The Story of Ferris Acres
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In 1864 William David Baldwin Ferris, a descendant of the first Ferris to arrive in Newtown around 1703, purchased the farm. He established a family tradition in agriculture that has been adopted by at least one family member of each succeeding generation. His son, Charles D. Ferris, Sr. grew apples and raised beef. Charles D. Ferris, Jr. in the 1930's began the transition to dairy specialization. In the 1950's, Charles D. Ferris III purchased registered Holstein cows to upgrade the herd and introduced modern technologies in crop, environmental and herd management. Several conservation projects and improvements and expansions to the facilities followed as three generations worked together.
In 1996, Charles D. Ferris IV (Charlie), Brendan, and Colleen joined their father to form Ferris Acres Farm, LLC. In March 2003, Shirley, wife of Charles III, joined the LLC and Ferris Acres Creamery was established. She developed several original recipes for our unique ice cream for on-farm sales. In 2007, Terry, Charlie's wife, became general manager of The Creamery and off-site sales were added to the business repertoire. Today, Ferris Acres Creamery continues as a true family business with three generations involved. Charles III and Shirley, owners of the property, concentrate on the operation of the farm and hosting family business meetings. Both Charlie and Brendan make the ice cream, alternating each day with creamery and farm work responsibilities. Colleen, a teacher at Newtown High School, who is what her brothers affectionately call their “ace in the hole”, assists with ice cream production during the summer. Terry continues to handle most of the managerial duties, including marketing and hiring staff. Michelle, Brendan's wife, is responsible for inventory, maintains the soft serve machine and assists with the ice cream production and staff. Emily, Colleen's daughter, is chief cake decorator, and also helps to maintain the soft serve machine. Cole, Brendan's son, and Chad, Charlie's son, assist with ice cream making, but both are happiest when atop a tractor, working with their grandfather and fathers. |
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With the addition of the creamery, Ferris Acres offers a unique opportunity for the public to get a glimpse of how one family strives to maintain a profitable farm in Connecticut. It is our goal to provide a venue where our customers can enjoy a view that includes farm animals, pastures and fields, and pragmatic farm machinery operation while tasting made-on-the-farm frozen desserts.
In March of 2015, the Ferris Family sold their milking herd. We kept 50 animals; we are not selling the farm or the Creamery. With the Ferris guys making more and more ice cream, there has been a shortage of labor on the farm. So we're taking a sabbatical until the grandsons get done with school. In the meantime, we are looking into building a bottling plant on the farm, to bottle our own milk and making some soft cheeses.
Where will we get the cream for the ice cream? From the same place we have been right along-- Guida's Dairy. In the past our milk was sold to a dairy cooperative and then pooled with other farmers' milk and sold to Guida's, where the cream was separated, pasteurized and homogenized. We then purchased the cream and made it into ice cream at the creamery.
You can still sit and watch the cows graze in the pastures while you enjoy the ice cream, the same as it has always been.
Where will we get the cream for the ice cream? From the same place we have been right along-- Guida's Dairy. In the past our milk was sold to a dairy cooperative and then pooled with other farmers' milk and sold to Guida's, where the cream was separated, pasteurized and homogenized. We then purchased the cream and made it into ice cream at the creamery.
You can still sit and watch the cows graze in the pastures while you enjoy the ice cream, the same as it has always been.