Lewis and Jenny Averbeck are a young couple dairy farming on Lewis’ family farm in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. In 2016, the couple purchased the milking herd from Lewis’ parents, becoming the sixth generation of Averbecks to dairy farm. In total, they milk 160 cows and own 200 acres of land, which is farmed by Lewis’ brother and they purchase feed back from him. When the Averbecks are not busy operating the family dairy and raising their 11-year-old son, they are also always striving to find new ways of dairying. Most recently, they started making A2 cheese from their cows’ milk.
Everyone keeps asking where the next generation of dairy farmers is going to come from. Here we are. With two children, a dog, 21 cats, 75 cows, 70-some heifers and 16 chickens, our life is never dull. These posts are a collection of our musings and a chronicle of our joys and challenges.
Along with my parents, I manage Heins Family Farm, working specifically as the herd manager at our dairy, where we milk 600 Holsteins each day. We believe farming is one of the best jobs on earth. Nothing compares to working with family, seeds popping out of the ground, or a newborn calf kicking up her heels. Overcoming challenges, the satisfaction of hard work, and seeing generations learn from each other provide great rewards!
Wisconsin girl. Dairy farmer. Lover of cheese, fringe, and old stuff. Sharing stories from my modern-day farm life.
Not your average stay at home mom....what with the tractor bearings and shotgun shells on the kitchen counter and the cow tie chains on the floor in the parlor...oh and cow magnets, the kind you put in their stomach, on the fridge.
Hello my name is Brenda, my husband and I dairy farm in Central Minnesota. I like to talk, I like to visit and I love people! I am married to a dairy farmer. Farmer Nate. I am Ranchin’ with Ruddy. Did I ever think that I was going to be a dairy wife, dairy mom and dairy worker? Nope, Nope and Nope. I didn’t grow up on a farm, I thought that I would live on a hobby farm not a dairy farm. There is a BIG difference.
I think that as a farmer, it is time to quit saying, “If you ate today, you can thank me.”. I sincerely believe I should thank you, the one who buys the food we produce, for supporting us. My husband and I truly enjoy farming and are so thankful for the opportunity to work in a profession that gives us great challenges and great rewards. Raising our kids on a farm is a huge priority for us. Being good stewards of our land and our animals so we can pass our farm on to our children is just what we do.
I'm a 31 year old, third generation Alabama dairy farmer. I returned home to farm with my father in 2001 after graduating from Miss. State University. My wife is a 1st grade teacher and we have two young children.