Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Fair Oaks Farms is a large northwest Indiana dairy and pork operation founded by Mike and Sue McCloskey, and also the flagship farm for the fairlife dairy brand. A 2015 trade report counted about 37,000 dairy cows across 11 locations, a biogas system that fuels company trucks, and a Coca-Cola joint venture for liquid products.
| Location | Fair Oaks, northwest Indiana (Newton County area) |
|---|---|
| Founded | Created by Mike and Sue McCloskey after they formed Select Milk Producers in 1994; exact year not stated in sources reviewed |
| Sectors | dairy; pork; milk processing; biogas; agritourism |
| Scale | A 2015 trade article reported about 37,000 cows across 11 locations and about 3,000 breeding sows; a later article says about 15,000 cows are milked at the Fair Oaks site |
| Why it is elite | One of the largest dairy operations in the Midwest, tied to the fairlife milk brand and a major farm tourism site |
| Ownership | McCloskey family as described in press coverage |
| Official website | Fair Oaks Farms official site |
History of Fair Oaks Farms
Mike McCloskey, a veterinarian, and Sue McCloskey formed Select Milk Producers in 1994 and later created Fair Oaks Farms in Indiana, according to a Yahoo Lifestyle profile. The farm became the flagship for fairlife, the dairy company the McCloskeys also run, whose products launched in 2015.
A 2015 Food and Agribusiness interview described the company as a family business with Gary Corbett as CEO, 425 employees and 42 company-owned trucks. It also reported a milk powder factory and the joint venture with Coca-Cola.
What Fair Oaks Farms Grows and Raises
The operation combines dairy and hogs. The 2015 article reported about 3,000 breeding sows delivering roughly 90,000 piglets a year, and about 400 cubic meters of manure a day processed through six biogas installations, with most of the gas fueling company trucks. The company processed about 15 percent of its milk itself.
Fair Oaks also runs a visitor attraction. Yahoo describes a Dairy Adventure with cattle, a piglet birth experience, soil health lessons, a restaurant and play features. Press coverage in 2019 reported animal abuse allegations at the farm and a sheriff's investigation, a reminder that public tours bring public scrutiny.
How Fair Oaks Farms Makes Money
Milk and dairy processing
Milk is sold through the fairlife brand and the Coca-Cola joint venture, plus the company's own processing of a share of its milk.
Pork
Breeding sows and piglet production give the operation a second livestock revenue source.
Agritourism and energy
Admissions, a restaurant and farm attractions bring paying visitors. Biogas from manure fuels the company's trucks, turning a waste stream into a fuel.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Fair Oaks Farms
Integration across milk, pork, manure and tourism is the key lesson. Each part uses the others: manure becomes fuel, farm visitors become brand ambassadors, and the milk supply feeds a premium product. Other dairies can look at which by-products and partnerships turn cost into income.
A second lesson concerns transparency. Opening the barns to the public builds trust but exposes the farm to scrutiny, so protocols, training and monitoring must be strong. Operators considering agritourism should plan animal care and communications before opening day.
A farm that offers a piglet birth, a robotic dairy and a giant inflatable pillow is a farm that understands entertainment. The farm satire editors at farm.FM admire that mix. The farm humor of Newton County runs on milk trucks and biogas, the ranch humor on the line between a barn and a theme park, and the farm jokes on whether a cow at Fair Oaks has better reviews than we do.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
How to Contact Fair Oaks Farms
Website: https://fofarms.com/
Use the contact options published on the operation website or the listed public page; confirm details before visiting.
Fair Oaks Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Fair Oaks Farms official site - Visitor information and farm details
- Why Sue McCloskey started Fair Oaks Farms - Profile of the founders and the visitor experience
- Large, but a family business nonetheless - 2015 trade interview on cows, hogs and biogas
- Indiana State Department of Agriculture programs - State programs including Indiana Grown, Clean Water Indiana and the Indiana Dairy Strategy
- USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture, Indiana - State-level Census of Agriculture tables for Indiana
Fair Oaks Farms FAQ
Who founded Fair Oaks Farms?
Mike McCloskey, a veterinarian, and his wife Sue McCloskey, who formed Select Milk Producers in 1994 and later created the farm.
How big is Fair Oaks Farms?
A 2015 trade article reported about 37,000 cows across 11 locations; a later profile says about 15,000 cows are milked at the Fair Oaks site.
What is its link to fairlife?
It is the flagship farm for fairlife, which launched products in 2015.
Can the public visit?
The farm runs a visitor experience; check fofarms.com for current hours and tickets.
Fair Oaks Farms shows how scale, processing, energy and tourism can be combined on one Indiana dairy. Return to the Indiana farms guide for more operations and resources.