November 14, 2020 at 6:12 p.m.
Women in Dairy: Darice Riebe
Barron County
100 cows
Family: I farm with my husband, Roger, and our sons and their wives, Mike and Jaime and Mark and Tanya.
Tell us about your farm. We own about 950 acres and rent another 100 acres. We grow corn, soybeans, rye and alfalfa. My husband is the second generation on the farm; his father started the farm in 1925 with registered Jerseys. My sons are the third generation.
What is the busiest time of day for you? Morning and evening chore times are the busiest.
When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I like to read.
Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. My most memorable farm experience was when Roger won the Klussendorf award at World Dairy Expo and the Max Gordon award at the All-American Jersey Show in Louisville, Kentucky, both in 2016. Also, I was honored to be named the Wisconsin Jersey Breeder’s Woman of the Year in 2013.
What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I have enjoyed showing a great deal. We have met so many great friends from all over who you only see once or twice a year at the shows.
How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I stay connected through the shows and through the Wisconsin Jersey Breeders.
Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? My mother-in-law, Caroline Riebe, inspired me. When Roger and I got married, I hadn’t had all that much to do on my family’s farm. But I saw what my mother-in-law did to make her family’s farm what it was, and I worked to be like her and do the same.
If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? There are so many politicians who have no idea what goes on on a family farm. They should have the opportunity to learn about what it takes to be a farmer in today’s world and economy.
What is the best vacation you have ever taken? Roger and I went to Door County for our 40th wedding anniversary. It was a lot of fun, and that area of the state is beautiful.
What are some words you like to live by? Live life to the fullest, you never know when you might not have another day.
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