Ever wonder where your milk comes from? With over 49 dairy farms in North Dakota, you may not have had the opportunity to meet a local dairy farmer, let alone a family farm operation. Just an hour away from Fargo in Lisbon, ND, Qual Dairy & Grain let us take a sneak peek inside their farm to share what it’s like running a dairy farm while raising a family.
We spoke with local mom and dairy farmer, Angie Qual, about her family’s business.
Meet Angie Qual!
How long has the Qual family had a dairy farm and how long have you been operating it?
The farm was started by my husband’s grandfather a few years after he returned from World War II. He had three sons return to the farm. And now there are four grandsons of the third generation that have come back to farm full-time.
How many cows do you have?
We milk 1,400 holstein cows three times per day. All of the cows and calves on the farm are given a number when they are born. This allows us to easily and efficiently monitor, keep records, and take care of each individual animal.
Who is involved in the dairy farm?
Currently there are eight Qual family members that work at and manage the farm. There are also 22 employees who help doing the day-to-day work with the cows and the crops.
How old are your kids and are they involved in the farming process?
We have three kids. We have a daughter who is 15 and two sons who are ages 14 and 10.
Our daughter works over the summer and part-time during the school year in the office helping with finance book work.
Our 14-year-old has helped my husband Mark with odds and ends around the farm, but is looking forward to taking a more active role this coming summer.
What is most rewarding about operating a dairy farm?
Our family takes a lot of pride in caring for the animals and the land to help produce food for our nation.
What is most challenging about operating a dairy farm?
There are a lot of variables that are completely out of our control that directly affect our farm that can be very challenging.
Like weather – it can either affect cow comfort or the crops we use as the feed for the cows for the next year. And that all directly correlates to the quantity of milk a cow will produce.
How do you balance being a mother and a farmer?
I have a full-time job off the farm. Trying to balance my job with farming and also family time can be difficult. I have more flexibility with my job, whereas my husband doesn’t always have that. If there is an issue at the farm, whether it be cow or machine, it usually needs to be taken care of immediately.
We are fortunate to have so many family members involved, so that some of that responsibility is spread around to help us have more family time, but it takes a bit of planning.
How has technology made an impact on farming?
Technology (for both the cows and crops) has allowed us to more accurately manage everything at the farm. This allows us to be more efficient with our time. And it helps us have the highest quality products through a better ability to manage almost every aspect of our farm.
What do you want other moms to know about dairy/running a dairy farm?
Dairy farmers spend countless hours making sure that their cows are taken care of, so they can send the highest quality milk to the processors that will eventually end up as a part of your family’s meals.
To learn more about animal care, sustainability, and nutrition information, visit USDairy.com.
Looking to incorporate more dairy into your everyday baking? See our post on 3 Unique Pumpkin Recipes to Try This Fall.
Images provided by Angie Qual and Midwest Dairy.
