Sykes Dairy, now Sykes Family Farm, was established in the 1950's when Vernon and Nadine Sykes bought a small dairy from Vernon's brother. Vernon operated the farm until the late 1970's when his sons, Johnny and Jeff joined the farm operations. During this time, more land was bought bringing the acreage of farmland to 300 acres. During the 1980's, the Holstein Herd grew to 125, which were milked twice per day. In 1992, the ownership of the farm was passed to Johnny and Jeff. Vernon passed away in 1994, and in 2003 Johnny passed away, leaving the farming operations to Jeff and his dedicated workers.
SYKES FAMILY FARM TODAY
Jeff married Cindy in 1989 and they had three children- Rachel, Jonah and Caleb. Cindy home schooled the kids which provided them the opportunity to help cultivating the farm and milk the cows.
In 2018, due to the economic decline of the dairy industry, Jeff was forced to sell the herd that he painstakingly built over the years. Farming is not just a way to make a living, but it truly is a calling that becomes a way of life. Selling the herd was a decision that was not easy to make.
2020 ON THE HORIZON
2020 brings a renewed vision and name change for the farm. Sykes Family Farm taps into the milking heritage of the dairy but also looks forward to continuing on the same values, character, and passion that has been a part of the Sykes heritage for 70 years.