Building a generational farm

BRILLION, Wis. – Matt Cracraft found a love for farming at a young age. Though he did not call a farm his home, he grew up helping dairy farmers. This work solidified what Cracraft knew all along — he wanted to be a dairy farmer.

“They say farming is in your blood, and I think it really is,” Cracraft said.

Cracraft worked to achieve his goal of owning a farm, and, in 2016, he and his wife, Renee, bought a dairy near Brillion. Cracraft has discovered that being a farmer is second to the joy of sharing that farm with his son, Grant. The desire to farm burns strong in the younger Cracraft as he eagerly follows in his dad’s footsteps at age 11.

“I always tell Grant, ‘This isn’t my farm, it’s our farm,’” Cracraft said. “It’s exciting to see the next generation interested. Grant is the future of this farm. He also has a one-year-old brother, Brooks, who might be interested in farming too.”

The Cracrafts milk about 73 cows and farm 200 acres. They receive help from a part-time employee and Renee’s family, who also dairy farm.

“Renee’s family helped us when we didn’t have machinery, and they continue to plant our corn because I don’t have a planter,” Cracraft said. “When we have a big project, everyone comes together.”

Cracraft also receives support from his parents, who help in any way they can, including running errands for their son.

“My dad always said, ‘If you’re willing to do the work, anything is possible – the sky’s the limit,’” Cracraft said.

Before buying his operation, Cracraft worked on a farm in Two Rivers and participated in Lakeshore Area Network for Dairy program. This program assists those planning to enter or exit dairy farming by pairing retiring farmers with younger people. During that time, Cracraft bought heifers and calved them in, growing his herd to 20 head.

“I did half of the chores and received half of the milk check while building up equity,” he said.

Through an opportunity at another farm Cracraft bought into a herd with plans to potentially purchase. However, the man who owned the farm Cracraft now owns called him with an even bigger opportunity.

“I laid in bed at night wondering what to do,” Cracraft said. “It was the worst decision to make. I got to know those other people, but this farm was a better fit for us.”

Cracraft kept his registered cattle and bought half of the cows when he purchased the farm. He had a full barn when he started, milking between 45-50 cows.

“A lot of things are different since we bought the farm,” Cracraft said. “We always try to do little things each year to improve. It makes a big difference, and it’s fun to see our vision come to life as we complete projects. It’s important to me to keep the buildings looking nice.”

The Cracrafts added more stalls to the milking and dry cow barns and drive-by feeding for the dry cows and heifers, put in headlocks for heifers and installed new mats in the tiestall barn.

“We keep cow comfort at the top of our list,” Cracraft said.

The Cracrafts also added more fans to the barn to keep their milking herd cool, put in a bigger bulk tank, bought a new mixer and changed the barn cleaner.

“I applied for a grant for manure storage,” Cracraft said. “Right now, we haul manure daily, and I feel like that will really change how we farm. We (also) could maybe do more with cover crops.”

Cracraft said building a new barn for dry cows and heifers is a possibility, and he is also thinking about adding an activity monitoring system.

 “I’ve seen its success on farms,” Cracraft said. “There is technology that even smaller farms can utilize. Our approach is to do a better job with what we have — from the land that we farm to improving our facilities for better cow comfort.”

In addition to farming, Cracraft serves on the Wayside Volunteer Fire Department and is an A.I. technician for Select Sires Inc. He has been a technician for 16 years and breeds every day if needed, covering a 100-mile territory.

“It gets to be a lot of miles, but I enjoy it,” Cracraft said. “You get to know a lot of people, and it keeps me up on genetics and trends in the industry and as far as what bulls people are using.”

Being a farmer helps Cracraft connect with customers.

“I hope what I do here on the farm is insight for them and vice versa,” he said. “When I’m at farms breeding cows, I get ideas.”

The Cracraft herd of Holsteins and Red and Whites is mostly registered and includes several Excellent cows.

“I like type, but I try not to just focus on that,” Cracraft said. “I look for health traits, and daughter pregnancy rate is big for me. I also watch components.”

Cracraft has changed his breeding philosophy, moving away from extreme type towards functional type.

“We’re not trying to be more than what we are,” he said. “I want good-scoring, good-producing, problem-free cows. It’s always been a dream of mine to take something to Madison, but we haven’t quite gotten there yet.”

Last year, the Cracrafts had the Red and White grand reserve supreme champion at the Manitowoc County Fair.

“I like cows as much as anything,” Cracraft said. “I don’t mind sitting on a tractor for a few hours, but I would rather be in the barn. Everything we have is because of the cows.”

Grant owns four animals in the herd — three cows and one heifer — including a Red and White cow he bought as a calf.

“We use a nice selection of bulls, and when Grant asks if I have a certain bull, I can see if I have it in the tank,” Cracraft said.

Grant helps with mixing feed, milking and feeding cows, taking care of equipment and working the land, which also includes picking out seed.

“He greases things, puts hitches on and finds things I didn’t see,” Cracraft said. “He’s very observant.”

Cracraft said he considers his son a partner even though he is still a child. The pair bounces ideas off each other, and Cracraft respects his sidekick’s opinion.

“Grant gives us input even though he’s 11,” Cracraft said. “I want him to feel like he’s part of this.”

As a father and a friend, Cracraft encourages his son’s enthusiasm for farming and likes taking him to farm shows.

“There are so many things that are not fun about dairy and agriculture, and I want him to see the good, fun, exciting things too,” Cracraft said. “If you don’t show them the fun side of farming, they might not want to continue.”

The Cracrafts ship their milk to Scenic Central Milk Producers.

“My approach has always been, if you’re going to do something, do the best job you can,” Cracraft said. “My goal is to create good cows. If we have good-quality milk and do a good job, I think there will always be a place for us.”

Sharing his farm with his son is the highlight of his career, Cracraft said. The father/son duo is working towards the same dreams and goals as they build their operation together.

“It’s just as much Grant’s farm in my opinion, and I’m happy he gets to share this with me,” Cracraft said. “I want to pass the farm onto the next generation.”