Fitch Farm in New Hampshire: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Fitch Farm is a fifth-generation dairy on the edge of Milford, New Hampshire, milking just over 100 Holsteins and Jerseys. It earned the 2019 Green Pasture Award and was named New Hampshire Dairy Farm of the Year, honors that recognize both herd management and environmental stewardship.
| Location | Milford, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire |
|---|---|
| Sectors | Dairy (Holstein and Jersey); corn and hay; farm stand |
| Scale | Milking herd of just over 100; a few hundred acres of corn and hay (as published by New England Dairy) |
| Why it is elite | 2019 Green Pasture Award and New Hampshire Dairy Farm of the Year |
| Ownership | Fifth generation: Walker Fitch farms with his father, David |
| Innovation | Free-stall housing since 1999; winter rye cover crops; manure management program with UNH Extension |
| Official website | New England Dairy profile of Fitch Farm |
History of Fitch Farm
Fitch Farm has been in the same family for five generations. Walker Fitch, the current fifth-generation farmer, works with his father, David, while Walker's wife, Sarah, and their two children live on the farm. David Milton, Walker's step-brother, runs the farm stand, which sells farm products to neighbors in Milford.
The farm's record of adopting new practices is long. In the 1990s it joined a University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension manure management program aimed at cutting nitrogen fertilizer use. In 1999 it moved to a free-stall housing system so cows can move freely and rest on clean, dry bedding. The family also works with the towns of Milford and Wilton on land conservation, which helps keep farmland in agriculture.
What Fitch Farm Grows and Raises
The milking herd is mostly Holsteins with some Jerseys, numbering just over 100 cows. The farm grows corn and hay on a few hundred acres, which supplies much of the feed for the herd. Winter rye is planted as a cover crop to protect soil and reduce runoff, a practice that fits the Green Pasture Award's focus on environmental management.
The farm also welcomes student groups, which supports public understanding of dairy farming in a state where farms are small and neighbors are close. The New England Dairy profile quotes Walker Fitch on the family's commitment to innovation.
How Fitch Farm Makes Money
Milk sales
Fluid milk from the Holstein and Jersey herd is the core enterprise. The coverage reviewed does not name the milk buyer, so none is given here.
Farm stand sales
A family-run farm stand adds direct retail income and keeps the farm connected to local customers. It diversifies revenue away from the commodity milk check.
Education and community ties
Hosting student groups does not appear as a revenue line, but it builds goodwill that helps in zoning, conservation and neighbor relations, which are real assets for a dairy near a growing town.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Fitch Farm
First, steady small improvements add up: a manure program in the 1990s, free stalls in 1999 and cover crops later put the farm in position to win a state and regional award.
Second, a farm stand gives a dairy a second income stream and a face for the public. Third, partnering with town conservation efforts can protect land base while the family continues to farm it.
A dairy with Holsteins, Jerseys and a farm stand run by a step-brother is the kind of family arrangement that fills the comment section at farm.FM. The farm satire writes itself when five generations argue about the best cover crop, but the farm humor here is gentle because Fitch Farm actually wins the awards. Good ranch humor and farm jokes need a barn full of cows and a Milford sunrise, and the Fitches have both.
farm.FM calls itself the nation's first satirical farm site, and between the headlines it spins Tractor Tunes, country music for farmers; a good place to start reading is this farm.FM columnist's archive.
How to Contact Fitch Farm
Website: https://www.newenglanddairy.com/farm/fitch-farm/
No separate official website or public phone was found in our research, so the link above is the New England Dairy farm profile. The farm stand is on the farm in Milford; confirm hours with the farm before visiting.
Fitch Farm Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- New England Dairy: Fitch Farm - Farm profile with the family's story
- New England Dairy feature - Feature on Fitch Farm's innovation and awards
- USDA NASS New Hampshire - Official New Hampshire agricultural statistics
- NRCS New Hampshire - Conservation programs for New Hampshire farms
- New Hampshire Farm Bureau resources - State farm organization resources
Fitch Farm FAQ
What awards has Fitch Farm won?
The 2019 Green Pasture Award and New Hampshire Dairy Farm of the Year.
How many cows does Fitch Farm milk?
Just over 100, mostly Holsteins with some Jerseys, according to New England Dairy.
Who runs Fitch Farm?
Walker Fitch, the fifth generation, farms with his father, David.
How do I contact Fitch Farm?
Use the profile link on this page; no separate public phone or address was verified.
Fitch Farm shows how a New Hampshire dairy can stay competitive through steady innovation, conservation and a farm stand. Read our New Hampshire farms guide for the state's climate, programs and markets.