Meet Blake
After serving in the Peace Corps, my parents moved to the North Country and started a dairy farm. I grew up working on the farm, earned a degree in agriculture, and later worked for a farm equipment manufacturer. For the past 22 years, I have owned and operated Twin Mill Farms along with my family – my wife, Carmen, and my three boys, Miles, Truman, and Noah. We’ve come a long way, and Twin Mill Farms currently has over 1,000 acres of land, 500 dairy cows, and 12 full-time employees who work on the farm.
I’ve always loved farming, and it is hard work. We don’t get to take days off if we want, or sleep in when it snows. Years at a time, I was out the door at 3:30 am, 7 days a week, to milk our cows or feed our herd. That work ethic isn’t uncommon in the North Country. Working hard to make ends meet is expected of us. It’s been the honor of my life to have that work recognized by my fellow farmers and to be elected as their representative and Vice Chair of the Cooperative Board of Agri-Mark.
But owning a farm and helping oversee the Cooperative Board has taught me that it takes more than just one person, or even one family, to be successful… it takes a whole community! And people in the North Country, look out for each other in good times and bad. I’ve seen this community on its best days, from hearing the cheer of friends and family on the sidelines as a youth soccer and JV basketball coach to seeing people from all over come together for barbecues, fireworks, and some friendly competition during our annual Fourth of July celebration at the farm.
On the harder days, we help families in the North Country who are going through a battle with pediatric cancer find resources and coordinate the care they need. We started the Jules of Life Foundation because navigating our health care system alone is a Herculean task, and just being able to share our knowledge and point them to resources makes a huge difference.
This community, these people, this land – it’s my life. They’ve given me purpose, a place to raise my family and instill in them the same values my parents taught me, and the opportunity to give back. I’m not a politician or a rich executive, but no one is more prepared to fight for the North Country in Washington than me.
