TURNER, Maine — Brigeen Farms stands as a living piece of American dairy history. Founded in 1777 and now operated by the ninth and tenth generations of the Briggs–Bullard family, the farm blends deep roots with modern management, and a passion for dairy that doesn’t standstill.
Over the past 25 years, Brigeen Farms has grown from 60 milking cows to a herd of 580 registered Holstein cows, with over 800 crop acres for feed production.
Brigeen Farms achieved a 2025 BAA of 108.1, including 50 EX, ranking 7th in the nation for herds over 250 head in Holstein USA’s Jan. 2025 announcement of top-10 by herd size. It’s a number that reflects the elite genetics built from consistent, hardworking cow families with strong longevity, eye appeal, and big milk records, as well as the day-to-day excellent care the family and their team of 10 employees provide them.
The herd’s milk is shipped through their cooperative, but the family has also diversified to include their seasonal Canty Cow Creamery. The unique frozen custard bears the tagline: Homemade and hand-packed in Maine with our own award winning milk.
That milk is produced by Brigeen’s elite Holstein cows, including a standout from their ‘G’ family, Gigi, honored in the name of their chocolate ganache. They even handmake cones.
Built on cow comfort
At Brigeen Farms, performance begins with environment. Modern freestall barns, deep sand bedding, balanced rations, and individual cow monitoring create conditions where cows can thrive. That philosophy — take care of the cow first — is evident in the herd’s performance.
They are a National Dairy Quality Gold Award herd for excellent milk quality, shipping nearly 31,000 pounds of milk per cow per year, with somatic cell count (SCC) averaging 65 to 70,000.
During an Udder Comfort interview in the show barn at the 2025 World Dairy Expo, fellow Holstein breeder Chuck Worden of New York asked Betsy if they use Udder Comfort just at shows or at home.
“All of the above!” she replied. “We absolutely use it for our fresh cows to make sure they transition well, and of course our show cows. We make sure to have it in the showbox and at home to make those transitions go much smoother, and any cow with any question about her… we absolutely use Udder Comfort.”
“It’s about peace of mind too,” she said. “We can be a lot more confident that we are keeping cows happy, keeping them comfortable and coming along the way they need to.”
Fresh heifers really respond.
“We use more Udder Comfort on first-calf heifers than older cows,” Betsy explained. “If there’s one we’re especially interested in, she may get extra support with applications beginning before calving. This is one of our tools to increase our odds of things going well.”
In today’s competitive market, Betsy says they view supportive care practices like using the unique blend of essential oils, Udder Comfort, as an essential tool.
“Milk quality is really high on our list. We maintain a somatic cell count (SCC) of about 70,000, so we’re happy to have more tools in our toolbox like this one to make sure that continues to happen,” she affirmed.
Robust genetics program
High health status supports a robust genetics program. The farm markets cattle and embryos built around their proven cow families. They have been recognized with Holstein USA Progressive Breeders Registry and Progressive Genetics awards, with several lines and many generations of the G family GMD with over 150,000 lifetime and over 200,000 lifetime.
Merchandising for Brigeen spans several generations of family, and ranges from local markets for show calves and replacement heifers to hosting periodic on-farm sales showcasing influential cow families like “G” (for Royland Leadman Glory (GMD DOM) and the Roxy’s, alongside other emerging families.) Betsy was one of four breeders sharing their marketing experiences on a special panel discussion during the 2025 Pennsylvania Holstein Convention recently.
Recognition has followed. Betsy’s parents Steve and Mary Briggs received Master Breeder honors at the 2025 New England Holstein Association Convention.
Brigeen also earned Premier Breeder in 2024 at The Big E, and were featured on the cover of Holstein International in Feb. 2025 with a photo of 5th lactation Royalcrush Gertie EX94 from their well-known ‘G’ family, pictured in 2022, when she was a just a young cow early in first lactation.
When Betsy and her husband Bill returned to the farm around 2000, the herd numbered about 60 cows. Today, the operation milks nearly ten times that number, representing growth driven by strategic investment in maternal lines and cow families.
Betsy is also active in the New England Holstein Association and currently serves as a Region 1 director for Holstein Association USA.
Registered Holsteins have been central to the farm’s identity for decades. Betsy’s grandfather began building the herd’s genetic base, her parents expanded it, and today her children are involved.
Over the past 25 years, the farm has evolved and transitioned to Betsy and Bill’s ownership. Her parents, Steve and Mary, and sister Vivian play major roles as well. Betsy’s role centers around the breeding program and cow care. Brigeen’s active IVF/ET and show program also involves Betsy’s daughter, Sydney, who is 19 and a sophomore at Cornell, and son Will, 15, a sophomore in high school.
Brigeen Farms has hosted tours, public farm days and was a participant in the Dairy Excellence Foundation’s Discover Dairy Adopt A Cow program, bringing modern dairy farming into elementary classrooms by ‘virtually’ following an ‘adopted’ calf on the farm from birth.
A legacy growing into the future
Despite its long history, Brigeen Farms is anything but static. Updated facilities and technology, as well as a focus on sustainability ensure the business remains viable for future generations.
Through Maine Farmland Trust, the family participated in Farming for the Long Haul program, including technical assistance to analyze the enterprise and developed a multi-year business plan to increase milk production and finance infrastructure improvements. The upgrades helped address labor, time and cost bottlenecks.
At its core, the formula hasn’t changed here over the farm’s 250 years: Healthy cows. Strong families. Comfort management. Commitment to quality.
Or, as the family puts it: Take care of the cow, and she will take care of you.
Profiles in comfort and quality 