Women in dairy: Ann Vostad

Tell us about your family and farm. I have worked for Post Lane Dairy for over 30 years. I also have one cow of my own, housed at Post Lane Dairy. My husband, Kevin, and I have three grown, married children: Stephanie, Ashley and Thorwald. We have nine grandchildren. Our farm currently has a few heifers, feeder calves and horses, and we grow oats and soybeans.

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? I milk the morning shift, so I typically try to leave home about 4:25 a.m. to be at the barn by 4:30. I am fortunate that I only live two miles from the farm. I feed the bottle calves and get the cows milked. In the afternoon, I return between 4 and 5 to feed bottle calves. I help with other activities as needed.

What decision have you made in the last year that has benefited your farm? As a hired worker, I do not make decisions that affect the dairy farm. I wanted to make this work arrangement to raise our kids and grandkids with a strong work ethic and be a stay-at-home mom.

Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. I have so many wonderful memories, from having an animal that we struggled with as a calf become a top milk cow, to seeing the kids work with a show animal all summer and then make that first trip into the show ring. Little things like teaching the kids how to put a nipple on a calf bottle are also memorable.

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I thoroughly enjoy watching the kids be around the cows and calves. From my kids, the Post grandkids, and now my grandkids and the Post great-grandkids, it brings me so much joy to see their eyes light up while being in the barn.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? Having done my job well enough to allow the Post family to have several cows score Excellent.

What things do you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I try to always have dairy products available at any event or activity that I am involved in. As a substitute teacher, I try to advocate for agriculture and particularly the dairy industry whenever possible with students and adults alike.

What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? I feel women bring a different perspective to the dairy barn. Don’t let that deter you; looking at a situation differently does not mean you are wrong.

What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced and how did you overcome it? When we were milking on our own farm, we did not have a gutter cleaner. That was hard work, cleaning out the manure daily by fork into a manure spreader. As our small herd grew, we either had to renovate the old barn or sell out. That is when we decided to sell most of our herd to another family, and I just milked for Post Lane Dairy. Our young calves are still raised on our acreage.

When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I enjoy attending sporting events, working in our yard and volunteering at the school and with 4-H.