Meet Dirk Okkema, a dairy and sheep farmer from west Michigan. He also works fulltime as a member representative of a dairy cooperative. He shares about:
- A brief history of how his parents met and came to be farmers in the U.S.
- What’s involved in “lambing” season
- An overview of the Farmers Assuring Responsible Management (FARM) program
- Regional differences he notices while he travels an average of 120 miles per day
- What he enjoys doing outside of work and farming
- Where he’s traveled to get a break and relax (oh, and maybe see some cool agricultural technologies)
- Teams he follows closely
- What it’s like to have an open house/barn for 2,000 people
- A clear answer regarding antibiotics & milk (It’s tested multiple times to guarantee antibiotics are never in store-purchased milk. Ever.)
- A time he looks forward to every year
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