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Image Gallery

Ben Bellar, a farm hand at Ervin's Dairy Farm in Athens County, removes the string from a bale of hay beneath a curtain of early morning light that passes through holes in the side of the barn in February, 2007.

From left, Brad Ervin, his daughter Abbey, 2, farm hand Paul Strickland and Ronnie Ervin, enjoy a brief midday rest after completing the morning's chores. They relax in the living room of Brad and Ronnie's dad's home next to the dairy in Nov., 2006.

Ronnie and Brad, with the help of veterinarian, Dr. Stephen Abfall, top right, work together to save the life of a pregnant Holstein heifer by physically pulling out her unborn calf from inside of her body at the dairy in March, 2008.

Scott Ervin Sr., right, sits in the driver’s seat of his truck and watches as, from left, Ronnie, Brad, farm hand Ben Tovar and John walk past his vehicle to attend to a Holstein cow in a nearby field in January, 2008.

While waiting for other farm hands to arrive, John Ervin, peers out the window of the milkhouse in the direction of the barn at Ervin's Dairy Farm in January, 2008. John hopes to take over the family farm someday, but the future of the dairy is uncertain.

Farm hand Ben Bellar, uses a plastic scraping tool to clear cow manure from the barn in April, 2008. In an attempt to prevent the illness of dairy cows, the barn is cleaned at least once a day.

Farm hand Ben Bellar, adjusts his baseball cap while working on the engine of John Ervin's truck in February, 2008. Family dairy farming has been an important part of Athens County's history, but rising costs make the future of family farming uncertain.

Credits

Producer: Maria Averion
Photography, audio: Jerome Nakagawa
Editing: Maria Averion, Jerome Nakagawa
Audio editing: Maria Averion, Sherry DiBari
Editor's note: This story is part of a larger project by Nakagawa. For more of the Ervins' story, please see Nakagawa's website at http://www.jeromenakagawa.com.

Place

Milkmen

Family farms face a variety of economic problems that make it difficult to thrive. In Athens, Ervin’s Dairy Farm is run by Scott Ervin, 76, with the help of three of his sons and one of his grandsons, John, 25. Forty-nine-year old Ronnie Ervin, John's dad, helps run the farm with two of his brothers, Scotty, 43 and Brad, 39.