History:
Harris Hill Farm has a rich heritage in the Connecticut farming community. We began as a dairy farm located on Prospect Street in Wethersfield, at the top of a hill. George W. Harris, pictured on the left, was among the first farmers to import a specific breed of dairy cattle - Brown Swiss - to the United States. He acquired his first Brown Swiss in 1877 and the farm made its first exhibition of the breed at the Charter Oak Fair in Hartford in 1879.
The Harrris family, pioneers in the Brown Swiss industry, developed a successful genetics and breeding program and became well-known for top quality animals. Bulls from Harris Hill Farm went on to sire cows that made the National Honor Roll for milk production and took home top honors at exhibitions across the country. On the left is a picture from The Big E, George G. Harris (left) with Harris Hill "Tessy".
In the late 1980's, Harris Hill Farm ceased its commercial dairy operations and began to focus on other agricultural ventures. In the Fall of 1993 we opened the farm for our first pumpkin patch season and started hosting school groups for educational field trips. Teaching children about agriculture and farming was a passion of George G. and Vivian's, and they built a special room for workshops. The farm has also hosted a number of agricultural events, including Farm-City Days in 2000.
In 2015 the New Milford Farmland Preservation Committee announced the creation of the Harris Family Agricultural Scholarship, which will benefit New Milford students going into the agricultural field. Vivian was an advocate for farms and believed in educating youth about the importance of agriculture, so we know that she would be immensely pleased with this!
Today, the Harris family continues to operate a pumpkin patch every October. We also began a vegetable stand in the Summer of 2015. The farm leases space to fellow farmers as well, who plant feed corn and raise sheep.
