Trautman Family Farm

No one sets out to be 'unsafe'. And there is no magical line of 'safe' - it is a fuzzy line that moves in time, based on understanding of the situation. We can be across that line by a good margin -- or hugging the line.

Our approach is one of being across the line by a good margin, yet well within the limits of practicality on the farm, vs. a large milk processor environment. Today I will give some outline to what we mean by safe raw milk.

Raw Milk Safety at Trautman Family Farm

#1: Attitude towards safety: Job 1. Each day we think safety; it is not an afterthought, it is not something we think about when an inspector is due to show up, it is a minute to minute thought about what we are doing.

How do we keep the focus? We meet regularly; monthly sit down, weekly informally, daily continuous observation.

#2: Training: I have attended the Producing Safe Dairy Products short course, I get good information from the UW Extension's Milk Quality website. There are additional resources specifically on safe raw milk as well that I am familiar with. I believe ongoing training/review is a  great way to stay focused on safety overall, and current issues.

I am our "safety officer" - which means I am responsible for ongoing education, presentation of new material, looking for possible safety issues and getting them incorporated in written documentation. Although the safety job is for everyone, one person needs be responsible for coordinating the effort. That's me here -- it really varies by dynamic from farm to farm.

#3: Documentation: We are producing documents: for training, for operation, to share. The act of writing it out formalizes practices, but amazingly puts a discipline to what you're talking about and an order. Often issues are presented in novel ways by insisting on documenting them. If you can't explain it: You probably don't understand it. (ode to teachers)

Our goal is a HACCP-like document.

#4:  Well developed testing protocols, feedback mechanisms, monitoring & check-and-balance systems.

We are human and capable of mistakes. Therefore we plan  on systems to check our own work, and ideally, immediate feedback on unsafe practices. These are situations we create:

- operating procedures with 2nd person checking. Checks & balances: Between Julie & Scott - excellent communication - and Don Warren (microbiologist and sanitation expert) & Art Johnson (former dairy fieldman & dairy process expert). We are fortunate to have these kinds of resources monitoring us and helping establish better safety systems.

For example, how can we double check pipeline & bulktank cleanliness, monitor system performance. Regular equipment checking: Ph strips for wash water, chlorine strips for sanitizing performance, visual/smell checks, identification of 'critical points' of hazard entry....all documented. Maintenance schedules. Inspections. Data such as time/temperature. Complaint log. Event log.

- documentation trail for review and learning. Telling the story of safety!

#5: Holistic nature of safety: Whole-istic: Safety is NOT just sanitation! It includes everything; the people, the animals, the farm, our customers. Healthy begets healthy. Add great sanitation and  you have a very safe environment.

#6: Healthy farm, healthy cows, conscientous farmers, healthy milk.

Healthy farm: Excellent soil fertility - nutrient managment - diversity - monitoring - attention. See our soil reports! See our organic certification inspection reports (excellent)

Healthy cows: Very few disease events (talk to my Veterinarian!), robust healthy immune systems, low stress, monitoring (or as we call it, knowing your cow's names and everything about them), healthy diet appropriate to the animal.

Healthy milk:

- Excellent job of udder cleaning,(see our milkline filters) low cow/work ratio for excellent monitoring & cleaning time. 2 milkers per operator (instead of 4 plus). Well thought through routines & roles.

- Mastek mastitis checker used daily; (seen and unseen issues)

-very little on our milk filters: there are no 'whoops' recovery with pasteurization and we know it!

- intensive monitoring of udder health via DHIA and milk pickup reports,  overall coliform count, plate count, somatic cell (SCC) all well into the excellent range. For example, 80% of our cows have a SCC of under 70,000 -- under 100,000 is considered 'perfect udder health'. Our overall SCC is around 100,000.

- monthly pathogen testing routine (salmonella, listeria, E157:H7 E:Coli, Campylabacter)

Conscientious farmers: taking great care in filling of containers, great recordkeeping, sampling (we sample whenever milk is taken out of bulk storage), sanitary practices for ourselves - and communicated clearly to our customers as well.

Producing safe raw milk products is an honor and great responsibility. We understand the liability if anyone were ever to be hurt: our practices and relentless pursuit of better safety show that. This is an advantage of the owner-operator system that can't be duplicated en-masse on larger farms or in the milk processor environment -- where they do have their advantages of scale: this is - an advantage to the small family business.

Our goal is to document well enough our entire process such that any potential customer has a clear insight into how we operate, what kinds of risks there are - so they can make a reasoned decision for themselves and their family. As of now it is a farm tour and discussion with Scott prior to any type of transaction. Where else can you get that level of knowledge? From a food nutrition label? An ingredients list? Some PR BS from the company that makes it all look like cows never poop and the sun shines twenty four hours a day?

Getting close to your food -- your farmer -- is an essential part of this, and is by its nature -- special and worthy of extra consideration.

In looking at this: You ought take away the impression we are serious about safety. We can be trusted! Our milk IS safe and we deserve every bonus in creating this quality situation.

I am thrilled to discuss particulars - metrics - of our system with anyone.

In love,

 

Scott Trautman, Safe and Proud Wisconsin Dairyman

For two weeks, ending only start of this week, I have been waking up every day at 3:01am. And that's it; I'm up, no use fighting that. So I do get up, I make myself a Latte -- a big glass of my milk, just a bit of brown sugar, and espresso coffee. I give a check to the 'overnight' email; see what's new, where'd I leave off yesterday's emails.

It's Scottland. Where I'm free to focus on what's going on, undisturbed.

Until around 6am, when the rest of the troops fall in for breakfast.

By 7am, kids off to the bus, 15 minutes of eat and clean up and sort out the day with Julie. By 8:30, on a good day: Milking. Okay, at least by 9. Done by 10:30 and ready to feed. Julie's filling orders, I'm talking on the phone. The cows understand.

Think positive! Dream some!

I'd like....

- To get the old folks together that knew this place way back when together to tell stories.

- A whole neighborhood party. The Skaalen neighborhood: West: Hwy N, East: Tower Road. North: Hwy B. South Hwy 51. Shut down the end of Pleasant springs road, and all on that 4 acre piece on that corner (bales at west edge)

- Hold a Milkstock benefit in Spring/Summer 2010. A weekend of great music, speakers, food -- and great people. Benefit Strong Farms Fund.

- To talk to my neighbors Dale & Sandy & Howard & Carmen about our dreams. And if they like, I'd love to listen to theirs; their story.

- To add Dale's East 40 -- to us South 40 -- soil build 2010, pasture plant 2011, full graze w/organic 2012. Trautman's milk 40, 120 total stock.

- See either the old Sjkolas place + 80 acres bought from Howard

- The old __________ place + 60 acres bought from Howard 

- To add a 2nd farm & farmer here, in this neighborhood. Farm family. Dairy even. Starting 2010!

- To live in peace with Food Safety. We don't hurt people. We help people, and we do it safely. Suggest away, but help not assault.

- To find a way to get our milk made into something people - regular people - can benefit from. Cheese? Yogurt? Kefir? Raw milk? In 2010.

- To have a great Raw Milk bill in 2010. One that no one is in love with, but everyone can live with. Then lets get to work on the longest event free farm buildin' times we ever did see. Family Farms Win: Wisconsin Wins!

- To continue to attract into my life such interesting, beautiful people as I have this year especially. So very blessed we are.

- To increase the family interaction out here at the farm. Big Family is what it is, Big Family.

- And the same peace and prosperity to you!

First you have to envision it. Then start breaking it down into pieces....

in Love,

Scott Trautman, Thought Test Pilot (early am) Proud Wisconsin Dairyman (the rest of the time)
 

 

Dairy Happy

in Wisconsin 

Anyone guessed that I love my work? Even in the face of crisis, like now, I know what I was put here on this planet for. To farm, to dairy, to teach; these are my passions. Add in there -- to innovate -- a restless curiosity and need to move forward -- especially in an area like dairy that has been heading in a non-constructive direction since....well...that 50 years again. Opportunity! Love it!

I love all of my work, even the parts some would say are redundant, don't you hate the routine of chores? No, I really don't -- some tasks I do, including, say, fieldwork -- time on the tractor - I put to good use. Thinking time. Thinking positively -- thinking about a problem - thinking sometimes about nothing, wham, there it comes. A thought. Incoming!

How to make less milk.

I know how! Pick me! I know  it!

What? Less milk? Yep -- less milk. Taken by itself, yes, that is wacko-crazo-nutballiness. You mean, feed the same feed, all the same
costs, but make less milk? No! I mean

reduce costs by at or more than the amount of milk you don't make

put more milk towards alternatives to shipping it - that have surprising benefits

Imagine: If instead of the deathrace each farmer has on in a poor price dairy market (oversupply) like this: make as much milk as possible, and hope your money lasts longer than your neighbors before markets recover: Somebody Has To Go, Let it Be My Neighbor and Not Me.

What if -- each farmer instead reduced the amount of milk they made by 15-20% -- and reduced their costs by a little more -- 20-25%. And preserved their ability to go back up that 15-20% at any time.

Here's what we're doing: 

- feeding high quality, but 1st crop hay. Keeping the good stuff for when we need to make milk -- or for sale even.

- not feeding any supplements other than minimum salt & kelp, Ah: but we've earned the right. Have you? Soil Fertility program & good haymaking are the heroes.

- maintaining body condition because of high quality and all grass background and probably also due to us milking once a day.

- growing calves longer -- heifer or steer - dairy or meat - with milk: we leave calves with cows. This last group of calves got an extra 3-4 weeks of momma's milk: It WILL pay off in the future - nice big healthy calves. Project out 2 years from now: Beautiful, and ready to serve.

- chickens - hogs - get quite a bit of milk - premium quality products from milk-fed animals

- our pets: cheap dogfood it is lately, but supplement with high quality milk: better health and vitality

- NOT feeding the oversupply of milk in the system. I think most dairymen could haul back on the corn to about nothing -- and see milk come down, but health go up. But you need quality forages -- balanced grass & legume -- energy -- carbohydrates -- is the issue. Get off the "I make big milk" kick. The game is survival; the big game is happiness. We're happy: we're not on a treadmill, we're not a money for agribusiness machine.

- when we're low on carbs? Molasses, fat supplement in a mineral mix. Individually or group: and I am watching how my cows are - there are 2 that are less conditioned than the rest. Cull? Not our future? Experiment with the individual supplement. Close monitoring. Daily!

- mastitis treatments: I listened to David Engel, great organic dairyman who no longer does much treatment of mastitis in his herd. First, he doesn't have much mastitis. We are getting there too -- wow, great number on my girls from last DHIA - super healthy udders - super healthy cows. They get rid of a low level, high cell quarter -- and that's all it usually is for us - in their own time. We have an alternative use for their milk: the chickens: and we don't spend a lot of money on medicines that end up being less  than effective anyway. Massage/mint oil; maybe some garlic, aloe, but really, we used to know how to spend money on an organic treatment. We're to the point where we don't need to. It goes down on its own, in its own time, which can be a day or two -- or a month -- even a lactation.

Other than the sub clinical mastitis - no health issues. We have one sore. One foot corn. A couple cows with chappy teats. That's it. We run cheap and don't need any vaccines, no medicines, no vet visits, no nothing. All a part of the benefits package of no grain and high quality forages. No lost calves, no calving problems, no ketosis, no milk fever, no da's, no lameness, no laminitis, no halitosis. That's bad breath and that's my problem not theirs.

Refigure your costs now: health budget next to zero. Insignificant.

- calf raising  costs: $0

- calf loss: $0

- cleanup/handling/feeding: $0

- quality calves: Super High

- PRICELESS!

- we figure 10% of lactation: 300 days -- so 10% - of milk production allocated to our calves. Say tops, 15%. A guy can change his milk by 15% no problem with some ration changes. So then you get the calf for free! Or at least figure it based on what it took you to get 15% more milk, if that's how you want to do it. We do not futz with calves here ever. Momma does that until weaning, and at weaning, we just still don't have any problems.

- once again: Our saved time - not running around the farm doing jobs the animals would rather do themselves - is utilized in a diversified farm. Marketing to individuals. (you know every one of you could have your own customers: even if it were a dozen family & friends: That is an economic impact to your farm. And trust me: It is so nice to hear from people: Wow, love your work.)

- we save enough on simplicity -- and time -- time we use to diversify -- with the meats for example -- so that we are never backed into a corner.

- conduct our finances responsibly and have a reserve to buffer setbacks like this dairy crisis has been. Buffer you build: I can last one month now. Now 2. Now 3, from what I have the discipline to put away. What if every dairyman could last 6 months reducing milk output by 20%? What would be the effect on prices?

- crisis like this puts a guy in the position to really think everything over top to bottom. There's been changes in our household. I noticed wow, quite a lot less garbage going out. What's going on? Less packaging. Packaging = purchase. And food: More from nature, more from our farm - and other local farms, more time allocated to cooking and family. Perfect! We drive so very much less. In a peak, we could be spending $300+ per month on gas. How about less than $100 when I use this computer to communicate, stay on the farm, we make our trips efficient -- and local -- into our coop, to the library, combine trips. Re-allocate our food money on quality raw ingredients we can prepare ourselves. Result? More vigorous health, more energy, a drawing together of the family. (Quinn is the kid with the cooking interest!) 

An aside, but tragic: Talked to a 70's winner of "Farmer of the Year". He was having severe stray voltage problems. Spending huge money arguing, fixing, still problems. Did you learn anything from this, other than about stray voltage, get any ideas? Nope. Really: No. Then indeed it is nothing but a bad situation. My one thought to him -- in one ear and right out the other -- is GET THE COWS OUTSIDE, no stray voltage out there, minimize contact to stray voltage. Nope, keep 'em in the building. Sheesh! That is a dedication to futility to stand the ages.

- how we look at thing: Positively: We cannot help but take good from no matter what bad we think it starts off being. We're coming out the other side of this STRONGER -- WAY STRONGER than we went in. Lessons learned -- to handle any situation. I told a friend and they didn't quite understand me when I said, "I'm functional under a wide range of conditions". Good times: enjoying, appreciating, taking advantage of in its own unique ways: Bad times: NOT really bad times, challenging times: reevaluation times. Resting times, and expansion times. Defense, attack, hold. There are challenges and solutions. When you're out of solutions: you schedule the sale. There is no sale now, not any time I can think of in the works for Trautman Family Farm. We're needed! 

We're happy in our work - we're happy in our life - and our joy is spreading, as it is in abundance. Come get a heaping helping any time!

Scott Trautman, Proud Wisconsin Dairyman 

My friend Pete Hardin, who is editor/writer/passion behind The Milkweed, called me yesterday morning, to tell me "some things", but especially about an ad he placed for me in his latest issue of the Milkweed, which I just got yesterday. So here's the ad:

WANTED: Single-Axle, Bulk Milk Truck

A Wisconsin dairy producer, Scott Trautman, wants to purchase a used, single-axle, bulk milk truck in good running condition. The truck must meet applicable Grade A sanitary codes.

Surely, somewhere in some milk hauler's shed or back lot, there's an old-timer from the 1960's, 1970s or 1980s that deserves a new life patrolling "America's Dairyland"

Mr Trautman farms near Stoughton, Wisconsin (close to Madison). His number is 608-206-9798.

Scott & Julie Trautman are in a battle vs. Wisconsin's agriculture department over sales of raw milk 'pet food'. Buying a small bulk pickup truck would allow them to better line up a plant to process their milk, which is currently being dumped.

 Thank you so much Pete! For all you do. And thanks for the idea for today's blog entry -- I would like that someone out there that has one of these to understand just what we would do with that truck.

Realistically: Would like 2 -- a backup. But you'll see why.

I've contacted others that had some kind of resource like this, and they have always been too busy, into their own thing to consider any kind of sharing. Okay, fine. Welcome to the world of 2009.

Except I refuse to give into that. IF I were to acquire this milk truck -- I would find a way to share it with other dairy producers, and present and future dairy processors, to stimulate creativity and competition out on the farm.

What we have today: a limited number of really big trucks going by our dairy farms. Our case: One, that's it -- a 2nd? To the same place that has already said because of raw milk -- Dean Foods -- Foremost Farms -- not interested in us -- us uppity farmers (take note, farmers, take note).

There is a lot of interest in this consolidation in milk processors -- The Milkweed hammers on it each issue -- and I for my part, in my own small way, want to DO something to stimulate competition.

I am also going to talk (again) to Darlington Dairy Supply as well -- and anyone that will listen -- DBIC guys: I laid this same whole thing out for you and you completely ignored me. Sorry gang, but you are useless, you have no vision beyond your own job preservation, and that is really sad. You ought to be ashamed but don't even have it in you for that.

Darlington Dairy Supply sells and installs dairy processing equipment. Particularly on a small scale. There are pieces missing from the puzzle -- and some amount of scale is it. As I laid out so clearly to DBIC -- and was ignored -- it is a small market for farm-based artisan cheesemaking/dairy processing. It makes very little sense in an already busy day, and by people that are really good at MAKING milk, it is rare that they are also good at business AND making stuff WITH milk.

The answer -- the vision -- is:

1. Get the transportation thing worked out. Reasonable transportation, LIKE a single axle milk truck: I have talked further about an even more economical 'milk mover' -- which our Food Safety people like to say "NO! What was the question again?" -- you've heard me talk about that -- how destructive they are to entrepreneurial dairy endeavor (how many jobs and farms they are really costing us every day)  - that would bring 'special' milk into a regional location, economically, sensibly, safely.

2. Be able to test this 'regional location' with Darlington Dairy Supply's "Cheese on Wheels" -- a semi trailer with any kind of dairy processing built in, that is 'pre-inspected': it can be pulled into an area, and within 3 days be operational-making product. What's missing? The milk. Enough to keep it busy and paying for itself; from more than one farm. Back to the milk truck idea. The one farm one cheese on wheels? Too expensive. Not selling any. Could say -- 4-5 farms come together -- then it is really economical. What a great use for grant money even.

Hub and spoke -- at the hub this test facility -- test in a region -- what can we do here -- bring the milk in, make it into something great, market it. Goes well?

3. Build a permanent dairy processing facility -- move the mobile unit to the next location -- repeat.

What our farm has been all about: Quietly succeeding in our concepts here, until such point as the neighbors, other dairymen -- cannot help but notice how happy we are, how great our farm looks, how wonderful our animals are, and the raves about our milk: and then they get around to asking, "WHY are you so happy? WHAT are you doing?". And they really listen for a change -- really listen. And then what -- "how can I do this too?". Why, I would be thrilled beyond all imagination to tell you.

Because our dreams here are NOT about ME, our farm, it is a dream of farmers coming together in the real spirit of cooperation -- of community -- that we once had -- and were somehow talked out of -- imagine how it could grow -- first one farm, then a 2nd, then 5 -- our little area here to get a reputation once again -- "wow, those guys down by Stoughton -- they really know how to dairy -- the community supports them, they support each other -- let's see what they're doing...."

BEYOND the individual farm: NOT really an efficient unit of dairy entrepreneurialism. It has to START there -- but it becomes a force when several farms come together, bringing their talents and varied resources together. No, NOT back to the olden days: But take the best of the olden days, and combine with the best of technology and today. Like our farm.

This is NOT a new idea from me: I have been screaming this with all my might -- to DBIC -- to anyone that would listen -- it can work -- and now is the time.

So back to this single axle milk truck: It starts there. Why? Because it allows Scott to get back to work -- get our milk off our farm, even as it doesn't make great sense in the long term -- it does as a test pilot -- as a pump priming -- for bigger things. A something rather than a nothing. To get a busy guy like Bob Wills to listen, take notice. Want to participate.

You there -- bulk truck owner -- old-timer as Pete puts it -- dairy -- family dairy farms are not dead, they are alive -- and we have this opportunity to be a part of the New Golden Age of Dairy -- and you can be right here in the lore of it -- the place it started, with one Single Axle Bulk Milk Truck.

What would that be worth to you? To Wisconsin dairy? To all of Wisconsin? The world? We'd all like to know.

Scott Trautman, Proud Wisconsin Dairyman and Citizen

PS: The page that the milk truck picture came from DeLaval: pretty cool

I am so proud of everyone that showed up yesterday at the DATCP board meeting. That took their time -- felt so passionate -- spoke from every possible place in society -- that raw milk is here, we're not going away, and that we need to be heard -- and respected.

Yesterday was Veteran's day. We honor those who's sacrifice is complete: with their lives - for our freedom. We honor them, and ourselves in our pursuit of what is right and good for all. To root out tyranny -- expose those that would hide in the shadows and do evil -- to the weak of all shapes and sizes. That is what we did yesterday -- is spoke of the tyranny at Food Safety -- what they are doing to the weak -- the family dairy farmer in Wisconsin.

We spoke eloquently, we spoke honestly, we gave a complete picture, and I am proud, too -- to say -- that the board members listened and asked good questions. Clearly they care, and we saw an important part of democracy -- and good common sense -- in action. What they will do -- what message they will send Rod Nuelstein - and Food Safety -- we await.

But know with every day our numbers grow; our strength, our confidence, our organization, our ability to talk to real people -- people that wouldn't know raw milk from raw fish -- will know of this war against freedom: our ability to choose for ourselves wholesome food, and of the terrible war that Food Safety has had on our very pride as Wisconsinites--in the form of the weak - the vulnerable -- our family farms and especially our family dairy farms.

I am no Martin Luther King. But I am inspired by him. His love, his wisdom -- his struggles -- his sacrifice - and I take to heart his words. No, like our veterans -- we cannot compare ourselves to the struggles of black people -- they are not (yet) literally killing us -- but there are parallels nonetheless.

The struggles to organize -- to take sensible people treated so poorly as we have been -- and for us to rise above and be sensible, rather than angry and hateful as they are. The struggles in balancing all the ideas that come about, and focusing our energies efficiently -- speak in a unified voice -- make them feel the love we have -- this makes us so very very powerful -- and such a threat to their tyranny.

I dream of the day where farmers everywhere will come together and speak with a unified voice. That we are important. We can get along. We will not stand to be treated badly, we will not be picked off one at a time -- we will not be cannibals to one another, picking on our own weak -- but we will stand strong, we will take back the countryside and we will show the world that we can feed them -- with pride -- forever, to everyone's benefit, and not a few. Farmers will be seen as the heroes -- and not some lower class of people. We will be judged by the content of our character and not by the ...what? How vulnerable we are? How easy it is to destroy us?

There are so many important issues we face today. What I find so ironic -- so telling -- is how many of them come back to peace on our farms, our ability to produce food -- what could be more important -- responsibly, and what that truly means to us. In our health, in our environment -- to our freedom --

Why here? Why now? Why Raw Milk for this battle? Because it is a place to start, a battle that can be won, to start turning back the tide against all of us -- a small battle to most -- but a battle we will win. And then the next, and the next, and the next - for the love of the world we make for our children, and theirs and theirs.

I can only imagine the love that Dr. Martin Luther King had, but I am able to better imagine it every day; as I see the people around me, how they act in love, and not hatred, I am humbled, I am grateful, I am more filled with love -- and how those aligned against us hate these kinds of words -- love, respect, honor, pride -- they don't understand them -- they understand only power, and fear -- terror -- manipulation -- and money and now. How they will wail and grind their teeth against us -- lie, cheat, steal -- who knows how far they will go. And we respond with love. With sense. In unity of purpose, refusing to give into anger and hatred no matter how tempting it is, and it is so tempting -- it is there within us calling.

"It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, but it can keep him from lynching me, and I think that's pretty important. - Dr. Martin Luther King

No, we cannot compare ourselves to the struggles of black people -- but family farmers have become the underclass -- we can be inspired - and in their own way -- through the lynching - the death of our farms - the terror they have systematically designed for our destruction - Food Safety - Rod Nuelstein and DATCP -- we must push on, we must gain our freedom -- gain our footing -- we must have a good Raw Milk Law NOW in the state of Wisconsin.

in love, and respect

Scott Trautman, Proud Dairyman and Citizen of Wisconsin

 

Well this is certainly long overdue.

But isn't that just that way -- those that do the most, that hold it all together -- that do the real work of -- everything -- don't get the credit they deserve. The accolades, the attention -- goes to knuckleheads like me -- the ones out talking.

But who milks the cows when I'm on the phone now almost every moment of every day? Who fills the meat orders for customers? Who feeds the kids and makes sure the homework gets done? Who makes sure the calves have feed and pasture and are all looking good? Who makes sure Scott isn't being an ass?

My wife Julie of course. And every one of you needs to know that the source of any strength, anything I have that is good -- comes from her quiet strength. We are Team Trautman: and although my role might be in the "vision" department, Julie is in "operations", and we all know "visions" without "operations" is "damn foolishness".

So let me tell you about Julie, and how very blessed I am that she would be here by my side to share this life.

Julie and I met -- at our 10 year high school reunion, in 1992. (you do the math) We  had gone to the same high school - even the same college, but had different paths. It shouldn't surprise anyone that I was more of the geeky sort. But she was always nice, and said hi, but we didn't talk -- until this reunion. Why there? God. That's why. But we had some sort of connection -- she was out in Seattle, me in Milwaukee at the time, and over the next year, we talked long distance, I visited her, she me -- and we decided to give this a shot. And of course that didn't mean me move there -- but her move here. And then within six months I made her move again, this time to Madison, to follow my career at the time.

We married in 1997, she was working -- supporting our household -- while I was building an Internet business. By 1998 our first son was born, Ian. In 2000 our second son, Quinn, was born, and in around that time we decided to start looking for a farm. Not to farm, but as a "guilded cage" - for me -- in my Internet work work it seemed I could not leave without some bizarre thing happening that only I could fix.

It took us quite a while -- and Julie was the organizer, she would have her stack of listings -- and we would drive on weekends to see farms. And eventually -- me having resisted this particular farm we are on - for 6 months -- but Julie refusing to take it out of the pile -- we looked in this north window into the house -- and we both knew this was it, this was our farm. We moved in on May 16th 2003. I know this because it was our first Stoughton Syttende Mai, our local celebration of our Norwegian heritage.

There was quite a bit of unhappiness from me from the Internet business; a lot of that weight born by Julie -- and my children. We farmed on a very small scale, learning so much, making small mistakes, learning what we liked and didn't. In 2003 our daughter, Lilly was born: the first to live all her life on the farm. And in 2004 I sold the Internet business, and we dedicated ourselves to farming 100%.

Every family eases into a comfort zone in their 'roles' - every family is different. And there has sure been discomfort in the settling into those roles, and they still change. They may be changing again soon, depending on how this whole raw milk situation works out. But throughout our history together -- Julie has stuck by my side, and been the yin to my yang, my muse. So much different than me -- not better, or worse, but different, and so full of love, and patience -- and humor. I can't forget her humor -- we laugh so much around here -- I am a total goofball -- but Julie is REALLY funny because it's not all the time -- it's a goofy look here, a silly comment there.

I am a dreamer. A "big ideas" person. Will it surprise anyone that not every idea I have is a nugget of gold? Perhaps another kind of nugget? If left to my own devices, I would follow some of these less than gold nuggets. But Julie -- has the critical role of sense-maker. Scott, we both know I'm going to end up DOING this, WHY should I agree to this? So then I think about it some more, and we argue about it -- and ultimately I do make a case or it gets dropped. We figure it out together.

This farm was my dream -- not Julie's -- and as I like to say - if I had sprung all this on her -- how life would be -- she'd have long since run far far away. But we took it slow -- proved it all to ourselves. Dairy is a great example: Scott: "Let's milk cows!". Julie: No!. Scott: C'mon, just one cow, I'll milk her, we'll drink the milk, it'll take 20 minutes a day (along with other details she would make me tell and prove). Okay -- 1 cow. And that worked. "How about 4 now?". Julie: No. Scott: Here's the plan....

So now today we milk 25 cows -- and like yesterday -- Julie milked 23 of them while I was on the phone to umpteen people, serving in my role -- that both Julie and I understand is necessary -- to win this war Food Safety and DATCP has on family farmers - she quietly, without (much) complaint, does her work and mine -- knowing that is how it has to be for now, yet again her quiet strength.

Okay men -- time to thank your wives. Maybe it is gems and jewels, or like Julie -- this year she asked for a single axle milk truck for her birthday - thinking family - to save our dairy. 2 years ago? It was Shem our beautiful Jersey bull. Yes, folks, I am a total clod of a husband and deserve a beating. But in the farm families I know -- this is common -- the strength of the whole family turns on the woman of the family - the men are all self-important, and we think we run the show, and we're all about this "vision" or whatever self important thing we think we are -- but it is our wives that have been throughout time -- been the strength, and what gives our farm its life - its personality - brings us our success -- and most importantly our happiness.

Thank you Julie, thank you to every farm mom - farm wife -- FARMER out there. Without you there is no life on the farm. God bless us all, and let's take that time to tell your wife just how very important and loved she is. And for criminy sakes, give her a day to herself every so often.

In love,

Scott Trautman - Proud Wisconsin Dairyman - Citizen -- and at least adequate husband and father.

Well now I've done it!

I spoke yesterday in front of an attentive and enthusiastic audience at the Dane County Farmers Market, and I dumped a symbolic amount of our precious, beautiful milk.

That milk that I dumped -- could be the most valuable milk ever not drank, not made into a dairy product, ever in Wisconsin. If it leads to a good raw milk bill in Wisconsin, that will save family farms. If it causes people to think -- especially those that do not know about -- or even do not desire raw milk -- to consider that this is about people's ability to decide for themselves, and saving family farms.

My good friend came up to me afterwords and asked, so where did that come from? (my speech)

My simple answer: From my heart. No memorization, no cue cards. I have been building to that moment all my life, and as I have changed and grown, so my words come together and touch people, with their truth, with their sincerity.

I am the guy Food Safety really needs to silence -- to shut down -- to exterminate -- because I do talk sense. I am no reactionary, I am not thinking of only myself, I have done my best to think of us all in this: That we need our family dairy farms desperately - and here is this thing we can do, safely, now, to save them. That I am the guy that perhaps can bridge the gap -- even the gap with the powerful milk processors -- and make even them see we need our family dairy farms -- we need incentive to keep them here, and happy, and productive -- and that us having this small thing we can do -- is not a threat to them or anyone else. In fact, in time, we will all come to see what a beautiful thing this can be.

My oldest son ran the camera for me; and I wanted him there to see just what his dad was about. What he was capable of. Think of the lessons he took from that. Stand up for what's right. Have courage in life. Be willing to take risks, and most of all, be true to yourself. All this I do? I do for him, not me. For all our children of a future world of our creation - that we can make better by acting in courage now.

Gary Hebl: I am disappointed in you. I know you to be a better man and representative than the comments you made yesterday. Educate yourself. If you won't -- if you insist on your ignorant statement -- then how about you show courage -- and you go out to farms that you will be a part of destroying -- a dairy heritage we can ill afford to lose -- and you tell them -- I'm sorry -- but you have to go. You aren't good enough to produce healthy milk. Will you have that kind of courage, Gary? Have the courage of your convictions -- and educate yourself. I will hand deliver a very sensible book to you -- "The Raw Milk Revolution" by David Gumpert - and you have Food Safety hand deliver their FDA Slideshow showing what a scourge raw milk is as well. And then you decide based on facts and not politics.

I am drawn to know more about Fighting' Bob La Follette

And others who's convictions compelled them to acts of courage, even in the face of easier choices, that benefit ourselves in the now - but betray our future. Love your children - love your fellow man - love above all yourself -- and have the courage to build a better world, one small piece at a time.

The time for sensible raw milk is right now. We need leaders who understand the importance of family farmers to our future.

Who will answer that call?

In love and respect,

Scott Trautman: Proud Wisconsin Dairyman and Citizen

You cannot keep me down.

To keep me down -- you'd have to convince me no one cared. And I can clearly see that is not the case -- that more people every day care -- and they seek us out.

And to believe the world is a terrible place: One reacts to that in a non-constructive way. There are terrible things, don't get me wrong -- but people are good and decent -- just underinformed and not ready for certain things. That's all. And they'll get there -- too -- but not on my schedule of needs. All I can do is do the best I can in getting my message out there.

So many friends! How can I feel alone with the encouragement of all of our old and new friends. Thank you from our hearts, it is you that is the fuel of our courage.

I may well get to be friends with a couple people I count as heroes-- innovators, people like me that shake things up. People like us are always going to rub the status quo people wrong. We ask questions -- they answer because "that's the way its been" - time and momentum itself are truth.

I met Joel Salatin at the 2007 Grassworks conference, his talk was the highlight of that entire experience; although Cheyenne Christianson spoke -- another hero -- and Abe Collins spoke -- yet another. I remember so well Joel's first words -- it was straight to my heart -- it was about imperfect is okay when we are talking about our kids and their participation in our work. Don't turn them off by insisting on perfection. I have taken that message to heart. I took several other ideas from that short talk, too -- but the most important was one word: Evangelist. Joel considers himself an evangelist. Hey! Now I have a word for what I am. Me too! And from that moment, I worked that word over in my head, and fit what I was doing into it; like trying on a new pair of pants. How does it feel? Well, maybe a little loose--big pants to fill quite yet. Alright, then let's grow into them. How to grow into them? Educate myself. Gain more experience. Really listen: Find humility in my life and send the arrogance away. Well then: the pants are fitting better, and what do you know -- the crowd is getting bigger, more are listening.

I don't know exactly when things changed for me, and it went from just about my farm to being about all the farms and all the people of Wisconsin. Maybe it was looking at my children, and knowing how much I really could do about their world -- more than the excuses we all give --

But the truth is this farm changed me. My beautiful soils, so lovingly and patiently restored over the last seven years, and my magnificent cows - each a wonder of God's all creation. This farm, and everything we've experienced -- including this challenge -- have shaped me into someone that thinks not about myself, but us, and not about now but the future. That is a true farmer -- and citizen of the world. There is no going back, there is such pleasure, satisfaction here. We are making a difference, and the rate of change, of making new friends that believe as we do is accelerating at an exponential rate --

My wish is only to be seen by my state, Wisconsin, not as the scourge Food Safety needs me to be, but as someone that is wanted here -- needed even -- that for nothing else, we need some fresh thinking here because what's going on is not working. There are solutions -- sensible ones we can do right now. This Raw Milk thing is but one piece of this puzzle.

Patience. To be happy, to be healthy, to refuse to live in fear -- like in fear of my own milk - like they need us to be -- well that is the most radical and helpful thing I can do.

So ends today's sermon, other than to deliver on a previous promise of the world's most simple explanation of how the Raw Milk Laws of Wisconsin work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Dym82i7LDeIo&feature=3Dplayer_embedded

Keep those (I mean emails) cards & letters coming, it is YOU that is giving ME strength.

In love and humility,

Scott Trautman, proud Family Dairy Farmer in Wisconsin

I (Scott) ended up down at the Dane County Farmers Market after milking Saturday. As I like to say, it's one of those scary sounding things that are just well, obvious, and not scary. So: I was listening to the voices in my head, and doing what they tell me to. That's right. The internal dialog -- which is focused, now -- so intensely on this Raw Milk War -- War on Family Farmers -- war on the Trautmans --- is getting really, really creative -- and is really joyful, playful -- and full of energy to experiment.

 So when I say I'm acting on what the voices in my head are saying: They're coming from love, and enthusiasm, and good, and just bursting out all over the place.

I called our great friends -- my daughter's godfather -- the Andres, Bruce and Cindy, if they'd be up for a little bit of naughty fun down at the Dane County Farmers Market. Of course, when do you want us. That kind of people -- always -- we are the needy ones, the Andre's are there for us time after time.

So we go down, park just off West Wash. Bruce on Camera. Or Cindy. Doesn't matter. You got my back? Yeah. Alright then, let's do this thing.

I've got a gallon of my milk under my arm. Freshly poured from the bulk tank into a gallon jar. Having been from the cows I just finished milking an hour ago. (don't look at me like that when you figure that out to be milking at 10am. We milk once a day). And a glass.

 We get out of the car, walk across the street, walk 50 feet, and who do we run into -- a guy with a placard tied on front and back -- "RAW MILK INTERVIEWS HERE". Guy with a video camera, like us.

We both yell out and run and hug, just like that. People are definitely looking at us now -- so it's MAX KANE, another common criminal like ourselves, raw milk criminal -- and he came up with this idea on his own, so did I, Kosmic Karma with a Kapital K.

So the Raw Pack here starts wandering around, you know, bustin' heads an' stuff, gettin' all rowdy you know. Wait, that didn't happen, although Max  can sure express himself on his feelings about, well, people, organizations he, like us, are having a way rough time with.

THIS is a TEASER folks -- we have VIDEO -- with what I promise to be world premier of the most simple explanation of the  raw milk law in Wisconsin ever. You will be shocked; you will be amazed; laugh, cry, etc. etc. etc.

C'mon people -- reach out to us -- help us defend ourselves in this war that DATCP is waging on us -- bring in your friends -- tell them this is important, they need to know about this ---

 See you back here soon -- with video from my morning on the square!

 

April 4th. Forecast: 3-5 inches of snow, after the wettest March on record, after the wettest February on record. Challenging keeping animals clean and out of the mud yet not destroying good pasture, as anywhere they are is a mess.

But spring is here, the warmth, the green, the lift of mood, the hope of a new season of growth: they must come even with these fits of weather-rage clawing at the edge. It's time to be ready for grass!

Most farms run a dairy and that's it. And that is quite enough, most especially when you follow the standard practices of the day. Milk twice per day, farmer takes care of the calves, feed stored hays, grains: that's pretty much a day. We've got lots of things going on here, we celebrate diversity- in income, in customers, in feeds, in demeanor, but they all have a way of fitting together.

With many things going on, a person has to have a time budget, too. It's easy to assume things take less time than they do; and especially where you wish you could have 5 people for one day, not one person for 5 days. So you have to keep a time budget and not go to the point of burnout or exhaustion. Often.

So our dairy practices are holistic -- whole-istic -- we the farmers are part of that, too, and it's important for us to stay engaged, enjoy what we do, and make money doing it.

What we do for ourselves: we milk once per day. The usual is 2 or 3 times each day, or with  the natural system, a calf, 5-8 times per day! We do indeed get less milk. 1/2 the milk? Well -- no -- but towards that, at least so far, with our skills as dairymen. Getting there.

October 10, 2009:

The above has sat in the 'draft' folder SINCE end of April. A lot has changed. And I'm not ready to say much of any of it without anger.

I'm arranging to have the dairy herd slaughtered. I guess that's that. Everything but everything worked, but no one cared.

 

 

It was about 2 weeks ahead of what we thought, but as usual, Team Trautman got the job done and got the hens situated in the hen house. Some times it seems it's just as well for us to have it happen all of a sudden. Things get done.

Eggs for the next two weeks will be $4/dozen. After that, $4.50/dozen. Why cheaper right now? These will be standard issue organic eggs for now until the gals get out on the grass and the egg quality goes from good to awesome.

How we do eggs --

We buy what are called "spent hens" from a local organic laying operation. They supply Organic Valley. The way the commercial operations work, is pullets (young hens, girls that is), start laying at about 6 months old, and by about 16 months old, they are ready for their first molt, a molt being when they lose most of their feathers (they look pretty rough that's for sure), but important to the commercial grower, they stop making eggs. And however that economic works out, it's time for them to go. We call them "rescue hens" because otherwise it's off to the soup pot for them. Our pickup yesterday preceded the semi taking the other thousands off to just that fate.

These hens, prior to here, have never been outside. Let's not really get into the whole organic thing on that, I know. Point is, it's going to take them about 2 weeks to a) figure out what this "outside" thing is b) start eating grass/bugs/being what we think of as chickens....before the eggs rise to our standards of AWESOME.

What's an AWESOME egg as far as we're concerned? One who's yolk is a deep orange, that stands up tall and proud, a nice firm white, but most importantly: Tastes just absolutely great: and doesn't need salt/pepper to give it 'taste'. And great nutrition goes with that great taste, too. High NATURAL omega 3's, beta carotene -- and many more things science hasn't gotten around to finding quite yet (and when they do they'll try and put it in a pill and make a zillion off it). Chickens being chickens, yep, on greatly fertile ground and high quality organic feed, not a 'least cost' ration.

These hens will molt on us at some point this summer, and when they do, they stop laying for 6 weeks or so. But the price on the initial bird is right, but more important, is our whole schedule of things here.

We don't think it's terribly productive, for us, to keep hens over the winter. It's cold, they're inside, no greens, the poop builds up, it smells, they eat way more to heat themselves and they lay less eggs and the feed is typically more expensive, and maybe the most important, we are exhausted from the season and we need a break. So we will take them in and have them made into soup hens sometime in December. Since they were 'rescue hens' to begin with, they had a great spring summer and fall beyond what they would have had, and everyone gets good out of it. If we used pullets: we would surely have to keep them over the winter, and for all the above reasons, in our situation, that just wouldn't work out.

Our hens have a 'hen house' which is part of the lower level of our hay barn. They have perches in there, and nests, and most importantly, we feed them in there, which means after a long day of scratching & pecking for who knows exactly what in the grass (worms, bugs, grass and sometimes I wonder what), they come back to the henhouse, and hopefully find a spot on the perches and settle in for the night. This to keep the predators from having a chicken dinner.

"nests": If we could sit down, have a good meeting with the hens, and all come away agreeing that it would really be to everyone's advantage to lay the eggs in the nests all the time, that would be really really super. Well, that "if" in reality is an ongoing game of hide and seek with Julie as to where the eggs might be. In the haymow somewhere, this corner with straw in it over there. Find their spot before the eggs go south. Man v. Hen. We don't always win. A little too free range for our practical purposes.

We don't care to use any more of our time scooping up poop than we absolutely have to; so this works well that they're in there to eat & sleep, and otherwise are spreading their poop out over the grass where it will fertilize the soil. The chickens are also great at keeping the fly population down. They'll eat the fly larvae and that is really great. Everything around here has multiple purposes and works symbiotically with our other enterprises.

While we're on the subject of poop -- or shall I be couth and say 'manure'. I know the egg quality is going to start getting good when I start seeing green, rather than brown, manure. The green is the clorophyll in the grasses and legumes they eat, and that is a really good thing. Interesting, too, is that you won't get much bad smell from a green poo, where the brown will smell pretty nasty toot quick. You'll find that with all the manures out on the farm -- the animal gets their proper diet and the manure is properly distributed and no bad smells. For us, bad smells = bad things going on. So enough already on poop.

Right now the gals look pretty rough: not many feathers on them, and what we notice, too, is  their combs (the floppy thing on top of their head) go from pale and almost white -- to a deep red as they're here longer, also denoting great health and surely great quality eggs.

So come on out and pick up some awesome eggs, see the hens in action all around the yard, and watch a little where you step so you don't take home more of the farm than you intended.

Happy springtime to you!

Scott, Julie, Ian, Quinn, Lilly, 2 dogs, like 10 cats (estimate), 200 hens, and 90 bovines.

Note from Scott: I started this quite some time ago. I have been thinking about it almost constantly. This, as you will see, becomes a note very much directed towards our immediate neighbors. A neighborhood who has almost entirely rejected our farm. Rejected as in supported in a meaningful way, as in purchases from our farm. Support as in, we love what you do, and will enjoy it, but only as long as it's free. Well you get the idea about how I feel on that. I'm not sitting here thinking about saving the world. I'm sitting here thinking about how I create a small world here in which my children WANT to stay here. And that of necessity includes "off the farm" - our neighbors. So back to what I wrote some time ago, and then finished here this windy, rainy March morning. - Scott

 This winter continues to drag on; I think even the snowmobilers and skiers are sick of it by now. A long, cold winter. I think spring will be extra celebrated this year; much frolicking. I must again dispel the rumor that the Trautman Men at dusk of the first full moon of spring, will whoop and holler and run the perimeter of the farm naked in celebration. Simply not true. But I sure like the idea of people talking it up. So carry on.

So other than honing our sense of humor, keeping warm, taking care of animals, what do we do. Not, unfortunately, taking vacations; not this year anyway. I can speak for myself, and I read, and I plan and I dream. What I choose to read affects my plans and dreams, and I do plan for my dreams to come true -- if only 20 years into the future. Maybe further. I don't spend a lot of time on doom and gloom, I can get that almost anywhere. I choose to put my thoughts towards the future I want. While the general attitude is one of gloom, I am hopeful. So are many others. Not coincidentally, many of them are organic farmers.

My friend Willi Lehner taught me to "not invest yourself in any particular outcome". Which the more I thought about it, is an adjunct to my existing philosophy of "not being invested in any particular idea", which I have said time and again in regards to our farming experience. I use it to refer to the deep groove of thinking many have -- ideas they accept without question, that form the foundation for the rest of their ideas (about farming), which all makes sense -- IF you accept the initial premise. And one deep societal groove of thinking is: Small Farms Don't Work. Get Big or Get Out. That last part can be attributed to one of the great evil people, surely boiling in hell if there is one, Earl Butz. He was owned by the agricultural businesses; the processors and the fertilizer and chemical makers. Imagine that; what he said sounded folksy and had a certain jingle to it, but the effects (he was the driving force behind what continues to be very, bad farm programs/policy) continue today.

Which isn't to say I believe, either, that as farmers we should be propped up to do whatever damn fool thing we want because it is somehow a right, when we're talking the 'family farm', to do stupid things and be paid well for the privilege just because it's a family farm. No, we DO need to adapt, and the age of the incompetent, dull farmer being propped up are indeed over. There have been and will be smart people with dreams and a willingness to work hard to take the place of the dullard and the whiner. They will be businesspeople, they will have ideals, they will like people, they will care about the earth, their community, their families and their own dignity. They will do what it takes to preserve the right to say NO. No, that is not what I want for my farm. NO, that is not good advice from you university jackasses, NO I will not take that price, NO I will not crawl in on my belly and take what you give me. We will have mutual, long term benefit or we will part ways.

Three important principles need be implemented to make sure we are in a good negotiating position -- and that is the ability to say NO.

1. Soils that produce plenty without aid of yearly fertilizers/chemicals. Soils that have been invested in to bring them back to near the quality of our native, fertile soils. Humus rebuilt, balance regained, soil life abundant and diverse. There is no quick solution, but we know how to accelerate the system. Come to our farm to see what 6 years of work can do. Then think out 20 years. And 30.

2. Minds that are always yearning for the truth; a culture of learning and honesty with each other that things just don't "happen", we take responsibility for them. We will find we don't need the crutches agribusiness offers us, for shorterm gain and longterm poverty. We will have the wisdom to think out 20 years, and beyond this single season. We will question those that have brought us to this place: the flunkies at the universities, agribusiness who's sole heartless goal is to take all the money they can. The ability to intellectually say NO, I don't buy that idea, it is contrary to nature. I trust nature got it right the first time. I need the humility to listen.

3. If we truly embrace the above, this will be easy. That is 'putting aside': putting our money away, not spending it like agribusiness would like, every last penny, every year, but putting aside to provide us the leverage to say NO. One can't say no, if one can't stick with it. It's empty and those we 'negotiate' with know it. They smile, and pretend along with us that we're important, but they know, and we can't escape the reality in the situation around us that farmers cannot say no to any price offered us. We need the money.

The community I dream of -- here -- in Stoughton, WI -- is one that celebrates our agricultural heritage and practitioners as it once did. Well that's living in the past! It was a good past -- and it was pulled from us by us. We decided on mass production over people, here and now over people, illusion of wealth over people. Our current economic situation -- and surely situations yet to come -- are a giant cosmic two by four to the head. What will it take to convince the mass of us that what we've been doing isn't working? The blows will continue to come until we figure it out or we are swept off this planet. But there are signs of hope. It isn't just a bunch of 'crackpots' anymore that don't accept the conventional idea of our non-functioning agriculture and communities. Real, sensible people look beyond right now and don't like what they see of the future, if we don't have courage to act in even small ways, now, to change it.

Right now - here -- there is our farm. And a couple more that dare farm 'differently'. But I'd say we, and shall I narrow it further to say "I", am the only one to speak of a vision -- that where there is 1 farm today, there can be 10 in 5 years, and 50 in 20, and that our farms are intricately weaved into our cultural identity, we are respected and valued, not pitied and romanticized as the legend of the 'family farm' currently is. We will not be poor; we will not be viewed as 'farm hicks' not really of this world or community, but active leaders. Our future will be won when no one has to shrillly scream "No Wal-Mart!", but instead the entire community says "what point is there to a Wal-Mart here? We have what we want already".

So this is a pipe dream? Many will say that that accept what they are told, sit zombie-like in front of their bad news delivery vehicles: papers, TV, radio, and assume the world is going to heck. Why would they not? Why they would not would come to seeing -- to start -- a single happy farm family -- prospering, talking openly about ideas -- and succeeding far beyond the time when any curmudgeon's excuse will fail. "Sure their fields look green now, but...". "Give it another 3 years, they'll get tired of all the work", "they must be cheating for it to look that good". We've heard it all, but there is an energy -- a positive energy flowing out of us, out of our farm, of health, vitality -- of hope -- of wealth -- not necessarily of the monetary kind -- but as you investors in the scam market (stock market, did I misspeak?) know -- THIS is REAL wealth, not an illusion to be snatched away.

This dream takes years -- but the work has already started. First is to actually HAVE a dream -- a vision of the future to think about, but then to put forth both thinking and effort and words towards it. The initial investment for us has been in our soils. The money -- quite a lot of it -- towards minerals and 'fixing' 50 years of mining by well-meaning but duped farmers. We have now EXCELLENT fertility -- we have WEALTH in our soils, most of which other farmers would have a hard time grasping - or valuing. The only way they would, would be for us to fail, them to get our land, and for them to vaporize all the good we've done, have fantastic crops, not know why, for a period of time, before they mined it back to what the rest is. Huh. Guess it was a fluke.

Specifics of The Dream of this NE area of Stoughton:

- acquire a reputation for excellent farmers. "There's just something about those Stoughton farmers - they're happy, they're soils are great, their animals are happy, their farms are beautiful, it is such a treat to visit them -- those people that actually live by them are so lucky..."

Sorry folks, but it's going to require importing farmers. Farmers willing to learn. Young families that desire multi-generational legacies, and are willing to work - hard - towards it.

- a community of non-farmers that gets it -- and sees, understands and values the farming community -- and their own place in the larger community. Farmers working together to help each other. Neighbors helping each other. All of us understanding "love thy neighbor" doesn't mean we have to be best pals, but that we have to look out for each other and support "the bigger picture" of what's going on around us. Otherwise it is imposed upon us, and it will not be what we would want.

For example: Few people can afford land these days. The Few that can: Are developers. And developers develop, and that's not what people around here want. But they believe nothing can be done. Wrong answer. A community of people -- neighbors with a common interest in seeing our neighborhood survive, thrive according to OUR vision, not some developers: Each of us can contribute, say, $5000 into a REIT -- Real Estate Investment Trust -- which can then purchase strategic farmlands as they come for sale. Then the community of investors -- which is hopefully just the community -- in owning the property -- has the right to decide how it is used. Then the work will start:

- Make a plan for the land, with a mind towards beauty, recreation, habitats, ecology. And possibly development -- on our terms.

- Plant trees, encourage ponds/wetlands, not farm fencepost to fencepost.

- Be creative in gaining grants et al program monies for "doing the right thing". You'd be surprised how much is out there.

- engage an organic farmer longterm to improve the soil and bring visually interesting things to the land. Such as pastures, and animals. Give them the ability to make money; a lower rent for the first couple years, then a rent that everyone can live with, higher than the 'just farmland' price, to reflect the investment made. Everybody wins: farmers, investors, neighbors. How about that?!

And the community has an investment in the farms and land. Why, we had better purchase from those farms, and work on our investment, right? Right! Keep the money in the community, feed our community high quality food, give them a constant good feeling from their surroundings. What is that worth?

Neighbors of mine: There could well be such an opportunity that I know of. To start a new farm -- or should I say, bring a farm back from the dead. One farm - ours - does not a movement make. But two. Then a third, how long before there is a real momentum, a tipping point? Yes I know -- years away -- maybe even a generation away.

But the things we can do now - invitations from the community, to progressive farmers. We want you here. We'd like you to farm here. We have a plan. We know what we want this to be, and you're an important part of making that happen. We support our farmers, and they most surely support us. "mama isn't happy, aint nobody happy" -- mama nature aint happy, or farmers aint happy -- well, at least lets experiment with what if farmers WERE happy, HERE.

Folks, I read. I dream. I plot. I observe -- even and especially the enemies of the world we'd like to see. How do they do what they do? What if we used their 'tactics' for good instead of evil, to benefit the whole instead of the one? And the biggest what if we have: What if we gave a damn about each other and trusted each other and worked -- in this small way in this small place towards a better future.

So it's hard to shut me up, if you can't tell from what I've already written. Joel Salatin put it best, he describes himself as an evangelist. I would say so am I. It is easy to say of me, oh he's just so much talk. Funny thing, though, is I've been talking this same way since we moved to the farm, about what we were going to do here, with this farm. And funnier still, it's all happened as I said it would. LOOK at our FARM and see the words put into action. Now it's time to go beyond our farm. Same deal? He's just talk? I know what I'm capable of.

But what about this community, right here? What are you capable of? I can see the possibilities -- I saw it real clear during the August 2005 tornado cleanup. This community CAN come together, but it takes one helluva 2x4 up side the head to do it. And then the natural entropy is to drift back, leaderless, to our homes, our little world, life as usual.

How did you feel, folks? How did it feel to come together and know you were really making a difference, and you weren't running a tally in your head about who was doing what and who you liked and who votes different than you do, but you just for a brief moment, loved thy neighbor as thyself. How did that feel? How'd you like to feel like that all the time, only without having to have wholesale destruction to get it? Do you have the courage?

I have several drafts awaiting one button click to have "the world" view them. Yet I hesitate. Heavy on the sermon, too doomy gloomy. And that's not me; even if what I say needs to be said. And then I think, are those that need to see it going to see it? Probably not. Change any minds? Nope. And who needs the preaching to the choir?

So at this point I won't preach. (well, much....)

I won't suggest what you can do.

I'm going to tell you what I'm going to do. And maybe you'll decide to tell me what you're going to do.

1. We are going all out this year; I am a contrarian in my entrepeneurial nature and rather than hold back -- as I can, mind you -- with the soil work I've done -- I have earned the right -- I am going all out. We desire to sit on one heck of a pile of hay come winter. Opportunities will be coming. The other side of the coin to having the ability to say, "no, I don't need a lot of fertilizer this year - yet I will still be fine" is "I am going to put down the fertilizer and reap the rewards of our soil stewardship" -- without damaging the soil, in fact, continuing to build the soil. We are rich friends. Soil rich. We have the freedom to do or not do. Most farmers do not have that choice. You and I both know what happens when you don't pound on the fertilizers and chemicals. You get jack squat. We do quite well, thank you very much. That's 6 years of excellent investment and soil stewardship.

2, Communicate with our neighbors. Yes, you folks just to the northwest of us. The truly Local. We have and continue to desire to be "your farmers". We would and could take less, give more, turn away far off customers to keep it local. Yet you continue to almost completely reject us. There is a certain matter of a Highway Bypass right through our farm and your neighborhood that may be the 2x4 upside the head for you to listen, even if it still is 100% in your self interest. Does it take a 2x4 -- or a tornado to pull this group together, or are we civilized, advanced enough to come together as a community? I will attempt to provide leadership. There will be resistance. There may well be a big fat highway right through here.

3. Continued learning. The more I learn the less I know. The more in wonder of it all I become. We will discipline ourselves to not run around like automatons and just do the work, but think about what we're doing. Activity is not Action.

4. Work towards energy independence. Our "5 year plan" must include our ability to say "NO, I don't want that, I don't need you." That is one heck of a bargaining position to be in. Solar (uh, beyond the huge grass solar panels we already have, 70 acres worth....) Wind, possibly geothermal, and conservation -- and a fundamental rule of our farm, let the animals do it, let nature do it.

5. With ANY success of #2 - work towards creating a community - here -- that would invite in farmers; change our thinking and welcome real farmers.

With that -- the physical and intellectual farming will come to some sort of level of comfort. The next levels of knowledge move into the ideas of community, and money. Think Woody Tasch and "Slow Money".

It is not audacious, it is not egotistical for me to think we are changing the world. We are; in some small way, and I believe for the better. The thing is -- so is everyone, everywhere, every minute of every day in the choices you make just in living. But is it for the better? Are you sure you can wait for "better times" to start?

Spring -- renewal -- second chances -- all of the hard winter is forgiven and forgotten in a few short days of warmth. The past is the past, what are you going to do NOW?

All the very best from Trautman Family Farm

http://www.trautmanfarm.com

Come check us out on Facebook as well -- Fans and Supporters of Trautman Family Farm, and "be my friend", Scott Trautman. I'd love to get to know you.

This was my commentary on October 15 2008, prior to this blog. I thought it should be repeated here, today. - Scott

"what about me, what about right now"

My first effort just about got uploaded to this page, but fortunately, I did not give in to my frustration, but let time and reflection bring me back to what I believe is my fundamental nature; that being a person of hope and faith in people. We are frustrated and concerned, and saddened when some customers tell us "they're watching their pennies right now", and that means back to the cheap food. We feel badly that we have not done our job of educating them of the value and importance of pure, quality food, and supporting, especially now, the farms that produce them. The stakes have never been higher. So instead of a rant, I say the following:

Thank you so very much for your business, and for your votes – your dollars, for our farm and our methods, and what we represent. 

In these trying times, it means so very much to us that you choose to spend your money with us, when there are so many choices out there, and the persistent message is one of “what about me, what about right now”, and it is so very difficult to resist.

We appreciate, and feel hope for the future, that even in trying times that you and others like you will value ours, and other local, sustainable, organic farm’s products, enough to continue to choose them, instead of retreating into cheaper, lower quality, less sustainable foods. Quality food from sustainable, local farms is not a luxury, but a necessity to change our own lives and the path of the world. Your choices reflect your true values in life, and we are proud and humbled to be a part of that.

We are confident that your reward will be better health and a better world. It takes courage and wisdom to make good long term decisions, and sacrifice today for a better future, even as those around us may tempt us and call us foolish. It is never foolish to look out for one another and work towards a better world. Our rewards may not be immediate, but they will come and they will be everlasting.

 Our individual and collective character isn’t determined when times are easy, but by the difficult choices and sacrifices we make when it isn’t easy.

 We have never and do not now believe, arrogantly, that you or anyone else should pay us any price, but that we owe it to you to be efficient and provide excellent value, and if we fall short of that, we do not deserve your business or your faith. 

Our gratitude to you will be to continue to work tirelessly, to work with you in providing value, and to be a beacon of hope with our farm, the values it represents, and to give unselfishly to others that would also make the world a better place.

At these frustrating times, rather than get sucked into the unfairness of it all, a pity party, negative thinking, I am reminded of how very grateful we are, especially to the following people who have given of themselves to our farm; with their time, and materials and money. I can't imagine how we would be where we are at without the help of these people, especially.

Bruce&Cindy Andre
Norm Bouchard
Joe Kester
Don Warren
Mike Logan+Family/Dan Utter
Dwayne Trautman
Richard Falkenstein
Art Johnson
Mike&Jeanne Cary
Gary Zimmer
Duane Siegenthaler
Eric Stokstad
Larry Johnson
Jeff Hougan
A Special thank you to Gary Hougan, previous steward of our farm
Muriel Plichta
Dick&Ardy Straub
Martha O'Reilly
MaryJo Fahey
Steven Wilson
Brad Jackson

Sincerely,

Scott, Julie, Ian, Quinn & Lilly Trautman