Preston: At a Fork in the River Preston divided over tire-burning plant A trout angler's paradise 'Stories that tell who we are' Job outlook in Albert Lea Amish learning to balance commerce and culture Life and debt on a dairy farm Audio Life and debt on a dairy farm (story audio) Photos The blue barn The dairy herd Milking time View full slideshow (9 images) More from MPR The state of dairy farming (04/14/2003) Your Voice Join the conversation with other MPR listeners in the News Forum.

	E-mail this page			Print this page

Life and debt on a dairy farm
by Nikki Tundel, Minnesota Public Radio
April 29, 2003

The Alexander family lives in rural Fillmore County. They have eight children, 13 cats, and 63 cows. They're known as the family with the blue barn. (MPR Photo/Nikki Tundel)

Over the past 30 years, the number of dairy farms in Minnesota has dropped by 84 percent. Last year, the state's dairy production hit its lowest level in 50 years. But despite the poor economic outlook, some farm families are making a living -- while living the life they want.

Fillmore County, Minn. — Tom and Ruth Ann Alexander have eight kids, 13 cats, and a lot of cows that need a lot of milking. The couple rented dairy farms for more than 20 years. Five years ago, they bought their own 320-acre operation in rural Fillmore County.

They admit, taking on hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt was a big gamble. But on the Alexander farm, when it comes to business, passion is just as important as profit.

	Milking time

You'd think 54 full-grown cows would make quite a racket as they head in for their 6:30 a.m. milking. But these 1,500-lb. Holsteins proceed with all the ferocity of raindrops hitting a steel grain silo.

You also might expect Tom and Ruth Ann Alexander to talk about how hard it is to turn a profit, or how milk prices haven't increased since the early '80s. You might think they'd complain about corporate operations monopolizing the milk market.

But instead, Tom points out that dairy's not the only industry struggling these days. And Ruth Ann says the farm has enriched their family life.

"We like to work. But we like to work together and that's one of the neatest things," says Ruth Ann. "We don't lead separate lives and then try to come back together at the end of the day. We're just in and out of each other's lives all day long."

	Margaret, age 8

Twice a day, the Alexanders head out to their powder blue barn to milk Cola and Soda and the 52 other cows that aren't named after carbonated beverages. The herd produces more than 3,200 pounds of milk a day. The Alexander kids will tell you that's enough to make 213 gallons of ice cream.

These days, milk prices rarely cover a farmer's costs. As a result, many parents encourage their children to pursue careers far from the farm. And in most cases, the kids happily head for the city. But every last Alexander offspring hopes to one day return to dairy farming.

Hannah, 24, keeps photographs of calves in her St. Paul office. Tessa, 17, works part-time in Rochester. But she makes it her mission to rebut stereotypes of rural life.

	Thor, age 6, enjoys his chores

"Farming isn't all smells and dirt like most people think," says Tessa. "People don't understand life on a farm at all. A general assumption is that you can be a farmer without going to school. Farming's for the dumb people. But there's no way you could do farming if you aren't smart."

"I like to listen to them and describe the moo," says Thor, who's 6. "Mah. That's how the baby calves are. When they start going moo, they're getting to be heifers."

Thor can't wait for the day he's finally old enough to join in the milking. Maya's 14. She rolls her eyes when her younger brother refers to her daily chores as fun. Still, she can't imagine working any place but a farm.

"I know I complain, but it's nice to get yourself up and doing something everyday. There's never a day when you just lay around all day," says Maya. "And you learn a lot. You know, a lot of people don't know where your milk comes from and we know all that."

	Ruth Ann Alexander

Friends from the city just don't get how the Alexander kids can stand to shovel manure. But what 8-year-old Margaret can't figure out is why anyone would choose to live in town.

"It doesn't really seem as fun, 'cause when I look at the houses they only have a yard about as big as our family room, and that's not very big. And then farms -- they have the big huge yards," says Margaret. "Sometimes in town you don't get so many adventures, but out here you can see different animals and more of the things that can happen in life."

Despite the Alexanders' enthusiasm, dairy farming in southeast Minnesota faces huge challenges. But this family's not interested in joining the public debate over government subsidies and corporate economics. The Alexanders say they're merely trying to find happiness in tradition.

"It's sort of part of our country and our state's heritage," says Ruth Ann. "That could be lost, and it's just sort of a memory."

News Headlines

Related Subjects