When many dairy farms were building freestall buildings and bring cows in from pasture, the Tomandl family leaned into grazing cows. Since that time, they’ve grown their farm while building a blueprint for grazing dairies, including a program to help others learn dairy farming on a grazing based platform. Their work has led them to be selected as the 2022 Leopold Conservation Award winners.
Joe Tomandl grew up on a dairy farm that grazed cows. When he and his wife Christy started their own farm in 1998, they grazed their 35-40 cows on 85 acres. At the time it made fiscal sense, they channeled their available funds into cows instead of equipment. But there was more to the decision than just the bottom line. The family appreciated that grazing meant they could work more closely with the soil on their farm. As their farm grew Joe and Christy asked themselves what the next step was.
While many dairies get bigger, the Tomandl family wanted to build their farm in a way that gave options for the next generation. So growth on their farm stopped at 185 cows and around 300 acres, and they moved forward by purchasing two additional dairy farms where they have replicated their grazing based model. Joe says that this means that in the future when he and his wife are ready to retire, rather than having one 1,000 plus cow dairy to sell lock, stock and barrel, they have smaller farms that a young farmer can finance.
Replicating the business model across farms also gave the Tomandl family another opportunity to shape conservation and agriculture in Wisconsin and beyond. Their unique model of multiple smaller farms focused on grazing created an opportunity and in 2010 the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship program was launched. Not only was this the first registered agriculture apprenticeship in Wisconsin, it was the only agriculture based apprenticeship in the nation.
Each year the Sand County Foundation selects farms to receive the Leopold Conservation Award. “The award recognizes farmers, ranchers and forestland owners in 25 states who showcase how conservation and production go hand in hand”. Lance Irving, Leopold Conservation Award Director shares “The Tomandls practice conservation on their farms and teach others how to achieve environmental and economic success with conservation. They are great agricultural conservation ambassadors and true examples of Aldo Leopold’s land ethic.”
While the award has certainly made the Tomandl family feel honored, Joe says “We are never done in trying to improve”.
Leave a Reply