During the fall of 2005, the Terchoonian Home Orphanage purchased a dairy farm located only a few miles from the orphanage. The purchase was made possible by the generous donation of the Gulbenkian Foundation of Portugal and Mr. Herman Hintiryan from Michigan. The final payment of $67,000 was made in February of 2006. The U.S. Aid Program donated 20 cows and two bulls to the Orphanage with the agreement that the first 44 calves born on the farm be given to other needy organizations that the U.S. Aid Program supports. Weather permitting, Mr. Romen Gozmoyan, the president of the Terchoonian Home Orphanage makes several trips a month to the farm to make sure everything is running smoothly.

The milk produced on the farm is not only for drinking, but it is also used in the production of cheese and butter. The farm produces enough dairy for the children’s consumption and the extra dairy is sold or bartered to meet the other needs of the Orphanage. The farm also has several chickens, a few goats, and an orchard with over 350 apple trees. Once harvested, the fruit is used at the Orphanage and some is traded with local merchants for other fruits and vegetables.

There is also a large farmhouse on the property where the husband and wife caretakers live. The farmhouse can also house an additional 20 children and 6 staff members as needed. During the summer months, it is used as a camp for the children to teach them about agriculture and dairy production, with the expectation that upon graduation, some of them might wish to pursue an education in these or other related fields.




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