SPENCER, Wis. – The bed of irises Terry Bernick tends in her yard symbolizes her family’s journey in the dairy industry. Originally the flowers bloomed on her home farm in southern Kansas. Early in her marriage, she transplanted them wherever she and her husband, Clay Bernick, moved – ultimately growing for decades on their Spencer dairy farm.
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Bernicks say goodbye
Sign of the future:
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Spencer, Wisconsin, dairy producers Clay and Terry Bernick, right, are auctioning off their dairy cows June 17. Their son and daughter-in-law, Jason and Leah Bernick, left, have other plans for the future, wanting to spend more time with their children, left to right, Lucas, Ryan and Madeline. Irises behind the family are from Terry Bernick's home farm in Kansas.
Family farming hasn't just been about cows but also kids and grandkids for Terry and Clay Bernick, who are calling an end to a 40-year career milking cows.
Terry Bernick and grandson, Lucas Bernick, check out the little boy's chickens, as does her Australian Shepherd, Coco. The dog saved her life a few years ago when a bovine broke her ribs and punctured one of her lungs. The farm dog jumped into the fray and allowed her to escape.
Registered-Holstein breeder Clay Bernick pets Lara, a 30,000-pounds-of-milk-producing two-year-old that just had her second calf.
Clark County farmers Clay Bernick, left, and his son, Jason Bernick, right, discuss the morning's plans with long-time employee Bruce Schmidt of Spencer, Wisconsin, middle.
Dairy producer Terry Bernick and her grandchildren, left to right, Ryan, Madeline and Lucas, feed a calf.
Dairy producer Clay Bernick, with his grandson, Lucas Bernick, feeds his Holstein herd a total mixed ration, but also believes in giving both heifers and cows plenty of exercise on pasture. Due to health reasons, Bernick is selling his milking herd June 17 at his Spencer, Wisconsin, farm.
Jason and Leah Bernick, left, and their children Ryan, Lucas and Madeline, are the second generation on a family farm launched by his folks, Terry and Clay Bernick, right. The family is selling its dairy herd June 17 and moving the farm in a new direction.
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