Our Side of the Fence

Jack

Goeden (pictured with his son, Henry)

Wadena, Minnesota

Wadena County

140 cows

What’s your dad’s name? Kevin

Goeden.

Tell us about his dairy career. He took over the farm when he was 20, in 1981, from my grandpa. He started out in a tiestall barn; then, in 2024, he put in a swing-10 parlor and increased the herd from 60 to 80 cows; we have gradually increased the herd since then. He added some irrigation to the farm shortly after that. I came back to the farm full time in the spring of 2018 after I graduated from Ridgewater College.

Describe your dad in four words. Open-minded, determined, positive, thorough. He thinks things through very thoroughly before making major decisions.

What is one farming philosophy your dad taught you that you use today? Don’t be afraid to try something new, and don't jump headfirst into something new; think it through.

What is a life lesson you learned from your dad? Stay strong in your faith and work hard, and things will always work out in the end.

What is a trait about your dad that you admire most? His knowledge. If I ever have a question, he has an answer, or we figure it out together. He is open-minded and very willing to share his knowledge.

What is one of your fondest memories of you and your dad? Just hanging out in the parlor with him. When I was little, before I could reach the milkers, I would hang out there with him. Then, as I got older, I started helping out in the parlor and milking alongside him. Those are always fond memories of just being together.

Tell us about your farm. I took over the dairy portion of our farm in 2025. Dad is still in charge of the crop side of things. I milk 140 cows in a swing-10 parlor. We raise all our own replacements. I am the fifth generation on our farm, which was started in 1883. I have a 1-year-old son who could be the sixth generation. We farm about 450 acres of corn, alfalfa and some small grains. We have been no-till and using cover crops since 2020.

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Doug Post

Volga, South Dakota

Brookings County

36 cows

What is your dad’s name? Marv Post.

Tell us about his dairy career. My dad grew up on a small dairy by Volga. He graduated from South Dakota State University with a dairy manufacturing degree. After working in the dairy processing industry for five years, he transitioned back to dairy farming in 1977. He purchased his current farm in 1982. I had the opportunity to work with him until I graduated college in 1994. He worked to build a registered Holstein herd with many show winners and production awards. He has served on multiple state and national boards and is the current vice chair of the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board.

Describe your dad in four words. Faith, family, freedom, friends.

What is one farming philosophy your dad taught you that you use today? I cannot list just one. You make your money when you buy, not when you sell. Walk when everyone else is running; run when they’re walking.

What is a life lesson you learned from your dad? You are more likely to get ahead if you start an hour earlier than anyone else.

What is a trait about your dad you admire most? He has a passion to help others get started in agriculture, like myself.

What is one of your fondest memories of you and your dad? When I first was farming on my own, I had a beef cow climb through the fence and into the cattails in the neighbor’s pasture. Dad brought horses over, and we chased, roped and dragged her back into my pasture. Sometime during this hour-long episode, his glasses got knocked into the 20-acre slough, and yes, he did find them.

Tell us about your farm. We milk 36 registered Holsteins and feed about 400 head of Jersey steers. My wife, Ginger, sells about 100 head of beef retail (individual cuts and quarters, halves and whole) every year through her business, Sipka Meats.

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Ann Deering (pictured with her dad,

Steve Johanningmeier)

Monona, Iowa

Allamakee County

500 dairy cows

What is your dad’s name? Steve Johanningmeier.

Tell us about his dairy career. In 1971, my parents built a double-6 milking parlor and started milking 120 cows. Today, we milk 500 cows three times daily in a double-12 herringbone parlor.

Describe your dad in four words. Hardworking, dedicated, strong, loved.

What is one farming philosophy your dad taught you that you use today? Leave the land better than you found it.

What is a life lesson you learned from your dad? Farming is not just a job; it's a way of life. You learn by doing, live with purpose and take pride in doing things right.

What is a trait about your dad you admire most? My dad always has the best advice. He thinks things through from all perspectives and offers reasoning. From big to small decisions, I always feel better after conversing with my dad.

What is one of your fondest memories of you and your dad? One of my favorite memories growing up was learning to rake hay on Dad’s 4020.

Tell us about your farm. Our family farm has grown and diversified over the years into dairy, beef, feeders and crops. My husband, Koal, and I farm alongside my parents, brother and sister-in-law.

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Aaron Wiechmann

Melrose, Minnesota

Stearns County

85 cows

What’s your dad's name? Tom.

Tell us about his dairy career. He started in 1990 when he and my mom, Joan, took over from his parents, Larry and Mae. They started with 35 cows, milking them in a tiestall barn. I am the fourth generation on the farm.

Describe your dad in four words. Jack of all trades. Give him a task, and he can figure it out; he can do it all, from mechanical repair, carpentry, electrical, plumbing, etc.

What is one farming philosophy your dad taught you that you use today? If you take care of the cows, they will take care of you.

What is a life lesson you learned from your dad? As long as you keep everything maintained, things should run more smoothly.

What is a trait about your dad that you admire most? His wealth of knowledge on a lot of different things.

What is one of your fondest memories of you and your dad? There are countless memories, starting when I was really young and sitting by the window while riding in the tractor. Another fun one was when I was a teenager, and our family took a four-wheeler trip up north. It was fun, riding the trails and looking at the scenery.

Tell us about your farm. My wife, Makayla, who works off the farm, and I have three children: Angela, Maelynn and Michael. We bought the farm in April 2023. Mom and Dad come out to the farm daily to help. We milk our cows in a swing-8 parlor and raise our own heifers. We farm 220 acres, raising corn, alfalfa and oats.

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Clint Provo

Monticello, Minnesota

Wright County

72 cows

What’s your dad's name? Dan Provo.

Tell us about his dairy career. I started farming with Dad full time in 2015, and we have been dairying together since. He started milking slaughter cows in 1984 and bought this place in 1990. He stopped milking in 2020 because he has bad knees, and I then started milking everything morning and night. He has had six knee replacements. Now, he takes care of the calves and the outside chores and feeds the steers and heifers.

Describe your dad in four words. Hardworking, dedicated, knowledgeable, resilient.

What is one farming philosophy your dad taught you that you use today? Keep the cows clean. If they are clean and comfortable, there will be a payoff for us. He has always kept the cows clean and bedded.

What is a life lesson you learned from your dad? Nothing comes easy. Set yourself goals that will help set you up for success.

What is a trait about your dad that you admire most? I admire how hardworking and resilient he is. He is the most die-hard farmer I have ever met. He keeps going and does not complain about anything.

What is one of your fondest memories of you and your dad? When I was younger and going to school, he would come in after milking and before school and eat breakfast with my sister and me and then go back out and finish chores. Milking with him was fun when we had the chance. We would talk farm, and he knew the cows so well.

Tell us about your farm. We milk 72 cows and raise our steers and heifers. We have 205 animals around here now. We milk our cows in a tiestall barn and have all Holsteins. We finish out our steers. My mom, Tracy, helps every day on the farm and my sister, Gracie, helps when needed. We farm around 550 acres of land and raise corn, soybeans and hay. I also work part time at a rebar factory.

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Neil Christianson

Navarino, Wisconsin

Shawano County

200 cows

What is your dad’s name? Robert Christianson.

Tell us about his dairy career. My dad started farming here in the mid-1950s after serving in the Korean War. I farmed my entire life here and became full time in 1977 after high school graduation. I bought the farm in 1991.

Describe your dad in four words. He could build anything.

What is one farming philosophy your dad taught you that you use today? My dad taught me that, if you take care of the cows, they will take care of you.

What is a life lesson you learned from your dad? He taught me to be patient.

What is a trait about your dad you admired most? How resourceful he was. If there was a problem, he always found a way to solve it.

What is one of your fondest memories of you and your dad? We enjoyed downhill skiing together and singing together in the church choir.

Tell us about your farm. We milk 200 cows in a herringbone parlor. In 2010, we built a new freestall barn to house the cows. The farm features 500 acres of cropland, growing alfalfa, corn, beans and wheat. Our farm also features Shawano County’s 302nd Barn Quilt. I am very involved in the community, including the Shawano County Farm Bureau and Challenge the Outdoors Inc. organization for disabled hunters.

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Dennis Meyer

Unity, Wisconsin

Clark County

500 cows

What’s your dad's name? Richard Meyer.

Tell us about his dairy career. My dad started farming pretty much right out of high school with his family. Then, in the late 1960s, he and my uncle bought the farm we’re on now. They farmed together for a year before they went their separate ways. He is farming with me, my brother and my nephew.

Describe your dad in four words. He’s hardworking, family-oriented, always willing to lend a hand and helpful to others. He does a lot of volunteering and is willing to prioritize others, putting them first.

What is one farming philosophy your dad taught you that you use today? He taught me the importance of managing things to make sure you are financially stable and set, that it is not always about how fast you can grow or how big you can be. You still have to pay the bills. You cannot compete with the neighbor, but you have to be realistic about what you need to do. If the neighbor builds, you do not need to build; if the neighbor is in the field, you do not have to be in the field. He taught me it is more important to budget and make a financial plan because, in the end, you have to pay for it, not your neighbor.

What is a life lesson you learned from your dad? He taught me the importance of putting family first and making time for family. He taught me the value of kindness, volunteering, lending a helping hand and always being willing to help others if they need it. Sometimes, you might feel like you are too busy, but he taught me to step back and realize some things can wait. You just need to help; the work will still be there tomorrow.

What is a trait about your dad that you admire most? It might sound repetitive, but it is that he always made our family a priority. He would shut down once in a while to go on a family vacation, go to basketball or football games or attend family events. He was willing to accept that the work would still be there tomorrow, no matter what.

What is one of your fondest memories of you and your dad? We would try to catch a few Brewers games when I was younger. When we went to the state fair, we would go to a Brewers game, too, or we would go to the Twin Cities to the Metrodome to catch a Brewers game with our uncle and cousins. I enjoyed those times away from the farm a lot. We also show cattle, and dad always kept us involved in 4-H; that was all basically because of Mom and Dad.

Tell us about your farm. I farm with my dad, my brother, Tom, and his son, Trevor, so we are a 3-generation family farm. We milk 500 cows, with 550 total on the farm, and raise all our replacement heifers. Our bull calves are shipped within the first week of birth. We farm 1,000 acres of land — about 90% of it owned and very little rented. We only grow alfalfa and corn for forages. We do not grow any soybeans or wheat; we do not have enough land for that. In a good year, we have enough corn to do all our silage plus chop some snaplage. Unfortunately, the last couple of years have just been silage. My dad purchased the home farm in 1968 and then purchased a second farm, so we were milking 110 cows in two barns. In 2001, we had a tornado go through the home farm and drop the stave silo on the milking barn. We decided to build the parlor and freestall barn, bring all the milk cows back to the home farm and go up to 250 cows. In 2016, we built another freestall barn and went up to 500 cows. All the calves from 3 to 6 months of age are now on that second farm, which is where I live.

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Dale Helt

Dane, Wisconsin

Dane County

1,250 cows

What is your dad's name? Gilbert Helt.

Tell us about his dairy career. My dad bought the farm in 1959, milked 40 cows and raised six kids alongside my mom, Carol Helt. They also raised their own heifers and steers and had pigs as well. My parents, brother and I farmed together in the late 1970s and 1980s. My four sisters also helped on the farm growing up. We were up early to feed and milk the cows and also did all our own fieldwork before milking cows again at night. It was hard work, but we took time for fun too. My parents helped us with our 4-H projects and taught us to do some cash grain farming as well. Dad also took us fishing.

Describe your dad in four words. My dad was an honest, hardworking, happy and easygoing man.

What is one farming philosophy your dad taught you that you use today? Don't put off what you can do today and be a good neighbor.

What is a life lesson you learned from your dad? Go with your gut feelings and always pay your bills.

What is a trait about your dad that you admired most? Dad and Mom worked hard to purchase more land to continue farming with their sons. I realized how important this was when I bought the farm and started farming with my three sons.

What is one of your fondest memories of you and your dad? I started working alongside him at a young age. Dad said that, if I was working in a field and got tired, I should lie down in the field for a while and then get up and start back up.

Tell us about your farm. My wife, Diane, and I purchased the 200-acre farm from my parents in 1994 and milked 100 cows. We raised three sons and continued to expand the farm. All our sons — Devin, Derek and Dean — joined our farming operation and are members of Helt Dairy LLC. We currently own 1,000 acres and milk 1,250 cows three times a day in a double-22 parlor and have 15 employees. We raise our heifers until breeding age and then bring them back to the farm 30 days before calving. We also raise some steers and harvest all our own feed. Our daughters-in-law — Amber, Amanda and Lauren — also work on the dairy and help with calves, employee meetings and whatever else we need help with.