SUGAR CREEK, Ohio – Reuben Miller claims that Guernsey gold runs through his veins, as he was born into a Guernsey family and grew up on the rich Guernsey milk.

“My mother’s family had Guernseys,” Miller said. “They were grade, but dad used good registered Guernsey bulls and he kept good records, so it was easy to identify the animals. That helped a lot when Dick Kellogg helped me bring the whole herd up through Guernsey’s Genetic Recovery program back in 1980.”

Once the herd was brought into the Guernsey herd books, Millers continued to move forward, breeding and marketing registered Guernseys.

Miller said the farm came through his father’s side of the family and today, Reuben and his wife, Esther, operate the farm along with their son, Frederick, and his wife, Melissa. Sons Clayton and Charles, and daughter Abigail, along with five grandchildren, complete the family.

Miller said Charles, Clayton, and Abigail all have off-farm jobs. Abigail works at Mast Farm Service, while Charles and Clayton work at Keim Lumber. Clayton still follows the cows and helps make breeding decisions for the herd.

Reuben said he is in the process of turning the farm over to Frederick and Melissa.

“Frederick is interested in farming,” Reuben said. “The older generation needs to be willing to make sacrifices when the next generation is interested and wants to come into the farming operation in a responsible way.”

They have 24 Guernseys and 10 Jerseys, along with 40 head of young stock of both breeds. Miller said the Jerseys trace back to two cows he purchased from friend and neighbor Clarence Miller and carry the Spring Cellar prefix, while the Guernseys carry the Pine Grove prefix. Miller cited Pine Grove Allstar Lark, EX 90, and Pine Grove Cordell Ohio, VG 88 as two of his favorites in the herd. Lark, who is in her sixth lactation, has records to 22,640 pounds of milk, 1,054 pounds of fat, and 748 pounds of protein in 365 days. Ohio, now in her seventh lactation, has records to 19,000 pounds of milk, 964 pounds of fat, and 721 pounds of protein.

Lark also has an 85-point Wayback Royal daughter on her second lactation in the herd.

His rolling herd average on 34 cows is 16,000 pounds of milk, 760 pounds of fat, and 560 pounds of protein with a 4.7 fat test and 3.5 protein test.

Cows are milked in a tie-stall barn with a pipeline milking system. The Millers farm 130 acres raising hay, corn and pasture. Cows are fed grain, silage, baleage, and dry hay.

“We feed a lot more baleage now,” Miller said. “It is a great asset and it helps with our fat test.”

Miller said he works with a nutritionist to balance the ration and keep his test up. Cows get access to pasture for exercise. He also uses cover crops when possible.

In addition to the dairy herd, the Millers have about 450 layers and sell about 200 to 240 dozen eggs a week through a self-serve egg shack. Frederick also has 20 beehives for additional income. Miller said they rely on family labor to handle chores on the farm.

“It takes a lot of hard work and dedication,” Miller said. “If you’re not willing to be dedicated, there is no sense in trying to be a dairy farmer.”

In the process of turning over the farm to the next generation, Miller feels that diversity is important.

“We enjoy the diversity on our farm,” he said. We want to make sure the farm is sustainable.”

Early on, Miller was part of a protein load shipping through Milk Marketing Inc. before multiple component pricing came into play. Today, they market their milk through Pearl Valley Cheese. They are part of Pearl Valley’s FARM Program.

“We can’t farm like we used to,” Miller said. “Consumers are further away from the farm and they don’t understand the physical aspects of farming, but they want to control the physical aspects.”

“Pearl Valley is a great company to work with and they make a great cheese,” he said.

Already valuable for components, Guernsey milk contains A2A2 traits.

“All of the cows in our herd have been tested for the A2A2 trait and they are all A2A2 except for one cow,” he said. “Right now we don’t have a strong market for A2A2 milk in this area, but if one develops, we are ready. We are breeding everything to A2A2 bulls.”

Miller added that Guernsey milk has more unique characteristics than the A2A2 traits.

“Taste, quality and color are all enough to sell the milk,” Miller said. “But we don’t have enough Guernsey breeders close by to have a real strong supply to capitalize on that market.”

In addition to selling high-quality Guernsey milk, Miller has also supported Guernsey sales and they have gone on to do well for their new owners.

“The market is there for a good Guernsey cow,” he said.

The first registered animal that Miller sold was Pine Grove Fayette Pattern, a very short-aged heifer who was just days out of the younger calf class. Pattern was purchased by Ted Renner for his daughter, Julie, and after racking up a string of show winnings, Pattern was nominated a unanimous All-American in 1984.

Miller said that not only did Pattern get a good home, but he gained a good friend in Renner.

“Brett Dixon bought a heifer in the Guernsey Gold Sale and he kept a bull out of the cow that went on to sire a lot of good cows in the Dixon herd,” Miller said.

The Millers have hosted Guernsey breeders from across the county as a tour stop for the national convention and around the world as a tour stop for the World Guernsey conference.

“I have learned to know a lot of good Guernsey breeders from around the world,” he said.

When he isn’t farming, Miller is active in his local church, the Holmes County DHI committee, and the Ohio Guernsey Breeders’ Association.

Miller added that he is looking forward to turning the farm over to the next generation, giving him more time to promote the Guernsey cow.

“The market is there for good Guernseys,” he said. “Guernseys need to keep moving forward so the Guernsey can be a profitable, functional cow.”

Miller said he wants a Guernsey with good feet and legs, better udders, and better strength.

“We have made progress,” Miller said. “Good feet and legs are important. If a cow can’t walk, she won’t milk. They have to have the capacity to handle feed.”

Miller is positive about Guernseys and their high-quality milk; he still sees challenges facing agriculture and the dairy industry in particular. He said the greatest challenge is the unstable milk prices.

“Milk prices need to be more stable,” he said. “We aren’t asking for the highest milk prices, but we need to know what the prices are going to be.”

Another challenge is the federal regulations in agriculture. “We need guidelines, but we don’t need to overdo that,” he said.

Other challenges are supply chain issues and input prices.

“Adopt what works for you and do those things well,” he said. “My father always told me that you should treat other people the way you would want to be treated. I try to do that to the best of my ability.”