Catapano Dairy Farm seeks a new steward for its award-winning goat farm
Erin Argo Burke and Connor Burke, owners and operators of Catapano Dairy Farm in Peconic, are looking for assistance to carry its legacy forward.
The family took over in 2020 from Karen and Michael Catapano, who started the farm in 2003 in Mattituck. The Burkes spent six years rebuilding the herd from 50 to 60 goats to about 100 animals and are looking for someone with vision to take over their established business.
“We don’t want the brand to die,” Erin Burke says. “We think it is an important part of this community.”
Both the farm’s goats and its products have a devoted following. Its cheeses are sold from their Peconic farm stand and through wholesale accounts, including local farm stands, wineries and specialty food shops. The farm also produces goat-milk soap, hand and body creams, lip balm and other skincare products. Over the past six years, the family expanded the public-facing side of the business with farm tours, cheese tastings, goat yoga, goat-cuddling sessions and private events.
Those efforts have brought joy to visitors. “We love getting to share animals with people, especially people who maybe don’t get to encounter livestock-type animals in their daily lives, and getting to see the joy in their faces,” says Erin Burke. Like most farmers, the Burkes have a very demanding workload.
“Unfortunately, the way our farm is currently set up it is very difficult to scale up,” she says. “I think there are ways to make it financially sustainable. We are willing to sit down and talk to people about ways that you could potentially change things. It’s just going to take an influx of capital to make it happen.”
