PENNOCK PLANTATION CERTIFIED RAW MILK

The story handed down tells about Abram L. Pennock Jr., a prosperous

Philadelphia Florist, who came to Alachua County Florida in1895-6. He

purchased land in the Micanopy area hoping to grow Asparagus Fern and

Ornamentals for the northern florist business. Florida experienced a hard freeze in '96, thus discouraging Mr. Pennock about that location. A year or two later he arrived in Jupiter where he and two of his sons, Herbert and Henry purchased many acres of land formerly deeded to the U. S. Government as a result of the Seminole Wars. A small fort had been located on what is now known as Pennock Point. George W. Tindall had homesteaded nearby a few years earlier and his original house (restored) stands near the Loxahatchee Museum.

Early maps show how most all of old Jupiter was owned by three families.

They are the Histeds, the Zieglers and the Pennocks. Henry S. Pennock's Plantation stood where Jupiter Plantation is today, off Center Street about one mile west of the railroad. The Pennocks owned most all the land from Sims Creek on the west all the way to the Railroad, and from Center street to the river. On the east side Pennock Lane they owned over 100 acres thru to Indiantown Road, across the road to what is now Tony Penna Drive and west for a couple miles to include all of Section Eleven. This vast acreage today encompasses Walgreens and Home Depot on the west, south to include Jerry Thomas Elementary School, all of Maplewood Drive then east beyond Pennock Industrial Park, The Christian School and much more. Near the entrance to the Industrial Park, tenant houses stood to house black families who worked at the Plantation. Further east on Pennock Lane and at the corner of the Lane and Indiantown Road stood seven or eight tenant houses lived in by white employees of the Plantation. Much of the above mentioned land was fenced as cow pasture.

As Henry Pennock developed his Plantation to grow Asparagus and Springerii Fern and ornamentals for the Florist market, his family also grew. the need for better nutrition for his first child, Shirley. prompted him to journey north to purchase his first Dairy cow (probably Titusville). This was 1907 or '08 and as more children appeared,(eventually 4), more cows were purchased. A. L. Pennock Jr. encouraged the dairy business as he believed Yogurt would give him relief from his skin cancers. The community around required a supply of milk too, thus the herd grew. In 1914 Mr. Pennock advertised in Hoard's Dairyman, a national trade paper, for a qualified Herdsman and Manager for the Dairy operation. Lloyd V. Minear of Ohio answered the ad and was hired to arrive in Jupiter in 1915. Following World War l, Mr. Pennock insisted on high quality Cattle and chose pure bred Jerseys to produce clean, high quality milk. For thirty years the Jersy Herd enjoyed a fine statewide reputation. The Plantation was licensed to produce Certified Raw Milk and did so for over 30 years. The license required that each cow have an annual test for Tuberculosis and a blood test for Brucelosis (Bang's Disease). Due to large demand, milk was delivered from West Palm Beach to Ft. Pierce. During the great Depression, Alfar Dairy of WPB contracted to make deliveries there. Following WW ll, deliveries to Stuart and Ft. Pierce resumed until the Pennock sellout in 1954.

Henry Pennock's person and character is described by a sign that greeted all entering his office which read: "SPEAK TO A COW AS YOU WOULD YOUR WIFE!" Regretfully, H. S. Pennock passed away in 1932 froma brain disorder.

Management of the dairy was not easy. In those early days before man learned how to control insects, many cows died when swarms of mosquitos were known to suffocate the animals. Also a major problem experienced was known as "Salt Sickness". After several years of experimentation, the University of Florida Extension Service solved the problem of a proper mineral mix for the cattle diet, providing a big boost to the whole industry in all of South Florida. Florida's soil, even muck soils, are very defficient in the necessary minerals for cattle growth. The isolation of South Florida made it fairly easy to remain free of TB and Bang's. However, insect transported Diseases were deadly and difficult to combat. In 1917 a group of migrating Indians with oxen camped on a Plantation pasture only to leave an infestation of Texas Fever ticks. The dairy cows were soon infected and it took many months of dipping cows in large vats and spraying the infested ground before the ticks were eradicated. The Tick Fever was deadly but the biggest scourge was Anaplasmosis which required much time and attention from the University of Florida. Cows were treated intravenously with several Sodium dirivatives for years hoping to slow the blood disease. It wasn't until after WWll and the use of Tetracycline that a suitable treatment was found. The disease, spread by blood sucking insects, destroyed red blood cells, caused high fevers and abortions, often death.

Humor ocassionaly ocurred. As mentioned, Mr. Pennock owned most all of Pennock Point which he had it cleared and planted to pasture in the early twenties. It was decided to run dry cows and bred heifers on that pasture but no fence was thought needed on the water front. A day or two after being driven to the Point, the whole herd had returned to the dairy. At low tide, they simply swam across the shallow south fork of the river where they easily heard the bellowing of the dairy herd. A fence was soon completed.

Soon after WW l the distribution of milk was developed into Palm Beach and West Palm Beach. Each morning, six days a week and about one AM, a truck would leave the Plantation for the above destination and deliver house to house. As Palm Beach County was booming during the 20's, business was good. When the Great Depression occured, a deal was made with Alfar Creamery of West Palm Beach to do the house deliveries and so the Certified Milk was taken to Alfar until 1954.

Despite the Grear Depression, Lloyd Minear accomplished a cherished dream when the Plantation completed a new dairy facility on the north edge of Section 11 in 1939. For reference, it was located in the area now occupied by the Jerry Thomas Elementary School. The new milking parlor was considered one of the most modern facilities of its day. The same vacuum used to to operate the milking machines also pulled the milk thru a pipe line into the milk room. There the milk ran over a cooler and into a storage tank. In that process it was never exposed to open air, assuring its purity and the Certified Raw Milk Label. Following WW ll, pasturized milk, chocolate milk and buttermilk were sold under the Pennock label.

Observer Onyx Educator, a South Carolina bred Jersy Bull, contributed greatly to the Plantation's breeding program. His heavy milking daughters brought him fame thru out Florida as several of them set milk and butterfat production records. However, misfortune fell during the 1947 hurricane when the main electricity line to the dairy was blown down into the flooded pasture and about a dozen of the top Educator daughters were electrocuted. It was a devastating loss. For reference, the north end of that pasture is now occupired by Home Depot. Two years later, the 1949 hurricane literally picked up the roof od the feed barn and ser it down on the stanchions that held the cows. Cranes were brought in and repairs made. The dairy business has many nightmares in addition to 24/7 work schedule.

When the Pennocks sold the dairy farm property to the Boutwells of Lake Worth in 1954 and discontinued bottling Certified Milk. The Minear family, incorporated as Pennwood Farm, purchased the dairy herd and continued managing it on the property. It was agreed that Boutwells would purchase the production of milk and rental on the property would be simply the annual real estate taxes. This was a great deal for the Minears, however, the taxes escalated steeply each succeeding year and in 1959 Pennwood Farm puchased 211 acres west of Palm City in Martin County. A year later the herd (about 120 head) was moved there and remained as a dairy operation until it sold out the cows in 1986. By then, 250 cows were being milked.

The Plantation properties were divided among the four children and have been sold or are owned by fourth generation family members. A. L. Pennock Jr. built a "Cottage" (his own term) on the river

at the original Plantation property in 1906. Henry's oldest son, A. L. lll, (Pete) inherited the house, lived there for years, and removed its chimney after the damaging 1949 hurricane. His younger daughter Sylvia lives there today (2007) and she has done a great job preserving the 100 year old house. This house and the Plantation Bell are the only vestiges of that great institution that remain. The bell dates back to 1904 and may be seen at the Loxahatchee Museum. It is said to the first fire alarm in the community and was used daily to tell employees when to begin and end work.

The production pf Springerii and Asparagus fern powered the economy of the Jupiter area for more than 40 years along with ornamentals. The industry came ro an end following WW ll as real estate

values climbed as did labor and shipping costs. Most fern is grown today in north Florida but ornamentals are a big industry thru out the State.

L. V. Minear, herdsman subsequently married Henry Pennock's niece, Anna Pennock Laird. They

developed "Palm Point" which was adacent on the west side of the Plantation. Their home, built in 1923-24, since remodeled, still stands with its white stucco esterior and red roof. This brief account of Certified Milk was written by their third son Judson who managed the dairy herd from 1960 to 1986 and resides in Palm City, Martin County, Florida. (Second draft)