Video Leads to Astonishing Moment at Farmers’ Meeting

Three men unexpectedly ran into each other in one New England State. It was one of those moments that gets your blood flowing and even causes confusion for a minute. You know, the feeling of, "Did that really happen?"

It was a video that brought Scott Stoller, Ohio, Stephen Dolan, California, and Randall Bates, Maine, together.

Farewell to California

About three years ago, Stephen Dolan found himself driving a moving truck east with his then 3-year-old son and their canine companion in the cab. While they took the approximate 50-hour journey, his pregnant wife, Rachel, and their other two children headed in the same direction but by plane.

They were moving as far as one can go without falling into the ocean — from California to Maine to start a new endeavor. It took a lot of tough conversations, and it was not easy picking up and leaving all they knew. So why did they do it? They had an opportunity at a small organic dairy farm.

Stephen had been interested in dairy farming since he was in his early twenties. He was told he couldn’t make it as a dairy farmer unless he was raised in it and given land. Stephen had worked in agriculture as a farmhand for 10 years and also as a dairy consultant traveling to farms, some with upward of 10,000 cows. Rachel and Stephen also dabbled in farming and cheese making. However, they wanted more.

Somewhere in the Midwest

The Stoller family has been farming with nature, God and family for five generations in northeast Ohio. The family is committed to the values of organic farming and joined Organic Valley in 2003. They have eight children and tirelessly advocate the benefits of small organic family farms to consumers and other agricultural interests. Scott and his wife, Charlene, host farm tours and are not shy about sharing their values, farm story and sustainability practices. They agreed to be in this video:

Back in California, Stephen was searching the web for information on a dairy farmer’s typical day. He wanted to learn as much as possible about dairy farming. That’s when the decade-old video came up in his search.

It embodied the lifestyle he wanted for their family. That video changed his life. Stephen began searching for an in. “I was looking for land, dairy farms for sale, dairy farm jobs, anywhere, anything.” Then he came across the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program — a sort of matchmaking site for farmers and those interested in farming apprenticeships.

On that site, he came across an ad for an apprenticeship on a 50-cow organic dairy farm in Maine — the Bates’ organic family farm.

Meanwhile, In Maine

Organic Valley’s mission is to safeguard small family farms like the Bates’ farm.

Randall and Jill Bates tend to a colorful pumpkin patch in the fall and a herd of organic dairy cows all year at Springside Farms.

“Since I was old enough to think, I knew I wanted to be a dairy farmer,” Randall said. The Bates still reside at the “home farm” they purchased in 1977. They bought the farm down the road in 2005.

Randall is more than a bit nostalgic. Their home is full of farm heirlooms and cow figurines. He also has a museum of sorts in a portion of a barn. Farm equipment, antique gadgets of all kinds and sentimental pieces fill the tidy, orderly space. The green field dotted by organic dairy cows behind the barn is a spectacular sight.

With no family members interested in taking over the farm, its future is uncertain. The Bates often think about what lies ahead for their farm as they grow older. “I have to be mentally ready, and I am not going to wait until the last minute,” Randall said.

Farm succession planning involves arranging how you will transfer your farm to another person when you retire or step back from farming. “I’m a firm believer in leaving something for the next person. I’m not going to cash out, take the money and run. I want it to stay a farm, but I want them to have the same enjoyment and connection that I’ve had here,” Randall said.

Moving to the Farm

Stephen connected with Randall about the two-year opportunity. It was not an easy decision for the Dolans; they have close family in California.

“My whole family wasn’t on board with picking up and leaving all that we knew,” Stephen said. “There were lots of conversations; we visited the farm and were close to making a decision to come out.”

They decided not to make a move in 2018 but maintained contact with the Bates family.

After many more conversations around the dining room table, the family moved to Maine, and Stephen started his two-year grazing apprenticeship on Jan. 1, 2022. Stephen completed the program in January 2024, and the family stayed on.

The Bates and Dolans started talking about the future of the farm and the possibility of the young family taking over.

Coincidence or Something More?

Organic Valley believes in the power of connection. In 1988, a small group of farmers gathered at a Wisconsin courthouse to figure out a way to make a sustainable living by farming without the use of harmful chemicals founded the co-op.

Co-op founders traveled the country holding meetings in churches, courthouses, bars and barns, inviting thousands of farmers to convert to organic agriculture and join the co-op. Farmers still hold meetings across the country to discuss co-op business, organic policies and to connect.

Randall and Stephen attended one of those meetings in June in Waterville, Maine, where three words from Stephen brought on the did-that-really-just-happen moment.

"Are you Scott?”

Stephen recognized Scott Stoller, the man from the video that was filmed more than a decade before that kickstarted his move to Maine. A man who lived halfway across the country … who happened to be an Organic Valley co-op member, the same cooperative as the farm he tended to!

They talked about how the video was instrumental in Stephen’s decision to become an organic dairy farmer and his family’s move to Maine.

Scott was surprised to learn that he had a part in this young man’s journey into organic dairy farming. "It made my day and maybe even longer than that.” Scott believes their encounter was more than serendipity. “We marvel at what happened, but it may have been orchestrated.”

The night before, Scott was feeling down about leaving his family in Ohio to come to a meeting in Maine. It was rainy and gloomy, and he asked God, “Do you even know I am here?” Scott said that the next day’s unexpected meeting with Stephen was his answer. “It wasn't us. God was behind the scenes and wanted us to connect.”

An Important Journey

The Dolans considered taking over the farm, but this fall, they decided to return to California. Rachel, Stephen and their children, Clayton, Harlan, Landon and Abigail, may be back on the West Coast, but Stephen still wants to be a dairy farmer. The family loves the lifestyle. There is satisfaction when the children help with chores and learn how animals are cared for and food produced.

“I have no regrets and it was a great experience and it’s one that I value,” Stephen said.

There are no hard feelings by either party.

“The last thing I want is for someone to second-guess the decision after they take over the farm. I would not want someone here who wouldn’t want to be here. Transition is tough to do inside or outside the family,” Randall said.

When asked if he still intends to farm, Stephen quickly answered, “Of course; that will never change.” Stephen is continuing his career in agriculture, taking with him knowledge gained about managing a small-scale dairy farm.

“I learned what I am capable of doing. I learned I can push through being exhausted and sick and keep going,” he said, though he says he is not as tough as Randall — yet.

Who Will Fill the Farmer’s Boots?

Farm succession and planning ensure the continuation of the farm operation as owners retire or step back. It includes the transfer of assets, skills, labor and decision-making. It can be difficult to start a conversation about planning, find a successor or agree upon terms.

About 55% of farms have succession plans, leaving many farms in limbo. It can take years to transfer a farm to a successor. And what if the person taking over decides not to farm? The Bates family thought they had a solid succession plan — more than once.

“Signing someone to succession in my world, family or nonfamily, is a very difficult thing to do and to find the right fit,” Randall said. “This business is a very difficult business. A farm this size is very demanding. It has to be someone who realizes what they are getting into.”

Stephen agrees. “My generation is not as interested in farming — it’s long hours, it’s a lifestyle, it’s dedication. Anyone would be daunted working seven days a week, 365 days a year.”

What is to become of Springside Farms?

“My goal is to get the farm to a place I could step away and have the next generation take over,” Randall said. “It was never a goal to completely walk away.”

Soon after the Dolans decided it was time to go back West, another couple contacted the Bates about helping on the organic dairy farm. To be continued …