Brunton Dairy Farm rebuilds barn and bottling plant after fire

ALIQUIPPA, Pa. — At Brunton Dairy Farm in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, there is excitement about the revival, as evidenced by the pace of construction workers building new barns and delivering new equipment.

When completed, the improvements and buildings will represent a total of $3 million in future investment, fueled by a community that showed love to the Brunton family when their world was falling apart.

October 26, 2023 was a typical day at Brunton Dairy, a farm founded in 1839 and operated for seven generations. The first fading shadows of evening were visible on the sides of the barn when suddenly the power to the farm went out. Then the entire milking parlor and bottling plant at the back of the farm were engulfed in flames.

Cows bellowed as neighbors and family members tried to force them out. Screams were heard between family members. The fire department was called, and two dozen fire departments responded.

When the fire was over, 12 of the 105 dairy cows had perished in the fire. The others were left scurrying around while family members and neighbors rushed to catch them and save what they could.

Thankfully, no one was hurt and the family stood back, grateful for those around them and shocked at what had happened. What was left of the barns was smoke and ash. Family members hugged each other and cried. It was a heavy emotional toll.

That was 10 months ago and the resilient Brunton family stands strong, rebuilding, improving and moving forward.

What to do?

Mary Jane Brunton said it was the strength and commitment of neighbors, friends and even strangers that convinced them all that they were an important part of the community and that they should indeed rebuild. The kindness they received from everyone was incredible and overwhelming.

“We didn’t talk about it for a while. At first, everything seemed like chaos and we still had work to do,” said Mary Jane Brunton. “But the Lord gave us what we needed at that time. Everything just worked out.”

In fact, former dairy farmers Don and Barb Craig offered their disused milking facilities and barns to house 80 of the cows. Another 10 cows were housed at another farm nearby. The Craigs had just restored power to their barn, and it was ready to accommodate the displaced cows. For this, the Bruntons are eternally grateful.

Herb Brunton has a quick wit and a razor-sharp sense of humor that has obviously helped him through his years of working here on the farm. When asked about his decision to rebuild, or even his decision to become a dairy farmer, the corners of his mouth turn up into an irresistible grin.

“We just never went anywhere else. This is our life. I mean, it proves that stupidity is hereditary,” he said. “I mean, where else can you convince someone to work 17 hours a day?”

It’s true that dairy farming is a profession where there is no time off. No vacation. No holidays. But it’s also clear that Herb Brunton, his brother Ed, his sister-in-law Mary Jane, his nephews Jim and Jerry, and all the other members of the Brunton family are far from stupid; they are, in fact, savvy businessmen who want to serve others by producing quality dairy products.

“We had so much support. People coming to us and asking how they could help us. People we never knew. I had no idea,” he said, shaking his head. “I didn’t know we were so popular!”

The GoFundMe donation account, which raised $175,185.00, as well as the insurance and other donations from the community, have done a good job of making things affordable, but not so much that it won’t remain a struggle for a while. Mary Jane Brunton said that even after they fully open, it will still take them some time to achieve a complete financial turnaround.

And Herb doesn’t sugarcoat how much hard work that means. Here, in the middle of the warmest summer ever with temperatures over 30 degrees, he makes the trip to the Craigs’ barn three times a day, each 20-minute drive away.

“I definitely don’t like commuting,” he said.

But just then, Mary Jane’s granddaughter Katie comes around the corner with her 4-H cow in tow. She’s tough, strong, and knows the farm inside out, and can control the animal with a maturity well beyond her years. At 13, she readily admits she loves the farm, the cows, and the work. She and others like her are the reason the Bruntons have a bright future ahead of them, and plan to fully reopen by March 2025.

The future

Jim Brunton seems to be thinking about the changes. There is hope in his eyes. He briefly opens the box that houses the new robot manure collector, looks at the motor, and tries to understand this machine that will be in use in the barn 24 hours a day. He doesn’t say much, but he is friendly and smiles and nods in agreement with the other family members as they describe the ordeal they have all been through over the past few months.

Herb is here to talk and would like to explain the intricacies of the new equipment.

“I call it a poop vacuum,” he said, noting that it’s not unlike a Roomba robot vacuum cleaner for the home. “And it’s going to run around 24 hours a day and take care of the poop. And we don’t have to pay it if it works overtime,” he said, clearly pleased at the prospect.

Jerry Brunton further explains that the robotic manure collector will have a disposal station as well as a charging area.

Milking computers are located in various parts of the new barn. They are painted bright red and come from a company based in Holland. The equipment in the Brunton barn was shipped from Iowa.

But it’s the new tetherless milking facility that has Jerry and Herb beaming. They are excited about the many features. Before the fire, they had a tethering area and the cows were led to milking several times a day. In the new milking barn, with excellent ventilation, the cows can choose their own milking time and the robots will do it in a jiffy. It will definitely make a difference and the Brunton family are looking forward to the much more modern way of doing dairy farming. It will save time and energy but, as Herb and Jerry point out, it will certainly be different.

Herb points to the ceiling, where 30-foot-tall fans constantly move air. He points to the barn’s ventilation, which can be protected from extreme weather and precipitation when needed by curtains that can be pulled down.

He is pleased with the new grooves in the concrete footbath where the cows receive a weekly copper sulfate treatment to keep hoof injuries and microbes away. The cows have always received this type of treatment, but the area in this new barn will hopefully provide them with a wider and more comfortable, less cumbersome way to do this task.

Mary Jane added that the computers would measure the milk and provide all kinds of data that would be helpful in monitoring production.

The family said they will “see how it goes” when they fully reopen. They plan to supply all of their current retail outlets and they will open the farm shop with its delicious chocolate and white milk. Home delivery is still in the development phase but they have not yet made a decision on whether they will reinstate this line of business.

Mary Jane, who was just beginning to think about her future as a young teenager, married at the age of 18 and from that point until today has become an integral part of Brunton Dairy Farm. She is no stranger to challenges, having lost her husband suddenly in a farm accident in 2008. Yet she has a calm and peaceful nature and is excited to see the dreams unfold for all family members.

“It’s hard. You have to rely on your strength. You can’t do it alone,” she said.