Clovermead Farms in Ontario: History, What It Does, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Clovermead Farms of Alma, Ontario, owned by the Whale family, was recognized as the national leader in dairy sustainability for an on-farm management plan that goes beyond Canadian dairy regulations. The farm combines robotic milking with two anaerobic digesters that turn manure into electricity and fertilizer.
| Location | Alma, Wellington County, Ontario |
|---|---|
| Founded | Not stated in the sources reviewed |
| Sectors | dairy; renewable energy from manure; wildlife habitat and forest |
| Scale | Two anaerobic digesters of one million litres each; herd and acreage not stated |
| Why it is elite | Recognized as national leader in dairy sustainability; works with University of Guelph researchers |
| Ownership | Whale family |
| Official website | Farms.com report on Clovermead Farms' dairy sustainability recognition |
History of Clovermead Farms
The Whale family's environmental commitment, according to published coverage, began about 30 years ago with a community recycling program they led. The sources reviewed do not give the farm's founding date, herd size or acreage, so this profile does not either.
Co-owner Korb Whale has said the goal is not only caring for the land but improving it for the future. The farm's sustainability plan was recognized as the national leader in dairy sustainability. The year of the award was not stated in the source reviewed.
What Clovermead Farms Grows and Raises
Clovermead milks with robots. Its two anaerobic digesters, each with a capacity of one million litres, generate enough electricity to power five farms of its size, according to the published account, and remove about 90 percent of the methane from manure. The process also yields pathogen-free, nutrient-rich fertilizer, and cow bedding is recycled.
The family reports saving about $15,000 a year on bedding and $15,000 on heating. About 10 percent of the land base is kept as wildlife habitat and forest, and roughly 50,000 trees have been planted on the property.
The farm also takes part in University of Guelph research, including Dr. Bonnie Mallard's High Immune Response project on disease-resistant genetics and Dr. Claudia Wagner-Riddle's greenhouse gas mitigation project.
How Clovermead Farms Makes Money
Milk sales
Milk is the core revenue. Ontario had 3,793 dairy farms in the 2021 census and holds 33.4 percent of Canada's dairy cows, and farms like this operate within the supply-managed system.
Energy and by-products
The digesters produce electricity, and the family reports savings from recycled bedding and recovered heat. Whether electricity is sold to the grid was not stated in the source reviewed.
Fertilizer and cost savings
Digested manure becomes nutrient-rich fertilizer for the farm's crops, reducing purchased inputs. Revenue figures are not published and none are estimated here.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Clovermead Farms
The lesson is that sustainability and cost control can be the same project. Digesters, recycled bedding and heat recovery turn waste streams into savings, and the family documents the numbers it can. Second, partnering with university researchers brings new genetics and emissions science to the barn at low cost.
Third, land stewardship, including habitat, forest and tree planting, builds community goodwill that matters for a livestock farm near neighbors. Farms considering digesters should study capital cost, energy rules and manure volume carefully before building.
Powering five farms with manure is the kind of fact that makes farm.FM grin. Farm satire usually pokes at waste, but here the waste works overtime. Good farm humor appreciates a cow that milks herself and a barn that makes electricity, and the ranch humor crowd would admit this is one dairy where the manure pile has a business plan. Our farm jokes tip a hat to the Whale family for turning it into a lesson.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
How to Contact Clovermead Farms
No official website or direct business contact details were found in the sources used for this page, so the link above is the best verified public page about the operation, checked November 2026. Confirm any visit, purchase or partnership enquiry directly with the operation.
Clovermead Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Farms.com: Clovermead Farms leads in dairy sustainability - Independent report on the digesters and management plan.
- Statistics Canada: Ontario in the 2021 Census of Agriculture - Official 2021 Census of Agriculture figures for Ontario farms, greenhouse area and sectors.
- Ontario government agriculture census page - Provincial summary of Census of Agriculture data for Ontario.
- Ontario Federation of Agriculture: business risk management - Producer association explainer on AgriStability, AgriInvest and related programs.
- Ontario Data Catalogue: Census of Agriculture - Open data summary of Ontario Census of Agriculture results.
Clovermead Farms FAQ
Where is Clovermead Farms?
It is in Alma, Ontario, in Wellington County.
What is Clovermead Farms known for?
It was recognized as the national leader in dairy sustainability, with robotic milking and two anaerobic digesters.
Who owns Clovermead Farms?
The Whale family; co-owner Korb Whale is quoted in published coverage.
Does it work with universities?
Yes. It takes part in University of Guelph studies on disease-resistant genetics and greenhouse gas mitigation.
Clovermead Farms shows that an Ontario dairy can lower costs, cut emissions and support research at the same time. For the programs, markets and risks behind Ontario dairy, read the Ontario farms guide and the other profiles below.