Co-operation all around
The farm’s name changed from Barnes Farm to CoBar Dairy, short for “the cooperation of the Barnes family.” They’ve installed solar panels that provide hot water for the calf barn and main barn and protect the environment with cover cropping plus carefully managed crop rotations and nutrient applications. “Every day’s a new challenge working outside with the animals and the crops,” says Mike, who is also on the co-op board. From that broader view, he adds, “We’re all in this together. It’s a team effort from the farm to the [processing] plants to the sales team.” At the end of the day, “We all have to work together to make this a viable and vibrant industry,” he says.
