A grassfed dairy dream come true

Bachmans making good progress on expensive land

By Martha Hoffman Kerestes

Rittman, Ohio — In this day when a lot of people have given up on the idea, Greg Bachman might offer inspiration to those who want to start dairy farming without access to a family farm or lots of money.

Greg didn’t grow up on a dairy farm. But early on he decided he wanted to dairy as he watched his grandfather and then his uncle milk cows on a small farm that was eventually certified organic.

He thought the barn door might be closed when his uncle retired and sold the property. Yet even without access to a family farm, and in the face of high-dollar land — prices are $15,000 to $20,000/acre these days in this populated area of Ohio — Greg didn’t give up on his dairy dream.

Four years of employment in the construction business confirmed to Greg that working for someone else wasn’t a good fit for his personality.


To see this article in full, order the specific back issue you are interested in. This article appeared in the February 2024 issue of Graze.