Fitzgerald farm reimagined

BELVIDERE, Ill. — When Sarah Fitzgerald was on the cusp of starting her career as a dairy farmer, her family had to sell their cows. It was a devastating time for the Fitzgeralds, and Sarah was left uncertain of her future. The senior in high school had to pivot from her original plan, but she eventually found her way.

“It was really hard for me because that’s all I wanted to do,” Sarah Fitzgerald said. “My mom made me go to college, and I did not want to go. I knew whatever I did in my life, it had to be ag-related or I wasn’t doing it.”

Today, the 25-year-old milks nine cows near Belvidere on a farm she and her family spent numerous years restoring to its current splendor. Sarah has a permit to sell raw milk and also makes bars of soap from her cows’ milk. In addition, she milks cows at another dairy farm and works part time for the Winnebago-Boone Farm Bureau as an Ag in the Classroom educator.

“If you would have asked me five years ago if I would be selling raw milk or making soap someday, I would have said, ‘You’re crazy. That would never happen.’ But here we are,” Sarah said.

Sarah runs Sarah Fitz Holsteins and Jerseys with help as needed from her parents, Dale and Lisa, who are fueling the passion they handed down to their daughter. Sarah comes from a family of dairy farmers on both sides and is the fourth generation in her family to farm.

“Agriculture runs deep in our family,” Lisa Fitzgerald said. “My husband didn’t want to give up the milking; that was his whole life.”

On June 27, the Fitzgeralds hosted the dairy breakfast for Winnebago and Boone counties, welcoming 1,300 people to their picturesque farm. From flowers blooming in containers fashioned from livestock waterers to neatly landscaped yards surrounding red and white buildings, decorative touches greet the eye everywhere.

Sarah began selling raw milk this summer and said she is particular about ensuring cleanliness throughout the entire process.

“If you’re going to sell a raw product, you have to make sure you’re selling a good-quality product,” she said.

Customers enter the milk house through glass doors where they are greeted by bright white walls, shiny silver piping, and decor of a country flair. Making a good first impression is important to Sarah.

“I wanted this to be warm and welcoming,” she said. “We want to set a good example; we want people to drink milk. There are a lot of crazy things that go around about the dairy industry that aren’t true, so it’s always good to set up something positive.”

Milk is stored in a 50-gallon tank. Sarah said customers are required by law to bring their own milk jug, which they must fill themselves. Sarah will soon be upgrading to a 500-gallon milk tank as her production increases.

Some customers buy a gallon, while others get 30 gallons to make cheese and yogurt. One person bought 50 gallons on three occasions. One week, Sarah sold nearly 200 gallons. If she has excess milk, a nearby pig farmer purchases it.

Sarah’s customers include neighbors as well as people who see her advertisements on Facebook and others she gains through word of mouth. A fun aspect for Sarah is interacting with customers who are experiencing a dairy farm for the first time.

“A lot of people come from Chicago, and they’ve never seen or pet a cow before,” she said. “This is kind of a perfect area for them to see a dairy farm, even though it’s a small one, and they can come and pet the cows. It’s been cool having people see the animals and educating adults who come in from the city.”

The Fitzgeralds bought their farm in 2015 but did not move there until 2019. The property was a foreclosure and needed a lot of tender loving care. However, it had a nice shop, which was something Sarah’s dad was looking for.

Sarah grew up 5 miles away on a dairy farm that her family had called home for 30 years. Operating the farm on shares, Sarah’s parents had to sell their 80-cow herd when the people they rented from decided to sell.

“I kept a couple of my 4-H heifers because I didn’t want to sell them,” Sarah said.

Sarah earned a 2-year college degree and also did an internship at Budjon Farms near Lomira, Wisconsin, where she learned how to care for dairy show animals.

“It was the best experience,” Sarah said. “I love showing, and I learned so much. I’m first generation in my family to show, so I wanted to go to Budjon to learn more.”

Sarah exhibits at shows of every level – from her county fair to World Dairy Expo. In 2022, Sarah’s Jersey heifer, Colby Jack, won supreme champion of the junior show at WDE. This summer, Sarah won grand champion at the Illinois State Show with her cow, Comet, and continues to build upon the genetics in her herd.

The Fitzgeralds’ barn was remodeled from top to bottom and contains nine tie stalls for milking and two big box stalls for housing calves and heifers. The Fitzgeralds retained the original siding on the barn but put in new windows and doors. They also converted a pen pack shed into a 15-stall freestall barn to house the milking herd and dry cows.

“We used the structures that were here,” Lisa said.

Sarah started out milking with a portable milker, but to sell raw milk, the Fitzgeralds had to install a pipeline.

“Tri-County Dairy Supply helped us tremendously to get everything set up to sell raw milk,” Lisa said.

Sarah began making soap after her first calf was born on the farm in April 2025, as she wanted to find a use for its dam’s milk.

“I was swirling through Facebook and saw a goat milk soap ad and was like, ‘I wonder if you can make soap out of cow’s milk?’” Sarah said. “I did some research, and it turns out that yes, you can.”

Her all-natural soap is available in nine scents, including fall favorites like pumpkin spice and apple cinnamon and Christmas varieties like gingerbread and frost bite. Summer scents, such as cherry blossom and honeysuckle, are selling out quickly. Sold in seven local stores as well as at farmer’s markets, Sarah said her soap has been going over well.

Hard work, perseverance and unfailing help from family and friends have helped dreams come to life for a girl whose No.1 goal in life was to be a dairy farmer. Sarah’s heart for the dairy cow is second only to the connections she has made thus far on the journey.

“The people I’ve met in the dairy industry have been amazing,” Sarah said. “They’re like a second family to me.”