PRIVATE LIVES Arethusa Farm

For George Malkemus and Anthony Yurgaitis, the president and vice president, respectively, of Manolo Blahnik USA, what started as a “circumstance”—ensuring that the old farm across the street from their Litchfield, Connecticut, country home didn’t fall into the hands of realestate developers—became a passion. Not only did they buy the farm (and the one next to it), restore its original name—Arethusa—and return it to productivity, but business is booming! “We detest the term ‘gentleman farmers,’ because we’re not gentleman farmers. This is something we love; it’s equally important and as much of a passion to us as Manolo Blahnik,” George says.

The gap between Carrie Bradshaw’s Sex and the City stilettos and dairy farming might seem unfathomable, but the minute you talk with George and Anthony, it makes sense. “It’s all about genetics, breeding, and marketing,” says Anthony. The herd was created with the same exacting specifications, eye for detail, and sense of quality that one sees in Manolos. Arethusa-bred cows have become among the most expensive in the world, well respected and top-prize winners. Walking into the dairy bairn, observers will notice a slogan on the wall—“Every cow in this barn is a lady. Please treat her as such.” Their Holsteins and Jerseys arc like the ladies of upper Park and Fifth Avenues—the doyennes of cattle, bathed daily, their tails vacuumed, visited by a nutritionist. The success of the farm has been wonderful for the local economy—the duo recently opened a creamery and retail store in what was once an old firehouse on the main street in Bantam, Connecticut, and are working toward opening a restaurant. “Their timing couldn’t be better, with the trend of people recognizing that local foods arc better food,” says production manager Chris Casiello. “Their milk, yogurt, and cheese are old-fashioned, vat-pasteurized, made in small batches at the lowest possible temperature.” On weekends, the pair can often be found at the creamery—George loves making waffle cones and Anthony is hands-on in the cheese-making.

“Anything that is part of nature draws humans closer together,” George says. “Some people when they see a small baby in a carriage in Central Park, they reach down and coo. Well, we do that with cows.” (arethusafarmdairy.com)

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A. M. HOMES