Bringing balance to the farm

Sam Miller (pictured with her son Cordell)

We hear about the importance of achieving balance in nearly every aspect of life; we all know how difficult that is. Finding that balance on a family-owned and operated dairy farm can be even more challenging.

In addition to trying to divide time equally between work, family, volunteering, finances and everything else life brings, achieving balance on a farm also means building an operation and a team that allows all those moving pieces to work together.

For our family, that means establishing roles, adopting changes, learning from others and being intentional about the farm we want to build for the next generation.

Our farm was established in 1899, and today, my brother, Tyler, and I are farming as the fifth generation. My dad, John, is a member of the fourth generation who farmed with his two brothers. When his brothers were ready to retire, it was an opportunity for Tyler and me to transition into the operation. We grew up on the farm but left for several years before returning; I attended the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, and Tyler served in the military. Now, I work with cows and our robots, Tyler manages crops and John manages the financials and helps across the farm. We established Fifth Generation Homestead LLC in 2020.

The farm has evolved many times over the years, most notably when we installed four DeLaval Classic robotic milkers in 2015 to milk about 180 cows. In 2025, we upgraded to new V300 robots and are milking about 240 cows.

After more than 10 years with the robots, the most significant gains have been flexibility and the chance to balance our time and attention across the farm. Both Tyler and I have young families, so we are able to attend activities and events. We also do our own harvesting and manure applications, so there is a tremendous value in not having to stop at 4 o’clock to milk cows. We can keep rolling and catch up on barn chores after fieldwork is done.

A willingness to learn and try new things is also key to achieving balance in today’s dairy industry. That often means taking time away from the farm to learn from experts and peers.

When we’re considering robots, we toured multiple facilities to look at different brands and management styles. Seeing how other farmers actually made the system work gave us information we couldn’t get from a brochure or presentation. Those tours and conversations are often how I learn best. An expert can tell me how something should be done, but I want to know how another producer implemented it in real life. What worked? What didn’t? What would they do differently?

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to attend Professional Dairy Producers’ Managers Academy for Dairy Professionals. Spending three days away, focused on our business and connecting with dairy owners and professionals from across the country, gave me new insights and ideas for our operation.

Learning from and with other farmers also drives our involvement in the Lake Wisconsin Watershed Council. The producer-led group promotes cover crops, healthy soils and practices that reduce runoff, which is critical for our location near Lake Wisconsin. We hosted a cover crop field day on our farm, sharing what we’ve learned with cover crops over the years and learning from extension demonstrations and those who attended.

Finally, one of the most important ways that we’ve been able to balance the various aspects of our operation is knowing that we have a solid transition plan in place. Tyler and I were fortunate that the generation before us put a plan in writing that allowed us to smoothly transition into the operation. Our dad and uncles planned early, and we followed their example by also writing down a transition process that can apply to the sixth generation — if they choose to return to the farm — or to new farmer-owners.

Balance looks different for every farm. For us, it means keeping the business financially sound while still making time for family. It means taking care of the land with the next generation in mind, investing in technologies that fit and taking time to learn from others.

Samantha “Sam” Miller farms with her family at Fifth Generation Homestead Farm in Lodi, Wisconsin.