Clara Pflueger scrapes the stalls at Groetsch Dairy April 14 near Albany, Minnesota. Pflueger has been helping on the dairy for over two years. PHOTO BY MARK KLAPHAKE
Clara Pflueger scrapes the stalls at Groetsch Dairy April 14 near Albany, Minnesota. Pflueger has been helping on the dairy for over two years. PHOTO BY MARK KLAPHAKE
Clara Pflueger
Parents: Brian and Jessica Donabauer
Holdingford, Minnesota
Stearns County
250 cows
Holdingford High School
18 years old
 
Employer Lisa Groetsch:
Tell us your favorite experience of working with Clara. We have known Clara her entire life. Her and her parents have helped with covering the bunkers for years before she started working in the robot barn. I had a conversation with her recently that made me smile. She said working with Natausha, our herd manager, made her change her emphasis in her college major from livestock to dairy. She isn’t afraid of work, and it’s fun to know that it’s more than just a part-time job.

What qualities does Clara have that benefit the farm? Clara is timely and very efficient with her time here, well unless there is food in the office.
 
Clara Pflueger:
What are your responsibilities on the farm? I take care of fetching cows, scraping manure, cleaning robot rooms, washing waterers and helping watch for signs of sick cows.

When did you begin helping on the farm? I started in the robot barn Jan. 12, 2020. When I was younger, my family and I used to help throw tires on the silage pile every fall. 

How has working on the farm shaped your character? Working here really helped improve my work ethic and people skills. This is very much a stay-until-the-work-is-done kind of job, and it is also easier to do that when working with someone.

What do you love most about farm life? This is the food that feeds the world. Without farming and agriculture, we wouldn’t survive.

What is one thing you have learned from working alongside the Groetsches? I learned a deeper understanding about dairy and also a newer way of milking and caring for cows.

What are your future plans? Attend Ridgewater College for a degree in agribusiness and an emphasis on dairy.