The Meadowood Team

Running a livestock and dairy farm takes a team, starting with a bunch of smart and passionate humans, interested in figuring out how to produce great food from pasture; and finishing with predator-averting dogs, pest-controlling cats, and parasite-grabbing chickens.  Meet the regulars here (you can see some of our great contributors on our “Emeriti” page).

Quincy Wool, Farm Manager

Quincy came to Central New York via Morrisville College's Dairy Science program.  She loves to milk and work with livestock, and she manages Meadowood's daily operations with singular cheerfulness. Quincy lives at the Meadowood farmhouse with her husband Neal and their daughter Eloise.

Bee Tolman, Farm Manager

Bee has been in the livestock farming business for 38 years (how is that even possible?!?!?), starting as a shepherd in Scotland in 1982, then working with dairy cattle and hogs, and now with dairy sheep and beef cattle.

Marc Schappell, Farm Owner

Marc and Tom purchased the farm in the late 1990s, following Marc's dream of starting a Belted Galloway herd.  Over the years, Marc has been focused on developing one of the best Belted Galloway herds in the country, and then one of the best sheep dairy flocks in the country.

Livestock Guardian Dogs (Lucy and Dixie)

We use livestock guard dogs, primarily Great Pyrenees and Maremmas, to keep predators (coyotes, dogs) away from our sheep flocks.  The guard-dog puppies are brought up with lambs, and bond with the sheep.  The sheep, in turn, become very comfortable with these large, white, docile dogs that are clearly not a threat.  But when the guard dogs are alarmed by a predator, they stand and bark, warning and warding off the intruder.

The Barn Cats

We have a very effective rodent-control program — five effective rodent controllers, to be exact! We have worked with local vets to get neutered kittens from other properties with too many cats.

Tom Anderson, Farm Owner

Tom has played a key role on the farm: listener, objective consultant, and steady supporter.  Although his professional world is in real estate, he loves Meadowood, with its green and rolling landscape and beautiful animals, and the Cazenovia community that surrounds it.

The Chicken Battalion

Climate change is having a big impact on us all, and particularly on farmers.  One example is the pests and parasites that have appeared in the Northeast because they are no longer kept in check by our much-milder winters.  At Meadowood Farms we are using chickens to help us counter the effects of one particular internal parasite that affects the sheep.  The chickens' mobile coops are moved with the sheeps' pasture rotations.  The hens do an amazingly good job of breaking the parasite's cycle, and provide the farm staff with a bonus as well -- rich, deep-yellow-yolked eggs!