Dreaming of a dairy farm

WAUSAU, Wis. — Paul Prieve did not grow up on a dairy farm, but he did grow up helping on his uncle’s dairy farm just down the road from his family’s home.

The experiences he had at a young age sowed seeds that grew into a love for dairy farming — a passion he hopes to pursue again.

“Dairy farming is something I really enjoy — the satisfaction of doing something for yourself, reaping the benefits of your own work,” Paul said.

Paul’s affinity for the dairy industry grew through participation in dairy projects in both 4-H and FFA.

“I was only 5 or so when I learned how to milk cows on my uncle’s farm,” Paul said. “As a kid, I would show up early for chores in the mornings, sometimes before my uncle had even gone out to the barn.”

Paul and his wife, Sandy, live in Wausau but have been searching for a place where they can establish a dairy farm of their own.

“I have no dairy farm experience myself, just learning what Paul has taught me and watching and observing,” Sandy said. “Being with the animals, out in the country, not being in town, would be wonderful.”

Paul, who works in a factory in Wausau, has worked on several dairy farms, both large and small. He also managed his own dairy farm for several years in the early 1990s. He has also worked as a truck driver.

“The people I was renting from at the time had retired from farming and gotten jobs in town,” Paul said. “After a while, they were ready to retire from those jobs and decided they didn’t want the noise of cattle and an active dairy farm around during their retirement.”

Paul dairy farmed for about four years. He said he longs to go back to farming full time.

“When I was dairy farming, I milked about 35 cows,” Paul said. “The herd was a combination, with a little bit of everything. It was mostly Holsteins with a few Ayrshires and a Jersey or two in the mix.”

Paul’s ideal dairy farm would be home to about 50 cows. He said any size, shape and color would suit him fine.

“Farming by myself, 50 cows would be a good number,” Paul said.

Paul said he enjoys all aspects of farming, but the cows are his first love.

“When I farmed, I did everything, and if I could find a farm that I could buy with the equipment, I would do everything myself,” Paul said. “But quite honestly at this point, I’m not going to invest a whole lot in equipment. I would rather focus on the cows and hire out the crop work or buy feed.”

While he would not necessarily shy away from starting a farm from scratch, Paul said finding a farmer who is ready to phase into retirement but has no one to take over a farm would be an ideal situation.

“There is a lot to be said for an arrangement like that,” Paul said. “A dairy farmer can feel good that their farm will continue. Coming into a situation with cows and a milk market makes starting a whole lot easier.”

While most of their family is located in central Wisconsin, Paul and Sandy are open to other possibilities.

“This is home, and I would like to stay in the area,” Paul said. “But, if the right opportunity came along, I want to dairy farm just as much.”