June is the national dairy month, so when Joelle Hess, of Hess Dairy Farms in Fielding, Utah, offered to give me an up-close view of their farm, I jumped at the chance. Farming is a misunderstood industry and through this summer, we are touring farms across the country to set the record straight. Some think animals are mistreated on the farm, but not these girls. Hess Holsteins have their own nutritionist! Gone are the days of feeding the “girls” a little hay when they come in to be milked and some silage out in their mangers. No, ma’am. Their nutritionist closely monitors their feed intake with scales and computers in the barn and feed truck. It syncs together to weigh and measure each type of feed down to the exact pound. From there, they can pinpoint needs or changes to their feed to make sure they’re eating only the very best.

From the early 1900s til now

Growing up in a farming family is a blessing, a legacy passed down from generations, and the Hess Dairy Farm is no different. Brothers Barry and Vaughn Hess are the fourth generations to own and operate their thriving dairy farm. Their farm dates all the way back to 1902 when their grandparents, Charles & Jane Hess, laid claim to 40 acres of prime farm ground. They raised wheat, sugar beets, hay, oats, and barley, not to mention their ten children!    After World War II, the 9th of the 10 children (Joelle’s father-in-law) returned to the farm in time for his parents to retire. He bought a few head of beef cattle, fed and sold them for a profit, and tried again for a successful second year. Unfortunately, the beef attempt flopped and Hess moved toward dairy farming. He purchased five head of Holstein dairy cows and never looked back! In the past 70 years, the Hess farm has grown from 5 to 265 milk cows (500 head of cattle total) and increased their acreage from 40 to 250 acres.

The perfect recycling plant

Not only does the Hess family raise dairy cows, but they also grow the majority of the feed needed with their silage corn, alfalfa, barley, and wheat, and supplement the rest from other local farmers. Joelle Hess likes to refer to their dairy farm as the “perfect recycling plant,” as they plant the crop, harvest it, feed it to the cows which digest it to make delicious grade A milk, and then spread the manure (waste) on the fields to produce another crop! On the Hess Dairy Farm, they milk the cows twice a day. Each of the 265 dairy cows produce 9 gallons of milk each day. That’s a lot of milk! Can you imagine 2,385 gallons of milk in one day? The Hess family often hears, “Do you drink your milk?” Which they answer with a hearty, “Yes! Straight from the tank, raw, and ice cold.” All those gallons of creamy white milk are sold to Gossners Food in Cache Valley, Utah, where it’s turned into their world famous Swiss cheese, shelf stable regular or flavored milk, other cheeses, curds, butter, whipping cream, and ice cream.   

Setting the Record Straight

In the last few years, the dairy industry has tanked. People don’t drink milk like they used to and the milk price farmers receive for their milk is at record lows. Activist groups like PETA spread false information about the daily practices on a dairy farm and vegan groups tout how dangerous and unhealthy milk is for human consumption. Coupled between tough years financially and outrage from activist groups, it’s no wonder dairy farmers feel the stress. Sadly, suicide among American dairy farmers is at an all-time high. We can stop the madness. Before you believe what you hear, check it out. The family of Hess Dairy Farm urges you to please contact your local dairy farmer and kindly ask for a tour. They would be happy to answer your questions and you will walk away fully informed and appreciative of the hard work to deliver food (and drink) from the farm to the table.   

A note from Joelle

We feel farming is a sacred responsibility. After all, we care for God’s creations, his land, and the animals he put on this earth to sustain us. This is not something we take lightly. We are producing food for human consumption and we take great pride in making a quality product. We take great care of our cattle; they are living, breathing creatures needing almost constant care. The dairy business is a labor of love 365 days a year, 24/7. We don’t spend time together with our families or take personal time until we assure ourselves the girls are healthy, happy, fed, and all other needs are met. Thanks for taking a peek into our world. If you’re ever in our neck of the woods, please stop by and say hello! I hope you’ve enjoyed this look into an actual working dairy farm. You can follow the Hess family on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. If you have any questions for the Hess family, post them here or ask in the links on social media. <3

Farm Tours Across America: Educating the public on agriculture

If you’re wondering why we’re passionate about increasing agricultural education, check out this post. And if you want to read about other farms in our Farm Tours Across America project, you can read this.