GOT LOCAL?

Happy Cows Happy Milk

Story and Photos By Ellie P. Campbell

We’ve all seen the commercials boasting the “happy cow” and how these high-spirited, well-taken-careof creatures yield the best-tasting dairy. Well, we can look no further than Myakka City to find such happy cows and their very tasty milk. Jerry and Karen Dakin, along with their family and staff, ensure the highest quality of care for their 1,400 milking cows at Jerry Dakin Dairy and Dakin Dairy Farms (the dairy and the milk-processing plant, respectively). From the fresh grass the animals consume to the fan-cooled barns to keep them comfortable during the hot Florida summers, the Dakin Dairy cows are respected producers, which is probably why their milk is so delicious. And it’s clear that the Dakins are not novices in their trade.

The Dakin family has been involved in the industry since 1948, when Jerry’s father Romanus (Pete) Dakin started a dairy in Maine with 16 milking cows; by 1960 the herd numbered 90 cows. Pete, his wife, Jeanette, and their children then moved to Parrish, Florida, in 1963, where Pete purchased 60 acres, began chicken farming, and bought 400 feeder bulls. Dairy production on their Florida land didn’t begin until 1974, when he bought 110 “springing” (i.e., ready to calve) heifers. His oldest sons Cameron and Farren then purchased and developed their own dairy farms in Myakka City in 1980, both of which are still in operation today. Youngest sons Rodney and Jerry began helping out at their father’s dairy as children, feeding calves, preparing fields and growing crops, and learning cow physiology. Pete’s dairy farming career ended in 1990, when he retired and sold his herd of 750 Holsteins to Rodney and Jerry.

Jerry then branched off and began his own dairy business. After marrying in 2001, Jerry and Karen Dakin purchased 350 acres in Myakka City and traveled the country, assessing dairy farms to make theirs the smartest and best it could be, determining everything from how to be environmentally conscious to attaining maximum efficiency. A year later, in 2002, operations began at their state-of-the-art facility. And now, after just eight years, with their 1,400 milking cows, a substantial 50-cow milking parlor, and about 40 employees, the Dakin Dairy is a large-scale, self-sustaining dairy producer with the feel of a small, local farm.

They even welcome the community to visit their property, learn about dairy production, have some fun, and of course, taste the fresh milk. Due to the summer heat, Dakin Dairy is open to the public from fall to spring, opening Halloween weekend. Kids can enjoy the giant maze, take an old-fashioned hayride, jump on the “cow train,” feed the goats, and roast marshmallows at the campfire. Birthday parties, field trips, and family visits are regular occurrences at the Dakin Dairy Farm. And everyone is sure to enjoy the local homemade ice cream and honey in addition to the many other items available in their gift shop. With their locally minded, child-friendly business, it’s almost hard to believe that they are such a huge operation.

Further exemplifying this, many members of the Dakin family can be found on the farm at any given time. Of course, two noticeable presences at the farm are Jerry and Karen, who landed in the world of farming after leaving her home in Virginia and the world of telecommunications.

After growing herbs on her 10 acres in Parrish, she says that she was “saved by meeting Jerry, who was a real farmer.” In addition to Jerry and Karen, you are likely to cross paths with Shel (Jerry’s sister-in-law), who welcomes visitors and assists with administration. Their hair-stylist daughter Alex also owns 35 cows and helps out at the farm when she can, their niece Erin works in the milk plant, and several other Dakins participate in the family business. Karen notes, “The intention within our family is to cross-train our children, building them up to be the next controlling owners and continue the Dakin legacy of dairy farming . . . and now dairy processing as well.” Out of the over 140 dairy farms in Florida, there are only 18 that process and bottle the milk, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and Dakin Dairy Farm is one of those, having opened their bottling facility just recently in 2009.

And this family business is run with the utmost efficiency and environmental awareness in mind. They apply their composted manure to over 250 acres of grasses to reduce water and fertilizer usage, and they water these grasses with nutrient-rich water from the barns. Some of Dakin’s other sustainable practices include recycling of sand for the cows to lie on and chopping grass twice daily to eliminate the need for pesticide usage. The clippings that surround the barns to assist with drainage are received from nearby landscaping recycle yards, and these clippings, layered with manure, produce an economical, sustainable nutrient-rich soil.

In addition to caring for the environment, the Dakins are very careful to ensure the health of their cows. The Dakin Holsteins are monitored by a nationally renowned dairy nutritionist based out of Minnesota, Dr. Rick Lundquist. Dr. Lundquist works with the Dakins to create the best diet for their cows, and he tests the farm’s grasses to adjust the cows’ protein and fiber intake. The science is specific and constantly changing, and Karen explains that there are adjustments weekly or even daily. For example, Karen says, “Too much grass can cause the butterfat levels to drop below allowable levels, but it will increase the CLA levels (cancer inhibitors), selenium, and flavor in the milk. There is much to be watched.” The Dakins add fresh grass to the cows’ diet, which they say provides the best source of vitamins and nutrition for the finest-tasting and most healthful milk, and the cows are both fed and maintained as organically as possible. After all, Karen says, “A healthy, well-fed cow produces high-quality milk.”

Each of the Dakin cows is milked three times per day, with the dairy producing a total of about 7,000 gallons every 13 hours. Although production decreases in the hot summers, the Dakins work to ensure the best comfort for their precious cows, with “four-star accommodations,” including the previously mentioned sand beds, water misters, and high-velocity fans. The cows are free to graze as they please, but they prefer to leave the barns more during the cooler months and summer evenings.

From the milking parlor (at Jerry Dakin Dairy), the milk travels in its raw form to one of two places. Some goes to Miami to be blended with other milk and sold under a variety of labels, but much of it, about 50 to 70 percent, is piped directly to the on-site milk plant (Dakin Dairy Farms) for customers to be able to consume within hours. Just a few paces from the milking parlor, at the bottling facility, the butterfat is separated from the milk that will be bottled for 2 percent and fat-free. Then the milk is pasteurized, bottled, packed, and ready for consumption.

Looking ahead, the Dakins aren’t stopping at milk. They are in the process of adding cheese to the farm’s offerings. Karen, the cheese lover of the family, has spearheaded this task, traveling the country to learn about artisan cheese making. After visiting with experts and taking classes, Karen realized this was no small task, so they hired a cheese consultant to help set up the farm to have it ready for cheese production. They will focus initially on double- or triple-cream brie and a mozzarella, hopefully to hit the market by the end of 2010. Also on the Dakins’ agenda is the addition of fresh, natural chocolate milk. They are currently looking into the optimal approach: “We want the best chocolate,” Karen notes. “And I was amazed at the ingredient list on some chocolate milks. We want to use only all-natural ingredients.” Dakin Dairy Farm’s chocolate milk will be available at the same locations as their other milk products, so be on the lookout!

During my visit, dozens of children were visiting Dakin on a field trip, shouting in excitement on their hayride and pointing in wonder at the milking parlor in action, and I can already envision the chocolate milk mustaches on those beaming kids. Their eyes wide with awe at the beautiful animals, watching the process from cow to glass, they were as happy as those happy Dakin cows. I would imagine that no one leaves the Dakin Dairy Farm without a smile on their face. And to top it all off, the Dakin milk is good. Their 2 percent has been a welcome addition in our home.

Dakin-labeled milk can be found locally at Sweetbay supermarkets, Whole Foods (statewide), Good Earth, and Morton’s, to name a few. A full list of locations is available online. www.dakindairyfarms.com, 30771 Betts Road in Myakka City, (941) 322-2802.

RECIPE

Homemade Peach Ice Cream