OUR STORY
Rather than providing a history of the Musgrave family, we decided to take a different approach to sharing “Our Story”. Over the years, we have had many people ask questions about the farm. The questions have ranged from “what kind of farm was it?” to “how long has the farm been there?” to “is the guy that I see driving the tractor, the owner?” Plus many… and I mean MANY other questions. Below are some of the answers to those questions that we have received.
Where did the family come from?
The Musgrave children and their parents included, back row left to right: Leo, Glenn, Van Arvid, Roger and Eugene. In the front row, Virginia, A.B. (father), Ellen (mother) and Betty.
The Musgrave family moved from Ashtabula County, Ohio where they had four farms, to Florida in the 1950’s. The reason for moving was due to A.B.’s asthma. A doctor advised him to seek a warmer climate. So A.B. and Ellen and their seven kids moved to Florida.
The moves did not happen all at once. Some of the family moved to the St. Pete area and others to the Bradenton area to start their farms. By the mid-1960s the last remaining family members in Ohio, closed up operations, and joined their family in Florida.
What Did The farm Look Like When IT Was A Dairy?
These two aerials were taken in 1983.
Has The Farm Always Been A Dairy?
No. The farm started out as a dairy, then around 1968 Roger Musgrave converted the farm into a dairy replacement farm where he would buy replacement cows at the local cattle auctions, raise them and then sell them to the other dairy farms. At that time, there were numerous dairy farms. In just Manatee County, there was Reagan Dairy, Moore’s Dairy, Cloverdale Dairy, Milky Way Dairy, Crestview Dairy and Shady Ranch Dairy, just to name a few.
The operations expanded into raising beef cattle. Then in 1989, Roger’s sons started up the milking parlor again, milking about 300 cows twice a day. Producing about 1,700 gallons of milk per day which was shipped North to Ocala for distribution.
As development began to spread East, producing and shipping the milk became more and more difficult. Then in 2004, the milking parlor was forever closed and the boys moved the Musgrave Dairy to Mayo, Florida where the oldest son, Arlie, continues to milk, now producing 100% grass fed milk.
Presently, Roger grows and cares for beef cattle.
is it true that the crosses are on top of an indian burial ground?
No. There are no Indian burial grounds on the property and there is no no one buried under the crosses.
The mound or “hill” was created years ago when various cooling ponds were dug for the cows.
The picture to the left is from the late 1980s.
Who takes care of The farm?
Roger Musgrave, who recently turned 89 in 2022, takes care of the farm. He is the last living sibling of the seven children that moved to Florida in the 1950s.
You frequently can see him on his 4-wheeler checking out the fences and cows and other times driving the tractor mowing the fields. He is very active and is still going strong.
Sometimes you may see one of his six kids or their spouses helping out. Other times you may see one of his seven grandchildren working alongside him.
Feel free to say “hi” or a simple honk your horn when you see him.
Is it true that the dairy moved to north florida?
Yes, the boys moved the dairy in 2004 to Mayo, Florida. Currently, only Arlie and his wife, Cathy, run the dairy. The dairy produces 100% grass fed milk. In addition to milking, the farm also raises cattle for beef. Below are some pictures of their farm
This barn is used both for
feeding and for providing shelter from
the Florida weather.
This is the milking parlor where
they can milk 36 cows at a time.
Picture of the feed barn (in the
far distance) and the milking
barn (by the red tractor).
Can We Rent One Of The PAstures To Hold A Wedding?
What a great idea…but… unfortunately, we are not able to rent out our pastures for weddings.
One Interesting Note…
One of Roger Musgrave’s grand-daughters did use one of the pastures off of Lena Road to hold her wedding. It took months to prepare the pasture for the wedding. As you can probably imagine, the biggest challenge was removing all of the “cow pies” and then keeping the cows off of the area from re-fertilizing it…if you catch our drift…
What Is The Purpose of The Phrases and Verses?
First scripture posted on 3-29-20 to encourage people during COVID.
The crosses have been on the Musgrave property for years. The crosses are a powerful reminder of the price Jesus paid for us. He died for the sins of the world.
But there is so much more… ENCOURAGE EQUIP EVANGELIZE
When COVID first broke out in early 2020 people were scared. It seemed that everyone was looking to “man” for answers…for comfort….BUT….in reality, “man”, just generated more fear.
We wanted to show that there are answers and there is comfort AND it is found in the Bible, God’s Word.
So on Sunday, March 29th 2020, before church, we posted our first scripture, Psalm 23.
Our goal is to post a new scripture and saying every week for the purpose of encouraging those that need it and equipping followers of Jesus and evangelizing to those who don’t have a personal relationship yet with our Heavenly Father.