First generation~

Cook Farm was purchased in 1909 by Joseph G. Cook.  Joseph, and his wife Ethel, raised four children, Florence, Dorothy, Gordon and Joseph Jr., on the farm. Joseph and Ethel struggled through the Great Depression and were very grateful for the farm and the ability to grow and raise food to feed their family during such an incredibly difficult period in history.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second generation~

Gordon, nicknamed "Pop", Cook Sr. was born in 1911 in the farmhouse and took over running the family farm in 1947 after the tragic death of his father, Joseph Cook. Pop held a great deal of satisfaction in the fact that he was able to live his entire life here on Cook Farm and with great pride passed it on to his children. Pop and his wife of over 60 years, Marjorie "Mimi", raised four children, Judy, Gordon Jr "Gordy", Richard, and Peter, here on Cook Farm. Mimi helped out in anyway she could to help the farm, but her brilliant frugality may have been the farms best asset. Mimi was always able to turn nothing into something wonderful. They had times of great struggle, tender times with family, and times of change in order to keep up with the changing trends. Oh, the stories they could tell!

 

 

Third generation~

Peter Cook lived and worked on the farm with his father, Pop, from approximately 1976 to 1985. Peter and his wife, Betsy, started their life together here on the farm with their three children, Jeremiah, Becky, and Rachel, before starting their own farm, Cookville Farm, down the road.

 

Gordy worked for many years as a cattle trucker and Blue Seal sales representative. He then came back to help on the farm in 1984 with his wife, Beth, and their four children, Kara, Gordon III "Hank", Kimberlee, and Nathan. Gordy and Beth kept up the farming tradition with help from Pop, who cherished being needed to help out however he was able. The ever changing times have dictated where the focus of the farm needs to be. For many years, the focus was on establishing Cook Farm as a premiere breeder. Cook Farm won Premier Breeder for 18 consecutive years at the Mass State Show. We are proud of the fact that embroyos from Cook Farm have been sought out and sold to farmers around the world, from England to Japan to Canada. Many plaques and banners acknowledging Cook Farm's achievements in breeding and exhibition of our cows decorate the walls of Flayvors.

 

It was always a dream of Beth's to open an ice cream and dairy store. Flayvors of Cook Farm opened in 1998. Predominately run by family and worked by many local "kids" over the years who have become like family. Flayvors has proven to be an extremely important part in our farm's viability, as well as a wonderful connection between local food and agriculture. Our Jerseys and Holsteins, which are among the top 100 classified Holstein herds in the nation, provide the milk that is then used in our ice cream. 

 

Fourth generation~

Gordy's oldest son, Hank, earned his bachelor's degree in Teaching Industrial Technology. But after one year of teaching, Hank had a strong desire to return home and play a bigger role at Cook Farm. In 1993, Hank came to work full time on Cook Farm. Hank, and his wife Debby, are raising their five children here on the farm. While the dairy farming life is no longer common and most people can not relate to the lifestyle our children have lived, Hadley is an awesome community of supporters.  

 

In 2009, the whole Cook family celebrated the enormous acheivement of dairy farming for 100 years! Again, with the changing times, the farm has adapted and expanded, contributing to the longevity of Cook Farm.