Often, our fondest memories aren’t on big holidays or from monumental events. The magical moments we cherish the most are spontaneous. Three dairy farmers share sweet memories on their homesteads.
Read MoreA dairy farmer in Wisconsin reflects on the happy moments that led him to take over his family’s dairy farm — and his hopes for his sons’ future.
Read MoreDaisy Lane Dairy is more than a source of employment for its employees and more than a farm for its surrounding rural Colorado community — it’s a place where everyone can gather and receive assistance.
Read MoreThe Honkomp family in eastern Iowa has four growing children and a herd of dairy cows to care for every day — and they wouldn't have it any other way.
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While most of us are eating our way through the stalls at the fair (funnel cakes, corn dogs, ears of corn dripping with butter — oh yes!) or losing our money trying to win a giant stuffed teddy bear, dairy farm families like the Haases in Parker, S.D., are showing their cows for competition.
The busy livestock showing season kicks off at the local county fair in August and wraps up with World Dairy Expo, one of the best-known dairy cattle shows in the world, in October. The Haase family owns DaBru Dairy, and third-generation dairy farmers and brothers Bruce and Dustin, who both showed cows as kids, are now proud to watch Dustin’s kids, Natalie, Paige and Neil, follow in their footsteps.
“Showing livestock teaches my kids valuable lessons, like the importance of good sportsmanship, responsibility for animal care and an appreciation for the effort that goes into producing and raising quality livestock,” Dustin says.
The Haase siblings compete in livestock shows at the local, state and national level — an opportunity that allows them to display their knowledge of dairy cows while networking with new mentors and friends from across the country.
In October 2021, Neil was nominated for the Red and White Dairy Cattle Association Junior All-American Award for his red heifer at World Dairy Expo, placing 12th out of 43 in his calf class. His sister, Natalie, had been nominated for the same Red and White Dairy Cattle Association Junior All-American and All-American awards with her red yearling in 2019. The past few years, Natalie and Paige have received junior herdsmanship awards and interest-free, five-year loans through a local bank to purchase and raise their own heifers (young female cows that haven’t had any calves). “These awards are teaching the kids financial responsibility,” Dustin says.
The Haase family milks 600 Holstein cows and farms 7,000 acres in South Dakota. Natalie, Paige and Neil are each integrated into the daily responsibilities on the farm, including genetic biology, which allows the Haases to improve their herd's genetic makeup faster between generations.
“Showing livestock teaches my kids valuable lessons, like the importance of good sportsmanship, responsibility for animal care and an appreciation for the effort that goes into producing and raising quality livestock.”
“Raising our kids on the farm has been a great opportunity for them to learn more about running a business and how the world works,” Dustin says. “Our kids eat up data and technology, and it’s intriguing for them to see how we use both on the dairy.”
The Haase family is invested deeply in the genetics of their herd, focusing on the genetic build of their cows and calves to continuously improve their herd’s capabilities to produce milk and reproduce. The Haases take their expertise on genomics a step further, selling well-built, healthy cows to other dairy farmers as part of their business.
“With genomic testing, we’re always climbing the DNA ladder with our herd to ensure the cows are well-built for prosperous lives,” Dustin says.
With great focus and precision in crafting the genetics of their herd, the opportunity to show off their lovely ladies with others in the industry at competitions is an opportunity the Haases can’t pass up.
If you can tear yourself away from the fried oreos, the Haases encourage everyone to come watch the cattle shows at their local fairs.
“It’s not just for dairy farmers,” Dustin says. “We love to show our way of life with anyone and everyone.”
Unlike most kids her age, Mylie Rexing knows firsthand what it takes to operate a business. From idea to fruition, Mylie took what she learned in school, on her family’s dairy farm and through her involvement with FFA, a time-honored organization that exists to advance the future of agriculture, to start a business: Mylie’s Meals To Go.
For Mylie, the second oldest of the four Rexing children, her experience growing up on her family’s dairy farm has guided her dreams of one day graduating college and working in agriculture. It also showed her as a young girl what it takes to successfully operate a business.
Today, it’s rare for kids to grow up on family farms. With fewer farms producing more crops, dairy, beef and other commodities, farm life is less common. In fact, only about 1% of the population lives on farms compared to 90% two centuries ago.
When Mylie was 3 years old, her parents, Brian and Ranell, started their dairy, New Generation Dairy, just miles from the family farm Brian grew up on. Mylie and her siblings, Blair, Aleah and Case, are the fourth generation to be raised on Rexing family farms.
As is the case at most farms, with family farming comes a strong work ethic, dedication to agriculture and passion for helping communities early on. This holds true for Mylie and is the reason she chose to get involved with her high school’s local FFA chapter and ultimately start her meal kit business.
FFA is one of the largest student-led organizations in the United States, with members and chapters in every state. A symbol of American agriculture for nearly 100 years, FFA is an organization for those interested in advancing the future of agriculture, as it provides the programing and curriculum to grow the next generation of leaders. For Mylie, it’s one of her favorite organizations to be a part of, along with the nearly 735,000 other students nationwide, 45% of whom identify as female.
“I chose to get involved in FFA because ever since I was young, it was a goal of mine. When I was little, I remember going to the FFA dairy judging practices with my dad,” Mylie recalls. “My ultimate goal is to have a career in agriculture, and I know that all the activities, meetings and events through FFA will benefit me and my dream in the long run.”
The National FFA Organization’s history is deeply rooted in agriculture, so much so that for nearly 60 years, FFA stood for Future Farmers of America. While this holds true, in the late 1980s, the name changed from simply FFA to the National FFA Organization to better represent all the diverse careers essential to the future of agriculture. Just as the world has changed, the agriculture industry is a much different place than it was a century ago. FFA has evolved over the years to be inclusive to all the interests and careers that support agriculture in one way or another.
Today, more than ever, agriculture extends beyond the traditional career of production farming. It takes scientists, researchers, individuals in finance, marketing and communications, veterinarians, teachers, engineers, entrepreneurs and so many more to support a sustainable and ever-changing agriculture industry.
At the 2021 National FFA Convention, held in Indianapolis, Ind., just a few hours from Mylie’s hometown of Fort Branch, Ind., Mylie, along with her parents, sat and listened as other FFA members from across the country presented their ideas, projects and learnings from the year prior. Mylie took what she learned and brainstormed ideas for what her Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) could entail. SAEs are required for all FFA members, serving as a means to apply classroom principles to the real world.
You can ask any FFA student what makes for a good SAE, and you’ll find that the most common answer is finding something you’re passionate about. Mylie did just that.
Falling under the SAE category of agricultural sales, at the beginning of her junior year of high school, Mylie developed her business idea — meal kits. The inspiration stemmed from Mylie’s upbringing on the farm, including the family’s latest endeavor of owning a processing plant just down the street from their dairy farm, and her dreams of one day working in agricultural marketing.
“For my SAE project, I wanted to incorporate what I already knew,” Mylie says. “My family’s dairy and meat processing business seemed like a natural first place to start.”
Mylie’s Meals To Go include monthly meal kits — planned out entirely by Mylie — that are available to purchase for $25–$28. The kits change monthly, from breakfast themed to burger or taco night, but are always easy for busy families to pick up and have all the ingredients they need for a quick meal.
“I tried to think about what potential customers wanted or needed and landed on convenience,” she says. “Meal kits filled that need and brought new customers to the meat processing business. The kits are a win-win for everyone.”
As part of planning for her meal kit business, Mylie calculated her input costs for the meals and mapped out exactly how much she would earn in profits. For example, her third meal kit in February 2022, which was breakfast themed, included two pounds of sausage, biscuits and gravy mix, hash browns and pre-made Amish cinnamon rolls. The kits sold for $25 each, returning a $15 profit to Mylie, to which she ultimately made more than $500.
Aside from the meal kit planning, she also had to figure out a way to get the word out. Mylie’s interest in marketing led her to create social media-friendly graphics that caught the attention of her potential customers, while also teaching her a new skill. Once posted on a few Facebook pages and shared by family, friends and others around town, word got around quick, and interest was there for Mylie’s first round of meal kits. She has continued to post on Facebook, updating her graphics, timing and cadence of posts with nearly every meal kit by implementing best practices learned from the last kit.
As part of the planning process, Mylie partnered with the local processing plant and storefront that her parents bought two miles down the road. The family that previously owned it was looking to phase out of the business in the next few years, so it was a natural fit for the Rexings to buy into. The previous family that operated the plant remains involved today and helps get the word out about the meal kits, even supplying some of the beef included in Mylie’s meal kits. Mylie also has experience working at the plant’s small storefront. She works some weeknight evenings and weekends, checking out customers and wrapping meat. Eventually, she will learn the processing side of the business. The storefront is also a pickup location for the meal kits, bringing in more business to the local meat shop.
“My ultimate goal is to have a career in agriculture, and I know that all the activities, meetings and events through FFA will benefit me and my dream in the long run.”
Another component of her meal kits was a gallon donation of milk to a local food pantry, The Lord’s Pantry, per every kit sold. Mylie, a dairy kid at heart, knows the nutritional value of milk, and the fact that milk is one of the most requested but least donated items at food pantries. Mylie encouraged people to not only buy her kits out of convenience for dinner time, but as a way for purchases to give back to the community. To date, Mylie has donated nearly 40 gallons of milk and counting, and plans to continue donating milk for the duration of her SAE.
With each meal kit, Mylie adapts and caters to what her customers want. For example, after planning just a few kits, she added a local delivery option for $5 after getting requests from customers. As well, in one of her summer kits, she plans to encourage kit purchases by raffling off a $25 gift card to the meat shop to all customers.
Mylie plans to continue selling the meal kits for the duration of the year to be eligible to apply for an Ag Sales proficiency award through FFA. The award showcases the skills learned, as well as the dollar amount earned through her business idea.
Beyond her SAE, Mylie, who is about to start her senior year of high school, is just about as ambitious as they come. Elected to serve as her local FFA chapter's president next year at Gibson Southern High School, her senior year will be one of continued learning and leadership opportunities. For as long as she can remember, Mylie has dreamed of attending Purdue University® upon gradution, and now that day is fast approaching. Eager to study agricultural marketing or something similar, the Purdue University College of Agriculture scholarship recipient is excited for the opportunities ahead.
After college, Mylie aspires to work in agriculture, potentially in marketing. But wherever her path leads, this will always ring true: Supporting and advocating for agriculture will undoubtedly remain a constant in her life — whether that’s a meal kit or something else entirely.
When Mike and Emily Van Winkle briefly met in March 2018 as delegates at a yearly meeting of their milk marketing cooperative, Dairy Farmers of America, in Kansas City, Mo., the pair knew instantly that it wasn’t the last they’d see of each other.
They had a lot in common. Both grew up on Midwestern dairy farms, and both continue to run the daily activities of their families’ farms.
“It was love at first sight,” Mike says. “Even though we didn’t talk a whole lot at the event, there was just
something special about meeting Emily. We started to text and call afterward, and we had similar experiences growing up on dairy farms. It seemed like we both had an understanding — dairy farming requires a lot of patience, and being married to someone requires patience to make it work. It needs to be a strong connection.”
Mike and Emily recall their first meeting vividly — they sat beside each other during a presentation, and Emily asked Mike to text her a photo of one of the presenter’s slides.
“I mean, she had a camera on her phone, too,” Mike says. “She was a whole lot smoother than I was to get my phone number.”
Emily and Mike flew back to Michigan and Ohio the next morning, but the two continued to communicate electronically. Emily recalls realizing she and Mike had similar experiences around this time, and their conversations reflected that. In fact, one of their early phone calls lasted 10 hours — all the way through the night. The conversation only ended so Mike could head out on the farm and start his morning chores. After this call, Mike and Emily knew they had found something special, and they needed to set up time to spend together in person.
“A lot of our texting back and forth was about our life experiences with farming and our families,” Emily says. “We talked about the weather, challenges in the dairy industry or a new calf being born on our farm. About a month later, we were kind of joking about Mike coming up to visit me in Michigan, or me coming to see him in Ohio. I ended up driving down to Ohio.”
Mike planned the perfect first date spot for him and Emily, and it couldn’t be more fitting for a couple that bonded over their shared love of dairy farming.
“I took her to Young’s Jersey Dairy, which was a small, Jersey dairy farm that added an event center with a restaurant, shops and outdoor games” Mike says, laughing. “So, we went to a dairy farm for our first date. That shows you about how ‘off the farm’ we get.”
Mike and Emily knew after their first date that they wanted to marry each other — so quickly, they acknowledge, that they decided to keep that conversation under the radar for several months. Mike later asked Emily’s father for his blessing to propose in June 2018, three months after their first meeting,
and the pair married June 29, 2019.
Mike and Emily welcomed their first child together, Vivienne Winter, May 12, 2021. Together, the Van Winkles travel back and forth from Ohio and Michigan to operate their families’ dairy farms and to see Emily’s three other daughters, Chelsea, Kaila and Tarrah.
Dairy farming laid the foundation for Mike and Emily’s love story — one told through patience, dedication and shared values.
Photography: HOLSTEIN ASSOCIATION USA, INC.
At Buessing Dairy in Axtell, Kan., it takes a herd to be successful — and we’re not just talking about the cows. From the early light of morning to the waning hours of evening, Roy and Patty Buessing and their six kids each have a part to play to care for their farm and their cows. And now that their two oldest sons, Christian (25) and Colton (23), are investing in the farm themselves, it’s time to take the dairy to the next level.
In 1968, Richard Buessing, Roy’s father, established his own dairy farm after learning about the industry from his father growing up. When Richard’s two oldest sons, Roy and Roger, were ready to take over the farm in 1994, he sold his herd of 80 Holsteins, the barn and the equipment to his boys. Over the years, Roy and Roger grew their herd to 100 cows, added more acreage for farming crops and rooted their families in the values and work ethic their parents had modeled for them.
“Raising your kids on a dairy farm teaches responsibility and how to appreciate hard work and the results that come from it,” Roy says. “They learn about life and death when calves are born and, occasionally, when favorite cows are lost.”
Twenty-seven years later, the third generation of Buessing Dairy, Christian and Colton, have decided to plant their roots like their dad, uncle and grandpa did before them. Since joining Roy and Roger full time on the farm, Christian and Colton have helped to nearly triple their herd size, now milking 280 Holsteins; built a new barn for their 50 calves; and have taken on more farming, in which they raise their own hay, silage and grain for the cows.
As kids, the boys and their siblings, Maryna (21), Quinn (19), Aspen (17) and Blaise (14), all pitched in to feed calves and do chores before and after school. Per Buessing tradition, each kid was gifted their own Holstein calf on their seventh birthday by their dad and uncle, bringing them along in the business and the responsibility of caring for animals.
Since their childhood days bottle-feeding the calves before school and playing in feed piles with their cousins, Christian and Colton have known the dairy is where they wanted to be.
“I grew up seeing my family getting to work together,” Colton says. “Working on the weekends and waking up early, it’s all we know. I’ve loved growing up in the country with space to grow and family to be with. I couldn’t see myself being anywhere else.”
As time goes by, the cows, technology and farming practices may change, but there’s nothing like growing up and caring for a dairy farm with your family — where home, and the herd, is.
In the fall of 2020, communities across the United States found themselves more disconnected and disheartened than ever before. As the days grew darker, so did the COVID-19 pandemic, and we all hoped for an uplifting holiday season, even if it looked different than in years past. One dairy farm family wanted to do just that: lift their community’s spirits and bring their friends and neighbors together in a time when everyone needed it most — to find the perfect Christmas tree.
Kelly and John VanGundy had thought about opening their home and farm — VanGundy Family Farms — to their rural community in Radnor, Ohio, for years. As farmers and entrepreneurs, thinking of ways to diversify their operation comes naturally to the VanGundys — and sets their farm up for success in the future as their six children grow and become more involved.
When John and Kelly were married, Kelly wanted to keep two of her favorite dairy cows from her father’s herd. Farming wasn’t either of their full-time jobs at first (John worked for a swine operation and Kelly at the local hospital in addition to being a full-time mom), and John was a generation removed from his family farm. But John and Kelly slowly realized they wanted their children to grow up with the values and responsibility farming brings to a family.
About 20 years ago, as John drove home from work, he came across a small dairy farm, milking 25 cows on a grazing operation, and stopped to talk to the owner, Sylvia. John and Kelly developed a partnership with Sylvia to lease space for milking and housing their growing herd. After a few years, Sylvia was ready to retire, and the VanGundys purchased her herd and farm to grow their own herd to 65 cows.
“People have asked us why we choose to dairy when we have the ability to do other things for a living,” Kelly says. “We always tell them, there is no other industry or area of life that can offer the same values and lessons that this small dairy farm can offer our family.” “We always tell them, there is no other industry or area of life that can offer the same values and lessons that this small dairy farm can offer our family.”
As a first-generation dairy family, the VanGundys found themselves in a world of opportunity while finding success in Sylvia’s setup. Their herd of 65 Jerseys and crossbred cows continue to graze throughout the year, just like Sylvia had done in the past, with a freestall barn available for shelter and warmth in the winter months. They run a single-six milking parlor with milking taking place in the morning and early evening each day.
When John decided to dairy full time, he also found value in diversifying their operation — planting and harvesting a variety of custom forages and managing a swine operation and nursery.
As business owners, John and Kelly experienced firsthand the impact COVID-19 shutdowns had on small, local businesses. With a spacious barn on their homestead, Kelly had the idea to start an open market where vendors could set up shop, safely distanced outdoors, while interacting with customers and selling their products once a month. After their first open market in August 2020, the VanGundys were sold — it was the right time to try out their Christmas tree idea.
“I was at a point in my life, and with the farm, where I wanted to host more than just a farm tour,” Kelly says. “As producers, it’s very important to connect with your community on a regular basis, and here was our chance.”
Soon after, John called a Christmas tree wholesaler in northern Ohio and ordered an assortment of firs and spruces, and the VanGundys got to work preparing for the trees — and people — to arrive.
From Nov. 29 to Dec. 12, people from all around the community came to the VanGundys’ market and tree lot — dubbed The Dairy on Fulton Creek — to pick out the perfect Christmas tree and support their local small businesses. In addition to selling Christmas trees, the VanGundys hosted a holiday open house one weekend, featuring a visit from Santa Claus, hayrack rides, hot chocolate (made with real milk, of course) and Christmas cookies, and held a story time in the barn the next weekend featuring a live Nativity scene, including dairy cows.
With such success in 2020, the VanGundys are looking forward to a holly, jolly Christmas tree season this year as well. Over the past year, they’ve continued their monthly open market, allowing local vendors to continue growing and expanding their businesses.
While the open market and Christmas trees were a fun way to get through a difficult economic time and dark winter, the VanGundys know the true meaning of the holiday season — and are grateful for the time it allowed them to spend together.
“The ability to allow our community to come in and see what we do on our farm was a big gain for us,” Kelly says. “But more than anything, everyone in our family was on board for the Christmas trees and open house from the beginning, and getting to spend the holiday season together as a family, creating a fun experience for others, made Christmas extra special.”
Every living being prepares for the onset of winter differently. Some animals hibernate; others migrate; still others learn to adapt. We humans do too. Some of us prefer to escape, others to snuggle in. When you choose to embrace the cold, the unexpected can happen. Instead of suffering through, we welcome the good the cold can bring — from extra time to cuddle our loved ones to enjoying the comforts of hot, filling dishes and drinks made even more delicious by chilly temperatures. We slow down, recharge and await the new life being breathed into the Earth.
Winter is a time of anticipation, for excitement. We surrender some control, knowing Mother Nature will do as she pleases. But it’s during harsher weather when true memories are made. Winter is for the wonder and nostalgia of waking up to a bright, tranquil world covered in snow and icicles, only to stay home and make snowmen and enjoy the comforts only a steaming mug of hot chocolate can bring.
Winter is also a time of gathering. When the outside air starts to bite, we naturally take shelter, turning to our homes for warmth and company. Often, gravitating toward our kitchens to find more than just sustenance, but
comfort and entertainment as well. Whether it’s an easy weeknight dinner with our families, a romantic dinner for two or a long, weekend baking project just for you, winter is the time to adopt a slower pace and indulge
in all things delicious.
We must not forget the beauty present in those peaceful, frigid days and nights, or the people who make them possible. Dairy farmers work tirelessly — no matter the temperatures — to supply our families with the nourishing dairy that make our favorite dishes come to life. Next time you indulge in a creamy dessert, buttery pasta or cheesy soup, take a moment to appreciate the hardworking families who have nobly made it their life’s mission to feed the world — all while embracing the cold.
With a calling to feed the world, dairy farmers don’t take this mission lightly, and just as the industry continues to grow and evolve, so do the hands that make it.
In their little boots, jeans, hats and jackets, the next generation of dairy farmers and agriculture advocates are learning values and life lessons that can only be taught on the farm. They’re growing up alongside the calves that also represent the farm’s future, and absorbing family traditions of care, passion, hard work and responsibility passed down from the moment they can toddle around the farm.
Meet the Folkemas and Windemullers, two dairy farm families invested in their family farms — and their children’s futures.
For Paul and Brittany Windemuller of Dream Winds Dairy in Coopersville, Mich., providing a home to their five children (and one on the way!) rooted in love for their land, animals and one another has been the dream.
“I always wanted my kids to learn how to work, handle and care for animals and the land,” Paul says. “It’s a great opportunity for them to understand a cause and industry bigger than themselves.”
From leading cows out to the pasture to helping feed calves to equipment cleaning and farm upkeep, Paul and Brittany’s two oldest sons, Paxton, 9, and Judah, 7, are learning each day what it takes to be responsible stewards of the land and their animals. Home-schooled by their parents, Paxton and Judah have a front-row seat to life’s greatest lessons. In fact, one of their most recent math projects was to create a budget for raising a calf.
“We don’t expect our kids to take over the farm, but we do want to instill in them the principles of what it takes to be a good farmer,” Paul says. “These farm-taught values shape good citizens, business owners and professionals, and provide qualities and skills that will be useful in every aspect of their lives.”
For Kyle and Jessica Folkema of Country Folk Dairy in Fremont, Mich., it’s important to empower their children to follow their passions and take educated risks, just like they see their parents doing on the farm every day. Their three children, Anders, 7; Ellis, 4; and Henning, 2, love to visit the farm, where they make connections with the employees and build relationships with the cows.
“Our kids know that on a farm, you work until the job is done,” Jessica says. “They see that our cows depend on us for their health and well-being, and that we always put animal care first.”
As the dairy and agriculture industries continue to grow and evolve, the Folkemas recognize the responsibility of sharing their passion for agriculture with their children — and the world.
“It’s a powerful thing for kids to understand agriculture and know where their food comes from,” Jessica says. “I hope that kids like ours help carry a positive message into the world about what our industry is and why what we do is so important.”
We can all agree that ice cream is synonymous with a long, hot summer day. A cold scoop of vanilla bean or a dish of mint chocolate chip can cool us down after the heat beats down all day long. So just as ice cream keeps us cool, cows, too, need to cool down when the days become hotter and the evenings become longer. Dairy farmers achieve this in a variety of ways, many of which are similar to the way we cool ourselves and our living spaces: fans, ventilation systems and providing plenty of water, to name a few.
Unlike humans, whose bodies sweat regularly to maintain a comfortable temperature, cows don’t sweat as much, causing them to utilize other methods to keep cool in the warm weather. In fact, cows are most comfortable when outdoor temperatures range from 25 to 65 degrees. But when the heat is here to stay, specifically during the summer months of June, July and August when the national average temperature reaches 72 degrees and even warmer in many areas, dairy farmers keep a keen eye on their herd, and the weather forecast, to make sure they don’t get too warm. Levels of humidity are also taken into account when deciding how to keep cows cool. The stress induced by warm, humid temperatures causes the girls to produce less milk and is one of the reasons farmers plan ahead.
When the heat amps up, fans and misters are among many ways to keep the temperatures low and the air flowing to make cows comfortable. Built into barns or placed in common areas during the summer months, fans are an easy way farmers can accommodate their cows and keep the air moving. (Or should we say moo-ving?) Misters, or sprinklers, are also a quick way for cows to be cooled down when they make their way to the parlor to be milked.
Besides ice cream, you’re probably accustomed to drinking plenty of ice-cold water in the summer. Cows drink up too. In fact, high-producing cows can drink up to 30 gallons of water a day. A chilled water source, paired with adequate shade, can keep farmers’ herds feeling comfortable and refreshed throughout warm days. A cow’s diet in between milkings can also affect their body temperature. Changes to nutrient levels in their feed can assist in keeping the girls cool.
All year long, day in and day out, the top priority for dairy farmers is the comfort of their cows. During the summer months, dairy farmers pay close attention to making sure their herd is comfortable and cool so we can continue enjoying the dairy products they produce, like that ice cream cone on a warm, summer day.
When then 16-year-old Shelby Benjamin showed her first heifer at the Chenango County fair in Norwich, N.Y., she had no idea the effect her newfound love for the dairy industry would have on her community and state in the six years to come. And, she definitely didn’t know she would soon become New York’s first Black dairy princess.
Shelby’s path to New York dairy princess is far from traditional. She didn’t grow up on a farm, and she didn’t study agriculture as an undergraduate college student at The State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta, like most dairy princesses. As a young girl, Shelby had two main interests: riding horses and playing sports. In college, she studied sports management while also playing Division III basketball for SUNY Oneonta. While Shelby had been introduced to the importance of dairy and the dairy community at livestock shows in high school, it wasn’t until her junior year of college when she discovered the nutritious value of milk, specifically chocolate milk, and became more interested in promoting dairy.
“While playing basketball in college, I began to notice how tired I was after practices,” Shelby says. “I thought about what I could do to improve my energy level and began reading articles about the nutritious value of chocolate milk for athletes.”
Rita Garringar, Shelby Benjamin and Janet Sites
As her time as a college athlete came to an end, her desire to tell others about the goodness of dairy grew. Through the county 4-H club, Shelby connected with Sheila Marshman of Marshman Farms, a seventh-generation dairy farm owned by Sheila’s husband, John, and his brother, David, in Oxford, N.Y. With Sheila’s encouragement, Shelby decided to run for Chenango County Dairy Princess.
Dairy princesses, ranging from 16 to 24 years old, serve as liaisons between dairy farmers and consumers at the county, state and national levels across the United States. The New York State Dairy Princess program is coordinated by American Dairy Association North East, with participation from dairy advocates throughout the state.
At age 22, Shelby thought it may be too late for her to serve in such a role, but Sheila reassured Shelby her passion and love for dairy would shine through to the youth, community members and consumers in which she would have the opportunity to interact. With the guidance and support of the Marshmans, Shelby became the Chenango County Dairy Princess, and in February 2021, competed for New York state dairy princess and won.
“Here in the dairy industry, we have to do more to tell our story,” Sheila says. “Shelby really has a unique story to tell the consumer, and we’re looking forward to spending the year promoting the industry throughout New York state with her.”
As New York dairy princess, Shelby attends many virtual events advocating for dairy and agriculture. As COVID-19 restrictions evolve, Shelby hopes to have more opportunities to interact with dairy’s youngest consumers — elementary students. Her favorite memories as dairy princess so far are of spending time with local third graders, engaging in activities to dispel dairy myths and educating the students about where their milk comes from.
“The consumer is diverse in ethnicity and background; thus it is important to have spokespeople and influencers that are equally as diverse,” Shelby says. “I didn’t grow up on a farm, and I am proud to be a part of the dairy industry!”
With a different background and perspective on dairy than most, this princess is paving the way for young girls and consumers to learn more about dairy and advocate for the farm families who make it.
For the Roth family, producing high-quality milk starts with their family and carries over to their long-standing employees who have helped shape their family farm.
The eight Roth siblings who partner to make their dairy a success focus on fostering a collaborative spirit with their employees — some who have been at Si-Ellen Farms since they built their dairy in Jerome, Idaho, nearly
27 years ago.
This family philosophy is a legacy the Roth kids learned at a young age from their parents, Simon and Mary-Ellen, who founded Si-Ellen Farms with 100 cows in Vancouver, Wash., near the Columbia River.
“I think it goes back to this great childhood we had,” Mike Roth, who serves as chief executive officer of the farm, says of the family staying together and continuing their dairy family legacy. “We just had a great mom and dad. We worked hard, but we had fun doing it.”
Mike recalls growing up in a little house. With seven brothers and sisters, his parents and friends going in and out, space was tight. “It was not a big house, but there was always food on the table,” he says. He remembers mornings starting at 4 a.m., before heading out to the pasture with a flashlight and his dog. “In the spring and summer, I would walk out in the pasture, get the cows up and bring them into the barn,” he says. “We had about 15 minutes to have a cup of coffee, a piece of Swiss cheese and a piece of bread with honey on it, and out the door we went.”
It was a work ethic he learned from his parents. “My dad wouldn’t get in the house until 8 p.m. at night, and he was so tired that he would sit in the wintertime by this oil stove in a chair, and the next morning, he was in that chair with his clothes and boots on. That’s how tired he was. We’ll never work as hard as our parents or our grandparents did,” he says.
Mike Roth, Bruce Whitmire and Eginio Cordova | Si-Ellen Farms | Jerome, Idaho
A new beginning
The family pulled up their roots in Washington state and journeyed to Idaho in the 1990s, and it all started with an advertisement in a dairy magazine recruiting dairies to come to Idaho. “Because of the economies of scale and because we were a large family, we started growing, and I think part of the reason we made the move was to keep everybody involved,” Mike says.
Five of the eight siblings moved with their parents to Idaho and three stayed in Washington, with one transplanting to Idaho later. “It was a leap of faith,” Mike says. “We wanted to grow, and Idaho was the opportunity we were looking for. My mom and dad were in their 60s, and lock, stock, and barrel, moved to Idaho, and it became our new home.”
A culture of caring
As the farm grew over the years, Mike credits his sister Judy with nurturing the relationship with employees, many of whom are Hispanic.
“She worked with the Hispanic population, having never studied Spanish in school, and became fluent. It’s just amazing how she did it,” he says. “She really became the conduit for the family with the Hispanic community, and she became involved with the employees. She’s just a real giving person. So, she created that culture in the beginning. Plus, my mom and dad were real caring people, too.”
Now, with roughly 8,000 cows, Mike values the family’s tradition of providing helpful resources, comfortable breakrooms and a comprehensive benefits package for their employees. To ensure staff members understand expectations, have the resources and training to care for their cows and are committed to their operational values, employees are required to regularly attend trainings on cow comfort, worker safety and continuing their on-farm practices.
In addition, once a month, Fridays at Si-Ellen Farms turn into pizza Friday. With 150 employees on their operation, that’s a lot of pizza to provide, but Mike and the rest of the Roth family value the collaboration it builds within their workforce.
“The employees know they don’t have to bring lunch on that day, and food is a good equalizer,” Mike says. “They just love it.”
Like any business, he says they have some employee turnover, but many of the employees have worked on the dairy for years. “Creating the right culture helps to retain employees, obviously, and it helps to attract new employees,” he says.
Keeping employees safe
The COVID-19 pandemic didn’t leave the farm and its employees untouched. “We’ve had quite a few cases despite taking precautions,” Mike says.
Once vaccines started becoming more widely available, the farm hosted a COVID-19 vaccine clinic on-site in April of this year and again for the second dose in May. Partnering with a local pharmacy, the clinic administered more than 50 vaccines to employees. Si-Ellen Farms has about 150 employees, and many of them had already received the vaccine.
But for those who didn’t, the clinic provided an easy way for employees to get the vaccine — without needing to figure out where to go or how to make an appointment. Mikes says he and his wife struggled to figure out how to get their own vaccines when they became available, and their daughter ended up helping get them signed up. He says the clinic on the farm took the stress of it away for employees and he commends his office staff for coordinating it.
The farm even provided an additional bonus to employees who got the vaccine — a case of Chobani® yogurt.
Giving back to the community
For the Roths, it is important to show their appreciation for their employees’ passion, so they continue a tradition their parents helped create by hosting regular events for their employees and their families, such as a holiday party featuring Santa Claus handing out presents to each child.
“We’re proud of what we’ve done and are doing,” Mike says.
In addition to caring for the farm’s employees, Mike and his family care about their community too — because their employees are part of the local community. One way the farm has helped give back to the community is through fundraisers for Voices Against Violence, a shelter in Twin Falls, Idaho, that helps survivors of violence, including domestic violence. Mike’s son Evan led the charge for these fundraisers.
“We have helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for this shelter,” Mike says. “It is very gratifying, and I think it helped them tremendously.”
By caring for their loyal employees and community, Mike and his siblings can be sure their dairy farm continues to operate as a family — by everyone who calls Si-Ellen Farms home.
Todd, Tom, Barb and Nori Hathorn | Ivy Lakes Dairy LLC
Between class, work and campus dairy activities, college classmates Austin Copenhaver, Garrett Eiholzer and Clayton Wood had big dreams — dreams of owning a dairy together after graduation. But destiny and timing had other ideas. The students at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., each went on to get full-time jobs outside dairy farming after they threw their caps in the air on graduation day in 2009.
But their dream was meant to become a reality. Fast-forward four years after graduation, thanks to fate and a local farmer who was looking for someone to work their way into the business, the friends had their opportunity.
Meaningful succession planning
In 2013, Austin, Garrett and Clayton; along with their wives, Abbey Copenhaver, Libby Eiholzer and Katie Wood; jumped at the opportunity to go into business with Todd and Nori Hathorn, who owned Hathorn Farms LLC in Stanley, N.Y.
The Hathorn farm dates back to 1921, but it wasn’t until 1952 when Todd’s parents, Tom and Barb, started the dairy with four cows in a tie-stall barn. The farm continued to grow and Todd became a partner with his dad in 1982. Over the following 30 years, they added more cows and built freestall barns and a milking parlor. Todd was searching for a way to continue their farm’s legacy, and soon after meeting the former college classmates, Hathorn Farms LLC began operating as Ivy Lakes Dairy LLC. The succession planning was underway.
“We would talk about someday starting a dairy together; and eventually, it actually worked out,” Abbey says of the former college classmates’ dreams.
Successful planning is a vital task when it comes to the future of a farm. The responsibility to ensure all the owners’ goals are met takes thoughtful planning, time and input. For the partners, this has meant a slow, carefully planned transition of management, equity and expansion of the farm. Over a span of years, the partners worked their equity in the farm up, added a new freestall barn and more cows, all the while continuing a fruitful partnership with the Hathorns. Today, the partners share the managerial decisions of the farm, all rooted in the same values.
“In addition to having four partners, we work with a variety of businesses. Teamwork and communication is vital to make decisions that are best for the cows, land and people,” Abbey says.
Being good neighbors
Even as ownership and duties changed, the dedication to the cows, the land and the community never wavered.
Just as they learned from the Hathorns, the families continue to integrate sustainable practices, such as manure spreading to replenish soil nutrients, recycling water and incorporating no-till or cover cropping practices in their fields. In addition, the young partners work closely with the agricultural community to help teach consumers in New York and beyond how dairy farmers care for their cows and the land, where their milk comes from and answer questions or concerns they may have.
These practices reinforce the farm’s mission: “Continuing the tradition of caring for cows, land and people.” And thanks to the diligent planning, shared ambitions and passion for the dairy industry, the families are set up for a lifetime of shared memories fulfilling their dream of managing a dairy together.
Clayton (holding Annie) and Katie (holding Henry) Wood; Garrett and Libby Eiholzer; Abbey and Austin (holding Andrew) Copenhaver| Ivy Lakes Dairy LLC
A destination for travelers from Amarillo to Lubbock, Milk House Market — a boutique store offering carefully curated home decor, furniture, lighting, clothing and more — is nestled in a small town in the Panhandle of Texas. As its name alludes, the store started with a dairy, and a mother-daughter duo with a passion for decorating and collecting.
When Rocky and Liz Gingg started Del Rio Dairy in 1982 together, they milked around 100 cows west of Phoenix, Arizona, they never expected to leave the area. But as the Phoenix city lights crept closer to their dairy, they knew they needed to explore other options. By 2004, Del Rio Dairy found itself surrounded by housing developments — and offers for the property were coming in.
The Gingg family had to make a decision: move the dairy to another location in Arizona, or somewhere else entirely. High land costs in Arizona and lengthy milk transport time led the Ginggs to build a new dairy in Friona, Texas, doubling the size of the dairy in the process. Now, Del Rio Dairy milks around 7,000 cows and recently expanded the operation with a new milk barn in September 2020.
While Rocky and Liz decided to relocate the dairy, their daughter, Crystal Moroney, was studying fashion merchandising at Northern Arizona University with the goal to become a buyer. Weekends spent thrifting with her mother to discover unique pieces helped fuel her interest in fashion and merchandising. Crystal married her high school sweetheart, Nathan Moroney, graduated from college and started working in corporate retail. And while the experience was unforgettable, Crystal learned that working in the corporate retail industry wasn’t right for her.
“Because it was commission-based, the clothes were a lot prettier than the people,” Crystal says.
Returning to the family farm to help with the dairy’s construction business and manage the farm’s books during the transition to Texas was an easy decision for Crystal. After managing the books for five years, Rocky told Crystal and Nathan, “If you’d ever want to come to Texas, and be closer to the farm, you’re more than welcome.”
Nathan was working for his father’s residential and commercial roofing business when the economy crashed in 2010, and he found himself looking for a new opportunity. Little did he know that he wouldn’t need to look very far. Even though he had little dairying experience, Nathan was up for the challenge of becoming a dairy manager for Del Rio Dairy.
Next stop: Friona, Texas
One month later, the Moroneys, and their two sons, Nathan Jr. and Max, found themselves in Friona.
“I look back and think ‘God knew what he was doing because if I didn’t start working for my dad, it would never have led me to where I am today and us moving to Texas,’” Crystal says.
For Crystal, moving to small-town Friona felt like coming home.
“It was easy for me to adjust because I’ve always lived in the country — I never had neighbors until college,” Crystal says.
For Nathan, he had to quickly learn not only about cows, but also about his role, the life of a dairy farmer and the industry. And when Crystal and her mother, Liz, weren’t busy assisting with the dairy barns, they found other barns to spend their time in.
Pick, pick, pick
Unlike Arizona, where the mother-daughter duo would head to antique stores, Texas had barns everywhere — barns filled with dusty antiques ready to be repurposed. All they had to do was ask permission to dig through them, often heading home with special pieces. Before too long, the pair realized they had far too many things to use themselves, and so the idea for creating their own store was kindled.
“My mom has inspired me to accomplish anything — to her, there are no boundaries,” Crystal says. “And even though we live in a small town, we can still do anything.”
Crystal knew she wanted two elements to go into the name of the store, the word ‘market’ and dairying. “I wanted to incorporate dairy into the name because that’s the root of everything in my life, and it’s so important to me. The milk house is where milk is stored, adjacent to the milking barn. Pretty soon, the name Milk House Market stuck.”
Before purchasing the building Milk House Market currently occupies, the original store was housed in a 1,000-square-foot building across the street from their current location. In July 2014, Milk House Market was founded, showcasing the treasures the two found during their adventures meandering down two-lane roads in Texas. In addition to their timeless finds with modern trends, Crystal and Liz brought in repurposed furniture, candles, tea towels (designed and handsewn by Crystal’s mother-in-law) and home goods to their inventory.
Soon enough, word spread to the surrounding big cities and Milk House Market had the opportunity to grow into a larger building.
Hardware store turned decor store
Across the street from their original location sat an old hardware store. The building is nostalgic to Friona residents because of the memories in the building. The old hardware store was a place where locals would register for wedding gifts or visit for do-it-yourself project supplies.
“I was hesitant at first, but my mom wasn’t,” Crystal says. “I knew this would be a drastic change, and I had three children and was still working full time at the dairy. But we decided to go for it, and in the process, we convinced my dad that we needed a creative outlet besides the dairy.”
Nestled on the San Joaquin River in California’s Central Valley lies Stockton, Calif., a small town south of Sacramento. It’s here that Ron and Sherri Prins went to the same high school, but they didn’t really know each other until after graduation. Then, they caught each other’s eye at a friend’s wedding. Sherri was 19 and Ron was 21. Shortly after, they began dating.
“I pretty much knew she was the one,” Ron says. The pair married one year later, and together they started building a life they had only dreamed about as individuals; but now, as a married couple, they could start a family and create a future. Like most love stories, the pair had big aspirations starting out as a young couple. They faced some challenges along the way, but two things remained steady: They were going to raise a family and they were going run a dairy together.
From this day forward
The Prins have now celebrated more than 30 years of marriage. They have four children who are all grown and raising families of their own. Together, they milk about 1,100 cows and focus on a family atmosphere through all aspects of their operation.
“There’s your health and your family’s health, and taking care of your family is number one,” Ron says. “To this day, Sherri and I are a team. Dairy farming is just a way of life that we live. We’re not punching a clock day to day.”
Sherri married into the farming family, and with Ron, took over his parents’ dairy. Ron oversees the farm and employees while Sherri cares for the calves with help from their many grandchildren — 13 to be exact.
“The grandkids come and help in the calf barn, and they all really love being a part of the dairy,” Sherri says. Caring for cows is part of their success, but caring for one another has created a strong bond that keeps the third-generation family operation running smoothly.
“The grandkids kind of lighten the air pretty quick. Having them come around the dairy, they can always put a smile on your face,” Ron says. “The interaction with animals and being able to take care of our cows, learning the work ethic, all those things are very important to us, and that’s something we passed on to our kids and now our grandchildren.”
With a wonderful marriage, their children raised and out of the house and loving grandparents to more than a handful of grandchildren, Ron and Sherri seem to have it all.
But things didn’t always go according to plan.
In sickness and in health
In 2000, Sherri started to experience a lot of headaches. They started off as a daily annoyance, but gradually continued to get worse.
“I found her curled up in bed one day with severe headaches, and thought, ‘OK, that’s it, I’m taking her to the doctor,’” Ron says.
The doctors found a mass and diagnosed Sherri with a brain tumor. The shocking news stopped the couple in their tracks.
“Thoughts start going through your head,” Ron says. “How am I going to raise our four kids and do everything else that goes along with being a dairy farmer?”
Their lives were established, their farm was on the right track and their kids were growing. “We weren’t sure what the future would hold,” Sherri says. “There were some pretty tough times for a while, but Ron was my rock. He was very stable and made sure the kids were taken care of, that we had food and that all the chores on the dairy were checked off.” With Ron by her side, Sherri could focus on healing. “I didn’t feel like I had anything to worry about because Ron was taking care of everything.”
As with most marriages, Ron and Sherri had to work hard for their love story. They had to fight, not only to continue their relationship, but for their family. “What’s going to happen to my family if something happens to me? These are the kinds of conversations we had to start having. We weren’t sure what the future would hold,” Sherri says.
As they do on the dairy, Ron and Sherri worked as a team to find the right doctor, determine the next steps and create a successful path toward a positive future and a cure. After a hard-fought battle and numerous trips to different hospitals and doctors, Sherri had surgery and was given good news — she was healthy and tumor-free. The tumor was benign and did not spread to other parts of her body. The couple could start thinking about their future again — together.
“Our faith got us through a lot of that. There were a lot of prayers prayed for me,” Sherri says. “I think our marriage definitely grew closer, and now, I’m healthy, and I’ve been able to see my grandkids be born. It’s pretty amazing.”
To love and to cherish
Today, Sherri’s back on the family farm, using their operation and herd as therapy to help redevelop her brain. “My brain healed, but it was a long process, so feeding calves was a part of that process — remembering numbers, who the mom was,” Sherri says.
“I do think Ron knew that it would be good therapy for me, but he didn’t tell me that was the reason,” Sherri says of his encouragement for her to work with the calves. “But it’s all been so good.” For those at Prins Dairy, caring for their cows has always been part of their success, but now, it has also helped keep their family legacy alive and well.
“I think sometimes when you have little kids, you get very caught up in just the daily chores — bath time, homework, meals — and you kind of forget the value of their life and what that means and that you’re raising adults, and their lives are very important, more important than all the other stuff that we do,” Sherri says.
For the Prins, their love story on the dairy continues to live on. Their lives have slowed down some, but as long as they’re together, Ron and Sherri wouldn’t have it any other way.
With snow falling more than four months of the year, and some mountainous areas receiving even more winter weather, Idahoans like husband and wife Richard and Kim Korn, who operate Korn Dairy, are well accustomed to donning their snow boots and winter coats. The Korn family has weathered through their share of Idaho winters on their third-generation family dairy in Terreton, Idaho. They work hard to provide comfortable conditions for their herd of 90 Holstein and Brown Swiss dairy cattle 365 days a year, including the chilly ones.
Their responsibility to take care of their cows is an everyday endeavor, so nothing, including cold winters, will stop them from maintaining a high level of care. That starts with caring for each cow as if she was the only one.
The Korns use trackers that the cows wear around their necks to monitor their health. If a cow’s temperature or exercise levels are off, the Korns are able to quickly identify the cow, so they can check on her and provide any necessary care.
But, while the Korns may have to bundle up in their winter gear to go check on their herd, the cows are right at home in the cold weather. Their thick skin, coarse hair and natural insultation help them stay warm. In fact, all year long, cows have an internal body temperature of around 101 degrees, and they prefer temperatures between 40 and 65 degrees. They don’t typically get stressed due to cold temperatures until they reach nearly 20 degrees below zero for a long period of time — and dedicated dairy farmers make sure that doesn’t happen.
When temperatures dip below or near freezing, cows have their barn mates to thank for helping keep them warm. Cozied up, cows can produce enough heat to warm the barn and stay nice and comfortable. And to keep it even more toasty, farmers may put up curtains or plastic to mitigate snow or drafty winds getting in the barn. Some barns in areas with cold winters are even equipped with built-in wind protectors that can be manually raised or lowered, depending on the weather that day. The Korns ensure their girls have extra dry bedding on cold days to help insulate the barn and keep the cows dry.
“Another thing we have to prepare for is something breaking, such as our stock tank heaters,” Kim says. “Since we’re 50 miles from the closest store for parts, we’re sure to have spare parts on hand.”
A cow’s diet also plays a factor in keeping her warm during the winter. Dairy farmers may alter their cows’ feed rations to accommodate for their bodies using energy to keep them warm. And they don’t let up on their drinking habits, either. Cows can drink upwards of five gallons of water in a single minute, so farmers ensure their water tanks are always full to keep up with demand. In the winter, it’s especially important that the water source is checked, too, to make sure pipes don’t freeze or water gets too cold to drink (cows prefer a water temperature anywhere between 40 to 65 degrees).
The little ones are cared for in much the same manner. But because calves are smaller, they require a little extra warmth, including more straw, a separate barn with space heaters or an enclosed hutch away from the elements. In some conditions, calves also wear warm, quilted jackets. At Korn Dairy, the calves in hutches get dried milk fat added to their milk bottles during the winter. The extra calories give them more energy against the cold temperatures.
Cows are tough animals and are well-equipped to face the many seasons and temperature fluctuations the environment gives us. It takes dedicated family farmers, like the Korns, to ensure that they are cared for despite the cold winds of winter or heat of summer. “We love the dairy lifestyle, working with family, caring for our cows throughout the seasons and being productive and involved members of our community,” Richard says.
As the next generation of farmers step up to feed the world, dairy farmers are relying on their sons and daughters to take over the family farm. While many children who grow up on the family dairy choose to leave and pursue other passions, two young ladies, Emily Bourdeau, 20, and Emily Mikel, 21, are returning to their roots.
Emily Bordeau
“As I grow up, I see how many people my parents and grandfather have helped out, and how much they have done for the agriculture industry,” Emily Bourdeau says. “As my grandfather gets older, I think ‘I only have sisters, so what’s going to happen?’ Normally, the sons would take over, but I love dairy and I work just as hard as any guy.”
The oldest of three daughters, Emily Bourdeau recognized the responsibility of being a dairy farmer’s daughter at a young age. She cherished the longstanding tradition of her family’s farm, Pleasant Acre Farms in Swanton, Vt., that her great-grandfather started in 1946. Her earliest memories include carrying buckets to feed the calves and sweeping barn floors with her mother. Now, as a junior studying animal science at the University of Vermont and a first-generation college student, Emily Bordeau’s responsibilities look a little different. She has an active hand in caring for the cows alongside her mother and father, in areas including cow care and health, partnering with veterinarians to doctor sick cows and helping in the fields during hay season and harvest.
Emily Mikel
For Emily Mikel, dairying has been a life she’s loved since 2008 when she joined her parents in building Mikelholm Holsteins in Stafford, N.Y., from the ground up. Now going into her last semester before graduating with a degree in dairy management from The State University of New York Morrisville, she has big plans for her dairy. As an only child, she’s the future of her family farm and she’s ready to step up. Adding more fans and switching to energy-efficient LED lightbulbs in the barn are just two examples of the ways she has already begun to advance and expand her dairy.
As the next generation on their respective family farms, both women have chosen to carry on the legacies of their parents and the dairy industry as a whole.
For Emily Bourdeau, that means caring for her cows and her community. “Dairy farmers want to share about what we do and help others understand that their food comes from people who respect the land, passionately care for their cows and are good neighbors that invest in their communities for the long haul”, she says.
Emily Mikel envisions an industry moved forward by young people. “I’d like to see more young people in the industry because the average age of the dairy farmer is rising,” she says, “and younger people need to step up and into the roles the older generation has held.”
For the Emilys, returning to their roots was never a question, but a way of life.
It’s very common for people to have a favorite animal — a cuddly dog, a mischievous cat or even a rambunctious rabbit, but what about dairy farmers? They spend their days tending to their cows, running a 24/7/365 operation and ensuring milk makes it to tables around the world. With a herd to care for, you wouldn’t think they’d have time to name their cows. But many do, and this farm family in particular has the naming game down.
Nestled between the bustling city of San Francisco and the beautiful Sierra Nevada mountains is a third-generation family of dairy farmers focused on raising happy, healthy cows. At S&S Dairy in Ceres, Calif., Darin Bylsma milks 1,300 cows alongside his wife, Tanya, and his parents, Sam and Sherri, while striving to provide a wholesome childhood experience of growing up on a dairy for the three youngest Bylsmas: Danika, 8; Sadie, 5; and Tarren, 1.
Like many dairy farms, S&S Dairy focuses on keeping their cows as comfortable as possible, so they produce quality milk for people everywhere to enjoy. From 72-inch fans hanging from the top of the barn with variable speeds to adjust the temperature, to sprinklers that turn on at 80 degrees to blow cool water on their cows’ backs on hot days, S&S Dairy ensures their cows are well taken care of. “It will be over 100 degrees out here, and you’ll touch a cow’s back, and it will be perfectly cool,” Darin says.
But for the Bylsma family, their commitment to their herd goes beyond producing milk — they love their cows and treat them like part of the family. It’s the same mentality that’s been around since the dairy’s founding in 1968. “My grandpa originally bought the dairy, and for 25 years now, I’ve been working with him and my dad and taking care of our cows,” Darin says. “If you take care of your cows, they’ll take care of you. I’ve been around it my whole life and it just comes naturally.”
Like other dairy farms, cows at S&S Dairy sport an ear tag with a unique number to identify each cow individually, which ensures accurate records. Many dairy farmers memorize these numbers and can provide information on each individual cow when needed. For the Bylsma family, it goes beyond numbers. They know their herd personally and care for each cow because they love their animals. To show this caretaking mentality, the Bylsmas and their three young daughters took it one step further.
They named their cows. From Een and Twee (Dutch for one and two) to Candy, Valentine and Moo-Moo, certain cows along the way stole their hearts. These cows represent special moments to the Bylsma family. Valentine was born on Valentine’s Day and Candy enjoys eating Hershey’s Kisses. For the Bylsmas, they just enjoy their animals and treat them with the utmost care, attention and love.
Today, their favorite is a heifer named Wild White. “I like Wild White because she’s wild and I’m wild,” Sadie says. With a unique identification tag and number 3061, the Bylsmas make it a point to go search for Wild White when checking on their herd, creating a fun family outing everyone enjoys. “I like that Wild White is a scaredy-cat like Sadie,” Danika says.
The family usually easily spots Wild White mixing in with the others thanks to her identifiable features. “What I like about Wild White is that she has black around her eyes, a black nose and white spots, and that makes her special. She’s different and unique,” Sadie says. With Darin and Tanya by their side, the Bylsma girls can be heard on the farm calling out, “Wild White, Wild White, come say hi to us.”
For Darin and Tanya, naming their herd isn’t just for their daughters to have fun. They want to teach the next generation about truly caring for their herd and each individual cow. And, that continued commitment is starting to pay off. “My favorite part on the dairy is putting straw down for the cows to lay on,” Sadie says. Her favorite chore aligns perfectly with advice from the operation’s nutritionist — well-rested cows produce more milk. So by providing a soft, welcoming area for them to lay down throughout the day, they’re ensuring their herd has enough energy and, in return, produces more milk.
By naming their cows, educating their daughters and creating a wholesome environment on their dairy operation, the Bylsmas practice cow comfort and reveal an unconditional love that many dairy farmers have for their herd.
For the Bylsma girls, they can’t wait for their next outing to spot Wild White.
