Mackinson Dairy Farm

Women in Dairy: Laura Daniels of Heartwood Farms from Cobb, Wisconsin

mtmacki — Tue, 29 Dec 2015 11:23:10 +0000

Laura Daniels is a mother, wife, farmer, dairy consultant and agriculture advocate. I met Laura at the 2013 Ag Chat Conference where she was the keynote where she related hitch pins to telling our story. I still remember the keynote to this day and am honored for her to share her story with us today as the conclusion to my Women in Dairy series. At Heartwood Farm in Cobb, WI, Laura and her husband Jarred Searls take great joy in teaching their children Nathan (15) and Julia (10) their values as they work together. While Laura and Jarred share in ownership of the farm, it is Laura who serves as General Manager in charge of day-to-day operations. They have 6 full-time employees, 300 beautiful Jersey cows and operate 650 acres of crop and pasture land. Laura and Jarred have been awarded Conservation Farmer of the Year by both the Iowa County Land Conservation Department and the local chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Nathan Laura’s son cares for a new baby at Heartwood Farm

Laura also does consulting on business development, team building, and employee management for Star Blends located in Sparta, WI. Laura is a graduate of University of Wisconsin Madison, in Dairy Science and Agricultural and Life Sciences Communications. She is active with organizations including Wisconsin Farm Bureau, Common Ground, and Iowa County Farmers Appreciation Day among others. She has helped coach the Iowa County Dairy Judging Team for 16 years. Laura is founder and president of the Dairy Girl Network an organization helping dairy women across the nation connect and succeed. This organization was my inspiration for this series. Laura was recognized at one of Vance Publishing’s 40 under 40 in 2014, and was honored to be chosen as the 2013 Wisconsin AgVocate of the year.

Laura and Julia with Heart one of the few Holsteins at Heartwood Farm

Her barn office is her advocacy headquarters, where she takes time each day to spread pro-agriculture messages on Facebook, Twitter, her blog and Instagram. She also hits the road to deliver pro-ag and motivational speeches across the country, inspiring many to find their passion, build their skills and have confidence to tell their story.

Laura’s Story in her own words:

It is my joy to help Mary wrap up what has turned into the most amazing display of incredible women in dairy farming. If you haven’t yet, please take time to look back at the last 58 days here on the Mackinson Dairy Farm blog. You will find farmers, consultants, and dairy believers. You will find women who have been farming for decades, young women just starting out and women who support dairy farmers each and every day. You will find women who raise calves, cows, dogs, cats, horses and lots of really special farm kids. Oh, and husbands we raise those too.

Most of all you will find passion, lots and lots of it.

Just a few of our beautiful Jersey cows at Heartwood Farm

You might be surprised that Mary found 60 women this passionate about dairy? Well I can tell you there are thousands and thousands of us across the nation. These are the women caring for the cows who produce milk for families everywhere. And the best news? There are more women like them. Their promise to love and care for their cows is real, and they are inspiring others to dedicate their time and talent to dairy farming. A review of the best dairy science programs across the nation shows this hope. More than half of the students enrolled are women. The top graduates winning the scholarships, and awards for dairy cattle evaluation and management are 70% female.

However, according to the Census of Agriculture only 5% of the primary operators of dairy farms are women. This also happens to be the percentage of women holding positions on our dairy cooperative boards of directors as well as top management at those companies. These statistics are disappointing.

But these numbers don’t concern me.

I am unconcerned because of the 60 women profiled here, and others like them in every corner of our great nation. Change is coming in the dairy business. It’s coming like a freight train. Women have always been instrumental on farms, especially dairy farms. Our roles have changed over the years and will keep changing, for the better of the women and dairy farming as a whole. For some that will mean continuing to be the farm wife who holds it ALL together behind the scenes as she raises her family at her side. Some it will mean being the owner or general manager, at the helm choosing the direction of the business. Others it will be providing services to farms: marketing, genetic analysis, crop consulting, milking equipment, calf care, herd management, veterinary service, cheese making, graphic design, etc. etc.

The important thing is that she lives the role she chooses.

Again, I urge you to look back at the strong self-directed women. They are owners, managers, service providers and mothers. Each living a life she worked hard to create. Each making dairy farming better than it was before.

We started the Dairy Girl Network as a way to bring these hard working women together allowing them to inspire and support each other. We began with networking events, a chance to share a glass of wine and unwind with like-minded women. This new organization has quickly gained momentum and national support. Dairy Girl Network is now a national organization with personal and professional development programming being planned along with more of our popular networking events across the nation. If you are a woman involved in any segment of dairy please check us out!

Laura at 11 years old with her first show calf Frisky

I’d like to end with my own path to being a dairy farmer.

I knew when I was 11 years old that I wanted to be a dairy farmer. I just thought I would need to marry a dairy farmer to be one myself. After college, I went to work as a cow nutritionist, a job I loved. After a few twists and turns I ended up in a beautiful house in a wonderful town with a great career in dairy cattle nutrition. All was well, but my dream of being a farmer seemed to be a distant memory.

Then I met him.

He was perfect. He had never milked a cow. But he believed in me and wanted to make my dreams come true. My dreams became our dreams. Turns out, I did need to marry the right man, one who thought I could set the world on fire, he still does.

We saved every penny and bought our farm. I did grow up on a dairy farm, but we bought someone else’s family farm. That was ten years ago. It is still a struggle when the milk price dips down, but we own our own farm. And I may have several jobs, but I am a dairy farmer first. The only thing I ever really wanted to be.

I said this earlier, but the passion that drives a woman in dairy is something to behold.

She is hard working because she chooses to be. She is tough as nails one moment and quick with a tender touch or word the next. She raises food for your family with compassion, care and integrity. I’m glad Mary has taken the time over the last 58 days to introduce her to you.

Laura, thank you for sharing your story with us! Make sure you follow Laura on social media, “Like” Heartwood Farms on Facebook, follow her on Instagram, Twitter and her blog.

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Women in Dairy: Iris Peeler Barham from Rome, Georgia

mtmacki — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 12:25:12 +0000

Iris’ Story in her own words:

I was born and raised as fourth generation dairy farmer. We started helping out with small chores as kids and our responsibilities expanded and we grew. I was involved in both 4-H and FFA and judged everything from soil to horses. The highlight of my involvement with these groups was being named a State Officer and receiving my National Degree. I went to college at Virginia Tech were I received a BS in Dairy Science and an MS in Reproductive Physiology. While, in college I completed an internship with Fort Dodge Animal Health, I had fun and learned a lot, but decided I never wanted to go into sales.

It’s funny how life works at times, because my first job out of college was working for Fort Dodge as a Large Animal Sales Representative. Never work in sales you might ask…I realized in graduate school everyone sells “something”, it might be a product, service, or education.

I have “worked off” the farm since graduation in several areas of the agriculture industry. Currently work as the Dairy Supervisor at Berry College, where I employee 45 student employees. The students are 90% female and come from a 95% non-farm background. They learn all aspects of dairy farming and are responsible for milking, feeding, breeding and cleaning! My dream has always been to return to my family’s farm; however, I have recently realized that I am right where God wants me at this point in my life. I have always loved teaching and I couldn’t have created a more ideal job for myself. I teach daily, but there are no formal books, tests or classrooms. There is however, lessons in problems solving, teamwork, cooperation, time management and self-worth and boy are those powerful things to watch young people develop.

When did you start farming?

I was born into farming and my parent’s passion for what they do brought me back to my roots. I manage Berry College’s dairy where we operate a closed, teaching herd of 35 registered Jersey cows. The students work in a small, modern facility consisting of freestalls with a flush system, a single 4 herringbone parlor with meters and pedometers.

We produce conventional milk and sell most of it to Dairy Farmers of America. A small farmstead creamery does by milk monthly to make cheese, which is sold by our Jersey Milk Enterprise on campus. The goal is to build a cheese processing plant on campus and allow students to make the cheese so they work from start to finish with the cows and the milk. We do grow grass hay on campus and we plant winter and fall grazing at the dairy; however, there are no other crops grown at this time.

What do you want consumers to know about the products you produce?

It’s simple: Americans have access to the most abundant, safe and economical food supply in the world. It’s something we take for granted all too often. The industry has a major challenge to feed an ever growing population with fewer resources (land, water and people) and I believe we are doing a good job accomplishing the goal.

As a Mom what do you want to share with others about the dairy industry?

I became a Mom on September 1 of this year. Boy has my life changed! I worry about things I didn’t even know I should worry about and time has rapidly sped up. When there are major decisions to make like what diapers to use and how do you save for college, there is one decision that is easy and causes me no worry. My daughter will be offered dairy products, meats and fresh fruits and vegetables that are grown by farmers all over the country that share the same passion for the land and animals and pride in the food they produce. Our family will not fall victim of marketing gimmicks that breed fear to drive the dollar.

What is the most rewarding part of production agriculture? Challenging?

I think the most rewarding part is the challenge it brings. Today’s farmers wear many hats. Some hats fit really well, because it’s something we know a lot about, but sometime the hat falls into our eyes, because we don’t have a lot of experience. My employees think I have all the answers, but in reality I surround myself with smart, talented people who I rely on to help me troubleshoot.

Describe a typical/average day for you.

Morning milkings start at 4:30 and sometimes a phone call from a student with questions is my alarm clock. Mornings are quite since most students are in class, so I take this time to walk through the herd and evaluate their health, look for heat and make adjustments to feeding. I also use this time to take care of emails and phone calls, processing paperwork, reading industry news and meeting with faculty, sales representatives or visitors.

The afternoons are hectic as students start arriving to complete chores or attend labs conducted at the dairy. I spend most afternoons teaching students numerous things like how to drive a tractor or how to palpate a cow. I typically have to run out to keep from being late to pick up my daughter. I’m on call 24/7/365. It seems cliché to say every day is different, but despite our best efforts to maintain consistence every day is different!

What is your favorite dairy product?

It wasn’t until I had my daughter I realized how much dairy I consume. I love butter (it makes everything better), I love ice cream (made with rich cream), I eat cheese at least once a day and I love a glass of chocolate milk at night! I can’t pick just one….Our family loves casseroles as they make dinner preparation easy and we are southern so it’s what we do best! Our current favorite is a corn and green bean casserole that has both shredded cheese and sour cream as ingredients. It’s hardy and helps carries us through to our next meal.

Who is your favorite cow?

I have had several cows I have shown favor to over the years; however, Peeler’s Bruce Rosie (EX-90) still ranks at the top. I started showing her as a 2-year old and won many showmanship, class and championship ribbons with her. Unfortunately, she died of a heart attack as an aged cow and this was my first major loss. She taught me a lot of life lessons and I still think of her often when I am walking through barns. I’m a breed snob. I grew up with Jerseys and it’s the only breed I have worked with in my adult life. Some say I don’t know any better! The brown cow has proven to me she can not only survive, but thrive in the southern climate, she breeds back and calves with ease, she overcomes different challenges and she is profitable in a variety of market conditions.

What do you envision the future of the dairy industry looking like?

The dairy industry reflects very little of the environment my late great-grandfather started Peeler’s Dairy in Gaffney, S.C., but the whole world is different. He milked several cows and started a door to door milk delivery service. Over the years he always milked cows, but the door to door service grew into a processing plant that produced All-Jersey® milk until it was closed in 1998. My father took over the herd in 1978 and relocated to Starr, S.C. where we all call Milky Way Farm home. All industries demand more from less, I have witnessed these in all of my jobs thus far. I believe scientific research has done a fantastic job of helping producers accomplish this task, whether it be more calves from cows (embryo transfer) or more tonnage per acre (with less pesticides, fuel, etc.).

As the fifth generation in my family to be raised on a dairy farm sits in my lap, I often wonder will she have the same passion as her Dad and I and will it be an industry she desires to take on. As she chases her dreams there’s one thing for sure, today’s world is more connected and this is not something I see changing, so we must adapt to constant contact, communication and consumer questions.

Dairy farmers of the past were quiet, hard working men who liked to keep to themselves. Today’s dairy farmer might prefer to be in a tractor planting a field or in the barn tending to her cows, but they must be engaged. Many serve on boards or committees in our industry and in their community. If we all are open to answering questions in our community then the nation’s concerns about what we do would have a face and we would be “their dairy farmer”. Business is about relationships and we must have relationships with our customer.

Iris, thank you for sharing your story with us!

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Women in Dairy: Janet Bremer of My Barn Yard View from Hastings, Minnesota

mtmacki — Sun, 27 Dec 2015 15:09:37 +0000

Janet’s Story in her own words:

I am a 6th generation dairy farmer. Growing up, I was surrounded by dairy farmers, as all of my grandparents and all of my aunts and uncles were also dairy farmers. I attended Iowa State University and majored in art, and interior design. After 10 years of working as an Interior Designer in the Twin Cities, I spent the next 10 years working on our farm and raising our 2 children. I now work part time for our local school district serving as a Title One Instructional assistant teaching struggling learners, as well as helping on our farm.

I grew up involved in the 4-H program, as did my husband and children. I also served as a 4-H leader for many years. I am now a 4-H judge at several county fairs and the Minnesota State Fair. I am passionate about sharing our dairy farming story through presentations, social media, my blog, and to anyone who stands still long enough to listen! I am also the Minnesota Dairy Princess Coordinator, which means I schedule and advice Princess Kay of the Milky Way (our state dairy ambassador) on her public appearances, speeches, and media work. My hobbies and interests revolve around my family, anything dairy, reading, crafts, and movies.

When did you start farming?

We are a family farm owned and operated by my in-laws, our children, Sara and Michael, and my husband John and I. John’s parents purchased our farm in 1952. John and I became partners in 1983 when we were married. My role originally was to care for our calves. I then transitioned to cow milker. After a somewhat unsuccessful knee surgery last year, my role as cow milker has now changed to doing mostly field work. My mother-in-law and I also do the farm book keeping. We milk 130 Holsteins and have 120 young stock and steers. We milk twice daily in a 16 cow parlor. We farm our 270 acres conventionally, and grow all of the feed for our herd, primarily corn, oats and alfalfa. Our milk is sold through DFA and contracted to Land ‘O Lakes to be packaged as fluid milk.

What is your favorite dairy product?

That’s a toughie, but I guess my favorite dairy product is cheese. I enjoy it because of the versatility and the variety of flavors. There’s nothing better than sharp cheddar or fresh cheese curds! My two favorite recipes are: click here.

Who is your favorite cow?

My favorite cow is Nellie. She LOVES people, won’t move unless given a hug first and is great at giving sloppy cow kisses too. She is a black and white Holstein. Don’t tell Nellie, but I have a soft spot for the red and white Holsteins, probably because my dad never had red and whites in our herd when I was growing up.

As a Mom what do you want to share with others about the dairy industry?

Farming can be a rewarding as well as challenging occupation. As a family we have done a lot of hard work to make our farm successful. We are a proud farm family that cares for and respects our animals and our land. We take great pride in being able to offer safe and nutritious dairy foods.

Janet, thank you for sharing your story! Make sure you follow Janet on Social Media under My Barn Yard View: Blog, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Entire Women in Dairy Series:

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