The “Shy” Santos Brothers
In Westport, a farm is its family. The Santos brothers, called the Shy Brothers because they are, are two sets of fraternal twins. Arthur and Norman are the older, while Kevin and Karl are the younger. All in their 50’s, these boys love working on their farm and wouldn’t have it any other way!
The “Shy” Santos Brothers (from left to right): Kevin, Karl, Norman, and Arthur.
They are third-generation dairy farmers, and were “raised right.” The brothers are well-respected by other farmers for their honesty, kindness, and good stewardship of the land. They also can fix or grow just about anything. That’s about as good as it gets.
Kevin
“We do everything together. We all jump in and get it done. We were brought up like that, it comes natural. When it comes to planting the crops on the farm, Mother Nature knows what she’s doing and we just work with her. Karl’s the one with the math mind. He always liked book work and finance. He’s organized and has an unbelievable memory.”
Arthur
“I love everything about farming. Everything. I like it all. I like the variety of all the different work around the farm—it changes with the seasons. I like doing outside work—Norman likes to milk the cows. He knows the animals the best because you just do when you milk ‘em. Karl can remember anything you ever said—that’s a problem!”
Norman
“You’re your own boss when you’re a farmer. I look forward to each day! I like to be outside, but I like to milk the cows—I always did the milking. Arthur feeds the cows, does repairs. Right now he’s washing the barn. Kevin’s the best mechanic of the four of us.”
Karl
“Since Kevin and I are the youngest, all the other essential chores like milking were already being done by the time we came along. We’ve always done outside work, and my twin Kevin’s a great mechanic. It was a natural for me to start making cheese because I like working with my hands.”
Barbara and Leo Hanley of Shy Brothers Farm
Barbara Hanley and Leo Brooks
Barbara and Leo are friends of the brothers who volunteered to help them find a way to thrive on the farm. Barbara helps sell the cheeses and keeps the books. Leo passed away in 2016, before which he helped sell the cheeses and solve equipment and growth challenges with Karl. We still hear him gently chiding us, “just a little to the left!” to get everything perfect.
