From the Strassers’ barn door, Gaylord Opryland Resort and the Grand Ole Opry House are only a mile away.

A mile and a world apart.

Ed Strasser Sr. purchased his acreage east of Nashville in 1952, and today the 240-acre family farm sits in the midst of some of Middle Tennessee’s most prominent retail and commercial development. Yet despite its flashy neighbors, the 240-acre dairy farm remains just as isolated as when it was first established decades ago.

“The rest of his family originally kinda ridiculed him [Ed Sr.] for moving too far out into the country,” says Strasser’s grandson, Bob. “Now look what we’ve got here.”

The Strasser farm is now the only family dairy farm still operating in metropolitan Nashville.

“We’re a third-generation, traditional family farm,” Strasser says. “We’ve just stayed too long in this area. A few years ago when Opryland was booming, there was some demand for our land. That has kind of slowed down. I guess people finally realized that it’s just not for sale.”

Ed Strasser Jr., 69, now runs the farm in partnership with his son, Bob, 45. With the help of Ed Jr.’s other son, Jim, 39, and a hired hand who does the weekday milking, the farm produces an estimated 4,000 pounds of milk daily during peak production.

The Strassers own a herd of 240 Holsteins and milk about 80. A typical day for the crew of four begins with a 4 a.m. milking, followed by the feeding of as many as 20 calves. Then there is endless fieldwork such as harvesting the corn, soybeans and other crops that help support the farm.

And there is always something to be repaired – fences mended, leaking water lines replaced, a tractor to be tinkered with. An afternoon milking breaks up the day’s chores, but typically the laboring continues until long after most businessmen’s days are through.

“There are definitely much easier ways of making a living,” Bob Strasser says. “It’s an emotional thing, though. You get attached to this way of life.”

For the Strassers, the challenges faced by the typical dairy farmer are multiplied by their isolation. If a cow gets very ill, the Strassers have to load it onto a trailer and drive it 30 miles north to a veterinarian in Portland. To save money, Bob does most of the livestock doctoring.

With farmers being paid the same amount for raw milk today that they were paid in 1978, the Strassers aren’t sure what the future holds for their farm. Many people say they just can’t understand why the family continues to operate the farm when economic times are so tough.

“I tell them we are farmers, and we have a very good, productive dairy farm,” Strasser says. “It’s an ideal farm and it’s what we choose to do. It’s carrying on the family tradition.”