Trautman Family Farm

 

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.

Our philosophy is "if the animals can do it, let 'em", and "the animals will always do a better job than we will". That pretty much sums up a bull. He has one really really important job: To make sure the cows are bred. Great work if you can find it.

Shim is a now 6 year old purebred Jersey bull. We bought him and brought him to the farm on October 9, 2007 to breed our heifers & couple cows. October 9 I know because it's Julie's (my wife) birthday. Some birthday present, eh? I am one suave husband.

We bought Shim from Art Johnson, who has a 32 acre grazing farm by Milton. I will surely write a blog entry about Art at some point, he is quite a character and a super person. Art's wife died 6 years ago now, so he's there alone, and he's in his 70's. He mostly raises bulls at this time, and Shim is a fine specimen of a bull; a son of Sambo, a quite famous bull that has had many daughters who have won many awards.

If you know anything about cattle, and bulls, and Jersey's, Jersey bulls -- the first words out of your mouth (to me) will be, Jersey bulls are the most dangerous bulls there are. Unpredictable. Vicious. Etc. And I believe they are indeed like that, and we treat Shim with great care. So no need to drop me a line about being careful. Being careful means always knowing where you are, the bull is, and making sure you have an exit plan. And having a stick of some sort in your hand is a must as well. Respect the Bull.

That all being said, Shim is a peach of a guy. He's past his macho years (2-4 years old), and into his middle age. Part of why he's such a swell is Art's handling of him since birth. Art talks to his cattle constantly, and works with them often. Shim is used to and has respect for people.He will do the whole macho thing of pawing the ground, but yell at him good and he'll stop and go on his way. A reasonable fellow

Did I mention that Shim still has his horns? And he knows how to use them like you and I use our hands. Why the heck does he have his horns? All the better to gore you with? Not according to Art; who believes in event of an attack, that he's going to get you one way or the other, that the horns are a useful grabbing point to keep him away from you. Now I'm not necessarily all in on that idea. But at 6 years old, not a lot I'm able to do about it. I would like Shim a wee bit more if not for the horns. But I have appreciated, too, that Art can throw a lasso over his horns quite nicely. I do rather enjoy standing on the other side of the fence in the parlor, and I'll go to scratch Shim and he'll nod his horns at me, which says, thanks but no. Touching the horns? He doesn't like that.

I get a chuckle out of macho Shim when he'll give a bale of hay what for. Uses his horns to scrape some out, invariably leaving him a rasta hat of hay.

My weird little deal is somewhere along the way I've decided that an Australian accent is my Shim & me voice. "Oooh yeah, you're a rough one aint you mate, yeah, that's right." Steve the Crocodile Hunter style.

So he goes in with the heifers on October 9. And starting July 14th (2 weeks early, but twins), 281 days later, the calves start a comin', with 92% within a 20 day window. 20 days is how often cows come into heat, plus or minus a couple days, so that's when Shim can "get them". So, it says good things for us that our girls were in good health and were able to be bred quickly, and for Shim as a bull that takes care of business.

We all know that the bull is the one that determines the calf sex. And we had 75% bulls, which, for a dairy farm, is going the wrong way. You'd be a lucky fellow indeed to have 75% heifers! (girls that is). So King Henry the 8th would have stayed at one wife if like Shim. We shall see how 2009 goes. He was in with the bulls later in October, and we've seen no heats in the cows, only one young heifer appears to have not caught on.

So what do most farmers do? Bulls are too dangerous and hard to handle, and limit their choices for genetic diversity. So they hire or AI (Artificially Inseminate) the cows themselves. Now that was going to be right difficult for the 2007 group of heifers, anyway, having been out in the field, and well, wild. The gals aren't exactly willing for a human to AI them like they are for a bull. The next big problem, even if they're in the stanchions in the barn, is detecting their heats. Humans: flawed. Bulls: flawless. They know, and since their right there, take care of business. Hence, the bull. Problem solved.

Unfortunately for Shim this will be his last year here; the following year he would be in a position to start breeding some of his own offspring, and that is of course not what you want. And we do desire genetic diversity, and towards some goals other than more Jersey. Our aim is to maintain about 1/2 Jersey in our crossbred cows.

So we will be looking -- and doubtful of finding -- a fellow as level headed and generally agreeable and capable as Ol' Shim. But I will insist that Shim go to a good farm where he will be appreciated as the fine fellow he is. He deserves no less.

Answers to a couple questions that come up about the whole...breeding thing...

Do bulls just "do it" to do it? They do not. It's because a cow is in heat or they don't. It's just a job to them. Okay, I'm sure there are some exceptions, and perhaps even the odd gay bull (okay now I've really lost a few of you haven't I), but as a rule, business use only. Harumph.

So how do they/us know when a cow is in heat? Cows in heat give off an odor that can be detected. If there is not a bull in with the cows, another cow will mount or the cow in heat will mount another cow to demonstrate being in heat.

Are you enjoying these little postings of mine? Drop me a line and let me know. Better yet, if you are in the area, come by the farm store and purchase some of our fine quality meats. You'll love them and my writing will be upbeat and fun rather than desperate and bitter. Not so entertaining my pretties.

 All the best for now,

Scott

The Shim-inator, December 2007.

PS: If you have seen and enjoyed the PBS Specials on Barns, you will definately have remembered Art; he's the one with the beautiful yellow barn, but he's the guy who's talking to his cows and bulls

Wisconsin Barns: Touchstones to the Past and
American Barn Stories and Other Tales from the Heartland

..by Tom Laughlin. You can buy these films at his website

http://www.koviaonline.com/order.html

"Family Farm" has, like so many other good things, had the good mined out of it for purposes of selling you something. Monolithic companies want you to be convinced that they are some warm fuzzy collection of family farms, when they have merely taken this good thing and used it only for their marketing -- hoping people will not check too closely, and just buy the warm image. Meanwhile family farms keep being eroded away by these same companies and their predatory practices. That's not what I want to talk about. But keep that in mind -- family farms are not dead -- but they need YOUR HELP NOW. - Scott

Well folks, ours IS that family farm you have in your mind -- it's me, Scott, wife Julie, and our kids - Ian 10, Quinn 8, Lilly 5 that are the heart&soul and labors of this farm. Here's the farm, here's the family, debate over.

This farm does not work if not for everyone pitching in. There is simply too much work to be done, too many things where one person cannot possibly do the thing alone, nor be timely enough to keep all the balls in the air. Each of us has our competencies, and our roles. We back each other up, we can do certain of each other's jobs, and there are those things that only that person can do. And the very best of things is "Team Trautman" jobs -- all of us together.

Team Trautman Jobs: Rounding up cattle that have gotten out of their area. We use polywire electrified fencing to keep groups of cattle in their areas. This fencing is easily moved from place to place for fresh grass or shelter. But on occasion something happens and that group of cattle gets out.

I can remember back to our first year with cattle: 2003, it was only 4 steers, and they were out A LOT, and we were complete nincompoops in handling them. Now, here 5 years later, it just isn't a big deal, and it's fairly rare that they're out at all. WE have changed most of all, not the cattle.

So we look out the window of our house and see some cattle outside their area. The call goes through the house, " OUT!". Might be "Little Steers!" or "Cows" or "Heifers", or horrors, "Pigs OUT!" (pigs aren't really that difficult but they aren't herd animals like cows, either). Whomever is there jumps to get their coat/boots on, we grab a roll of polywire string. It takes 2 people to operate a string -- one on the spool end, one on the end. We let out the spool, up to several hundred feet -- and get behind the group of out cattle, and then walk them back to where they belong. They respect the string, even if there is no charge on it. If we catch them early, they aren't very far from where they belong. The worst case is when they aren't even together as a group -- but have broken off in small groups. This is when it takes awhile to get them back in. Or get in the woods -- ahem -- a string is not possible in the woods, you need open spaces.

So minimum 2 people to operate a string. If only one? And it does rarely occur, well, different tactics necessary. Very difficult. 3 people is better, and 4 is great, especially if it's the crack Team Trautman group. Ian, 10, is now of a maturity and experience where it is effortless for him to join the group. Quinn, 8, is pretty good, but needs more guidance, and his personality is such that he can drift off into Quinn-land (just like dad can find himself in Scott-land). And even Lilly -- 5 - can help handle string.

Two people -- two points make a line -- we move the cattle next to the area they got out of. If some are still in, we have to leave it closed, so a person there to open the existing area string when we get the cattle back over there is useful.

"Be a post" -- we can get the animals next to the area where we want them, and either we have a plastic post in hand, and create a triangle (with area -- remember a line has no area -- very small geometry lesson here), attach each end of the string on the existing area string, open the old area up, and the cattle go back in. Be a post is that third point in the middle that makes it a triangle rather than a line.

We also use that triangle if we need to herd animals across the farm, to create a pathway, a big V, with which they stay in and we can navigate that wherever it needs to go. Otherwise, if only that line, we'll often use existing structures -- be they the perimeter fence, or a line of bales, or another string, to keep a wedge going.

We can always make it work with however many we have, but the more we have, and the better we're coordinated, the better it works. "Cattle out!", the orders fly -- Julie, you go get the string over by the shed -- Ian, go close the front gate and meet your mom back by the barn -- Quinn, you go over and put their old fence back up and prepare to open it, Lilly -- you unplug the fence and then find me. Lilly -- you're in the middle, Ian - go bring those two around back to the group. You get the picture. And bang -- 5-10 minutes later, everyone's back where they should be, no problem. A non-event.

We work together often -- so we know the job, we know how to communicate. Often it's a subtle hand gesture, hand signals we've practiced to know what to do when we can't hear each other, like around tractors. Could your family work together if they had to? Would they be in practice to be able to do it efficiently? Ours is, and it's because we have to be, and, because I think it's so very very cool and pleasurable.

Some of the warmest feelings of pride I have are when our family works together -- Team Trautman -- and I do say that on occasion to give the troops the reminder that we need to work together ("hey guys, I need Team Trautman today!"). In my upbringing, and many family's lives, there is probably teamwork between mom and dad (or not), but the kids, probably not. We cultivate and it is fact that we need each other, there is no point to individuals, we share, we work together, we're a team, and there is joy in our work. I take a special pride that my wife and I can work together - efficiently and effectively, without a whole lot of drama. (sure, some drama, but it's not MY fault, ha ha ha, oh yes it is)

A farm is good for that -- a family farm -- a farm like ours -- where it is designed from the ground up that we CAN work together. A giant grain farm, confinement operation -- are you kidding me? Keep the kids AWAY. Mom probably has very little to do with it. Hire someone as "labor". Man that sounds like work to me rather than the vocation that a family farm is to us. By design -- small tractor that our sons can operate, small animals like chickens that young children can safely be around, very mellow animals and teaching from an early age to respect and handle, say cattle and pigs. The Amish are experts at this -- training from an early age -- and we have learned this from them, and in the history and stories of what the family farm used to be -- is for us and others - and can still be.

We work in small teams -- like me & my oldest son Ian. Giving bales. One on the tractor (me), and Ian opens the electric fence to let me in. Rather difficult to do alone, given the cattle are standing just on the opposite side of the fence, and on the "out" side of the fence is their food, which they definitely want, and now. Loading straw bales in the bale chopper on the back of the little loader tractor, building up the bedding pack. Recently Ian was pleased to find out that he could do the most pushups -- by far -- of anyone in his class. Guess why? That's right, physical activity out on the farm -- moving bales around -- often about as big as he is. He's really good at using his weight to lever the bales where they need to go. What is your kid doing? Exercising his thumbs on the dumb machine? (computer games). Yes, our kids do that too, but we limit it. And it isn't kick them off that go sit in front of the dummy box -- the TV. I feel bad that too many kids don't have the opportunities ours do to be physically active, nor the will of the parents to have them be physically active. They will pay for it throughout their life.

Having a relationship with your kids is about spending time with them. We don't have the money or the inclination to purchase our fun, nor shuttle them to umpteen "activities" here there and everywhere, what we have are things to be done on the farm that need more than one person to do. I need help (which you may well take meaning beyond). It's in those moments that we work together that we talk about stuff -- what's going on, the questions of life, that just naturally occur. I can't make them happen, stuff them into a vacation or allocated "quality time", they just have to happen. And we get stuff done -- a very, very efficient operation the true family farm is.

Julie does the same -- she has a special bond with our daughter, Lilly. Lilly was born on the farm, she has been a little farmer all her life. That first summer she was born -- 2003 -- she was strapped to the passenger seat of the gator out doing chores with her mom. She helps mom gather eggs, hold string, whatever thing she can do to help. And as you can imagine, she is, for her age, quite good help, and is beyond many of her age group in her ability to understand and act on instructions. And because she has been around it all, I would wager she will pick up activities a good 2 years before where her older brothers would have.

Both Julie and I will "grab a child" and go to our chores. Or more than one. We'll split it up. Or send a couple children out with some chores they can do. They know they are important to our operation here. They are a part of it, and I dream of a day that they choose to be an adult part of this family farm. I admire any family that can work together. I know they must have done something right along the way to make the environment such that they can. That relationship can be many things; boss-employee, partners, and the boss can be the child or the parent. I dream of that day, way far away, when it's "Oh dad, we've got it covered, go play with your grand kids, we'll get this done".

Before you think this is some extended online bragging Christmas letter -- these relationships and activities have taken work, and haven't been without their frustrations and failures and conflicts. It is a work in progress. They get better in time through practice. I hope I get more patient and better to work with in time too. I have much to learn about patience and control (of myself).

This farm is a family farm by design -- on purpose for a long term goal.

This farm is an organic farm - supporting the long term purpose of sustainability - a hopefully multi-generational farm that through our success, our happiness, our ability to happily work together, our children will be drawn to this life.

This farm is a small farm, where children can be involved. We knew this was a startup business, and startup businesses of any kind -- much less the known work of a farm -- are long days. I've done it before, and I know it's 16 hour days. I was unwilling to do it at this time without my family - and miss out on those moments that pass so quickly in a child's life. Poof -- they're adults, where did the time go, where was I. I am here -- they are here -- we're together as much as is possible.

The work towards all this started on day one and was not an afterthought. I hope and pray for your family -- that you will find purpose, purpose in good, and find ways to work, live, love and laugh together as we do. May you have your own "Team Trautman" and know the life pleasures of your family.

Scott

Postscript, 12/6/08, 6:45am: Parenting in action, I just had a conversation with Quinn our 8 year old. I'm having to work on him to get him to be a willing and enthusiastic participant, in farm and home life and especially school. Nothing new there -- same issues at about the same age with his older brother Ian.

So Quinn has lately expressed that "Dad likes Ian better than me", and this morning, when I asked him specifically to be my "Right hand man" this morning, he tells mom "I did it the last couple times". So I had a parenting moment and went up to his room to discuss it with him -- and made my points of, No, I don't like our brother better than you, but that he's older and can do more things than you can and he has a good attitude, and "who cares?" if you did it the last couple times, we don't keep track around here of who does what when to keep even, we ALL help out as we can whenever we can, and finally, I asked YOU to help ME because I want to spend time with you and work with you so you can do the kinds of things your brother can.

So then I come here and write this -- while making some oatmeal, and the small act that proves the value -- his brother Ian hears the timer go off, rushes into the kitchen and takes it off the burner. No one asked him to, he just did it. That's the kind of team we're building here, and these are the moments of joy in paradise I am grateful for -- Scott

Rhoda is a 15 year old Jersey, with a little Holstein in her, 3 teated cow. She is my first cow; she came to our farm from my Amish friend Andrew Swarey by Dorchester in May of 2007.

Rhoda had been in Andrew's herd for a long time; she is a certified organic cow. I paid $500 for her; she was to be our "test pilot" cow for us diving into dairy. That's how we operate around here, dip in a toe, test the waters, then wade in a ways before we go all in.

We had no milking equipment ready the day she came. We had no facility to milk -- as I came to find very funny myself telling people -- milk cow. Now cow-s, but cow. As in "Time to go milk Cow". Well I STILL think it's funny. But as usual, we managed. We go from complete naivete, to adaption, to some kind of efficiency. Naivete - Guess what, cows don't generally just stand there and wait to be milked. There being in the pasture. In fact, Rhoda didn't even want to be caught, much less milked. Okay; so day one went by without milking her. Not good. With the help of our very good friend, and all around capable and inventive guy, Don Warren, we (or I should admit, he) lassoed Rhoda, and we put a halter on her, tied her up close to a post on the edge of the field, gave her some grain, and proceeded to milk her by hand.

To look at my soft white small hands, you would have to know I have not milked (many)(okay any) cows before. It is hard on the hands! It took a good 20 minutes and very sore hands later to feel like we milked her out good enough that first time.

I had borrowed an old portable vacuum pump (really an air compressor turned backwards: vacuum instead of pressure), and a bucket milker, which is a stainless steel bucket, around 5 gallon size, with a top on it and a device called a pulsator that would squeeze the teat cups on the teats of the cow to have her release her milk. But they were in pretty poor shape, and Rhoda came before I got them fixed. Well, the portable vacuum needed to be replaced, and waiting on it to be shipped to us. A couple days of hand milking.

 

As usual, the 2nd day went better than the 1st, and the 3rd better still, although I was ...pretty much on my own. The deal was, to get Rhoda here in the first place, was, this is YOUR project Scott, YOU milk the cow. This from "the boss", Julie, Chief Skeptic & Keeper of Scott from Doing Crazy Things. So it would not be good for me to complain, so I didn't, but I sure was happy to have that portable milker. And by this time, she knew the drill, too -- that some grain was in it for her if she came up to be milked.

Most dairymen milk twice a day. Some even three times a day. Us? Once a day. It is not unheard of, and there is logic and reason to it I won't go into here. To say I didn't have time to milk once a day, one cow (for which the setup and cleanup are the same as to milk 10...or 100, is an understatement. But to milk twice a day, with the setup and cleanup taking far longer than the actual milking, well, that would be pretty crazy. (as opposed to "pretty crazy" to be milking at all, or milking only one cow)

When I talked to Andrew about getting "a" milk cow, to smooth the wife into this whole dairy thing, seduce her with the beauty of it all, I communicated the need for a friendly, easy to milk cow, great disposition, a cow easy to fall in love with. Well, didn't quite work out that way, at least to begin with. Rhoda knew early on that I was the "herd leader", but Julie, and the kids -- they were put on this green earth to be bossed around, and that she did. She was generally a menace to everyone but me. Which in it's own way endeared her to me, as I was "special" (as anyone who might know me might say with another meaning..."special"....).

So all spring I would milk her; I'd ask for and get a hand from one of the kids. There was the bucket milker to be sanitized, put together, the tools such as the teat dip, the curry comb (my touch), warm soapy water & wash clothes to clean teats, paper towels to dry the teats. It took about an hour start to finish. And Julie helped along the way, and stripped (squeeze the teats to get the initial milk flowing) and put on the milker.

We would drink the milk ourselves; boy it was good. Yep, unpasteurized, death-waiting-to-happen (so they say). I would call it a "Rhoda-Soda", a tall glass of cold milk, from a bottle with a nice 2 inch head of cream on it.

Rhoda was all by herself. Which we now understand to have been the source of ...most... of her "anti-social" behavior along the way. Cows are herd animals -- and especially if they have always been IN a herd, they act weird if they are OUT of a herd. What herd order? In the case of Rhoda, clearly a herd leader, who to boss around then? Well, not me, we'd established that <I> was the herd LEADER, but Julie & the kids? Well well, they could be bossed.

By late June, GJ, Maidengirl (GJ's Sister) and Baby GJ (GJ's daughter, we just call her "Baby") came to the farm from Richard's (see prior post about My Friend Richard). After some time, Rhoda was integrated with this group, and of course, Rhoda, being even the smallest of the group, took over leadership. GJ is about the most passive cow you'd ever meet, even being probably 1400 lbs vs. Rhoda's 900. Size doesn't matter: attitude does. With her finally being back into a "herd", even if it was only 4, she mellowed out some. I had been able to touch her all along since I milked her; I brushed her, complimented her on how nice she looked (girls do like that, even bovine ones) and generally made a fuss of her.

GJ freshened (had a calf & started to milk) August 11th; a beautiful bull we promptly named "Little Richard". Rhoda, being the bossy girl she is, and GJ being the passive cow she is, pretty much gave up her calf to Rhoda, who, being 14 years old, had had probably 12 calves but never been left to keep a single one (calves in dairy...except for a few Very Odd places like ours, are taken away right away from mom....I hate that with a passion), was getting in 12 calves worth of mommy-ing all at once.

 

When we were only milking a couple -- there were a few days where Rhoda was "difficult" and didn't want to come in, or be milked, or whatever, that we massaged some "hamburger"-like thoughts, and half convinced ourselves she "just wasn't working out", but like so many things, looking back, they were our problems, not hers, we weren't working things out very well, she was being....a cow...

We are now milking 22 cows -- and Rhoda isn't exactly the leader anymore, but if she has a chance to be the boss of anyone - of Baby and Maidengirl and a couple heifers anyway -- she does. Now Rhoda is more "in the lead" -- as in that nosey gramma-like person that always has to know what's going on and be at the front of the crowd. She always wants to be first for new grass, hay, to be milked. Very assertive that way. And eat -- she can really pack it in! Julie especially calls her "Rotunda" -- positively ROUND from filling up on as much grass or hay as she can pack in. That is a mighty good characteristic of a cow -- the more they eat, the more milk they give.

 GJ, Rhoda, Maidengirl's calf Karen Marie, and Little Richard

We had some trouble getting Rhoda bred; she is at this time in her 650th day of lactation -- almost two full years -- which is way too long. We didn't get the job done like it should have been. We use a bull, and Rhoda being old-ish has some old-person issues on occasion and weak hips kept her from allowing Shim the Bull to complete his work. But he did, this last spring, and she will have a calf in around February 20th. So we'll be drying her off here any day. She still gives a nice amount of milk; lots of butterfat & good protein, and low somatic cell count. We are really hoping for a heifer calf, to continue the legacy of Rhoda The Wonder Cow.

 

Rhoda in the new parlor, along with our daughter Lilly. And Bob from Tri-County Dairy in the background. This was day one for the new parlor - 8/27/08

Even Julie now is very fond of her, she is nice to all humans and that certainly helps. Or think of it as everyone's used to everyone's quirks and needs by now. We know how she is, she knows how we are, we get along.

I hope that she can be a productive happy member of our herd for many years yet. She is in good health, and could be around for 5+ years yet, before she's considered really old. For a herd like ours, that is. 5 years old is really old and worn out in many herds today, and that is sad because it doesn't need to be like that.

Come on out and see Rhoda the Wonder Cow and see what I mean.

 

This post from August 5th, 2005. Any of you out there that knows what happened in August of 2005 in the Stoughton area know what's coming up.

I mention "Authentic Happiness" by Seligman. That is a great book that effectively makes the case for optimism; it opens the door. The books that help me practice optimism are The Power of Intention by Dr. Wayne Dyer & now Happy for No Reason by Marci Shimoff. I had the Power of Intention for some time, but could not get into it. When the time was right. And here recently with the economy, I needed to re-listen to the Power of Intention to get out of my funk.

 Here it is 2008 and I still feel the same way. Generally positive, with my moments of despair. Think about the good things, and forget the bad other than to learn from our mistakes. Have a great Thanksgiving, and do give thanks. - Scott

 

I've certainly had enough downer things here lately to bitch about, but I do believe I am a positive person, and in so, need to search that positive out. So this is that; things I am thankful for, and are truly good.

1. Getting by with a little help from my friends. In a time of need, you find out who's really a friend and who's not. I've had several, and some unexpected, that have given of themselves selflessly. Thanks Dan, Mike, Bruce, Mike, Dale. You guys live the faith beyond Sunday service. Thanks.

2. Healthy family, healthy animals. The worst of the pinkeye is over, and every calf is looking pretty darn good, even with this hot muggy weather.

3. More rain than most have gotten. A hard year could have been so much worse, and is far worse for so many. As dry as it might be, we have nothing to bitch about.

4. New customers and friends. It is so revitalizing to get to know you. I am fed by your positive energy and hope.

5. Always something interesting, something to learn. Never a dull moment.

6. For all the equipment that does work. Seems like it's always something, but so far, been able to keep the balls in the air.

7. For God to give me the strength to get through the tough times. As bad as I might think things are, I know so many have it so much worse. God has been kind to us in every way possible.

8. For my wife and children that bring me so much joy. They ground me and show me what is truly important in life.

9. For my health. A stubby finger slows me down. A fellow I know has been laid up on his back for four days now, getting nothing done. That would be devastating for us.

10. The wonderment that is nature, and the confidence that what we do and how is the right thing.

I credit some of my framework for positiveness to "Authentic Happiness", the book by Dr. Seligman, which put into focus strategies, such as this very effort, to keep a positive attitude, even when one could easily fall into despair & be just another whiner complaining about just how crappy everything is. It isn't, but I'm the only one that can make me live and believe that.

All the very best to all.
(now surely back to my whining...)

I ran across this again and thought it would be a nice little pensive day brightener type of thing. 

 The Book is "The Cow" by Jared Van Wagenen, Jr., 1922
From the Steenbock Ag library, University of Wisconsin campus

"When the soil-miner has wrought his perfect work and the earth no
longer gives her increase-when seed for the sower and bread for the
eater grow scanty--then the cow comes to the rescue. From the
beginning she has exemplified the doctrine of soil conservation. Where
she makes the land her own, green carpets of pasture possess the
fields, alfalfa throws its perfume to the breeze and corn waves and
rustles in the sunshine. There great new barns rise in place of the
old, and white walled farmsteads speak of peace and plenty. There
contented farm folk found dynasties by striking the roots of their
lives deep into the soil. And of such is the Kingdom of Heaven"

This also from July 2005. What a crappy couple of months it ended up being. Another note -- I complain about $290/mo insurance being devastating -- with a deductable of $10,000. Try $15,000 deductable and $550/month. That is robbery. I think soon we will join the millions without any healthcare at all. - Scott

Takin' one for the team

 

The vet was out yesterday; to treat one calf with pinkeye, poor little #85, who's been rather sorry looking since he got here, having been weaned too quickly & transported here on a quite cold day. The vet also lanced an abcess on another calf's cheek, one about the size of a big golf ball.

My wife Julie helps we catch and hold these fellows when we need to do something. These fellows are in the calf shed, a 40x60 foot building.

With that cheek lance, we need to push out the pus out & put some iodine in there, at least twice a day until it heals over.
Six hours after the vet lanced it, it was back to its original oversized golf ball size, we catch good ol' Wolly, but darn it if we can get the puss out of the lance, trying to squeeze it. The vet said we might have to clean it out with hydrogen peroxide & break a scab to get it out. Well, probe as I might in the wound, and thoroughly grossing Julie & myself out, can't get it open. Need the vet out again.

At the same time, we need to vaccinate the other 7 fellows in with him against pinkeye. Which means catch 'em & give them a quick shot in the neck. We caught 5 with relative ease. I suggested to Julie, well, maybe that's enough for tonight. Okay, let's try the next one, if we can't, that'll be it for tonight. Okay! Julie & I make quite a team, I'm the major "grabber", she's right behind to gain control, then back to me to get them down on the ground & do the vaccination, 2cc's in the neck.

Good & big #224, I grab him at the feeder, he makes a lunge, Julie's got his tail, I've got him by the neck, down he goes, I'm on top.
Bam, up goes his head, and his bud of a horn knocks me good just above my left eye, wow, that hurt, but I got him vaccinated. I touch my head, it's slick, and my hand comes back bloody. Julie can't see my face yet.

When she does, her first comment is "you've got to go to the emergency room". The damn thing doesn't really hurt, but it's definitely bleeding good. Nah, no emergency room, it's not that big a deal. Especially since the last time we had an urgent care situation, our 2 year old daughter having fallen down a couple stairs playing with her brothers, result being she was limping. Three x-rays later, $1000. It was nothing, she just sprained her ankle, but there it is, $1000 for being safe. And a nice little note in the file about "blunt trauma" to make sure they could suggest child abuse to keep us shut up.

Our health insurance is still $290/month, almost $10/day, for a $10k per person deductable. On a farmer's pay, that $1000 was devastating, and all I can think is they'll find some way to make this a $1000 cut, won't they? So no, not going to urgent care, clean it up, try and bind it up to minimize a scar. Such is the price of healthcare these days. You've got good employer provided healthcare? Good for you, no scars for you. For us, if it's me anyway, it'll be a broken bone or as bad before I go to those money suckers.

Being the jokester that I am, I now am able to say upon being asked (by everyone of course) "what happened?", well, Julie, she's a mean drunk I tell you, I never saw it coming. There may well be a small scar, no problem, the problem right now is wiping away sweat in the course of other activities from that eye. All part of what it is to be a farmer, with animals.

 

This was a posting to my original blog on blogspot, on July 9, 2005. This is the "way back machine". I will keep posting these until I'm out of them -- upon rereading them, it is amazing we're as upbeat as we are. There's some good farm history here. 2005 was our 3rd season. - Scott

Hi, it's me!

HELLO

Scott (me), Julie, Ian (7), Quinn (5), Lilly (2), are organic farmers by Stoughton, Wisconsin. Our farm is 40 acres.
We moved here May 17th of 2002, Settendmai weekend.
I owned a small ISP (Internet Service Provider) company from late 1994-May 2004.

We started farming early spring of 2003, with some rainbow mix laying hens (50) & 4 started Jersey steers.
I planted the entire farm into pasture in late April, a little heavy on the red clover.

We've worked agressively on soil life, following Gary Zimmer's program in his "The Biological Farmer" book, loading up on lots of calcium, while we have the money to do it, money from a modest payout on selling the Internet business.

First season, we harvested those 4 steers in the fall, but during that summer started what ended up being 16 Jersey calves from a near big conventional dairy. 2nd season, we ended up with 31 big calves, and having purchased 2 others, have 33 grazing right now for fall harvest.

Now being the season where it's been 3 years since anything artificial put on our ground, we're a few days away from our final organic certification. We've gotten over 40 weaned Jersey/cross bull calves so far, with all but four so far being certified organic, on our way to 50.

April-May-June have been incredibly busy, had to re-seed about half our pastures due to winterkill, and mistakedly starting some big projects in late May. Won't be doing that again, May-June is pure farming, no projects for next year. Live and learn.

I'll keep adding to this post for more background, as I have time, along with the daily stuff.
We love farming, and although the posts might reflect setbacks, know we've got a very positive attitude, I'll try and make sure that gets reflected & not just the bummers along the way. Such as it is, gotta do some grousing along the way.

SMT

This document was created back in early 2007 as we considered dairy seriously and searched for assistance to make this happen. Some of the timelines are now way off, but most are still in line, and the ideas have now been proven with a year of milking cows. We will indeed modify some ideas to better suit "reality" and the situation, but by and large, everything mentioned here works. One of the larger changes is the seasonality: From spring freshening, to fall freshening, that due to considerations that everyone, especially organically, wants to freshen in springtime, and so there is a glut of milk. Fall freshening actually comes out working to our favor in many ways that I'll discuss at a future time. -- Scott

Trautman Family Farm Artisanal Dairy Initiative

Project mission:

For Trautman Family Farm to add the last critical peice of our farm sustainability puzzle (100% farm produced income) through artisanal dairy: reap the rewards of our hard work to date: in remineralizing our soils, becoming certified organic and very capable farmers with a strong direct market following and marketing appeal.

Ours is by design a family farm, and it is our strongest desire to keep it that way, and to involve our children for now and the future in our operations, through strategic partnerships, such as cheesemakers, buttermakers and other dairy artisans, who appreciate excellent quality milk, from a farm with a great story. We will do our part: make excellent grassfed organic milk, along with learn from and interact with diary artisans to come up with excellent products -- both for the high end market, and with an eye for our local market, in an effort to revitalize our local farming community and make excellent food a reality for all people and not just the affluent.

History:

Scott’s grandparents farmed in North Dakota, and he spent quality time there as a child, and not surprisingly has had a lifelong love of farming. In highschool, in very suburban Bettendorf Iowa, he ran an ad in the paper to work on a farm, found that job, and even rented ground and raised pigs with the farmer’s equipment & facilities, one of his first entrepenurial ventures.

With the realities of "getting into" farming, starting to farm at that time (mid 80’s!) would have been near impossible, so off to college and eventually a business degree, with then work with computers in a business setting. This work culminated in 10 years, from 1994 to 2004 as owner of Global Dialog Internet, a small company serving south central Wisconsin with Internet services; known for superior customer service and innovation. During this time the now Trautman family moved in 2002 to a farm outside of Stoughton, 40 acres square, with later additions of 30 acres (now in transition to organic) plus another 40 acres in rented land. Through “dangerous reading”, and frustration with the Internet work, the family moved the direction of farming, and in 2003 started towards organic certification, planted the whole farm to pastures, and started grazing steers, raised a few laying hens and broilers. The Internet business was sold in 2004, and has allowed us the ongoing capital to proceed with our farm plans.

Fortunately at that time, too, we embarked on an agressive soil reminerilization & fertility program, and through extensive effort and education, that effort today reaps fantastic rewords in quality and quantity forages. Those investments will continue to pay for many many years.

Each year since 2003, we have added new dimensions to our operation, testing the waters and starting small to minimize our expenditures in ill concieved directions. We know from the past four year's works - that our strengths are in grazing and marketing, and in the diversity of animal related products, such as chicken, eggs, pork & beef -- all with grass as a focus. Grassfed-Organic is "the place to be", and we are there. From our "toe in the water" start in 2003 -- with only 4 steers, 200 broilers & 30 hens -- to in 2006 finishing 44 steers, 600 broilers and 20 hogs, all of which sold off the farm, not at farmer's markets or wholesale. We always run out of product before our next harvest. New customers average 1-2 per week. Our ability to meet demand - not finding customers is our limitation. Especially with Scott's background in technology, we utilize the Internet extensively for marketing and efficiency. As we are in the "place to be" with our products, we capitalize on new technologies such as YouTube videos, blogging to spread the word.

Our limitation to sustainability at this time is either enough land (we estimate between 2-300 acres as a certified organic direct market farm), or with less (more is NOT available currently) with maximizing our production (working well) and income -- which is where dairy fits in, along with our other direct market farming efforts. It is also important for us to have both product and customer diversity; this provide us the most resilience in a quickly changing market and conditions.

We are adaptive, learn and adjust very quickly. Our biggest asset: Julie and Scott are one great team - working together on the farm. We make friends easily, through our sincere love of farming and people and social networking. Small companies -- and farms -- that are successful -- can adapt to changing conditions more easily than large companies/farms. Rather than smallness being a liability, smallness = nimbleness, adaptability. In fact we have strategically chosen our practices and markets that do not "scale up" to large farms well -- and organic grassfed dairy is one that large companies will not be able to effectively "be big" at -- it requires the skills and reactiveness of -- you guessed it -- a family farmer that really knows their animals and can't be put off on low skill employees or in technology.

Having a family focus -- changes the nature of our decisions, as we plan for a future including our children, instead of just on this year's crop & how many houselots would have to be sold to retire someday. The whole package together - the products, and the "green-ness" - is one that people are actively rooting for -- for our success, in contrast to the conventional wisdom that family farms are in decline and cannot succeed in today's market. We show that does not have to be the case - with our success.

Dairy Initiative Plan ===============

"Make great milk and they will come"

First and most importantly -- make a great product for a willing market. And grassfed organic is that market, and the quality forages and management brings the quality product. It is our desire to be excellent dairymen -- but also know the world of the dairy artisan to better serve them. We are very quick and deep learners; it is not usual for the dairyman to get together with the artisan, but our desire is to break that detachment between the production of the milk and the product.

We anticipate partnering with one or more cheesemakers -- we bring the excellent milk. A possibility is to create an on-farm cheesemaking facility; with proximity to Madison & cheese facilities & bring in even "guest" cheesemakers, I'm confident we can find the right situation.

We would absolutely entertain a partnership where a cheesemaker puts a facility on our farm and makes the cheese. Surely there are budding cheesemakers looking for just this situation.

We anticipate that cheese made from our milk would be in the $10-20+ per pound retail range - high end. It would also be relatively scarce -- there will only be so much. Also some innovative marketing possibilities that I could discuss at another time to expand the market -- for example a cheese auction online on Ebay.

We anticipate -- with the whole package including milk, our farm, us in marketing support -- that we conservatively should earn $35 per 100wt fluid milk. I think it will be higher, but this is a reasonable starting point for discussion.

"Surround ourselves with excellence and success"

With the great products -- we will be of interest to those that can judge what is excellent, and do special things with that excellence. Artisanal cheesemakers such as the Willi Lehners of Bleu Mont Cheese, Uplands Cheese, Bob Wills -- and many more -- that know what excellence is and can help guide us, and we can take the responsibility and have the interest in their world -- and shape our work to best meet the artisan's needs -- all of them -- product and logistics and marketing as examples. As opposed to current situation with most dairy farms, which is "Will you please take my milk?". We can and will go far beyond that with initiative, enthusiasm and ideas.

"Quality is your best marketing: Customer service is right behind that"

We "get it" with customer service -- all too often those "artists" that are excellent, have a certain despise for the customer. We love people, we treat others as we wish to be treated. We know our customers beyond their interest in our products --- they truly become our friends --- and we work very hard to make it easy to work with us, which has meant great customer loyalty and a willingness for our customers to come to the farm rather than us having to spend valuable time at farmer's markets et al marketing our products.

"Our family farm is a marketing asset"

We would preserve our name -- Trautman Family Farm -- in the end product, because it would be to the artisanal dairy professional's interest to do so. We "clean up good" so to speak -- and are excellent ambassadors. A true family farm -- as we like to say -- we ARE that farm pictured on the side of the milk carton or on the cheese label. A happy family farm with happy animals.

Our newest marketing catchphrase says it, too --

"With every taste an invitation -- to see how very special our products are from Trautman Family Farm".

Come see us -- really -- and you will see content, clean animals, well thought out ideas throughout the farm. But -- you will see too -- that we are not an antiseptic planned "show farm" -- it is obvious that real work is done here by a real family, but certainly with a mind to visitors. That is a powerful marketing tool -- especially in the face of competition by large companies. No invitations to the farms there.

MARKET

I won't spend much time discussing the general market for organic or grassfed: They are growing very quickly, and certain events (E Coli for example) even in the past year have only focused more interest. But it is important to note that organic and grassfed is a grassroots movement -- there is no marketing board supporting this, this grows from the people on up. I believe very strongly that we are at the cusp of a wave of change -- very similar to the Internet revolution we participated in starting in 1994.

We have found that our customer base includes a wide range of people, but the most exciting and fastest growing segment is the young educated families -- that have not had health crises that bring them to more natural foods, but by desire to start their families right with healthful food, but also in support of their beliefs about farming, the environment & social justice. These are families that could be customers for 40 plus years!

PRODUCTS

Some flexibility here as of yet. With a high fat & protein milk, fat up to 7% -- we are thinking towards

- Grassfed organic butter (very little in the market right now)
- Grassfed organic raw milk cheeses that preserves as much of the original milk qualities as possible
- generally, products that accent the unique and healthful qualities of grassfed milk
PRACTICES OVERVIEW

We are a very adaptive farm; and much of this comes from absorbing information from trade resources, other farmers and media. In so doing, we have identified practices that satisfy many areas -- marketing, family life & sustainability. Dairy is no different, and it is intended, but with option to adapt to the situation -- to implement the following practices in dairy, based on success of individuals in this area, New Zealand, and in general from those that question everything about what they do -- as we do.

OAD (Once A Day) milking: First reaction by most dairyman: you're crazy. All the more reason to question it. It is being practiced very successfully in Wisconsin, and has the very important quality family life component to it; not "chained to milking" as much. Milk components are very high over 7% butterfat. NOT 50% less milk; 30% less milk, but put the whole equation together and result is a 10% decrease in net profit.

Calf on Cow: Works on so many levels, with the right situation, a Johne's free herd being very important, and a clean, grass environment another. Result is hugely healthier calves, larger and more productive; often they are starting to eat grass at 2 weeks old. Great for heifers and what will be beef steers: that will perform to their peak on grass, without need of grain and the associated health side-effects of feeding grain. This too is being done very effectively by "crazy people" throughout the state, and most dairyman -- for their own convenience needs -- and not the best interests of their animals -- will not even think any further about this. Another advantage to the small farm - it will not scale up to a 400 cow dairy.

100% Grassfed: We have found that customers desire 100% grassfed. They are open to being educated about using "small amounts of grain", but we find it a distracting conversation to have. With our superior quality forages -- and an understanding of the design of the cow -- quality forages are what produce the greatest quality of milk, and best health and longevity. Less milk? Yes. But more than made up in quality. CLA levels at their absolute highest. I am confident in the next few years research will find yet more reasons why grassfed is superior to any other feed system -- except for quantity of milk.

Seasonal: Which goes with 100% grassfed. The best health and milk quality situations are created in growing grass seasons. This too combines with our family focus and ability to "take a break" from milking in winter.

100% cow needs focused dairying: We believe strongly in the management philosophy that these cows are not here to do our bidding, but ours theirs. As a good manager does: How do we as managers provide the best impediment free environment to do their job? Vs. the arrogance of man and our need to bend things to fit our convenience. There truly is a difference in how you think of things if you take this attitude. For example:

Cows don't belong on concrete. Their hooves are not meant for it.
Cows don't want to be (covered) in their own manure; it causes stress
Cows digestive systems were not meant to process grain, and grain causes a great many health issues and definitely affects milk.
Cows want to eat fresh grass; there is no stored feed that can match it; it also happens to be the cheapest way to feed a cow.
A Family sized Dairy

That would end up being at most 50-60 cows; with our other products, we anticipate a number between 30-40, which would be a great number for us to know our animals very well, create a reasonable income & volume of milk to work with in a small-batch environment.

Our first year we anticipate starting with 10-20 cows; building to 30-40 within 2 years, with the likelihood of some aggressive culling to better meet our situation's best cow traits.

Jersey/Jersey cross are the best choice. Within Jersey, NOT the highest producers. The Amish in general seem to have the right goals: Easy Keepers. Surely there will be discovery and focusing on traits as time goes on. Focus on quality and adaptability to our situation.

TIMELINE:

Overall:

2007: Learning, planning, product determination, milking facility building & staging. What a crazy busy year, but fun, too!
2008: Start to milk, work out the bugs, continue building the network; build excitement 2009: Start making value added product
2010: Start winning some awards & with our other mature business aspects, be cashflow positive
2011: Look out, here we come!

Immediate Timeline:
2007-January into February: Discovery & Business Plan, starting training such as "Production of Safe Dairy Foods" Feb 16,17. Mid February: Discovery session with DBIC with preliminary business plan. February into March: Continued immersion and networking. Find grants, consultants et al for business plan. Complete financial projections. Mid-March: Trip to New Zealand on a Babcock scholarship to research above dairy innovations, very popular already in New Zealand April: Finalizing business and implementation plan. May-July: Mostly farming, but chipping away at milking facilities & equipment plans August: Complete financing Finalize milking facilities & equipment plans, sign vendor contracts, look to November build (I suspect this could slip) Have found and purchased our cows Sept-Feb 2008: Being prepared for a whole lot of work and catchup; finish milking facility, loafing/bedding pack area Attend Beginning dairy farmer short course (late October start) Other training/seminars/continued education Mar-April 2008: Let's start milking cows
CHALLENGES:
- where to ship milk year 1; quantity not huge
- assuring our cows are inline with our programs & we don't need major culling & purchase to adjust
- managing all the technical requirements
- staying financially disciplined
- balancing life and work
- all the things that will come up that we haven't even thought of yet

OVERALL:
- A balancing of farm ventures in cattle both beef and dairy, hogs and chickens provides a resiliency, a balanced "ecosystem" and stimulating environment and a nice product mix. - A balance in dairy of give and take: Less milk, better quality, higher price, superior calves, excellent longevity & superior marketability. We will definitely discover the balance point. - We are not concerned about our ability to market our products; we already are to great success.
- We desire to stay "family" -- which is not to say we won't be a part of strategic partnerships; hopefully we will with other family farms in the area for the future. This unit necessarily will remain and flourish as a family farm, and not grow to a ....not family farm, which would erode the credibility of what we're doing. "don't get greedy"; think within the family, think to the future.
- The "best of the best" focus has both costs and rewards. We believe the rewards far outweigh the costs, especially in the social and market conditions of 2007
- By doing "all the right things" -- we are aiming to win awards and spread our message beyond our farm. We can only legitimately do that with success of our own farm
- There surely will be trials, and it will take work and discipline for it to be successful, but with our skills, situation, and the tremendous amount of help available to us, an excellent shot at success
- Our current financial situation is reasonable (this said by someone who tends to the conservative and dislikes debt), we will surely have some tight times for at least 2007 and 2008, if not longer, but we are best motivated by adversity. We will need loans to fully implement our vision, but again we have a great team working with us to clearly evaluate the business proposition.
- We have a realistic expectation of the time and energy and sacrifice this will take. As our whole family will necessary be involved -- we get our "quality time" in work time.
- We embrace that activity is not accomplishment; that we will have the discipline, and create the situations to think our actions through, and not back ourselves into corners.
- For all the confidence we show here -- we know humility -- and are open to change, and not afraid to say "I'm sorry" and "I was wrong". We are committed to being open minded and flexible.
- We understand that for all the great planning one does -- that things will come up, things will change, there will be unexpected changes. And we would say that this sure makes life interesting, and indeed that we are at our best when we have to make the best of things. Stuff happens; we deal with it.
- We are optimistic people, and we waste no time or energy being critical of others, we focus ourselves on "what can we do in our own small way to change the world for the positive?"

Indeed the most radical and revolutionary thing we can do is to succeed.

Strengths:
- a strong entrepreneurial and business background
- problem solving and technical background that allows quick adoption of new ideas; a hunger for learning
- excellent communication abilities with strong networking for a solid marketing focus
- passionate love of farming and to share our enthusiasm and knowledge with others
- a relatively short time farming: no bad habits or preconceived limitations to overcome
- a super family team that works together efficiently and effectively and in respect of each other’s strengths
- the incredible resources at hand in Wisconsin to help people like us succeed
- proximity to Madison: for customers, resources & artisans
- excellent reputation and momentum through our current product offerings; excellent customer service focus
- ability to sell all our products without leaving the farm through strategic marketing and excellent quality products that make it worthwhile for people to come here for them.
- reasonable capitalization and access to funds for expansion.
- the hard work of organic certification and soil fertility at the home farm are done; quality simply will not be an issue.
- lots of help from the many many friends we’ve made along the way.
- access to some of the finest minds anywhere in soils and forage and dairy nutrition (my Midwestern BioAg network)
- the discipline of the organic way: solving farm problems instead of masking symptoms & taking the long view
- understand the hard work ahead and what we're getting into. We love our work!

Weaknesses:
- inexperience in dairy, but have quickly learned and adapted and will be using this year before we start strategically to gain experience and expertise.
- ability to expand land-wise; countered by “heavy thinking” to maximize income per acre, with available expansion, “icing on the cake”. Long term lobbying efforts for new lands have been made.

Concerns:
- (short term) shipping milk 1st year somewhere as we work through the kinks
- managing the myriad of details in
logistics issues of getting milk to a processing facility from a single farm or
assembling a processing facility here and finding the right dairy artisan partner and
complying with health and safety regulations
- managing our time to add this venture to an already fairly full schedule
- even with a year off start date, so very much to do and learn
- managing our cash-flow in 2007,8 until we come fully "online" with dairy income in 2009
- managing innovative dairy practices with a limited support network with those new practices
- a maddening amount of administrivia in support of farm dairy production?

I'd like to take the time today to introduce you to my friend Richard.

Richard is one of the last of the old time dairymen. He is 70 years old, and has been a bachelor all his life; he has never traveled beyond Madison, and hasn't spent a whole lot of time off his farm. I am so very grateful that I have come to know him and for him to be my friend.

I met Richard in about March of 2007. I don't know why I was looking in the dairy cattle for sale section of Agri-View; I can't say I was serious about dairy at all at the time. It was of interest, but for the future. The ad said "10 cows, grazing herd, never pushed, Jersey crosses", which if I was to dairy, was just the kind of starter herd I was looking for.

So I called him, and arranged to come see the herd. I remember telling Julie just that we were "going to see some animals", as she was surely not too hep on dairy, and she does indeed "know how I get" and would not want me too encouraged in this direction. But we loaded up the whole family and went north of DeForest to Richard's farm. We arrived in the middle of milking time, and he asked if we could come back in an hour. So we went and had dinner in DeForest and then came back. He was very concerned that the cows would be disturbed by other people being around. This is a fellow that doesn't have too many visitors, and the main visitor to the cows was the vet- not usually a happy thing, so understandable about the cows being not so used to people.

Richard was so proud of his herd, and he had every right to be, at least to a fellow like me. The first cow I saw, on the end, was GJ. GJ stood for "Guernsey Jersey". She was a big girl and had a white triangle on her forehead, like Guernsey's are known to have. And where the other cows were wary, GJ was very friendly indeed, and her and I immediately warmed to each other. I instinctively performed a well received intensive tailhead scratch.

Richard had decided to quit milking cows after some 50 years due to problems with his hands: carpal tunnel syndrome, that made all farm chores difficult. But Richard wanted something that most farmers don't think about, and don't have the luxury of being able to ask for. Richard wanted a good home for his cows, and he wanted, secondly, a home close enough where he could visit them, which upon a visit to our farm and confirmation that ours was the place for his cows, 32 miles was indeed close enough. He knew he wanted someone that would love his cows the way he loved them, and that would provide them pasture and care like his.

Richard told me many times after that that he told his mother, who lived with him on the farm at the time, that upon that first meeting, he knew he wanted his girls to come to our farm. Julie was impressed with the cows, and we discussed further the implications of dairy on our future. We decided to purchase the herd, for the first group of dry cows to come in June. GJ was in that group, as was Maidengirl, GJ's sister, and Baby GJ, whom we just call Baby, GJ's daughter.

All along I talked quite a bit to Richard, and he got to know me and what I was trying to do, and I got to know Richard better, and his deep love of his cows and committment to always doing what's right for them. Our ideas differered, his reflecting more conventional views in some cases, old fashioned views in others, and I would say the best of Organic ideals as well. If Richard was 20 years younger, he'd surely be an organic farmer now.

The summer of 2007 was yet another drought; a bad one; it just did not rain from May until end of July. We struggled with fly control and had an outbreak of pinkeye. And most importantly, we felt we were moving too fast into dairy, and that we would put too much money into ideas that we didn't know enough about. Richard would check in every few days to see what progress we were making towards building our dairy facility; at the time we were milking one cow, in the field, with a bucket milker & portable vacuum. No facilities necessary there. With milking 10, however, need for a full blown milking facility, yet, not enough size to achieve any kind of income over expenses. The worst of both worlds. We explored, we talked, we worked, we came to the conclusion this was crazy for us to spend all this money on a facility we hadn't thought enough about. In the meantime three additional heifers had been brought to our farm from Richards, Jersey, Baby ChickaJay & Baby Blackie.

I knew I had to go to Richards farm and tell him in person that we couldn't buy the rest of his herd. It took me two weeks to work up the courage. How badly I felt about it, what it meant to Richard that he would be burdened to find another home for his cows. He pulled out his calendar, and went through day by day our contacts, and plans we had made, that I now had to reneg on. I told him I sure wish he would yell at me with as badly as I felt. But he knew it was true, too, that it made no sense for us to get in this deep with everything going on, even while we were still committed to dairy in our future, it would have to be on a smaller scale now if there was to be a future. We look back now and know had we gone ahead then, we would probably hate milking cows and would probably not be doing it at all.

So Richard did find another buyer over the next couple months for the rest of his herd, not too altogether much farther away, but definitely not much of a pastured farm, and as became evident over time, not to Richard's high standards, either. He would stop in our farm, and see our serene animals, his cows, too, with calves with them, in pasture all the time, and tell me about conditions at the other farm. I told him to quit going there -- just stop here. Richard worries a lot; that is in his nature to become consumed by worry of a thing, and keep him up at night and preoccupied during the day.

To this day, Richard comes by about once a week, he knows to pop in around 9am we will be milking, and he'll pick up the broom and sweep, and lend a hand in any way he can. I am so grateful to hear his advice: as I know it is completely from love of the cows, and not from convenience to him, or profit. I value his perspective, experience and ideas. I appreciate that he "keeps us on track"; Julie and I know that Richard will be coming, and he will ask about how we are doing on shelter for the animals, how care for them is going, are they getting bred, all the things we need to do as competent dairymen. Richard has been so very generous to us in so many ways. That he could forgive me for not being able to take his whole herd, that he cares enough to come by, I consider Richard a true friend and I am the better person for knowing him.

I enjoy hearing stories about his cows, his farming experiences, and I love to tell Richard of my experiences, especially with his cows, knowing how much they tickle him, and still the pride he feels in his girls. We share those silly little things that only two people that love cows bother with; how Baby had this cute little kick, just to tell you "hey, what'r you doing under there", and GJ's easygoing personality, how Baby ChikaJay is just like her mother.

Richard is the last of his generation that feels so deeply about his cows; today it's all business. I hope that some of Richard's spirit is in me and that I can pass that on to my children, and perhaps others. I know he nor I are the only ones to love our cows, and there are still those out there that do, and it's not just a business of numbers, facts & figures. We ought all celebrate the likes of Richard for the true love beyond himself he has shown over his long career.

Hello!

 This is Scott Trautman, here, to write some words about what life is like out here on Trautman Family Farm. Me, my wife Julie, our kids: Ian, 10, Quinn 8, and Lilly 5....and....

22 Jersey Cross Organic 100% Grass Milk Cows
20 Young calves from aforementioned Milk Cows
1 Shim the Wonder Bull (Jersey)
43 4-12 month old Steers
4 Yearling Heifers
===
90 Bovines on our 70 acre farm

And 120 Hens,
27 Pigs (Porkers, Piggle Diggles, Oinkers)

Quite a bit of animal action going on out here. And grass action; our entire farm is in grass. We also run an additional 50 acres off the farm, which sooner or later ends up in hay.

We are a grass farm; we are a certified organic farm, and we have farmed only since 2003. But since that time we have invested in knowledge for our heads, and minerals for our soils to make the startings of...a grassy paradise.

We Love Cows! Okay, Scott REALLY loves cows, and the rest are pretty darn fond of the big brutes. Brutes? Nah, big SWEETIES they are.

That sure is a lot of animals for one farm, aint it? Yes it is. Thing is, we are organic by design, and we have invested heavily in our future, our soil fertility, and we get very nice yields indeed; above the county average. We are "overachievers" but need to be, as we are landlocked with what we have now.

It has been one heck of a stretch of beautiful fall weather; sunny, 70, wow. Great to be one of the rich people, able to be outside and enjoy the weather, the grass, but mostly those beautiful cows and baby cows. All the poor people stuck in buildings. So sad.

Today, rain. Still pretty warm, but soon to be gone. We wouldn't appreciate the spring summer and fall if we didn't have winter with which to compare it. And winter can be fun, too. For us as farmers, it's finally time to rest! The rest of the year? 14 hour days, 7 days a week, no weekends, no holidays. But that's okay; we don't need a vacation from paradise.

Please consider coming to see us, and see what I'm talking about. Our beautiful farm, our wonderful pastures, our excellent animals and superb foods.

Grassfed beef should be on your DAILY menu. It's good for you, it's good for the planet. See http://www.eatwild.com for the whole story on Grass goodness.

Our 100% grass dairy? Well the day will come that you can buy great products like cheese or butter, also with the fantastic healthful benefits of 100% grass. In the meantime, we carry great grass butter & cheese from Pastureland. 100% grass, organic. See http://www.pastureland.coop for details, then come on out to our farm store.

This new blogging feature is pretty darn cool, and with just a little encouragement (mention it when you stop out to the farm store, for example....), I'd love to share the stories of our farm and our animals and maybe even our family.

Live long and prosper.

No, wait, that was Spock.

Live free or Die. Eh, kinda harsh for a grass farm.

Really piss'em off: Be happy, Be Healthy

There. That's the right tone to take for me, Scott Trautman, Reporting from Trautman Family Farm, Looking out my window Right Now at:

All the very best

Scott Trautman & Family

http://www.trautmanfarm.com