Women in Dairy: Inga Orth

Tell us about your family and farm. I operate St. Isidore’s Dairy in western Wisconsin. I moved here in 2006 to start my own dairy farm and began by milking about 40 cows while also raising dry cows and youngstock. I am a fourth-generation dairy farmer but am the first in my family to establish a dairy here in Wisconsin. For many years, I owned and operated the farm independently. In 2016, I married my husband, Chance, and we began shaping the next chapter of the farm together. In 2019, we both became licensed cheesemakers and began producing cheese from our cows’ milk. Today, we operate one of the smallest licensed dairies in the state, producing a traditional raw milk, cloth-bound cheddar from six Jersey cows. Our herd grazes about 28 acres using a managed intensive grazing system, which allows us to focus on soil health, animal care and producing milk that reflects the grazing season.

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? I like to wake up early and spend the first hour of the morning quietly — answering emails, reading or simply enjoying the peace before the day begins. Chores start when the sun comes up, so the schedule shifts with the seasons. Our cows stay on pasture year-round and come into the barn only for milking or shelter from the weather. In the winter, I bale graze hay on the pasture, which returns nutrients to the soil and keeps chores simple. I also use a calf-share system, which means the cows raise their calves themselves on pasture. That system has simplified chores and resulted in strong, healthy calves. Two or three days each week, I move the milk to the creamery and spend the day making cloth-bound cheddar. In the afternoon, I return to pasture work, business tasks and community events before evening milking. In the fall, we transition to once-a-day milking before drying the herd off in December.

What decision have you made in the last year that has benefited your farm? The most important decision I made was taking advantage of the Wisconsin Farmer Wellness Program. I meet with a therapist once a week, and it has had a profound impact on both my life and my farm. Learning how to talk about the challenges of farming, process them and take care of my own well-being has made me a better farmer, partner and member of my community. When the farmer is healthier and thinking clearly, the entire farm benefits. The wellness program offers free and confidential counseling to farmers, and I’m incredibly grateful the program exists.

Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. One moment that still makes me laugh happened while filming my PBS television series, “Around the Farm Table.” We were filming near the barn shortly after a cow had calved. I was getting ready to deliver my line when the cow behind me pushed out her afterbirth. The cameraman had never seen anything like that before and was absolutely convinced the cow’s organs were falling out and she was dying. I turned around, realized what had happened, and calmly helped pull the placenta away while he looked on in horror.

What have you enjoyed the most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Seeing what the cows have done for the land. When I first bought the land, it had been farmed pretty hard, and there wasn’t much diversity in the pastures. Over the years, through grazing and letting cows return nutrients to the soil, the land has slowly come back to life. Today, there are grassland birds, pollinators and insects here that weren’t present when I started. The pastures are healthier, more diverse and more resilient. Watching that transformation happen over time has been one of the most rewarding parts of dairy farming. The cows aren’t just producing milk; they’re helping rebuild an ecosystem.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? My biggest accomplishment is still being here. I started farming when I was 24 years old, and I don’t think many people expected I’d still be doing it 20 years later. There have been plenty of moments where the easier choice would have been to walk away. Instead, I kept adapting. Over time, I downsized the herd, became a licensed cheesemaker and began turning the milk from our cows into our own product. Hearing younger women say they look at my farm as an example of what’s possible means a great deal to me.

What things do you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? For more than a decade, I created and hosted a PBS television series called “Around the Farm Table,” which aired nationwide as well as in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The show focused on highlighting Wisconsin agriculture and the farmers who produce our food. Today, I continue that work through my social media platform, “Unpasteurized Inga,” where I share about life on the farm and speak openly about farmer mental health. I also enjoy hosting farm visits and speaking about agriculture. This fall, I’ll be releasing a cookbook memoir that shares stories from the farm along with recipes that celebrate dairy and ingredients produced by Wisconsin farmers.

What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Trust your knowledge and don’t shrink yourself to make others comfortable. Women have always been part of agriculture, even if that work hasn’t always been recognized. If you’re doing the work — milking the cows, managing the land, making decisions — then you belong in every conversation about the farm. Don’t allow yourself to be intimidated or talked over. Speak up, ask questions and stand confidently in your role. Agriculture needs capable, thoughtful people and there is a place for women in every part of this industry.

What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced and how did you overcome it? The lack of control over milk prices. For many years, I shipped milk and waited to be told what the price would be each month. It was difficult to build a stable farm business when so much of the financial picture was out of my hands. Instead of continuing to ship milk as a commodity, I became a licensed cheesemaker and began turning the milk from our cows into our own product. By making and selling cheese, I moved from being a price taker to a price maker. That shift gave me more control over the future of the farm and allowed me to build a system that works better for both the land and my life.

When you get a spare moment, what do you do? When I get a spare moment, you’ll almost always find me at a thrift store or a garage sale. I love the treasure hunt. After long days on the farm, wandering through a thrift shop and seeing what turns up is one of my favorite ways to unwind.