Oake Knoll Farms

Est. 1732, the year George Washington was born: an 11th-generation Foxboro, Massachusetts family farm still milking heritage Ayrshire cows.

From the farmers

Hi, we’re Nevin and Terri, owners of Oake Knoll Farms. A lot has changed since 1732, of course, but here’s something that hasn’t: we still milk heritage cows, produce and drink clean and nutritious raw milk, and raise animals on pasture— just the way they like it, and the way it was always done before industrial agriculture. We combine best management practices with sustainable agriculture to provide the community with high-quality milk, cheese, and meat from our grass-fed A2 Ayrshire cows. We work hard to ensure our cows are happy, selecting milk cows that have the correct structure to live long comfortable lives. The cows graze intensively during the summer and can choose to eat hay outside or inside during the winter. By supporting us, you help provide a cleaner, safer environment for the future.

Eleven generations on Foxboro's last dairy farm

The Lawton family has farmed this land since 1732, and by 2013 it was the only licensed raw milk dairy left in Norfolk County. That year, a Foxboro Board of Health member proposed local raw milk regulations that farmer Ed Lawton said could put the 281-year-old farm out of business. Public hearings drew overflow crowds in support of the farm, and the board voted 2 to 1 to keep raw milk sales legal under existing state and federal rules.

From two family businesses to one

Daughter Terri Lawton, a former Massachusetts state dairy inspector, started selling raw milk under the Oak Knoll Ayrshire label in 2006. Her parents added Foxboro Cheese Co. in 2008 to make use of milk beyond what the raw milk business needed. The two family enterprises merged into Oake Knoll Farms in 2019.