Ben and April Butler are the Secretary Couple for the 2017 Young Cooperator Advisory Council, as well as members of Southeast Milk Inc. The Butler family has been dairy farming for more than 80 years. Today, the operation exists in Highlands County, 70 miles south of Orlando and 70 miles from either coast, directly on the Kissimmee River. Ben’s parents, Robert and Pam, own Butler Oaks Farm. For the past 12 years, Ben has served as a manager alongside his younger brother Will. They manage the 1,100 cow milking herd, which is housed in a free-stall management system. Butler Oaks milks mainly Holstein cows, with a few Brown Swiss and Jersey-Crosses. Along with raising all replacement heifers on site; we grow all of our forage needs. The family also has a beef cow calf operation.
Butler Oaks has undertaken seven major environmental projects to control the phosphorus and other nutrients on their farm. Today, all the water on the farm is collected and treated or reused.
Derrick and Kaycee Josi are Young Cooperators and members of Tillamook County Creamery Association. Their farm, called Wilsonview Dairy, is located in Tillamook, Oregon, on the Wilson River. Derrick is a fourth-generation farmer and co-operates the dairy with his parents. They milk 500 registered jerseys on 400 acres.
Johan and Trisha Heijkoop, of Webster, Fla., belong to Southeast Milk, Inc., and were the Vice Chaircouple for the 2014 YC Advisory Council. They have four children – Jozef (15), Julia (13), Johanna (10) and JayLee (9) – along with business partners Gary and Kathy Keyes. They operate two farms in Florida: Milk-A-Way Dairy in Sumter County, Central Florida, and K & H Dairy in Lafayette County. Each farm has 12 employees, and combined milks about 1,600 head, mostly Holstein.
Sam Schwoeppe owns Schwoeppe Dairy LLC, a member of Prairie Farms cooperative, alongside her husband Darren and two sons Wyatt and Ethan in the southwest area of Indiana. They milk around 95 Holsteins with a few Brown Swiss cows. Sam is currently pursuing a master’s degree in organizational leadership and has a deep passion for agricultural sustainability. She was also a member of the 2014 NMPF Young Cooperator Advisory Council.
Nathan and Brenda Rudolph own a dairy farm in Central Minnesota, where they milk 100 Holsteins. For more than 125 years, someone in Nathan’s family has been milking cows on their farm, making Nathan a fifth-generation dairy farmer. Nathan and Brenda purchased the farm from Nathan’s parents in 2011, making them the sole owners. Their two children Everett, 7, and Vivian, 1, are with them every step of the way. Brenda shares her experiences on her blog, www.raisingafarmer.com.
Travis and Janet Clark co-own Vision Aire Farms, LLC, in Eldorado, Wisconsin. They are members of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative and the 2016 NMPF Young Cooperator Advisory Council. The farm is also owned and operated by Roger and Sandy Grade, and David Grade. It consists of 155 registered Holsteins and operates 900 acres of land.
Amanda Freund and her family run Freund’s Farm in northwest Connecticut. They are members of Agri-Mark Family Dairy Farms and sell their milk to Cabot Creamery. They own a herd of 300 Holsteins and one Jersey. In March 2016, their farm became the first in the state to use robotic milking units. They also run Freund’s Farm Market & Bakery and CowPots — biodegradable pots using cows’ composted manure. Pictured, from left, is Isaac, Matt, Rachel, Theresa, Ben and Amanda (source: Cabot Creamery).
Tommy and Anna Watkins are third-generation dairy farmers from Wauchula, Fla. They are members of Southeast Milk, Inc, and were the 2015 Young Cooperator Vice Chaircouple. Tommy’s grandfather started the dairy in Palm Beach County in the 1930s, then moved to Wauchula in the early 1970s. The Watkins have about 3,000 Holsteins and milk 2,500 of them 2-3 times per day. Pictured are Tommy and Anna with their kids, Taylor (13), Thomas (6), Carlton (4), Arley Kate (4) and Ashleigh (4).
Brandon and Krista Stauffer are members of the 2016 NMPF Young Cooperator Advisory Council. They own a first-generation dairy farm and are members of the Northwest/Darigold cooperative. Their farm, Stauffer Dairy — located in Washington state — involves roughly 140 jerseys, Holsteins and crosses. Pictured are Krista (who provided these answers) and Brandon with their three children. Krista’s blog is www.thefarmerswifee.com.
Brad and Meghan Austin are the 2016 Young Cooperator Vice Chaircouple and are producer-members of Southeast Milk, Inc. Their dairy farm, Cindale Farms in the Florida panhandle, consists of 467 acres and 300 jersey and jersey-holstein crossed cows. The farm was started by Meg’s parents, Cindy and Dale Eade, in 1994. Pictured are Brad and Meghan with their daughter, Emma.
Jason and Lisa Mesch are the 2016 Young Cooperator Chaircouple and have been producer members of Upstate Niagara Cooperative since October 2008. They are second-generation dairy farmers who own a 55 Pro-Cross cow milking herd that seasonally grazes on a 36-acre farm in Collins, NY. They house their herd in a tie-stall barn. Pictured are Lisa and Jason Mesch with their five children.
