Devoted to teaching the young

CANBY, Minn. — Jackie Eischens has retired from her off-farm jobs after 33 years. Eischens has worked in a deli and most recently as a paraprofessional at the Canby school between chores.  She now gives her time to farming, milking cows and caring for the calves she loves.

Eischens and her husband, Ron, milk 65 cows in a step-up parlor. Ron grew up on their farm. After his parents retired in 1988, Ron and Jackie took over the milking herd and moved onto the farm as well. The farm has evolved over the years with the addition of the parlor and the use of barn cameras.

Eischens grew up in a small nearby town, St. Leo.

“I considered myself a city girl, so I had no idea what I was getting into,” she said.

An event that Eischens said helped her embrace farm life was the first time she saw a cow give birth. That experience sparked an appreciation for young animals and the work involved in raising them.

“That really motivated me when I saw a calf be born,” Eischens said, “I had never in my life had a clue, and to see that was just amazing.”

Eischens worked in town to help make ends meet for their family. She worked in the deli at a local grocery store for 24 years. The job provided an important source of income along with health insurance and retirement benefits that helped support the family.

Working off the farm never meant stepping away from her farm responsibilities. Eischens’ days began early, with chores starting around 4:45 a.m. She needed to complete as much milking, feeding and calf care as possible before leaving for work at 7:30 a.m.

When she transitioned from the deli to Canby School, she worked as a paraprofessional. The summers off and the earlier afternoon dismissal gave her more time with the calves.

“I would get home from work, change clothes, and go right back out to the barn,” she said.

Eischens enjoyed the quiet time during her 10-mile drive home because, once she arrived at the farm again, she would return to her chores. After feeding calves, she and Ron continued with the evening workload, typically finishing milking around 6:30 p.m.

“On a dairy, you cannot walk away,” Eischens said. “The work has to be finished.”

That mindset carried into her off-farm jobs and helped shape the work ethic she and Ron instilled in their two sons.

“It made me work a lot harder,” she said. “When you start a job, you finish the job.”

Eischens’ love for the calves remains an important part of her routine. She enjoys watching them progress from drinking milk to eating feed and eventually becoming part of the milking herd.

That appreciation for growth and learning also connected the farm life with her work at school. As a paraprofessional, Eischens especially enjoyed helping kindergarten students learn to read and watching preschool children develop new skills.

“We would monitor the kids’ progression throughout the year,” Eischens said. “It was awesome to see firsthand what the kids are capable of.”

After nine years at the school, Eischens decided it was time to retire.
The physical demands of her work, particularly bending and assisting young children, had become increasingly difficult.

Since retiring, Eischens has been able to devote her days entirely to the farm. Although the work remains demanding, she has discovered the value of slowing down and having more time to focus on the farm and her family.

“I didn’t realize how busy life was,” Eischens said. “Now, I can take my time doing all of it. It is so nice.”

Ron and Jackie continue to work side by side, with their sons, Shawn and Craig, who return to help whenever possible. Shawn lives nearby and frequently joins his parents after work or on weekends. Craig, who lives in Alexandria, helps during planting and harvest when his schedule allows.

Dairy farming has sometimes made it difficult to attend sporting events and other activities, but the family works around the schedule when possible. Jackie occasionally attends events on her own so at least one grandparent can be there.

Her advice to others balancing farm work with an off-farm career is straightforward.

“You need a lot of patience,” Eischens said, “You need to enjoy it to do it and enjoy who you’re doing it with because otherwise, it’s just not fun.”

For Eischens, farming has always been a team effort. Now, with more time to devote to the farm, she can continue doing the work she loves alongside her husband while looking forward to the family moments that make the long days worthwhile.