Welcome to the Double O Farms

The Double O Farms Cowshare Program welcomes you to its website.  Farmer Gary and all the girls in the barnyard are so glad you came for a visit.  Take time to visit the photo gallery to meet some of the ladies that produce what many refer to as our white gold.

Gary Oaks and his wife, Dawn, began the cowshare program in October of 2004.  At its start, the program had approximately 45 private owners.  Over the years the number of families that have partnered with us has continued to grow.

God promised his people that He would lead them to a land flowing with milk and honey.  Our God is a good God and would only desire the best for His Children.  The Double O Farms believes in the superior nutritional value of milk the way God created it to be. 

The Double O Farms is committed to a providing your cows a diet free of growth hormones, production hormones, and steroids.  Antibiotics are only used as a last resort and for lifesaving purposes.

Click here for more information on what a cowshare program is and how it works.  And as always, contact us by phone at 502-857-4406 or via email at doubleofarms@bellsouth.net with any questions.

What are They?

Cowshare programs have begun to evolve around our country in response to the general public’s desire to eat more naturally and the government’s sanctions against such behavior. In most states it is illegal to sell raw milk as a food item. This is the case in the State of Kentucky as well as in its neighboring states of Ohio and Indiana. 

Concerned families that desired to drink pure unadulterated milk were then faced with a dilemma as to how to obtain it for their families. Many were unable to maintain their own cow because of constraints in their housing situation or work requirements. It was the movement of these families and not the aggressive marketing by farmers that brought about the evolution of cowshare programs.

In such an arrangement, families come together and share in the ownership interest of the dairy cow(s). They contract with a farmer to board their cows. The farmer in most cases is responsible for the housing, feeding, veterinary needs, and milking. A formal contract is signed by both parties agreeing to the boarding requirements. The families that have contracted are then permitted to consume the milk from their cow(s) in a proportion equal to that of their ownership interest. This is in full compliance of the Kentucky State Statutes that outlined that an owner of an animal is entitled to all the rights and privileges of that animal.

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

Isn’t It Simply Then Just a Smokescreen for the Sale of Raw Milk?

The answer to this question at the Double O Farms is “No”.

The owners in our program are integral in working with the farmer in making decisions about the care of the cows, their diet, and hygiene practices. An Annual Owners Inspection Open House is conducted that allows the owners to visit the farm and make recommendations for future enhancements and changes. These changes and recommendations are then put out to a general shareholders vote. It was through this mechanism that the program initiated our glass bottle program. In addition, capital campaigns were initiated by the owners to fund the construction costs and other expenses related to moving the farm in 2007.

At the Double O Farms, our owners are an extension of our family. We have worked side by side with them in bottling milk, conducting work projects on the farm, and battling legal obstacles to insure their future access to the milk from their cows. The cowshare program is definitely not just a smokescreen for the sale of raw milk. 

How do I Get Involved?

In order to be an owner in the cowshare program, an individual would contact the farm by phone or email.  We would then arrange for you to receive a copy of the boarding agreement to review and a complimentary gallon of milk to share with your family. 

If you are completely satisfied with the quality and taste of the milk and are comfortable with the terms of the boarding agreement, you would then return the signed agreement along with the initial investment amount based on the shares purchased. This initial investment is your purchase price into the dairy herd.  You now have ownership interest in the cows.

The ongoing costs of the program are the flat rate boarding fees that are paid at the beginning of each month. This is the remuneration to the farmer for his services in taking care of your cow. Because it is a boarding fee and not payment for milk, it is not dependent upon your picking up your milk nor can it be adjusted if you should choose not to get milk for any reason. The agreed upon quantity of milk based on your ownership in the dairy herd will be made available to you each week by the farmer.

To contact us by email to request more information about the program, please click here.