Women in Dairy: Shirley Hulinsky

Tell us about your family and farm. My husband and I have a 60-cow dairy. We have four grown children, and our oldest, Greg, is in the process of taking over the farm. All four of our children work in agriculture. We also have seven grandchildren; I watch three of them for daycare. We farm about 300 acres of corn, soybeans, oats and alfalfa. We are the second generation on this farm, and Greg will be the third.

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? I get up and start milking cows. When my granddaughters get dropped off, I finish up my chores and then go to the house. I make breakfast, do housework, play with my grandchildren, do paperwork for some of the boards I sit on and bookwork for the farm and then, in the evening, I help with chores again. I check in with my 94-year-old mother regularly as well.

What decision have you made in the last year that has benefited your farm? There are a lot of little things. I like being involved on various boards within the dairy industry to get a better understanding of how the industry works as a whole and to be informed of industry-wide decisions. This was not in the past year, but in general, getting a total mixed ration mixer was one of the best decisions for our farm.

Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. We have had a few international visitors to the farm, and it was neat showing them our farm and explaining why we do what we do. It makes me feel like we are influencing others’ viewpoints of where food comes from.

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Helping things grow; being out in nature and helping our kids, cows and crops grow up; and watching the wonders God has given us. We have much to be thankful for.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? Serving on the Midwest Dairy board and on our county American Dairy Association board. I like connecting the general public to where their food comes from. I am also proud of raising four accomplished, faith-filled children.

What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry? I do some social media posts on my personal page. Being on the local ADA, I help with various events, such as National Night Out and Breakfast on the Farm, to promote dairy to the general public. I also volunteer at the Minnesota State Fair with the Moo Booth, Miracle of Birth Center and the all-the-milk-you-can-drink stand.

What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? Stay within your means. Live and improve your farm and lifestyle as necessary, but don’t overspend. Be in groups off the farm to stay engaged with others, farmers and non-farmers alike. It has to be a balance of farming and life. You have to stay involved to stay to in touch with the community around you and for your mental health. As for me, I enjoy helping others.

What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced and how did you overcome it? The biggest challenge is low milk prices and living with an ever-changing income. To combat that, we just have to watch our expenses. Also, being tied down to the farm, it is hard to get away to do fun things. Since we don’t get away from the farm very often, we need to take the time to do something fun when we can, whether it is on the farm with family or with friends.

When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I like to play games with family, mainly card or board games. I like to be creative by making cards (birthday, Christmas, etc.) and sewing with my embroidery machine. I also like to read but do not get to as often as I would like.