A Family Who Keeps the Farm Going

Name: Dave and Jill Trotter

Farm name: Trotacre Farms

Family: Daughters Abby, Bethany, Cara and Jamie; parents Jim and MaryLou Trotter; brother Bob; sister Debbie and her husband Dave Liggett; nephews Tommy and Travis Trotter and Andrew Ligget; and nieces Amy Gable and Holly Liggett.

Location: Lawrence County, Pa.

All in the Family

A family who works together stays together, and the Trotters prove that theory to be true. Dave’s grandfather Robert and father James (Jim) Trotter started Trotacre Farm in 1942 with about 40 Guernsey cows. After years of expanding the dairy operation, a family partnership was created in 1980 between Dave and his brother, Bob, and their father. The Trotters then began to add Holstein cows to their Guernsey herd.  

Dave and his wife, Jill, met at the local county fair in 1984 where Jill was the Lawrence County Dairy Princess. They wed shortly after and have been married for 21 years. They have four daughters who love the farm life, just like their parents. However, it is not just the six of them on the farm.

Dave’s brother, Bob, who deals mainly with the crops, is on the farm full time, and their father, Jim, still helps out. Their nephews and nieces also lent a hand when they were younger, and some of them still do. Dave’s sister, Debbie Liggett, and her husband, Dave, have been a big help when it comes to relief milking, classification and providing minor emergency help, too. Mary Lou is usually helping out, from cooking and serving food to giving farm tours. With the family all living on the farm, everyone has made his or her contribution, whether it is feeding calves, milking cows or just giving their support, which has helped this family farm carry on through the years.

The Trotters currently milk 130 Guernsey and Holstein cows and farm 550 acres. Their principle crops include hay and corn. Dave and Jill also own another small farm, Trotter View, up the road, where they raise Holstein and Holstein-Jersey cross heifers

More than Farm Work

The family support that Dave and Jill have makes it possible for both of them to have full time jobs of their own. Dave works with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture as a milk sanitarian, and Jill owns her own physical therapy practice. Dave is also a dairy judge and recently judged the Milking Shorthorn show at the 2007 All-American Dairy Show. His biggest judging highlight was the Guernsey show at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis., two years ago.

Dave and Jill are both members of Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association’s Dairy Farmer Spokesperson Network, a group of dairy farmers who are willing to talk with the media to educate and build consumer confidence in dairy products and the dairy industry. In addition they are active in numerous other dairy and farm-related organizations.

The Trotter family also has their own ice cream store called Cow Licks, where they serve more than 30 different flavors. The store has been in operation since 1999 and is open between April and August. Cow Licks is a local hang-out and is well supported by the community. The store features premium ice cream, which the Trotters make themselves, focusing on good quality ingredients and good tasting products.

Dave and Jill are not the only ones who have a busy life outside the farm. Their daughters are involved with school activities along with being good students. Abby is the Lawrence County Alternate Dairy Princess this year and also works at Cow Licks with her sister, Bethany. All four girls love the farm life, and their parents are very proud of what they have accomplished.

“We wouldn’t be able to do other things if it weren’t for our family,” Jill says when talking about their life outside the farm.

Rewarding Experience

The Trotters have even more than their family to be proud of. As Guernsey breeders, they have bred many bulls that are nationally well-known. Their proudest moment was when one of their bulls, Trotcacre Loral Tiller, was named Supreme Sire at the World Dairy Expo in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Trotacre Farms was named a Dairy of Distinction, an award that recognizes the hard work and dedication of dairy farmers to manage well-kept, attractive farms that promote a positive image of the dairy industry.

“It takes the entire family to run a farm, and we see that every day,” Jill said.

When Dave and Jill were first married, they lived with Dave’s grandmother. She was not only supportive but a great role model for their daughters. Dave feels that she taught them good moral values and compassion. Without the help and support of family they would not be able to continue their other interests. What brought and keeps this family together is the passion of dairy farming.