Kevin and Barb met while attending Cornell University – Barb working towards her Bachelors in Animal Science and Kevin working on a masters in Dairy Genetics while also managing a small 
genetics cooperative based out of Cornell.  It was in 1999 that together we started raising just a few Holstein heifers at Barb's family farm in Aurora, "Schmitt Farms".  
By the end of the year a Brown Swiss calf added some color to the black and white barn.  In July of 2000, Barb traveled with Kevin's mom, Barb, to the National Brown Swiss Convention Sale in 
Harrisburg, PA. It was the beginning of history…
Purchased at the sale was the first milking cow of our "little" herd, Land O 	Living J Rosie OCS. Showing as a Senior 2 Year Old, was first that year at New York State Fair, 9th at Madison an
d scored EX-90.  She also began working hard at filling our first "bulk tank"! That would be the bucket milker! As a heifer calving in at 2-03 she finished that first lactation with over 21,000 lbs 
of milk and 4.2 butterfat.  She went on to produce 30,000 lb records there in out.  "Rosie" was considered one of the foundation cows of our swiss herd. Though she is no longer with us, 
she lives on through the Pride son that we collected, "Rugby" and the daughters that she made.    

It was not long before our milking herd of one doubled to TWO and we were well on our way to becoming what we have today. Slowly adding more cows, either from sales or from moving 
some of Kevin's Holsteins from his home farm, "Ziems Farm", we were milking 15 cows by the end of 2001 and preparing to fill the rest of the once empty barn. It was then that Barb decided to 
quit her job at Quality Milk Promotion Services at Cornell and take on dairy farming full-time.  Kevin would continue in his job at Cornell for another year or so before he made the move to Select Sires. 
Renovations began in November 2001 and the barn was in full operation on January 2, 2002, mostly with Brown Swiss, considering the 30 head that we had bought. Through all this it was not 
without the support of our parents, we would be where we are today. 

In the fall of 2008 we sold the last of our beloved Brown Cows! It was sad to see them go but, they averaged $6000 and went to very reputable homes where they will thrive for their new owners! 
We will always love the Swiss, but we have come to yet another turning point in our journey, starting to calve in our first daughters of Lizzy and putting more calves on the ground then we know 
what to do with. Not to mention, our boarding business has been awesome! 

Jerseys are the new "brown cows" - or cow as it may be - of the barn! Crackle came to us in the spring of 2008 and is putting her first calves on the ground as of March 2009 with her first Iatola 
daughter, Cracker. Mason has taken quite a liking to this breed, so there may be more showing up around ZBW in the future! 

We have won multiple awards at state and national shows. In addition we have worked hard to achieve optimal milk production at home with high quality milk.

Currently our average SCC has been around 200,000 with more recent months dipping to below 100,000 for the herd.  

With pedigrees that run deep and cow families that are world-renowned, it has really put us on the map and we love it! We are excited to have been in the top 5 herds in the country for our
BAA with the Holsteins for the last few years! 

Things are constantly changing at ZiemBarbWay and we are always looking for new ideas and ways that we can improve the herd. It is truly an evolution and we invite you to come and see for yourself.