DAIRY NEWS – A unique partnership between dairy producers and the organizations representing Wisconsin’s cities and counties has brought together rural community members for farm tours, critical conversations and ice cream for more than twenty years.”
The 2025 Agricultural Community Engagement (ACE®) Twilight Meetings will be held at four host farms on August 25, 26, 27 and 28. The meetings are made possible by a partnership between Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP), Wisconsin Counties Association and Wisconsin Towns Association. Each event is free, but registration is requested. Register at www.PDPW.org or call 800-947-7379.
“Wisconsin’s agriculture industry generates more than $116 billion in economic value each year, and it starts with individual farms and farm families,” said Shelly Mayer, Slinger, Wis., dairy producer and PDP executive director. “We’re proud to partner with Wisconsin Counties Association and Wisconsin Towns Association each year to give community members and elected officials the opportunity to go behind the scenes on progressive dairy operations to see how they care for their animals, team members, land and water, as well as open conversations about how to make rural Wisconsin even better.”
Each ACE Twilight Meeting will kick off with a tour of the host dairy at 6:00 p.m., offering attendees an insider’s perspective on how animals are cared for, housed and fed, as well as a look at the milking facilities, barns and technologies dairy producers use.
Ice cream will be served at 7:00 p.m. Following ice cream, open dialogue about community issues such as wind and solar energy, water quality, conservation, roadways and transportation, educational opportunities and more. Meetings will conclude at 8:30 p.m.
The 2025 host farms are located in Buffalo, Monroe, Manitowoc and Jefferson counties. Hosts include:
Lindstrom Valley Farms – Monday, August 25
Nestled in the bluffs of Buffalo County in west central Wisconsin, the fifth-generation farm milks 1,600 cows and raises alfalfa and corn to feed their cows and youngstock. Owners Randy and Becky Lindstrom and children Deric, Nora and Andrew adopt modern technologies and innovation while honoring the tradition of sustainability and care of land and animals that has driven the farm since it was founded by Randy’s great-great-grandfather Andrew Lindstrom when he came to Wisconsin from Sweden. The dairy is located at W2184 County Rd. K, Durand, Wis.
Chapman Farms Dairy LLC – Tuesday, August 26
Three generations of the Chapman family work together on the dairy farm that was started in 1888. They milk 1,110 cows three times a day with a focus on cow comfort and raising high quality forage and grain on their crop acres. The farm is owned and operated by Gail, David & Sienna Chapman and Duane, John & Peter Chapman. The dairy is located at 21509 Gladeview Ave., Tomah, Wis.
Grotegut Dairy Farm, Inc. – Wednesday, August 27
Started as a 51-cow dairy in 1965, the third generation of Grotegut family members now milk 3,600 cows in an 80-stall rotary parlor. The farm is operated by Doug Grotegut, with his two sons Kip, and Gavin; his nephew, Eric Grotegut, and Eric’s wife Rosario Ibarra. Grotegut Dairy Farm has two anaerobic digesters which generate biosolids for bedding, fertilizer for the fields, and raw natural gas. The farm was named the 2025 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year by the International Dairy Foods Association and is the host farm for the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center. The dairy is located at 7427 Newton Rd., Newton, Wis.
Rosy-Lane Holsteins – Thursday, August 28
Established with 30 cows and 30 heifers by Lloyd Sr. and Rosemarie Holterman in 1965, Rosy-Lane Holsteins is currently owned by five partners – Lloyd and Daphne Holterman, Tim Strobel, Jordan Matthews and Sam Peetz. The farm milks about 1,750 cows at locations in Watertown and Paoli, Wis., with a focus on cow comfort and sustainability. The meeting will take place at the dairy’s shop address: N8106 County Hwy X, Watertown, Wis.
Learn more and register at www.PDPW.org or contact PDP at 800-947-7379. Follow along digitally in advance of and during the event by following @dairyPDPW on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
Professional Dairy Producers® (PDP) is the nation’s largest dairy producer-led organization of its kind, focusing on producer professionalism, stakeholder engagement and unified outreach to share ideas, solutions, resources and experiences that help dairy producers succeed.
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