Women in Dairy: Kristine Heinrichs

Tell us about your family and farm. My husband and I have been married for nine years. We have a 6-year-old son, Bo. My husband and I were not raised on a dairy farm. Josh was raised on a hog and steer farm and I was raised on a hog and beef farm. Josh’s heart was set on milking cows, so he started milking them all on his own. A year later he met me. When I came to the dairy  he rented, I saw a Jersey cow named Rose but I called her Dolly. I fell in love with the dairy lifestyle. Bo helps us do chores. He pushes up feed for the milking cows and feeds grain to the heifers. We bought our dairy close to four years ago. We own 160 acres and rent more land.

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? My husband and I milk the cows together in the morning.  After that, I take care of the baby calves and the weaned heifers. Then I do my household chores while I am making dinner. Then I help Josh with anything if he needs help. Otherwise, there are plenty of other things to do. At night, I feed the heifers, get the milk house ready and scrape behind the cows. Then I normally start night milking while Josh is mixing feed. When he comes in, he helps with the rest of the milking. We bed and lime the cows after they are milked. Then I feed the baby calves milk, clean up in the milkhouse and go to the house and make supper.

What decision have you made in the last year that has benefited your farm? Fixing the farm. We are slowly improving the farm. Things needed to be updated.

Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. There are so many, but one of them is the time Josh proposed to me in the barn on one knee during morning milking. He used my favorite cow, Dolly. He bought a red neck strap and put “will you marry me” on it. Another one centers around Bo, who has been coming with us to the barn since he was 1. It has been so rewarding watching his love for the cows grow into wanting to have cattle of his own one day. He has this hope already. Another is seeing Bo and his best buddy, Oakley (his pup), playing and doing chores together. That is cute. It is also enjoyable to witness the birth of a calf. All the things in between we do together on the farm as a family are neat. 

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? The lifestyle definitely. I get the privilege of being a homemaker, caring for my family and farm and making food from scratch. I enjoy working as a family together and being our own boss.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? Explain. Finally being able to buy our own dairy. My husband and I rented for nine years. We moved three times to rent different barns. We drove back and forth every day twice a day. Our little Bo came with us to the barn every day. Bo spent a lot of time there with us and made many memories. Then the day after he turned 3 years old, we bought our farm.

What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry?  I am on the Todd County American Dairy Association board.

What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? That it is a commitment and a lifestyle that is sometimes demanding but also very rewarding in many ways. Always stay focused on the good and positive things. There are going to be hard days, but don’t let it get to you. Tomorrow will be better and always put your trust in God for he will take care of you.

What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced and how did you overcome it? Getting over stray voltage. We moved out of that barn and into another one. Our cows recovered wonderfully, and pounds of milk went up.

When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I  do something relaxing.