Barn full of Memories

Dave Joos
Hancock, Minnesota

Within this feature the Dairy Star  catches up to retired farmers to talk about the ups and downs they had when dairy farming. The feature includes how each individual farm changed throughout the farmer’s career and what each has been doing since they hung the milkers up.

What year did you start farming and what year did you retire? I guess I was born into it. My mom and dad were milking 12 cows by hand. As I recall, I had a roan cow I had to milk at maybe 9 or 10 years old. I retired in 2016 after 50 years of milking cows, but I turned the farm over to some friends who rented the facility for a couple of years, and I continued helping them.

Tell us about your farm when you started and describe what it looked like when you retired, including how many cows you milked when you retired. I took over the farm with my brother, Don, in 1966 and that was the beginning of Da-Don Farm. The original barn had 15 stanchions. We re-modeled the barn to have stalls for 30 more cows and two box stalls. In 1983, I built my dream show barn with box stalls and a wash rack; it was heated. We milked 50 cows until I retired.

What were some of the big advancements you made during your career? Other than the changes to the barn, we added a heated shop, too. We also added a barn cleaner, step saver and bulk tank.

What did you love about milking cows? The peace and quiet. My cows always had their tails washed and laid belly deep in straw because I just loved being out there. 

What was the highlight of your dairy career? Raising my family on the farm foremost, breeding Excellent cows and developing a 95-point cow; serving on the Minnesota Holstein board and being a national delegate; being inducted into the Minnesota Hall of Fame in 2011; and having part ownership in both grand and reserve champion bulls at World Dairy Expo. 

What is the biggest challenge you faced in your career and how did you overcome it? In the 1980s it was 20% interest and $9 milk, and I had to buy my brother’s half of the farm due to health reasons.

If there is one thing you wished you could have done differently during your farming career, what would it be? I wish I would have gotten a skid loader sooner because it makes things a lot easier.

What piece of equipment or technology has been introduced that you wish you had for your dairy career? Nothing brand new, but I wish I had a skid loader my entire career.

What do you miss most about dairy farming? Milking cows, washing their tails and just taking care of them.

What advice would you give to a young farmer today? First, you have got to love it. Second, live it. It’s 24/7. It is not a career but a lifestyle. Today, it probably is the hardest time to get started the way the industry is going, but find an old successful dairy farmer who has been there and done that and is ready for a younger person to carry on the legacy. Where there is a will there is a way.

What is your tie to the dairy industry today? I still attend shows throughout Minnesota and follow along with the show world. I read a lot of different publications about the dairy industry and I talk with friends who are in the industry.

Was retiring an easy or hard decision/transition? I guess I never really retired. Plan B was to rent our show barn for show heifers and I took care of them for the owners for a year and a half until he hung it up. I sold my last registered Holsteins in 2022 when he quit milking.

What have you been doing since you retired? Now, I have six registered Red Angus cow/calf pairs, six cats and a dog. I house Black Angus replacement heifers from January to April or May. So, at 81 years old I am still busy. I also have a small garden.