Diane and Wendell Loew Dairy producers Byron Center, Michigan Diane: “My goal is to pass on the leadership skills and the negotiation skills that we’re learning to our sons so that they can continue the farm and live together peaceably, agreeably and prosperously. We’ve worked really hard to get (the farm) to this point, and we really would like to see it continue and keep everybody happy and healthy.”

Age: 44 History of your dairy, in a nutshell: My wife, Linda, and I own Seven Hills Dairy LLC near Goodland, having purchased it after moving from the Netherlands in 1996, where I grew up on a 60-cow dairy. I’m a fourth-generation dairy farmer, and together we own and manage 2,150 milking and dry cows and 1,950 replacement heifers.

Age: 41 Location: Twin Falls, Idaho History of your dairy, in a nutshell: My family started dairying in 1984 in Jerome, Idaho, milking 80 cows. My step-dad, John Reitsma, built a dairy empire over the next 20 years and owned four dairies, expanding the herd to 10,000 cows.

This article was #13 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2014. It was published in the Feb. 13, 2014 Extra e-newsletter. On Valentine’s Day, we brought you the fairytale story of dairy farmer Nate Kliebenstein and his wife Morgan, a sire analyst, who found love through an online dating website. With cows as their common bond, dairy was in the air on the day of their farm field wedding, and since then, the couple has been farming happily ever after.

This article was #4 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2014. It was published in the Feb. 7, 2014 print issue. It all began with the need for a new manure-handling system. One thing led to another, and soon Craig Finke was building the most automated dairy in the U.S. A local dealership introduced him to a new automated feeding system in use in Europe.

Age: 38 Location: Cobb, Wisconsin History of your dairy, in a nutshell: My husband, Jarred Searls, and I both grew up on farms and wanted to raise our family the same way. We believe the farm is the best place for Nathan, 13, and Julia, 8, to learn our values.

Age: 39 Location: Denair, California History of your dairy, in a nutshell: My parents founded the dairy in 1972 on a rented facility in Galt, California. In 1974, they purchased an existing dairy in Elk Grove, California, and eventually moved to our current location in 1990.