Dakin says, “I’ve never been so challenged in my life because there are things I need to fix but can’t.” “Right now, we’re using money from our savings to keep it going. “That can only go on for so long.”
When Hurricane Ian hit Myakka City on September 28 and 29, it did a lot of damage to a famous dairy farm. The farm lost more than 200 cows, and its cattle barns and tour barn were severely damaged.
Dakin says that milk production has dropped by at least 35% since the cattle barns don’t have roofs, which are needed to keep the cows cool. Because of problems with the supply chain, the farm couldn’t get materials to fix the roofs or make other repairs.
One more problem? Getting help from the state and local government. For example, Dakin’s executive assistant, Louise Coogan, says that the state turned down Dakin Dairy’s request to use new technology that would have made the milk last longer. She says that the farm will file an appeal.
“Agriculture just seems to be going uphill in general, and in the state of Florida in particular,” she says. “I don’t know if the developers have someone’s ear, but they would love to get their hands on these 1,200 acres of buildable land.”
Nate and Rachel Thomas from Nokomis are now in charge of the Dakin Dairy Cafe, tours, and market. (Photo taken by Liz Ramos)
Farm officials say that the support from the community has been overwhelming.
As soon as people in the area heard that Hurricane Ian had caused damage to Dakin Dairy, they went to the farm to help.
“It was humbling,” Dakin says. “People felt like they did something, even if all they did was pick up a piece of metal or trash that had blown around. They helped us out a lot.”
Because it is in the middle of Myakka City, Dakin Dairy became a distribution centre after the hurricane. People brought supplies not only for the farm and its staff, but also for the whole community.
Dakin and Coogan say that when people brought supplies and helped out on the farm, it showed people what it’s like to work on a farm and made them aware of how hard it is for Dakin Dairy.
Coogan says that when word got out about the damage to one of the 66 remaining dairy farms in Florida, people from all over the country sent cards and letters to Dakin Dairy with donations and words of support.
As of December, Dakin Dairy had 1,800 cows. By 2023, the company wants to have 2,300 cows.
Dakin is glad that the weather is getting cooler because it will help the cows until the farm can get the materials for the roofs and fix the cooling system.
“Because it’s been cool, the cows haven’t been stressed out,” says Dakin. “This is the time when we’ll clean up. It’s good to see the farm coming back together.”
Dakin says he wants to focus more on the cows and making sure the farm is sustainable in 2023, so he has given the market and tours to Nate Thomas and his wife, Rachel Thomas, of Thomas Family Concessions.
Nate and Rachel Thomas took over the market, tours, and petting zoo officially on December 5. In honour of Dakin’s father, Pete Dakin, the name of the Dakin Dairy Cafe will be changed to Pete’s Place at Dakin Dairy.
Nate Thomas says that taking over the cafe and other things is a lot of fun. “We’ve never done anything like this before, so it’s been a lot of fun.”
The Thomases want the market and cafe to be a place where people can hang out with their friends and families. They also want it to be a one-stop shop for things like milk, eggs, bacon, butter, cheese, and more so that people don’t have to drive to Lakewood Ranch to go to a grocery store. In the past, Manatee County schools and community groups have taken field trips to the farm.
The Thomases want to offer things like art classes for kids and a place where people can have parties. Rachel Thomas says that they hope to open the kitchen and start giving tours again in January.
