Tag Archives: dairy

Meet & Greet: Macy Sarbacker

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We are welcoming Sarbacker Cattle Company and Macy Sarbacker today!  Sarbacker Cattle Company is a family owned Holstein operation located in Belleville, Wisconsin, just South of Madison.  They are in a major transition currently.  Over the past three years they have sold off their Dairy Milking Herd and are currently raising Holstein Heifers with the intent for them to be show heifers.

At a mere 21 years of age this gal has graduated from Iowa State with a degree in Ag Journalism and Mass Communications.  Macy has helped transition Sarbacker Cattle Company in the past 3 years and has goals to continue to expand the new operation and possibly starting up a custom heifer raising operation.  If you are looking for that perfect show heifer, be sure to check her out!

Macy Sarbacker

Aside from her work on the farm, Macy is doing great things for Agriculture outside of their family operation, she is the Dairy Editor at Agri-View which is Wisconsin’s leading Ag Newspaper.   The Montana Ranch Adventure has had the opportunity to be a feature in Agri-View thanks to Macy!

When asked the question of Why Blogging and Why Ag? Macy answered, “It’s important for me to be involved in my dairy operation because I believe in the future of agriculture. I grew up immersed in agriculture and sincerely wish that everyone had the opportunity to do so. I also think it is important for me to be involved in my family’s dairy operation because it provides me with the opportunity to educate others. The average person today is so far removed from farms, that they don’t have any idea what goes on in the agriculture world. Being involved in my family’s dairy operation allows me to live out my passion and explain my passion to the general public.”  Macy believes that it is so important to continue to increase transparency in the Ag Industry and states that, “There’s no reason to lie or keep secrets.  If we’re open and honest with the public, we gain trust and respect.”  We couldn’t have said it better ourselves!

   I want to know your dirty little secret…..ok you don’t have to give that up, but tell me something unique about you, your operation, your family, anything goes! 

“Last winter my family lost our entire barn, office and calf barn to a barn fire. As if it wasn’t tough enough to sell our milking herd, losing our third generation farm was a tough blow. We now have a newly built show heifer barn and office! Through our tough times we learned the importance of the agriculture community. Farmers, friends and neighbors from close and far pitched in to get calves out of the barn, to save paperwork from the office and to bring us home-cooked meals for weeks after the fire. As difficult as it is to experience loss and change, we so quickly learned how grateful we are for the support of the agriculture community.”

– – To Macy and the entire Sarbacker family, we are sending our prayers and lots of love, we know how devastating fires are to Agriculture Family Business.  We are wishing you the smoothest and best recovery and know you have so much support backing you!  Thank you so much Macy for sharing your story with us, and being a part of “Women Who Get Things Done in Ag” feature!   To check out more on The Sarbacker Operation, and Macy follow her on Facebook, at her Blog, and also, check out Agri-View!

Meet & Greet – R-Crest Holsteins/Reutter Dairy

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Today we are welcoming Jodi McDonnell and R-Crest Holsteins/Reutter Dairy Farm to our blog! The operation calls Big Prairie, Ohio home and is operated by her husband, Tom, Jodi, and her parents. This operation is working on raising it’s 4th generation of farmers with Tom and Jodi’s kids working alongside their parents to help with milking and chores on a daily basis.

Jodi McDonnell 1

The Dairy operates on 400 acres of land that is used to grow crops for feed, and is home to 120 Holstein cows. This operation is Jodi’s family’s place where she was raised milking cows and doing chores at an early age, just as they are raising their kids a generation later.   Jodi was involved in FFA and 4-H growing up and it was at the farm and in these organizations that her love for agriculture continued to grow. She attended college at Ohio State’s Agricultural Technical Institute and then headed back to the farm to help! Jodi maintains a majority of the computer records for the herd including herd health and calf growth records as well as keeping the breeding program update, not to mention the entire family assists in milking the herd. In their spare time (wink), this family enjoys showing some of their registered cows at different shows around the area.

Jodi McDonnell

When asked the question of Why Blogging? Jodi answered, “I have always enjoyed interacting with the public and started my blog this spring in hopes to reach more people while serving as an outlet for creative writing.” It is important for agricultural producers “to be more available to consumers so they ask us, the producers, questions instead of relying on social media for their information. I think this is why it’s important to have producers who are advocates so we are more visible. “

I want to know your dirty little secret…..ok you don’t have to give that up, but tell me something unique about you, your operation, your family, anything goes!

“I have always thought it would be neat to process our own milk and sell our own ice cream. I don’t know how feasible this would be, but I’ve always thought it sounded like a fun adventure!.”  Who doesn’t love Ice Cream?!

I want to add in a little something that Jodi would not mention if I didn’t.  This family has been through so much in the past few months with 2 of the children becoming extremely ill and hospitalize as well as Jodi’s Father.  There has been a website set up to help defray the medical costs, if you can please help to support this great family through donations and especially prayers.

Thank you so much Jodi and R-Crest Holsteins/Reutter Dairy for being a part of “The Women that Get Things Done in Ag” Feature! Your blog is a great way to AGvocate for our industry!  You can follow them on Facebook or on Jodi’s website here!