Dairy Profile: Doug Droessler

How did I get into farming? My parents helped me start milking 39 cows back in 1987 renting a farm that is across the road from our current farm.

What are the most significant ways your farm has changed since you started farming? We grew our herd from within by raising our own replacement heifers. We also added the Jerseys for higher components.

What was a challenge you faced in your dairy farming career and how did you overcome it? The biggest challenge I faced in my career was when I started farming, the farm that I was renting had stray voltage, and, as we know, that can ruin a herd. Luckily, we were able to find it was caused by an improperly grounded jar pump motor. After we took care of that, the problem ceased.

What is the best decision you have made on your farm? The best decisions that I have made are AI breeding, the total mixed ration and baleage.

What three things on the farm you cannot live without? Family help, my skid steers and the power feed cart.

What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? The rising cost of inputs.

What strategies do you use to withstand the volatile milk prices? We rely on the Dairy Margin Coverage program as well as beef calf sales.

How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees, or how do you maintain family relationships while also working together?  We rely on communication with our family members. That is key in making sure that everybody is on the same page.

What do you find most rewarding about dairy farming? It’s a very rewarding lifestyle, but it is also busy. It is nice to have productive and healthy cows and the best is having our family return to help.

Tell us something special about your farm. We are a small family farm, using older equipment and making enough feed for our herd and our replacements. Our daughters dreamed of having one of every dairy breed, which we now have. People have stopped at the farm just to tell us that they drove by and saw our cows in the pasture and wanted us to know how nice it was to see all the different breeds and colors of cows. That is special for us.

What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and in the next five years? All we really plan to do is keep things the same in the next year and the next five years, too.

How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We like to go to a movie every once in a while, or out for lunch sometimes. We may take a very short, two-day vacation. Most of all, if we are not doing chores, spending time with our family is what means the most to us.