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Brandon Wagner and Jesse Kettledon relax in their farm store, which was made from part of the garage and is open one day each week. The Wagners also sell some craft items, woodworking and produce from nearby farms.
The Wagners keep their newborn calves with the mothers for 90 days. The calves go where the dams go during the day and then are locked in a pen at night.
Jesse Kettledon and Brandon Wagner milk 75 organic cows in their double-six parlor and sell to Westby Cooperative.
After their pole barn collapsed from snow load, the Wagners hired 24 Amish craftsmen to rebuild the barn in one day.
As Harvest Hosts, the Wagners ask campers to patronize their on-farm store. Their guests are excited to experience a dairy farm and meet the animals.
An old grain bin is being converted to a new on-farm store on the Wagner farm. Doors were purchased from a Habitat for Humanity Restore and will be installed soon.
Dairy Shorthorns provide a combination of meat and milk on the Wagner farm. The herd originated as Holstein but was transitioned to the pasture-friendly Shorthorns.
When a storm took down a tree, the Wagners hired a chainsaw artist to make it a lawn ornament. From left are Jerry and Shirley Wagner, Jesse Kettledon and Brandon Wagner.
The newest project on the Wagner farm is converting an old grain bin into a new store. They spray-insulated the bin and are installing wood flooring with wood from their farm.
Jerry and Shirley Wagner started farming in their native Minnesota but moved to Wisconsin in the 1980s. They continue to help as their son takes on the farm operation.
Jerry Wagner says he likes his hoop barns. One has a peak roof that works well in winter; the others are sloped and snow doesn’t slide off as easily.
BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. – It’s been more than 40 years since Jerry and Shirley Wagner took the plunge into the world of organics. Now it’s time for the next generation to carry on the torch as their son, Brandon Wagner, and fiancé, Jesse Kettledon, take over the farm.
LeeAnne Bulman
LeeAnne Bulman writes about agriculture from her farm overlooking the beautiful Danuser Valley on Wisconsin’s west coast. Email genwim2@gmail.com to reach her.
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