Milk Source, LLC, Kaukauna, Wis., reached an agreement to purchase the 5,200-plus dairy cow herd and operation from Sharpe Holdings, based in La Belle, Mo. The farm will be named La Belle Dairy as a result of Milk Source’s tradition of naming farms after the communities in which they reside.

“This is an exciting purchase for us,” says Jim Ostrom, partner at Milk Source. “Our plan is to build on the foundation that was started by the late Charles Sharpe with Heartland Dairy and have La Belle be seen as one of the finest dairy farms in the country. We want our neighbors to know we are there and proud to be a part of their community.”

“This is a great agricultural area, and we will be able to utilize the exceptional crop farmers, such as Sharpe Holdings, within just a few miles of our farm to obtain the needed feed for our animals, and these same farmers will be able to purchase the valuable nutrients they need for their crops from the farm,” Ostrom adds. “We look forward to this new relationship.”

Milk Source is planning many upgrades to the farm in the next 18-24 months, including a new milking parlor and renovation on all of the buildings. The farm will employ between 40-60 people.

“Heartland Farms will continue with its ministry through agriculture,” says Robert Hambleton, general manager at Sharpe Holdings. “We are looking forward to a great relationship with Milk Source and providing crops for the cows at the dairy.”