Rick Roden farms with his family at Roden Echo Valley in West Bend, Wis. For Rick, sustainable dairy farming is about more than producing milk; it’s about protecting the land, water and resources for generations to come.
“Sustainability means being successful,” says Rick. “We are a multi-generational family farm and are hoping to set up the next generation to be successful here, as well.”
That forward-thinking mindset guides the Rodens’ efforts on their 850-cow dairy farm. Using a 40-stall rotary parlor, Rick farms alongside his dad and uncle, combining tradition with modern technology. Each cow wears a collar that tracks her activity and health. “It’s like her own personal Fitbit,” Rick explains. “Rumination tells us when our cows aren’t feeling good so we can step in and help them feel better.”
Technology and Sustainable Dairy Farming
Technology also plays a role in efficient and sustainable dairy farming. “We use a Future Cow brush to clean and prep the cow’s teats for milking,” Rick shares. “An automatic teat spray robot disinfects their teats before they go back to lay down in their stalls.”
Sustainable dairy farming goes beyond the barn at Roden Echo Valley. Rick has been using cover crops in the fields for over a decade. “Keeping a living plant growing year-round helps to protect the soil and absorb nutrients from the sun. The roots keep the soil in the place where it belongs and prevent manure, soil and fertilizer from running off,” he says.
That conservation mindset extends to water quality, too. “We want to keep our water as safe and healthy as possible. My family drinks from the wells on the farm and we are 100% certain that the water is safe for us to drink.”
Partners in Sustainable Dairy Farming
Rick is also part of Clean Farm Families, a farmer-led watershed group in Ozaukee County. “We work together with other farmers in our area to share ideas and try new conservation practices,” Rick notes. “Collaborating with other area farmers helped us learn what is best for the land and best for the environment in our area.”
The Ultimate Recyclers
Rick sees cows as nature’s recyclers. “Eighty percent of what a cow eats is feed that we as humans cannot consume,” he explains. “The corn, alfalfa hay, soybeans and wheat I grow on my farm can’t be digested by humans, but a cow can consume all of those products and turn them into milk.”
The cycle doesn’t end there. “Manure is the best fertilizer we can put on our land to help our crops grow. It really comes full circle: I grow the crops to feed the cows, the cows use that feed to make milk that is made into dairy products for us to enjoy, and the cow produces manure that is used to fertilize the crops.”
From barn to field to table, sustainable dairy is at the heart of everything the Rodens do. It’s a family legacy rooted in care for the land, the animals and the community.
Rick Roden is featured as a part of Gather Wisconsin’s Leaders of the Land® segment, which features Wisconsin farmers moving agriculture forward through their commitment to sustainability.