Rupert Valley Holsteins West Rupert, VT
Family Working Together
Mark and Mike Lourie are twin brothers who own Rupert Valley Holsteins Farm in West Rupert, Vermont. They have about 400 milkers and 275 young stock, and manage about 850 acres of cropland. Mark manages farm finances and employees; Mike handles the crops and the heifers. Mike’s son Ryan has worked on the farm since 1999 and has recently become a partner in the business. He has taken on the role of primary feeder, oversees the parlor and farm maintenance, and runs the self-propelled chopper. Ryan has two young farmer boys, Trent (age 10) and Drew (age 8). The Louries’ grandfather was a dairy farmer who purchased the original farm in 1930, and the twin boys were raised on the same farm as their dad. When Mark and Mike first started out, Mike and his dad operated the original farm and Mark milked 50 cows of his own nearby. The brothers joined forces in 1995 to form Rupert Valley Holsteins, LLC, and they have purchased a third farm since, so the spread is actually three farms in one.
Proud to be a Member
The Lourie’s are proud to be a member of the Agri-Mark Cabot Cooperative and are always trying to promote our “Award Winning” brands and the “World’s Best Cheddar”. Each summer they participate in the local parade with a Cabot float while handing out over 1000 pieces of Seriously Sharp Cabot snack size cheese. They have participated in “Open Farm Sunday” three times. Mike also has a maple syrup business, and recently installed some 12,000 taps, producing about 3,300 gallons of maple syrup. That’s a great volume for almost any business. Dairy farming, however, is their central focus, and they only look to other revenue streams to help battle the vagaries of an unpredictable milk market.
At Rupert Valley Holsteins they make a special effort to produce high quality, high component milk and to provide the best possible feed and physical environment for all their animals. In 2017 they built a new double 10 parallel milking parlor, a hospital and maternity pen area, and added 75 new stalls. This investment has positioned the dairy for the future and allows for growth if necessary. Farmers working together with our cooperative providing the leadership has been a recipe for successfully marketing our member milk for the benefit all. “Farmers Feed the World”
