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Duivenvoorden Farms is a third-generation family-owned dairy farm in northern California. Originally started by partners Jerry and Rita Duivenvoorden, and John and Nel DeJong, Duivenvoorden Farms has been operating for over 50 years. Owners Marc and Lori Duivenvoorden took over the farm in 1993 – doing everything from custom farming, running a beef herd, raising calves, and shipping milk to a local creamery. In 2009, Marc, Lori and their son Seth, made the decision to switch the dairy over to a raw milk herd share dairy. In June 2017, Duivenvoorden Farms gained access to the public market by building a “processing facility” to bottle their milk for retail sales.
On this episode of the Rural Business Show, Seth Duivenvoorden discusses his background and why he chose to continue the family tradition of owning and running a dairy farm. He talks about what life is like in rural northern California and the difficulties of rural issues being heard in the country’s most populous state.
He talks about the benefits his business has enjoyed since switching to selling their milk directly to retailers – even in the midst of the current pandemic. He also shares other important lessons learned as he works to grow his business.