Sutton Milk Ice Cream
For Sutton and Kris Rucks, the expression “family tradition” is much more than just a cliché. Not only did the Okeechobee dairy farming couple grow up around dairy cows, but their family ties also reach across South and Central Florida like rural highways cutting through grazing pastures. Sutton, whose family has milked cows in South Florida since the mid-1930s, was born in Okeechobee. Kris, moved to the area from Wisconsin when she was eight, where she helped out at her family’s Florida farm. Together Sutton and Kris own and operate Milking R, home to 1,200 milking cows. Their Daughter Lindsey and son Garrett grew up on the farm and assist with the farm operations. Lindsey runs their family ice cream operation at the farm. Sutton believes in the future of dairy farming in the Sunshine State. “Almost every cow in Florida is milked on a family farm. We do everything in our power to take care of the environment and our cattle and hard work every day to produce one of the most perfect foods for people to enjoy.
