Tjerk and Ramona Okkema of Blanchard have been inducted into the Michigan Farmers Hall of Fame.
The Blanchard couple has been involved in agriculture for over 40 years; Tjerk was raised on his family's dairy farm in the Netherlands and Ramona grew up on a diversified dairy in New Hampshire, overseeing her family's greenhouse and roadside stand.
They began their farm in Michigan in 1999, De Grins Oer Dairy, translated to "Over the Border Dairy". The Okkemas currently milk 700 cows, shipping over 2 million pounds of milk per month. They also farm 1,620 acres to feed their cattle and sheep.
The dairy has been recognized with numerous state and national awards for milk quality, and Ramona received the Excellence in Dairy Promotion Award at the 2019 Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference.
The Michigan Farmers Hall of Fame began in 1982 as a way to honor the hard work and contributions of farm couples from across the state. The Hall of Fame now resides in the Belcher Building at the Calhoun County Fairgrounds in Marshall.
Categories: Michigan, Business, Livestock, Dairy Cattle