Dakin Dairy Farm Market & Cafe

Jesse Dickens

2023-12

Very informative tour led by a very compassionate team. Courtney Dakin led our group with a chill yet informative atmosphere. She answered all questions readily and we got to participate in milk tasting, butter making, goat feeding, and a calf cuddle! She works hands-on with each calf in that area and keeps a list of them all - including birthdays! I recommend this for a fun stop on your weekend trips - however, be aware, this is a working dairy farm that can include smells and “presents” that those not used to animals aren’t used to - watch your step! Dakin Farm also has up signs on every building with instructions on how to report any concerns you may have directly so they can address them. If you see something, say something - they really do care! Will visit again. Support local dairy!

breanne blanks

2023-11

Went here for what seemed would be a delightful field trip experience on a sustainable farm. What I saw in my opinion was animal cruelty and terrible farming practice. My cousin is a milk farmer in Ohio and has free range grass fed cows. They do milk the cows mechanically, but their cows live happy healthy lives! Dakin farm has their cows living on a concrete block of stalls in feces. The cows feed from cut grass that is brought into the feces filled stalls. Animals by nature do not lay in their own poop. These animals are covered in feces and washed with a little water before hooking up to a milking mechanism. Lots of the cows that were being milked were emaciated and appeared sick. Even the few babies in the "petting zoo" were skin and bones. I accidentally went into their front office and witnessed hundreds of babies in cages. The conditions these cows live in are absolutely unacceptable and when they offered me a glass of chocolate milk I declined because I couldn't stop thinking of the sick and battered animal it came from. Animals keep us alive by offering themselves to nourish our bodies so it is my belief that while they live they should be treated kindly and given a beautiful life! The tour guide mentioned that these cows rotate to be milked 24 hours a day. This experience convinced me to become a share holder at a small clean and sustainable farm where cows get pampered and loved well. I will never support this nonsense again. Yuck. Poor babies! Photos attached.

John Andesilich

2024-02

We always have such a nice time when we visit this farm. We just love the animals so much! Great place!!

Wilmaura Nieves de Moreno

2023-08

It was a nice experience for the whole family. You will get to know very closely how the process of caring for the cows is, bathing them, making the milk, the cheese but best of all, is that at the end of the tour you can try a delicious and creamy CHOCOLATE MILK!! And if you have time to stay a while longer, you also have delicious things to eat and delicious ice creams. For how interesting and fun everything was, they have great prices that are really worth getting to know with the whole family, so be encouraged to live this adventure once and for all and take advantage of this last month of summer to get to know this wonderful place and support our local businesses.Thanks to all the staff at @dakindairyfarms for a wonderful afternoon. We always want more 😍.

Katelyn Johnson

2023-09

My family visited here while vacationing in Florida. It was a fantastic tour! My children loved learning about where their dairy products came from and getting to taste test products. A highlight of our trip!

Neva Mcgriff

2023-05

Had such a fun time at Dakin Dairy Farms taking their tour. We were able to see all the cows and the process from milking to bottling and we even got to sample chocolate milk and make butter!!! Really neat experience and such sweet people.

Bill Waller

2023-05

The tour of the large dairy operation was great with so much to see! Feeding the goats and the calves under the shade of old oaks was delightful. Playing on the swings and sand Hill was fun as well. The market and cafe are full of tasty treats the best of all being the ice cream! The whole experience was great at a reasonable price!

Natalie DeVicente (Southern Roots Realty)

2023-05

We went to Dakin Dairy last week and were blown away! Originally a stop for ice cream with friends, we ended up taking our 6 kids (ages 3-11) around the property to see chickens, goats, sheep and cows of all ages. Then we ended up taking the dairy farm tour where we learned how milk products are made and watched chocolate milk go from the collection to shipping process. We tried their fresh, delicious chocolate milk and learned how to make butter. The entire tour was short, fun, and educational for all of us. The ice cream was AMAZING but the tour and interaction with animals was so fun for the whole family. We highly recommend this stop and this small local business. We will be back to buy more of their products again soon!

Lori D*

2023-07

What a great learning experience for both me and my son. We decided to visit and cuddle some calves and take a Saturday tour and this place did not disappoint. Every single employee excelled in the way that they treated customers and you could tell they genuinely enjoyed their job. There were two that I wish I got their names so I could give an individual shout out bc they were amazing, it was the male and female working the store area, they were kind and helpful and went above. While we were here we fed goats, tried some chocolate milk, played in a huge sand pile, wondered around and visited the cows. If you're looking for an activity with your kiddos this should be on your list.

Ruth Zimmerman

2023-05

Very kind staff, they waited on our late arrival. (Myakka State Park north entrance was gated and lock and we ended turning around to go the whole way back and out the south gate! Which made us very late.) Dakin Dairy makes their own cheese, bottles their own milk. And you can feed the goats, chickens. It does need more cleanup from the hurricane to make it a safer place for those visiting. but is interesting non the less.

Danielle McManus

2023-05

This is a great local activity to do no matter how young or old you are! It is the only dairy farm open to the public in SW Fl. We loved the tour and the cafe on the property. Most impressive was the sustainability and how well the Cow’s “the girls” are taken care of. We highly recommend booking a tour, we will be back soon!

Mark Jean

2024-04

Fun place. Fresh ice cream, good BLT. Nice people and supports our local farmers.

Sari Lindroos-Valimaki

2023-08

This place is a hidden gem, literally as we passed it and had to turn around. We were a little late, yet a lady was kind enough to grab her baby and lead us to the rest of the tour, so sweet.This place is full of happy cows, I got no sense of stress there, and it was clean and I was suprises I was at a farm. The tour is very informative and we got to see how organized the milking process is, how the cows know what to do. We got to see cheese being made, milk pasteurized and in the end we got to make butter. We also tasted some of the best chocolate milk ever, and now know it does not come from brown cows 😉They have a little bar where they serve lunch and home made ice cream. Wait it's not over, they also have free feed for the goats and we then went on a adventure looking for the goats. These little houdinis had escaped their park, but soon we found the gang coming at us.Do visit the place, it's a step away from the theme parks, fun day to appreciate agriculture and sustainable farming practices. Learn where the milk comes from

Tammy Taylor

2023-09

Loved the experience. The guided tour was informative, and making butter at the end was memorable. I would not want to make butter that way, but I have respect for those who did.

Cely Ventura

2023-08

I love the tour with Kaylee I hv to said A+ she was very kind with the group. Also at the shop everybody was awesome. Definitely eill be back with my family. I couldnt live without buying my favorite chocolate milk deliciosa. Also the Ocean Mist Ice cream

Grace Pipkins

2023-05

Probably the best dairy I’ve been to in Florida. They care so much about their girls and take such great care of them. When they’re open you can drive right up and see all the cows in the pasture. Once you park you can go in and get some yummy ice cream, and when you’re done you can go play with baby cows! (If they have any out that day) I haven’t done a tour yet but I know they offer them. It’s an excellent place to take your kids to learn and have fun.

Larry Shortridge #1

2023-05

The Chicken Salad sandwich was delicious! (Comes with chips and a drink for $5) I bought a gallon of milk and a gallon of chocolate milk, ice cream and some Farm Dust seasoning. This is a great place for adults and kids.

Psalms 118:17

2023-05

After two years of not being open for tours, we were excited to tour from out of state. We were able to try their chocolate milk and butter...so delicious!!! A great place for kids to romp around outside!! Deli is short staffed so we weren't able to try their food after the tour.Fyi: it was difficult to see the cows appearing to be in pain after they were milked. Many of the cows had protruding bones and that was an unpleasant part of the tour.

Thomas Amadori

2023-06

Our guide Kaylee was very kind and answered questions during the tour. Very nice facility with an experienced guide, a shop, and tour. Chocolate milk is included at the end :)

Sandie Rapp-Shearer

2023-07

Was so much fun to visit. I worked here years ago probably back in 1988/89 was really neat to go back and see the farm 🐄 got a shirt 👚 and some chocolate milk 🥛. Loved the visit was wondering when did the tear the farm house 🏠 down? When I worked there I took care of the baby calf’s 🐄. And I also did the feed wagon too. I always enjoyed my time working with the 🐄. I remember we had 1 big Swiss cow 🐮 among all the Holsteins 🐄 and she would let u ride her. It was pretty nice especially if u had to go far in the field 🌽 jump on her and you would only have to walk back. Oh the silly things you remember when your old 👵. Missed looking up and seeing the house 🏠 though. Lots more barns than when I worked there. But still very beautiful 😍 and brought back so many memories!! Bought the bbq 🍗 sauce haven’t tried it yet !!

Sarasota Photography

2022-05

Kids Loved it! Thanks for the hospitality! You can purchase goat feed for $1 to feed the goats and see the baby cows there and play in the sand pile or tire swing... Enjoy some country time at the farm... Very reasonable! Grab some fresh milk & eggs and cheeae etc

Nicole Peachey

2018-05

My brother and I went for a tour today and it was amazing! We got to see goats, chickens, pigs, and the cows of course. I learned so much about the milking process and the employees were very helpful and kind. I even learned how to make homemade butter from nothing but heavy cream and a jar! Love this company and all they stand for. Hardworking people, who love showing others all about what they do everyday. We ended the day with a hayride around the farm and some chocolate milk!

Sandy Sohl

2022-05

Awesome farm. Lunch was delicious. Kids can feed the goats. Tour is very informative. Friendly Staff. And did I mention, the chocolate milk is so good and creamy. ( They have a secret recipe) Their chocolate milkshake is thick and delicious! Nice road trip! Cheese made in house. All different varieties. Cheese curds too.😋 Delicious 😋 We will return 😁

Isiah

2024-04

This place is awesome! The market that's awesome food cooked to order. This place is ram by extremely nice people. Me and my daughter love going here on Saturdays!

Kathryn Brightbill

2020-05

Dakin Dairy Farm's tour is a great educational way to see how one of the last three remaining dairies in Manatee County operates. The tour includes getting to see the milking parlor and the bottling and cheese rooms so you can see the process from farm to packaging. Another highlight of the tour is getting to make butter, which was lots of fun for all the kids on the tour.There's also a small store on site where you can buy the products produced by the dairy, as well as a cafe that serves delicious food.

Gabriel Gerdon

2021-05

Okay first remember this is a working farm, with that said this was fun and interesting. The food was good very home style "very grease". Staff was very friendly and definitely get some milk delicious. They are not currently offering the facility tours but they hope to start the first of the year. The goats were super friendly and lots of baby cows that you can just walk up to. Not a lot of ground to cover so I would not bring a stroller but definitely wear boots or sneakers lots of dirt.

Jason Stooksbury

2022-05

I have to say without being bias, the food at the farm market and cafe is outstanding. As an independent contractor working for the Dairy, I have the pleasure of eating here from 9am until 2 pm, work permitting. They have a perfect selection from breakfast to burgers, Cubans and quesadillas, or Philly cheesesteaks and much more. The market is filled with products made at the dairy and other local venders and farmers alike.Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to real homemade food made with local beef and cheese, ice cream and the list goes on.Comfortable cool seating in a family oriented environment. Stop by today

B Conrad

2019-05

Nice family outing with opportunities for the kids to Pet and Feed goats, see baby calves and be out in the fresh air getting some easy exercise. The tour guides are informative and very pleasant. The chance to see a dairy farm operation is educational and interesting. The hayride is just okay. A fun and engaging opportunity to see how butter is made and taste truly fresh milk and dairy products. I recommend doing this once but once is probably enough. Also, wear suitable clothing and plan to go on a cool day. If farm smells are not your thing, this is probably not a good activity for you

Doreen Hemstock

2024-03

Lovely interesting place to visit fresh homemade ice cream,dairy products and nice little cafe for lunch I believe they do tours also just call to see if there are certain times/days they offer it

Jennifer McNeill

2023-07

We took the tour and it was pretty neat. Be prepared it's a cattle farm and the smell of poop is evident. The kids enjoyed the chocolate milk and butter making at the end of the tour. There is a nice playground on the property and goats to feed. Fun for all.