WILMOT, Ohio – There is gold in the scenic hills of the Keim Family Farm just outside of Wilmot. Golden Guernsey cows, that is, which produce golden Guernsey milk for milk and cheese processed by Paint Valley Farms LLC.

The farm is owned and operated by Edward and Ida Keim and their children, Emily, 15, Isaac, 13, Joni, 10, Cheryl, 8, Timothy, 6, and Gabriel, 1.

The Keims farm 100 acres, including 10 acres of rented ground. They have 32 cows and 25 replacement heifers. They also have 14 horses and ponies, used in the farming operation and transportation by the family. Crops include pasture, hay and corn. They have a 15-acre woodlot and produce about 195 gallons of maple syrup in a year and have a small orchard of fruit trees and berries. They raise Golden Retrievers and Keim said his children also raise and train some ponies.

Edward Keim grew up on a Holstein farm, but he got interested in Guernseys about 11 years ago. He said that because he sells milk in a strong cheese market, it made sense to switch to Guernseys because their high component milk such as fat and protein gives cheese manufacturers a higher cheese yield per hundredweight of milk. As a breed there is a higher frequency of the A2A2 gene in Guernseys. Although the research is still out on the benefits of A2A2 milk, many consumers find A2A2 milk easier to digest than other types of milk and that it causes less stomach issues.

Keim said a growing market for A2A2 milk influenced his decision to add Guernseys to his herd.

“There were some Guernsey breeders who were exiting the dairy business and I purchased their better cows,” he said.

Keim said he had the cows tested and used two bulk tanks to separate the milk. He ultimately sold the cows that came back A1A2 and bought more A2A2 cows from herds such as Snider Homestead and Canadian herds.

“We purchased cows from some good herds and have benefitted from their breeding programs,” he said.

Keim said he uses Owner Sampling to collect milk records on his cows, with the herd currently averaging about 46 pounds of milk per day with a 4.9 butterfat test and 3.4 protein test.

Cows are milked in a flat parlor and housed in a free-stall barn, with sand bedding, that was constructed in 2013. The barn is scraped daily and the manure is stored in a pit and spread when the ground conditions are suitable.

When Keim started his herd, he was looking at a low-labor, low-input system, so it made sense to consider grazing as an option.

“We give the cows about 12 pounds of grain in the parlor,” he said. “We don’t feed hay in the summer if the grass is good. We move the cows to a fresh paddock twice a day, in the morning and the evening.”

During the winter, cows receive their grain ration of grain, protein and mineral mixtures, corn silage and clover/alfalfa mix baleage. Grazing paddocks are a clover grass mix, with clover frost seeded in the spring. In addition to conventional tillage on his row crops, Keim also uses cover crops when he gets his silage harvested.

Keim lists three cows as particular favorites in the herd. Keims Legend Catie, EX 90 is not only a high-scoring cow, but she also puts the milk in the pail. Keims Novaks Lana, VG 87 is a great, strong young cow, according to Keim. Keim sold her daughter, Keims Grant Lady, in the 2022 Blue Halter Sale. Keims Kate, VG 88 is a great producing, fancy cow. Her daughter, Keims Rons Kaila, was the top-selling heifer in the 2021 Blue Halter Sale. She was nominated All American Fall Calf in 2021 for her purchasers Friendship Farm, Millbrook, N.Y., and Warwick Manor Farm, East Earl, Penn.

As for his breeding program, Keim has used Select Sire bulls with good numbers for desired traits. He also uses a herd bull that he has collected and the semen is available through Guernsey Gold Sires.

Keim said he wants cows with type that is small in stature, with good feet and legs, and deep-bodied. Keim added that he wants cows that will stay in the herd a long time, so they need to breed back in a timely manner. As a grazing operation, Keim said good feet and legs and a deep body are important traits. 

When asked what makes his farm unique from other farms in the area, Keim mentioned a couple of things First, they breed and market registered Guernsey cattle.

“Registered cattle make a difference,” he said. “You can sell some young stock off the farm for some extra income.”

Second, they supply their A2A2 milk to Paint Valley Farms LLC, where it is bottled or made into cheese or yogurt. Visitors to the farm during the national Guernsey convention will have a chance to sample Paint Valley Farms LLC products.

Keim said the milk and other Paint Valley products are sold in stores in Cleveland, Columbus and Dayton, typically under private labels, such as Origin Milk Company.

And third, as members of the Amish community, the Keims rely on horsepower for their farming operation. He added that land prices and farming with horses can limit their ability to expand their farming operation.

Keim is optimistic about the role his farm plays in the local dairy community, but he said there are challenges for him and other farmers like him.

He said one of the greatest challenges facing agriculture and the dairy industry is rising costs due to inflation, which makes it harder to buy equipment and make improvements to their facilities.

“Milk prices went up some, but input costs went up more,” Keim said. “The milk price has been steady the past four or five years, so that helps. Our prices didn’t hit rock bottom like some saw.”

Keim enjoys deer hunting and Keim and his family enjoy spending time around the campfire on Saturday night.

“Have a plan for your operation,” Keim said. “Be consistent, have a schedule, otherwise you won’t get anything done.”

Keim said his dad always told him to trust in the Lord. And Keim has taken that advice to heart for his farm and his family.