---

Shari Chamberlain 
Pine Island, Minnesota
Goodhue County
80 cows

Tell us about your farm and family. My husband, Mark, and I are fifth-generation farmers, and we are so thankful to each have a brother on the home farm where we were raised. Both the Frost and Chamberlain farms have been in the family since the 1850s. We have been dairy farming for almost 41 years, 36 of those years on our current farmstead. We have raised Holstein, Jersey and Brown Swiss cows as well as corn and alfalfa with the help of our three children, Michael, Cherise and Nick. Their families have expanded to include Amy, Nevin, Ashlyn, Caryn, Macy, Cassidy, Charlotte, Weston, Colton, Jason, Katie and Claire. Our family has been a vital part of the success of our dairy.

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? Usually, I am up before 6 to help with scraping the barns, pushing up feed and calf care. I have always enjoyed record keeping, so I keep DairyComp up to date as well as crop and feed management records. Accounting for the financial aspect of the business, as well as employee data management, is a daily task. I am an enrolled agent, which means I am a tax preparer, so I do our farm taxes as well as for other clients. When 5 p.m. chore time rolls around, you will find me out of the office and back in the barn.

What decision have you made in the last year that has benefited your farm? I have decided to prioritize my grandchildren by caring for them while their parents work or having the kids over for games and food. I am thankful to have others on the farm to take care of my responsibilities, so I can enjoy grandparenting.

Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. The most memorable experience is not a one-time experience but a daily strengthening of my faith in God and working on relationships with the people who have supported us and helped us for more than 40 years.

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Dairy farmers are some of the most dedicated, perseverant people I know. Being a dairy farmer allows me be a part of the constant flow of seeding and harvest, working with the soil to produce feed for the cattle resulting in milk to market. I derive so much joy from being able to trace back the linage of a heifer to our favorite cow or to a cow in my dad’s herd from the late 1950s.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? I hope that we have taken good care of our cattle and supplied them with a good environment to thrive.

What do you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? My husband and I are on the Goodhue County American Dairy Association board, and we hosted Cheeseburgers on the Farm in 2014.

What advice would you give to another woman in the dairy industry? Even though dairy farming can be hectic and stressful, try to keep your priorities straight. Put God first, then your family and the farm.

When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I enjoy listening to music, singing and playing guitar. I also enjoy flower gardening and sharing my harvest with others.

 

---