When Gene Hartzler graduated from high school, he told his father quite directly, "I am NEVER going to milk another cow." It took a long time and an interesting career path before he eventually returned to his roots. Today, he not only works a 145-acre dairy, by himself, he also serves as Vice President of the growing Hartzler Family Dairy corporation.

Gene worked in banking, accounting, and trucking before returning to the farm. "I just like being my own boss and working outdoors with the animals too much ," confesses the eldest Hartzler son. He also likes being just a little bit different. Not content to milk a standard black-and-white Holstein herd, he is mixing it up by adding a few "red" Holsteins to his herd of 35 cows. According to Gene, they don't give quite as much milk as black-and-white Holsteins, but their milk is a little richer in butterfat.