Building a sustainable future

CEDAR GROVE, Wis. — A willingness to try something different defines the owners of Double Dutch Dairy. Never content with the status quo, the Stapels prefer to think beyond traditional ways of doing things. It is a mentality that has rewarded the family well. 

Recognized for their achievements on a national level, Brody and Carolyn Stapel were one of four farmers to win the 2024 National Outstanding Young Farmer award Feb. 15-18 in Ferndale, Washington.

“It’s our name on that plaque, but it takes a family,” Brody said. “We farm with my brother and sister-in-law and my dad, and we couldn’t do this without them.”

The Stapels milk 260 cows and farm 1,000 acres near Cedar Grove. In addition, they run a custom planting and harvesting operation and two beef enterprises and are also in the midst of building an on-farm creamery.

One of 10 finalist couples, the Stapels were in the company of poultry, spinach and tomato farmers — like-minded, progressive problem-solvers like themselves — when they accepted the award.

“The farmers we met there were incredible, and we’re really honored we came out in the top four,” Carolyn said. “The program is designed to build friendships. You may arrive thinking they’re your competition, but you leave thinking you’ve gained new family.”

The National Outstanding Young Farmer program began in 1955, and farmers between the ages of 21-40 are eligible for the award. Winners must demonstrate entrepreneurship and sustainable agronomy and are determined based on contributions in the following categories: progress in agricultural career; extent of soil and water conservation practices; and contributions to the well-being of the community, state and nation.       

The Stapels have made headway on a farm they started in 2012. Brody and his brother, Jory, like to defy limits, which set the farm on a fast track to success.

“I would encourage other young farmers to look into the National Outstanding Young Farmer program,” Brody said. “It gives you the ability to look back at where you’ve come from and see the progress and hardships you’ve experienced.”

Double Dutch Dairy is a 100% no-till farm that has adopted other environmentally friendly practices as well, such as double cropping and interseeding. The Stapels are devoted to keeping the ground covered year-round.

“We’re seeing improvements in soil health and are able to pull back on inputs, saving on cost per acre,” Brody said. “We’re also feeding a lot of cover crops to animals.”

A knack for risk taking and trying new ideas in the field has resulted in better cow health and increased productivity.

The Stapels are working on becoming Regenerative Verified, a process that measures the impact of management practices by verifying and scoring soils.

“Based on years of regen practices, we’re decreasing our use of commercial fertilizers and other inputs,” Brody said.

On Feb. 1, the family launched Farm Stapels. Under this brand, the Stapels will offer dairy, beef, eggs and pork to the community. Brody and Carolyn and their six children live on the dairy where an on-farm creamery is being built to bottle milk in glass bottles for delivery to approximately 250 households per week.

“We hope to be up and running by the end of this year,” Brody said. “We want to keep the milk local and are trying to stick within a five-county area. You can get fresh milk delivered to your porch, along with other products. All the staples from the farm will be available.”

The milk will be vat pasteurized and non-homogenized.

“We want it to be as close to natural as possible,” Brody said.

The Stapels will offer whole white milk and chocolate milk. They would  also like to venture into other flavors, such as strawberry, root beer, mocha, red velvet and mint.

“If we can sell it, we will make it,” Brody said.

They also plan to offer eggnog and a drinkable yogurt and will produce yogurt and ice cream as well.

“Our end goal is long-term sustainability,” Brody said. “The farmer receives a very small percentage of the consumer dollar. We would like to be less dependent on the commodity markets and sell  direct to the consumer. Farmers have always been price takers, but we like the idea of being able to set our own price.”

The Stapels are also working with retailers to get their milk on grocery store shelves and will continue shipping milk to Sargento.

“When you talk about sustainability, so many farmers think in the realms of soil and water conservation,” Carolyn said. “We think of social and economic sustainability — the relationship between farm, consumer and community. The creamery is an example of this for our dairy farm.”

The focus of Farm Stapels will be on locally produced goods offered through a subscription-based delivery route. The Stapels said their location gives them an advantage with close proximity to Milwaukee and its northern suburbs. The family is selling beef, honey and eggs under the Farm Stapels brand and said the sky is the limit for more production.

“We have a desire to get good-quality and nutrient-dense whole food onto people’s tables,” Carolyn said. “It was our dream to farm with family and sit down at the table and have good food and milk to enjoy every day. To share that goodness and those blessings with others is something we want to do for years to come.”

The Stapels also own and operate two beef operations. At Hand Creek Cattle, the family finishes approximately 1,000 feeder cattle per year. The Stapels also run a consumer beef operation where they raise Holstein-Angus crossbred cattle for direct beef sales.

Through involvement in their community, the Stapels are promoting agriculture and giving back. Brody serves as president of Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative and president of Sheboygan River Progressive Farmers. He is also the town of Holland supervisor and engages in various community roles.

“As president of Edge, I have had the opportunity to advocate for dairy and agriculture on a federal level,” Brody said. “As a result, I’ve grown my knowledge of the industry, and I have a better understanding of what it takes to feed the world.”

Participating in the National Outstanding Young Farmers program was a humbling experience, Brody said.

“I don’t think I am any better of a farmer than my neighbors,” he said. “This award has reinforced in my mind that America is in good hands despite what you hear about farm numbers. There are a lot of people in this nation who care desperately about producing food for the world.”