Dairy farming with Jersey cows in Beloit, Ohio

How did you get into farming?

I always wanted to be a farmer. In 1989, I quit my job with an agribusiness company to farm full time.

I bought the dairy farm from my father in 1992, and since then I have expanded the herd from 35 to 640 registered Jerseys, a breed of dairy cattle originally bred on the British Channel Island of Jersey.

I enjoy controlling my own destiny, as well as the challenges and the satisfaction of producing a product that is one of the most important and complete foods on earth.

What do you do to care for your cows?

The cows we raise on our farm are just like family. We take care of them day in and day out with a goal of keeping our cows as comfortable as possible at all times.

Our herd lives in free stalls filled with sand for bedding to help keep the cows dry and comfortable.

During the summer, we achieve this by cooling our cows with fans that circulate air through the barns and milking parlors. In the winter, we use heavy protective curtains to protect them from the cold and wind. I would argue that our cows even eat better than we do because they are getting a balanced diet every day.

How much milk do your cows produce?

Each of our 640 cows produces approximately 58 pounds of milk each day. In the dairy case, that’s equivalent to seven gallons of milk or 11 half gallons of ice cream or nine pounds of cottage cheese.

What happens to the milk once it leaves your farm?

When milk leaves our farm, it leaves here at about 34 degrees Fahrenheit and is sampled and tested three or four times. It is never touched by human hands to help guarantee a safe, wholesome, highquality milk supply.

Our milk then goes to Smith Dairy in Orrville where it is used in a variety of products, but is especially desirable for ice cream and cottage cheeses.