Farm Families

Bonna Terra Farm - Spring Hope Dairy - Willow Bend Farm

The Farms and Families of Willow Bend, Spring Hope and Bonna Terra

Much is said these days about family farms and their role in agriculture. Here at Willow Bend and our sister farms of Spring Hope and Bonna Terra we are proud to say that for over 60 years we have been a family owned and operated entity. Throughout the years, new generations and new families continue the work originally launched by George and Mary Lue Mueller.

George and Mary Lue began their dairy farming enterprise in 1960, milking a herd of 80 cows. At the time that was considered a large herd. As their family grew, so did their dairy business. New barns constructed for maximum cow comfort and a new parlor for ease of milking allowed the herd size to grow. George, Mary Lue, their five children and a few key employees made up the workforce. Many of these employees went on to start their own family farms and one, John Davies, is now a full partner in Willow Bend Farms LLC.

By 2003, the original Willow Bend site had reached its capacity for herd size. A satellite dairy, Spring Hope, was formed in partnership with the Kevin and Barb Nedrow family of Hopewell, NY. John Davies officially joined the partnership at this time and continues to manage the Spring Hope facility in addition to a myriad of other duties. The Nedrows have retired after many years of providing valuable contributions to the success of the dairy. By stressing cow comfort, providing high quality feed and expert cow care, the 3,000 cows at Willow Bend and Spring Hope produce award-winning quality milk 365 days a year. A large staff of dedicated and highly skilled employees ensures that every need is met for every cow.

In 2016, Bonna Terra Farm, owned by the Walt and Meg Huff family since 1956, became the third farm under the Willow Bend umbrella. Located in Bloomfield, New York, Bonna Terra has provided an opportunity for the Mueller and Davies families to grow and expand their dairy footprint in New York State. The Huff family has since retired and a new family, the Ryan Janney family has joined the partnership.

Our farm families and our 85 employees take care of a total of 4800 cows and 4200 young stock as well as the land needed to support our business. We consider ourselves blessed to be a family-owned and operated business in today’s agriculture.