Going green through innovative thinking

As far back as I can remember dairy has been a part of my family’s life. It started in the 1920s when my grandparents immigrated to the United States from Switzerland and continues today at our farm, Si-Ellen.

With the vast majority of dairies being family-owned and operated in the United States, it shows the kind of history and heritage that has developed as generation after generation continues dairy farming. My entire family, five brothers and three sisters, are actively involved in running our dairy. It gives each of us a sense of continuity and the opportunity to pass on longstanding family traditions.

We are in this business because of our desire to create a wholesome food that people enjoy and for me, it goes even deeper. It’s a personal endeavor to honor my ancestors and the way of life they created for our family.

We do as much as can to care for our animals. We have a full time nutritionist  who monitors what our cows eat to make sure they have a proper diet. Our cows receive excellent veterinary care, including an extensive vaccination program to keep them healthy. We take care of our cows because we know that as productive animals in our herd, they in turn, will take of us.

The land we use for our dairy is also very important to us. At Si-Ellen Farms, we have planted hundreds of poplar trees that act as a wind buffer, prevent soil erosion, and create a natural habitat for birds and wild animals.

Idaho’s water supply is one of its greatest assets. We want to make certain we use this valuable resource wisely, so we constructed a lake to catch excess canal water as a more efficient means to store it for future use. Not only did this make sense from an economic standpoint, but the lake also serves as a conservation project because it provides the perfect environment for fish and plants.

It’s important to my family that we are good neighbors. We make every effort to build strong relationships. We work with our neighbors, providing top-notch natural compost for their fields and they in turn provide feed for our cows, reducing everyone’s dependency on commercial sources of fertilizer and feed.

Our dairy farm has given us a unique opportunity to develop a give-and-take connection with our neighbors, which is one of the reasons my family and I enjoy what we do so much. 

The other part of being a good neighbor is lending a helping hand. We have held several auctions at our farm to raise money for local charities and families who need assistance. It’s just the right thing to do.