SUTTON, Mass. - Running a family business for decades can be challenging, especially when you work in the ever-changing world of dairy farming. Whittier Farms has managed to stay alive by using its history to chart a course for a bright future.

Whittier Farms’ roots run deep - the 500-acre dairy farm has been family-owned for five generations, a labor of love passed down for nearly 80 years.

“1945 is when my great-grandfather, his brother and their father purchased two foundation Holsteins, so really getting into the genetics of cows and going into the dairy market,” said Samantha Staebner. “As we look back at our history, that was our opportunity to jump into the dairy market, and we have just progressed forward since then.”

Staebner is a fifth-generation dairy farmer, and along with her husband, parents, uncle, sister and her sister’s husband, she leads a staff of 18 employees.

Collectively, they’ve managed to navigate a changing dairy industry - and that’s no small feat. According to the non-profit ‘Land for Good’, two-thirds of Massachusetts dairy farms have closed down since 1997.

For Whittier Farms, staying alive has meant ensuring everyone knows who they are and what they stand for.

“Telling your story has become more critical to the success of farms,” Staebner said. “We have to share the story of sustainability, we have to share the story of good animal care. We have to share the story of the net-zero initiative by U.S. Dairy. So it all plays into where we’re going.”

So, in some ways, the farm’s future is in its history. As Staebner sees it, focusing on what’s ahead is how they’ve made it this far.

On Saturday, Whittier Farms welcomed visitors in for the final installment of their ‘Summer of Dairy’ tour series - the theme of this particular one being what lies ahead for the next generation.

“What are we going to do today to make sure that your first, second and third graders who visited last week and had so much fun, what are we doing to make sure that when they get older, they’re looking and reaching for milk?” Staebner said. “Or today, are they asking mom and dad for milk, cheese and ice cream and not soda? That’s dairy, and we’re right there wherever you are, we want to be part of it.”