Hello again! My name is Cody Rasmus, Farm Liaison for Kalona Farms. Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with a couple of our producers–Merle and Ryan Borntrager–a father and son team. Both men have been milking cows and farming their whole lives. Today’s blog is Merle’s story. I will have more from Ryan at a later date, so stay tuned!  Merle started milking with his father as a young boy and then moved to his current farm over two decades ago.  His family transitioned to organic when they began shipping milk to Farmers Creamery in 2006.  

Life on the Farm

Merle and the rest of the family wake up before the sun and start milking.  This is the only way of life that Merle has ever known and he enjoys it!  His only son, Ryan, has taken interest in milking and farming as well. Merle is pleased that Ryan decided to follow in his footsteps and farm.  With another family member helping full time it allows Merle to teach Ryan how to sustain the small, family farm. As might be expected, Merle says Ryan is a little more ambitious about growth and opportunities than he is. They keep each other in check when it comes to new ideas. I asked Merle why he enjoys milking and farming so much. He said the main thing is that the whole family is involved. Even his youngest daughter, at the age of 5, is out helping with milking duties and chores. He said she gets to take care of the baby calves and bottle feed them. Another reason Merle enjoys this lifestyle is because he is his own boss. This allows him flexibility with his job. Finally, he likes the job security. The cows and land will always be there if properly cared for.   

The Cows and Farmland

Merle is farming ground that has been in his family for years, as well as new ground that they rent. The new ground allows for more opportunities and growth. The family ground surrounds their home, which makes it more convenient for their traditional lifestyle.

The Borntragers raise Holstein Dairy cows. He has milked Holsteins most of his life and does not see himself ever milking anything different. They calve mainly from early fall all the way until either April or May. The Borntragers have good luck with the cows birthing on their own, however there are times that the family has to assist during the process.Their main goal is to give both mom and baby the best care!

A Borntragers’ Normal Day of Milking

The Borntrager family is typically up and in the barn by 4:30 am to prepare for milking. That was very impressive to me! Merle does a lot of the milking duties while Ryan starts feeding the cows stored hay. The other 7 family members help out with whatever is needed to get the job done. Even the youngest daughter helps out! They carry all of the milk to the bulk tank with 5 gallon vacuum sealed pails! Needless to say, they have to make several trips!  On the Borntrager farm, the milking is all done in a tie stall barn, not a parlor. They milk one group of cows, release them and bring in the next group.  This whole process takes the family approximately 2 ½  to 3 hours to complete. Then, at 4:30 pm the family starts this whole process over again!  They enjoy doing it and can’t imagine doing anything else!

Why Merle Works with Kalona Farms

Merle likes the fact that Kalona Farms is locally owned and supports the local community.  He likes that his milk is used to make Kalona SuperNatural minimally-processed, high quality, organic dairy products. Merle is excited about the opportunities for him and the Kalona Supernatural brand.  He also likes the assistance and treatment that he receives from the company in general.  

Finally, I asked Merle what he likes most about his Field Rep, Me! 🙂  After he laughed a little bit he was quick to fire an answer.  He said that he likes how we can stand in the milkhouse and talk openly about anything.  He likes the relationship that we have built with each other.  He knows he can call or reach out with any questions or concerns and I will be quick to respond.  

He looks forward to the future growth of his family and farm, as well as the growth with Kalona Farms!