Ellen Durrer explaining a key ingredient in taking care of their cows: nutrition.

If you ask Ellen Durrer, California mom and 5^th generation dairywoman, what the best part of her life is she’ll tell you simply: her family.  A mother of two young sons, Clayton, 4, and Cole, 18 months, she and husband Chris run the Durrer Dairy – an environmentally certified dairy in Modesto, Calif., with about 1,500 Holstein cows.

“We do what we love; twenty-four hours a day, seven-days a week,” Ellen says.  “This isn’t just a business for us, it’s a lifestyle.  We’re dedicating our lives to ensuring a safe, quality product for our family, friends and neighbors.  Ninety-nine percent of California’s dairies are family-owned and we’re proud to be one of them.”

Raised on a dairy in Marin, Calif., Ellen loved that her father was completely accessible, even when working.  The whole family would work together on the farm, learning hands-on how to become stewards of the land and animals they loved so much.  It is these lessons that she works to pass on to her children with this continued tradition.

“Dairy is the foundation of my kids’ education,” shares Ellen. “Learning how to care for the animals, the land and the equipment as well as where their food comes from.  When we go to the grocery store, I love that my four-year old son looks at the shelves and asks where everything came from.”

Like so many California dairy farmers, Ellen and Chris are always working to improve their animal care and sustainability practices.  Whether it is installing misters to keep the cows cool in the summer heat or building a new concrete structure to minimize the methane gas from the silage, the Durrers are in constant contact with local government agencies for new best practices to implement.

“Growing up as a dairy kid and becoming a dairy mom has been such an incredible ride.  We are doing what every other family does, working hard to support our children – and making sure we’re doing that responsibly."

Son Clayton, 4, feeding a calf on the farm

Hear about Ellen's day-to-day life in her own words.