October 12, 2020 at 3:11 p.m.
Elsenpeters commemorate farm’s 150-year history
Fifth-generation farmers carry on rich family tradition
The Elsenpeter families – (from left) Luke holding Irene and Liz; and Dan holding Pearl, Erica holding Norman, and Henry – milk 150 cows near Maple Lake, Minnesota. In 2019, the family dairy was recognized as a sesquincentennial farm. Not pictured are Luke and Liz’s children Evelyn, June and John; and Dan and Erica’s children George, Harvey, Ralph, Dorothy and Leroy. PHOTO BY JENNIFER COYNE
“I’ve never wondered why I do this,” Dan Elsenpeter said. “Dad took pride in his farm. I think he’d still be proud of what we’ve done with it.”
Dan and his younger brother, Luke, milk 150 cows on their organic dairy farm in Wright County near Maple Lake. The brothers work in a partnership with their families; Dan and his wife, Erica, and their eight children – Henry, 14, George, 13, Harvey, 11, Ralph, 9, Dorothy, 7, Leroy, 5, Pearl, 4, and Norman, 5 months – and Luke and his wife, Liz, and their four children – Evelyn, 9, June, 7, John, 5, and Irene, 3.
In 2019, the farmstead was recognized for being a sesquicentennial farm by the Minnesota Farm Bureau.
“We didn’t know a lot about the original homestead because Grandpa was gone before we were born,” Luke said. “And, I was only 19 when Dad died.”
Liz agreed.
“It’s meaningful for the kids,” she said. “As we get older, we’ve been able to make it a priority to research a better timeline for the farm.”
The dairy is currently overseen by the Elsenpeter brothers with Luke and Dan sharing responsibilities for both the dairy herd and field management. Both wives are also involved as Erica handles the farm’s bookwork, and Liz manages the family’s off-farm beef sales. The Elsenpeters also employ one full-time and one part-time employee.
The farm was homesteaded by Henry Elsenpeter, Sr., and his wife and young son from Westphalia, Germany, in 1869. Dan and Luke are direct descendants of his son, Henry, Jr., and the fifth generation to farm the land.
The oldest structure on the farm site is farmhouse, which Dan and Erica call home. The house was built in 1928, but a hip-roof barn once located next to the house was blown down in a 1950s storm.
After Dan and Luke’s grandfather passed away in 1968, their father and uncle formed a partnership. During their tenure as farm owners, they operated a successful traditional dairy, using silos and expanding the capacity of the tiestall barn while maintaining a herd of purebred Holsteins. They farmed together until the Elsenpeters’ dad died of prostate cancer in 2003 at the age of 59.
The current partnership was formed in 2004. Dan had managed the farm during his father’s illness and Luke had recently graduated high school.
“Our transition wasn’t easy because it wasn’t planned,” Dan said. “But it was what we needed to do. I’ve never pictured this property sitting empty and not having a farm here.”
Erica agreed.
“We’re always learning from the past,” she said. “With the kids getting older, the need for a succession plan is going to come front and center.”
The brothers pursued organic production as a way to remain viable in the industry.
“We saw the health and financial benefits of organic dairy farming,” Luke said. “We were tired of the conventional way of farming and looking for something better.”
Dan agreed.
“We knew we couldn’t farm like we were for the long term, but we didn’t quite know what to do,” he said. “Then, the organic opportunity came along.”
The change in management allowed the Elsenpeters to remain a respectable size for their location. They did not need to downsize to fit a niche market or relocate and expand to keep up with conventional dairying.
In the last 12 years, the Elsenpeters retrofitted the farm’s tiestall barn into a parlor and built a freestall barn.
“The tiestall barn fit 74 cows,” Luke said. “Now, in the parlor, one person can milk 90 cows in an hour by themselves.”
Over the years, the brothers also took down the silos that had long been out of use. The operation began using bags for feed storage in the 1990s. IN the silos’ place, the family put up a monoslope barn for dry cows.
They have also switched to feeding baleage, which they credit to improved herd health, and intensive graze the herd on 130 acres of pasture. This past season was the second time the family opted to have 25 of their heifers custom grazed.
“Last year we were low on feed and looked around to see if someone else could graze them,” said Dan of the farm’s youngstock. “It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement.”
In the coming years, the family plans to explore direct sales and the possibility of incorporating other livestock entities.
“Like everyone else, we’re worried about the future of the family farm, and we’re trying to find different ways of farming,” Dan said.
As Dan and Luke have updated their farming operation, they continue to make choices that will affect the dairy’s future. The next generation is continually at the forefront of every decision, especially those concerning safety and sustainability.
“We see a lot of respect from our community for the work we do,” Luke said.
Dan agreed.
“I don’t believe a lot of people realize how hard it can be,” he said. “Dairy farming is a lot of work, but there’s nothing better than a cow with a newborn calf, watching the sunrise and sunset every day, and the crops growing in the field. You’re your own boss, other than God.”
The Elsenpeters’ rich history in the dairy community began 150 years ago, and with each passing year, another milestone is reached as the family’s farming tradition continues on.
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