With 14 children, it's no wonder Frank Cook wanted to establish a secure supply of milk for his family. Back around 1940 the Cook family owned close to 50 milking cows and the children, 10 boys and 4 girls, played a major role in taking care of them. Neil Cook recalls some of the chores he helped his father with - cleaning stalls, making hay, watering, feeding and milking. He still remembers his excitement when his father came home with the first milking machine. His joy was short-lived however when he learned that one machine was not going to milk all of the cows. More disappointment was to follow when the cows kept kicking the new- fangled contraptions off their udders.

As the boys grew older, 8 of them continued to play important roles in the development of Cook's Dairy. The oldest brother Francis was a herdsman and looked after the daily operation of the farm. Stephen was the dairy manager, Kenneth also worked in the dairy and sometimes helped with delivering the milk. Joe, Billy, Arnold and Neil were drivers or "milk men" as well. Hugh worked in the office.

Joe Jr. receives the milk from the farms. Dean and Randy are Sales Representatives, Robin and Earl - Dairy Technicians. Cory is Cook's Purchasing Agent and Don, the General Manager, can be found in the office most days.

Nowadays, there are between 12 - 15 Cook's Dairy trucks on the road at any one time, supplying close to 200 retailers from Shelburne to Digby. Wherever you live, there's sure to be Cook's Dairy products stocked by your closest store. Farms in the area ensure a steady supply of fresh milk for the dairy.

Milk tankers visit local producers every other day to transport milk directly to Cook's Dairy where modern equipment processes this staple into a wide range of delicious products.

From production to sales, there are 32 people directly employed by Cook's Dairy. However, if one were to include the labor force of each farm supplying the dairy, this figure increases to well over 80 jobs - a significant workforce in the local economy.

The jobs created by this company represent a long term commitment, not only for Cook's Dairy, a family owned and operated business but also to the milk producers and the people of Yarmouth who work and live here.

Thank you for your faithfulness in buying a locally produced product!