Utah family starts Cambodia’s only dairy farm

Since the brutal reign of the Khmer Rouge in the late 1970s, there have been no dairy farms in Cambodia. Several large Western companies have tried to start dairy operations in the country, but all have failed. So most dairy products are imported from Thailand, Vietnam or Japan, and instead of fresh milk, Cambodians drink the powdered variety. But an Alpine family is on a mission to bring fresh milk to Cambodia and make some new friends in the process. This is the story of Moo Moo Farms. Bill and Jamie Matthews originally moved their family to southeast Asia several years ago when Bill Matthews was given an FBI assignment at the embassy in Bangkok. His son, Kenny, graduated from high school in Thailand and then served an LDS mission in Cambodia. Following his mission, Kenny Matthews moved back to Cambodia for an internship. When he relayed to his family the fact that there were no dairies in the country, it sparked an idea for his father. Bill Matthews has been fascinated by dairy farms since childhood, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to get involved with an exciting project that would benefit the people of Cambodia.