Nate Isensee
Norwalk, Wisconsin
Monroe County
40 cows

How did you get into farming? My grandpa had a farm. I grew up here and stuck around.

What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? Pay price of milk is always a big concern. I also wonder what will happen with the cost of inputs.

What is a recent change you made on your farm and the reason for it? I bought eight beef cows for extra cash flow.

Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I can look at a cow and tell if something is wrong with her. It is one advantage of having a small herd.

What is the best decision you have made on your farm? Putting up another silo. I avoid a lot of mud by not using bags.

What are three things on the farm that you cannot live without? My skid loader because it does everything. Everybody needs one. A good manure spreader to keep everything cleaned up. My cordless tools like the impact wrench. It makes fixing things very convenient.

What strategies do you use to withstand the volatile milk prices? I don’t do any impulse buying, and I don’t buy what I don’t need.

How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? Just roll with the flow. I don’t work with too many people; it’s mainly just me.

What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? Being my own boss and being outdoors.

What advice would you give other dairy farmers? If you can live without it, don’t buy it. If you have to use a pitchfork, then use a pitchfork.

What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and five years? In the next year, I am going to pour more concrete to make a feed room next to the newest silo. In five years, I plan to still be in business.

How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? I enjoy high school sporting events, snowmobiling and looking for deer sheds in the winter.