Jones Dairy
The Jones family has a long history in the dairy industry. Dale Jones’s grandfather hauled milk for many years, deciding in 1946 to start milking his own herd. What started with just a handful of cows grew over the years as more generations joined the family business. Today, the Joneses look after a milking herd of about 3,000 Holsteins on their main farm and another 800 cows at a nearby farm. The family also raises their own replacement heifers and farms about 3,000 acres of cropland.
Since day one, the animals have been the top priority. Each cow is assessed daily to maintain health and productivity. Between weekly vet visits for general herd health and a check-in with the herd nutritionist every couple weeks, the Jones family ensures their cows are getting the optimal feed rations and healthcare for them to be happy, healthy and comfortable.
Beyond their day-to-day life on the farm, the Joneses take time to support the dairy industry as a whole through educational and promotional efforts. They truly enjoy welcoming the public for tours so families can see the cows up close, check out the facilities and learn about the farm-to-table process. “There’s a lot that goes into getting milk from our farm to the consumer,” Dale Jones says, “from the care of the cows, to growing our own feed, to maintaining a clean, safe environment on the homefront.”
The way [cows] live is really a natural recycling process. Beyond that, farmers have found so many additional ways to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly.