On Friday, May 1, our family experienced something we could have never imagined would happen to us, a devastating fire that destroyed my grandparents’ milking barn, the heart of our dairy and where the milk for Farm Life Creamery begins. This farm is where our story started, and where I returned just last year in hopes of helping grow the family business.

We are heartbroken by the loss of the barn and our robotic milking system, but incredibly thankful that no lives were lost. Our family, our herd, and my grandparents, Gary and Amy, are all safe.

Since the fire, we’ve felt so many emotions. There have been tears, but also moments of laughter as we lean on each other and try to move forward. We’ve been overwhelmed by the support around us. Neighbors showed up immediately without hesitation, helping us keep cows milking and making sure we could continue on. We are also so grateful to the surrounding volunteer fire departments. The response was tremendous, and we truly can’t thank them enough for everything they did to help protect what they could.

This loss goes beyond the barn itself. Along with it, we lost both of our skid steers, all of our tools, our lawn mower, and so many of the everyday things that keep a farm running. Inside the barn were also irreplaceable pieces of our history. Photos of cows, show awards, family keepsakes like my great grandpa’s rifle from 1935, and years of records from our Lely robotic system. This barn was built on family-driven values and held together by years of memories, the tears, the laughter, and maybe the occasional argument that made it feel like home.

Right now, our biggest priority is caring for our cows. They’ve been through a lot and are stressed, which impacts their health and production.

Dairy cows have to be milked everyday, and thanks to incredible neighbors, our herd is currently being milked at another farm. That generosity has been nothing short of a blessing, and we truly could not be doing this without them. At the same time, this is a temporary solution.

Our cows are used to robotic milking, where they go in when they want, based on their natural rhythm. Right now, they’re adjusting not only to a new environment, but a new schedule. That’s a big change for them, and when cows are stressed, production drops. When production drops the creamery gets less milk to create the dairy products that you enjoy, and that the business relies on to survive.

We’re beyond grateful for this temporary milking option! We just don’t want to have to rely on that generosity longer than necessary.

Getting the herd back into a consistent, familiar system as soon as possible is critical, not just for them, but for the future of our farm and creamery. Recovery takes time, but our goal is to move as quickly as we can so we don’t overextend the incredible support we’ve been given.

I came back to the farm last year because this is where I feel I’m meant to be. I’m not ready to give up on it, and neither are my grandparents.

This has been incredibly hard on all of us in ways that are difficult to put into words. Every time I’ve helped with milking since the fire, I’ve cried on the drive away from the cows. Each day at the farm has been a constant reminder of what we’ve lost.

We don’t have all the answers yet, but we do have grit, faith, and an incredible community around us. We want to rebuild, but we can’t do it alone.

If you feel led to support our family during this time, we are deeply grateful. Every donation will go toward caring for our animals, recovering from this loss, and taking the first steps toward rebuilding.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out, shown up, and supported us. You have no idea how much it means to our family!