An Expo honeymoon

SUMNER, Iowa — Brad and Marie Fober had their perfect honeymoon not on a tropical beach, but at a dairy show in Madison, Wisconsin. Now, 35 years later, they continue the tradition of attending World Dairy Expo together each year.

“We must have been in love back then,” Brad said. “She followed me right up there.”

After a Sept. 15 wedding, the couple ventured to WDE two weeks later for a few days — a honeymoon of sorts. It was not an uncommon trip for two people with a background in the dairy industry, but a little rare when one of them did not come from a dairy farm.

Marie, who grew up in town and met Brad at a Fourth of July party, transitioned into farm life and has enjoyed the couple’s annual retreat away from the farm.

“We didn’t get off the farm much, so anytime away was a joy,” Brad said. “Now we actually look forward to Expo every year.”

The Fobers, who milk 75 cows and farm 200 acres near Sumner, have kept the same Expo trip tradition. The 3-hour drive to Madison includes a stop in Verona to check into the same hotel they have stayed in over the course of 35 years. Then it is usually two days of watching cattle shows, browsing the trade show and having dinner at a new restaurant.

The Holstein heifer and cow shows are the Fobers’ favorite.

“We try to pick the first and second place winners of each class,” Marie said. “I’m not that good, but Brad is pretty good at it.”

The selection of supreme champion is also a must-see for the Fobers, and 2007 was the most memorable for Brad.

“There was a Guernsey cow, Pistachio Pie, that won supreme champion, and she looked the part,” Brad said. “I have never seen a Guernsey ever look that good before. Man, she looked awesome. I’m partial to Holsteins, but she was an easy winner.”

In the early years of their marriage, Brad’s parents, Deane and Marlys, would cover chores at the farm and take care of the Fobers’ kids, Luke, Katie and Mary Ann.

“(The kids) looked forward to it,” Marie said. “They helped with chores and then went back for cookies and cartoons with Grandma and Grandpa. They had their special time too.”

As the kids grew older, they were able to take care of farm chores on their own while their parents were gone. Now, the Fobers get to connect with two of their children at Expo, as both Luke and Katie work at booths at the trade show. The four meet up for one evening to continue the tradition of dining at a new restaurant.

Making their Expo trip work each year means getting corn chopped prior to leaving and hoping the weather cooperates while they are gone. There were a few years when Mother Nature made things interesting.

“We usually take Highway 18, but it was closed for one year, so we had to take a detour,” Marie said. “It was sleeting almost the whole way.”

Brad had his own memory.

“One year it was 90 degrees, sometime back in the ‘90s,” he said. “I mixed up a bunch of (total mixed ration) before leaving and left it in front of the cows, and it overheated.”

While weather never prevented them from attending, the Fobers have missed three years of Expo since their initial trip due to other circumstances. Construction on their barn in 2012 and 2013 and a family matter in 2018 were the only things that have kept them away.

The Fobers have gathered memorabilia over the years. A tote of Holstein show catalogs and World Classic sale catalogs sits in their house from all the years they attended Expo. They also have several memorable moments they look back on.

“That first year we locked the keys in the car, so we had to have a locksmith come and unlock it for us,” Marie said.

Another year they bought a calf-moving cart from the trade show and had to find a way to get it home with them in their car.

Through 35 years of champions, trade show merchandise and road trip traditions, Expo is still a time for the Fobers to reconnect with one another.

“It’s the Super Bowl,” Brad said. “We look forward to it every year.”