Tilth Alliance Conference and Farmer Award

We went to the Washington State Tilth Alliance conference on Veterans Day where we presented on small dairy farms and received a surprise award!
Clover Mountain Dairy is a small Organic 100 grass fed dairy farm in Northeast Washington State about an hour north of Spokane.

[@PAfarmboy]

What a great honor. Congratulations!

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@realmongo7565]

Congratulations to you both, it's a well-earned award!!!

[@vnthomas16]

Thanks! And thanks for your support!

[@charlenewenthold5150]

Congratulations thank you for sharing your hard work all this time keep up with the good work thank you

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@stevemccoy8138]

Congratulations🎉 , you guys are most deserving of this award. America needs more farms, doing similar things, beef, pork, Poultry, Dairy products production, on a local scale, selling local. Thanks for Sharing. 🌲

[@vnthomas16]

You are absolutely correct! That’s why we’re working so hard on the Columbia Community Creamery project… We need a market for small farms!

[@stunnedatsunset7649]

The award couldn't have gone to a more deserving couple. Congratulations!

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@dobberaaron6658]

Congratulations on the award. I love watching your farm grow you have some beautiful cows I bet you make some awesome squeaky cheese that's my favorite I hope all is well in the family take care and God bless

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you! I personally love our cheese curds! Haha! Thanks for watching!

[@russellyoung1181]

Many congratulations- richly deserved! They could have included in the long list of your contributions the education and support you offer the rest of us through your KZbin vlogs. "Community" occurs on many levels! Best Wishes

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you! And thank you for being part of our community!

[@jameswysong5967]

You both have your hearts into what you are doing and it shows. If lived near you I’d sure buy your products.

[@vnthomas16]

Thanks! Our success is because of the support of our community!

[@mennoreuten1563]

Congrats to the both of you for having this award, must give you a boost and know that you are on the whright track, enjoy all the fame and glamour ,thanks and greetings from a Dutch dairyfarmer

[@vnthomas16]

Fame and glamour! Haha! The cows don’t care we got the award. They are the real heroes!

[@felizshaw192]

So proud of you guys congrats

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@Canyoncreekfarms]

Congrats!! You guys deserve it

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@waynemiracle8928]

Congratulations!!! A great award to a well deserving couple! Hard work does indeed pay off!

[@vnthomas16]

Thanks!

[@toma5153]

Congratulations on the award and best wishes for a successful future.

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@KeithFinkFamilyFarm]

Wow! Very sorry I didn't see this earlier. I'm trying to catch up on what I've missed while being busy preparing for winter. Congratulations on the recognition! You two are very deserving.

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you! Is the Fink family still in the KZbin doghouse? Been looking for a video… Hope you’re all prepared for winter! I feel it’s gonna be a long one here… We’re looking at going to Wisconsin again this winter, to the Grassworks conference in the Dells.

[@fincarosa6767]

Wow,congratulations!! Watching yall grow has been amazing & inspiring ❤️

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you! Glad to have you along on our journey!

[@bebopchan]

Congrats and thank you for your channel!! We're currently stationed in South Korea, and watching your videos have been such an inspiration and educational as we plan our goat micro dairy. Trying to figure out the ins and outs of equipment and packaging have especially been instrumental to my journey! Looking forward to get back to the states to start our dairy.

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you! We’re glad to hear you want to start a dairy! That’s awesome! Can I ask why goats? Where do you want to have your eventual dairy? Wishing you the best of luck, and we’re always willing to share advice! Thanks for watching!

[@bebopchan]

@@vnthomas16 thanks!! We decided on goats because I used to have homestead dairy goats and they're just enough for me to handle lol also the milk is way easier on our stomachs. We're going my husband's homestate, Michigan. I am also very receptive to any and all advice! I am currently working with youtube videos!

[@fredolsen1014]

Congratulations you guys are awesome, love your dairy

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you so much!

[@brianfletcher7942]

Congratulations on your outstanding achievement.

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@joansmith3492]

Well deserved, I am sure! Congrats! You are being noticed and celebrated!

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you! Yes indeed! We wouldn’t be where we are without the wonderful support of our community!

[@tommartin8155]

Congrats on your award. I hope the new dairy Co op works. I'm a little concerned that there just no value in pasteurized milk. Especially on a small scale.

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you! The creamery actually isn’t a co-op. We decided against that model as 85% of the milk in the US is controlled by co-ops, and yet the dairy industry is in the state that it is in… So we decided on the non-profit model instead. In fact, we just received our 501(c)(3) status from the IRS a few days ago! There is value in pasteurized milk… as long as it’s a good product. That’s the problem with processors now is that when milk leaves a farm, it’s a good product. Then they ultra-pasteurize in an effort to get insanely long shelf lifes, and with homogenization, they’re selling something that barely resembles what left the farm. The decline in fluid consumption coincides with the rise in UHT pasteurization. It could be a coincidence? I know that the vat pasteurized, cream-top milk we sell has a very high demand, and we’ll be giving our entire fluid milk market to the community creamery. Others we know who sell a more minimally processed milk do very well. Obviously being able to sell our product has been a concern with us, but I feel we’ve done our due diligence. Thanks for reaching out and thanks for watching!

[@richwhitaker1506]

Congratulations. Very sneaky of the Tilth Alliance to invite you to do a presentation and then get you to attend the dinner. Hope we can see a video of your presentation sometime. Glad you had good driving weather. Nice plaque, will look great on the dairy office wall. Stay well folks.

[@vnthomas16]

They were a bit sneaky! Haha! But the presentation was our idea. We really enjoyed presenting! We already got our award on the office wall!

[@allensemai2365]

Very well deserved award 🎉

[@dennisshull5994]

Congratulations!! 👍Happy Thanksgiving!! 🦃🦃

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@randybutler4772]

Thank you for sharing.🐂

[@vnthomas16]

You’re welcome!

[@andrewveitch8515]

So well deserved. All of us have watched the process from the start and seen the literal blood sweat and tears that you guys have put into making the farm a success story . Congrats on this outstanding achievement

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you! We couldn’t have done it without the support of our community!

[@jayingram4500]

Congratulations on hard work paying off ..

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you! Receiving this award was certainly a surprise!

[@patricknoetzel6752]

Congrats! keep up the good work my friends! love watching the videos!

[@vnthomas16]

Thanks!

[@patricknoetzel6752]

@@vnthomas16 welcome

[@davidj.mackinney6568]

Congratulations!

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@ronharrison1776]

Seems very well deserved . congratulations .

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you! We couldn’t have done it without the support of our community!

[@kenlynch6332]

Congratulations on being named FAMERES of tghe YEAR Well done 🚜 🚜 🚜🐄🐄🐄🐄 🚜 🚜🚜

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@ahomeinpisgahontheroad4481]

How fabulous and so well deserved! Too bad the. “ ladies” were not there to take a bow as you called out their names❤

[@vnthomas16]

The cows are the real heroes!

[@parkerbrothers75]

Congratulations

[@vnthomas16]

Thanks!

[@johngoodwin8889]

Congratulations youve worked hard for it

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@masmeadowsfarmhouse]

Congratulations dear couples

[@vnthomas16]

Thanks!

[@kenlynch6332]

🚜 🚜 🚜🐄🐄🐄🐄 🚜 🚜🚜

[@subratamu9773]

love it! well deserved

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@cedricgates9976]

Love it!! would be so fantastic if your ideas would carry cross country to northern ny the way it used to be this is dairy country but now the milk travels way down state even cheese factorys are gone now i think what a loss is not much hope really admire you guys

[@vnthomas16]

I recently heard of some folks doing something similar in NY, Sweet Acres Creamery in Geneva, NY. I haven’t reached out to them yet, but want too. I don’t believe they are a non-profit, but rather a farmer owned LLC.

[@dwmrogers]

Congratulations

[@vnthomas16]

Thank you!

[@southwestwifarm3516]

Congratulations!

[@vnthomas16]

Thanks! Are you in SW Wisconsin? We’re thinking of going to the Grassworks Conference in the Dells this winter!

[@southwestwifarm3516]

@@vnthomas16 I am, I’m about an hour west of Madison

[@southwestwifarm3516]

@@vnthomas16 hope to see you there! my wife registered me to go as a Christmas gift