One thing is for sure: Eating an ice cream cone at Cook’s Farm Dairy in Ortonville is guaranteed to put a smile on your face!
Guided by faith, family and hard work, the four-generation farm has been producing Grade A dairy products since 1933, according to Quinton Cook (fourth generation). “I’ve been working on the farm my whole life,” says Cook. “Our family still lives here.” His parents, John and Lori Cook (third generation), live in the farmhouse and Quinton and his family live right down the road.
After graduating from college in 2017, Cook began working full time for the business. “My father is the crop man,” he explains. “I handle the day-to-day operations, the books, and help scoop ice cream.”
The 200-acre farm is the only remaining dairy farm in Oakland County, according to Cook, with 60 milking cows and 100 calves and heifers. The cows are milked by an automated milking robot. One of the farm’s oldest cows is named Stella. “She is one of our best milk producers and is good to her calves,” Cook reports. There are also 15 pigs on the farm. “The pigs are our garbage disposals – they are fat and happy!”
The ice cream sold at Cook’s is made from a secret family recipe. The variety of luscious flavors is wide – vanilla is the most popular – and the ice cream is churned at a slow rate with double the ingredients for extra flavor. The Farm Shop also serves milkshakes, malts and sundaes.
Of course, milk is available for purchase at Cook’s: Whole, skim and 2% as well as buttermilk and the farm’s own Legendary Buttermilk Ranch dressing. “We also make our own hot fudge topping,” says Cook. “At Christmastime, we make eggnog – it’s the best eggnog out there!”
“My family and I are committed to our farm. We work from sunup to sundown.”
Quinton Cook
Many other farm fresh products are sold in the Farm Shop including honey, frozen meats, sausage, cheese and butter, to name a few. Customers can place orders and pick them up at a drive-thru window. “It’s a little grocery store for folks in the area,” Cook shares.
The farm’s products are also sold at various retail stores in Oakland County.
Stella is one of the farm’s oldest cows and a top milk producer.
According to Cook, the Farm Shop serves almost 1,000 customers a day who are looking for a frozen treat during the summer months. “June through August is our busiest time,” he says. “This is going to be a busy year and we are very excited!”
And Cook’s Farm Dairy offers something for everyone to enjoy, old and young alike. Many people come out just to enjoy the farm experience and of course, the “scrum-diddly-umptious” ice cream. When visiting the farm, you can watch the cows get milked, pet the baby cows, help feed the calves from a bottle and much more. Take a guided tour of the farm and processing plant – a fun learning experience for all ages.
The success of the farm is due to the quality of the products, the Cook family’s commitment to the community and their faith. “My family and I are committed to our farm. We work from sunup to sundown,” Cook states. “It means a lot to my family and means a lot to our customers. That’s what has gotten us up early every morning, year after year, for the last 91 years. Putting smiles on people’s faces with an ice cream cone is what we do.”
Farm visitors can take a guided tour – a fun learning experience for all ages.
Quinton Cook hosts a podcast about the farm, “From Moo to You” on Spotify – check it out!
