We started farming conventionally in 1983; the real fun started in 1993 when the grazing bug bit Bert! He went to a grazing conference where the concept of Management-intensive Grazing took root. On May 5th, 1993 our cows were out on grass. We saw such great improvement in our cow’s health that first year that we were sold on the health benefits of grazing. Now our entire farm is used for rotationally grazing our 85 head of cross-bred dairy cows. In addition to the health benefits for the animals, the operation requires less labor, less machinery, less fuel use, provides minimal erosion and better soil health, as well as providing more free time to enjoy our family and other interests. It has all made such sense to us that we believe the health of the animals and farm environment is directly related to the holistic approach of Management-intensive Grazing (MiG). Our next goal was to create a value-added product with our grass-based milk.

We have been married for 24 years and have four children: Becky – age 21, Meagan - 19, Adam - 15, and Dylan - 12, all who are active helpers on the farm. Bert has been involved in the grazing movement, serving on several boards and as the past president of the Dane Green Graziers. Bert has an Ag-Education degree from UW-River Falls and Trish has a Bachelors degree in Nursing from UW-Eau Claire. Go Grass!

We began dairy farming conventionally in 1983. From humble beginnings in a share-operation, we moved to a 60 acre, rental operation in 1985. Then in 1992 we purchased our current 137 acre family farm near Belleville, Wisconsin.