Contoocook Creamery

About the Farm

The story of Bohanan Farm reads like an all-American classic, beginning in the early 1900s when Lester Bohanan worked with a team of horses maintaining the railroad from Concord to Claremont. His work brought him to Contoocook Village, where he met Blanche Eaton, and in 1907, he purchased the farm across the river from her. They married three years later, and their children would cross the Contoocook River's steel arch bridge on their way to school, leaving cans of milk on the railroad siding for delivery to Concord Dairy, thus beginning a lasting family business.

For over a century and five generations, the Bohanan family has transformed their modest beginning into a modern operation that now spans 400 to 500 acres across Contoocook, Hopkinton, Webster, and Concord. What started as simple farming with horses producing just enough for family survival has evolved into a sophisticated dairy, beef, and vegetable operation utilizing computerized technology. Through decades of expansion and modernization, from Ivan's forward-thinking barn construction in the mid-20th century to Glenn's dairy science education at the University of New Hampshire, each generation has embraced innovation while maintaining their agricultural roots.

In 2011, facing the same outside pressures that threaten many family farms, the current generation led by Heather and her husband Jamie made a bold decision to leave the commodity milk market that had sustained the farm for over a century. They launched Contoocook Creamery, creating their own brand with the philosophy that "if we take care of the cows, the cows will take care of us." Nestled between three rivers with land in conservation, they now process milk directly on the farm, ensuring it reaches customers' tables within 72 hours while serving their local community with products that are grown, processed, and delivered within a couple hours' drive.