RICHMOND, Minn. — Bella Klocker’s journey of what she wanted to do with her future took a major change when she found a passion for dairy.
“I grew up in St. Cloud, so I (had) never been around cattle,” Klocker said. “Then I started working here and it evolved to me working a little more every week, and now I’m pretty much full time.”
Klocker started working for Linn Dairy in 2020 but said she never thought it would last this long. Linn Dairy is owned and operated by Pat and Nancy Tanner where they milk 145 cows in a tiestall barn near Richmond.
Enjoying the positive environment, learning about cattle and what goes into running a successful farm are some of the things that keep Klocker coming back.
“The more I learned, the more intrigued I got about it,” Klocker said. “Especially with the calves, there is so much science behind calves and how you take care of their moms and the more you take care of their moms, the better the calf is going to turn out.”
Taking care of cattle is not the only thing Klocker has actively been caring for on the farm. She is caring for herself as well.
“If I would have gotten a different job, I wouldn’t be as healthy as I am now because of how active I am every single day,” Klocker said. “Even if it is my day off, I will be here feeding calves because I love being here, especially with the Linn family.”
The Linns have been a huge influence for Klocker and are part of her reason for sticking around.
“I plan on staying here to help out the farm,” Klocker said. “I want to be that extra hand so people feel relieved when they want time off to spend with their family.”
Klocker also likes being able to see her family, which is a reason she does not plan on going to a different farm.
“Being (only a couple of miles from) home and my parents is a really big thing to me,” Klocker said. “I feel like it wouldn’t be the same if I went to a different farm to branch out.”
Klocker said she has made many memories on the farm. Among them is the first time she learned how to drive a tractor.
“It’s kind of like when your dad sits you down to learn how to drive the first time,” Klocker said. “I would say that, feeding calves for the first time and chopping and hauling boxes are my best memories.”
Starting from scratch Klocker put in the extra hours to learn as much as she could about the farm and everything it entailed.
“The biggest thing that helped me was sticking around all the time, even if they didn’t necessarily need my help,” Klocker said. “I’d stick around, watch and ask questions and now I am doing a lot of that stuff on my own.”
Coming from town, Klocker said she did not realize how much work went into running a farm.
“There is so much I just never thought of,” Klocker said. “It is also emotionally exhausting because it can be stressful. I think that is not advocated enough.”
When it came to holiday seasons, working at the farm was an eye opener for Klocker.
“I never really thought about the cows still needing to be milked on Christmas,” Klocker said. “Farmers can’t just leave and have the cows milk themselves. Things still have to get done, even if it is a holiday.”
She said thinking about the role dairy farmers play in making holidays enjoyable drives her.
“The most rewarding feeling while I’m milking is when I think about the holidays and how much dairy products go into them,” Klocker said. “I am helping provide people with that food.”
Pulling calves is another part of farming Klocker finds rewarding.
“When there is a calf you don’t think is going to make it, but you work really hard and with a miracle it pulls through, that is amazing,” Klocker said. “Everything combined made me want to go into farming for my life.”
Moving forward Klocker will be attending Ridgewater College majoring in dairy management. Her hope is to take what she learned from the Linns and build off it and bring back new knowledge to the farm.
Klocker’s chores consist of mixing feed, feeding cattle and calves, milking and helping with field work. As she gained responsibility, her parents became more open to the idea of Klocker working at the farm.
“At first, they were a little hesitant because they know it can be dangerous,” Klocker said. “Now they know I am going to college for this, and this is what I want to do I feel like they are a lot more open to it and they just want to make sure I’m happy. As long as I’m healthy and happy and doing what I love, I think that is their biggest thing.”
It is the same advice Klocker would give to others.
“Don’t let people decide what you should be doing,” Klocker said. “If you think about getting a job and you’re not sure if you are going to like it, just jump into it because you never know how it is going to end. I never thought I was going to like farming but look at me now.”
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