Women in Dairy: Jennifer Clark

Tell us about your family and farm. I currently live in La Crosse County, where I house and raise mostly Guernsey and Brown Swiss show heifers. I will be relocating to Cashton, Wisconsin, next year with my finace, Jason, and will continue to raise and show heifers. I am also a classifier for the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders’ Association of the USA and spend a lot of time traveling the country for my job.

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? Since I currently only have heifers at home, a typical day for me starts in the morning with feeding. All the heifers get a specific ration tailored toward the individual, so measuring and weighing things is key, along with making sure they have enough hay for the day. In the evening, they are rinsed, walked and fed again before I give them their evening hay. A day on the road as a classifier is very different. The day usually starts early and sometimes goes later. I usually can score at several farms per day, depending on how many cows they have and the distance between the dairies. I spend a lot of time on the road, driving to each place and sleeping in a lot of hotels.

What decision have you made in the last year that has benefited your farm? One thing I have done to accelerate my genetic progress is to in vitro fertilize some really good animals and use some of my other heifers as recipients. I’ve found this is cost effective and a way to increase my numbers on a cow family. It also gives me the opportunity to sell embryos as well, which is an additional source of income and helps cover the cost.

Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. I have a lot of memories that stick out from traveling the last 15 years for the Brown Swiss association. My favorite as a classifier is when I scored a young man’s cow Very Good. He had skipped school to stay home until I got there so he could present his cow himself instead of his parents. He was all smiles at the end of the day.

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? The cows are the reason we go out, but the people and places I meet and get the pleasure of working with are what makes my job the best. I have been fortunate to score cows in almost the entire lower 48 states in the United States. I always admire the fall colors when I head East; I love the mountains in the West and the ocean when I’m in Oregon.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? When I was in college at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, my dairy judging team won the collegiate contest at World Dairy Expo, and I was the high individual of that contest. I would call that one of my biggest achievements and an experience that opened many doors in the dairy industry after that. I have been a classifier for 15 years and have had the privilege to score Brown Swiss, Guernseys, Milking Shorthorns, Ayrshires, Linebackers and Dutch Belts. I’ve also had the opportunity to be an official in the Hoards Dairyman judging contest, numerous college contests and help select cattle for the World Dairy Expo judging contests. I’ve judged shows and fairs in 15 different states. I’ve also met some amazing friends, colleagues and dairymen and women from around the globe.

What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? Things I do to promote my farm is breed and show cattle under my prefix, JC Swiss and Guernseys. I also lease several animals out to area youth each year, as well as my cousin, Danica Stello, to show and help them learn about the dairy industry. Most of these youth don’t live on an actual dairy, so giving them hands-on experience and learning all aspects of cattle husbandry and showing that animal at a show is the end goal. I have worked with 10 youth so far, and a lot of them have gone on to pursue interests in agriculture.

What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? My advice is to set goals and work toward them. As long as you’re going forward, you will reach your goal. Yes, it may take some time, but it is so rewarding to achieve a goal no matter how small. Everyone is in the same boat, so never be afraid to lean on another person or ask for help.

What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced, and how did you overcome it? The biggest challenge we face right now is the shrinking number of farms. This is definitely a career that is challenging, but on the flip side, it can be so rewarding. Maintaining profitability is key to success in any operation. Hopefully, we can find a way to encourage youth to stay in agriculture and help build the next generation of dairy.

When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I’m not sure what spare time means. Since I travel for work a lot, I enjoy staying home, getting a visit from my grown son, Spencer, or going to a cattle show.