Groves-View Dairy welcomed more than 170 dairy producers for a field day in July, hosted by the Missouri Holstein Association. The dairy originated in 1913 and is being passed on to Todd and Brad Groves.
“In 2013 the farm will be a century farm,” explained Brad. “Our dad and uncle took it over in 1988, now my brother and I will be the fourth generation.”
The dairy, located in Billings, Mo., runs over 400 head, milking on average 160 cows to make management easier. The Groves have always had Holsteins on the family dairy farm, until 1991 when a marriage came with more than just vows.
“We inherited Brown Swiss when I married my wife,” joked Todd. “My wife thought they’d be a good addition.”
The dairy has focused on breeding elite cows, keeping labor and costs low and marketing their cattle online for the past three years.
“We began website marketing by building a website with the help of Holstein World,” explained Brad. “We place photos of our cow families online and update the site regularly.”
Brad says that Holstein World charges the farm a flat yearly fee, which includes regular updates, photos and contact info of the farm.
“We send them the info and they get it on the website – we don’t have to worry about doing it ourselves,” he said.
The farm tries to incorporate new technologies and methods to keep the farm competitive. Six years ago Brad and Todd built new facilities, including a 150-foot drive-through feed alley as they transitioned the dairy from a computer feeder to a total mixed ration (TMR).
Todd says this major change in their herd has made the dairy much more profitable in the end.
“I don’t know where we would be if we hadn’t transitioned to TMR,” he said. “Byproducts are much cheaper and we’ve really picked up in milk – six to eight pounds per cow.”
Changing the feeding program caused doubts at the beginning.
“It was tough for a couple months,” said Brad. “The transition wasn’t easy getting the cattle adjusted, but we managed.”
Todd works on forward contracting grain to aid in low-cost inputs to keep the dairy equitable, but admits that it’s a gamble.
“It’s worked well six years and I got bit once,” he said. “But, you have to take risks in this business.”
Groves-View Dairy will be one of the tour stops for the 2012 National Holstein Convention that will be held in Springfield, Mo.
“We’re hoping to show folks top notch cattle and go into detail about our embryo transplant program,” explained Brad. “Plus, we are hoping to gain knowledge from others in the industry.”
The family dairy farm has seen a variety of changes since 1913 and has weathered many storms. New technologies and methods have assisted the Groves family in making the farm a family affair that will last for generations.
