It isn't every day or even a life-time to have been acquainted with a top-notch dairy farmer who married a grade-school classmate and both of these individuals have been known and kept track of for over sixty years. After the story about Russell & Delores Miller's dairy operation in Hortonville, Wisconsin, it was decided to publish this story about two brothers in Lancaster, Ohio, who had to take over a small twelve cow dairy farm when their father passed away. THE WORDWRIGHT

THE JOHN ETY FARM BEGINS

John and Ethel Ety established their farmstead in 1917 on Fairfield Township Road 201 and raised their four children, Ruth, Annabelle, Robert and Paul a few miles northwest of Lancaster, Ohio. At that time the acreage of the farm was 87 acres with about six or seven cows. In 1945 the Ety Farm was twelve cows with Surge bucket milkers in their old stanchion barn. Change was the main constant in the years to come. The first change came four years later when their father died. Bob had graduated from high school three years before and Paul was starting his senior year; the older sisters had married and moved away from the farm. Bob and his family moved into the home place with Mother Ety after their father passed away and Paul, Jane and their son rented a place in town. What began as a modest farm dairy was slowly changing, and with the passing of their father, the two sons were to develop one of the most outstanding dairies in Fairfield County. These brothers were exceptionally hard workers and left no stone unturned in providing the finest feed, environment and milking conditions possible for their herd of registered Holstein cows. Perhaps the most amazing parts of the success of the Ety Dairy Farm was that here were two young men in their twenties whose complementary talents and teamwork made it all happen.

THE ETY BROTHERS DAIRY GROWS

It didn't take these young men long to figure out that they were either going to have to get in or get out of the dairy business. Improvements and methods from hand-milking a dozen or so cows to planning and developing different kinds of milking parlors made the Ety Farm a place where change became the norm. When something new came along they would decide which way or what system or plan they would adopt.

Early on both brothers attended a Surge Dairy School and they picked up ideas as to how to make significant improvements on their farm. A regular commuter driving by the farm was always treated to see something new or different. The very nature of the milk parlors, with its large windows was an invitation for everyone to "come see how we milk cows". With their growing herd the once 36,000 gallon underground manure tank would eventually be dwarfed by a 25 feet high, 82 feet diameter liquid manure tank that would hold nearly a million gallons. Managing manure was a top priority. Their two 20' x 60' silos were soon inadequate and more were built. Silos came along like "new tools" in a mechanic's shop. While visiting the farm once, Paul mentioned that Jane told him she wanted a house before they built another silo. Paul grinned and told me they put up at least two more silos before Jane got her house.

The complementarity of good management and good herdsmanship produced the desired results--good milk production. In short, Bob and Paul took care of their cows. Even in retirement, Paul said something that didn't really surprise me when he told me he still buys his eggs from a farmer instead of a supermarket. At his house they buy eggs for $2.00 a dozen when you can buy them at half that price; and the farmer in Paul explains, "...the lady we buy eggs from takes care of her chickens". That was good enough for him, besides Paul quickly added, the yolk in the farmer's eggs are orange-colored, not yellow! "They're good eggs!"

A HIGH POINT IN ETY DAIRY CAREER

When Bob & Paul Ety were setting records (with the help of their cows of course) they were in their middle thirties. Who can really tell what the real drive was behind these two young men? Was it simply making a real business from a very modest beginning of their father and his few cows? Perhaps this could have been a subtle impetus but probably the real reason or cause for their success was their work ethic. The only evidence of pride is a cautious grin on the faces of the two young men pictured below. Bragging is not a part of the Ety Dairy heritage. They just worked hard and you could say they proved the wisdom behind the acrostic of the word LUCK - Laboring Under Correct Knowledge. Yes, the harder they worked the luckier they got!

Their pinnacle of success was when they made headlines in farm news by the increase of 12,240 gallons (of milk) increase per year! The picture above shows what that many gallons of milk look like! That kind of success doesn't come from luck or talk. But years after the two Ety brothers achieved such notoriety life brought some tough times. Barely twenty years later Bob died. What now? What was once a two-man team was now nearly a solo. They did have hired  men most of the time.  Usually one full time and they had others they  could call on when the crops were ready to be brought in.  Bob and Carol's two boys helped with the farm because they lived there. By the time they quit milking, they had 300 cows, about 500 calves and heifers.  The local dairy bottling distributor used to come every other  day and get 8,000 to 9,000 gallons of milk.  Sometimes they would have  to pick it up every day. 

Plans were already in the works to "quit the dairy" before Bob became ill with cancer and later died. So, it was only a matter of time until the farm would "wrap it all up" with plans to sell the land to a business developer and retire like most people do in life. Remember, with a large herd there has to be a use or plan to "do something" with manure; and they used this natural fertilizer on their land, it was that simple.

Today the ETY DAIRY FARM is just a memory. Where once cows were cared for, fed and milked, a modern huge shopping center exists. Corn and milk are no longer the produce from those fields. Fairfield County Township Road 201 has been named ETY ROAD for sometime now and it is a thoroughfare off US Route 33 to gain access to condos, apartments, automotive dealerships and brand-name stores that are household names. If Paul misses anything it is the work with cows and the land but life goes on, and once again change rules. For years this farmer's day started when the alarm clock went off every morning at 3:45 and ended when Paul walked through the door of their home around 10:00 that night. In spite of such a work load they raised three children and the work ethics of Paul and the parental principles of his wife run through the veins and genes of the Ety children to this day.

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