Farming for family, future

FREEPORT, Minn. — When Tyler Roerick was in high school, he had zero intentions of returning to the home farm. After one year of college, that all changed.

“I relief milked for a few other farmers on weekends and, once in a while, during the week,” Tyler said. “It made me realize how nice it is to be your own boss and have that flexible schedule, and yes, you have your daily chores, but there is a lot of other stuff that needs to get done in a day.”

At the time, Tyler was going to Alexandria Technical & Community College for carpentry, with intentions of being his own contractor.

After Tyler’s first year of college, his uncle, Gerald Roerick, who farms with Tyler’s dad, Allen Roerick, announced he would like to retire from the dairy portion of the operation within the next few years. The brothers milked 80 cows near Freeport.

“Gerald wanted to sell the cows, but I wasn’t ready to retire yet and I didn’t want to do anything else,” Allen said. “Tyler had mentioned a few months prior that he was interested in coming back.”

After Tyler graduated from college in 2019, he did construction full time and helped on the farm when he could. As of Feb. 1, 2024, Tyler is officially part owner in the Roerick family farm.

“It just worked out that they were able to bring me into the farm when Gerald wanted out of the farm,” Tyler said.

For now, Tyler owns 25% of the cows, youngstock, hay equipment, chopping equipment and about half of the tractors. Allen owns the other 75%, and the land is still owned 50/50 between Gerald and Allen.

Tyler is milking mornings and evenings. Since joining the farm, he switched to part-time at his construction job with Worms Lumber and Ready Mix Inc., based out of New Munich. On top of those two jobs, Tyler started his own custom bale wrapping business in 2020.

“In 2019, we struggled making hay,” Tyler said. “I saw an opportunity to start (the custom bale wrapping business) and went with it. It was slow the first year; then, 2023 was a drought, and then, last year, I couldn’t keep up with the business.”

Last summer was busy for Tyler as he and his wife, Katie, welcomed their first child. Most of Tyler’s days would start at 4 in the morning with a drive to the farm where he would milk cows. Once morning chores were finished, he would drive to town and work at his construction job until it was time to milk cows again.

“There is something about being on the farm working that is different than being on a job site and working,” Tyler said.

In the summer, Tyler works four days a week with the construction job in order to have more time on the farm and for his custom bale wrapping business. When it was time to make hay, Tyler would take the week off from his job in town to make hay at his family’s farm and wrap bales for farmers in the area.

“Last year, I did 3,000 bales by the Fourth of July,” Tyler said. “That was more than I did all of the year before.”

Tyler’s brother, Carter, who is currently attending Ridgewater College, is set to graduate this spring with a degree in dairy management and has intentions of returning to the home farm. In the meantime, he helps throughout the summer and as often as he can when he is home from college.

“We have a group chat between us (Allen, Carter and Tyler),” Tyler said. “If one of us is running late or needs some help with something, we can figure it out pretty easily.”

The three men help each other as needed, but each has their set of tasks around the farm. Tyler took over taking care of the calves and youngstock; he helps with field work and has his bale wrapping business. Carter takes care of the pre-fresh heifers and cow health. Allen and Gerald take care of the crops.

“I let the boys do some of the jobs I used to do, like treating fresh cows and the majority of the cow health stuff,” Allen said. “It’s nice that I can get a little more time off if I’m working on something else, I know that chores will always be taken care of.”

Tyler has a lot of tasks that he has to get done in day but said he feels good about his accomplishments.

“I own 25% of the cows, and that means a lot because, if you look what I have versus most 25-year-olds who I went to high school with, it’s a lot more in the long run,” Tyler said. “They go on trips and stuff, but my vacation is driving tractor.”

Over the years, the Roericks century farm in which Tyler is the fourth generation has seen many small changes to make things easier for the family members. Advancements such as making a heifer shed bigger so they can drive a skid loader through it and purchasing a feed cart for their tiestall barn have all benefitted the dairy.

“I have done chores at other farms, and when you come back home, you realize that the advancements and the money you stuck back into the farm can make farming that much easier,” Tyler said.

Throughout college and even today, Tyler assists other farmers when he can.

“I enjoy helping other people,” Tyler said. “It is helpful to see how other farmers do things.”

Tyler said there are many aspects of farming he enjoys, especially being able to raise his family on the farm.

“The goal is to be full time on the farm, and the hope is, with kids, to have them on the farm with me just like we were when we were little,” Tyler said.