The Guardians of the Farm

The Guardians of the Farm

By RENEE DiNINO / Photography by David Buck

Guardians Farm, a first-generation dairy farm located in picturesque Southbury, Conn., is veteran-owned and run by married couple David Buck and Tamra French. Buck is a Maritime Enforcement Specialist First Class U.S. Coast Guard (1998-2020) and former K9 officer and officer with local police departments. French is a current K9 officer (you can follow her adventures with K9 TJ on social media with Easton Police Department). That’s where the two met and knew they had more in common than just being of service to their communities. Their love for each other grew and so did their desire to create a sustainable working farm!

They started with three chickens in 2013 and added a couple goats in 2014. “We started making soap for ourselves in 2015,” says French. Their dream began to grow year after year, even during the pandemic.

“The farm stand started in 2020 due to the pandemic canceling all the fairs and festivals we normally attended. We originally had plans of starting a dairy for the goats but that switched to a dairy for the cows when we added cattle to the farm in 2020,” they explain.

The name holds a special meaning for this couple too. “There is a poem called, ‘Guardians of the Night,’ and when we started farming, we were both police K9 handlers. The poem highlights the bond between handlers and their dogs. Our partners Anouke and Chase protected us at work and protected the farm. In honor of them, we named the farm after them,” says Buck. 

Owning and running a farm is not an easy lifestyle for everyone, especially adding their jobs into the mix and having a family. It’s 24/7; there are no days off and the animals don’t care what holiday it is or if it’s the weekend. Things still need to get done.

“We are a team committed to the same goal and same dream of growing the farm. Right now, Tamra works full time, so we have to work around that schedule,” explains Buck. “As I work part time, I can adjust my schedule about the farm. The days are long, and there is not a lot of down time.”

“Running a farm, especially raising livestock is 24/7 all year round. We also must milk goats and cows twice a day every 12 hours no matter how busy the schedule is. That is combined with the farm stand and our farm events!” adds French.

The business also includes keeping up with all the marketing, social media, emails and more. There is always something that needs to be attended to on a farm, whether it is related to the land or animals. Who knows what each day can bring.

“Farming is always at the mercy of Mother Nature. We have dealt with hurricanes, blizzards and historic flooding in 2024 that hit us with 11 inches of rain in 8 hours. In addition to the weather, the economy affects people’s shopping habits. We have also applied for multiple grants from nonprofits and the State of Connecticut and have only received a couple to help us financially,” state both Buck and French.

One program that has opened new doors is CT Veteran Grown. It has helped with networking with other veteran farmers and also brought some programs available to veteran farmers to their attention.

Farm life can be gratifying, but it does come with blood, sweat and tears. It can be as rewarding a life as heartbreaking.

“When raising livestock, there are times when animals get sick or pass away despite all of your best efforts,” they mention. “One of our mules, Honor, we lost to cancer in July 2024 after only having him for a year and a half after rescuing him from a kill pen in Pennsylvania. We are thankful that we were able to give him a year and a half of love and peace. We lost our cow Lucy to cancer. We have watched some of our goats and cows carry their babies to term but, for reasons beyond our control, they did not survive the birthing. One of our Jersey heifers, Trinity, needed an emergency C-section to save her. After the C-section was done, Trinity made an amazing recovery and helped us start our dairy with her delicious milk. Unfortunately, though, the heifer she carried was too large for her to give birth to naturally and we lost her.”

Then there are the times it makes it all worthwhile.

“One of the most heartwarming and triumphant events was watching Tamra bring a baby goat to life. It was born not breathing and she was determined to save it,” says Buck. “She performed CPR until we heard the baby making noise and breathing on her own. Talladega has grown into a great mom of her own and an important member of our herd. One of our rescue mules, Patriot, came to us with horrendous hoof problems. Many people told us that his hooves were too far gone, and we may not be able to fix him. Over the course of months and working daily to treat him, he began to trust us and was eventually completely healed.”

This power farm couple is also all about giving back to their community and youth. 

“We started our own ‘adopt a calf’ program in 2024 to assist in connecting with the local school to build a relationship. We started our own 4-H dairy cattle club called the Dirt Road Dairy Farmers in 2022. We teach our members all about farming and dairy cows. We are also a resource for the local school and agricultural schools for experience opportunities and field trips. We have had several homeschooled youths volunteer at the farm. We also host calf cuddle sessions that have proved to be extremely popular.”

Would they change anything about their lives? “I would have to say no. We are both firm believers that everything happens for a reason. We love having the farm and providing our community with farm fresh products and a wonderful experience when they visit,” concludes Buck. 

Check out Guardian’s Farm on social media and guardiansfarmdairy.com.

Renee DiNino is host of Hello Connecticut on WFSB Channel and The WAX, Amazing K9 Duo’s and Lost & Pound. Follow her on IG and FB @reneedinino.