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Despite tough times, family takes on dairyEVANSVILLE, Ark. (AP)--Family dairy farms have been in a sharp decline in Arkansas but a northwest Arkansas family is trying to buck the trend. Preston Keller, with his wife and children, opened a dairy farm recently in Evansville, in far southwest Washington County, right on the Oklahoma border. Keller told The Morning News he left the business world five years ago to carve out a living by farming. Before opening the dairy, the Keller family has run a successful registered "all-natural" Black Angus beef operation on their land, as well as a sawmill for specialty beams and compost. The family is continuing those businesses, and running the dairy just adds to their duties. Those duties include milking at 4 a.m. and 4 p.m., seven days a week. Keller said his family has never been more happy. Keller said plenty of people had questioned his decision to take on the dairy, considering the industry has been shrinking in Arkansas. Officials say there were 403 dairies in the state seven years ago, compared to 141 now. "He is one determined farmer," said Johnny Gunnsaulis, Washington County agent for the Cooperative Extension Service. "For the past two years lots of people have tried to convince Preston that he did not want to open a dairy farm. But they are a great family and clearly up to the challenge." Gunnsaulis said there are 18 dairies still operating in Washington County, The number is down about 20 percent in the past three years as farm economics have deteriorated because of higher fuel, fertilizer and grain prices. Keller and his wife, Susan, have help with the work from their five children--ages 18, 15, 7, 5 and 4. Susan Keller said the children have been enjoying their milking duties: "Our 7-year-old, Jacob, said last night, 'Milking is awesome."' "I really like to help feed and especially milk the mama cows," said 5-year-old Jessa as she watched her dad and older brother round up the Holsteins just ahead of the sunset behind the colorful mountainous backdrop on the Keller farm. Keller said the declining nature of the dairy industry made it a good time to buy in. "We were able to open this dairy with a minimal capital investment, buying the herd from a retiring dairyman in Siloam Springs," he said. Keller estimated he spent $30,000 in outfitting and building the milking barn, which was stocked with used equipment from another local dairy gone out of business. To get some relief from the labor, the dairy is run as a community farm. The Kellers have the help of another local family, who are sharing the workload and some of the capital expenses for a portion of the revenue. After just one week of operation, a dozen milkings and two years of planning, Keller said he is pleased with the results. He is milking a herd of 62, about half have already calved and the rest are due to calve soon. Keller has a pasture for grazing and is adding grain to the cows' diet. "We are yielding about 50 pounds of milk a day per cow, and given that they have recently been moved and stressed from that relocation, we expect production to increase a little more in the coming days," Keller said. Keller said he is selling the milk to the Dairy Farmers of America, and the milk is provided to Hyland Dairy in Fayetteville for processing. 11/24/08 Date: 11/18/08
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