p.a. bowen farmstead

This farm is top notch! Not only are their cheeses delicious, but their meats are to die for! Have one of their steaks with Sally's award winning Cheddar or Blue cheese on top... OH MY! You will wish you had bought more! Make sure to check out their public announcement about the new process for feeding their cows on the website. Please do not believe the "hear say" but go visit and form an opinion of your own! The farm is gorgeous and the new farm managers are as nice as they come. Make sure you call and get signed up for a tour and have Sally herself take you around the farm!

I, (Aleesha Haigwood), worked at P.A. Bowen Farmstead for 2 1/2 years, my position was store manager. May 17th 2014 was my last day of work at P.A. Bowen Farmstead. I quit to pursue other interests more fully. On April 1st 2014, before I left, the management of the farm changed hands. Barb and Mike Haigwood were the farm managers for the past 3 years. They left so that they could start their own educational business. The new managers are Brian Wort and his wife Amy McCurdy. I was curious to see if the farm would continue on as it had for the past 3 years (with full transparency to the customers) or if things would change. Practices on the farm have changed. Sally Fallon Morell (Owner) and Brian Wort (Manager) have not publicly told their customers of these changes.Here’s a list of things they have changed so far.1. They are now feeding GMO Beet Pulp to the dairy cows. Which means the cheese made in 2014 will not be GMO free.2. An antibiotic was given to a sick dairy cow. They then gave the antibiotic tainted milk to a bull calf they were raising to be veal. After receiving sick antibiotic traced milk for a few weeks the bull calf died. I am not saying that because of this the calf died but it could be a contributing factor. They don’t know why it died. 3. They also fed the sick antibiotic traced cows milk to the pigs, which are being raised to sell as pork to the customers. 4. P.A. Bowen Farmstead is no longer GMO free, yet they have not publicly told their customers about the changes they have made. Their fliers and website still state they are GMO free and antibiotic free.In closing I hope that the new managers and existing owners tell the customers about the changes they have made and any further changes to come. I for one can’t support a farm that’s not transparent about their practices with their customers. I believe it is the customers right to make a informed decision for themselves and their children.

Three of us spent our post-Thanksgiving Saturday morning at PA Bowen Farmstead. We called ahead to let them know we were coming, and arrived at 11:00 a.m. sharp for the farm tour. We were greeted by the owner, Sally, and our tour started just a few minutes later.The farm is absolutely beautiful. Sally is a sweetheart, with an incredible knowledge of pasture farming and animals. You will find that there are so many aspects of farming that you never, ever think about, but probably should.The tour starts off with an introduction on the milking of the cows, then to the cheese-making process (including a 20-minute detailed video), and then a walking tour to visit with the animals; calves, cows, chickens, pig and piglets. Since it was only the three of us and Sally on the tour, we felt comfortable asking many, many questions, all of which were answered readily. Our tour ended up at the farm store where you can purchase products from the farm; pork and beef, chicken, fresh eggs, and farm-made cheese. The cheese is delicious, probably the best cheddar I've ever had. If you're ever in the St. Mary's/Charles County area of Southern Maryland for the weekend, PA Bowen Farm is a great way to spend a Saturday morning.

We really enjoyed the farm tour this morning (offered Saturdays at 11:00am). We did not have children with us and there were none on our tour, so I do not know how that would be or if things would be adjusted. That said, Farmer Mike spent 90 minutes or so showing us around the farm and telling us a lot about the farm's operations, animals and principals / goals, at our pace and while welcoming and answering all of our questions. We are already fans of small farms with a diversity of crops / animals / products, with organic and animal-welfare conscious practices - and this is that style of farm, and a friendly one with cows, chickens and pigs to see as well as delicious cheeses made on premises. The animals seemed happy and were lively and fun to visit. There is a charge for the tour, but I thought it a good value given the amount of time and information, and it being worthwhile to support the farm.