April 1, 2021, Reston, Virginia – Glade Haven Farms of Walkersville, Maryland, celebrated its 50th year of membership to Maryland & Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative at the cooperative’s 101st Annual Meeting held earlier today.
The farm is owned by Josh Roderick and his father Dave. Glade Haven was first started in 1965 by Josh’s grandfather. Today the family milks 300 cows in a double 12 parallel parlor and farms 1,200 acres.
With the help of herdsman Devin Green, Josh’s sister and brother-in-law Jichaela and Nick Cutshall and several other dedicated employees, the family operates a well-run farm that focuses on animal care.
“The cows are our livelihood and we take extra good care of them because if they aren’t well-cared for, they aren’t going to be producing the best quality milk. And that’s what we want – to have the best quality milk out there.” Jichaela said.
Josh oversees the farm management and crops, while Dave helps with the barn cleaning and pushes up cows for milking. Devin focuses on cow health and the herd breeding program. Jichaela helps with some milking and manages the farm bookwork.
“We have been shipping with Maryland & Virginia for 50 years now and it’s nice to be shipping to a co-op that has kept us in business and been strong over the years,” Josh said.
“You can’t compare any other lifestyle to living on a farm,” said Jichaela. “I’m excited that [my sons] love cows and machinery as much as we do so that they will be able to keep the farm going.”
“Congratulations to Glade Haven for their dedication to producing a quality product for our customers and for their membership to Maryland & Virginia,” said David Pool, Maryland & Virginia’s Second Vice-President during Maryland & Virginia’s virtual Annual Meeting.
In addition to Glade Haven, Maryland & Virginia recognized announced the co-op’s Producer of the Year during today’s Annual Meeting. Go to Maryland & Virginia’s website at www.mdvamilk.com to view more about these award-winning farms.
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