Mike:
Jeremy: JEREMY HANSEN HERE
FOR "LIFE ON THE FARM".
THE LAST COUPLE STORIES WE DID
FEATURE MULTI GENERATIONAL
FARMERS AND THE PLEASURE TO TALK
TO A FIRST GENERATIONAL FARMER.
WITH ME IS OLIVIA HANIS.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US COME TO
YOUR FARM TODAY.
WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO START
FARMING?
I THINK IT STARTED FOR ME
WHEN I WAS LITTLE ALREADY.
I USED TO FOLLOW AROUND MY DAD
WHEN HE WENT TO WORK.
HE WAS A COW BREEDER.
AFTER THAT I STARTED SHOWING
COWS AND I DECIDED TO GET A
MILKING JOB AND I REALLY LIKED
THAT AND IT JUST CAME NATURALLY
AND LOTS OF PEOPLE WERE HELPING
ME ALONG THE WAY.
I DECIDED TO GIVE IT A TRY AFTER
I FINISHED SCHOOL.
Jeremy: YOU ARE AWARE OF THE
AGRICULTURE ECONOMY THE LAST FEW
YEARS.
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MAKE
YOURSELF SUCCESSFUL?
A BIG BENEFIT FOR ME IS THE
ECONOMY.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO GET IN, THE
LOAN YOU TAKE OUT TO GET IN
WOULD BE A LOT LOWER THAN IF
COWS ARE MORE EXPENSIVE.
OTHER THAN THAT IS IMPORTANT TO
DIVERSIFY AND LOOK FOR OTHERS
ALSO.
Jeremy: YOU HAVE A UNIQUE
STORY AND THAT YOU ARE LOOKING
AT MAXIMIZING YOUR MILK JUG,
CORRECT?
CORRECT.
A RED BUN WHICH IS A SMALLER
PLANT WITH HIGHER PAY PRICE
BECAUSE CATTLE ARE OFTEN OUTSIDE
GRAZING AND I HAVE TO MEET
CERTAIN SPECIFICATIONS SO THAT
IS ONE WAY.
I MAXIMIZE AND DON'T ALWAYS PUSH
THEM SO MUCH FOR MILK BUT I ALSO
TRY TO MINIMIZE MY EXPENSE.
Jeremy: YOU HAVE A UNIQUE
STORY ABOUT HOW YOU MINIMIZE
EXPENSES ON THE FARM.
TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
MY COWS DO MORE GRAZING THAN
MOST PEOPLE'S COWS.
I TRY TO THEM IN THE SPRING.
ONE THING, THEY STAY HEALTHY OUT
THERE.
THEY CALF EASIER AND I SPEND
LESS THAN OTHER FARMERS PROBABLY
HAVE TO.
Jeremy: ALL FIRST-GENERATION
FARMERS NEED A LITTLE BIT OF
HELP.
WITH ME TODAY AS WELL IS BOB
SHALL HIM --SCLIMM.
YOU WERE LOOKING AT GETTING OUT
OF THE BUSINESS AND YOU ARE THE
HEALTHIER.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT HOW
YOU ARE HELPING OLIVIA HERE?
THE FIRST THING I DID WAS SHE
CAME AND HER DAD AND MYSELF
TALKED WITH HER ABOUT COMING
HERE AND I SAID THAT IS FINE IF
YOU WANT TO COME HERE AND MILK.
THE ONE THING YOU ARE GOING TO
DO IS GET YOUR DEGREE.
IN CASE IT WORKS THE DEGREE IS
THERE IN YOUR BACK POCKET AND IF
IT DOESN'T WORK IT IS MORE
IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT DEGREE.
IT WAS SUPER IMPORTANT TO FINISH
EDUCATION BEFORE YOU TRY IT
HERE.
OLIVIA REALLY KNOWS HER COWS.
SHE PROBABLY HELPS ME WITH THE
COWS BUT THE FINANCIAL PART OF
IT AND JUST DOING BUSINESS WITH
PEOPLE, MAKING THOSE CONTACTS,
LEARNING HOW TO NEGOTIATE WITH
PEOPLE IN THE PROPER POSITION,
IT TAKES TIME AND ONCE YOU GO
THROUGH A COUPLE CYCLES IT IS A
LOT EASIER.
Jeremy: WHAT OTHER HEALTH AND
SERVICES DO YOU HELP OLIVIA WITH
ON THE FARM?
I SUPPLY FEED AND OLIVIA
TAKES CARE OF THE COWS.
IT ALLOWS NOT TO SAVE ENOUGH
FREE TIME BUT A LOT MORE FREE
TIME THAN MILK AND COWS AND TO
BE HONEST I AM PRETTY SELFISH.
I'M BETTER OFF DOING SOMETHING
HERE THAN I AM SITTING IN THE
HOUSE.
Jeremy: EDUCATION WAS A KEY
PART OF THIS.
DESCRIBE A LITTLE BIT YOUR
PATHWAY YOU TALK FROM WHERE YOU
STARTED TO STANDING HERE TODAY.
I STARTED AT LAKESHIRE TEST.
I DID A ONE-YEAR PROGRAM AND
FROM THAT I WAS ABLE TO TAKE
SOME IMPORTANT HANDS-ON LEARNING
WORKING WITH HOUSE AND LEARNING
TO DO WHAT I DO TODAY AND AFTER
THAT I DECIDED TO GET A
BACHELORS DEGREE SO I WENT TO
GET A BACHELORS IN DAIRY SCIENCE
AND NOW THAT I AM FINISHED I AM
TAKING THE COURSE AT FOX VALLEY
TECH FOR FARM BUSINESS
MANAGEMENT AND I GET HELP
LEARNING TO MANAGE MY FINANCES.
Jeremy: AS WE HAVE SEEN
TODAY, FIRST GENERATION FARMERS
CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.
WE NEED A GOOD MENTOR, A VERY
STRONG EDUCATIONAL PATH AND SOME
WONDERFUL PASSION LIKE OLIVIA
