Roadside Dairy: A family farm with heart

When asked to write an article about a farm, my first thought was — boring. Then something happened. I went to Roadside Dairy and met the family who owns it. Let’s just say, dairy farming is anything but boring! This beautiful farm is run by people who not only work hard, but truly care about their cows, their family and their community. On June 16, they’ll be hosting Dairy Night on the Farm, a huge event open to everyone!

Sue Hendrickson and her daughter, Amanda Gillespie, greeting me upon arrival at Roadside Dairy near Preston. They gave me a tour and showed me the one-week-old calves! That’s when Todd, Sue’s husband, greeted me. He took the time from his busy day to answer my questions, pose for photos and fill me in on the business of dairy farming. I asked him if he liked what he does and he replied, “I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.”

Sue’s father, Juan Tammel purchased the farm from his father in the early 1950s. Her dad raised dairy cows, hogs, chickens and four children here. In the fall of 1994, a new barn was built near the road and it was decided the appropriate name would be Roadside Dairy. Sue and Todd purchased the farm in 2005. They own 200 acres and rent the remaining 280 acres. Corn, beans and alfalfa are grown, with the alfalfa and corn chopped for silage.

The Hendricksons have 140 Holstein and a few Jersey cows. “The biggest change since my dad’s time is in the way the cows are milked,” Sue said. “We have gone from milking by hand to using buckets to installing pipelines. We’ve seen stanchion barns transformed to tie stalls. From tie stalls to parlor milking to robotic milking. Technology has provided the dairy farmer information for each cow and track everything, from how much milk is produced to the overall health of the cow on a day-to-day basis.”

Roadside Dairy milk is shipped by Foremost Farms. “We have had the privilege of having three generations of Finseth Milk Hauling transport our milk,” Todd said. “That is unique. Milk haulers are also very dedicated as they have to pick up milk seven days a week and in all types of weather.”

“We love our cows and give most of them names,” Sue said. “They each have their own distinct personality and all of them are very curious.” Todd added that sometimes when they are coming in to milk, they will act as if they’ve never seen the place before and give him a look like, “Where are we?” He said, “It’s almost like they have a sense of humor and are playing a little game.”

Todd is involved in the daily milking twice a day, at 4 a.m. and 3 p.m., as well as feeding and field work. His day begins early and this time of year, ends around 8 or 9 at night. He says that the reward for working hard is being able to produce a whole quality product. It’s also nice to see multiple generations within your herd and to work towards improving genetics.

Pete Schell has been with the Hendricksons since 2012. He grew up in Lewiston and graduated from NICC-Calmar in the Dairy Science program. Pete’s daily chores are feeding, milking, hauling manure and is the general caretaker of theherd. They have dubbed him the “Cow Whisperer,” as he has a gift of patience when working with the cattle and they respond favorably (most of the time!).

Their daughter, Amanda, has worked on the farm since 2014 after graduating from NICC-Calmar in the Dairy Science program. She and her husband Aaron live south of Preston with their son. Their other daughter, Brittney, husband Taylor and three children live in Eyota. Brittney has been teaching third grade in Plainview-Elgin-Millville the past seven years. A new baby is due in August and Brittney will be opening a daycare in their home this fall.   

According to Amanda, the dairy business is something that needs attention each and every day. “You have to be willing to put sweat equity into it. Attention to detail is vital. If you notice your cows are down on milk, you need to look at the reason why — is it related to the feed they are consuming, is it weather related, is it something in their environment that could be causing them discomfort. Comfortable cows will produce milk. It’s long hours and not much return on investment, but I love it. It’s truly a passion.”

One recent challenge has been the suppressed milk price and the length of time it has remained low. Sue said, “It becomes increasingly difficult to maintain cow care and facility maintenance when milk prices are at the lowest level we’ve seen in recent years. It can become difficult to keep working the long hours with minimum financial reward.”

“But it’s worth it,” Sue concluded. “We have a very good life and are excited to host Dairy Night on the Farm. We did it 18 years ago and thought it was time to do it again. We heard there can be up to 800 people visiting our farm that night. It’s a lot of work, but it will be fun to show everyone our home.”