West Valley Farm in the Codroy Valley: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
West Valley Farm, the Codroy Valley operation known as Cormier's Dairy, has been farmed by one family since 1852 and now ranks among the largest dairy businesses in Eastern Canada. Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame material describes a herd of about 2,000 animals with nearly 1,000 cows in milk on almost 3,000 acres, and the Cormier family received the 2007 Century Farm Award from the Agricultural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador.
| Location | Codroy Valley, southwest Newfoundland (the provincial Farm Guide lists West Valley Farm Ltd. at Doyles) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1852, when the family settled in the Codroy Valley |
| Sectors | dairy; heifer replacement; forage production; eggs (historically) |
| Scale | About 2,000 head with nearly 1,000 milking and almost 3,000 acres, per Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame material |
| Why it is elite | One of Eastern Canada's largest dairies; Century Farm Award 2007; Gerard Cormier inducted into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2021 |
| Ownership | Fifth-generation family farm led by Gerard and Danny Cormier |
| Official website | Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame profile of Gerard Cormier |
History of West Valley Farm (Cormier's Dairy)
The farm traces to 1852, when Isadore Cormier moved his family from Cheticamp, Nova Scotia, to the Codroy Valley. The Heritage NL Century Farm listing says the family farmed and fished at first, then built a mixed operation of vegetables, livestock and logging.
The decisive turn came in 1963, when Leo Cormier acquired a small milk quota and the family became dairy farmers; an egg operation followed a few years later. Gerard Cormier took over leadership of the dairy at age 20, his brother Danny joined four years later, and together they expanded it. In 2004 the farm merged with neighbouring Chaffey Farm, and the combined business operates as West Valley Farm Limited. Gerard Cormier was inducted into the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame in 2021.
What West Valley Farm (Cormier's Dairy) Grows and Raises
Dairy is the core. The Hall of Fame profile describes a herd of about 2,000 animals with nearly 1,000 cows being milked, supported by almost 3,000 acres. An older Century Farm listing from 2006-2007 recorded roughly 900 acres of corn silage and 1,000 acres of grass silage, a reminder that feed is the largest planning task for a big dairy in a cool climate. The provincial Farm Guide also lists West Valley Farm Ltd. as a heifer replacement facility and forage producer.
Milk is sold within Canada's supply management system, and the Cormier family helped build the institutions around it. Gerard Cormier helped launch the Newfoundland and Labrador Milk Marketing Board in 1981, served about 22 years on it, and sat on the Dairy Farmers of Canada board from 2000 to 2008. The family was also an original shareholder in the Wesco Dairy processing cooperative in 1974 and part owner of Western Farm Feeds, later Shur Gain.
How West Valley Farm (Cormier's Dairy) Makes Money
Milk under supply management
The main revenue is milk produced against quota. Quota was the starting point in 1963 and remains the foundation of the business, so quota and herd efficiency matter more than commodity prices.
Heifer replacement and forage
The Farm Guide lists a heifer replacement and forage operation under the West Valley Farm Ltd. name. Producing silage and replacement animals at scale spreads the fixed costs of land and machinery.
Eggs and supply-chain partnerships
The family's published history includes an egg operation from about 1965 and part ownership in feed and dairy-processing businesses. Confirm the current mix with the farm.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from West Valley Farm (Cormier's Dairy)
Treat the sector's institutions as part of the farm. Cormier family members served on the provincial milk board, the national dairy organization and the feed grains society, which kept the farm close to decisions on quota, pricing and policy.
Consolidate between neighbours: the 2004 merger with Chaffey Farm combined two established dairies, spreading labour, machinery and forage costs. Ownership stakes in feed and processing gave this family options a stand-alone producer would lack.
Anyone who has driven the Codroy Valley knows the cows there have a view most office workers would envy, with hills behind them and a herd big enough to need its own weather forecast. For farm satire that respects the early shift, visit farm.FM, where the farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes are served warm and never at the expense of the people doing the milking. We suspect the real Cormier family humor involves a feed delivery arriving on the one foggy day it matters.
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 West Valley Farm (Cormier's Dairy)
Website: https://www.dal.ca/diff/aahf/inductees/gerard-cormier.html
No official farm website was found, so the link points to the Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame profile. The provincial Farm Guide lists West Valley Farm Ltd. under the Doyles area; confirm any visit or business inquiry through that listing or the Dairy Farmers of Newfoundland and Labrador.
West Valley Farm (Cormier's Dairy) Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Gerard Cormier, Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame - Profile of Cormier's Dairy, the 2004 merger and herd size
- West Valley Farm Limited Century Farm - Heritage NL listing of the 1852 family farm history
- NL Farm Guide listing - Provincial government directory entry for West Valley Farm Ltd.
- Minister congratulates Hall of Fame inductees - Government of Newfoundland and Labrador statement on the 2021 inductees
- NL food self-sufficiency and agriculture support - Provincial update on milk, land and farm programs
West Valley Farm (Cormier's Dairy) FAQ
What is West Valley Farm?
West Valley Farm Limited is the Codroy Valley dairy business of the Cormier family, also known as Cormier's Dairy. The family has farmed in the valley since 1852.
How large is the operation?
Hall of Fame material describes about 2,000 animals, nearly 1,000 cows in milk and almost 3,000 acres. These are published profile figures and may have changed.
What recognition has the family received?
The 2007 Century Farm Award from the Agricultural History Society of Newfoundland and Labrador, and Gerard Cormier's 2021 Atlantic Agricultural Hall of Fame induction.
Can I visit or contact the farm?
No official website or public contact details were found. The provincial Farm Guide lists the operation; arrange visits in advance.
West Valley Farm shows how one family can turn a 1852 homestead into a major dairy through quota, neighbour mergers and industry leadership. Read the Newfoundland and Labrador farms guide for provincial context, programs and the other profiled operations.