From 200 to 14 and From Conventional to Regenerative

Hey, Corbin here from the farm! 

I've mentioned a couple times in past newsletters about our farm's history in conventional agriculture. Several of you have asked about the story of how we got from there to where we are now so I thought I would share that story with you today!

Our Journey From 200 to 14 Cows🐮

It started in 2003 when Dad was getting tired of waking up each morning wondering which cow would be sick next. 

Dad along with his brother Mike were milking close to two hundred cows in our confinement dairy setup. The cows were on concrete all day long and never saw a blade of fresh grass...

Milking cows has been in the family for a long time! 

Great-Grandpa bought this farm in the 1940's and started out milking around 10 cows as part of a typical diversified farm of the day that also included pigs, chickens, and a work horse. The cows were grazed out on pasture and Grandpa remembers using the horse to bring them in for milking as a young lad!

Next, Grandpa took over the farm and weathered the tough times of drought and sky-high interest rates of the 1980's. He was hard working and continued to grow the dairy to make opportunity for his sons. 

Along the way came new technology, management practices, and confinement equipment that paved the way for more milk production and a better bottom line – for a while, at least... 

Dad and his brothers became partners with Grandpa and eventually took over the reins. They continued to follow the advice of the "experts" and pushed for more milk production at the expense of... HEALTH!

Here's what it looked like:

• Give rBST shots every 14 days to boost milk production. rBST is a synthetic hormone that is allowed for use in the U.S. but banned in many other countries. 

• Vet calls and surgeries for cows that had displaced stomachs from a diet that was too high in corn to get high milk production.

• Drug injections for sick cows.

• Milking the cows three times a day for maximum production. This meant lots of labor to manage as well as taking a night shift milking.

• Cows' hooves that needed trimmed every few months because they spent their lives on concrete instead of on pasture.

• Harvesting and storing enough feed for a whole year to feed the cows in the barn. This takes a lot of work, equipment, and diesel fuel!

• Storing all the manure in a giant "manure pit" and then spreading it across the fields after harvest. Again a lot of work, equipment, and diesel fuel!!

• Declining margins over the years as the dairy industry pushed for more and more efficiency. "Get big or get out" was the name of the game with family farms across the nation consolidating and turning into mega-dairies containing tens of thousands of cows!

The result?

• STRESS – For the cows AND the farmers!!!

• CHEAP MILK AND SICK CONSUMERS!

They were on the conventional farming treadmill...

From Conventional To Regenerative

In 2003 Dad and Uncle Mike decided it was time to do something different than what the "experts" were saying...

They decided to put the cows out to pasture!🐮☘️

I remember the days of building fence with our parents while all of us youngsters "helped". I remember the cows kicking up their heels with delight at being able to actually be on pasture! I also remember them getting out into the neighbor's yard after a heavy rainstorm... 

But the cows were happy! 

And they got healthier...

No more rBST shots, displaced stomachs, and hooves needing trimmed all the time... 

Next my dad and uncle cut out all the drugs, synthetic fertilizers, and pesticides to become certified organic.

A major organic milk company had a milk pickup route planned to start up in our area so once we were certified we could start shipping our milk from healthier cows for a better price.

And then came the recession of 2008...

The organic milk company canceled the milk route, and so here we were selling our milk from our healthier cows for conventional milk prices which were at rock bottom... things were going the wrong way fast😔

Soooo, in 2009 they sold the cows. That was a tough time with the cows being sold for poor prices and the question of "Now what???". As a twelve year old, I was too young to really feel the stress of the situation. What I remember is having a bunch of fun riding along to the auction barn in Iowa to sell the cows!😀

In 2010, Uncle Mikes' felt God's leading to move to Iowa and make a new start out there.

There had to be a better way to make a living as a farmer and not be tied to a "Get Big or Get Out" system...

What about selling raw milk directly to the customers?

This was an interesting idea to cut out the processor "middle man" so that we could have a direct relationship with our customers! And guess what? The customers wanted that personal relationship too!🥰

The story actually wasn't over for the cows!🐮

They had heard that there was a growing market for selling raw milk directly to the consumer so when they were selling the cows in 2009, they decided to keep a few back! 

And that's how we got to where we are today! We actually paused selling raw milk for a few years (even though we always kept a few cows so that there would be enough milk for the family), but then in 2022, my brother Philip decided to quite his engineering job to take on the dairy and start selling raw milk again! 

And so here we are 75 years later... milking 14 cows just like Great-Grandpa!  

The feedback has been amazing! Customers are passionate and excited and the demand keeps growing.

And we're not tied to a system that values efficiency over health...

Four generations of farmers! (L-R: Dad, Grandpa, Philip, Luke)

It's really neat to be working in a regenerative way with nature, too.

The system works just like it is supposed to when you work with nature instead of against it! 

Now, would I say that the farmers don't have any stress??? Hmm, maybe someday!😅

At least the cows are happy and healthy!  

And we can support multiple families from one farm. 

And there are more birds, insects, and wildlife.

And the land is getting healthier for future generations.

And moms are able to feed their children healthy and delicious 100% grassfed raw milk!🥛😀

So there you have it, the story of how we went from 200 to 14 cows and from a conventional system that is focused on efficiency at the expense of health, to a regenerative system that focuses on the HEALTH of the land, animals, farmers, and YOU!

Thanks for supporting us on this journey and trusting us to provide delicious, nutrient-rich Raw Milk for your family!

Blessings on your day,
Corbin
Prairie Creek Pastures