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FeedManolos to Milk
The story of Arethusa Farm
George Malkemus and Tony Yurgaitis are two men who lead double lives. During the week they are co-owners of Manolo Blahnik, the high-heeled, high-end shoe company. On weekends the pair oversees the successful operation that is Arethusa Farm, an enterprise they established in 1999. “I grew up in Watertown, so I knew this area pretty well,” Yurgaitis explains when asked how he and Malkemus got here in the first place. “We had a wonderful contemporary house in Woodbury with a fabulous view and we loved it, but the area got overdeveloped and we decided to move on.”
After looking for a year, Malkemus came across the listing that changed their fate. “We saw this house in Litchfield surrounded by acreage and off the main street. We both agreed it was too big a house for just two people, but we wound up buying it anyway,” Yurgaitis says.
The house’s original view was of an old horse farm. The rumor was that the original deal to turn the farm into a golf course had fallen through and it was being considered for tract housing. So Malkemus and Yurgaitis decided to buy the entire parcel—over 200 acres. “We knew we had to do some-thing with all this land,” Yurgaitis says. “And it was either going to be crops or livestock. Vegetables were a lot of work and required years of cultivation. So we settled on livestock.”
The farm began with about 30 cows and grew from there, making it necessary to build a milking barn. Although the milk became popular, Malkemus knew that to sustain Arethusa, other revenue was necessary. Because their cows had excellent bloodlines, the duo decided to take advantage of those good genes. Embryonic engineering and artificial insemination enabled Malkemus and Yurgaitis to sell embryos, and the business took off. Specimens are now sold all over the world.
As the commercial aspect of Arethusa grew, so did its size. A few years after the original purchase, a second parcel of neighboring land came up for sale. The old Litchfield Equestrian Center was also destined to become a golf course, until Malkemus and Yurgaitis stepped in.
“The two parcels had once been one contiguous farm and much of the second parcel was wetlands, but we knew we had to buy it, not only for expansion but to save the land,” Malkemus says. A huge dairy barn to milk the herd was added. The milk is then shipped to Bolton where it is pasteurized.
The farm now has about 370 cows. The first sale Arethusa conducted drew people from all over Europe; it was a three-day event. Now another sale is being planned called Daughters of Veronica. They are the offspring of the prize Jersey cow who was supreme champion at the World Dairy Expo in 2006. Veronica was also top in her breed in 2005.
For Malkemus and Yurgaitis, their passion for perfection is evident in their attention to detail. Everything on the farm evokes a spa-like environment. The stainless-steel stalls sparkle and shine; fresh sweet-smelling hay is shipped in from Canada every day. Twice a day the cows are given heated showers. At the entrance to the milk barn, a sign reads: “Every cow in this barn is a lady, please treat her as such.” They may not be able to wear Manolos, but their femininity is honored all the same.
Next on the agenda is the opening of Arethusa Farm Dairy Creamery in Bantam. The old Bantam Firehouse will combine a processing plant and a retail store featuring the farm’s milk, butter, yogurt, cheeses, and ice cream. “We’ll begin with two or three cheeses and grow from there, and four flavors of old-fashioned ice cream—vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, and Tony’s favorite, coffee,” says Malkemus. “Every item will be made here—keeping the product local is what is important to us,” Yurgaitis adds.
Is there ever a conflict—wanting to be at the farm instead of working in New York?
“If we didn’t have our New York business, we couldn’t do this. The shoes support the cows,” says Malkemus. “Tony has dedicated himself to learning about making cheese. He is here more than I am, but we are excited about our new plans, and we’ll see what happens. We are bound and determined to keep producing the best possible products right here in Litchfield.”
