It’s good to be a cow at Thorncrest Family Farm in Goshen, Connecticut! Since the flavor of their milk is vital to creating the magical chocolates Kimberly and Clint Thorn produce, the animals are spoiled rotten!
According to Clint:
“The whole barn is designed for flavor, and flavor comes from lack of stress. Any kind of stress shows up right away in the milk… that’s my job, to keep the cows really stress-free.”
The barn was built to ensure that the animals are perfectly aligned with the earth’s magnetic field. Their quarters are such that they are always facing either east or west, and the barn doors face north-south.
This feng shui arrangement is ideal for optimal relaxation, not to mention a cool, cross-breeze during the warmer months.
The Thorns believe that every factor of the cows’ comfort affects the taste of their milk. They feed only the finest, sweetest hay and all-natural feeds. Inside the barn, the cows lounge on thick, rubber mats and straw.
They take care to harvest the milk the old-fashioned way and keep each cow’s product separate from the rest. The Thorn family believes each animal produces a vastly different flavor, so mixing the milk is never an option.
Milk House Chocolates operates right on Thorncrest Farm’s property. Loyal customers come to purchase milk from their favorite cow by the gallon, and of course, exquisite chocolates made with fresh orchard fruits, garden herbs, and honey.
Just like the raw milk, the chocolates are created by utilizing the best animal’s milk for the job. For example, Kimberly Thorn will only use milk from a cow named Daydream when she is making caramels. She has experimented with others, but says that Daydream is the only cow for the job.
Kimberly compares the varieties of milk flavors to wine – each wine has a specific type of grape from a specific region, and the wine is affected greatly by the climate, soil, and other factors. Milk works much in the same way.
Milk House Chocolates offers 72 distinct flavor options that they rotate throughout the year depending on the season and which cows are currently producing milk.
Some of the signature chocolates include Zesty Lime and Licorice, Mr. Ives’s Mints, Dark Chocolare Lavender, and White Chocolate Rapsberry.
Kimberly also sculpts incredible themed creations, including massive Easter eggs and hollow Halloween pumpkins that hold – you guessed it – more chocolate!
Those interested in getting a behind-the-scenes peak at Kimberly’s process may sign up for one of her “From Cow To Chocolate” demonstrations.
Visit Thorncrest Farm and Milk House Chocolates this fall – you will never settle for processed milk and grocery store chocolates again!