MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — Dakin Dairy Farm has new owners, and some new changes are expected to make their way to Myakka City.

Dakin Dairy Farm has been a huge presence in Manatee County for generations, but recently the owner decided to sell, but ownership of the farm is staying in the family.

This isn’t Jason Dakin’s first rodeo. He’s been a cowboy for as long as he can remember.

“It’s all I’ve ever known,” he said.

Ranching is hard work, and today, he’s marking up cows that are going to be sent to market.

“These are ones that aren’t giving milk production, so it’s costing money every day to feed them,” he said.

Financial decisions like this used to be made by Jason Dakin’s uncle, Jerry Dakin. Now, Jason Dakin and his three brothers, Ethan, Grant and Garett, control the farm’s future.

“Fresh milk is the best we can make. It’s a gift from nature,” he said.

With fresh sets of eyes come new ideas.

“We take this industry to the next generation, improve on everything we can as far as production quality and food quality,” he said.

Taking care of hundreds of cattle on 1,200 acres of land is no small task, but Dakin says the farm is worth the work.

“The community didn’t want it to become houses and housing developments. We’re losing agricultural land like crazy to houses. I mean, someone’s gotta grow your food unless you want it coming from another country,” he said.

Like many jobs, there have been new challenges, including the technology of the industry.

“So, this communicates with that feed wagon over there so I can look at the ingredients and how much he puts in, the cost of the ingredient. When we buy the feed, we update. It shows us what our costs are, so we know what the operating costs are,” he said.

The price of feed is only one part of the equation.

“Mainly just how are we going to be able to make it work in the industry, with the land prices being so high around us, and we’re losing so much farmland,” he said.

One goal for Dakin and his brothers is to increase the distribution of their milk so that it is statewide.

Making the best product takes time. Dakin knows it won’t happen overnight, but he also knows what success would be.

“It makes us feel accomplished. We just want to get it out to more people across the state,” he said.

He’s keeping his family’s legacy alive and giving the community a taste of what’s to come.

It’s still in the works, but Dakin says they want to bring back the corn maze and provide agriculture tours for students in the Manatee School District and stay involved in the 4H programs.