Klein Farms Creates Lasting Legacy

Layne Klein tells the story of how his family came into the farming business.

During the Dust Bowl days of the Great Depression, Klein's father -- with $33 to his name -- moved his family from South Dakota on a five-day trip to Pennsylvania.

"It's quite a story," Klein said while sitting in the dairy store overlooking his 81-acre farm (another 90 acres are rented to feed the cows).

For 75 years, Klein Farms Dairy & Creamery has farmed this patch of Forks Township land since Roy Klein came here in the 1930's. 

"Dairy farming is a tough job," said Klein, a third generation farmer who owns the business with his wife Beth since 1990, although both have been working there since 1980. "There is so little dairy farming these days."

The good news, too, is that a fourth generation, Klein's son, will run the operation down the road, a road which is actually named after the Klein family.

The farm has about 160 cows with between 50 to 60 milked twice a day, Klein said. Many cows are raised for beef, beef that is sold in the farm's dairy store, he said.

Outside, upon arrival at the farm, you notice roosters running around, cows mooing and peacocks, turkeys and chickens strutting their stuff in an area resembling a petting zoo. But it's inside -- in the dairy store -- where most of the action takes place.

Klein, standing near numerous produce items, takes a phone call from someone seeking directions to the farm from Allentown. Then he greets a customer to show the offerings of sweet corn, potatoes, tomatoes, melons, cucumbers and some fresh fruit.

Meanwhile, Renee Wilkins -- who handles the store's retail sales and serves as the farm's wholesale coordinator -- is busy ringing up the cash register. She helps a customer who has just bought 20 gallons of raw milk -- the store sells about 100 to 200 gallons a day -- and talks about the farm being on the TLC show "Cake Boss" on Aug. 1.

"These orders happen all the time," she said. "It's great for business."

This store has been a mainstay for the farm, especially in helping to offset fixed expenses such as fuel, fertilizer, and insurance costs. So the family got inventive.

In November 2002, Layne Klein broke his leg and dislocated his foot in an accident with a sick cow, an accident that prompted the family to sell off most of its milking cows in January 2003. The Kleins started using the milk from their cows to start making cheese.

Wilkins showcases all kinds of cheese: Italian herb, horseradish cheddar, bacon cheddar, various cheese spreads and a ricotta that's out of this world. That's besides eggs, beef, raw milk, fresh yogurt like plain, maple, maple/vanilla, and honey. The store also stocks homemade pies, pastries and cookies. And it also operates   Community Sustainable Agriculture, offering full and half shares of produce.

The dairy store is open from Monday - Sunday, 7 a.m. To 7 p.m. year round, except Christmas. It is located at 410 Klein Road, on the farm property. For more about the store, call 610-253-8942.