MAYO, Fla. — The White Oak Dairy has been named the Lafayette County Farm Bureau Farm Family of the Year. The dairy is owned and operated by Ryan and Ashley Sullivan, Jared and Kelli Moseley and Jody and Joann Sullivan.

The dairy was started October 10, 2002.

“It has been a big learning process,” Ryan said. “It seems like we learn something everyday and there are always new obstacle to overcome.”

Currently the dairy has 1,000 cows, 850 heifers and 1,400 acres of land.

The dairy raises the cows, milks the cows and grows feed for the cows. The milk is picked up daily by Dean Foods.

The dairy started building a new parlor in May and is expected to be finished in October. The parlor is where the cows are milked.

Jared said the cows are currently being milked between two and three times a day and the goal is to be able to milk them four times a day.

The 24-hour dairy has 22 hired employees. Ryan and Jared manage the dairy and farm’s daily operation and Kelli and Ashley manage the office. 

“The neatest part about the farm is they are trying to provide an opportunity for our children if they wanted to stay on the farm,” Ashley said. “It is something the next generation could be involved in if they wanted to.”

Ryan and Ashley have three children: Brent, Allysa and Colton. Jared and Kelli have four children: Jaley, Kambry, Whitney and Case.

“We’re continually grateful for the opportunity to sell a product that people consume,” Jared said. “We don’t take lightly just how valuable that opportunity is to be in an industry that puts a product on people’s tables that they consume.”