Describe the most successful dairy promotion you are involved in.

Mindi Arendt

Mazeppa, Minnesota

Wabasha County

600 cows

Tell us about the dairy promotions you are involved in both personally and collaboratively through your dairy promotion group. In May we hosted the Zumbrota-Mazeppa kindergarten at our dairy farm for a hands-on tour. It is so neat seeing and hearing these kids, their excitement, stories and questions. By doing this, we know we are not only reaching the kids, but they are going home and telling family and friends about the cool things they saw and heard and hopefully sparking their interest in knowing more about dairy.

Describe the most successful dairy promotion you are involved in? Why do you think it is so successful? In the past, I have been involved in the Wabasha County American Dairy Association and princess program. However, currently, I have taken a step back due to time constraints. It is great to see what great promotion work that the numerous county ADAs, local farmers and dairy and ag industry people do in southeast Minnesota.

I am also honored to represent Wabasha County and Olmsted County as their elected board member on the Minnesota Dairy Research and Promotion Council and the Minnesota Division Board of Midwest Dairy, as well as a member of the Midwest Dairy Corporate Board.

The most successful dairy promotion that I am involved in is dairy checkoff. Midwest Dairy does a great job at the state and regional level with dairy promotion. The staff works hard creating partnerships and relationships to stretch our checkoff dollars and reach millions of consumers in numerous ways. Dairy Management Inc. does a great job doing similar things with partnerships and relationships at the national level and international level with the help of U.S. Dairy Export Council and other organizations.

Another successful dairy promotion lies within us farmers and being able to tell our story — whether we are sharing locally with groups and individuals or are reaching out further through social media, etc.

If you could promote dairy products on a regional or national level, how would you do so? I believe we are already doing a great job of dairy promotion at both the regional and national levels through checkoff. The checkoff organizations also do a good job of getting local dairies involved with telling their story to partners, influencers and etc.

If you could choose a celebrity or well-known person to represent the dairy industry, who would it be and why? I can’t name a specific person, however, finding a celebrity or well-known person who is trusted by and looked up to by Gen Z consumers is important, because they are our future consumers.

What is one dairy product that needs better promotion? It is important to promote all dairy products and be able to pivot on the products that support the current trends. We need to stay relevant to the consumer and show them that dairy can provide the needs they are looking for, whether it be protein, wellness and health benefits and taste.

What do you think is the most important dairy message consumers need to hear right now? Dairy is sustainable. Dairy is a natural, wholesome wonder food, that provides numerous vitamins, minerals and other health benefits.

Tell us about yourself and your dairy career. I was a town kid with an accounting degree who married a fifth-generation dairy farmer. Nate and I own and operate Arendt Holstein Resort. We have four children ranging in age from 17-24. For the first 12 years I worked off the farm and did the farm books. Thirteen years ago, I came home full time and took on more responsibilities at the dairy with herd health, calf care, cow records, etc.

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Doug Ode

Brandon, South Dakota

Minnehaha County

500 Registered Holsteins

Tell us about the dairy promotions you are involved in both personally and collaboratively through your dairy promotion group. Being part of the South Dakota Dairy Producers is a great way to promote the dairy industry in South Dakota. Midwest Dairy is another excellent way to promote dairy and all of the nutritional value dairy has. We are not just promoting dairy in the month of June; we need to be promoting dairy products year-round. The annual South Dakota Dairy Fest in Brookings is an important gathering that kicks off June Dairy Month. In June of 2024, I was part of a South Dakota trade delegation to Japan and Taiwan. I had the opportunity to meet with government officials and key business people in both countries.

Describe the most successful dairy promotion you are involved in? Why do you think it is so successful? Breakfast on the Farm is our version of a dairy open house. Our family hosted an open house for many years and the number of people who would come to see and learn about dairy was amazing. It was common for 1,600-1,800 people to attend this event. I really believe that families and consumers want to know about what goes on a dairy farm, from the daily routines of running a dairy to how fast milk is processed and in the cold case in their stores.

If you could promote dairy products on a regional or national level, how would you do so? Well, this is a great question. With me not being a techie person, I absolutely feel we will reach the most consumers and future dairy consumers through social media.

If you could choose a celebrity or well-known person to represent the dairy industry, who would it be and why? Louis Pasteur is the one well-known person I feel would be a great spokesperson for the dairy industry since he invented pasteurization. He could tell the story of how pasteurization improved the quality and shelf life of all dairy products.

What is one dairy product that needs better promotion? Without a doubt, whole milk. With the nutritional value it provides, we need to do a better job of promoting whole milk and the benefits to children and adults.

What do you think is the most important dairy message consumers need to hear right now? An important message is the safety of dairy products for consumers. Most consumers are probably not aware that every load of milk is tested for bacteria and antibiotics. Dairy products are a good value when comparing food dollars spent to the return of the high nutritional value that dairy provides.

Tell us about yourself and your dairy career. I am a fifth-generation dairy farmer. My wife, Amy, is a registered nurse at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls. She is very supportive of me in the work that I do on the farm and in promoting the dairy industry. I am in a partnership with my brother, Gregg Ode. Growing up I always had the aspiration of continuing the dairy life that my family had established. I am a graduate of South Dakota State University (go Jackrabbits). After college, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to come home and continue farming with my dad and brother.

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Patrick Daninger

Forest Lake, Minnesota

Washington County

130 cows

Tell us about the dairy promotions you are involved in both personally and collaboratively through your dairy promotion group. Washington County American Dairy Association participates in the Independence Day parade in Forest Lake. Our junior dairy princesses are prominently featured on a “milkhouse” type float pulled by a classic tractor. That is followed by another classic tractor pulling a wagon full of Ellsworth cheese curds. Approximately 20 walkers distributed 500 bags of cheese curds to a crowd of 40,000 people. Our farm also exhibits our registered Holsteins at the Washington County Fair. This reaches many urban and suburban dwellers with a positive dairy message.

Describe the most successful dairy promotion you are involved in? Why do you think it is so successful? Any effort that involves positive contact with the public is a successful effort. Some of our members host many on-farm tours. They are successful because the public can see the people behind the product.

If you could promote dairy products on a regional or national level, how would you do so? I think the best promotion for dairy is local. My wife, our employees and I bottle and sell our own milk in our area. We are always promoting the dairy industry and especially milk.

If you could choose a celebrity or well-known person to represent the dairy industry, who would it be and why? Mike Rowe. He is authentic and trusted. He is well-known across the board by all generations for his TV shows, podcast and social media presence. He is very good at promoting the hard-working Americans who work hard 365 days a year to produce products, goods and services everyone else enjoys.

What is one dairy product that needs better promotion? Fluid milk consumption is always in need of promotion. It seems like milk is often overlooked as a dairy product, as many brands promote their sour cream, yogurt or cottage cheese and mac-n-cheese get through  nationwide campaigns through various media, but milk itself gets left alone. As one, if not the healthiest beverage out there, it deserves way more attention than it gets.

What do you think is the most important dairy message consumers need to hear right now? Dairy products are a real food produced by real people, your neighbors. Dairy farmers are all over and dairy products are produced locally. The public can trust dairy farmers because we are your neighbors.

Tell us about yourself and your dairy career. My wife, Sharlene, and I, along with two of our adult children and dedicated staff, milk about 130 cows and farm approximately 300 acres. We pasture, bottle and deliver milk throughout the Twin Cities area.

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Chris Garris (pictured with child Cambry, wife, Vicki, children Skylar, and Austin)

Herdsman, Kooiker Dairy

Middleburg, Iowa

Sioux County

350 cows

Tell us about the dairy promotions you are involved in both personally and collaboratively through your dairy promotion group. Western Iowa Dairy Alliance has its offices in Orange City, Iowa, and covers dairy promotion in western Iowa, west of I-35. I have personally been involved going on four years. This is my first year serving as president. We work collaboratively with Midwest Dairy and the Iowa State Dairy Association, of which I am a board member. We promote the dairy industry in many ways. Throughout the year, we provide product donations for any local or non-profit agencies that need dairy products for an event. We also partner with two independent league sports teams in Sioux City, Iowa, providing chocolate milk and promotion for dairy at each home game. The Sioux City Musketeers hockey team and Sioux City Explorers baseball team promotions are made possible with grants from Midwest Dairy. For June Dairy Month, we also partner with local businesses to provide discounts on dairy products. We partner with Culvers, in which the first 50 customers each day get $1 off the ice cream they order. In Hull, Iowa, we partner with Hull Coop Convenience Store to provide $1 ice cream cones for the whole month of June. This year, they sold over 5,000 cones. We also provide free milk with a meal at Sioux County Livestock in Sioux Center, Iowa, all day long for the whole month. At our annual meeting, we also award $3,000 worth of scholarships to any student who will be attending college with an ag related major. We are continually looking for more ways to promote the nutrient dense product we produce. We also participated in a few local parades and tossed cheese sticks, which was a huge hit.

Describe the most successful dairy promotion you are involved in? Why do you think it is so successful? The most successful promotion we are involved in as an alliance is our annual open house. This year, we hosted an event open to the public in Granville, Iowa, at Skyline Dairy. It is a three-year-old, newly constructed dairy with a 110-cow carousel milking about 4,500 cows. The event included a free meal of cheeseburgers, milk, chips and cheese sticks. We also have soft serve ice cream on site provided by Lingen Dairy of Balaton, Minnesota. There also was a kids tent with lots of dairy related games, crafts and giveaways. There were local vendors available to talk to the public and answer any questions they may have. People could do a self-guided tour of the dairy and also view the parlor from various angles on a 14- by 10-foot LED screen. The event was a huge success, and we served about 1,200-1,500 people. We have done this event for many years and always try to spotlight a dairy that has a new technology or something interesting to present to the public. It gives the public a great opportunity to see where their dairy products come from and inform them correctly.

If you could promote dairy products on a regional or national level, how would you do so? The best way to promote dairy products, in my opinion, is product donation and social media. Any way we can get dairy products in front of the consumer is instrumental on them putting it on their personal menus. Last year alone cottage cheese sales increased exponentially, mostly based on a TikTok. By taking those trends and promoting them regionally, we can have a huge impact. Consumers like to see where their product comes from and using social media, dairy farmers can use positive daily activities to show them how personable we all are and bring them into our lives. 

If you could choose a celebrity or well-known person to represent the dairy industry, who would it be and why? Personally, I think any country singer would be a good representative of the dairy industry. Although many of them may not have a direct tie to the dairy industry, I feel they are the most credible set of people in our corrupt, media-driven world. I feel over the last few years, everyone can relate to country singers and their music. I admire many of them for the values they uphold and the lives they live. If the country music industry chose to promote dairy as a whole I feel consumption would increase because of their influence.

What is one dairy product that needs better promotion? Of all the dairy products, I think that whole or fluid milk in general needs better promotion. As dairy farmers, we produce one of the most nutrient dense products in the world. We need to promote its nutritional benefits for both young and old. Consuming our product in its most natural form is something we need to push in a world of unhealthy and preservative-full alternatives.

What do you think is the most important dairy message consumers need to hear right now? Milk is the most nutrient dense, safe, pure product in the world.

Tell us about yourself and your dairy career. I grew up in Beemerville, New Jersey.  My dad was an artificial inseminator and my mom was a teacher and dairy farmer’s daughter. I started milking cows when I was in sixth grade for my mom’s cousin and fell in love with dairy farming. I grew up showing dairy cattle and bought registered Holsteins at an early age. I worked for two different dairymen throughout high school and also relief milked for many farmers. I attended Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, milked for various farmers during college and graduated with a degree in animal science. I met my wife, Vicki, soon after college and we were married in 2010. Then in 2016, I started working for her family’s dairy milking 350 cows. Her dad, brother and I manage the dairy collectively. We milk in a double-6 herringbone two times a day and still use bulls to breed our cows. My passion for the dairy industry has led me to become involved and serve on the board of the Western Iowa Dairy Alliance and Iowa State Dairy Association. I am also a delegate for the Dairy Farmers of America, the cooperative we sell our milk to. My wife and I have three children, Skylar, Austin and Cambry. I am proud of the industry that I work in and love to work with fellow dairy farmers as we promote our product.

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Shayden Hogg

Highland, Illinois

Madison County

400 cows

Tell us about the dairy promotions you are involved in both personally and collaboratively through your dairy promotion group. I am currently serving my second year as an Illinois dairy ambassador through Midwest Dairy, where I help promote the industry through outreach and events. I also recently joined the Dairy Girl Network to connect with other women in dairy. On our farm, I started an educational program where schools can take field trips or participate in our Adopt-a-Calf program. We send bi-weekly updates and even bring their calf to the classroom to help students learn more about the dairy industry.

Describe the most successful dairy promotion you are involved in. Why do you think it is so successful? The most successful dairy promotion I’m involved in is our Adopt-a-Calf program. Classrooms adopt a calf from our farm and receive bi-weekly photos, updates, dairy recipes and fun facts about dairy farming. At the end of the year, we bring the calf to their school for a hands-on visit. It’s been very rewarding because it creates a personal connection between students and the farming community, making learning about agriculture fun, memorable and interactive. It helps build trust and understanding of where their food actually comes from.

If you could promote dairy products on a regional or national level, how would you do so? I would love to expand on-farm experiences to reach more schools and families. Programs like farm field trips, hands-on activities and our Adopt-a-Calf program could be offered across the region to help more students learn where their food comes from. By giving people the chance to see how dairy farms operate and interact with the animals, we can build strong connections, promote trust in the industry, and make learning about dairy fun and memorable.

If you could choose a celebrity or well-known person to represent the dairy industry, who would it be and why? If I could choose a celebrity to represent the dairy industry, I’d pick Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He’s known for his dedication to fitness and nutrition, which fits well with promoting dairy as a great source of protein and essential nutrients. Plus, his positive and approachable personality can help connect with a wide audience and make dairy products more appealing to people of all ages.

What is one dairy product that needs better promotion? I believe regular, plain white milk needs more focused promotion. While the buzz around new and fancy dairy products is great for attracting attention to the industry, it’s important to highlight the source of all these products—plain milk itself. As the foundation of the dairy industry, milk is a nutritious, versatile product that often gets overlooked. Emphasizing its value can help consumers better understand and appreciate where all dairy products come from, strengthening their connection to the industry.

What do you think is the most important dairy message consumers need to hear right now? Dairy is a simple, natural source of essential nutrients that support health at every age. Consumers need to understand that dairy products provide important benefits like calcium for strong bones, protein for muscle growth, and vitamins that are hard to find elsewhere. At the same time, it’s crucial to communicate the care and responsibility farmers take in producing dairy sustainably and ethically. Sharing this message helps build trust and shows that dairy is both good for people and produced with respect for the environment.

Tell us about yourself and your dairy career. I am 20 years old and the fourth generation of my family’s dairy and grain operation. From a young age, some of my most cherished memories have been feeding calves and helping my dad on the farm. Even in middle school, I knew that I wanted to make a meaningful impact within the cattle community. Today, I am certified in A.I. and embryo transfer, and I am currently studying cattle genetics, intending to improve our herd through advanced genetic techniques.

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Anna Dalka

Menomonie, Wisconsin

Dunn County

Works on a 65-cow farm

Tell us about the dairy promotions you are involved in both personally and collaboratively through your dairy promotion group. I joined the Dunn County Dairy Promotion Committee in 2024 and helped with our dairy breakfast held at Gilbertson’s farm in Elk Mound. This year, I stepped up and became our committee’s co-chair and manage our website, social media and media requests. In my personal life, I post a lot about what I’ve learned about modern dairy farm operations and share photos with my friends and family of some of our special girls.

Describe the most successful dairy promotion you are involved in? Why do you think it is so successful? This year was my first time planning an event for dairy promotion, which was nerve-wracking. We had a booth at the Menomonie Farmer’s Market at the beginning of June and had a goal of giving out 50 containers of chocolate milk and interacting with as many visitors as possible. Everything went smoothly and I think putting a friendly face to the dairy industry made it successful. We have representatives from different sides of the dairy and agriculture industry on our committee and I think that helps us connect well with the general public.

If you could promote dairy products on a regional or national level, how would you do so? I think in 2025, social media is an incredibly powerful tool because it can connect you directly to consumers, especially when educating the younger generations on dairy farming. As challenging as it can be sometimes, I think capturing day-to-day tasks and posting them to social media and explaining why and how dairy farmers do certain things is helpful. I think there’s a lot of misinformation about things like animal welfare, antibiotics in milk, etc., that can be set straight through being honest and clear with consumers, utilizing social media to communicate.

If you could choose a celebrity or well-known person to represent the dairy industry, who would it be and why? Temple Grandin would be a great representative. I think about her theories on animal movement and welfare all the time when moving cows and considering lighting and shadows in our robot room. She is a pioneer for women in agriculture and has made an incredible impact on the cattle industry.

What is one dairy product that needs better promotion? I think cottage cheese is really lacking in promotion. It is a high-protein, nutritious option that can be utilized for so many different recipes. We see a lot of ads about milk and ice cream, but I can’t tell you the last time I saw someone promoting cottage cheese specifically.

What do you think is the most important dairy message consumers need to hear right now? I think reminding people that animal welfare is the main priority for dairy farmers and that there is more than one way to farm. Whether you have an organic farm that pastures their cattle or a freestall barn where cows go to a robot to be milked on their own, we are doing the absolute best to care for our animals. From nutritionists balancing their diet, to veterinarians doing herd health checks and regular visits from the hoof-trimmer, we are keeping our animals in tip-top shape.

Tell us about yourself and your dairy career. Like many consumers, I am two generations removed from the farm but still remain close. My great-grandparents on my mom’s side milked in a small stanchion barn in Hastings, Minnesota, where we held family reunions for 20-plus years after the cows left. My husband’s family still lives on the family farm in Rhinelander, Wisconsin, but the cows were sold in 2012. In my mid-20s, my exposure to dairy through my family made me want to learn more about dairy farming, so I joined my local Farm Bureau where I met my boss. He was looking for help feeding calves, so I started working a couple shifts a week in January 2024. I knew very little about cattle when I first started, but I sure learned fast. Now, nearly a year-and-a-half since I started working on the farm, I manage our calf vaccinations, help keep our records up-to-date on the computer, and keep my boss on his toes.

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Vanna Leichtfuss

Two Rivers, Wisconsin

Manitowoc County

240 cows

Tell us about the dairy promotions you are involved in both personally and collaboratively through your dairy promotion group. I am an active member of the Manitowoc County Dairy Promotions Committee. Through this organization, my kids and I are involved in many dairy promotion events throughout the year, such as breakfast on the farm, milk and cookies with Santa, and the Lakeshore Holiday Parade. At these events, we connect local consumers with those who are so passionate about the industry. My husband and I are advocates for dairy all year long, giving many tours of our dairy farm. Guests can get a first-hand look at how much work we put into taking care of our animals. I like to exhibit cows and heifers at many dairy shows throughout the summer. At the shows, specifically the Wisconsin State Fair and the Manitowoc County Fair, fairgoers often come up to me with a question about cows or the industry. I'm happy to educate them and am glad they asked an actual farmer, and not the internet.

Describe the most successful dairy promotion you are involved in? Why do you think it is so successful? Anytime I can give a tour of our active dairy farm, I consider that to be the most successful promotion. Building trust with consumers and educating them on all we do for our land and animals is very important. Guests leave with a better understanding of why we do what we do. The same thing happens after guests attend an event like breakfast on the farm. Being able to reach several thousand people and having made that connection between farmer and consumer is fantastic.

If you could promote dairy products on a regional or national level, how would you do so? On a personal level, I am always promoting dairy products, talking up all my recent or outstanding dairy product finds, such as an amazing new cheese or a delicious new flavor of ice cream I have discovered.

If you could choose a celebrity or well-known person to represent the dairy industry, who would it be and why? One well-known person who definitely represents the industry well is Modern Day Farm Chick (aka Annaliese Wegner), who does an amazing job informing the public about how farmers take care of their cattle and land. She keeps it real. She is so down to earth.

What is one dairy product that needs better promotion? A dairy product needing better promotion is milk itself. Milk seems to get somewhat lost in the thousands of beverages available on store shelves.

What do you think is the most important dairy message consumers need to hear right now? Dairymen work tirelessly to have happy, healthy and productive cows that provide us with high-quality milk that can be made into many other awesome dairy products.

Tell us about yourself and your dairy career. My husband, Mark, and I own and operate Milkinaire Dairy, where we milk 210 registered Holsteins and a few registered Ayrshires. We grow corn, alfalfa, soybeans, wheat and four children on this farm.

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Sara Fischer (pictured with husband, Paul)

Owen, Wisconsin

Clark County

90 cows

Tell us about the dairy promotions you are involved in both personally and collaboratively through your dairy promotion group. We are members of the Clark County Dairy Promotion Committee, working alongside others to organize dairy promotion events during June Dairy Month and beyond. Our committee actively supports our local FFA chapters, hosting seven dairy breakfasts across the county, reaching over 10,000 consumers each year.  Our family collaborates with the Owen-Withee School District during the first week of their summer school program, bringing the farm experience directly to the students, educating gthem about the dairy industry. We take great pride in sharing key facts about the dairy industry. Through these efforts, we aim to foster a greater understanding and appreciation for the hard work and dedication behind Wisconsin's dairy industry.

Describe the most successful dairy promotion you are involved in? Why do you think it is so successful? Our most successful dairy promotion event is the Little Britches Show, held during the Clark County Fair. Each year, over 50 children ages 4-9 show a calf, many for the first time. Throughout the event, we engage the audience with dairy-themed trivia and door prizes, creating a fun and interactive environment, sharing important information about the dairy industry. This event allows us to connect with more than 300 consumers, promoting the role of our hardworking farmers and highlighting the next generation of youth involved in dairy. Each participant receives a promotional goodie bag. The Little Britches Show continues to be a favorite tradition, fostering a love for agriculture while educating the public about the vital role dairy plays in our community.

If you could promote dairy products on a regional or national level, how would you do so? We would focus on reaching consumers in large cities to share the story of the dairy industry. It is essential to meet these consumers where they are — in settings and with language that resonates with them. Many urban consumers are several generations removed from the farm and often have little firsthand knowledge of where their food comes from. To bridge that gap, we believe in bringing the story of dairy farming directly to their communities through approachable, engaging experiences. Local events, community gatherings, or specialty experiences — such as wine and cheese pairings — provide a perfect platform to showcase not only the versatility of dairy products but also the dedication and hard work of the farmers behind them. By making these connections in an enjoyable, relatable way, we can foster a greater appreciation for the dairy industry while highlighting the high-quality products Wisconsin and the dairy community have to offer.

If you could choose a celebrity or well-known person to represent the dairy industry, who would it be and why? Jordan Love is more than just a football player — he is a leader who brings people together through their shared passion for the Green Bay Packers. As one of the most well-known and beloved teams in the nation, the Packers have a dedicated fan base that extends far beyond Wisconsin, reaching millions of fans across the country. Partnering with the Green Bay Packers for dairy promotion efforts would present an incredible opportunity to connect with thousands of consumers at every game and event. The team's broad reach, combined with the pride and loyalty of its fan base, makes it a powerful platform for sharing the story of the dairy industry and the hardworking farmers behind it.

What is one dairy product that needs better promotion? Yogurt is a nutritious, versatile dairy product that offers numerous health benefits. It serves as a convenient meal on its own or as a satisfying snack. Packed with essential nutrients like calcium, protein and probiotics, yogurt supports bone health, aids digestion and contributes to overall wellness. Its versatility makes it an easy addition to breakfast, smoothies or even savory dishes, providing both great taste and nutritional value.

What do you think is the most important dairy message consumers need to hear right now? The dairy industry is safe, wholesome, nutritious and sustainable. Dairy farmers take great pride in producing high-quality, nutritious products while caring for their animals, protecting the environment and ensuring food safety. Consumers are more engaged than ever when it comes to learning where their food comes from and its impact on the world around them. The dairy industry is proud to meet this interest with transparency and innovation. From improved animal care practices to investments in renewable energy, water conservation and soil health, dairy farmers are committed to preserving the natural resources that make dairy production possible. The dedication to sustainability is not new; it is a way of life for dairy farm families, many caring for the same land for generations, wanting to ensure it remains productive for generations to come.

Dairy products are delicious and packed with essential nutrients that support strong bones, healthy bodies and active lifestyles. Dairy is one of the most affordable sources of high-quality nutrition, making it an important part of daily diets for families around the world. When consumers choose dairy they are doing more than bringing wholesome food to the table — they are supporting hardworking farm families, rural communities and an industry that is deeply committed to producing safe, nutritious food in a sustainable way.

Tell us about yourself and your dairy career. I was raised on my family’s 15-cow dairy farm in Luxemburg, Wisconsin. When I married my husband, Paul, in 1996, I joined his farm, where we currently farm together. We manage a herd of 90 registered Holsteins and Jerseys, and farm 275 acres planted with corn, alfalfa and soybeans. My primary responsibilities include managing the herd and overseeing our calf program. Together we have raised two sons, Matthew and Jacob, on the farm.