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Story by Lura Roti

There’s a plaque hanging in the MoDak Dairy office from 1985 celebrating the fact that each dairy cow produced an average of 15,000 pounds of milk annually. 

Forty years later, the average has doubled. Today, each MoDak Dairy cow produces about 30,000 pounds of milk annually. 

“If you take care of the cows, they’re going to take care of you,” explained Greg Moes, a fourth-generation farmer and a 2025 Eminent Leader in Agriculture, Family and Community award recipient. 

Moes co-owns MoDak Dairy with his brother, Jim and son, Jacob. He explained that in addition to genetic advancements and herd care, there’s a lot of technological innovations embraced by the family-owned dairy that contribute to increased milk production. 

Back in 1985, the herd was raised in a free-stall barn with a milk parlor. The dairy was among the first in South Dakota to transition from tie-stall barns to a free-stall barn in the early 1970s. 

Today, MoDak’s 2,600 milk cows enjoy a temperature-controlled life inside a cross-ventilation barn. And they are cared for by a team of trained and highly skilled specialists. 

“It’s the people who work here that motivate me. They are the reason this farm is successful,” Moes said. 
These MoDak Dairy specialists drive innovation and change. They are encouraged to seek out information, education and training. 

“If you invest in people, it comes back in animal care, innovation, efficiency and growth. Plus, it creates a fun environment to work in,” Moes said. “The people we work with guide us today. We encourage them to bring new ideas to the farm because we want to make sure this work remains exciting for them.” 

The Moes family thinks of the team they work with as family. Like family, each month everyone enjoys a meal together, birthdays and anniversaries are celebrated, and photos of the entire MoDak Dairy team hang in the dairy office entrance. 

A people-first legacy 

Since the beginning, MoDak Dairy has been about the people who live and work on the farm, the people who enjoy eating Valley Queen cheese and the people who own and operate dairies along the I-29 corridor.   

Moes’ grandparents, Joseph and Elizabeth Moes, emigrated from Germany and homesteaded the original Codington County farmland in 1894. They made a family home out of two claim shacks. 

When Moes’ parents, Gerald and Eileen Moes, married in 1947, they moved into this three-bedroom home. This is the home where Moes and nine of his 10 siblings grew up. 

Moes is third of 11 children. He fondly recalled his childhood. “Our siblings were our playmates,” he said. “We went to country school. And we all helped with the chores.” 

Moes’ closest playmate was his brother Jim — siblings since 1953 and co-workers/business partners since 1981. 

The brothers formed MoDak Dairy in 1991 when they took over the dairy farm from their parents. At this point, their family’s dairy was considered progressive for its time. Whether information is from the �ձ�av��Ƶ Department of Dairy and Food Science, �ձ�av��Ƶ Extension, ag publications or dairy conferences, the MoDak Dairy family are always seeking new ideas. 

In 2008, MoDak Dairy cows were some of the first in the U.S. to enjoy a cross-ventilation barn. 

In 2016, thanks to advancements in sexed semen and artificial insemination technology, the family stopped selling their steer calves at birth and began a beef finishing program, led by Moes’ brother John. Each year, MoDak Dairy finishes 3,000 head of beef cattle. 

Supporting the future of South Dakota’s dairy industry 

Farming in South Dakota for 131 years and operating a dairy farm for nearly 80 years is a legacy the Moes family is proud of. “There are only about half of us ‘originals’ left,” Moes said. 

Recognizing the important role milk supply plays in supporting milk processors like Valley Queen Cheese Factory, since the mid-1950s, Moes has been actively involved in South Dakota Dairyman’s Association and Midwest Dairy Board. 

To help consumers understand where their milk comes from, each year during Dairy Month, MoDak Dairy hosts more than 1,000 visitors. All tour guests enjoy milk shakes and grilled cheese sandwiches while children get an opportunity to pet a calf and hand milk a cow. 

“We've already almost lost a whole generation who do not understand how their food is produced,” Moes said. “We need to work hard to get them back and their kids back.” 

Celebrate Greg Moes During South Dakota’s Eminent Leaders Banquet 

Moes will be honored for his contributions to South Dakota during the 2025 Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family and Community recognition banquet held at McCrory Gardens Education and Visitor Center on the campus of �ձ�av��Ƶ Sept. 19. 

Moes will be honored alongside Wallace Knock, Willow Lake; Reid Christopherson, Garretson, and Jeff Lakner, Wessington. During the banquet, portraits of the award recipients will be unveiled. These portraits will be displayed in a virtual gallery. 

Honorees are selected by representatives of the �ձ�av��Ƶ colleges of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences and Education and Human Sciences. 

To attend the Sept. 19 recognition banquet and program, . Tickets need to be purchased on or before Sept. 5. The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by a recognition program and banquet at 6:30 p.m. 

To learn more about the award or to nominate an individual, contact Angela Loftesness, Eminent Leaders in Agriculture, Family and Community program chair, via email or 605-688-6732.