By Audrey Levine, Staff Writer
Norz Hill Farm is currently focusing its attention on produce, rather than milk at least, until the cows come home.
But it was still a bittersweet day April 2 for Norz Hill Farm, on South Branch Road, when Rich Norz sold 275 cows in an auction, effectively halting, at least temporarily, 89 years of dairy farming in favor of placing the focus on agri-tourism.
”The dairy part of the farm is being scaled back,” Mr. Norz, co-owner of the farm, and fourth generation family member to work it, said. “The economy is a big reason for that.”
As prices paid to farmers for milk prices has fallen from $2 per gallon to $1 per gallon, and costs have continued to rise to care for the actual cows, Mr. Norz said it has been difficult for all farmers to maintain profits while paying $1.50 to produce one gallon of milk.
”Times are very difficult,” he said. He said he knows another farmer who loses up to six figures each month trying to produce milk. “There is about no way you can make money.”
A lack of money also comes from having to pasteurize the milk, something required in New Jersey, but not in other surrounding states.
”I have friends in Pennsylvania selling milk as raw milk, and they can generate more money,” Mr. Norz said. “We can’t, and that hurts us.”
In addition to the lack of funds for producing the milk, Mr. Norz said they have had to pay out more just to care for the cows themselves, with increasing feed prices and other necessities.
”We pay super top prices, and we haven’t felt the trickle-down effect of fuel prices going down,” he said.
In the auction, the 275 older cows which each garnered between $600 and $10,100 were sold to farmers in 11 different states and Ontario, Mr. Norz said.
”That is really neat,” he said. “It is very exciting to see our cows go on and do as well, if not better, for another farm.”
Still, Mr. Norz has some interesting memories through advertising done for his farm over the past 15 years, in which one of his cows was used in a Saturday Night Live sketch where it was “blown up” by actor John Goodman, and others were used in a photo spread with Martha Stewart.
Recently, he said, his cows were also used in the 2008 calendar for chain restaurant Chick-Fil-A, in an advertisement to eat more chicken.
But with one door closing, albeit maybe only temporarily, for the farm, another door is opening, as Mr. Norz said it will focus on agritourism and taking care of the about 200 animals he still owns. He said it is gratifying to be able to provide produce to residents, and entertainment with the remaining animals.
As for the animals still on the farm, Mr. Norz said, they have many younger ones, including baby calves, and other animals that are up to 16 and 17 months old.
”Everyone has an association with a farm (in some way),” he said. “People want their children to experience the same thing, to show kids a real cow or sheep.”
Although they will be putting more of the focus on agri-tourism now, Mr. Norz said the idea is not actually new for the farm.
”We have been doing this for a while,” he said. “A few years ago, we started with produce that we could grow ourselves.”
In addition to the produce, Mr. Norz said, the farm features its annual hayrides, pumpkin patches, corn maze and other family-friendly activities.
But of most importance in growing their own produce, Mr. Norz said, is the fact that people know where their food is coming from.
”It is wholesome and coming locally,” he said. “One day, it might be where all our food is coming from foreign countries, and others don’t have the restrictions (the United States) does. That’s why we go to growing our own produce.”
While they did manage to sell a great deal of their milking cows, Mr. Norz said the farm should not be counted out of the dairy farm business just yet.
”We are not out of the milk and cow business,” he said. “We are not sure where our future lies with the dairy farm, and we may be milking cows again.”

