A Good Healthy Product « Back

When I visited with Nebraska dairy farmers, the Bousquet family, I just smiled! They state, “We feel great about bringing a good, healthy product to people in the world.” Dairy producers have a common thread of honesty and working hard and share a strong commitment to produce a wholesome product for the world to consume.

That statement was shared because Bousquet Dairy Inc., South Sioux City, Nebraska, a second-generation family farms’ mission, is to take awesome care of both their cattle and land to in return produce high-quality milk for the consumers to enjoy.

Their dairy was started by Orelous and Rita Bousquet in 1941, with the family milking just a handful of cows by hand. They raised seven children who all helped in the dairy operation. Today, two of their sons, Robert and Rick, and their families own and operate Bousquet Dairy Inc.

Currently, the Bousquets milk 150 Holsteins and Brown Swiss cows twice a day, 14 at a time, in a milking parlor. On average, each cow gives 21,000 pounds a milk a year. The Bousquets also grow 2,500 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa to help feed their herd of cattle.

The Bousquet family cares for their land; after all, they live there, too. They rotate their crops, planting different crops to different fields each year, which helps preserve fertility and soil quality. They take much pride in sustainable farming to allow future generations to have good land and clean water.

Bousquet cows are housed in free stalls, meaning cows can move around or lay in stalls. They can lie down, go to feed or water at any time. Their cows are offered a free-choice ration throughout the day, a mixture of corn silage, alfalfa, corn and vitamin-mineral supplements that are formulated by the herd’s nutritionist. Their cows are milked twice a day and the stalls in the barn are bedded with sand.  The barn is also equipped with fans to keep cows cool and comfortable.

Anytime the Bousquet family can improve cow comfort, they do. After all, their mission is to take great care of their land and cattle to bring a nutrient-rich, wholesome product to consumers around the world.