>> VISITING WITH HUELL HOWSER IS MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH A GENEROUS GRANT FROM THE RALPH M. PARSONS FOUNDATION.

[CAPTIONING MADE POSSIBLE BY KCET PUBLIC TELEVISION AND FRIENDS OF NCI] Huell: WE'RE GETTIN' STARED DOWN BY A COW, BUT THAT'S OK BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THIS ADVENTURE IS ALL ABOUT.

WE'VE COME TO THE CHINO, ONTARIO AREA OF THE INLAND EMPIRE BECAUSE, FOR YEARS, THIS PART OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN KNOWN AS "COW COUNTRY," AND WE ARE HERE TO FIND OUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT COW HISTORY.

AND HERE TO TELL US ABOUT IT, PHYLLIS, INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO EVERYBODY.

>> I WILL, THANK YOU, HUELL.

I'M PHYLLIS OUTHIER FROM THE CHINO VALLEY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.

Huell: SO YOU KNOW ABOUT COW HISTORY.

>> A LITTLE BIT ABOUT COW HISTORY IN CHINO VALLEY, YES.

>> NOW, WAS I CORRECT IN SAYIN' THAT THIS IS COW COUNTRY?

>> YES, DEFINITELY.

IT BECAME VERY DEFINITELY THE LARGEST SETTLEMENT OF DAIRIES IN THE UNITED STATES.

Huell: OK, SO THERE WERE A LOT OF COWS HERE, A LOT OF DAIRIES HERE, AND WHEN DID ALL THIS START?

>> WELL, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES OF WHAT WE'RE SPEAKING ABOUT TODAY, THE FIRST DAIRY IN CHINO, PER SAY, CAME IN THE ARVIDSON DAIRY, WHICH CAME IN 1894, I BELIEVE, AND 3 GENERATIONS LATER, THEY SOLD THE DAIRY AND MOVED TO HEMET.

WE HAVE ALONG WHERE WE'RE STANDING TODAY A GREAT NUMBER OF DAIRIES THAT WERE MANNED BY THE BASQUE, THE DUTCH, THE SWISS.

WE HAD THE REEBLEY DAIRY, THE ROHR DAIRY, THE LAJORGE DAIRY, THE GRANT DAIRY DOWN THE STREET HERE.

Huell: SO WAIT A MINUTE.

IT STARTED OFF WITH DUTCH, BASQUE-- >> PORTUGUESE, THE BORBA DAIRY.

THE FIRST ONES WERE THE SWEDISH WHO CAME TO CHINO, AND THAT WAS THE ARVIDSON FAMILY.

IN ESSENCE, THE SWEDISH FAMILY WERE THE FIRST PEOPLE TO POPULATE THE CITY OF CHINO PER SAY.

Huell: NOW, WHY DID THEY COME HERE?

>> BECAUSE OF THE WEATHER.

THEY GOT THE WORD BACK IN MINNESOTA AND WHEREVER THAT THIS WAS A VERY TEMPERATE CLIMATE, THAT THERE WAS LOTS OF GRAZING LANDS, THAT THIS WAS A GREAT VALLEY TO RAISE ALFALFA WHERE THE COWS COULD EAT OUTSIDE DAY AND NIGHT, THEY NEVER HAD TO BUILD EXPENSIVE BARNS TO KEEP THE SNOW AND THE SLEET OFF OF THEM, AND JUST LOTS OF LITTLE REASONS LIKE THAT.

Huell: SO, THIS BECAME, IN THE EARLY PART OF THE 1900s, THIS REALLY--ALL THESE LITTLE DAIRIES STARTED SPRINGING UP HERE, OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE SWEDES AND THE-- >> PORTUGUESE, THE BASQUE, THE DUTCH.

Huell: PEOPLE WHO CAME HERE FROM MINNESOTA AND POINTS EAST TO OPEN UP THEIR LITTLE DAIRY FARMS HERE IN THE CHINO AREA.

>> YES, A LOT OF THEM CAME TO CALIFORNIA AND THEY TRAVERSED CALIFORNIA AND SETTLED HERE BECAUSE THIS WAS THE MOST FAVORABLE LOCATION FOR DAIRY COWS.

UM, IN THOSE DAYS, THE DAIRIES WERE SMALLER.

20 AND 30 COWS, 100 COWS WHEN THEY GOT REALLY BIG.

BUT REMEMBER, EVERYTHING WAS HAND-MILKED.

YOU HAD A BUCKET, YOU HAD A STOOL, AND YOU HAD BARBED-WIRE FENCE, AND THAT WAS A DAIRY.

Huell: AND THESE WERE FAMILY DAIRIES, SO SMALL FAMILY OPERATION, THEY WOULD LIVE AND WORK ON THEIR DAIRY.

>> ABSOLUTELY, HUELL.

THEY WERE COMMUNITIES WITHIN THEMSELVES.

THE DUTCH, THE BASQUE, WHOMEVER, BUT THEY STAYED TO THEMSELVES AND LITTLE BIT LATER IN THE YEARS, THEY ALL SORT OF GOT TOGETHER AND EVERYBODY WAS A DAIRYMEN TOGETHER, BUT THE DUTCH KEPT THEIR--WHAT THEY BROUGHT WITH THEM, THE BASQUE KEPT THEIR-- Huell: WELL, THEIR TRADITIONS, THEIR CULTURES.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

IT WAS WONDERFUL.

Huell: SO LET ME GET IT STRAIGHT.

STARTIN' IN THE LATE 1800s, BUT DEFINITELY MOVING INTO THE EARLY 1900s, THROUGH THE TEENS AND INTO THE TWENTIES AND THE THIRTIES AND THE FORTIES, THIS AREA WAS FILLED AS FAR AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THESE LITTLE DAIRY FAMILY FARMS.

>> OPERATIONS, YOU BET.

Huell: TURNIN' OUT MILK-- >> CHEESE.

Huell: CHEESE, DAIRY PRODUCTS.

>> YES, YES, YES.

Huell: AND ALL WAS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD.

>> THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.

Huell: OK, NOW WE'RE CONTINUING OUR COW STORY.

WE HAVE HOOKED UP WITH--YOUR NAME, SIR, IS... >> AL McCOMBS.

Huell: AND YOU ARE THE... >> EDITOR AND PUBLISHER OF THE CHINO CHAMPION.

Huell: OK, SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKIN' ABOUT AS FAR AS COWS GO AS WELL.

>> WELL, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 1956, THAT'S 50 YEARS AGO, AND I'VE SEEN THIS INDUSTRY GROW TREMENDOUSLY.

Huell: ALL RIGHT.

THE 1950s, BECAUSE PHYLLIS BROUGHT US UP TO SPEED THROUGH THE TEENS AND THE TWENTIES AND THE THIRTIES AND THE FORTIES, BUT SOMETHIN' VERY DRAMATIC HAPPENED OUT HERE IN THE CHINO AREA IN THE 1950s JUST ABOUT WHEN YOU GOT HERE.

>> WELL, THAT'S RIGHT.

ACTUALLY, WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE G.I.

BILL OF RIGHTS, AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO COME BACK AND LIVE IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY, THEY STARTED BUILDING HOUSES DOWN ARTESIA AND BELL FLOWER, NORWALK, AND THAT'S WHERE ALL THE DAIRIES WERE, SO THE DAIRYMEN WERE KINDA PUSHED OUT, BUT THEY'RE PUSHED OUT WITH PRETTY GOOD MONEY IN THEIR POCKETS, AND THEY CAME OUT HERE AND BUILT MODERN, UP TO DATE DAIRIES AND BEAUTIFUL HOUSES.

Huell: OK, SO WAIT A MINUTE, THE PEOPLE WHO WERE RUNNIN' THE DAIRIES IN ARTESIA AND IN THAT AREA OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, WERE PUSHED OUT HERE AND THEY HAD BIGGER DAIRIES THAN THE DAIRIES THAT WERE OUT HERE AT THE TIME.

THESE WERE BIGGER THAN THESE LITTLE FAMILY DAIRIES THAT PHYLLIS WAS TALKIN' ABOUT.

>> THAT'S RIGHT, AND THEY PUT IN THE MOST MODERN THINGS, TOO.

Huell: HOW BIG WERE THESE NEW DAIRIES IN THE FIFTIES?

>> WELL, I'D SAY THEY WENT FROM 125 TO 250 BACK THEN.

Huell: AND THAT WAS COMPARED WITH THESE LITTLE FAMILY DAIRIES THAT HAD BEEN HERE THAT JUST HAD 20 OR 30 COWS.

>> THAT'S RIGHT, YES.

Huell: SO THAT WAS A DRAMATIC ALTERATION OF THE PHYSICAL LANDSCAPE AND OF THE CULTURE OF THIS AREA AS WELL, WASN'T IT?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

BECAUSE OF THE NATIONALITY GROUPS IT BROUGHT IN, PARTICULARLY THE DUTCH PEOPLE.

AND THEY REALLY ESTABLISHED THE COMMUNITY, BUILT THEIR OWN CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

Huell: WELL, NOW, PHYLLIS SAID THE DUTCH WERE ALREADY HERE.

>> WELL, A FEW OF THEM WERE, BUT MOST OF THEM CAME UP OUT OF THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY AREA.

Huell: OUT OF ARTESIA AND THOSE--AND WHAT OTHER PLACES?

>> ARTESIA, BELL FLOWER, NORWALK, THOSE AREAS.

Huell: OK, SO THE AREA GREW IN THE FIFTIES.

THE SIZE OF THE DAIRY FARMS THEMSELVES GREW, AND IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES, THAT'S WHEN THIS PART OF CALIFORNIA WAS KNOWN AS THE COW CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

PROBABLY AS BEST AS WE CAN DETERMINE, THE MOST CONCENTRATED AREA FOR DAIRY IN THE WHOLE WORLD.

Huell: SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME, 'CAUSE THAT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.

>> IT'S THE MOST CONCENTRATED AREA FOR DAIRY IN THE WHOLE WORLD.

Huell: EVEN MORE THAN WISCONSIN?

>> YES, WISCONSIN HAD MANY MORE DAIRIES, BUT THEY WERE SMALL.

THEY WERE ADJUNCTS, MANY CASES, THROUGH FARMS, SO THEY HAD HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS MORE THAN THEY HAD HERE.

BUT HERE, DAIRY WAS THE PRINCIPLE INDUSTRY-- Huell: IT WAS CONCENTRATED HERE.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

Huell: HOW MANY COWS ARE WE TALKIN' ABOUT?

>> WELL, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT-- Huell: HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS.

>> WELL, YES.

I'D SAY 300,000 OR MORE.

Huell: WOW!

>> YEAH, WELL PIECE OF WESTERN RIVERSIDE COUNTY WAS INCLUDED IN WHAT WE CALL THE CHINO VALLEY MILK SHED.

Huell: THE MILK SHED?

>> RIGHT.

Huell: HA!

WHICH WAS WHAT THEY CALLED THE AREA WHERE THE DAIRIES WERE LOCATED?

I'VE NEVER HEARD IT CALLED A MILK SHED BEFORE.

>> YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE CALLED IT.

Huell: AND NOW FOR THE LATEST CHAPTER IN WHAT WAS ONCE THE COW CAPITAL--THE DAIRY COW CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, BECAUSE THESE DAYS, WHEN YOU DRIVE AROUND CHINO AND PARTS OF ONTARIO, YOU STILL SEE DAIRY FARMS AND LOTS OF COWS OUT THERE, BUT YOU ALSO SEE THIS... LOOK AT THIS RIGHT HERE.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING, AND, AL, WHAT IS IT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW?

>> WELL, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE END OF A 50-YEAR CYCLE.

THE SAME THING THAT DROVE THESE PEOPLE OUT OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND CAME HERE, NOW THE CROWDS OF HOMEBUYERS HAVE FOLLOWED THEM 50 YEARS LATER, AND DEVELOPERS WANT TO BUILD THIS LAND, SO THIS IS THE START OF IT.

DEVELOPERS HAVE OPTIONED OR BOUGHT THIS DAIRY LAND OUT HERE, AND ARE JUST WAITING NOW FOR CITY CLEARANCES AND EVERYTHING SO THEY CAN GO AHEAD AND BUILD THEIR HOUSING TRACTS.

Huell: WELL, NOW, LET'S EXPLAIN WHAT IT IS WE'RE LOOKIN' AT RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE THESE WERE LOCATED ALL OVER THIS PART OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

WHAT WAS THIS?

THIS HAS A REAL THIRTIES, FORTIES, FIFTIES KIND OF LOOK TO IT.

>> ACTUALLY, I'D SAY FIFTIES, SIXTIES, IN THERE.

THIS IS THE REMAINS OF A HERRING BONE BARN, WHICH WAS VERY POPULAR BACK IN THOSE DAYS.

Huell: HERRING BONE BARN?

>> HERRING BONE BARN.

THAT MEANS THE COWS WOULD COME IN AT AN ANGLE, AND THEN THEY WOULD BE MILKED.

AND LATER ON, THEY HAD AUTOMATIC MILKING MACHINES THAT DID ALL THAT.

Huell: THEY HAD A DISTINCTIVE LOOK TO THEM.

WHEN YOU LOOK DOWN HERE, NOW, THERE'S A HOUSE.

THAT'S WHERE THE OWNERS WOULD HAVE LIVED, RIGHT?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

Huell: AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER DAIRY DOWN BEYOND THAT, SO THESE WERE JUST LINED UP ALL UP AND DOWN.

WE'RE ON EUCLID AVENUE RIGHT NOW.

>> AND THEY HAD 10, 20, MAYBE 40 ACRES TO A DAIRY, BUT THEIR FEED WAS ALL IMPORTED, AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE ROOM TO GROW THE ALFALFA AND CORN LIKE THEIR PREDECESSORS DID.

Huell: NOW, THESE WEREN'T PLACES WHERE YOU COULD COME UP AND BUY MILK OUT IN FRONT, LIKE THE DAIRIES USED TO BE IN ARTESIA.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

THEY USED TO PUT THE 10 GALLON MILK CANS OUT FRONT AND A TRUCK WOULD COME BY AND PICK THEM UP.

FOR THESE DAIRIES, THESE BIG TANK TRUCKS WOULD COME UP, A HOSE WOULD LOAD THE MILK IN AND OFF THEY'D GO TO THE CREAMERIES IN LOS ANGELES AREA.

Huell: LET'S WALK RIGHT DOWN HERE, BECAUSE, BOY, THIS REALLY GIVES YOU--YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALMOST LIKE VISITING A GHOST TOWN OUT HERE, WHEN YOU LOOK DOWN HERE.

HERE ARE THE--THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE MILK SHED RIGHT HERE WHERE THE COWS WOULD HAVE BEEN MILKED-- >> THOSE ARE THE HAY BARNS DOWN THERE.

Huell: THE HAY BARNS DOWN THERE, WHERE THE HAY WAS PROTECTED.

>> YEAH.

THESE ARE THE MILK HOUSES.

THEY'D BRING THEM IN 10 AT A TIME ON EACH SIDE, AND THEY HAD THE AUTOMATIC EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD HOOK THEM UP.

Huell: AND THIS WAS THE SET UP.

I MEAN, THIS IS THE WAY IT LOOKED ALL OVER CHINO.

>> YEAH.

Huell: AND NOW LOOK ACROSS THE STREET AT WHAT'S HAPPENING.

THE DEVELOPMENT IS RIGHT UP TO THE DOOR OF THE OLD DAIRY.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

AND THAT'S IN CHINO.

AND THIS WON'T BE FAR BEHIND, WHAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE.

Huell: YEAH, CHINO, ONTARIO, THIS WHOLE AREA IS CHANGIN'.

AND HISTORICALLY, PHYLLIS, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN THAT IT'S CHANGING THIS MUCH?

>> WELL, IT PRETTY MUCH CHANGES EVERYTHING.

OF THE PEOPLE THAT OCCUPIED THIS TERRITORY FOR OVER 50 YEARS, THEY'VE ALL HAD TO GO TO BAKERSFIELD, IDAHO, NEW MEXICO, AS I MENTIONED, TEMECULA, POINTS SOUTH AND NORTH.

AND WE HAVE A NEW GENERATION OF PEOPLE COMING IN.

SOMEWHAT OF A BEDROOM COMMUNITY, WOULD YOU SAY, MR. MAC?

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

LAND PRICES HAVE DICTATED IT, AND ONCE DEVELOPERS RUN OUT OF ROOM ELSEWHERE, CAME HERE, OPTIONED THESE DAIRIES AND ARE BUILDING HOUSES.

AND WHAT THEY'RE GETTING FOR ACRES, PRETTY HIGH.

Huell: SO, THIS IS PRIME LAND FOR BUILDIN' THESE TOWNHOUSES AND THESE CONDOMINIUMS AND THESE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET, AND IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE THIS IS ALL-- >> THAT'S RIGHT.

Huell: AND IT'S HARD FOR A DAIRY FARMER TO TURN THAT DOWN, ISN'T IT?

>> CERTAINLY IS, PARTICULARLY WHEN HE HAS A CHOICE OF UPGRADING HIS DAIRIES OR SELLING OUT AND GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE AND YOUNGER GENERATION COMING IN, FOLLOWING HIM.

THEY GIVE THEIR KIDS A NICE START SOMEWHERE ELSE.

Huell: LET'S JUST WALK RIGHT DOWN HERE AND, WE'RE LITERALLY WALKING BACK IN CALIFORNIA DAIRY HISTORY RIGHT NOW.

THIS WONDERFUL OLD MILKING BARN, OWNED AND OPERATED BY A FAMILY, WE'RE NOT SURE EXACTLY THE NAME OF THE FAMILY BUT THEY WERE HERE.

THEIR COWS WERE HERE.

THEIR FAMILY BUSINESS WAS HERE, AND NOW IT'S DESERTED AND GONE AND JUST FILLED WITH MEMORIES.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

AND THE MEMORIES WON'T BE STANDING HERE VERY LONG, EITHER.

>> WELL, THIS SAYS IT ALL RIGHT HERE ON THE SIDE OF BUSY EUCLID AVENUE.

THERE ARE THE NEW HOMES BUILT RIGHT UP TO THE EDGE OF THE ROAD OVER THERE.

HERE'S THE NEW CHAIN LINK FENCE, WHICH HAS BEEN PUT IN TO KEEP PEOPLE FROM GETTING ON THE PROPERTY.

HERE'S THE OLD WHITE PICKET FENCE, WHICH LOOKS LIKE IT WAS HERE FROM THE EARLY DAYS, AND OF COURSE, THERE IS THE FARM HOUSE WHERE THE FAMILY LIVED.

THERE IS THE DAIRY ITSELF WHERE THE COWS WERE MILKED.

HERE'S THE LANDSCAPING, WHICH WAS PLANTED BY THE FAMILY WHO LIVED HERE, AND OF COURSE, THIS IS THE DAIRY FARM ITSELF OUT HERE.

THIS IS WHERE THE COWS WERE.

THIS IS WHERE THIS FAMILY'S CALIFORNIA DREAM CAME TRUE.

OK, HERE COME THE COWS.

THEY'RE COMIN' IN TO BE MILKED, AND ERIC, WE WERE EARLIER TODAY IN ONE OF THESE OLD MILK BARNS THAT IS FALLIN' DOWN AND WAS EMPTY AND DESERTED.

YOURS IS STILL GOIN' STRONG.

HOW MANY COWS A DAY DO YOU MILK IN YOUR FACILITY HERE?

>> WE MILK ABOUT 1,400 TWICE A DAY IN THIS FACILITY.

Huell: STARTING AT... >> WE START ABOUT 10:00, 11:00 IN THE MORNING, AND WE MILK PRETTY MUCH UNTIL 10:00, 11:00 AT NIGHT, SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH A 24-HOUR MILKING-- Huell: CYCLE.

>> CYCLE, YES.

Huell: 24 HOURS A DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK, 365 DAYS A YEAR.

>> YEAH, WE DON'T SHUT DOWN FOR NOTHIN'.

Huell: WELL, BUT LOOK, YOU'RE DOING IT WITH, UH, YOU'RE DOIN' IT WITH THE--WAIT A MINUTE, WELL, THIS ONE'S STILL BEING MILKED.

YOU'RE DOIN' IT WITH THE AUTOMATIC MILKING MACHINES.

>> YEAH, THESE ARE ALL AUTOMATIC, AND THE MILKERS TAKE THEM DOWN MANUALLY, AND THEN THEY COME OFF AUTOMATIC WHEN THE COWS ARE DONE MILKING.

Huell: WELL, YOUR RELATIVES DIDN'T USED TO MILK THIS WAY, DID THEY?

>> NO, THEY DIDN'T.

THEY USED TO MILK BY HAND AND PUT IT IN BUCKETS AND HAVE TO DUMP THE BUCKETS, SO... Huell: CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT HAPPENED?

>> EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED.

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY HAS TOTALLY CHANGED.

Huell: SO YOU'RE MILKING 1,400 COWS-- >> TWICE A DAY.

Huell: TWICE A DAY IN THIS FACILITY.

>> IN THIS FACILITY.

Huell: SO YOU'RE JUST LIKE AN ASSEMBLY LINE GOIN' IN AND OUT OF HERE.

>> VERY MUCH LIKE AN ASSEMBLY LINE.

2,800 COWS A DAY, THERE'S ONLY 14 MACHINES ON EACH SIDE, SO WE HAVE 28.

SO IF YOU DO THE DIVISION, 2,800 TIMES THE DIVISION OF HOW MANY COWS ARE GOING THROUGH THIS BARN, THERE'S A LOT OF TURN-INS GOING IN AND OUT EVERYDAY IN THIS BARN.

Huell: WOW.

>> WE HAVE 2 SHIFTS OF MILKERS.

THESE GUYS MILK 4 TO 5 HOURS A SHIFT, THEN THEY COME BACK AND DO THE SAME THING AT NIGHT, 4 TO 5 HOURS A SHIFT.

BUT THERE'S 2 SHIFTS OF MILKERS, SO IT'S PROBABLY ABOUT, ALL TOGETHER WITH ALL THE CLEAN UP AND EVERYTHING, WE'RE DOING ABOUT 23 HOURS A DAY.

Huell: OK, NOW WE'VE COME OUTSIDE THE MILKING BARN FOR A BETTER SHOT OF THE COWS.

AND ERIC, THIS IS QUITE AN OPERATION WHEN YOU SEE IT.

FOR SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T REALLY KNOW ALL THAT GOES INTO RUNNING A DAIRY FARM, IT'S A BIG DEAL, ISN'T IT?

>> YEAH, IT'S A REAL BIG DEAL.

I MEAN, RIGHT HERE WE SEE, THERE'S ABOUT 200 TO 300 COWS IN THIS AREA HERE, AND THESE ARE JUST GONNA GET WASHED FOR MILKING.

Huell: UH-HUH.

SO, WAIT A MINUTE, THESE ARE GETTIN' READY TO GO IN.

>> THESE HAVE ALREADY BEEN MILKED AND THEY'RE COMING OUT, OUT OF THE RETURN ALLIES HERE.

Huell: WELL, YOU GOT A BUNCH OF GOOD LOOKIN' COWS HERE.

>> THANK YOU.

Huell: ALL RIGHT, NOW LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN WITH SOME PEOPLE FROM THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY TODAY WHO HAVE TOLD US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE DAIRY INDUSTRY IN THIS PART OF CALIFORNIA.

YOU AND YOUR WIFE RENE ARE ABOUT AS GOOD AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT ALL DAY TODAY, THE HISTORY.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAMILY.

>> MY FAMILY--I HAVE MY BROTHER AND MY DAD THAT WORK HERE.

AND MY DAD CAME FROM ARTESIA IN '78 UNDER HIS DAD'S SUPERVISION, AND HE CAME HERE.

AND I GOT MARRIED TO RENE.

HER MOM AND DAD HAVE ALSO BEEN IN THE DAIRY BUSINESS FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND HIS DAD WAS IN THE DAIRY BUSINESS, AND THEY HAVE A DAIRY HERE JUST SOUTH OF HERE, OR BACK EAST, EXCUSE ME, AND THEIR LAST NAME IS VANDERSCOFF, DAVID AND SHIRLEY VANDERSCOFF.

Huell: SO THEY WERE DUTCH AS WELL?

>> THEY WERE DUTCH AS WELL.

Huell: AND YOUR FAMILY WAS DUTCH.

>> DUTCH.

Huell: AND BEFORE THEY CAME HERE THEY WERE IN ARTESIA WITH THEIR LITTLE FAMILY DAIRY.

>> YES, THEY WERE IN ARTESIA, AND IT SEEMED LIKE THE PUSH WAS THE SAME HERE WITH THE HOUSING AND EVERYTHING THAT WE ALL GOT PUSHED OUT OF THAT AREA.

I DIDN'T, BECAUSE I WAS SO YOUNG THAT IT WAS MY DAD.

Huell: BUT THEY WERE PUSHED OUT OF ARTESIA HERE.

>> THEY WERE PUSHED HERE.

Huell: AND BEFORE THEY CAME TO ARTESIA, THEY WERE COMIN' OVER ON THE BOAT FROM HOLLAND.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

MOST OF THE OLD TIMERS, THEY MILKED COWS FOR YEARS BEFORE THEY EVER STARTED MILKING THEIR OWN COWS, SO THEY CAME OVER HERE IN THE EARLY 1900s AND THEN THEY ALL STARTED GETTING THEIR OWN DAIRIES IN THE THIRTIES AND FORTIES AND FIFTIES, AND THEN IT'S ALL BLOOMED FROM THERE.

Huell: THEY DIDN'T COME TO CALIFORNIA ORIGINALLY, THOUGH, DID THEY?

>> MY GRANDFATHER, HE ORIGINALLY WENT TO SOUTH DAKOTA, AND THEN HE MIGRATED TO ARTESIA TO MILK COWS.

Huell: HE WANTED SOMEWHERE A LITTLE WARMER.

>> SOMEWHERE A LITTLE WARMER, YEAH.

Huell: SO YOUR FAMILY HISTORIES START IN HOLLAND, GO TO SOUTH DAKOTA.

THEY MILK COWS THERE BEFORE THEY GOT TO COLD.

THEN THEY CAME TO ARTESIA.

THEY STAYED IN ARTESIA.

THEY WERE PUSHED OUT.

THEY CAME TO CHINO.

YOU ALL MET AND FELL IN LOVE, AND YOU'RE RUNNING YOUR DAIRY FARM RIGHT HERE IN CHINO TODAY.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.

WE GOT MARRIED ABOUT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND WE BOTH KNOW THE INDUSTRY SO IT MAKES IT MUCH EASIER.

SHE UNDERSTANDS WHEN I DON'T COME HOME EARLY.

SHE DOES THE BOOK WORK FOR THE DAIRY SO IT MAKES IT A LOT EASIER.

SHE UNDERSTANDS EVERYTHING, AND IT JUST MAKES IT A REAL NICE SITUATION.

Huell: WELL, YOUR WHOLE FAMILY WAS IMMERSED IN THIS FROM THE EARLY DAYS, TOO, FROM HOLLAND.

>> OH, YEAH.

ALL OF THEM.

ALL THE WAY BACK TO MY GREAT GRANDPA, GRANDPA PEARCE.

HE CAME FROM HOLLAND AND WAS ONE OF THE FIRST ONES IN CHINO HERE, ORIGINAL ONES.

Huell: SO WHEN HE CAME HERE, HE WAS REALLY A PIONEER IN THIS INDUSTRY.

>> OH, YEAH, EVERYBODY THOUGHT HE WAS NUTS.

Huell: WHY, 'CAUSE HE WAS OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE OUT HERE?

>> PRETTY MUCH, AND ALL BY HIMSELF, AND EVERYBODY WAS BACK HOME, AND ALL BY HIMSELF.

Huell: NOW WHEN YOU SAY BACK HOME, WHAT DO YOU MEAN?

>> ARTESIA, HOLLAND.

HE GOT ON A BOAT BY HIMSELF, TOO, JUST LIKE MY GRANDPA, WELL, ACTUALLY MY POCK AND BEPPA VANDERSCOFF, GOT ON A BOAT, SAID GOOD-BYE TO THEIR FAMILY, THOUGHT THEY'D NEVER SEE THEM AGAIN.

Huell: ISN'T THAT INTERESTING?

THIS CONNECTION.

LOOK AT YOUR SON DOWN HERE.

SHOULD YOU GO... >> HE THINKS IT'S A BIG PUPPY DOG.

Huell: SO HE'S CHECKING OUT--LOOK AT HIM CHECKIN' OUT THE COW OVER THERE.

IS IT OK?

>> OH, YEAH.

HE'S NOT SCARED AT ALL.

>> NO.

Huell: WELL, OF COURSE NOT.

IT'S PART OF HIS HERITAGE.

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

YEP.

YEAH, HE KNOWS.

AND SOME OF IT IS INSTINCTUAL.

MY DAD ALWAYS SAYS THAT, YOU KNOW.

I MEAN, IF YOU HAVE A JOB, YOU GOT TO LIKE IT, BUT IN THE DAIRY IT'S A LOT OF INSTINCT.

I MEAN, YOU'RE BROUGHT UP FROM--I WAS THAT AGE WHEN I WAS ON THE DAIRY IN ARTESIA, AND HERE I AM 30 YEARS LATER AND I'M STILL HERE, SO, YEAH, IT'S-- Huell: IT'S IN YOUR BLOOD.

>> I GUESS WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.

[ALL LAUGH] >> THAT'S OK.

I WOULD PICK THE DAIRY INDUSTRY OVER ANYTHING.

IT'S A GREAT FAMILY LIFE, IT'S A GREAT BUSINESS.

WHEN YOU WORK HARD TOGETHER AS A FAMILY AND YOU MAKE SOMETHING OF IT.

EVERYTHING THAT YOU PUT INTO IT, YOU GET OUT OF IT.

Huell: SO YOU'RE SOUNDING JUST LIKE YOUR GRANDFATHER.

>> HA HA, PROBABLY.

Huell: YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE DREAM THEY CAME HERE WITH.

>> YEAH, THAT'S THE DREAM THEY CAME HERE WITH, AND, I MEAN, WE CARRY THAT ON.

AND THAT'S PART OF OUR HERITAGE AND PART OF THE WAY WE FEEL.

Huell: SO AFTER ALL OF THIS TIME OF THE HAAKMA FAMILY BEING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, STARTING WITH THEIR IMMIGRATION HERE FROM HOLLAND, I GUESS ALMOST A CENTURY AGO, THE NEWS IS THAT YOU ALL ARE MOVIN' AGAIN, THAT YOU'RE LEAVIN' AGAIN.

>> YEAH, WE'RE LEAVING AGAIN.

WE GOT THE HOUSES AND STUFF PUSHING ON US AGAIN.

Huell: WAIT A MINUTE, HERE ARE THE HOUSES RIGHT HERE.

THERE ARE THE BEAUTIFUL MOUNTAINS OFF IN THE DISTANCE, BUT HERE ARE THE HOUSES.

THEY'RE COMIN' IN ON YA JUST LIKE THEY DID, YOU KNOW, YEARS AGO IN ARTESIA, WHICH FORCED YOU OUT TO COME HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

>> YEAH, MY DAD COULD TELL YOU BETTER ABOUT THAT, 'CAUSE I WAS SO YOUNG WHEN WE LEFT THERE, BUT THE SAME THING HAPPENED THERE ESSENTIALLY THAT'S HAPPENING HERE.

Huell: SO THIS IS HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF.

>> HISTORY REPEATING ITSELF.

Huell: WELL, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT?

>> WELL, HEH, I LIKE TO STAY IN ONE PLACE FOR A WHILE, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE GONNA GO AGAIN.

>> NOW, WHERE ARE YOU GOIN'?

>> WELL, WEST TEXAS, ACTUALLY.

AND WE'LL LIVE IN CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO, AND WE'LL COMMUTE TO THE DAIRY THERE IN WEST TEXAS.

LARIAT, TEXAS.

Huell: LARIAT, TEXAS.

WHY LARIAT, TEXAS?

>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW, THAT'S WHERE WE FOUND A PIECE OF LAND.

THAT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS THE PLACE TO GO, SO THAT'S WHERE WE ENDED UP AT.

>> SO, IS THE DEAL THAT IT'S JUST TOO EXPENSIVE TO OWN THIS MUCH LAND HERE ANYMORE?

>> YEAH, THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS HERE IS JUST PUSHING US AWAY.

THAT'S WHAT IT REALLY IS.

LAND PRICES AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES, PERMITTING ISSUES, THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY PUSHIN' US OUT OF THE AREA.

I MEAN-- Huell: LOTS OF REGULATIONS.

>> REGULATIONS.

WE LOVE CALIFORNIA, BUT WE JUST CAN'T STAY HERE ANYMORE.

Huell: WHAT ABOUT THE NEIGHBORS?

DO THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT THE SMELL THAT COMES FROM A DAIRY FARM?

DO THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT THE DUST?

ALL THIS DEVELOPMENT-- >> NO, ACTUALLY WE HAVE PRETTY GOOD NEIGHBORS.

THEY NEVER BOTHER US MUCH AT ALL.

Huell: UH-HUH.

>> WE NEVER HEAR NOTHIN'.

Huell: BUT THAT'S PART OF IT, THOUGH, ISN'T IT?

WITH THE HOUSES MOVIN' CLOSER AND CLOSER IN... >> YEAH, AND JUST WITH IT PUSHING FROM ALL SIDES NOW, I MEAN, IT'S NOT WHERE IT'S JUST LOCALIZED IN ONE AREA, WE'RE GETTING BOXED IN.

IT'S COMING OUT OF SOUTH CORONA, IT'S COMING IN FROM RIVERSIDE, IT'S COMING IN FROM CHINO, SO WE'RE REALLY GETTING BOXED IN.

Huell: IS THIS THE KIND OF THING THAT THE DAIRYMEN GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT?

YOU KNOW, WHO'S LEAVING THIS MONTH, WHO'S LEAVING NEXT MONTH, WHO'S GOIN' TO TEXAS, WHO'S GOING TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY?

>> YEAH, WE HAVE A LOT OF THAT.

WE HAVE LUNCH HERE AT A LOCAL PIZZA PLACE ON WEDNESDAYS AND FRIDAYS, AND THAT'S USUALLY THE TALK NOWADAYS, IS WHO'S LEAVING.

AND NOWADAYS, IT'S MONTHLY.

PEOPLE ARE LEAVING THE AREA.

Huell: AND A LOT OF THEM ARE GOING TO THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY IN CALIFORNIA, AREN'T THEY?

>> YEAH, A LOT OF THEM, BUT THAT'S KINDA SLOWED DOWN SOME, THOUGH, 'CAUSE THE REGULATIONS UP THERE NOW ARE GETTING PRETTY STRICT UP THERE NOW, TOO.

SO A LOT OF GUYS ARE LOOKIN' OUT OF STATE NOW, AND THAT SEEMS LIKE THE BIG PUSH NOW, INTO NEW MEXICO AND TEXAS.

NOT SO MUCH SAN JOAQUIN ANYMORE.

Huell: YOUR FAMILY'S ALREADY THERE.

>> YEAH, THE WIFE AND THE KIDS ARE ALREADY UP IN CLOVIS, NEW MEXICO.

WE JUST MOVED THEM UP THERE A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.

Huell: AND BY THE TIME THIS AIRS IN OCTOBER OF 2006, YOU'LL BE GONE.

>> YEAH, WE'RE GONNA BE GONE PROBABLY--THE COWS WILL STILL BE HERE UNTIL PROBABLY THE END OF OCTOBER, BUT WE'RE MOVING FAMILIES AND HOUSES AND EVERYTHING ELSE OUT.

Huell: AND DO YOU KNOW ANYBODY IN YOUR NEW HOMETOWN?

>> OH, YEAH, WE KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE.

WE'RE MOVING TO CLOVIS, AND A LOT OF DAIRIES FROM THIS AREA HAVE MOVED TO CLOVIS.

SO WE KNOW PEOPLE THERE FROM THIS AREA.

I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE MOVING TO SOMEWHERE WE DON'T KNOW ANYBODY.

Huell: SO THIS IS JUST THE NEXT STOP IN THIS MIGRATION THAT STARTED IN HOLLAND AND WENT TO ARTESIA AND CAME TO CHINO AND NOW IS GOING TO NEW MEXICO AND TEXAS.

>> YEAH, IT'LL PROBABLY BE THE LAST STOP, TOO, BECAUSE OUT THERE YOU'RE NOT GETTING PUSHED AWAY FOR HOUSE DEVELOPMENT OUT THERE IN TEXAS.

IT'S WIDE OPEN LAND OUT THERE, SO WE'LL BE OUT THERE FOR A LONG TIME OUT THERE.

Huell: WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH HERE, THERE'S THE FAMILY HOME THERE.

THERE'S THE FAMILY LAND HERE.

FAMILY DOG WITH US.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT--DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GONNA COME BACK AND SEE IT WHEN THERE'S 240 HOMES HERE?

>> OH, WE'LL ALWAYS COME BACK.

I MEAN, THIS IS--WE GREW UP HERE, SO THIS IS OUR HOME.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL CREATE A NEW HOME WHERE WE'RE GOING, BUT CALIFORNIA WILL ALWAYS BE HOME.

THAT'S WHERE WE WERE BORN AND RAISED.

Huell: HOW WILL YOU FEEL WHEN YOU LOOK OUT HERE AND SEE 240 HOUSES?

>> OH, IT'LL BE A DIFFERENT CHANGE.

I THINK THAT MY DAD GOES BACK DOWN TO ARTESIA AND HE SEES THE SAME THING AND HE PROBABLY THINKS WHAT I'M GONNA THINK 20 YEARS FROM NOW.

Huell: YEAH.

HE REMEMBERS THE DAYS IN ARTESIA WHEN THERE WERE DAIRY FARMS THERE.

>> THAT'S CORRECT.

HE REMEMBERED IT HOW IT WAS THEN, AND I'LL REMEMBER HOW IT WAS HERE ONE DAY, AND I'LL BE ABLE TO TELL MY KIDS, LIKE WHEN MY DAD GOES DOWN THERE AND TELLS US, THIS IS WHERE THE DAIRIES USED TO BE, THIS IS HOW IT USED TO BE.

AND WE'RE LOOKING AT IT NOW LIKE WE CAN'T IMAGINE THAT ONE DAY WHEN I TAKE MY KIDS HERE, THEY'LL SAY THE SAME THING, THAT THEY CAN'T IMAGINE THERE WAS EVER DAIRIES HERE.

Huell: WELL, NICE TO HAVE MET YOU.

WE HATE TO LEAVE YOU.

>> THANK YOU.

Huell: WE HATE TO LEAVE YOU.

WHERE'D YOUR SON GO?

HE'S OFF AGAIN!

>> HE'S ON THE GOLF CART.

Huell: OH, HE MOVES--HE MAY GET TO TEXAS BEFORE YOU ALL DO.

HE MAY LEAVE AHEAD OF TIME.

>> MAYBE YOU'LL COME TO TEXAS AND INTERVIEW US.

Huell: YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

WELL, HERE ARE YOUR COWS RIGHT HERE.

THIS SAYS IT ALL RIGHT HERE.

HERE ARE THE COWS.

RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET IS THE DEVELOPMENT WITH THE HOUSES THAT ARE MOVIN' IN, AND HERE'S THE FAMILY RIGHT HERE WHO'S LEAVING US, AND I HATE TO SEE YOU GO, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY WATCHING UNDERSTANDS WHY YOU HAVE TO GO.

AND JUST WISH YOU GOD SPEED.

>> YEAH, THANK YOU.

Huell: SO HOW BIG A CHANGE IS COMING TO CHINO?

IT'S A HUGE CHANGE, ISN'T IT?

>> I THINK THIS IS A BIG, BIG, BIG THING FOR THE CITY OF CHINO, AND THE WHOLE AREA, ACTUALLY.

WE'RE GONNA SEE A LOT OF DIFFERENCE WITH THE DAIRIES MOVING OUT AND ALL THESE HOMES AND RETAIL AND RESTAURANTS COMING IN.

IT'S GONNA BE HUGE.

Huell: WELL, IT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.

>> IT IS WHAT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, AND WITH THE CITY OF CHINO'S PROXIMITY TO LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND ORANGE COUNTY, IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE IT REALLY HAPPENED.

Huell: PEOPLE WANT TO COME HERE AND HAVE SUBURBAN LIVING, AND LIVE IN THE NEW HOMES AND THE NEW TOWNHOUSES AND HAVE THEIR SWIMMING POOLS AND GOLF COURSES.

>> ABSOLUTELY, WE'RE DEFINITELY TURNING INTO AN URBAN COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

Huell: YEAH, BUT YOU GOTTA HAVE SOME MIXED EMOTIONS ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE LEAVING BEHIND.

>> WE DO, WE DO.

THE DAIRY INDUSTRY HAS BEEN A BIG INDUSTRY IN THE CITY OF CHINO AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS.

THEY'VE BEEN GREAT.

OBVIOUSLY, THEY'VE CONTRIBUTED A LOT TO THE ECONOMIC BASE OF THE AREA, AND WE ARE SAD TO SEE THEM GO.

THEY'VE BEEN GREAT NEIGHBORS.

Huell: AND THESE AREN'T JUST FACTS AND FIGURES.

THESE ARE PEOPLE.

THESE ARE FAMILIES.

THESE ARE DREAMS.

>> LONG STANDING TRADITIONS.

A LOT OF THESE FAMILIES, AS YOU'VE SEEN TODAY, THESE DAIRIES ARE WORKED BY GENERATION AFTER GENERATION, SO IT'S A BIG PIECE OF HISTORY THAT'S GOING TO BE LEAVING THE AREA.

Huell: AND ISN'T IT INTERESTING, BECAUSE I HAVE A FEELING 20 OR 30 YEARS FROM NOW, IF YOU'RE A KID GROWING UP IN CHINO, YOU'LL NEVER KNOW THIS HISTORY, THIS CHAPTER OF HISTORY, EVER TOOK PLACE IN CHINO.

>> IT'LL BE JUST LIKE WHERE THE DAIRIES CAME FROM, THE CERRITOS AND ARTESIA AREAS TODAY, IF YOU DRIVE THROUGH THERE, THERE'S NO CLUE THAT THE DAIRY INDUSTRY WAS EVER THERE.

AND WE ARE TRYING TO PRESERVE SOME OF THE HISTORY HERE.

WE HAVE SOME MUSEUMS, AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO RETAIN SOME MORE OF THIS VERY RICH HISTORY.