From Holland to the heart of Texas: The Osinga family legacy
Dairying is a family business for the Osinga brothers who are fourth-generation dairy farmers — but not in the way you might think. A unique family arrangement allows these Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) farmer-owners to focus on family, instead of business, when they’re together.
Frans Osinga, the oldest of the three brothers (and six sisters!), emigrated from Holland in the early 1990s with his father. They sold their dairy operation at home and started a new one from scratch here in the United States.
Several years later, Frans’ brothers Joseph and Jonathan Osinga, 15 and 20 years younger than Frans, respectively, followed.
“By the time they came over, I was already married with two kids,” Frans says. “We really didn’t grow up together, but we all grew up knowing the dairy industry and following our mom and dad’s lead.”
Father knows best
As each brother established their own adult life, their father had one request — that his sons wouldn’t go into business together.
“He told us that he didn’t want us letting the business get in the way of how close we all were,” Frans says. “That was some of the best advice he ever gave us.”
Today, Frans, Joseph and Jonathan operate their own individual dairies all within 20 miles of each other in the Stephenville, Texas area.
While it may seem out of the ordinary for some, Frans and his brothers agree that it’s an ideal arrangement for their family.
“We still spend a lot of time together,” Joseph says. “We go to church together, get together all the time and celebrate every single birthday. Sometimes we get to go on trips to places like Costa Rica and it’s really nice to do those things as brothers.”
Even though the Osingas work separately, they still take advantage of having trusted industry peers just a phone call away. All three men admit that, despite their best efforts, dairying is a frequent topic of conversation at most family functions.
Family bonds, dairy ties
Another favorite pastime the brothers share is attending cow shows and auctions together. Frans, Joseph and Jonathan each have different attributes they look for in their choice of cows, and they keep an eye out for what the others might be interested in.
“We all got our eye for cows from our dad,” Jonathan says. “I still pretty much know every one of my cows just by looking at them, and I know I got that from him.”
Family is the cornerstone of what drives each of the Osinga brothers every day. They each agree that the cows on their respective farms are a part of their family as well.
“A lot of people don’t realize just how much we really do care for our cows,” Jonathan says. “They’re at the heart of everything we do. We work day in and day out to make sure they’re well cared for just like we would do for our own families.”
Something else the brothers have in common is their shared motto — never give up.
“I always keep it in the back of my mind,” Frans says. “Never give up. If you have the willpower and the mindset, you can make anything happen.”
As immigrants, Frans, Joseph and Jonathan are driven by the hard work that got them to where they are today. Frans recalls a large population of Dutch immigrants who congregated in central Texas during the late 80s and early 90s. He attributes much of his community’s success with being surrounded by individuals who have common life experiences.
“I’ve been doing this for 33 years and we’ve had our ups and downs,” he says. “When things get tough, it’s easy to want to throw the towel in, but I don’t — we don’t — we keep going.”
The next generation
The Osingas hope that through their determination, hard work and family support, all three dairy operations can continue for generations to come. Frans has three children, one of whom works with him on his farm. Jonathan and Joseph are proud fathers to four and five children, respectively. While the younger Osinga brothers have a few years before they can expect any fifth-generation business partners, their kids love to help on the farm.
“My boy is 13 and wants to start making a little extra money,” Jonathan says. “He helps out around the farm and pushes the cows in for me every night at 9 o’clock.”
DFA is a farmer-owned cooperative made up of dairy farm families like the Osingas. While each farm is unique, our Cooperative is built on their shared commitment to their land, animals and communities. Thank you to the Osinga family for your dedication and determination to continue the legacy of the family dairy farm.