Creating the life he dreamed of

CLINTONVILLE, Wis. — The road to fulfilling his dream of dairy farming has not been an easy one for Kyle Krueger. Krueger grew up hoping to work alongside his parents on his way to taking over the farm that has been in his family since 1877.

Those dreams began to dim for Krueger when his father, Marty, was diagnosed with lymphoma during Kyle’s freshman year in high school. Marty died of brain cancer a few years later in 2020.

“At the beginning (of the illness), things were going OK and we were able to keep things going,” Krueger said. “We didn’t have a lot of hired help, and I was still in school, so eventually we made the decision to sell the cows and keep the heifers.”

Dairy farmers at heart, the sale of the 140-cow milking herd left a void for the family.

“Dad and I both missed the cows,” Krueger said. “I was working at a local implement dealer at the time while finishing up school. I liked the work, but I missed the farm. I knew I wanted to farm after high school.”

The family decided to purchase 15 cows to bring cows back to the seventh-generation Shawano County dairy farm near Clintonville. They were up to about 40 cows before Marty passed away.

“I still had a semester of high school; I was 18 years old,” Krueger said. “I’d milk in the morning, go to school, then come back and do chores.”

Krueger credits Oak Grove Dairy Inc., a small cheese factory located a couple miles from the farm, for working with his family. That partnership, along with the ability to participate in his school’s school-to-work program, provided the avenue to pursue the dream of dairying again.

“That first winter was rough,” Krueger said. “The barn was nice and warm with 140 cows, but without many in here that first winter, everything froze up all the time.”

The Kruegers persevered, and today, Kyle and his mom, Heather, continue to operate Riverbank Dairy, milking 85 cows, farming 450 acres and raising all their own replacements. They have one employee who has been working for the family for over nine years who came back when they started milking again.

The herd, which is primarily Holstein, is bred using A.I. Krueger said he emphasizes improving the genetics of his herd.

“I like seeing a cow and then looking around and seeing her grandma or her daughter,” Krueger said. “That is really satisfying to me, to be able to see the work in those generations.”

Krueger said he estimates about 30% of the herd is bred to beef, but he is primarily focused on creating Holstein heifer calves from his best cows to continue to grow the herd.

“I’d like to get a few more cows,” Krueger said. “I’d like to fill the barn back up and see where it goes. I’d rather grow from within than buy cows.”

Krueger does the crop work himself, except for hiring out spraying. He grows corn, soybeans and alfalfa. Whatever is not needed for feed inventory is marketed through the Clintonville Elevator Co. Krueger also does custom chopping each fall for neighbors with his self-propelled chopper.

“I like staying busy, being outside and doing my own thing,” Krueger said.

Working in tandem with his mom to operate the farm, Krueger relies on Heather as both a mentor and his business partner.

“She was always working on the farm, ever since I can remember,” Krueger said. “I don’t think she really wanted to do anything else.”

While he knew what to expect from the labor standpoint of farming, Krueger said being put in a management role has been more daunting.

“I always did the work; that part was easy,” Krueger said. “Now it’s all the behind-the-scenes things — the numbers, the book work, the bills, the decision making. My mom does a lot of that, but to just all of the sudden be put in that role was a bit intimidating.”

Krueger relies on technology he has implemented on the farm, using a Lely Juno automatic feed pusher and the CowManager system.

“It’s like having another hired person,” Krueger said. “The feed pusher saves so much time and is so good for the cows. With CowManager, I don’t have to be so worried about what I’m missing in the barn while I am working in the fields.”

Krueger said he has benefited from mentorship in his fledgling dairy farming career.

“I’ve gotten advice from a lot of people, and I’m glad I’ve listened to them and asked questions,” Krueger said. “Asking a lot of questions and going to different events to continue learning more, that is really valuable.”

Thinking back to milking 15 cows to where they are now, Krueger said he has no regrets about continuing his family’s dairy farming tradition.

“Walking through the barn now, with the cows in it, compared to when it was empty, is rewarding,” Krueger said. “When we sold our cows, I didn’t think we’d ever be milking cows here again. … No day is perfect, but on the days that don’t go well, just remember that tomorrow is a new day.”

Continuing his family’s dairy has deep meaning for Krueger.

“When I was younger, the cows weren’t as fun for me,” Krueger said. “It was more fun driving the equipment. But when you see the barn empty, it shows how much the cows are a part of everything. I grew up watching my dad and my grandpa doing it. It’s just always been a part of life — a part of life I wanted to continue.”