Tips for Successfully Starting a Micro Dairy Farm

Brian Johnston is living proof that the U.S. micro-dairy business is profitable. He is a fourth-generation farmer from Tennessee who dedicated all his life to his small dairy business.

Luckily, Brian agreed to an interview with us to share his experience with our readers. We asked him a lot of different questions and were surprised by his in-depth knowledge of the dairy industry. His story is full of passion and drama, and we hope you will find it useful.

Introduction to Brian Johnston

Brian and his wife, Jen, began their journey to establish a micro-dairy in 2016. They went to dairy school to learn all they could about dairy farming.

Brian decided that starting a dairy with a one-cow herd was not for him, so he purchased and began milking his own 2,300-lb dairy cow, Willow. They started with the goal of producing enough milk for two 1,600-lb batches of cheese, which will be sold to restaurants and grocery stores.

With approximately one year of experience under their belt, they have spent nearly $4,000. Their goal is to eventually produce more than 2,000 gallons of milk per day and to produce their own cheese and share it with the public.

What is a micro-dairy?

A micro-dairy is the smallest farming operation in the United States. It's a farm with less than 100 cows. Although there are many benefits to starting a small dairy, Brian didn't start with that intention. Instead, he started with a passion for cows and turned his dairy into a profitable business.

"I started with milk cow rentals, started producing milk on my family farm," he says. "When I started I was fortunate to work with a dairy vet who was willing to mentor me, and I learned how to build my herd and operate my dairy from day one."

When did you start your dairy? How many cows do you have?

I started when I was 35 years old. I was single and wanted to be a farmer. My father and grandfather had both started dairy farms, and I was eager to get my hands dirty.

Dairy farming history

Brian grew up on a dairy farm where his grandfather had started the business in the 1950s. “I have a direct experience of how one of the very first U.S. micro-dairies worked with manual labor,” Brian told us.

“The farmer would milk himself, pack a 5-gallon milk can of milk, and drive the milk to the processing plant that was operated by men who did most of the work in those days.”

With time, many of the country’s dairy farmers went out of business, creating an open dairy market.

“One by one, the smaller dairies were disappearing. A time of unprecedented, unchecked consolidation and marginalization of the small dairy sector started about a decade ago,” Brian told us.

The dairy industry today

There has been a lot of work put into the dairy industry over the past few years to achieve this. The dairy industry is in a big change. There are some new trends on the horizon, and some of them are worth taking note of.

What is the most important trend to take note of right now?

The big trend right now is the new advancements in equipment. There are indeed several cost-effective electric milking equipment options out there, but some producers are reluctant to purchase the electric equipment without consulting a dairy specialist. At Brian Johnston Dairy Farm, we recommend consulting a specialist before purchasing any new dairy equipment.

Overview of the dairy industry

Brian discovered his love for farming early on in life, but he struggled to make a living from his dairy. Like many young farmers, he wanted to prove his parents wrong and prove that he could make a living from the business.

As time went on, he grew more and more frustrated and realized he had to stop selling his milk.

The dairy industry is extremely competitive and, as time passed, he started to lose his passion for dairy farming. He didn’t understand why he would still be farming if it wasn’t for his children.

Brian then decided to sell his dairy and buy a cattle farm. He understood the milk cow’s importance in the dairy industry, but he didn’t have the same connection with cows as he did with the cows on his cattle farm.

Challenges of the industry

“If you are looking for the American Dream, please skip this article,” Brian Johnston told us.

Johnston describes how he got into the dairy industry. He was a heavy smoker, and his habit ruined his health. This eventually turned into an unhealthy obsession for the small dairy farm.

He started farming in 2012, during the economic crisis. When he found out about micro-dairy programs in the U.S., he jumped at the chance to take the leap.

“I lived in a trailer, had no skills, and had no money,” Johnston said. “My only requirement was a place with four water tanks, an electricity source, and access to a semi for milking.”

Here is what he remembers about the path to start a dairy farm.

“I knew absolutely nothing. My cousin told me, ‘You can make millions of dollars with a dairy.

The micro-dairy farm experience

After spending his entire childhood on his family’s farm, Brian Johnston (pictured left) decided to create a business of his own.

Unfortunately, the market was failing and Brian and his brothers had no way to make a living from the dairy farm. They decided to close down the dairy farm and start a new business of their own.

This time they decided to buy a couple of cows, milk them, bottle them, and sell them on the market.

The business turned out to be very successful and Brian and his brother, who had the main responsibility of selling milk, quit their jobs and focused on the micro-dairy business.

Many entrepreneurs say they need to put the farm on a very tight leash, and this is completely true.

Why start a micro-dairy?

What do you love about your dairy?

What is your advice to someone thinking of starting their own dairy?

Your micro-dairy is quite successful. Tell us more about your past and how you got started. How do you make your micro-dairy a profitable venture?

A lot of people will think about starting a small dairy farm to “help the environment” or to make them better farmers, but is that really true? Do you think that it is possible to be a profitable dairy farmer?

Do you know of any other dairy farmers in the U.S. who are successful? Share your story with us.

We really appreciate Brian’s time and wisdom. Here is his story:

To all my readers out there – I’m a small dairy farmer out of East Tennessee.

How to start a micro-dairy?

“People start these businesses because they’re hungry for their own independence. It’s a lifestyle. They love the land. They love cows. They love milk. They just don’t want to do it at somebody else’s convenience. The problem is, you have to learn about almost everything else.

You can’t just be a dairy farmer and call it a day. I built our operation from the ground up. And I still continue to learn every day.

Everyone says that the first year is tough. The truth is, it can be tough at the beginning, but you’ll find that the hardest part about the dairy business isn’t the first year. It’s when you start making money. That’s the tough part.

Conclusion

The micro-dairy industry seems to be in its adolescence. For the first time in a while, farmers are actually making a profit by selling milk and other dairy products directly to consumers. However, there are many hurdles to overcome and a lot of preparation is necessary.

This is why entrepreneurs and investors need to be prepared. They need to learn more about the whole process and think about how they could better prepare for the future. Start by researching the industry and its competitors to get a better idea of what it takes to succeed.

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