Fourth Generation Dairy Farm Invests in Future Full of Growth, New Opportunities
The Brinks family isn’t new to farming; in fact, they’re four generations deep at their family dairy farm located on Mulder Road of McBain. Founded in 1922, the Brinks’ great grandfather started his own milking herd of registered Holstein cows – one of the first of its kind in the surrounding area. There are still registered Holstein cows being milked in those barns 102 years later.
While the face of farming has evolved over the past century, the grit, ingenuity, and resourcefulness required to thrive remain deeply rooted in the Brinks family. Now in its third and fourth generations, the family business, Ber-Sher Dairy Farm, is owned and operated by Ron and Barb Brinks. In 2018, they expanded their operations by bottling and direct selling milk from their on-farm processing plant, Brinks Family Creamery. Modeled after northern Michigan's renowned Shetler Family Dairy in Kalkaska, the Brinks family began selling their milk and cheeses to wholesalers, retailers, and through their own commercial farm market on-site. Ron and Barb’s daughters, Amberly Mejia and Kenda Rivera (along with their husbands), are heavily involved in the daily operations, from milking their herd of 120 cows and managing the farm to processing milk, overseeing the business finances, and driving sales. Meanwhile, their brothers, also passionate about agriculture, have followed the call of larger machinery, working for local custom crews.
While they’ve done considerably well with steady demand from their whole milk customers, to remain competitive in the industry, Amberly and Kenda are working to expand both the variety and sizes of their product offerings, including different milk percentages, creams, and butter. This expansion, however, required a significant investment in new equipment: a separator. Fortunately, they were awarded the highly competitive Value Added & Regional Food Systems Grant, which will help fund the purchase of this equipment, along with a new walk-in cooler and a website to promote and support sales of their expanded product line.
A holiday gift box full of Brinks Family Creamery favorites, the women of Brinks Family Creamery - Kenda Rivera, mother Barb Brinks and Amberly Mejia - and an assortment of the ever-popular Brinks Cheese Curds!
As with many grants, though, the money awarded is issued as reimbursements for the qualified purchases and, as with any large agricultural operation, much of the Brinks Family Creamery cash was tied up in assets, futures, and the like. Enter Venture North – and, specifically, business development manager and coach, Annie Olds – who was able to provide a short-term bridge loan to keep things moving. With this funder secured, the sisters have been able to purchase the separator and are now just busy working to get it installed.
“It was really smooth sailing working with Annie,” Amberly said. “We told her what we needed, she guided us on the steps, and we got moving right away.” The sisters appreciated Annie’s honest, straightforward approach, along with her unique experience—having grown up on northern Michigan’s leading on-farm milk processing, (the former) Shetler Family Dairy a dairy farm – and currently raising cattle in her spare time. Her expertise in dairy farming – and ability to provide some guidance in their growth plans – proved to be exactly what they needed. “The best part about working with her was that she actually gets it. She understood exactly what we were talking about. Not many people truly understand our line of work.”
With the new equipment in place and plans for the cooler and website underway, Amberly and Kenda are looking to not only increase retail sales but also partner with local schools that typically source dairy products from out-of-state farms. “It just doesn’t make sense when we have so many great local dairies in Michigan,” Amberly said. “We’re hoping that with the new separator, we can offer a high-quality, competitive option that’s produced right here in our own backyard.”
To support this next chapter, Olds is also connecting the family with Venture North contract specialists: Kristina Schnepf, who will assist with developing a comprehensive marketing strategy, and Deanie Schwannecke, who will help review business financials and provide guidance on pricing structure.
With the support of the Value Added & Regional Food Systems Grant, the Venture North bridge loan and guidance from professionals like Annie Olds, the Brinks sisters are set up for a bright future full of growth and exciting new opportunities. It feels certain that the Brinks family’s legacy of hard work and ingenuity is sure to live on for generations to come.
To find out more about Brinks Family Creamery, their products and where you can buy them, visit their Facebook page today!
