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Becoming a boutique dairy

A Midwest farmer says it was time for him to change or quit the dairy business.

Bill Shuler tells Brownfield there hasn’t been too much change on his farm in the last fifty years, but when making plans for the fifth-generation to come back, it was time to do things differently.  “I was never going to be able to milk 1,000 cows here for a number of reasons, first I don’t want to and then the area wouldn’t permit it.”

He says going from milking 50 registered cattle in a tiestall barn with just six milkers to a new facility with two robotic milkers has been a change of lifestyle.  “The boys and I had this uncontrollable urge at three-o’clock to go out to the old barn and start doing chores.”  He says, “Of course I still get up at quarter to four every morning and I usually go out and take a walk around and see how everything is going.”

The new facility has room to grow the herd to more than 100 milking cows and Shuler says to make it, his farm plans to return to cheese making and become an agritourism destination.  “This farm, as soon as it was built in 1848, they made cheese here and then my great-grandparents also produced cheese and butter and sold it, and it’s just something that we want to get back into.”

Shuler says for now, hard work and good decision making has helped build the dairy, but craft dairy products will be necessary for the next generation.  “My sons will be the fifth-generation to live here and support the farm.”  He says, “My father gave me the opportunity to go to Michigan State and milk cows and I think I owe my sons that same opportunity, not only for them, but for the future generation as well.”

The Southwest Michigan farm is hosting a open house this Saturday to share with the public the first phase of a new beginning.

AUDIO: Interview with Bill Shuler