Women in Dairy: Kelsey Woldt

Kelsey Woldt
Brillion, Wisconsin 
Calumet County
1,650 cows milking

Family: My parents, Daryl and Amy, own Woldt Farms. My sisters — Kayla, Kristen, Karly and Kortney — and I are the fifth generation on the farm. Kortney manages our farm store and my other sisters help out during the harvest season. 

Tell us about your farm. My parents took over Woldt Farms in 1990 from my dad’s parents, Hugo and Jeanette Woldt. At that time, they had 80 milking cows. As the years went on, they doubled the herd size about every five years, and now we are at 1,650 milking cows. These girls get milked three times a day in our double-16 parallel parlor. We run 4,000 acres in which we primarily grow haylage, grass, corn silage, winter wheat, winter rye and triticale. Roughly 95 percent of our ground is no-till and cover cropped, which is something we are very proud of. Our farm employs 35 full-time people, and we also have a lot of part-time and seasonal help, which we are grateful for. During field work times, my mom feeds all the employees. Sometimes, she serves dinner to 25 people in one evening. In 2022, we added Woldt’s Farm Store, where we sell our homegrown beef and other local Wisconsin products. 

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? There is no typical day for me on the farm. Every day brings something different. I do anything from herd checks with the dairy manager, billing for the trucking we do, office work and a variety of field work. I cut hay, merge, ted, pack pile, run dump cart and help with manure irrigation, just to name a few things. Sometimes, I am only working 35 hours a week, and other times I am working 85 hours a week. Every week is a new challenge, which I really enjoy. 

What decision have you made in the last year that has benefited your farm? This past year, we started mixing sawdust and sand in with our paper bedding. This has not only helped to create a more comfortable bed for the cows but has created more traction on the floors. Before we put the new bedding in, we dug the old bedding out, which was a project. Now, we are able to till the beds six inches deep. Since we have started doing this, we have seen an increase in milk production. I have also taken a more hands-on approach with our human resources and spent a lot of time this past winter making an employee handbook and a new-hire onboarding folder. We have found this helps new hires be in a better mindset when they start here because they have a clearer idea of what our farm is all about. We have a really fun team that works well together, and it makes a huge difference. Instead of dreading going to work, we look forward to it.

Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Oh my, there are so many memories to choose from. I think my most memorable experience, while not too fun, is the fall of 2019. The fields were just drenched from September to November, but we still had to get our crops off. Dump carts were constantly getting stuck. Empty carts were having to push full carts, and we even had a bulldozer in the field to help push tractors. We had to dump into semis on the road, so someone had to be in a skid steer full time cleaning mud off the roads. This made the corn silage season twice as long as it normally is. While it was not fun at all, it really made me realize how we all have to work together in order to make our farm successful. Whenever we are having a hard time in the fields, we can look back and think, at least it isn’t as bad as the fall of 2019. 

For happier memories, I loved showing at the state and county fairs while growing up. I would spend all summer getting my animals ready, and it was such a reward when I actually got to show them. We also had a lot of pets, like a fainting goat, sheep, bunnies, a Shetland pony and dogs. It was so fun being able to play with our animals, and it taught us a lot about being responsible for a living creature. Getting to hang out with my grandparents on the farm is something I will always remember as well. 

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? What I really enjoy about dairy farming is the sense of accomplishment it brings. I was in California this past spring for my friend’s wedding, and I visited Yosemite National Park. While there, I went into a convenience store and saw Belgioioso Mozzarella, which is primarily what our milk is made into. It was such a cool feeling knowing that a product my family helped make has made it across the United States and is helping to feed other people. I also really enjoy getting to know the different cows and their personalities. 

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? My biggest accomplishment in my dairy career is working alongside my parents. I am in a position that most people don’t find themselves in, and it has been very rewarding to work on my family’s farm. I would like to take over Woldt Farms and am working every day towards that goal. A few years ago, I was able to buy my own farmland. It was my great-uncle’s estate, and it has been a learning experience. It is so hard to get into owning land and starting a dairy farm these days, so I am grateful I had an opportunity to get my foot in the door and for parents who are very willing to help me out. 

What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? We love giving tours to everyone of all ages. Whether it’s people who stop in just to visit the store, people from out of state who want to see a Wisconsin farm, or school kids — everyone is welcome. It’s fun answering everyone’s questions about where their food really comes from, and we feel that people get a lot out of the experience. We also have a good following on our Facebook page. We really try to explain what we are doing so not only our neighbors know, but hopefully we will help give ideas to other people as well by sharing what we do.

What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Advice I would give to other women in the dairy industry is don’t forget that you are important. Being a dairy farmer is hard, and it’s easy to forget how important we are when we are working endless hours. Not only do our animals rely on us, but friends and family do too, so it is vital that we take care of our bodies/minds and make time for ourselves. I try to take a small trip once a winter, and I always come back with a better mindset. It’s hard stepping away from the farm for a few days, but we need to do it to be our best selves. I have also found that having small weekly goals and making lists has really helped manage my stress level.

When you get a spare moment what do you do? When I have a spare moment, I love to check out new places to hike, go to local wineries with my friends, visit small shops and try out new recipes. Reading is also a passion of mine, and I try to make a little time for it each day. I have two mini donkeys (Momma and Jack) and a dog, Kash, that I really enjoy spending my free time with as well.