Three Dairy Farmers Share Their Most Memorable Magic Moments on the Farm

Often, our fondest memories aren’t on big holidays or from monumental events. The magical moments we cherish the most are spontaneous and woven into our daily lives, the fabric of our families and, for dairy farmers, on the farms they call home.

Welcoming the next generation

For Zane and Juanita Garber, raising their four children on Rock Solid Dairy, their 350-cow dairy farm in Shippensburg, Pa., was a labor of love. All their children were involved in the day-to-day work of the operation growing up, and the couple says their children’s upbringing on the farm helped instill in them integrity and dedication.

Zane and Juanita welcomed their first child, Micah, on a sunny May afternoon in 2001. As many parents know, the drive home from the hospital is one full of nervousness, excitement and anticipation. One of Zane’s fondest memories on his farm is a simple one — bringing Micah home from the hospital and showing him the land and animals he would grow up caring for — for the first time.

“I remember getting Micah’s car seat out and carrying him into the corn fields that overlook our property,” Zane says. “I was young, and it was exciting to bring my boy home. It was surreal to think that we’d be raising him on the farm. It was an emotional moment, and a highlight event of my life.”

Fast forward several years, and the Garbers went on to welcome three more children to their family’s operation. The daily work of dairying never stops, but some of the family’s favorite memories are small moments wrapped up in between milkings, like making s’mores and hot dogs around a small bonfire or finding creative ways to play.

“It was the middle of summer one year, and our two youngest children kept saying they wished for snow because it was so hot and humid,” Juanita says. “Zane got out a bright red toboggin, hooked it up to an old tractor and just pulled them around in the grass for a while. Our kids just thought it was hilarious. They really enjoyed it, and Zane got to take a break to spend some time with them.”

Working together as a family

Johan and Sonya Koke have lived out their dreams of dairy farming since starting Blue Bonnet and Blue Jay Dairy in Dublin, Texas, after Johan moved to the United States from the Netherlands in 1991. Together, the couple milks more than 2,000 cows on 800 acres, and they say their family of eight is stronger because of farming together.

Some of Johan’s favorite moments raising his family on the dairy are simple ones — doing daily chores and activities together.

“When we do harvesting, I get to see my daughters and sons out cutting grass, raking and hauling together,” Johan says. “Those are fun memories that I hold onto.”

Sonya says something she cherishes most about her family’s way of life is the spirit of a strong work ethic that farming has instilled in her children. Throughout the years, there have been little moments in which she says she’s seen her children depend on one another and band together to keep the farm running.

“I can think of difficult times on the farm, and moments where I know my family is behind me to help,” Sonya says. “We’ve had days with extreme weather or employees who aren’t able to come in, and my kids are always ready and willing to jump in and help. They never say ‘no,’ or ‘I don’t want to,’ it’s always a ‘how can we help?’ Our kids understand that with our lifestyle, stepping up to the plate isn’t even a question.”

Counting on the community

Seth Cannon owns two dairies in Idaho, and milks more than 8,000 cows on about 12,000 acres between the two locations. After growing up dairying with his father, Seth says he always knew he wanted to be a dairy farmer, and he’s proud to continue his family’s legacy with his two oldest sons, McKay and Carter, who currently dairy with him.

A memory that stands out to Seth happened in the aftermath of a tragedy.

“We had a terrible fire that started in a grain field on a windy day in 1996,” Seth says.
“It quickly got out of control, and it was very destructive. Even though that event was unfortunate, the way in which our neighbors worked together to help us put out the fire and rebuild what we lost was extremely heartwarming.”

Seth says that the surrounding community didn’t miss a beat when they took notice of the fire, and it was a beautiful reminder of the goodness of humanity. Immediately, people dropped everything to help Seth and his father get their cows and calves to safety.

“It means a lot to me that the community was so helpful,” Seth says. “We all came out of it as fighters — in my mind, there is a uniqueness to farming communities and the closeness that comes out of that.”