Women in Dairy: Becky Clark

Tell us about your family and farm. I am proud to be the fourth generation operating our family’s dairy farm. I began farming in 2014, and today we milk 680 cows near Rollingstone. The farm started in 1945, when we sold milk to the Rollingstone Creamery Co., which was bought by Land ‘O Lakes Inc. We have been shipping our milk there ever since.

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? Every morning I catch up on office and accounting work, then I check on all the cows and employees. I take care of anything that needs to be repaired or doctored. I work in the field tending crops and stay busy with other projects around the farm. I also take inventory and make necessary purchases.

Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. One of the most memorable and challenging experiences was when our barn roof collapsed in the blizzard of 2019. We lost 14 first-lactation cows. This is definitely a day I wouldn’t want to relive, but we managed through and made some improvements for the cows as we rebuilt.

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I really enjoy learning new things; the dairy industry is always changing. It’s fun to continue to do a better job taking care of our cows and seeing them thrive.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? Some big milestones were buying my first farm and building my first barn. I really enjoy making improvements on the farm to do a better job of taking care of the cows or making the work easier for my employees.

What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I hosted my county’s family night on the farm in 2025. This year we also hosted one of the stops on the genetics tour put on by Select Sires Inc. Every year I work in the malt booth for our local American Dairy Association at the county fair.

What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Keep yourself surrounded by good people who want to see you succeed. Don’t be afraid to make and continue making changes. What works today may not work next week.

What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced, and how did you overcome it? Working to get our somatic cell count down so our co-op has more options on places to ship our milk. We’ve changed sand types, cleaned out the backs of stalls every year, kept cows’ tails trimmed, put in cow brushes and dialed in our milking equipment.

When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I enjoy driving in the countryside and stopping at small-town antique stores or finding a new restaurant. It’s a simple way to unwind, slow down and enjoy the charm of living in the country.