The Hoewisch family at their Waupaca County Farm, February 27, 2025. PC: Fox 11 Online
WAUPACA COUNTY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — For many, farms are more than just a place to raise crops and animals.
And in Waupaca County, the Hoewisch family is celebrating a special honor. They were recently named one of 10 finalists for the National Outstanding Young Farmer Award.
At Hoewisch Homestead Dairy just east of Fremont, Jake Hoewisch says he milks 150 Holstein dairy cows twice a day. He says life on the farm is in his heritage.
“My great-grandfather came over from Germany in the 1860s and homesteaded this property. I’m the fifth generation to take over the family farm,” said Jake.
Hoewisch says the president of the Waupaca County Farm Bureau nominated his family to compete in the National Outstanding Young Farmers Award program. After being evaluated for conservation practices, including no-till farming and planting cover crops, the Hoewisches were chosen to represent Wisconsin at the awards banquet in Des Moines, Iowa.
“It was more of a networking opportunity. We came out of there having nine other young farmers throughout the U.S. that we can reach out to and rub shoulders with now,” said Jake.
Jake’s wife, Jennifer Hoewisch, says raising their family on the farm is important.
“Just getting to spend all that extra time, and we decided to homeschool our children as well. So we get that time just to be together. They get to see kind of the ins and outs of everyday, and just building some hard work ethic and it’s just a really great opportunity,” said Jennifer.
Jake says being a young family on the farm is the life for him.
“For me, it’s my passion and I would just love to instill that in my children. But if they decided to go a different direction, that’s fine. But just having them to be able to be in the trenches with us, be with the calves, with the animals, doing whatever they can. To me, they learn so many life lessons that way. So many things that are hard to be taught,” he said.
Out of the 10 finalists, four families were selected as winners. While the Hoewisch family wasn’t among the winners, they says it’s an experience they will never forget.
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