Guest Blog

Last summer, in the height of the pandemic, a bad storm with straight-line winds went through our farm. The winds took out nine trees and a garage roof.

Direct selling of beef from the farm is often mentioned as a way you can generate extra revenue and profit margin on the farm with minimal input cost, so many farms are often tempted to take on a project like this. We are a few years into the process and are often asked for our advice from others who are thinking about attempting this sort of a project, so I am taking this time to write about our experience.

I’m writing this column at the very beginning of June Dairy Month and trying to put down my thoughts about checkoff is harder than ever. This year, promoting milk and dairy has a different meaning to it than normal. 

Under the summer sun, we’re all focused on setting cows up for success while facing the risks of heat stress. It’s important to stay the course during the hotter months, especially when it comes to reproduction.

Remember the ALS ice bucket challenge? How about dairy dance off? The milk chug challenge? If you’re on social media, you probably remember they went viral. Some even made national news. Ever wondered how they made that happen?

My dad, Earl Heck, was born and raised on a small farm in Wisconsin. There, his parents taught him hard work and responsibility. As a boy, things were hard, since the country was in the Great Depression.