The head of the 2023 Michigan State University Dairy Farm of the Year says growth and diversification have helped his family’s centennial farm stay viable.
Fifth-generation farmer Brent Wilson tells Brownfield he remembers attending MSU in the late ‘60s when a professor said 30 dairy cows and 160 acres could be enough to live off.
“If I would have ever guessed that today we have 1,100 cows and over 5,000 acres, I would have said it’s unbelievable,” he shares. “But the reason for that is you can make a living milking cows but it’s very difficult without hiring help.”
Wilson’s father attended a dairy short course at the land grant in the 1930s and many members have followed.
