is done well. “Consistency is key,” Rob says. “Doing the same thing well every day keeps everything on track.”

 

While Rob may describe their operation as “simple and fairly low-tech”, their strength lies in how they track and utilize the data from their farm. The Chadwicks regularly review where the herd is at, where they want to go, and how they are going to get there. They rely on Rebecca Barr of TCO Agromart to provide the nutritional recommendations for their herd and value the perspective and advice she offers when reviewing herd data. Regular evaluation of the numbers allows them to spot trends quickly and work proactively together. Rebecca’s involvement in bringing new ideas to the table and helping to map out the most efficient ways to meet their new goals is also much appreciated.

At Chadwick Farms the cows thrive on consistency and comfort. Forage quality, consistent feed delivery and feed availability are a priority, as is precise mixing. The milking herd is fed a TMR of corn silage, haylage, dry corn and a custom Purina supplement. The forages that make up the backbone of the TMR are stored in tower silos as Rob appreciates the fact that when high quality forages go into the tower silos, high quality, consistent forages come back out of the silos with minimal losses and relative ease. Fresh TMR is offered twice daily to the lactating herd year around, to encourage higher feed intake, but also keeps the cows standing for that critical period post-milking, which helps them to maintain excellent udder health. One recent change at Chadwick Farms that has had a significant impact on the productive life of their herd includes converting a former manure storage area into a transition facility for their close-up dry cows. The additional space, along with the comfort provided by the straw pack has helped to create a truly ‘stress-free’ transition area. The impact of this change has been remarkable, with very positive trends seen in both fresh cow health and performance. While farming is in his blood, Rob’s passion for Chadwick Farms is also fueled by being able to do what he loves to do with his wife Jillian, and daughters Gia and Gemma working alongside him, realizing their dreams together. Through generations of hard work and steady progress, Chadwick Farms stands as a testament to tradition, resilience, and the simple joy of farming together as a family.