Barn full of memories: Alan “Fred” and David Gunderson

What year did you start farming, and what year did you retire? We took over in 1988 but had been running it since we graduated from high school. David graduated in 1975, and Fred graduated in 1981. We established a partnership in 1989. We retired from dairying May 31, 2019.

Tell us about your farm when you started and describe what it looked like when you retired, including how many cows you milked when you retired. When we started, we had 45-50 cows, and then we added onto the barn in 1985 and were milking 70 cows. We milked in a tiestall barn. We owned 360 acres and rented another 60 acres. Of that, 300 acres were cropland. We raised corn, alfalfa and small grains. We stayed at 70 cows throughout our career.

What were some of the big advancements you made during your career? We put in a manure pit in 1985 and built an 18-by-70 silo. We built a 20-by-70 silo in 1993 and added a heifer barn in 1994. We also upgraded the milking equipment throughout the years. We bred A.I. throughout our careers and focused on fat and protein. When we quit, we were at 4.3% butterfat and 3.4% protein.

What did you love about milking cows? You are your own boss and work for yourself. Fred: I was more focused on taking care of the cows and did all the feeding. I liked raising calves, feeding the cows and making sure they were eating. David: I did the fieldwork and machinery maintenance. I always enjoyed keeping things working and was pretty good at welding. We did not have the newest equipment, but we always kept it running and in good shape. We never bought a new tractor, but we always bought new Bobcats. We small square baled throughout our career. We went from cutting hay with an old sickle mower to a self-propelled swather that we bought in the late 1970s.

What was the highlight of your dairy career? We hosted the Morrison County Breakfast on the Farm in 2013. We were named the Morrison County Farm Family of the year in 2016. People must have thought we were doing something right. We did a lot of community service over the years. David was a volunteer firefighter for 21 years, and Fred was involved with several different boards and is still currently a member of the Morrison County American Dairy Association. He has served on that board for 25 years.

What is the biggest challenge you faced in your career, and how did you overcome it? We got some strong storms that did some damage over the years. One year, we lost 40%-45% of our crop to hail. The storm came around corn chopping time, and we had to buy some grain.

If there is one thing you wish you could have done differently during your farming career, what would it be? It would have been nice to have the heifer shed earlier, but you can only do so much. It was really nice to clean it with the Bobcat. Before that, we cleaned some by hand and some with the Bobcat.

What piece of equipment or technology has been introduced that you wish you had for your dairy career? The cell phone sure came in handy near the end of our careers. Otherwise, we were walking a lot if we had trouble in the field.

What do you miss most about dairy farming? The fresh milk out of the tank; my family all misses that.

What advice would you give to a young farmer today? Fred: I have had several young guys ask me if I would do it all over again, and I say, “Heck yes.” Stay informed about what is going on in the industry. Grab on to some of the new technologies out there; some could help your dairy and make your life easier.

What is your tie to the dairy industry today? The barn we milked in is currently being milked in by a young dairy farmer. Fred is still with the ADA.

Was retiring an easy or hard decision/transition? Fred: I had to get out because of my legs. David: It was a tough decision. Life decisions are never easy.

What have you been doing since you retired? Fred: I drive a school bus for the Upsala area and drive to sporting events. I enjoy going to the sporting events. My wife, Tina, and I have a trip planned to Germany this summer. David: I have miscellaneous projects I work on, and we travel a lot more. We were in Oregon for a couple of weeks earlier this year. We have a couple of grandkids, and I can now attend their events that we didn’t have time for before. My wife, Patti, is involved in the American Legion Auxiliary and is a member of the American Legion Riders, so it’s something that keeps us busy as well.