Welcome to Jones County, Iowa

I grew up watching my parents pour their hearts and souls into our dairy farm (and, of course, our family as well). They have worked so hard to turn this farm into something we are all truly proud to be a part of. It takes so much passion, perseverance and sacrifice to be a part of the agriculture industry, and they embrace it with so much grace.

I attended the University of Wisconsin-Platteville and obtained a degree in dairy science with a minor in ag business. In 1988-1989, my dad attended Northeast Iowa Community College’s dairy program. I will also be getting married this June to Dylan Rickels, whose mom also grew up on a dairy farm. They are very connected and equally share an appreciation for the farming industry.

Since I was a young girl, I have wanted nothing more than to come home and work alongside my parents every single day. I am only 23, and I already feel like I have a lifetime of accomplishments in just being a part of something this special.

Our farm is nestled in the rolling hills of Jones County between Cedar Rapids and Dubuque. We are one of only four herds left milking in our county. The majority of our neighbors are settled in a housing development on 3-acre lots with a pond. Some would look at this as a negative, but it has created an opportunity for many new friendships and has kept us striving to improve. My parents bought the lot that receives our water to give us an opportunity to be a part of the homeowners association, sit in on meetings and be included in their community.

I work full time with my dad, Doug Fairbanks, and my cousin, Josh Fairbanks. Along with us, we have two full-time milkers and some additional part-time help on the weekends. We milk around 400 registered cows, including our milking and dry cows, three times a day. Holsteins make up the majority of the herd, along with 70 Brown Swiss and a handful of Jerseys. We have multiple breeds to build on genetics and cow families. It also makes for a lighthearted, fun challenge. What is the fun if everything is black and white?

My ideal cow is a moderate-statured, strong cow with great feet and legs and a solidly welded-on udder. We strive for a  high producing, long lasting and reproductively sound herd. My goals have always been oriented around hot sheets, production and animal husbandry rather than the ribbons on the wall or attending shows. We have some cow families that are more type-oriented and definitely have an appreciation for them. I find economically it doesn’t fit in with my goals and passions to pursue the show ring while still having respect for those who do.

Additionally, we bed the cows and dry cows with sand. Our somatic cell count is generally around 120,000-150,000. We treat very few cows; most cases can be milked through it. We designed and built a homemade sand lane to recover our sand and cut down on bedding costs.

Alongside our cow herd, we raise all our replacement heifers and market breeding bulls. The demand for bulls is very strong, with some people exiting the industry that used to raise bulls along with the use of sexed/beef semen. On the cow herd, we use a combination of sexed and conventional semen on 60%-80% of the herd, with the remainder being bred to beef.

Although my mother, Jody, is a biology teacher at the high school, she is also a vital key to the farm. She and I work together to feed all our baby calves twice a day. We also sell some of our higher-end, better-pedigreed animals on consignment sales.

The main focus has always been on the cows, but my parents have worked hard to accumulate their 600 acres of farm ground, with 400 of that being corn, 100 alfalfa and 100 plenish beans. Our goal is to have as much crop input go back to the cows as possible while still maintaining a high-producing and high-component herd. If the timing and/or weather are off and we don’t get the perfect crop, we have the flexibility of feeding it to the youngstock. We end every fall by planting 100-150 acres of cover crops. In the spring, we harvest the cover crops, haul manure and then no-till beans into that.

That’s the overall background of our farm. I’m looking forward to touching base with all of you in the future to update you on the latest activities on our family farm.

Abby Fairbanks is the third-generation on her family’s farm. She works full-time with her parents, Doug and Jody, where they milk 400 cows  near Anamosa, Iowa.