Irene VanderVegt and her husband, George, a young couple with dreams of raising their family on a dairy were among them.

The early years were challenging but rewarding, as Irene used her positive outlook to ensure that her family’s dream came true. After starting their second dairy, Irene tragically lost her husband and had to carry on with her trademark “positivity,” plus a lot of help from her kids, Jenise, Ray and Steve.

Eventually, Ray and Steve would go on to build their own successful dairy operations. It became obvious to Irene and Steve that a partnership made sense, so the two embarked on building a new, state-of-the-art facility that could accommodate both of their herds.

Today, the new dairy features an expandable, double-30 parlor and plenty of room for the cows to move around. Steve and Irene firmly believe that more room per cow and greater cow comfort results in higher production, high-quality milk, and of course, happy cows. For the VanderVegt family, perseverance and planning certainly have paid off.