Family business

At Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs, leadership is a family affair — and so is higher education.

This fall, Wright State University graduate Dan Young will pass the torch as CEO of the popular agritourism destination to his son, John Young, also a Wright State alumnus. The transition marks a new chapter in the multigenerational family business that attracts around a million visitors a year.

“We serve a lot of food and have a lot of fun,” said Dan Young, who graduated from Wright State in 1997 with a Master of Business Administration.

John, who graduated in 2010 with a degree in early childhood education, has served as the chief imagination officer, internet and otherwise. When he takes over as CEO in November, he’ll become the fourth generation of the Young family to lead the business — bringing his own Wright State education and creative energy to the role.

John, who holds the course record of 27 strokes at Udder’s & Putters, said that although agritourism wasn’t really a thing when the family started adding activities in the early 1990s, his father tapped into something special.

“He is the innovator of why we are fun,” John said.

Dan began creating fun features for customers at the family dairy business in 1993 when he added Udders & Putters, an 18-hole miniature golf course. A few years later, the dairy added a driving range, batting cages, corn maze, event space and a carousel. The farm is now a family fun destination for families around the country.

Wright State graduate Dan Young, left, will pass the torch as CEO of Young’s Jersey Dairy to his son, John Young, also a Wright State alum.

Today, Young’s Jersey Dairy in Yellow Springs attracts around 1 million a year.

“We create fun for our customers and that’s what makes Young’s special,” Dan said.

“Young’s Dairy is a place we stop every time we are down here,” said Jake Spielbauer, who travels from Wisconsin to Cincinnati every year to visit family and stops at Young’s on the way.

Dan credits his Wright State classes in human resources and management for helping the business grow.

“When I was a teenager, we had 50 employees and now we have 350,” he said.

John Young also draws on his Wright State education to add more features, including educational school tours and camps.

“People don’t know farming like they used to back in the day, so we have a lot of responsibility and a lot of space to get that education out to people, so they know where your food came from,” he said.

Dan will still remain behind the scenes but is ready for his son to manage the dairy’s daily operations.

“John is going to do a great job because he understands what we are about and he’s going to do a great job for us,” Dan said.

In true Young’s fashion, John plans to update his title to chief ice cream entertainment and inspiration officer when he takes over.