At Just 31 Years Old, He Bought The Dairy Farm From His Parents. And In The 1st Year, The Growth Has Been Incredible

On the edge of a bustling and bursting Washington D.C., you’ll find a 4th generation dairy farm. The Smith family ventured to the Remington, Virginia area in the 1970s to uncover a land of opportunity.   

“I'm the second-generation on this farm, but I’m the fourth generation of dairy farmers and Ben will be the fifth generation,” says Ken Smith, of Cool Lawn Farm in Fauquier County, Virginia. 

Growing and evolving has become the way of life for Cool Lawn, LLC. Ben Smith, the fifth-generation to dairy in the Smith family, says he always knew he wanted to be a dairy farmer, but it took exploring throughout college to remind him he was destined for the farm. 

Ben interned at dairies across the country while in college, and after graduation, he decided to return home to continue the family’s heritage. 

“I thought it was great for him to be able to come into a progressive herd, but to start on the ground with the grazing operation was a good experience,” Ken says. “And it really brought him home to what he has become today, which is a successful dairy farmer."

The First Signs of Growth

The farm’s grazing dairy is where Ben was able to get his feet wet right after college. 

“It was a really good opportunity for me, because I had there I was alone, I had the opportunity to do well  and to fail, to learn what works and to learn what doesn't work,” Ben says. “I credit that to being kind of a one-man show over there and taking care of the cows and to developing some of my animal husbandry skills today.”

The dairy is still a 100% registered Holstein herd today, milking 800 cows, three times a day.

“We consolidated herds after we built a new freestall barn. And now what was a grazing dairy is now our dry cow facility,” explains Ben. “We've grown on the registered side to marketing genetics and selling registered bulls to either AI or other dairymen. We've also grown in grain production. What started as a 200-acre farm is now a 1,000 acre contiguous block of land. And we're crop farming 2,500 acres.”

The family continued to make improvements to the freestall barn, but the Smiths simply outgrew the space. 

“The building was built in 1967. So, it had served its purpose. And today, we're milking in a BouMatic Rotary,” Ben says.

A Humbling Start 

Ben will be the first to admit, the growth may be constant on the farm today, but when he first came home, there were bumps along the way.

“Those first few years back to the farm full-time were challenging,” he says. “You get out of school and you have all these big ideas that you learned in college, and we need to do this and do that now. It's kind of humbling to come back and somebody tell you, ‘Hey, you need to slow your roll. Rome wasn't built the day.’”

Remarkable Accomplishments in Year One

While his growth may have happened at a slower pace than what he originally hoped, his track record is already quite impressive, especially considering at just 31 years old, Ben purchased the operation from his parents. 

“My gosh, he's done a lot in the first year,” his dad says. “He expanded the calf raising facility. He saved us money right off the bat, and started going to bulk products. And he built a roof over the new bulk products.”

His dad says Ben also focuses on employee retention, launching training sessions on the farm. 

“He created an environment that the employees would feel comfortable in,” Ken says. “He brought in a translator so that everybody understood what he was trying to accomplish. He gave me challenges. I handled things differently. Him and I, sometimes we're black and white. And sometimes we're just like a Holstein, we’re all mixed together.”

Keen Sense of Business Reaped From the Generations Before

Ben’s keen sense of business quickly became a tool to the farm’ progress.

“Our philosophy is if you're not growing, you're going backwards. So, the plan is always to grow. But growth could be a lot of different things,” Ben says. 

His plans for the family farm involves more growth and expansion. And the growth here isn’t just happening in cow numbers. Ben says the goal is to become more efficient at every angle of the farm.  

“It could be increase the rolling herd average from 32,000 to 34,000, increase our solids from you know seven pounds to eight. What can we do to be more efficient?”

Ben may be focused on the future, but for this fifth-generation farmer, he’ll always cherish the past. 

“It starts with my granddad,” Ben says. “And then my father, Ken. They were the best mentors and coaches I ever could ask for.”

Like father, like son, those sweet sentiments are also shared by Ben’s dad. 

“I’ve been really, really proud. If I talk too much about it, I will tear up, of just how proud I am of the young man he’s become.”

In just a decade on the farm, Ben’s journey has been one of dedication and innovation, which is what makes Ben Smith the 2023 Milk Business Conference Young Producer of the Year.