 |
| Clare, Coraline, Cory and Cara Biely |
The farm was established in April 2011 – the first time the
Bielys milked for themselves. Cory and Cara housed cattle at different farms prior
to starting their own barn, but to start on their own, they bought 50-head of
cows from a client of Clare’s. The first farm they milked at was 18 miles away.
They now milk at a farm just three miles away from their home. Cory was a
herdsman for four different farms that ranged in size and commercial/registered
herds to gain knowledge before starting on his own.
A day at Car-Cor begins with the ration
– cleaning leftover feed, mixing, and feeding again. Dry cows come in off the
pasture, cows are milked and then calves and heifers fed. During the summer the
milk cows are out during the night on pasture; during the winter they are out during
the day. Some days the routine includes washing cattle, but it almost always
includes some form of cropping, fixing, cleaning or additional feeding.
The Bielys’ favorite part of dairy farming is the opportunity
to be outside and work with the cattle, along with watching the developing
genetics over time by improving cow families. Cory especially enjoys feeding
and milking cows, and the chance to care for them on a daily basis. It allows
him to watch cows for health and better manage the entire herd.
The Biely family is first generation farmers; their dad works
for a construction company and their mom is an administrative consultant. Cory
and Cara feel working as a brother and sister team has developed a greater bond
between and they work very well as a team.
Cory was very involved with he and Cara’s grandpa when he
farmed. The Bielys also really enjoy the energy from the people that they have
worked with. They see the dairy industry as one big family; everyone will help out
when needed or ask and they are always there for when you have questions or
want to try something new. It is a very rewarding industry that is ever
changing and to know that they provide a wholesome product to consumers like themselves,
makes those early mornings and late nights that much easier.
One thing that makes the Biely family so excited about owning
and raising registered cattle is knowing the pedigree behind the animal – they
feel that it makes cattle more valuable when it comes time to resell. Along
with classification, buyers can feel more confident in purchasing animals
seeing their parentage.
The Bielys have been involved in the Wisconsin Holstein
Associaiton for 14 years. They have also been active in Farm Bureau as young
farmer chair for the county, and as past county Holstein president. Cory also
serves on the local fire department as lieutenant and on the board.
One of the biggest challenges the Biely
family has faced is fluctuation in prices and playing the market game. When
they started they faced high feed prices, and the following year a drought made
for a tough time to start a business.
The most inspiring people to the Bielys in the dairy business
have been Lynn & Sara Harbaugh. They have always helped and opened their
doors. Cory was herdsman for them for about three years when they milked, and they
have provided valuable information for the Bielys to start farming on their
own. Lynn is still a valuable asset as their AI rep and also helping them find
cattle to buy when needed. The Harbaughs are great role models and family
friends that they can always lean on.
When it comes to future plans, the Car-Cor group hopes to
continue acquiring land and cattle to grow but still stay at a size where they
can work with the cattle on a daily basis. Cory hopes WHA will keep being a
valuable asset like it has been and an association that he can lean on to
provide valuable information for the Registered Holstein breed. The dairy
industry is ever changing and Cory feels the wholesome product he and his
family produce will help the economy to prosper.
Photos
& article credit: Danae Bauer, Farmgirl Photography
No comments:
Post a Comment