Our February Farmer of the Month comes to us from Two Creeks, WI. Rick Barta and his wife Sue, own Barta Farm LLC with three of their sons. Rick and Sue both keep busy taking care of the farm, working with their kids, and spending time with the grandkids. The dairy has been passed down from generation to generation since the beginning, back in 1869.
This has been Rick’s whole life since day one and he hasn’t stopped after farming for over 60 years. “I’ve never left the farm actually, I’ve been here ever since I’ve been born,” Rick said. He and his wife took over the farm from Rick’s dad in 1990 and have owned it ever since.
When the couple took over the farm, things were very different than they are today. He explained that they used to milk 80 cows in the old barn and then chose to start expanding in 2010. The dairy currently milks 472 cows and runs close to 900 acres of land in the Two Creeks area.
With three of his sons on the dairy, Rick takes pride in knowing that the farm will keep on going with the family name. He knows that it’ll be in good hands once he hangs up his hat. Just by talking to him, you can tell that family is a huge part of their lives and the farm. Their sweatshirts even say, “Barta Farm LLC – Farming as a Family Since 1869.” He said that one of the best parts of the dairy is that he can always see his family at any time, they’re always around. He hopes that the value of family continues to be a strong staple on the farm when his kids take over and beyond.
We got on the topic of large dairies and Rick said that if you’re able to, the best thing to do is to grow so you can stay in the game. “Within reason, I think that getting bigger is better because you’re more efficient when you go bigger and you go with more modern equipment,” On the other hand, he said that it’s not impossible for small farms to make it, “A lot of the smaller farms could have most of their debt erased or paid through the years. So they can watch what they’re doing and still make a buck here and there…It’s hard work either way.”
Rick said that even when things get tough in agriculture, farmers keep going. “Not only just here, but I think farmers, in general, are resilient people,” he explained that farmers don’t quit, “They figure out a way to make things work. When things go bad, they still buckle down and get through it somehow.”
He warns us that if someone we know wants to farm, the last thing you should do is try to hold them back. We need farmers. With that, Rick gave some advice to those who are transitioning from one generation to the next on a farm. “Don’t hold them back, they’ve got ideas that are probably better than yours, or your parents, or grandparents before you,” Rick was basically saying that the next generation will always have different thoughts on how to do things, don’t write off their ideas before you hear them out. Who knows, it could be a great idea. Trying those ideas is just a part of improving the farm over the years.
He said the bottom line is that farming’s tough. It’s not an easy career, but it’s well worth it.
“Takes hard work and money to do all of these things, but I think it’s a really good life, and I wouldn’t do it any different.” – Rick Barta
Congratulations to our February Farmer of the Month and all of our Wisconsin farmers! Listen back to the full interview here.
