A new twist on family tradition
The Arrowsmith family has been milking Jersey cows in Peach Bottom since 1959. The first generation, Bill and Jerry, grew up in New York City. Bill spent his summers away from the city, working on upstate farms. After they married, Bill and Jerry worked on dairy farms throughout New York and New England before moving to Pennsylvania. Soon after, they purchased our current farm, Hillacres Jerseys, and the existing herd of Jersey cows. Here, they built their family of 4 sons and 2 daughters.
Their second youngest, Tom, had a true passion for dairy farming, especially the Jersey cow. In 1999, Tom married Mandy, who grew up on her grandparents’ farm in Massachusetts. Soon after, in 2000, Tom took over management of the farm from his parents. The same year, they welcomed their first child, Jonny. Over the next few years, three more children followed: Caroline, Alex, and Nicole.
Amidst the chaos of raising young children, Tom and Mandy realized there was a need to get more from the farm to support two families. They had made a small batch of cheese with a local cheesemaker and were truly wowed by the result; they realized this may be the answer to their problem. In 2003, they launched Hillacres Pride, providing premium cheeses to Southeast Pennsylvania, as well as New Jersey and Delaware. Over the years, they expanded the business, building a plant and growing their selection of cheeses.
In 2024, Caroline returned home to the farm to work on the cheese business with Mandy. Together, they decided to expand the business once again. After much thought, they decided to pursue another passion, gelato. Now they are building a sister company to Hillacres Pride, Marigolds Gelato, making high-quality handmade gelato with farm-fresh milk and local ingredients.
Around the farm
The number one goal at Hillacres Jerseys is to care for our cows and our land with great care and attention to detail. Our cows are more than our livelihood to us; they are our greatest love. Each of our cows has a different personality and special quirks. We love finding out what makes each of our ladies unique!
Our cows go out to pasture during the day whenever the weather allows it. We find so much joy in watching the cows frolick in the grass. Beyond putting our cows out to pasture, we take many more steps to give them the highest level of care. Our calves, heifers, and cows are vaccinated to prevent common diseases. We also keep a close eye on all of our animals to ensure they are being properly treated for any illnesses. Our cows get their hooves trimmed every few months, which is basically a pedicure. This ensures that they are able to walk comfortably and have healthy feet. Beyond healthcare, our cows often receive haircuts when they get fluffy to help keep them cool during warmer weather. Our cows are bedded with straw or corn fodder, which is a byproduct of making corn grain, to give them the utmost comfort in the barn.
As much as we care for our cows, it is important to us to give equal attention to our land. Without it, we would not be able to grow the forages we feed our cows. We grow corn for both silage and grain, as well as several grasses and small grains such as sorghum-sudan grass, rye, tridical, and more. By growing a large number of crops and rotating them throughout our fields, we ensure that one crop is not taking too much of an element from the soil. In addition to crop rotation, we also practice cover cropping to prevent soil erosion. This also allows us to double-crop, so that we are able to use our land efficiently.
Why Gelato?
When it came to deciding to create a new product, we were initially interested in ice cream. However, after further thought and research, we settled on gelato. The first reason is that it is simply so delicious, rich, and creamy! We love a scoop of really great ice cream, but a scoop of really great gelato is even better!
The second reason we chose gelato is its fat content, which generally ranges from 5-8%. Traditional ice cream must legally contain atleast 10% fat, with many premium brands reaching up to 18% fat. Now, we have nothing against fat, but who wouldn’t want a product that is just as delicious, while also being lower in fat!
The third reason is the lower air content, also known as overrun. While ice cream has between 50-100% overrun, gelato only has 20-30%. This is what gives gelato such a rich, creamy texture while it is still lower fat!