Women in Dairy: Zoey Steckl

Tell us about your family and farm. My grandparents started the farm in 1989 with 60 milking cows. Since then, we have expanded the operation to 860 milking cows. My grandparents are still very much involved on the farm. Bob, my grandfather, is always there to remind me what hard work and dedication can do. My older brother, Walker, is the go-to man on the farm. If you have a question, he will answer it. He knows the ins and outs of the operation like the back of his hand. My mother and stepfather, Andi, and Lawrence, also play a huge role on the dairy. Without them, we wouldn’t have what we do today. My husband, Brandon, doesn’t work on the farm, but he also isn’t afraid to get dirty when there is a cow down or a calf needs to be pulled. Then there is Hudson, or our million-dollar baby, as we like to call him, who was born 14 weeks early because he was eager to start helping on the farm. Even though he is only 18 months old, he loves to be outside on the farm “helping.”

What is a typical day like for you on the dairy? A typical day starts out with me getting up bright and early at 4 a.m. and out the door shortly after. I help with calf chores and then move on to the cows in the barn. A lot of days are filled with giving shots, drying up cows, sorting cows and checking activity monitors. Most days I take a quick lunch break and then it is time to get back outside to feed calves again. After a stroll through the pre-fresh and maternity pen, I am finally done for the day.

What decision have you made in the last year that has benefited your farm? Over the last year, we have revamped our vaccination protocol. To this day, we are still trying to make it better. It has improved so that we are giving shots when they are most effective and ensuring we do not give an extra one when not needed or miss out on giving any.

Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Since becoming a mom, it has been amazing to watch my son be outside when we’re doing chores or working in the barn. Some days it takes a little more creativity to keep him occupied for me to get my job done, but we always leave the barn with smiles on our faces.

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I love working with animals. It is what I am most passionate about when it comes to the farm. I would choose working outside when it’s -10 degrees out over an office job any day. Knowing that I can help turn a profit by raising our own calves is something not everyone gets to experience. I also enjoy getting to connect with other farmers or people who work in the industry. While in college, a number of my friends were also dairy/agriculture majors. It has been so fun watching their farms or careers improve since graduating from college. Every once in a while, I even get to work with some of my college friends, which is such a neat experience.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your dairy career? Raising healthy calves that turn into awesome heifers and cows. Nothing feels better than having animals that our farm can truly be proud of. We love it when the vet or a rep comes by and compliments on how our heifers and cows look.

What are things you do to promote your farm or the dairy industry?  We have a Facebook page that I try to post updates on whenever I can. I also try to stay involved with things that are happening around the community. A couple of years ago, we hosted the Monroe County Dairy Breakfast and it was awesome to see the number of people come out to support the dairy industry. I hope to host again when the time is right.

What advice would you give another woman in the dairy industry? This may be more mom-related again, but I’ve learned that once you take on the new role of motherhood, things will be different. Your roles around the farm or your career will change, and it will be OK. This will only be temporary. As kids get older, some jobs you used to do before will come back.

What is a challenge in the dairy industry you have faced and how did you overcome it? Stick up for yourself. Sometimes I feel as if I am overlooked because I am not my brother. Don’t get me wrong, that man knows a lot, but I do too. I always try to insert myself into the conversation because I may know more than people think or have an opinion that could truly make a difference.

When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I love to play volleyball any chance I get. Volleyball has always been a big part of my life, and I am blessed that I can keep playing as I get older. I also like to just sit down and do nothing during my spare moments. Between waking up early to farm and chasing around my toddler the rest of the day, I love to just sit down and take a moment for myself.