---

Withee, Wis.
Taylor County
47 cows

Family: Husband, Dave; children Kyle Windle, Craig Windle and Jessica Davis.
Tell us about your farm. We moved here in 1991 from Pennsylvania with 20 cows and 20 heifers. We built ourselves up from that. We love it here; it's quieter and land is less expensive. We looked at farms in New York and central Penn., before we found out about this farm in the paper. This farm, with the house, buildings and 393 acres and another 160 in Clark County was the perfect place for us to call home.
What's the busiest time of day for you? I could easily say all day because there never seems to be enough hours in the day. But, honestly, mornings are the busiest. I'm a morning person, so that is the time I am able to do morning chores while also catching up on the things left over from the day before.
When you get a spare moment what do you do? I am a quilter. I love to make quilts. It takes a lot of time to complete, but when I get the time, I love to work on them.
Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Being able to watch my grandchildren help. My first grandchild comes out and feeds calves, carries buckets and rides along in the field. It's neat to watch.
What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I love my Red and White Holsteins. I love showing them. We usually go to three or four different shows a year, depending on what our schedules are like, and I really enjoy fluffing them up and hoping they will do well.
How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I have a good friend that I talk to often. Otherwise, I have a Facebook profile so staying active in groups such as Dairy Girl Network and The Milkhouse help to keep us all connected.
In your opinion, what's the importance of women in today's dairy industry and how have you seen that change over the years? I think it is important for women to carry on the tradition of dairying and to hopefully teach their children about the dairy industry. I've seen this change quite a bit over the years, as now there are women who run farms while their husbands work off the farm, while also raising children. To the women who not only do what I do, but do it on their own: kudos to you.
If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today's society, who would it be? Rather than a celebrity or one person in particular, I would want to give a tour to Facebook activists. I would want to share with them that animals are well kept and taken care of. They don't want to hear what I have to say in response over Facebook, so I would love to show them my farm and help change their perceptions.
What is the best vacation you've ever taken? After 33 years of marriage, Dave and I finally took a trip to Alaska. We went on the bus tour with Bob Bosold from the radio station WAXX 104.5. There were so many beautiful places we got to see, but my favorite was the Denali National Forest. It was incredible.
What are some words you like to live by? "You get farther in life with sugar than you do with vinegar." Being sweeter will get you farther in life than you would with a bitter or sour attitude.
[[In-content Ad]]

---