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Perseverance paying off

A young Wisconsin dairy farmer says perseverance is paying off.

Evan Schrauth from Cloven View Holsteins in Fond du Lac County says he’s always wanted to be a dairyman.

“My dad had his own herd of cows and at about two years old I was determined that I was going to farm already.”  He says, “Dad actually sold his cows when I was four and went to work for a large dairy, so that’s kind of where I grew up.”

Schrauth drained his savings to start his own farm with 40 cows right out of college.  He’s faced his share of challenges, like moving the operation four times in seven years, but he tells Brownfield he’s now up to 70 cows plus 100 head of youngstock and things are looking up.

“Winter 2022 we moved here.”  He says, “We’re working into owning this farm.  Now we know where we’re going to be, so it’s nice to actually be looking at possibly expanding and it’s nice to know where the cows are going to be forever instead of trying to move a herd of cows.  That’s never fun.”

Schrauth, who also coaches high school football, says he’s cautiously optimistic about the year ahead.

“We’re currently in talks about adding on to one of our free stall barns because we are overcrowded, and we have a pile of heifers in the pipeline that need to go somewhere,” he says.

Schrauth was recently named the 2025 GroundBreaker of the Year by Compeer Financial.  An award that honors young, beginning or small operation farmers who demonstrate resilience, innovation and dedication to advancing agriculture and their local communities.  He received a $5,000 cash award and the opportunity to give back to an organization of his choice — the Wisconsin Guernsey Breeders’ Association — with an additional $2,500 donation through the Compeer Financial Fund for Rural America.

AUDIO: Evan Schrauth – Wisconsin dairy farmer

Photo courtesy of Compeer Financial