Job Farm Profile: Sidehill Farm

  Sidehill Farm

Interview with Amy Klippenstein, Co-Owner

By Shannon Mulkern, Spring 2018 Mass. Farm to School Intern

Amy Klippenstein and Paul Lacinski weren’t always dairy farmers. As self-described lovers of “really good food,” they kept themselves busy for many years with a construction company and prolific vegetable garden. It all changed in 2006 when they decided to purchase three cows in order to start making yogurt, and the local food movement hit Western Massachusetts shortly thereafter.

What began as a small project in Ashfield has today blossomed into a successful operation that produces about 4,000 quarts of yogurt a week on their farm in Hawley. From there, the yogurt is distributed across the whole state, from the Boston Public Market to the dairy coolers of Whole Foods, as well as some private schools and colleges. Currently, they sell to the Five Colleges (UMass, Amherst, Mt. Hoyoke, Smith, and Hampshire), Williams College, as well as, private high schools like Deerfield Academy and Eaglebrook. Klippenstein says it has been a great experience working with chefs at schools to understand how their needs differ from individuals shopping in grocery stores for their families. She hopes to continue to expand into more institutional settings, particularly public schools and hospitals.

This past month, Sidehill began a transition to certify their yogurt as USDA organic. Though the land and feed for the cows has been certified since the first day of operations, Klippenstein stated a part of the decision was grounded in their dedication to the ideal that organic represents. Sidehill Farm is a part of a larger community involving everything from soil microbiology to humans, and becoming certified is one way of showing the team’s dedication to the land. Another driver in their decision has been their continued growth into new markets that are farther from the farm in Hawley. With the USDA label, new consumers can feel confident about the high quality of Sidehill’s yogurt, even if they haven’t had the opportunity to visit the farm.

When people do find themselves in the area, Klippenstein encourages them to stop by to meet the cows and visit their self-serve, honor-system farm shop, which carries local meat, cheeses, raw milk, and of course, yogurt. Sidehill frequently has field trips from local elementary schools up to Amherst College sustainability students, many of who have never been to a farm before. Klippenstein loves the opportunity to teach others about the farm operations, and she values hearing from consumers. Within each cup of yogurt comes plenty of hard work on the farm, and it makes all the difference to receive positive feedback. “To work really hard and make something of such quality that people recognize it and appreciate it; it’s the thing that keeps farmers going,” says Klippenstein.