Our History

It all started in the late 1800's, three generations ago, when Minnie Porter married George Winstead. Once married, the two bought and began farming the land that now hosts our family's latest endeavor, Shatto Milk Company. After a few years on the farm the two had six children: Frank, William, Jack, Anna Lucille, Mary Alice and then 20 years later, Georgia Francis as a pleasant surprise.

Mary Alice and Jack remained on the farm, and Georgia, the youngest, married Ivan Cox. In time, the union of Georgia and Ivan brought the two back to the farm where Ivan created a partnership with Georgia's sister, Mary Alice. The two began a dairy and worked closely for years until Mary Alice retired, leaving the management of the farm to Ivan. In the late 1940's Georgia and Ivan began their family and had three children of their own: Esther, Dinah and Barbara.

In 1972, Barbara married Leroy Shatto, who within 2 years of marriage partnered with Barbara's father, Ivan, and began to work on the family farm as well. In the mid 1980's, Ivan decided to retire, leaving the management of the farm to Leroy. The farm sustained itself into the early 1990's, however Leroy began to see many other local dairy farmers go out of business due to the low milk prices that were being paid by the dairy cooperatives for bulk milk.
 
In the mid 1990's, the farm could no longer sustain itself and the Shatto's began to talk about the future of the family farm and a new way of life. Barb and Leroy refused to give up on the farm and knew a solution could be found. In 2001, Leroy and Barbara began to investigate the idea of bottling the milk from their small herd of cows on their family farm. The two had the thought of providing people in the Kansas City and St. Joseph areas with the freshest and best tasting milk on the market; milk straight from their local family farm.
 
In 2003, the couples dream of saving the family farm came true. On June 4, 2003 Shatto Milk Company was born, as the first delivery of farm fresh milk in glass bottles went to just under ten retail stores in the Kansas City area. Since the day Minnie and George Winstead purchased this farm in the late 1800's, it has truly been a family farm. Today our dedication to our family farm and to you as our neighbors is stronger than ever.