South Texas’ Last Family-Owned Dairy Farm

Sandia’s Knolle Dairy Farms is among the last of a dying breed: the small, family-owned American dairy farm.

The resilient family farm has survived more than nine decades and outlasted more than 120 other dairy farms that once resided in South Texas. At the helm are husband-and-wife team Christina and Joe Knolle Jr., who have adjusted the farm’s business model to stay afloat — and relevant — in a postindustrial ag environment that’s been challenging for small dairy farms like theirs.

Although Texas is the fifth-largest milk producer in the U.S., smaller dairy farms are still struggling. Throughout the past 50 years, the American dairy industry has shifted to fewer, larger farms, pushing out smaller, family-owned operations — many of which fell to the final blow of a national milk surplus and dropping prices. In South Texas specifically, the dairy industry’s decline is attributed to a lack of milk plants, as well as the expense of importing feed for animals and exporting milk to nearby cities.

But for this family farm, there’s a happy ending.

‘Back to the Future’

Joe saw the writing on the proverbial wall. He knew that the farm’s operations needed to adapt to a tumultuous industry and an evolving customer base. In a leap of faith, the Knolles decided four years ago to pivot the farm’s long-standing business model back to processing and selling their own dairy products, bringing their name back to their cartons and their community.

“We’re going back to the future,” Joe says. “Let’s rewind that clock 50 or 60 years. That type of business plan worked for our family back in the day.”

There was a great deal of motivation behind the backward shift. “We love our cows. We love our land,” Joe says. “But you gotta be realistic: The financial viability of operating a small family farm in the United States will become something for the history books.”

The Knolles’ on-site processing facility was completed in October 2020, after 22 months of construction. Despite strategic planning efforts, COVID-19 still took its toll; the Knolles would have to wait three or four months for cartons that fit their new machinery.

So they pivoted again, jumping ahead a step in their established business plan. By November, the farm was making and selling artisanal Mexican- inspired cheese, courtesy of a full-time cheesemaker whose resume includes Austin’s The Driskill. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, with varied clientele lining up for a taste of the Knolles’ curds.

A Family Legacy

There was a time when the Knolle name was synonymous with “dairy” in South Texas households. The farm has been family-owned and -operated since 1928. Even before then, at the turn of the century, the Knolles were selling milk to nearby San Antonio by train.

In its heyday, Knolle Dairy Farms was its own community, boasting the world’s largest Jersey herd of approximately 8,000 cows and housing 500 families on 10,000 acres. The farm slowly decreased in operation and size between the 1970s and ’80s, as family members split off from the business and land was sold & subdivided. Joe lived on the farm until around age 8 and spent summers working the land in his adolescence. The farm now operates on 2,000 acres with approximately 1,000 cattle.

Although it’s in his blood, Joe wasn’t always a dairy farmer. After graduating from Texas A&M University, he worked in industrial distribution and construction, completing projects in Corpus Christi and Mexico. But he felt called back to the farm. In 2012, after less than a year of marriage, Joe and Christina decided to take over the farm, following Joe Sr.’s retirement. As they navigate the future of the farm, Joe is grateful to have the wisdom of his father and uncle Pearson close by when needed. “Those are two living encyclopedias,” he says.

Christina balances a full-time job as a flight attendant with her many roles on the farm — duties that range from the clerical to calve kind. The couple works closely as a team.

“I could not have done any of this without her, nor would I care to,” Joe says. “My wife has put a phenomenal amount of labor into this operation. She’s my partner, not only in life but in what we’re doing here.”

On the Horizon

Joe and Christina have grand plans for the farm’s new processing facility. The Knolles invite the community onto the property to showcase a true farm-to-table experience at their their Market Days at Knolle Dairy Farm, which feature vendors and fresh artisanal cheese for sale.

There are no younger generations poised to take over for the Knolles. “I’m afraid that we’re probably the end of the line,” Joe says.

But Joe has a distinct goal in mind. “We figured we needed to at least try and keep it going for the last generation and maybe get the operation past the 100-year mark,” he says. “I think that would be a pretty neat thing to do. We love the cattle. We love the land. It’s the greatest job in the world. It’s a lifestyle. “

Protecting a Legacy

As the Knolles’ Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Agent for more than a decade, Kari Hendricks, an agency manager in Nueces County, got a firsthand look at the dairy’s recent transformation. As the Knolles added to the farm, piece by piece, Hendricks was there to help them navigate coverage on everything from equipment and liability to cows and machinery. “We’ve just walked all the way through it together,” she says. She was also one of the first to sample the coveted cheese.

The Knolle family has a long-standing relationship with Texas Farm Bureau Insurance, with Joe’s uncle, Pearson Knolle, and father having served on boards in the county. Hendricks is proud to see the Knolles’ success. “They’ve put everything they have into it, and they’ve worked tirelessly,” she says. “They’re hardworking, honest people who want to put out a good product and bring agriculture to light in the community.”

Visit the Farm

Head to one of Knolle Dairy Farm’s Saturday market days for fresh artisanal cheeses and a peek at the farm’s beloved Jersey cows. Email knolledairyfarms@gmail.com. 940 County Road 360, Sandia, TX, 78383

Learn more about other rare, small, family-run farms throughout Texas.

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