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Small, Complex & Focused

Not Doing Everything Makes Minding the Little Things Even More Crucial

By Brian DeVore
May 23, 2022

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Smaller doesn’t always mean simpler. Consider Cella Langer and Emmet Fisher’s foray into being a Grade A micro-dairy — one that produces, processes, packages, markets, and sells pasteurized milk and yogurt. In a state that has lost 40,000 dairy farms in the past four decades, they are a tiny push in the opposite direction. How tiny? This year, Langer and Fisher are milking three Ayrshire cows on a seasonal basis in a small parlor on their 35-acre farm in western Wisconsin’s Pierce County. Their bulk tank could fit into a walk-in closet, and the creamery is designed to handle 50 gallons of milk a week; a typical 100-cow dairy can churn out roughly 4,900 gallons of milk weekly.

But when it comes to marketing milk and yogurt straight off the farm, complexities remain, whether it involves three cows, or 3,000. Langer and Fisher’s Oxheart Farm even has a milk haulers license, even though the distance between the cows and the processing plant is measured in footsteps, not road miles.

“I need to learn to drive a truck,” Langer says with a laugh while sitting in the March sun near the processing plant and milking parlor.

It hasn’t only been the milking enterprise that has made for some complications. Besides the dairy, this farm is now home to a 75-member vegetable CSA as well as a direct marketing egg and meat business.

During the past five years, Langer and Fisher have been able to cut through the complexity thanks to the business planning and goal setting foundation they received through the Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings and Journeyperson courses. Do the farmers, who are in their early 30s, have plans to add more enterprises?

“No,” Langer says without hesitation. “I think Farm Beginnings was the first place we realized we literally couldn’t do everything.”

A Whole Picture Approach

The couple could be forgiven for taking on a bushel basket of enterprises. After graduating with environmental education degrees from North Carolina’s Warren Wilson College, they set out to gain as much hands-on farming experience as possible, and during that time they saw how small operations were making a living utilizing a variety of enterprises, including vegetable and dairy production. Both had a good base to work from: Langer grew up on a farmstead where her mother grew a big garden, milked goats, kept chickens, and raised fruit. Fisher’s parents own and operate A-Z Produce and Bakery, a vegetable CSA in Stockholm, Wis. Besides raising vegetables, A-Z has a “pizza night” where the food served is made from numerous ingredients produced right on the farm, including the flour and meat.

While working on farms on the East Coast and in the Midwest, Langer and Fisher became enamored of the idea of providing eaters a “whole diet CSA” experience. That sparked their interest in producing not just vegetables for subscribers, but products like milk, meat, and eggs.

“ ‘Whoa — what if we grew everything on the farm?’ ” Langer recalls thinking when they started seriously considering farming as a career. “It was tempting,” adds Fisher.

Cella Langer and Emmet Fisher on their farm in western Wisconsin.

 

Fortunately, during the winter of 2012-2013, the young couple took LSP’s Farm Beginnings course, which was being offered in Roberts, Wis. Farm Beginnings is a 12-month training session that helps students clarify their goals and strengths, establish a strong enterprise plan, and start building their operation. The course uses a mix of farmer-led classroom sessions, on-farm tours, and an extensive farmer network.

During their time in Farm Beginnings, as well as the follow-up course, Journeyperson, Langer and Fisher learned not only how to manage their financials better, but how to set up a five-year plan of where they wanted to be and how they were going to get there. That planning allowed them to take into consideration the importance of attaining a good work-life balance and the role sustainable goal-setting plays in that.

“Five years sounded like such a long time when we were 22, you know?” says Fisher, adding that their own timeline eventually included goals that covered not only financial and production milestones, but family life desires.

“If we quit farming and went into another career, I’d say 80% of it is very helpful in another line of work,” he says of the Farm Beginnings training. “And half of the Journeyperson course is like marital counseling. It’s life skills.”

The Journeyperson course, which is for farmers who have a few years of experience under their belt, emphasizes the use of Holistic Management, which focuses on “big picture” decision-making and goal setting processes. Holistic Management helps farmers work on achieving a “triple bottom line” of sustainable economic, environmental, and social benefits. In a Holistic Management system, a farmer’s quality of life is put on the same level as the health of the soil or the operation’s economic viability. Holistic Management relies on constantly monitoring whether a particular enterprise or use of a tool on the farm is helping meet long-term overall goals, or is a distraction.

That’s why Fisher and Langer spend each winter combing through their enterprises, pinpointing weak links, and looking for ways to make them more viable from a financial, family, and environmental standpoint. For example, the couple recently decided to take a break from producing pasture-raised pork for direct sale as their family obligations grew; they have a 3-year-old, Hugo, and in January, Otis was born.

When the young farmers went looking for land, they knew enough from past experience that they needed access to consistent markets as well as some infrastructure. The 35 acres, which is mostly planted to pine trees (a former owner had plans to access the wood market), is a few minutes’ drive from Red Wing, Minn., as well as other markets. As far as infrastructure, it doesn’t have as many outbuildings as they’d like. Besides a house, it has a garage, which was re-purposed into the creamery. Langer and Fisher have added three high tunnels for the vegetables.

They used a USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) Beginning Farmer Loan to finance the purchase of the farm. The FSA process can be lengthy, and in fact, deals on four other farms they attempted to purchase fell through as a result of the drawn out FSA loan period. The farm Oxheart landed on was the result of a long-term relationship developed with the owners, who were willing to not put the land on the market and wait for financing to come through for the young couple.

“They sort of courted us for the summer,” recalls Langer. “They basically said, ‘We’ll wait for you until you’re ready.’ ”

‘Questions for Francis’

While enrolled in Farm Beginnings and Journeyperson, Emmet and Cella learned the value of networking with established farmers who were carrying out the kind of enterprises they wanted to pursue. Through the MOSES (Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service) Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship Program, they were able to connect with different established farmers and tap them for knowledge. The MOSES program pays the established farmers to be available to field questions from beginners like Emmet and Cella.

Through Journeyperson and MOSES, the couple connected with vegetable producers Kat Becker and Tony Schultz, in north-central Wisconsin. Through that connection, they learned of a micro-dairy in the area that was similar to what they were aspiring to. They were also able to rely on input from other farmers — including Farm Beginnings grads, in the western Wisconsin region.

But when it came time to actually launch the dairy, Langer and Fisher reached a point where the questions were so specific that they needed to find somebody who was doing specifically Grade A on-farm processing of grass-based milk that was being marketed in a relatively rural area.

It cost them around $50,000 to convert the garage into a pasteurization and bottling plant. Some of the equipment they needed was used, but because of their size, much of it was of a specialty type that had to be purchased new. There were endless issues to deal with, down to what kind of containers to market their product in.

“We wanted to do yogurt in glass, but there is no glass container and not only that there’s only one printed plastic container in the U.S. All those yogurt containers by all the different brands are manufactured by one company and they have a 10,000-unit minimum,” says Fisher. “That’s just one example of things like that — there’s a million things.”

One of the MOSES mentors they relied heavily on was Francis Thicke, who operates Radiance Dairy, a small Grade A milking operation and bottling plant in Fairfield, Iowa. Thicke was able to guide them through some of the million little details required to legally and safely produce dairy products on-farm. The Iowa farmer was on Oxheart’s speed dial, and at one point, they had a notebook page titled “Questions for Francis.”

“I’d carry it around with me and whenever something came up I’d write it down and then when we’d have our phone call to check in — I’d just run down the list with him,” says Langer. “Being able to do that without feeling burdensome to somebody was very important.”

Learning the proper way to do drug residue screening was particularly tricky, she recalls; one of the requirements is that Oxheart has its own drug residue screening laboratory.

“We definitely want to do everything by the books,” Langer says. “We want to do it so it’s easy for our inspectors to check us off. Since their systems aren’t set up necessarily for someone our size, we need to figure out how to sort of fit into their box.”

Fine-Tuning What’s There

Oxheart’s dairy was launched in the spring of 2021. Demand for the whole milk and yogurt the farm markets through its CSA and via a few local retail outlets has been strong, creating a revenue stream that complements their 3-acre vegetable enterprise. Currently, cash flow is good enough that neither Cella or Emmet are working off the farm. That’s good news, but they are waiting to see if the current strong demand for local food will taper off once the COVID-19 pandemic is completely in the rearview mirror.

Meanwhile, the farmers will continue to monitor each of their enterprises to make sure they are tracking with their goals.

“We just want to spend the rest of our energy improving all of our farm enterprises and making them more financially viable, more efficient, and more ecologically sound,” says Langer. “Everything the same, but better.”

This article was originally published in the No. 1, 2022, Land Stewardship Letter.

Category: Farm Beginnings Profiles
Tags: Farm Beginnings • Holistic Management • journeyperson • micro dairy • MOSES • MOSES Mentorship

Give it a Listen

On episode 272 of the Land Stewardship Project’s Ear to the Ground podcast, Cella Langer talks about the key role mentors have played in launching their small dairy operation.

2022-2023 Farm Beginnings Class

LSP is now accepting applications for its 2022-2023 Farm Beginnings course. For details, click here.

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May 2025

Saturday May 31

10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Multi-species Pasture Walk
Saturday May 31
10:00 am – 12:30 pm
Multi-species Pasture Walk
872 320th Ave, Frederic, WI 54837, USA

The NW Wisconsin Graziers Network, River Country RC&Dand UW-Madison Extension invite you to a multi-species pasture walk hosted by JohnsonFamily Pastures LLC. The farm is located five miles east of Frederic in PolkCounty. This educational event willemphasize direct marketing, multi-species grazing, part-time family agricultureand silvopasture development. Light snacks and refreshments will be provided.

TheJohnson Family Pastures farm is home to Chris and Tamara Johnson and their twochildren. They raise grass-fed beef, silvopastured goats, and recently raised anumber of other species. The farm consists of about 160 acres of gently rollingpastures, silvopasture, and forest. Use of both temporary polybraid fencing andhigh tensile permanent fences allow for rotational grazing of small ruminants andout-wintering of beef cattle. Use of long-term farm transition strategies, cost-shareprograms, silvopasture development with goats, regenerative grazing, cattlehandling facility and bale grazing will be discussed along with answering anyand all questions from pasture walk participants.

An extensive and diversified direct marketing programhas been developed by Tamara and Chris that has included farmer markets, e-maillists, newsletters, website ordering, on-farm freezer storage, and other strategiesand tools to support direct sales and services for their customers.  Come and learn all about their successfulapproach.

For more information,contact Chris Johnson at 920-960-4475 or Lynn Johnson 715-225-9882 at NW Graziers.

June 2025

Saturday June 21

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Farm-Scale Deep Winter Greenhouse Tour
Saturday June 21
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Farm-Scale Deep Winter Greenhouse Tour
Owl Bluff Farm, 12314 County Road 4 Houston, MN 55943

The University of Minnesota Extension Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP) and Owl Bluff Farm will co-host an open house to celebrate the completion of the state’s first farm-scale deep winter greenhouse. The event, held on the farm about 45 minutes east of Rochester, is free and open to the public. RSVPs are required at z.umn.edu/OwlBluffOpenHouse.

Wednesday June 25

2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
LSP-PFI Grazing Field Day at Hoosier Ridge Ranch
Wednesday June 25
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm
LSP-PFI Grazing Field Day at Hoosier Ridge Ranch
Hoosier Ridge Ranch, 15998 Wabasha County Rd 26, Altura, MN 55910, USA

Over the last 50 years, livestock have left many farms. Eric Heins is doing the reverse: bringing cattle – and their poop, pee and hooves – back to his land. Come see how Eric is using his Normande-shorthorn crosses in a variety of grazing situations. During this Land Stewardship Project-Practical Farmers of Iowa field day, you can view permanent pasture, where Eric (like everyone) is battling the cool-season grass takeover. You’ll also learn how Eric is using his cattle in cover crop mixes, prairie and woodlands.

Since purchasing the farm in 2020, Eric has converted the cropland to pasture. He also custom-farms a diverse rotation of crops, covers and small grains on neighboring farms, including an established prairie on Iowa Department of Natural Resources land. A possible bonus: Eric is hoping to have virtual fence collars by the time of the field day, but no guarantees!

A meal featuring Hoosier Ridge Ranch burgers will follow the field day.

See & Discuss

  • Cash-flowing the conversion to pasture on owned versus rented cropland
  • Stockpiling pasture for winter grazing
  • Mechanical buckthorn clearing for silvopasture
  • Grazing agreements on DNR prairie and neighboring cropland
  • A sudangrass mix after a canning pea crop
  • An extended rotation with oats, barley and Kernza

For details and to register, click here.

Saturday June 28

4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
LSP's Boots & Roots: A Celebration of Land & People
Saturday June 28
4:00 pm – 8:00 pm
LSP's Boots & Roots: A Celebration of Land & People
Dream Acres, Co Hwy 8, Spring Valley, MN 55975, USA

Join Land Stewardship Project members and supporters to kick-start the Driftless summer with an evening of good food, good music, and good times. We’ll have activities for all ages that will get you out in nature, exploring the connection between our region’s farms and your community’s food, land, and water. Bring a side or dessert to share for dinner, and the Dream Acres wood-fired oven will provide locally-sourced pizzas and flat breads. Dinner will be followed by live music and contra dancing by the Crater City String Band.  

To reserve a spot, click here.

Camping sites are available at nearby Masonic Park and Forestville Mystery Cave and Lake Louise State Parks. Camping at Masonic is rustic,first-come-first-serve, free, and does not require a reservation. Fillmore County, who manages the park, only asks that you call the dispatchers at507-765-3874 when you arrive with your vehicle information and phone number in case of emergency. State Park reservations cost $25 a night and can be made online.

July 2025

Tuesday July 15

5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Organic Fruit & Vegetable Field Day
Tuesday July 15
5:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Organic Fruit & Vegetable Field Day
1805 Dudley Ave, Falcon Heights, MN 55113, USA

Join U of M researchers and Extension for updates on organic fruit and vegetable research and tour the Student Organic Farm and the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station in Saint Paul. Topics include: organic insect management, integrating livestock into vegetable farms, new crops for Minnesota, irrigation strategies, and more. Free to the public.
 
For details and to register, click here.

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