Arps Dairy has a foundation of excellent dairy farms which supply the wholesome milk for their products. An example of this excellence is the Bok Jersey Farm. Located west of Defiance, the Bok family farm was started in 1980 as Sam Bok began his dairy operation. Presently, Sam and wife Julie, along with his kids Wendy and Andy milk 380 head of cows on their 1,200 acre family farm.

A unique quality of the Bok family farm is the selection of Jersey cows in comparison to the more widely known Holsteins. The Boks believe Jerseys are beneficial to the dairy industry due to their high protein levels and butter fat in the milk. As with most dairy farms, the Bok family works diligently to maintain a high standard of care for the cows. They utilize free stalls which allow for the utmost in animal comfort along with curtains and fans to provide environmental comforts all year around. When working with the new calves, the Boks provide a heated starter barn for the health and well being of the newborn animals. Wendy’s daughters, Renee and Sara, say they really enjoy helping with bottle feeding the calves. The granddaughters love to be a part the family business helping where they are needed. It is important to keep family at the core of the operation.

In addition, the Bok family looks forward to hosting groups of school children at their farm, which Wendy says they have been doing for years and will continue to do as a way to educate the community about dairy production. Their commitment to the dairy is obvious as they work together to produce a quality product. They all agree, dairy farming is a lifestyle; if they did not have the drive and the desire to do dairy, they would not be the successful producers they are. It takes dedication, hard work, and a love for this way of life to grow to the size and strength of this farm. Over the years, the Bok family has been recognized for this dedication, being awarded for top producing cows in the area. Overall, the family appreciates the ability to work together, managing a top notch dairy farm.

The Bok family has been supplying Arps Dairy with quality milk for 37 years and appreciates the closeness of working with Arps. The Bok family finds it reassuring to work with a company where they can easily and quickly get in contact with someone that will answer any questions that they have. Further, they appreciate walking into local stores and finding the Arps products and knowing it has been produced locally. Of the many Arps products, the Boks claim the milk is by far their favorite, yet, they agree the taste of the cottage cheese can’t be beat.

As a long time dairy farmer, Sam is proud of what he and his family have built. Each one of the family members has a strong passion for the dairy industry and they all strive to produce top-of-the-line milk. They truly believe, “We are producing high quality milk that in turn is being used to create great tasting dairy products for our community.”

Arps Dairy is proud to acknowledge the hard work and dedication our producers put in every day to provide us with the quality milk we use in our products.