After a two-year stint in the army, third-generation farmer Jim Comp returned home to his family’s dairy farm in 1957. Back in the day, a handful of cows were milked in an old stanchion barn. Today, the dairy, which has been in the family since 1885, milks nearly 2,000 cows.  

The cows stay comfortable in their freestall barns, lounging on either water beds or a collection of saw dust and sand bedding. Over the years, the family has made improvements to the farm, including new milking parlors, barns and storage space, all designed to improve cow comfort and help in the production of high-quality milk. 

Jim has help from his son and granddaughter, Jerry and Elisha, who will be the fourth and fifth generations to farm. “My grandpa is a hardworking go-getter,” Elisha says. “I hope that I can follow in his footsteps to keep the hard work going.” The family shares Jim’s vision of comfortable cows and high-quality milk, a vision he preaches to his employees on a daily basis.