Relocating to America’s Dairyland

AMHERST JUNCTION, Wis. – Corby and Tania Groen, of Amherst Junction, established an organic dairy farm on the West Coast and then relocated to a new farm nearly 2,000 miles away from home.
“We had thought about moving before,” Corby Groen said. “That area (of Washington) used to be a big dairy area. In the mid-1990s, there were over 500 dairy farms in Whatcom County. When we left, it was down to just about 60.”
The couple, previously of Lynden, Washington, began their organic journey in 2016. The Groens operated both an organic and a conventional dairy until 2018, when they sold the conventional dairy herd. With their children – Ryan, Kenya, Evert, Jimena, Corby and Acre – the Groens milked somewhere between 100 to 120 organic dairy cows.
The decision to become an organic dairy was a logical one for the Groens, as grazing had been part of the family’s farm management system for decades.
“My dad had always grazed his cows, before it was really considered a thing,” Groen said. “Making the conversion to organic was really just a matter of completing the paperwork.”
With the organic transition, the Groens became patrons of Organic Valley.
 But, despite establishing themselves as organic dairy producers, the socioeconomic factors of operating a dairy in a declining area were not the only factors the Groens considered before looking for a new locale.                                                                   
“We were dealing with a drought out in Washington and that was making things difficult, especially being organic,” Groen said. “We were in the second year of what became a five-year drought and had fed half our winter feed by August, and we were going into winter with very little in reserve.”
Thoughts of finding green pastures continued in the back of Groen’s mind, and then one day, he came across something that would become a game-changer for his family.                          
“I came across this farm advertised on Facebook and shared it with my wife,” Groen said. “We decided to come look at it, and it turned out to be what we were looking for.”                                                                                                            
That initial trip to Wisconsin happened April 30, 2021.
“When we came to look at this farm, it needed some work and some updating, but it had everything we were looking for,” Groen said. “We would still be able to ship organic milk with Organic Valley with a more stable price. The grazing was good here, and the area wasn’t in a drought like we were in back home.”
A couple of more trips and work with lenders followed, and the Groens completed the purchase of the farm. They then began the arduous project of moving not only their family but their entire dairy farm halfway across the country. The Groens milked their cows at their new address for the first time Sept. 19, 2021.                  
Before making the move, Groen said he culled hard, and 55 head of milking cows made the trip from the West Coast and were added to the partial herd of cows he purchased with the farm.                                    
“Those first few weeks here were complete hell,” Groen said. “During that time, I was questioning if I had made the right decision, but things eventually settled down, and everyone got into a routine.”                                               
One year later, Groen said he does not regret the decision to pick up his farm and relocate. The Groens are back to milking 100 cows in a swing-14 parlor.
In Washington, the Groens’ herd consisted primarily of Jersey cows. At their new farm, the Groens have incorporated Holsteins and crossbred cows into the herd as well.
Groen said he is breeding the herd to Jersey bulls, although he has been crossing some of the Holsteins with Fleckvieh genetics to help improve the grazing efficiencies of those cows.
“I really like Jerseys for their longevity,” Groen said. “They have good feet and legs. Mobility is important to me, as they have to walk as much as three-quarters of a mile every day. They do very well as grazing cows.”
Groen also appreciates Jerseys for the benefit of increased combined fat and protein production over volume of milk produced.
“Jerseys help me maximize my Organic Valley quota while still being very efficient producers,” Groen said.   
Groen breeds most of his herd using A.I., while using a bull to breed heifers. When making sire selection, Groen places his emphasis on choosing bulls that are plus for percentage of both fat and protein and plus for milk as well.
“Udders and udder health traits are really important to me as well,” Groen said. “The cows have to have well-attached, functional udders to do well with all of the walking required of them. They can’t have loosely attached udders swinging all over. That just leads to problems.”
In addition to grazing, the herd is supplemented with grain throughout the year and then fed additional forages during the winter months.
As the family closed the books on their first year as Wisconsinites, Groen said the positives of their relocation have outweighed the negatives.
“There have been a lot of challenges, but I would do it again in a heartbeat,” Groen said. “This area is just so much better suited to dairying, especially organic dairying.”