Sustainability is key to a bright future at Brickstead Dairy in Greenleaf, Wis. Clean water, healthy soil and profitability are three pillars of success at Brickstead Dairy.
Dan’s great-great-grandfather migrated from Ireland and started the dairy in 1848. Dan has been running the farm since he graduated from high school in 1992. He is the fifth generation to farm at Brickstead Dairy. He is hopeful that his children will be the sixth generation on the farm.
Brickstead Dairy manages 1,200 acres of crops and milks 1,000 cows.
Dan’s passion is the dairy cows. He works closely with his herdsman and consulting team to manage the health of his herd.
To Dan, sustainability means keeping the farm going for generations to come. He recognizes that to be sustainable, the team must be conscious of the environment they are farming in. Being good stewards of the land and community is a priority at Brickstead Dairy.
GPS technology on tractors helps to maximize resources and be as accurate as possible when planting or spreading.
Dan believes in sampling on his dairy farm. He regularly samples the cow’s feed and the soil to make sure they are maximizing their resources.
The Department of Natural Resources requires farms to sample every acre once every three to five years. Dan’s goal is to do multiple samples a year to ensure they are not overapplying nutrients on their fields.
“The cost of the sample is very minimal compared to using extra fertilizer,” shared Dan.
Dan works closely with an agronomy team comprised of consultants from the Lower Fox Demo Farms Network, NRCS and Tilth Agronomy. The team understands what Dan’s goals are and helps put those goals into action in the field.
Dan’s nutritionist also has a seat at the table during agronomy meetings because practices on the field can impact feed quality and milk production down the line.
Dan has noticed that improving soil health has improved the health of the crops he is feeding his cows.
“We see it come back in cow health and milk production on our dairy,” said Dan.
Working with the Lower Fox Demo Farms group has been a helpful resource at Brickstead Dairy. Involvement with the Demo Farms Network has springboarded Dan and the farm into new opportunities to expand conservation on the land
Dan recognizes to be sustainable, you have to be efficient with your resources. One of his goals is to keep operating costs low.
Dan wants to try interseeding on his farm. He has experimented with it in the past and is close to finding the right cover crop species.
Dan values his Farm Bureau membership because he knows that the Farm Bureau team is advocating for him and his farm at the local and state level. Farm Bureau helps Dan sustain his business by ensuring a license to operate into the future.
Clean water, healthy soil and profitability are key to sustainability at Brickstead Dairy. Leveraging modern technology and working closely with experts optimizes resources and improves efficiency on the farm. By prioritizing sustainability, Dan honors the five-generation heritage at Brickstead and paves the way for future generations to thrive.
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