Brendan’s career in agriculture began on a replacement heifer farm in Eden, where he first developed an interest in livestock. He went on to further his education at Cornell University, earning both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Agricultural Economics before returning to production agriculture in 2006 as the farm manager for the Mammoser brothers’ newly started organic dairy operation in South Dayton, Eden Valley Organics, LLC.
In 2012 Brendan entered the business as a partner in Eden Valley Farms alongside Jerry, Ron, and Rick Mammoser. He was later joined by his brother Conor, and together they eventually purchased the business from the retiring partners. Today, Brendan and Conor work as a team, making the strategic decisions required to manage their dairies and a cropping business covering acreage across Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, and Erie counties.
Their partnership has led to significant diversification; while the original dairy is a conventional operation, they have since added three organic dairies, Eden Valley Organics in South Dayton in 2006, Chautauqua Hilltop Organic in Cassadaga in 2012, and Southern Tier Organics in Sinclairville in 2018. Also, in 2018 the partnership formed Eden Valley Creamery, a creamery which processes a portion of the milk from Eden Valley Organics into a variety of cheeses and creamline regular and flavored milk.
Currently, Brendan is focused on a new joint venture in Cherry Creek between Eden Valley Farms and Nobles Farms. This project—a 6,000-cow conventional dairy featuring a 120-stall modern rotary parlor—is a major step forward for the operation which has allowed for their conventional herd to begin expanding and move into a state-of-the-art facility which will provide continuing opportunities for future generations.
Brendan is a member of Upstate Niagara Cooperative where he serves on the Membership committee. He is also a NYS Farm Bureau member and a long-term participant in Cornell's dairy discussion groups.
At its core, the business remains a family-run operation with brothers Brendan and Conor heading it up. Brendan is joined tonight by his wife, Anne Wheeler, and their children, Kevin and Quinn. We are proud to honor Brendan for his steady commitment to the industry and his family.
