_The New York State Census of Agriculture shows this land was farmed as early as 1850. Hezekiah Sage's name is on the original 1821 deed, but farming records do not confirm production for another 29 years. At that time, the property was much larger than the current 272 acres of Greyrock Farm. The 1850 census recorded that the Sage family kept horses, cows, oxen, and sheep and grew wheat, rye, corn, oats, peas, beans, potatoes, barley, buckwheat, fruit trees, and even tobacco. The farm also produced wine, cider, and butter. Official land conveyance records list many annexes and sales by and between the Sage family, but the family made a series of sales to Franklin W. Walrath in the late 19th Century, which gave Mr. Walrath full control of the land by 1900.
On February 13, 2002, in its "A Century Ago" section, The Chittenango-Bridgeport Times reported:
E.C. Walrath who is to have an auction the 25th, is to move to Syracuse and enter the employ of his brother, Frank Walrath. Mr. Reynolds has rented the Walrath farm to a Mr. Fisher of Minoa.
The same section of the December 21, 2005 Chittenango-Bridgeport Times tells of further development:
Carl Fisher has purchased of Mrs. Fannie Reynolds her farm near Chittenango containing 800 acres. It is known as the Frank Walrath Farm and is considered a very valuable farm and has good buildings. Fisher has been living on the farm. Price paid not given.
The Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds mentioned above are son-in-law and daughter to Frank Walrath. Carl (C.E.) Fisher is the grandfather of Kaye Osborne, the current owner of the farm, which means this farm has been in her family for over a century. The name Greyrock comes from the abundant limestone in the farm pastures.
The January, 1948 New York Holstein-Friesian News featured the Greyrock Dairy Farm. The article is an excellent summation of the Fishers' proud Holstein operation:
For some 46 years there have been Holsteins at Greyrock Farm…now operated jointly by C.E. [Fisher] and his son R.H. This 300-acre farm lies up in the hills of Madison County, just outside Chittenango, but the farm itself is more level than much of the surrounding country and the acreage is easily worked by tractor. As the name indicates, in the rougher pasture a few grey rocks are in evidence but the tilted fields are broad, and…the meadows showed green and lush.
The author continues by mentioning the members of the Fisher family that lived on the farm. Two members of that family, Kaye and Mary, live here today. Many of the rooms in the barn are still recognizable by his more-than-sixty-year-old description. In notable contrast to our current dairy herd, the Fishers had 88 registered Holsteins at the time this article was printed. Greyrock Farm earned a reputation for strong breeding, winning notoriety and many awards for several bulls and cows in the herd. The March 25, 1967 Holstein-Friesian World highlighted Bessie, who was at that time "the first and only cow of the breed to have four Gold Medal daughters" [ed. - as awarded by the Holstein-Friesian Association of America, Gold Medal Dam program].
After C.E. and Robert Fisher's successful run, the farm came to the charge of Robert's daughter Kaye in 1973. As mentioned above, Kaye (now Osborne) still owns Greyrock. The Syracuse Herald American featured Kaye and her then partner, Maggie Fessard, in the December 28, 1975 Lifestyle section. After a short time in teaching, Kaye had the unenviable dilemma of either selling the family farm or managing it herself. Kaye made the decision after asking Maggie, her ex-roommate, if she would be interested in running the farm with her. Maggie said yes, despite protest from her mother, but ultimately left just a few years later in 1978.
Kaye carried the Greyrock tradition herself until 1987, when she sold the last of her dairy herd. She raised replacements heifers and boarded a few animals into the 90s and still keeps riding horses today. One dairy manager leased the farm in the late 90s, but quickly moved to a farm with larger capacity. Another young farmer ran a successful sheep business here from 1998-2003.
In 2010, Kaye ensured that this land would remain for agricultural uses only. That same year, she and Matt Volz, manager of Greyrock Farm CSA, LLC, found each other. Matt established the CSA in August 2010, returning Greyrock to its roots as a diversified farm.
On February 13, 2002, in its "A Century Ago" section, The Chittenango-Bridgeport Times reported:
E.C. Walrath who is to have an auction the 25th, is to move to Syracuse and enter the employ of his brother, Frank Walrath. Mr. Reynolds has rented the Walrath farm to a Mr. Fisher of Minoa.
The same section of the December 21, 2005 Chittenango-Bridgeport Times tells of further development:
Carl Fisher has purchased of Mrs. Fannie Reynolds her farm near Chittenango containing 800 acres. It is known as the Frank Walrath Farm and is considered a very valuable farm and has good buildings. Fisher has been living on the farm. Price paid not given.
The Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds mentioned above are son-in-law and daughter to Frank Walrath. Carl (C.E.) Fisher is the grandfather of Kaye Osborne, the current owner of the farm, which means this farm has been in her family for over a century. The name Greyrock comes from the abundant limestone in the farm pastures.
The January, 1948 New York Holstein-Friesian News featured the Greyrock Dairy Farm. The article is an excellent summation of the Fishers' proud Holstein operation:
For some 46 years there have been Holsteins at Greyrock Farm…now operated jointly by C.E. [Fisher] and his son R.H. This 300-acre farm lies up in the hills of Madison County, just outside Chittenango, but the farm itself is more level than much of the surrounding country and the acreage is easily worked by tractor. As the name indicates, in the rougher pasture a few grey rocks are in evidence but the tilted fields are broad, and…the meadows showed green and lush.
The author continues by mentioning the members of the Fisher family that lived on the farm. Two members of that family, Kaye and Mary, live here today. Many of the rooms in the barn are still recognizable by his more-than-sixty-year-old description. In notable contrast to our current dairy herd, the Fishers had 88 registered Holsteins at the time this article was printed. Greyrock Farm earned a reputation for strong breeding, winning notoriety and many awards for several bulls and cows in the herd. The March 25, 1967 Holstein-Friesian World highlighted Bessie, who was at that time "the first and only cow of the breed to have four Gold Medal daughters" [ed. - as awarded by the Holstein-Friesian Association of America, Gold Medal Dam program].
After C.E. and Robert Fisher's successful run, the farm came to the charge of Robert's daughter Kaye in 1973. As mentioned above, Kaye (now Osborne) still owns Greyrock. The Syracuse Herald American featured Kaye and her then partner, Maggie Fessard, in the December 28, 1975 Lifestyle section. After a short time in teaching, Kaye had the unenviable dilemma of either selling the family farm or managing it herself. Kaye made the decision after asking Maggie, her ex-roommate, if she would be interested in running the farm with her. Maggie said yes, despite protest from her mother, but ultimately left just a few years later in 1978.
Kaye carried the Greyrock tradition herself until 1987, when she sold the last of her dairy herd. She raised replacements heifers and boarded a few animals into the 90s and still keeps riding horses today. One dairy manager leased the farm in the late 90s, but quickly moved to a farm with larger capacity. Another young farmer ran a successful sheep business here from 1998-2003.
In 2010, Kaye ensured that this land would remain for agricultural uses only. That same year, she and Matt Volz, manager of Greyrock Farm CSA, LLC, found each other. Matt established the CSA in August 2010, returning Greyrock to its roots as a diversified farm.
(The history of Greyrock Farm was so neatly and concisely compiled by our own Jeff Carroll! Thanks Jeff!)