Article provided by Kentucky Soybean Board, by Rae Wagoner

For crop farmers, winter is a slow time of year. For those who have poultry and/or livestock – like Collin Cooper at Coopland Farms – that’s not the case. Collin farms with his father, David, and his uncle, Mike Cooper,  in LaCenter. Collin said that his girlfriend, Allison Dallas, is also a big help on the farm. 

“This is the last dairy operating in Ballard County,” Cooper said, “and we feel good about our future. My family has been milking for several generations now, and I feel lucky to still be able to carry on that tradition.” He said that at one point, there were 139 registered dairies in Ballard County... and now Coopland is the only one in the county and one of only two that he knows of in the Purchase area. “This used to be a big dairy region,” he said, “and now we’re the only ones left.” 

Cooper is a graduate of Western Kentucky University, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Agri-Business. Hearing about his plans for the future, that’s going to come in handy. “I haven’t been out of college long, and I’ve just now started to buy into the farm operation,” he said. He and Allison would like to see Coopland Farms become an agri-tourism destination, and there is talk of bottling their own milk and a possible CSA (community  supported agriculture) program including milk, Jersey beef, locally raised pork and chicken along with fresh produce. 

A roadside market or full-fledged store on the farm has been discussed, and this couple has both short-term and long-term plans and goals for the operation. They’re doing research and making plans, but in the meantime they’re learning more about the operation and putting in plenty of sweat equity.
“I’m pretty lucky to have a girlfriend who gets right in there with me to milk cows and enjoys every minute of it,” Collin said with a smile. 

Currently, the Coopers milk approximately 150 Jersey cows twice a day in a double eight herringbone parlor that was built in 2009. The parlor features a DeLaval system, and Collin said that if they had waited just a few more years, they’d have likely gone with DeLaval’s robotic milkers. During crop season, they are fortunate to have a husband/wife team to take care of the milking and cow care while they are tending the soil and growing soybeans, corn, wheat, and alfalfa.

 “I like that about our farm,” Collin said.  “We may take a load of soybeans to sell at the elevator, and we’ll come back with a load of soybean meal we bought to feed the cows. Of course there’s soybean meal for protein in their pre-mixed feed, but we add some additional meal.” He said that growing the crops used to feed their herd is a good feeling.  In addition to soybeans, corn, and wheat, the Coopers also grow about 150 acres of alfalfa hay each year, which comes in handy during the winter months when the cows choose not to be out in the pasture. “They have access to the pasture every day, but during the colder months they like to stay in the barn.” 

And why not? The day we visited, it was a brisk 27 degrees. Inside the freestall barn, though, cows were lying around, chewing their cud and lounging on a fresh bed of sand. “We use sand instead of sawdust because we think it stays cleaner,” Cooper said. “And it drains better, which helps keep the cows cleaner, drier, and more comfortable.” 

Cow comfort and cleanliness are big priorities at Coopland Farms. “My dad always says ‘if you’re not going to do it right, then just don’t do it,’” Collin said, and noted that milk truck drivers and others familiar with the dairy industry frequently comment about the cleanliness of their parlor.  

In addition to the parlor and freestall barn, pasture plays an important role in the operation except during the coldest parts of the year. “Most of the time, from early spring through the summer and fall, the cows prefer to be in the pasture,” Collin said. “We try our best to give them a good life. They’re on pasture with all the fresh grass they want, then they’re fed a balanced diet specially formulated for their needs, and they have fresh water available all the time.” 

Milking happens at about four a.m. and three p.m., and it takes about two hours each session to get the herd milked. Other dairy chores include calf care and constant cleaning. 

“Having the dairy operation and the row crop operation has helped to keep my family’s farm sustainable,” Cooper said. “There have been some years that the dairy has paid the bills, and some years the row crops have allowed us to keep milking.” He added that he and Allison are looking into further diversification in the future. 

Regular readers may recall that Collin and Allison were chosen as Kentucky’s American Soybean Association Corteva Young Leaders for 2021. We look forward to seeing them continue to grow and succeed as farmers and as leaders.