Jeff Nonay is a third-generation dairy farmer in Alberta. His grandfather’s family business grew to include his father, Dave, and his uncle, Dan, and moved to its present location near Legal – 30 kilometres north of Edmonton – in 1976. At that time it was incorporated as Lakeside Dairy Ltd. Jeff joined the corporation in 2001 and moved up to president in 2007, a position he still holds. Jeff’s sister, Stephanie, is expected to join within the next year. According to Jeff, she “has earned her way to participate on the ownership level.”

Rosser Farm Holsteins, named for the nearest village, is a leader in Manitoba’s dairy industry. Brothers Henry and Tony Holtmann are third-generation dairy farmers in the operation established by their grandfather in 1929. Grandfather was a cream producer, shipping cans to Winnipeg by train. He had pride in his purebred Holstein herd and showed his cows, even traveling on occasion to Toronto for the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. In 1961, Dad took over, and the brothers in 1995.

The family has grown its roots deep into the soil at their Abbotsford, British Columbia, area dairy farm. Allan Mulder was just a boy in 1969 when his father purchased the farm where Allan and his wife, Dianne, raised their three daughters. Their oldest daughter, Katelyn, and son-in-law, Curtis Delange, are now involved as well.

“I did not do this for me ... this is for the next generation,” Charles “Chuck” Mattice comments. The next generation is Chuck’s 26-year-old daughter, Emily. For now there is a partnership, but Chuck has plans to ease out. “Within 10 years, I plan to be the hired man,” he says.