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PUMPKIN PATCH DIRECTIONS ABOUT US CONTACT COUPON LINKS/EDUCATION  ESCOBAR'S HIGHLAND FARM FARMING LIFE IN THE MODERN WORLD | ||||
 Jane and Lou inspect a barn-warming gift When the old 1920's barn burned down, it seemed like the end of an era. It was, in fact, but in a good way, and the change forced upon the farm has offered the opportunity to modernize. We now had the chance to bring in the newest technology, with great improvements in milk handling and great improvements in labor requirements. Because of these improvements, we expect to continue running the dairy part of the farm for a long time. Highland Farm is one of a vanishing breed of family agricultural
businesses in this country. Close to Portsmouth and Providence, it
provides valuable green space for the increasingly populous region. So
while Milk is our main product, we also help pump out the Oxygen you
need to breathe! Dairying is a perilously marginal life style today,
and most successful dairy farms milk a large number of cows. Small farms struggle to stay in business by diversifying,
so we have put in Christmas Trees, our Pumpkin Patch, and our Corn Maze to
offer local residents more than just Oxygen. Family Fun and the
opportunity to see both Plants and Animals close up is an increasingly
important learning resource for our children, in our rapidly developing
area. We invite you to schedule Tours of the Farm for your Clubs and
Classes.  The Old Way and the New Way to Milk Jane Escobar, in addition to helping on the Farm, is a highly regarded dairy artificial insemination technician; she was written up in Hoard's Dairyman, (8/25/94, page 570) the "New York Times" of dairy farm magazines, for her outstanding record. She breeds cows of other farmers in the area with frozen semen of carefully selected bulls, which is collected and stored by very large businesses engaged in the highly technical job of assurring that each calf born will mature into an outstanding milk producer. The genetic database and registration of these animals and their milk production is the business of the Holstein Association USA in Brattleboro, Vermont. The Escobars and the Highland Farm are easy to find on the internet; active in their community and in dairy farming groups, they are the best kind of progressive responsible citizens and friends in their community. In the best of American traditions, when the Escobars faced great difficulties after their barn burned, the Portsmouth community supported their rebuilding efforts. Some of the current links mentioning the Farm are listed here. Interview
with Louis |
On Aquidneck Island, in Portsmouth, RI, and right
next door to Newport, you can stop by and see farm life in the middle of a
modern active community. We invite you to stop by and learn something of
the life on what has been a traditional Family Farm for years. Today, in
order to survive, we have learned to diversify. In so doing, we feel that
we offer benefits to the Portsmouth community, not the least of which is
the opportunity for young people to learn what farming is all about.
 The old milking stanchions after the fire. Photos of the New Barn
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Phone
Us: 401-683-1444