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Crave Brothers Farm
We milk Holstein cows on our rural Wisconsin dairy farm. The cows are fed homegrown, high quality forages consisting of corn, alfalfa and soybeans. Our farm emphasizes conservation and sustainable practices, while consideration is given to what is best for the environment, the cows and the consumer. Our pampered cows receive plenty of exercise, fresh air and individualized care. The cow’s manure is converted into energy and organic fertilizer through a manure digester located on our farm. Cows are bedded with composted manure solids from the manure digester.
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Innovation and hard work have characterized the farm. In 1999, we discussed how to grow our business and offer opportunities for future generations. We wanted to use our own high quality milk to produce specialty cheeses for the consumer. Our cheese factory was constructed in 2001. The milk is piped directly from the dairy farm to the cheese factory within hours of milking for an incredibly flavorful, truly farmstead cheese.
Dairy Herd Facts
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2,100 cows
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30,600 lb herd average
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2,500 acres
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1000 calves born each year
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Heifers graze in the spring, summer and fall
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Crave Brothers work in cooperation with other local farmers for custom feed harvesting, custom heifer raising, and machinery sharing. We raise our crops using sustainable methods including minimum tillage and crop rotation. Our cropland is fertilized with recycled nutrients from our manure digester. In addition, our manure digester produces enough electricity to power our farm, cheese factory and area homes in our community!
Our Cow Care
Our cows on Crave Brothers Farm have comfortable, healthy, and safe living environments. They have access to water and special formulated diets designed for their specific age and maturity 24 hour a day. They have barns that are climate controlled so that they are not hot in the summer or cold in the winter. In the warmer months they have open ventilation, sprinkler systems. and fans to keep them cool. In the colder months they have closed, warm barns. We reuse the dried, odorless fibers left over from the methane digester for comfortable cow bedding year round. Our animals also have year-round hoof care and health care programs to keep them happy and healthy.
What is Important to us?
What do they eat?
Our cows, when at maturity are fed TMR or Total Mixed Rations. This consist of hay silage, corn silage, dry hay, brewers grain, distillers grain, cotton seed, dry ground corn, soybean meal, vitamins and minerals. The cows also have 24/7 access to cold and clean water systems and salt blocks.
Cow Comfort
The cows live in climate-controlled barns with adjustable curtain sidings for temperature regulation. During warmer months, fans and sprinklers keep them cool. They also have back scratchers and massagers. Their bedding is made from leftover dried material from methane digestion, ensuring comfort and dryness. In Wisconsin's frozen winters, the cows are kept on pasture during the warmer months.
Cow Health
Our animals have around the clock individualized cow care. Each animal is given an identification tag which helps us with our virtual systems, to keep track of any medical or health attention for that animal.
