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]]>My inspiration for this project was the video, “A Youthful Return to Farming.” that was featured on USA Today. The video highlights millennial dairy farmers Andy and Sarah Birch of Maple Grove Farms. I showcased those individuals in the millennial generation (born in 1980’s to early 2000’s) who are diving head first into the dairy profession. The average age of the dairy farmers I featured was 32 and they were from 13 different states and Canada. WOW!
If you missed a story, I encourage you to check each one out (entire listing is below), follow their blogs and them on social media. I hope I was able to introduce you to real people, in real places, with a real passion for producing real food.
I hope you have enjoyed my 30 Days of Dairy and thank you again for following.
Mary
Share with us in the comments: What is one thing you learned from our 30 Days of Dairy Series?
Our entire 30 Days of Dairy Line-up:
Sarah & Andy Birch – Derby, VT – the dairy farmers that were my inspiration for the 30 Days of Dairy!
Melissa Collman – Boring, OR – an organic dairy farmer from the West Coast!
Macy Sarbacker – Belleville, WI – a blogger, editor and dairy farmer from American’s Dairyland!
Karen Bohnert – East Moline, IL – a very talented writer, Mom and Jersey lover from my state!
Lisa Myers – Hamstead, MD – one of my best friends that moved back home to run their dairy!
Rebecca Schlehlein – Platteville, WI – a dedicated farm employee that loves her Brown Swiss!
Heather Moore – Maquoketa, IA – Special Events Coordinator turned Dairy Farmer!
Katie Dotterer-Pyle – Union Bridge, MD – Spanish teacher and dairy farmer that makes sure her cows enjoy their stay!
Brent Pollard – Rockford, IL – an innovative dairy farmer who loves to tinker with things.
Krista Stauffer – Washington – a 1st generation dairy farmer and very talented AGvogate for the dairy industry!
Diane Loew – Byron, MI – a writer, blogger and dairy farmer from Michigan!
Nicole Fletcher – Southampton, MA – a Cabot Creamery dairy that milks Holsteins & Jersey’s!
Elinor Opitz – Maple Lake, MN – a young lady just starting her Ayrshire dairy!
Alise Sjostrom – Brooten, MN – one of the readheads behind Redhead Creamery!
Tara McIntosh – Ontario, Canada – our only dairy farmer featured from Canada!
Jenna Kilgus – Fairbury, IL – a Jersey dairy farmer that bottles their own homogenized milk!
Will Gilmer – Sulligent, AL – our only dairy farmer from the “south”!
Gene Zimmerman – Colby, WI – our only dairy goat farmer featured this month!
Darleen Moore-Sichley – Oregon – a Mom, AGvocate and Gurnsey dairy farmer!
Michelle Eilenstine – Mountain Grove, MO – a dairy farmer & University of Missouri grad!
Jenni Tilton-Flood – Clinton, Maine – a Cabot Creamery dairy that milks 3400 Holsteins!
Kalli Ehrhardt – Baldwin, MD – A Mom and dairy farmer!
Craig Swenson – River Fall, WI – a dairy farmer who loves his red & whites!
Katie Harris – Washington – a mom & dairy farmer from Western Washington!
Annaliese Wegner – Ettrick, WI – the Modern-day Farm Chick!
Morgan Kliebenstein – Darlington, WI – a dairy farmer, Genex employee, Mom & wife!
Matt & Joe Engel – Hampshire, IL – the brother behind Luck-E Holsteins!
Stephanie Aves – Popular Grove, IL – a dairy farmer & agriculture teacher!
Beverly Donovan – Benton, Maine – a dairy farmer & accountant!
Sadie Frericks – Melrose, MN – a dedicated AGvocate, dairy farmer, mom & wife!
Greg Schulte – Darlington, WI – the cheesemaker at Brunkow Cheese!
Katie Deslippe – St Mary Ontario – a young lady that loves everything about dairy!
Carrie Mess – Lake Mills, WI – the well-known AGvocate Dairy Carrie!
Matt Mackinson – Pontiac, IL – my brother!
For a listing of all the 30 Days Bloggers that Holly Spangler rounded up, visit here.
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It’s November 30th, so I am writing my last 30 Days of Dairy introduction. It’s a little bittersweet but am excited to introduce my brother, Matthew Mackinson (age 30) of Pontiac, IL. Matt and his wife, Amy have one son,Isaac. Our parents are Donald & Rita. I am the older, Matt is the middle child and David is the youngest. Mackinson Dairy Farm is a conventional dairy that milks 160 head of Registered Holsteins with a few Ayrshires and Milking Shorthorns. The cows are milked in a double 6 herringbone parlor. We raise all our own feed besides protein meal and corn by products that are fed. Our crops include corn, soybeans,alfalfa, wheat, rye and oats. Our milk is sold to Prairie Farms Dairy and goes to either Peoria as fluid milk or to Joliet where it’s made into cheese.
Matt, Amy & Isaac Mackinson
Growing up, Matt was involved in 4-H with dairy and crops as his main projects. After high school, Matt headed up to Madison, WI and attended the University of Wisconsin Farm Industry Short Course. Farming is Matt’s life and if he has any free time left, he spends it with his wife & son, enjoys building stuff and is involved with the Livingston County Young Leaders. Before returning to the farm full-time, Matt worked at our local John Deere dealership, KSR as a mechanic but we always knew that all he wanted to do is farm with our Dad. What’s Matt’s favorite dairy product, chocolate milk!
Matt’s Story in his own words:
When did you start farming?
I’ve worked on the farm growing up,but after I graduated high school and came home from college, I took over the cows.
View of part of the farm from the silo!
Has your farm changed since you became involved?
It has changed drastically. In the last ten years, we have remodeled the parlor from a double 4 to a double 6, put up a 140 cow coverall with sand free stalls, dug a lagoon (that holds 2.8 million gallons of manure), built a corn silage bunker, 2 heifer barns, a maternity barn and we just finished the calf shed. We also utilize AI24 system (electronic heat detection system) and I can access all of our cows records via pocket dairy on my phone. In coordination with Dr. Justin Powell, we are actively using embryo transfer and in-vitro fertilization on a few of our elite animals. With regards to the grain portion of the farm, we use GPS, autosteer and mapping.
Who do you farm with?
I farm with my Dad (Don), Uncle (Roy) and Dan and I am responsible for the cows. I do everything from milking, feeding the calves, mating, general herd health and vaccinations to their ration and everything else I forgot to mention.
What has been the most rewarding part of farming for you?
The most rewarding is seeing a calf being born, when you exhibit a grand champion, hauling a bumper crop to the elevator and being able to raise my kid the way I was raised, through hard work.
What has been the most challenging part of farming for you?
The to do list never gets shorter, dealing with and accepting what God and mother nature deal you…from an et heifer born dead, to a field of hay getting rained on, a drought etc.
What is the biggest misconception about the dairy industry?
That our cows are full of drugs, hormones and we abuse our cows. At our farm, we only administer antibiotics when our animals are sick. We also do not use the synthetic hormone rBST. We abuse ourselves caring for our cows.
Who is your favorite cow?
Growing up it was always Rita 3…she wasn’t a show cow. Now…. it would be Darcy, Shania and Mona.
What is your greatest achievement thus far?
Greatest achievement has to be, being given the reigns to run a successful dairy farm. Shipping quality milk that qualifies for the maximum amount of premiums to selling animals that go on to be successful, caring for animals that win purple banners and breeding and developing animals that are successful.
Do you open your farm for tours or agro-tourism opportunities?
Yes, we give tours and welcome visitors.
What’s one question you always receive about what you do?
A lot of people think we’re like grain farmers and go to the coffee shop daily and people don’t truly grip that it’s a 24/ 7 /365 job.
What is one message you’d like to get across to the general public about what you do?
If you choose to buy organic food or all natural food for your family, that is totally your choice and I respect that. But don’t be someone who is uninformed and think our products aren’t safe. Everyone says gmos are terrible, but I bet 95% of those people have no idea what a gmo even is.
What do you hope for your kids or future generations on your dairy?
That they are given a fair chance to market their product to the general public and care for their animals the way they were raised and not the way people assume we do.
What advice would you give to anyone interested in getting into farming?
I would first suggest to work for a dairy farm first and not only do the manual labor but also all the book work. I understand as well as anyone that it’s born in you. It’s a lot of work bu tI wouldn’t trade it for anything.
Matt showing Darcy
Matt, thank you for taking time to participate in our “Thirty Days of Dairy” series. If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our blog (no spam, just an email when we post a new blog) so you don’t miss any posts.
As I conclude my Thirty Days of Dairy, I need to thank a few people. First, I would like to thank the 34 dairy farmers that shared their story with us this month. I would also like to thank my family as this project as been very time consuming but worth every minute. Finally, I would like to thank each one of you that has read, commented or shared one of these stories. I hope you have enjoyed my Thirty Days of Dairy! ~Mary
Entire “Thirty Days of Dairy” Series:
Sarah & Andy Birch – Derby, VT – the dairy farmers that were my inspiration for the 30 Days of Dairy!
Melissa Collman – Boring, OR – an organic dairy farmer from the West Coast!
Macy Sarbacker – Belleville, WI – a blogger, editor and dairy farmer from American’s Dairyland!
Karen Bohnert – East Moline, IL – a very talented writer, Mom and Jersey lover from my state!
Lisa Myers – Hamstead, MD – one of my best friends that moved back home to run their dairy!
Rebecca Schlehlein – Platteville, WI – a dedicated farm employee that loves her Brown Swiss!
Heather Moore – Maquoketa, IA – Special Events Coordinator turned Dairy Farmer!
Katie Dotterer-Pyle – Union Bridge, MD – Spanish teacher and dairy farmer that makes sure her cows enjoy their stay!
Brent Pollard – Rockford, IL – an innovative dairy farmer who loves to tinker with things.
Krista Stauffer – Washington – a 1st generation dairy farmer and very talented AGvogate for the dairy industry!
Diane Loew – Byron, MI – a writer, blogger and dairy farmer from Michigan!
Nicole Fletcher – Southampton, MA – a Cabot Creamery dairy that milks Holsteins & Jersey’s!
Elinor Opitz – Maple Lake, MN – a young lady just starting her Ayrshire dairy!
Alise Sjostrom – Brooten, MN – one of the readheads behind Redhead Creamery!
Tara McIntosh – Ontario, Canada – our only dairy farmer featured from Canada!
Jenna Kilgus – Fairbury, IL – a Jersey dairy farmer that bottles their own homogenized milk!
Will Gilmer – Sulligent, AL – our only dairy farmer from the “south”!
Gene Zimmerman – Colby, WI – our only dairy goat farmer featured this month!
Darleen Moore-Sichley – Oregon – a Mom, AGvocate and Gurnsey dairy farmer!
Michelle Eilenstine – Mountain Grove, MO – a dairy farmer & University of Missouri grad!
Jenni Tilton-Flood – Clinton, Maine – a Cabot Creamery dairy that milks 3400 Holsteins!
Kalli Ehrhardt – Baldwin, MD – A Mom and dairy farmer!
Craig Swenson – River Fall, WI – a dairy farmer who loves his red & whites!
Katie Harris – Washington – a mom & dairy farmer from Western Washington!
Annaliese Wegner – Ettrick, WI – the Modern-day Farm Chick!
Morgan Kliebenstein – Darlington, WI – a dairy farmer, Genex employee, Mom & wife!
Matt & Joe Engel – Hampshire, IL – the brother behind Luck-E Holsteins!
Stephanie Aves – Popular Grove, IL – a dairy farmer & agriculture teacher!
Beverly Donovan – Benton, Maine – a dairy farmer & accountant!
Sadie Frericks – Melrose, MN – a dedicated AGvocate, dairy farmer, mom & wife!
Greg Schulte – Darlington, WI – the cheesemaker at Brunkow Cheese!
Katie Deslippe – St Mary Ontario – a young lady that loves everything about dairy!
Carrie Mess – Lake Mills, WI – the well-known AGvocate Dairy Carrie!
For a listing of all the 30 Days Bloggers that Holly Spangler rounded up, visit here.
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It’s an honor to introduce an AGvocate celebrity, Carrie Mess (age 32) from Lake Mills, WI. Carrie and her husband, Patrick share their home with 3 dogs and 3 cats and farm with Patrick’s parents Clem and Cathy. In high school, Carrie discovered FFA and she credits FFA to leading here where she is today. Despite being a city kid, Carrie was able to show her Ag teacher’s animals (9 miniature donkeys) at the county fair and was hooked! After high school, Carrie started college to be an interpreter for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing but realized it wasn’t the right path for her. Before coming back to the farm full-time, Carrie worked in sales and marketing. While this was a career she enjoyed, it wasn’t fulfilling or challenging enough for her. Carrie claims she had no idea if she would be able to cut it as a farmer but, 6 years in, she admits that she has found her passion!
In Carrie’s free time, her and Patrick are big fans of live music. Although they don’t get to go out often enough, they try to take a couple nights a year to get off the farm and check out their favorite bands. And one of those weekend thanks to social media, we were able to meet up in Chicago! Carrie’s favorite Thanksgiving meal is potato gratin and her favorite dairy product is cheese!
Carrie’ Story in her own words:
Our farm is a partnership between my husband and I and his parents. We milk about 100 cows, raise about 120 heifers and grow corn, soybeans, alfalfa and other forage crops on about 300 acres. We milk in a double 8 parallel, drop rail parlor with automatic takeoffs that was built into our old tie stall barn. The cows are housed in a freestall. About 70% of our herd is Holstein and the other 30% is Jersey and crossbreds. We are members of the Swiss Valley Farms milk cooperative. Most days our milk goes to the Kraft plant in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin and is made into Philadelphia cream cheese.
Has your farm changed since you became involved?
Before I came to the farm our cows were bred more for looks and milk production than health traits and longevity. Since introducing a crossbreeding plan and focusing our breeding goals on making healthier cows, we’ve been able to better our herd overall. This year our RHA is over 29,000lbs and a cheese yield of 3,055 which is the highest it’s ever been and for the second year in a row we’ve sold over 20 milk cows to other dairy farmers because we didn’t have room for them.
Who do you farm with?
Because of my travel schedule, I am not on the farm everyday. That doesn’t mean I am not very hands on! I do all of our employee scheduling, mating decisions, and a lot of the records keeping from my phone wherever I am. When I am home I do a lot of the health work with our cows and work with our veterinarian on different projects.
What has been the most rewarding part of farming for you? What has been the most challenging?
The answer on this one is the same for me. Working with the cows is the most rewarding thing I can think of. The care we put into our girls shows up in the bulk tank. At the same time, the heartbreak of losing a cow that you love or having a calf die after you spent all night awake with it trying to nurse it back to health can really drag you down. As a dairy farmer I am constantly reminded of the circle of life and it’s made me more aware of how I live my own life.
Who is your favorite cow?
I have way too many pets to pick just one but Jasmine (#520) is my favorite Holstein because not only is she a great milk producer, she’s also a real sweetheart that likes hugs. Her personality really stands out in the crowd.
What is one message you’d like to get across to the general public about what you do?
The people behind your food are just like you. They have hopes, dreams and worries that keep them up at night just like you. We are not pawns in a greater game. We have reasons for everything that we do. Most of all we want people to not only buy and enjoy the products that our farms produce, we want them to trust that those products were made with care for the animals and the environment.
What advice would you give to anyone interested in getting into farming?
Get out there and work on as many different types of farms as you can. Keep learning. Keep an open mind. Know that there isn’t one right way to do things.
Carrie is active in social media, make sure you check out her website, Facebook Page, Twitter and Instagram accounts.
Carrie, thank you for taking time to participate in our “Thirty Days of Dairy” series. If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to our blog (no spam, just an email when we post a new blog) so you don’t miss any posts
Entire “Thirty Days of Dairy” features:
Sarah & Andy Birch – Derby, VT – the dairy farmers that were my inspiration for the 30 Days of Dairy!
Melissa Collman – Boring, OR – an organic dairy farmer from the West Coast!
Macy Sarbacker – Belleville, WI – a blogger, editor and dairy farmer from American’s Dairyland!
Karen Bohnert – East Moline, IL – a very talented writer, Mom and Jersey lover from my state!
Lisa Myers – Hamstead, MD – one of my best friends that moved back home to run their dairy!
Rebecca Schlehlein – Platteville, WI – a dedicated farm employee that loves her Brown Swiss!
Heather Moore – Maquoketa, IA – Special Events Coordinator turned Dairy Farmer!
Katie Dotterer-Pyle – Union Bridge, MD – Spanish teacher and dairy farmer that makes sure her cows enjoy their stay!
Brent Pollard – Rockford, IL – an innovative dairy farmer who loves to tinker with things.
Krista Stauffer – Washington – a 1st generation dairy farmer and very talented AGvogate for the dairy industry!
Diane Loew – Byron, MI – a writer, blogger and dairy farmer from Michigan!
Nicole Fletcher – Southampton, MA – a Cabot Creamery dairy that milks Holsteins & Jersey’s!
Elinor Opitz – Maple Lake, MN – a young lady just starting her Ayrshire dairy!
Alise Sjostrom – Brooten, MN – one of the readheads behind Redhead Creamery!
Tara McIntosh – Ontario, Canada – our only dairy farmer featured from Canada!
Jenna Kilgus – Fairbury, IL – a Jersey dairy farmer that bottles their own homogenized milk!
Will Gilmer – Sulligent, AL – our only dairy farmer from the “south”!
Gene Zimmerman – Colby, WI – our only dairy goat farmer featured this month!
Darleen Moore-Sichley – Oregon – a Mom, AGvocate and Gurnsey dairy farmer!
Michelle Eilenstine – Mountain Grove, MO – a dairy farmer & University of Missouri grad!
Jenni Tilton-Flood – Clinton, Maine – a Cabot Creamery dairy that milks 3400 Holsteins!
Kalli Ehrhardt – Baldwin, MD – A Mom and dairy farmer!
Craig Swenson – River Fall, WI – a dairy farmer who loves his red & whites!
Katie Harris – Washington – a mom & dairy farmer from Western Washington!
Annaliese Wegner – Ettrick, WI – the Modern-day Farm Chick!
Morgan Kliebenstein – Darlington, WI – a dairy farmer, Genex employee, Mom & wife!
Matt & Joe Engel – Hampshire, IL – the brother behind Luck-E Holsteins!
Stephanie Aves – Popular Grove, IL – a dairy farmer & agriculture teacher!
Beverly Donovan – Benton, Maine – a dairy farmer & accountant!
Sadie Frericks – Melrose, MN – a dedicated AGvocate, dairy farmer, mom & wife!
Greg Schulte – Darlington, WI – the cheesemaker at Brunkow Cheese!
Katie Deslippe – St Mary Ontario – a young lady that loves everything about dairy!
For a listing of all the 30 Days Bloggers that Holly Spangler rounded up, visit here.
The post 30 Days of Dairy: Carrie Mess aka Dairy Carrie appeared first on Mackinson Dairy Farm.
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