A Day on a Family Dairy Farm

Wisconsin farms are the heart and soul of our state. Farms in Wisconsin range from small family farms all the way up to large corporate run farms. The goal of this ongoing project is to capture the essence of what helped make Wisconsin what it is today and to capture the old smaller farms that I can before they are lost forever. Many of the smaller farms that I have already been to are old family farms that have been operated by generations of the same family. Many of the farmers I talked to at these smaller farms say that it is getting harder and harder for them to keep running the farms as they are. Many of these are old dairy farms which are becoming less common place then the larger more modern operations which are taking their place across the Wisconsin countryside. This family farm located in central Wisconsin, milk a breed of mainly Normande cattle.

Location: Carlson Family Farm

“About 97 percent of the nation’s 2.1 million farms are considered family-owned operations”

National Agricultural Statistics Service

“We have neglected the truth that a good farmer is a craftsman of the highest order, a kind of artist.”

Wendell Berry

“Our farms are important. They produce everything from meat, dairy, vegetables & fruits, to grains. I think it’s very important for us, as a country, to make sure our farms not only continue, but do everything we can to help them thrive.”

Rachel Carlson

Are You Ready?