The Free Press, Mankato, MN

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June 21, 2009

Your View: Most dairy farms are family-owned

Shannon Seifert, Sleepy Eye

I’ve been a young dairy farmer in Brown County for four years. Our farm has been in our family for three generations.

I’ve seen a lot of changes in farming in a few short years. Dairies have grown and have changed with the help of new technologies, but certain things have remained the same.

Namely, the vast majority of dairy farms in Minnesota are still owned by local families like mine, who are active members of our communities.

Whether we have 100 cows, 1,000 cows or more, our families take pride in preserving the land where we live and work, protecting the air and water we share with our neighbors, and providing excellent care for our cows. We recycle wash water to be reused for washing floors. We use a plate cooler to cut electrical use and provide the cows with warm water to drink. We also use equipment designed to cut electricity use.

Our barns may not look like they did when our grandparents were farming, but today’s farming practices have helped us create the best possible environment for our animals, which are and always have been the lifeblood of the dairy business. Our dairies create jobs not just for our family members, but also for others in our communities.

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