December 2006 - Swiss Valley Farms

SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN DIRECTOR
Shares a Long Farm History
Francis Leibfried of Cuba City,
Wisconsin, is one of the newer
members of the co-op’s Board
of Directors, having replaced the
retiring Dale Weigel, Platteville, WI,
in District 2 in 2003.
Francis farms in partnership with
his two brothers and a nephew on
acreage that has been in the family
for almost 125 years. Francis says
that in the long history of this farm,
until his generation it has always been
passed down through the women in
the family.
While his brothers, Steve and Ken
and nephew Aaron, work on the 360-
acres of crop production, all of which
is organic, it is Francis’ job to focus
on the dairy. Leibfried Dairy consists
of a herd of 80 Holsteins, which are
not organic. The organic crops grown
on this farm are sold as feed for other
organic dairy herds.
“Since my other partners handle
all the field work, I very seldom get
into a tractor,” Francis says. Even so,
his brothers and nephew help handle
his dairy chores when Francis attends
to his co-op Board duties.
Francis lives on the dairy with his wife,
Kim, and daughters: Katie, 24; Molly,
15, and Abbie, 9. Another daughter,
Shannon, 31, lives off the farm.
Kim works at a nursing home in
nearby Cuba City, and feeds the calves
in the evening, sometimes getting
assistance from Molly and Abbie. The
Francis Leibfried and his daughter Abbie, 9, sit in
their calf barn.
calves are sheltered in a bright, plasticsided
greenhouse-type barn, living in
the luxury of lots of light and fresh
hay. The rest of the dairy herd is fed
with a TMR system.
Have yourself a MINTY
little Christmas!
Be sure to bring this creamy treat home for the holiday season.
Mint Chocolate is the newest offering from the Swiss Valley family of
flavored milks and it’s going fast. Get it before it’s gone!
DECEMBER 2006 page 9