FEATURED FARMS

Near Lake Wisconsin on the fringes of the Driftless Region lies the Fifth Generation Homestead Farm in Lodi Wisc. For 125 years and across multiple generations, the Miller family has dedicated themselves to producing high-quality milk and fostering land stewardship.

The Gathje Dairy Farm, owned by Andy and Nora Gathje, is now in its fourth generation, with their sons Andrew and Ben carrying on the family tradition. Established in 1941 by their great-grandparents, the farm has been passed down through the generations.

Celebrating 102 years of rich farming tradition and spanning six generations, Huff-Nel-Sons Farm near Richland Center, Wisc. stands as a testament to the enduring commitment to the land and their craft.

Payne Farms Dairy sprawls across the southeastern landscape near Sullivan, Wisc. in Jefferson County. Along the rolling countryside, white and blue buildings dot the 300-acre property, with an additional 350 rented acres for crop rotation. On a clear day, the spires of Holy Hill Basilica and National Shrine add to the panoramic view.

The Elsbernd Family Dairy Farm is spread across 500 acres of rolling hills and fertile terrain in the Driftless region, nestled near Ridgeway, Iowa. The property is trimmed with white barns and green rooftops. The Elsbernd name boasts a strong farming …

The Statz Family Farm located outside Waunakee, Wisc. in Dane County has been a dairy farm for three generations dating back to 1885. It covers more than 1,200 acres across four locations. Despite being near two major thoroughfares, the farm sits along a winding country road with plenty of barns, silos, and wide-open skies.

Dave Kleine, of Kleine Dairy Farm in Cedar Lake, Indiana, is a third-generation dairy farmer with the fourth in residency and the fifth taking baby steps. In 1917, Dave’s grandfather milked the first cow on the Kleine property, and the tradition has co …

Lambrecht Dairy LLC in Kewaunee, Wisc. is a family farm run by second-generation farmer Jeff Lambrecht, with a third generation to follow. Jeff’s parents started their small dairy farm with 50 Holstein milk cows, introducing Jeff to a way of life that became his career and passion. Today, Jeff runs the 350-acre farm where he milks 280 Holstein and 20 Swiss cows twice daily in a double 8 milking parlor.

Pat and Phyllis Agnew and family continue a five-generation farming legacy at Mapleton Valley Farms in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, with their 55-cow dairy operation. Their small farm has deep roots in the local community in the heart of America’s Dairyland, and they’ve even branched out internationally with their dairy endeavors.

Chris Peterson, owner of Mapltwin Farm, said the farm was named when his parents, Jon and Sandra, started registering cows in 1960 at their 40 acre farm near Cashton, Wisconsin. Their chosen name – Mapletwin – was taken, so Jon dropped the “e” and it’s worked ever since.

Herricks Dairy Farm in Cashton, Wisconsin, was established in 1912 by a newlywed couple. They passed the farm down for generations, and their grandson Jack Herrick, along with his family, has run the farm for the past 51 years.

Meffert Homestead Dairy, in Waunakee, Wisconsin just a few miles north of Madison, is a beautiful 250-acre family farm owned by Jeff Meffert. In contrast to the developed surrounding areas, the farm looks much the same as when Jeff’s grandfather founded it in 1929. Jeff and his son Luke – representing the fourth generation on the farm – run the operation with the help of Jeff’s semi-retired father, Jack.

Nick Dallman of Dallman East River Dairy near Brillion, Wisconsin, has been raising dairy cattle since even before he and his sister, Lindsay Hansen, took over the farm from their parents, Dan and Shirley Dallman. An original owner-member of Foremost Farms, the operation is very much a family affair. Dan, who is still involved with work around the farm, took over the business from Nick’s grandparents – and they bought the initial 80 acres and 15 cows in 1964.

United Pride Dairy in Phillips, Wisc. is the multi-family farm operation of 3rd and 4th generation farmers with a history dating back to 1911. It was officially founded in 1996 by neighbors Ed Jasurda and Jon Pesko. It is now a 2,540-cow dairy operation that also includes Jon’s son Jeremy Pesko and son-in-law Bill Harper in joint ownership.

Grass Ridge Farm, situated in the state’s scenic geographic center near Pittsville, Wisconsin is home to Matt Lippert and his two sons Paul and Carl. Matt’s grandparents, Charles and Augusta Lippert, founded the farm in 1918 with only 100 cows and 80 acres. After more than 100 years of work on the family farm, the Lipperts have grown their operation, with 600 registered Holstein and Jersey milk cows and farming about 1,500 acres.

Jay Binversie, owner of Robinway Dairy in Kiel, Wisc., is passionate about doing great things with dairy farming. When Jay was a freshman in high school, his father, Bob Binversie, owner of the farm at that time, took Jay to California where they visited a dairy farm. Young Jay was inspired by the efficiency and productivity of the farm. His mind was flooded with ideas for improvements of their then 200-cow operation. “Seeing that farm got me excited about running a dairy farm and doing it differently,” said Jay.

Scheevel Family Farms, a dairy operation run by Dave Scheevel and his wife Kathy, is located atop a windy ridge with a beautiful birds-eye view of the rolling landscape near Preston, Minn. Dave and Kathy, along with the help of one full-time employee and up to three part-time employees, oversee the farm operations.

At the 150-acre Darita Holsteins farm in Goshen, Indiana, Darrell and Bonita Richard and their youngest son Robert greet every morning without an alarm clock. They’ve been alarm-clock free since they installed milking robots in the spring of 2019.