Michael Oosten's grandparents were dairy farmers in the Netherlands and immigrated to California in the 1920s, starting their own dairy farm in Paramount in 1945 before relocating to bigger farms in Artesia and Bellflower.
In the early 1970s, they moved their farm to Chino, but decided to sell it in 2001 to a trucking company next to an Amazon warehouse, which was built on land comprised of two other dairy farms.
Oosten, who for 18 years has owned Marvo Holsteins — a dairy farm in the unincorporated Riverside County area of Lakeview that supplies milk to Land O'Lakes — said dairy farming has declined in California since the industry's peak in 2008. The industry has been hurt by shrinking real estate in Southern California, more affordable land in other states, rigorous permitting processes and the shortage of water and other natural resources.
