Each year in Wisconsin, farms all around the state are honored as being Century or Sesquicentennial Farms. According to the Wisconsin State Fair’s website, “The Century Farm and Home Program began in 1948 in conjunction with the State of Wisconsin’s Centennial Celebration.” It also states that “there are currently over 10,000 Century Farms and Homes nestled throughout the Badger State.” This year, in partnership with the State Fair, the Mid-West Farm Report will be bringing you the stories of the Wisconsin farm families being honored with the award in 2020.
Dennis and Sherry Crist are new recipients of the prestigious honor and their Darlington farm has been in the family since 1912. Dennis and Sherry have owned the farm since 1978 and are the third generation to call the farm their own. They actively farm beef steers and crops with their sons, who will ultimately take over the operation and become the fourth generation of Crist’s to own it. “I’m 66 and I’m getting ready to slow down and they’re ready to take over and I’m very confident they’ll do a fine job and I’ve got some grandsons that are excellent workers,” Dennis says with a smile on his face.
The farm has evolved over the years, says Dennis. “When I grew up we had 24 milk cows and we raised about 2,00 hogs a year…and when my dad got out of the dairy cows and we got into it we got more into the beef cows.” Even though there have been tough times on the farm, the Crist family has been going strong for 108 years, making it a family affair in the process. “We love it and we stay after it,” says Sherry.
Both Dennis and Sherry made it clear that they could not imagine living their lives any other way. To raise their family on the farm and be able to wake up and watch the sun rise over their property each day is all that they need. “It’s a great life,” Sherry says. To hear The Crist Family join Josh Scramlin on the Mid-West Farm Report, click the play button below:
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