A day in the life of the Wackers

SPARTA, Wis. — The family dairy has been a gathering place for Mike and Kathy Wacker’s family and friends for years. However, as their family has continued to grow, their farmhouse has grown tighter and tighter each year.

The Wackers, who live near Sparta, recently finished an addition to their farmhouse, adding over 200 square feet and making their existing space more usable.

On June 28, the Wackers called on their family to help move them back into their newly renovated farmhouse at Prairie-Top Farm where Mike and his son, David, milk 100 cows in a double-8 herringbone parlor.

“As the kids have gotten older and we’ve added more grandchildren, the house just felt small,” Kathy said. “We’ve always been the hub for our family, and the place people can stay and visit. This addition will help us keep that tradition going for many more years.”

The Wackers added to their square footage by transforming a sunroom into a fully enclosed living room and removing a pair of half walls that separated the living room from the den. This created a large open living space.

“My daughter-in-law suggested opening it all up,” Kathy said. “After she mentioned that, it’s been stuck in my head. I’ve been happy with how it’s all turned out.”

With Mike currently recovering from hernia surgery, David manages the farm, something the younger Wacker has collaborated with since his return from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in 2005.

Following morning chores, Mike and Kathy picked up a U-Haul trailer and met their family at the storage unit that had housed their goods since April. The moving team consisted of David and Becky Wacker and their children, Layna and Esden; Nick and Jana Raupp and their children, Liam and Brynlee Bever and Colton, Jameson and Nolan Raupp; Dan and Codi Wacker and their children, Brooks and Dawson; and Kathy’s brother-in-law, Jeff Stokfisz. With the crew assembled, a game of furniture Tetris began.

Mike and Kathy’s other son, Chris Wacker, his wife, Alejandra, and their children, Gabriel, Gavin and Garrison, had assisted with the move-out in April, but were unable to attend move-in day.

“We were blessed to have three strong boys and a strong daughter,” Kathy said. “We’re thankful that they, along with their families, would be willing to help us move everything out in April and back today as we get ready to host everyone for the Fourth of July.”

With three pickup trucks and a U-Haul strategically loaded, the 4-mile caravan brought a majority of the storage unit back to the farm.

The unloading carousel took place in front of the garage. Kathy directed where to place furniture and other items, which found temporary homes in the new living space or the attached garage.

“As the saying goes, many hands make light work,” Kathy said. “We always enjoy when we can have everyone together, and having the size of family that we do, it makes this job a lot easier and a lot more fun.”

Sprinkles of rain started to fall around 11 a.m., as one last trip to the storage unit was needed. With less demand, the little hands of the grandchildren found the basement playroom at the farmhouse, while Mike, David, Jana, Nick and Jeff went to finish the job.

Rain picked up as the last of Mike and Kathy’s belongings made their way out of the temporary storage and into the back of the trailer or trucks. Tarps and bungee cords were secured to the loads in an attempt to keep things dry.

“Jeff has really helped us out a lot while we’ve been finishing this up,” Mike said. “Whenever we need cords or tarps, he’s always got them handy. Kathy and her sister, Carol, have come up with a couple different ideas, and Jeff has always been there to help. Her other sister, Donna, and her husband, Roger, have also been a big help for us while I’ve been on the mend from my surgery.”

Their new living spaces were made cozier with touches from the farm. New additions to the farmhouse include a fireplace and a bar area. The bar top is made from wood that originally came from the farm’s calf barn that was torn down in 2015. The mantle above the new fireplace was a working beam in the haymow of the current milking barn.

“Our engineer was looking for something that we could use, and he pointed that beam out,” Mike said. “I told him it was holding up the barn, but he made it work. He jacked up the barn, plucked that beam out and replaced it. I’m really happy with how it turned out. It adds a nice touch of the farm inside the house.”

At 3:30 in the afternoon, it was time for evening chores to begin. David set out to mix two batches of feed and prepare for milking. David and one of the farm’s employees hung the milking units on the first shift of cows at 4:15. With Mike’s continued recovery, he used the skid loader to scrape the freestall barn.

After chores were finished, Mike and Kathy settled in for the night and recalled their thoughts of when they decided on the addition.

“We both come from families where our parents were the hosts,” Mike said. “They both added space to their homes to make room so everyone could be together. This addition means we’ll still have enough space as our family continues to grow and will still be the center point for get-togethers. Even though not all of our kids live on the farm, they know they can always come home.”