The Hodge sisters are first-generation farmers who fell in love with the work and the animals as youngsters. The girls were barely teenagers when their parents bought Echo Farm to fulfill their own dream of moving to the country. The family’s small farm is “a 4-H project gone haywire,” jokes Beth, the oldest. Soon they discovered Milking Shorthorns, a red and white British dairy breed. “We were supposed to sell them once they were bred,” Courtney explains, “but then Mom said, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to milk a cow?’” It didn't take long for the sister to decide that making pudding might be a great way to use the resulting milk.
in addition to taking great care of their herd (Echo Farm was the first dairy farm in the country to be certified humane by Humane Farm Animal Care and Beth is an active member of the New Hampshire Farm Bureau), the sisters also take sustainability seriously: part of their cows' feed is made up of spent grain from local breweries. Spent grain is a significant byproduct of the brewing process and breweries need to dispose of it in an environmentally sustainable way. Rich in carbohydrates and protein, it can contribute well to a balanced diet for livestock like dairy cattle.
