Volleman's Family Farm in Texas: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Volleman's Family Farm is a multi-generation Holstein dairy in Gustine, Texas, with about 5,000 cows milked in a 72-stall carousel. After moving from Luxembourg in 1993, the family added its own bottling plant and now sells milk in returnable glass bottles in stores across several states.
| Location | Gustine, Texas, along the South Leon River |
|---|---|
| Founded | Texas dairy started in 1993; family dairy roots go back to the 1800s |
| Sectors | Dairy; forage crops; bottled milk; renewable energy |
| Scale | About 5,000 Holstein cows milked twice daily (Texas Farm Bureau and AgriLife Today) |
| Why it is notable | A roughly 5,000-cow dairy with its own bottling plant, covered by Texas Farm Bureau, Farm Credit and AgriLife Today |
| Ownership | Volleman family; two generations work in the business |
| Official website | Volleman's Family Farm official site (linked by AgriLife Today) |
History of Volleman's Family Farm
Frank and Annette Volleman moved their young family from Luxembourg to Texas in 1993 after researching opportunities, according to Farm Credit. Texas Farm Bureau reports they began by milking 50 cows near Gustine in partnership with Frank's brother, Marcel, who later started a dairy of his own. The family's dairying goes back generations through Holland and Luxembourg.
The business grew with the sons. Benjamin grows the forages, David manages day-to-day dairy operations, Andrew runs the bottling plant, and Daniel raises replacement heifers and handles sales. AgriLife Today reports eight grandchildren are now learning the business, and three of the four sons attended Texas A&M, which gives the farm a built-in succession story.
What Volleman's Family Farm Grows and Raises
The dairy milks about 5,000 Holsteins twice a day in an automated carousel, with cows housed in cross-ventilated barns. The family grows corn, sorghum and three varieties of Bermudagrass for feed, about 60 to 70 percent of forage needs, and buys grain from other farmers and feed mills. Milk is chilled to about 35 degrees, tested repeatedly and shipped by tanker.
A biodigester turns manure into renewable energy, and the farm uses water reuse systems, per AgriLife Today. Farm Credit's profile adds that the family works to reduce erosion and runoff and can trace the forage that goes into its milk.
How Volleman's Family Farm Makes Money
Bottled milk
Construction on the bottling plant began in March 2020, bottles were first produced through a co-packer that June, and the plant came online in January 2021. Products include whole, 2 percent, chocolate, strawberry, heavy cream and a rotating seasonal flavor, sold in stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico.
Returnable glass
Customers pay a deposit on each glass bottle and get it back when they return the bottle. The deposit system also builds repeat visits to the retailer, and the family says glass was a change retailers and customers asked for.
Wholesale milk and energy
Milk not bottled on the farm is loaded onto tankers for processing facilities. The biodigester turns manure into energy, a second output from the same herd. The farm does not publish revenue.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Volleman's Family Farm
Adding processing can move a dairy from commodity pricing toward a brand. The Vollemans built a plant, then used packaging and farm tours to put a family name on the bottle.
Capital projects need a lender who understands the sector. Frank Volleman has said a large investment requires a lender that knows agriculture, and the family credits Central Texas Farm Credit.
A glass bottle with a deposit is the closest thing a dairy has to a boomerang, and the Gustine herd has plenty of material for farm satire. farm.FM files its farm humor, ranch humor and farm jokes under the principle that no udder pun is too old to return, much like the bottles. We say it as admirers of a family that moved across an ocean to start with 50 cows.
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 Volleman's Family Farm
Website: https://www.vollemansdairy.com/
Only the website is listed here. No phone or address was verified from the official site in November 2026; the family leads farm tours, so confirm availability through the site.
Volleman's Family Farm Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Volleman's Family Farm - Official farm site
- AgriLife Today profile - Texas A&M AgriLife story, May 2026
- Texas Farm Bureau story - Details on herd, bottling plant and family roles
- Farm Credit story - Lender and sustainability profile
- USDA NASS Census of Agriculture - Texas dairy and milk-cow data
Volleman's Family Farm FAQ
Where is Volleman's Family Farm?
In Gustine, Texas, along the South Leon River.
How big is the herd?
About 5,000 Holstein cows, per Texas Farm Bureau and AgriLife Today.
Does it bottle its own milk?
Yes. The bottling plant came online in January 2021 and uses returnable glass bottles.
Where is the milk sold?
AgriLife Today lists stores in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico.
Volleman's Family Farm is a clear example of a commodity dairy adding a branded product without leaving the farm. See the Texas state guide on this site and the other profiled operations for more on how Texas producers adapt.