Advertisement Even though cow No. 152 doesn't have a name, it is obvious Pederson has a soft spot for the elderly Holstein that is living out her days in comfort at the farm.
Pederson's family farm, Royal Flush Dairy, is the site of the 30th annual Vernon County Dairy Breakfast on June 7.
VERNON COUNTY
DAIRY BREAKFAST
This year’s Vernon County Dairy Breakfast is at the Stephan Pederson family farm, Royal Flush Dairy, 355 Black River Rd., just off Hwy. 27 north of Westby, Saturday.
The breakfast takes place from 7-11 a.m. Those not wanting to drive to the farm can take a shuttle bus to the breakfast from Nordic Lanes.
On the menu are scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, yogurt, milk, cheese, ice cream, Culver’s frozen custard, orange juice, applesauce, and, of course, coffee.
The cost is $5 per adult and $2 for children under 10.
The dairy breakfast program, including the crowning of the Dairy Princess, will be held at 8:30 a.m.
No. 152, the matriarch of the herd, was one of the first cows Pederson purchased shortly after he came back to the Westby area to farm in 1991. She has produced more than 360,000 pounds of milk in the time she has been at the farm. She has long stopped producing milk for Pederson, but he likes the idea of keeping her around and burying her on the farm after she's passed away.
"She doesn't owe me a thing and she sure has given me a lot over the years," said Pederson. "She has been here almost as long as I have. The other cows just know she is the boss. I don't know how they know, they just do."
Pederson's approach to No. 152 is a reflection of his overall philosophy to herd care.
"If we treat them well they will treat us well," said Pederson.
The cows are in the barn for much of the time, but are also rotated onto an outdoor lot where they can have some room to move around.
"We have sand beds for them, but we like to get them off the concrete as much as we can," said Pederson.
The 450-cow herd is divided into six groups according age or where they are in the calving cycle. The area where Grandma is enjoying her retirement is the maternity ward where expectant cows can calve in the well-bedded pen. The area was one of the areas added in the farm's latest addition to the barn.
There have been a number of expansions for the operation since 1991. Pederson started farming in Fitchburg while still finishing his degree at UW-Madison, but wanted to come back to the Westby area where he grew up. At first Pederson rented a farm in Fitchburg and milked 25 cows. He moved to another farm in 1987 and expanded to 60 cows. In 1991, he moved back to Westby and in 1993 he decided to buy out his father, Tom.
Pederson expanded the herd to 200 cows and added a 180-stall free stall barn. A double-six herringbone parlor was retrofitted to the old barn. In 1998, a double-eight parallel parlor was added to the free stall barn. In 2000, the Pedersons expanded the herd to 450 with the addition of another 180 free stalls, a manure pit and a blacktop feedlot.
Today Pederson farms with the help of his father, daughter Paige, who is a Westby High School junior, and 14 dedicated employees.
"I have really good employees," said Pederson.
Some of those employees have been with Pederson almost since he started.
"I have some, who have been here 13 years, but others have been here seven years or nine years," said Pederson. "I couldn't do it without them."
With a schedule that includes milking three times a day with the last shift finishing at about 2 a.m., it is understandable that Pederson leans on his employees. The operation starts milking shifts at 4 a.m., noon and 8 p.m. And with the average cow producing 28,000 pounds of milk per year, Foremost Farms sends a truck to pick up milk every day.
In addition to the milking operations, Pederson farms more than 900 acres of cropland to produce enough feed to keep the herd in production. That is a lot to keep track of, but Pederson said he wouldn't have it any other way and takes all of the ups and downs of farming life in stride.
"I'm never too riled up about things," said Pederson. "We give it our best shot and things have worked really well."
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