Fulfilling a dream

Nafzger starts her own farm after years of part-time work

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MINERAL POINT, Wis. — Cyndi Nafzger’s dream started when she was a child. Growing up as part of a family with 10 children, Nafzger always found joy in working on her family farm. Her enthusiasm for the work continued as she spent many years working part time for other dairy herds before eventually starting R-Dream Farm. With the help of her family, Nafzger is now milking 35 cows and continuing to build on that dream.

“I want to prove to myself that I can do this,” Nafzger said. “It’s fun.”

Nafzger, who works a full-time job, worked part time for several dairies over the years. In 2016, she worked mornings at the farm of Greg and Kathy James and evenings at Bob and Chris Bjorge’s farm. Her oldest son, Trapper, won a Guernsey calf through the Wisconsin Guernsey Breeders’ Association essay contest. They boarded the calf at the James farm and Nafzger and her children started helping out at the farm regularly.

With time, Nafzger was also milking 180 cows at the Bjorge farm. She worked until April 2021 when the couple retired from milking. After that, Greg’s son, Andrew, asked Cyndi if she would like to work mornings and nights for them. Nafzger had been working for the James family until March 2024, managing the youngstock when Andrew approached her about a new endeavor.

“He was going to sell the cows,” Nafzger said. “He told me I could purchase whatever I wanted, however many I wanted.”

Andrew was going on a vacation soon after and that gave Nafzger an idea.

“I knew if I wanted the cows here, I had to milk them first,” Nafzger said. “I milked the herd while he was gone and told him I might take one, I might take them all, but I had to test them first.”

After she got to know the cows, Nafzger decided to bring 14 with her to start her own dairy. She then needed to figure out how to feed the cattle because she did not have any land.

“Every day I would see Triple D Farms drive down the road and deliver feed to Jason James,” Nafzger said. “I thought that would be kind of nice. So, I met with the Dannenbergs, owners of Triple D Farms, to see if they were interested in delivering feed to my herd, and they were.”

Nafzger revamped the herd’s diet. She worked closely with nutritionist Brittany Gevelinger to adjust and improve the quality of the diet.  The herd of 35 cows — 10 2-year-olds, 10 3-year-olds and 15 cows 5-7 years old — has a rolling herd average of 23,875 pounds milk, with tests of 3.9% butterfat and 3.2% protein. The herd was on the top of the list of somatic cell super stars in a recent newsletter for the Grant County Dairy Herd Improvement Association with their latest test of 44,000 bulk tank weighted SCC.

The Dannenbergs mix the ration and deliver it to Nafzger’s leased facilities every evening, allowing either Cyndi, her daughter, Cyntanah, or her son, Jarvie, to fill the bunks. Her son, Trapper, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, also helps on the farm when he is home. Nafzger’s husband, Denny, was recruited to be the farm’s maintenance man.

(Denny) didn’t want any part of this, but he knows how much it means to me,” Nafzger said. “I’m at my best when I’m here.”

Nafzger uses the DHIA newsletter to determine where her herd is from a production and health standpoint, and her goals.

“I want to see that we’re at the top,” Nafzger said. “If we’re not, we have to be close and we’re going to get there. I’m very competitive and passionate about this. I don’t just want to float along milking cows, I want to have one of the best herds around and I want people to come to me trying to buy my cattle.”

Nafzger works closely with her nephew, Brooks Hendrickson, at Jeffrey-Way Holsteins, to mate cattle. 

Striving for excellence comes with hurdles. Two incidents of barn flooding and having one of her best cows down, led to reinforcements of the tie stalls as well as adding a camera system so Nafzger can always have eyes on her cattle. 

“You’re always going to get a curveball, but that’s all meant to be,” Nafzger said. “God’s giving it to me and asking if I can handle it. And I can.”

All of her cows are registered Holsteins, Guernseys and Ayrshires. Fifteen have been classified. Three were classified Excellent 90, Excellent 91 and Excellent 92. The balance is classified Very Good 85 to Very Good 88. Nafzger intends to have the rest of the herd classified in the spring.

“I’m really trying to perfect my cows and make them better,” Nafzger said. “It’s fulfilling to raise these animals from when they were babies and seeing what they become.”

After working for years as part of a team to take care of cattle and youngstock, Nafzger now can make management decisions for how she wants things to be run.

“I’m just so thankful for Greg and Kathy for giving me a chance to lease this place,” Nafzger said. “In my heart I know I can do this and I’m going to be good at it.”

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