Farming for Generations

Four generations of Van Hofwegen men and women have worked hard to manage Paloma Dairy and Sunset Farms, located just an hour south of Phoenix, Arizona.

The dairy operation houses over 16,000 animals and produces cow feed from alfalfa, corn silage, wheat, barley and cotton across the 7,000 acres of flooded or pivot-irrigated farmland. 

As traditions hold, the Van Hofwegen’s have kept it within the family. Many of their 100-plus employees on the farm are family members, spanning across several generations.

Sustaining the Future of Agriculture

The Van Hofwegens farm with the future in mind. In 2021, they further improved sustainable farming by injecting renewable natural gas into their Southwest Gas interconnection. This allows them to pull carbon from the natural process of growing crops and making milk, using it to power their energy needs around their operation.

The family ensures every crop is harvested with the utmost care and precision, resulting in the highest quality of feeds for the cows. Each Holstein cow is treated with individualized care and provision, utilizing the latest technology and feed management software. 

On their farmland, they utilize every drop of water from the local irrigation district and can directly manage the optimum outcome for crop and dairy production.

“It’s fun, it’s challenging sometimes, but at the end of the day, I wouldn’t trade it for anything else,” Robert Van Hofwegen said.

The Van Hofwegen’s are longtime customers of AgWest Farm Credit.