Women in Dairy: Jill Wilcox

Tell us about your family and farm. My husband, Joe, and I, along with Joe’s parents, Mark and Sara, milk 85 Holstein cows twice a day in a double-8 parallel parlor, raise all our youngstock and replacement heifers, and farm about 900 acres of row crops and forage. This farm has been in my husband’s family since 1847. Mark’s father and uncle began selling milk commercially around 1947 in an 8-stanchion barn. In 1952, a tornado hit the farm, and a 12-stanchion barn was built in its place. In 1990, Mark built a freestall barn able to house 65 cows. Later, in 1993, he added the double-8 milk parlor that is still in use.

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? On mornings that I do chores (now about three times a week since we had our daughter), my mother-in-law watches the kids while I help milk cows and feed calves. Then, I spend the rest of the day caring for our two kids: George, 3, and Helen, 5 months. We love to get off the farm and visit libraries, parks and nature centers. We usually stroll over to the barn after supper and pop in during evening milking. I do the dairy’s bookwork and payroll. During harvest, I operate the grain cart and fill in when needed when chopping alfalfa for haylage.

What decision have you made in the last year that has benefited your farm? I knew we had a vision of utilizing new technology on the farm and saw news of a Choose Iowa Dairy Innovation Grant, which can be awarded to farms installing robotic milkers. We then applied and were awarded $100,000 toward our project. We’re now in the beginning stages of updating the existing freestall barn and milking parlor to fit two robots. This will allow us to increase our milking herd, along with reducing the need for hiring labor.

Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Helping Joe pull a calf for the first time. We were at a wedding and had to stop home before going to the reception because Joe had to do chores and then saw a cow that might need some assistance with calving. We helped her and the calf out, put our nice clothes back on and headed back to the party.

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Being able to work alongside my husband and raise our children on the farm. George is becoming quite an expert on all things dairy. He will announce every piece of equipment we pass on the road or that goes past our home.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? My husband is the fourth generation on this farm, and our children will be the fifth. There aren’t many dairy farms our size in this area; in fact, we are the last in our county. I am so proud to be helping carry on a legacy and make improvements to our operation for it to welcome the next generation.

What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? Our farm gives tours to fifth graders from local schools every fall. It’s a great opportunity to show kids where their milk comes from. They get an up-close look at the livestock, milking parlor and all the work that is required to keep the farm running. I even took this tour as a fifth grader back in 2004.

What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Put your faith in God. There are so many uncertain and hard days in farming that it would be impossible to rely on yourself alone. Having faith makes the hard days much easier.

What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced and how did you overcome it? Since having kids, the act of balancing motherhood and helping on the farm has been a new struggle, and I am learning how to ask for help and prioritize specific farm and family needs.

When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I love to read. I am usually reading a book on my Kindle, a library book and one from my own shelf at the same time.