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Farm Events: |
Farm News: State's Largest Dairy Hosting Breakfast This WeekcommentsPosted: 06.20.2011
The Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce Agri-Business Council is proud to be hosting the 2011 Breakfast on the Farm at Rosendale Dairy, LLC, N8997 CTH M, Pickett. Breakfast will be served from 8am to noon on Sunday, June 26. Cost is $6 in advance and $7 at the door. Children under 5 are admitted free.
One look at the long barns filled with dairy cattle at Rosendale Dairy, and the first questions that perhaps come to mind are how did the partners come together, how have they grown, and how are the families involved in the dairy business.
To answer the questions, one has to start at the beginning of this farm structure.
Jim Ostrom grew up on a dairy farm in Jefferson County. John Vosters learned the dairy business on his parents’ 30-cow farm (Tidy View) in Kaukauna. Jim and John were UW-Madison college friends. In 1994, they asked John’s parents, Ted and Dorothy Vosters, if they could buy into Tidy View with the purpose of expanding it.
In 1999 John and Jim hired Todd Willer to serve as an operations manager. He became a partner, and Milk Source was formed. Todd, also a UW-Madison graduate, grew up on his parents’ farm in Oconto Falls.
In that same year, Tidy View was expanded to 1,800 cows, up from the 800-cow herd upgrade that had been made in 1997. Later that year, Omro Dairy was purchased, housing 1,200 cows. The Omro herd was expanded to 1,800 in 2000, and 2,700 in 2005. In 2006, Tidy View expanded to 6,800 cows.
The expansion trend continued to grow for the Milk Source partners. The Rosendale Dairy began milking 4,000 cows in 2008, with the second 4,000 cows added in 2010.
In 2011, Milk Source has received its WPDES permit for the New Chester Dairy, located at Grand Marsh. It also reached an agreement to operate Calf Source, located in Greenleaf.
The children of the three owners are involved in the business.
John’s daughter Haley has worked for the business in finance and public affairs for the past two years. When she was younger, she cut the grass and helped pump manure. John’s other two daughters, Chloe and Kara, both work at Milk Source Genetics year round.
John’s dad, Ted, works on special projects and Milk Source Genetics shows. Milk Source Genetics is a 50-show cow farm in Kaukauna. It was started in 2007.
Jim’s son, Mac, and daughters Shelby and Carlie, all work with the animals at Milk Source Genetics.
Todd’s father, Darrell, is the operations manager at Omro Dairy.
John’s daughters all show cows and horses, and are members of the Jr. Holstein Association of Outagamie County. Jim’s oldest three children are involved with the Brown County 4-H program, and Todd’s kids are involved with Wide Awake Forward 4-H in Outagamie County.
For more information about Milk Source, visit www.milksource.com. For more information about the Breakfast on the Farm, please call Fond du Lac Area Association of Commerce at 920-921-9500 or visit www.fdlac.com.
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