What matters most
AMPI members find fulfillment on family dairy farm
AMPI dairy farmer-owner Sabrina Boettcher didn’t grow up on a dairy farm. Yet, she says life on Straight River Ranch in Luck, Wis., has taught her family lessons they can’t find anywhere else. On this first-generation dairy farm, priorities focus on pulling together all the pieces necessary for a satisfying work-life balance.
“Even on a small farm, you can make this life work,” she says about the dairy farming lifestyle she, husband Kyle and their three daughters — Morgan, 15, Kaylee, 13, and Zoey, 8 — chose to embrace five years ago.
Since the beginning, AMPI has been working alongside the Boettchers to make their dream come true. When they started dairy farming, the Boettchers planned to market organic milk. But, when they had trouble finding an organic processor to take their milk, they reached out to AMPI. The Boettchers’ field representative, Tim Nelson, helped them get started.
Having a reliable market for the milk from their 44-cow herd provides a solid foundation for a dairy operation focused on what matters most to them: family and farm.
The Boettcher family, from left: Kaylee, Morgan, Zoey, Sabrina and Kyle.
Starting from scratch
Dairy farming is not a new endeavor for Kyle. He grew up milking cows with his parents who sold the herd when he was in high school. Kyle always had a longing to return to dairying, so he and Sabrina began searching for a place to call their own soon after they married.
It took 10 years to find a property that met their needs, including a barn, house and enough acres to grow feed. Straight River Ranch checked every box.
The Boettchers then put three years of renovation work into the property before they were ready to start milking. This involved gutting the entire barn, sourcing new tie stalls and equipment and building a milk house.
Today, the Boettchers divide time between caring for the farm, full-time off-farm jobs and raising their daughters. Sabrina’s job allows her to work from home, so she does most of the morning chores. When Kyle gets home from work, he does the evening milking. It’s a balancing act that has worked well for them.
Trusted neighbors are ready to help if the need arises, as it has. In 2020, Sabrina broke her leg and just a week later, Kyle broke his arm. Sabrina credits their neighbors and community with helping them get through a time when they couldn’t physically do much on the farm.
“Our community came together around us to help,” Sabrina shared. “I still milked, but couldn’t feed the cows or do much else. We’re so grateful for the help we received.”
Family matters
Many would be deterred by the hard work required to start a dairy farm. Yet, the Boettchers view the farm as one of the most valuable things they could do for their young family.
“One of the reasons we started the farm was to have a great place for our kids to grow up. The farm teaches them so many things that school or parents can never teach them: hard work, ethics, empathy for animals,” Sabrina said. “It’s hard work. But we get to do it as a family.”
The couple’s daughters share responsibilities on the farm. They care for the calves, help with heifers, bed and feed cows and manage the additional animals around the farm — the pigs, chickens and three horses they enjoy showing in 4-H and FFA.
Despite the heavy workload a farm requires, the Boettchers make time for family.
“You have to prioritize what is most important to you,” Sabrina said. “Our children are our priority. We want them to love the farm, so we try to be together as much as we can and not let it take over.”
She’s determined to slow down enough to enjoy her children while they’re young, even if that means the evening milking starts a little late or field chores are slowed. When time allows them to take breaks, the family enjoys fishing together.
Sharing their story
In June, viewers throughout the Twin Cities region met the AMPI family through their TV screens and social media. They were featured on “Twin Cities Live” when the program highlighted a Wisconsin dairy farm each week of June Dairy Month.
The Boettchers found their way into the spotlight at the urging of their AMPI field representative Tim Nelson, who encouraged them to apply for the program. The family had the opportunity to share their dairy story and advertise the Polk County Dairy Breakfast they hosted on their farm this year.
Hundreds of the Boettchers’ neighbors attended the June breakfast. Members of the girls’ 4-H club served plates of pancakes, ham and eggs, complete with Dinner Bell Creamery butter. Meanwhile, Sabrina, Kyle, their daughters and Kyle’s parents told the farm story, giving guests an opportunity to learn more about how their food is produced.
Hosting a dairy breakfast is just one way the Boettchers have showcased their dairy farming lifestyle. Another is the annual kindergarten class field trip to the farm. Students get to see the animals up close, learn about milk and the milking process and ask questions during their visit.
Sabrina says that welcoming the public to the farm, whether literally through the dairy breakfast or virtually through “Twin Cities Live”, helps them connect with their community.
“It’s important to show people that their milk still comes from family farms, despite what they’re hearing elsewhere,” Sabrina said. “Guests who came to the farm had so many questions about the story of our farm and were impressed to see this in their community.”
Visitors line up for the polk County Dairy Breakfast hosted at Straight River Ranch, Luck, Wis.
