Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Kenyon, Staege
----Source: Tribune Record Gleaner (Loyal, Clark Co., WI) 9/05/1974
Roehl, Mr/Mrs Lowell (Loyal Area Farmers - 1974)
Mingling with Mary (By Mary Woods)
After the day’s work is completed, Mr. and Mrs. Lowell Roehl take the time to do the important task of keeping all the farm records, and financial statements up to date. The couple used the Production Credit Association means of bookkeeping, known as Agrifax.
To many the farm may be very typical of many farm homes in Clark County. The barn is red, the house is brick, the children are seen outside with the different animals, the wife does her share of the chores, plus her duties of being a farm wife, and the husband takes his farming serious, but knows how to enjoy life. But, after walking into the Lowell Roehl farm home, south of Loyal, and drinking coffee, and conversing for three hours, one begins to believe that there is something special about the farm house, and thinks that maybe they aren’t just a typical farm family, and perhaps the reason behind the happy thoughts that one leaves with is that Lowell and Velora Roehl have found out that farming in Clark County is what makes them happy and they enjoy sharing it with others.
Both born and raised in the Loyal area, and graduates of the Loyal High School, Mr. and Mrs. Roehl were selected in July as one of six Outstanding Young Dairy Couples from the states of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana. According to them, the contest began on the local level and is sponsored through the Associated Milk Producers Incorporated (AMPI). Following their selection at the local level, the couple received an all-expense paid trip to Chicago for two days where they joined 18 other couples, of which three were selected to attend the National Milk Producers Federation Annual Meeting in Florida. Although the Roehls were not one of the three chosen to go to Florida, they were selected as one of the six finalists, and won a trip to the 46th National Institute on Cooperative Education.
While at the Institute the Roehls joined with about 200 Young Farmer Couples from across the country, and exchanged ideas about new potentials in their farming, and cooperatives. At their own sessions, they participated in 20 workshops to discuss their specific involvement, and requirements, and hear a number of nationally known speakers discuss cooperatives responses to needs of young farmers, and who will control tomorrow’s agriculture. The Roehls also participated in a tour of nearby Kansas farms and cooperatives. The meeting was sponsored by the Kansas State University, American Institute of Cooperation, a national education organization for farmer cooperatives headquartered in Washington, D. C., and cooperative organizations in the area.
In explaining the contest, Mr. Roehl states that a couple must be 35 years or younger to qualify for the dairy contest. He states that they are members of Corporate 13 which covers an area within five counties, and they decided to complete the questionnaire that was provided for entry into the contest, but comments, “we never realized that we would be one of six chosen as finalist.” Roehl also noted that the AMPI is the largest milk cooperative in the nation and has a membership of 38,000.
Asked about how he became interested in farming, Roehl states that after his graduation from high school he entered the service for two years, working as a company clerk for a hospital unit in France. After his return to the states he attended the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural education and math. While at school, Roehl worked at the experimental farm, milking the cows’ morning and night, and on weekends. During the summer months, he worked for a roofing company and after his graduation began his own roofing company in the Loyal area. He states that the roofing business was a good means of making a living, but the desire to farm was deep inside him, and after looking at more than 45 farms, he and his wife purchased the farm they now reside on, which is less than two miles from both their parents’ farm homes. At the time of the purchase in 1967, the farm consisted of 55 head of cattle, and 160 acres. Today, the farm has grown to 280 acres, 65 milking cows, 13 steers (raised by one employee on the farm, also known as Mrs. Roehl), and 74 heifers. Of the 280 acres, 243 are tillable, with 75 acres being corn, 120 acres hay, and the remainder used for sowing of small grains. The barn which has been expended over the past years has the capacity for 82 cows, and 33 heifers, and small livestock, and is set up to provide the Roehls with pipeline milkers.
According to Mr. Roehl, the “Rolling Herd Average” for the past 12 months showed 14,187 pounds of milk, a test of 3.8, and a butterfat count of 532 pounds. He states that this is lower than at the present due to the poor feed and expansion.
Commenting on her role in farming, Mrs. Roehl states “when the market for calves became low last spring, and we had 13 calves, that were ready to be sold, I decided that instead of selling them, I should keep them, and raise them … so, I did, and today they are my responsibility … along with feeding all the other cows grain, and the usual farmwife chores.” In her remarks on taking care of the 13 steers, it was discovered that she vaccinates all the calves … except for the vaccinations that require a veterinarian.
Reflecting on the past few years of farming, Mr. Roehl states “each year we strive for one large improvement on the farm. We keep a close watch on the financial aspect of the farm, and planning ahead, and carrying through with our plans has always been very successful. We have built two silos, added onto the barn, and purchased additional land, and for the future we know what we are striving for, and if all goes well, we will achieve another goal.”
Commenting on the future of the dairy farmer, Roehl states, “I think the farmer is going to find the need to be better informed on marketing, and purchasing than in the past. He, the farmer, at this time may find himself interested more in the producer’s point of faming and today, the way things are going, knowledge on marketing and purchasing is becoming more necessary.”
Besides the outdoor work of farming, there is also the indoor work; namely that of bookwork. The Roehls use the Production Credit Association means of keeping track of their farm, which is known as Agrifax. Roehl states that the system, which has been used by them for the past two years, provides them with a monthly report which shows the breakdown of income, and expenses on the farms, and proves to be very worthwhile, especially around tax time.
Besides his farm work, Roehl is a Tri-State delegate, on the advisory committee for the Production Credit Association of Neillsville, an alternate director for the Dairy Herd Improvement Association, an alternate delegate to the American Milk Producers Incorporated at the local level, a Blaney Seed Corn Dealer, with his brother Erlin, and has been picked to serve on the jury for the fall session. He and his wife have three children, Susan, seven; Dennis five; and Sandy, three. Mrs. Roehl added that each of the children has their own rabbit … which is their responsibility. The family is also a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church of Loyal.
“Farming is something that gets into your blood, and it’s pretty hard to explain how you feel about it,” states Mr. Roehl. “I wanted to choose my own occupation when I was going to college, and today, I know I chose the correct one. A lot of people have tried farming, and some have failed. It’s a big investment, but when you decide that you are going to make it … you make it; and I’m glad that we are where we are today.”
The coffee pot is empty, the clock says 11:15 p.m., and Mr. and Mrs. Roehl of rural Loyal will start another day in about six hours. The routine maybe very much the same … there are cows to milk, young livestock to take care of, crops to be harvested, and the regular work that any farmer has. But, for the Roehls, farming is where happiness lies … and where they will perhaps be, for many years to come, bringing happiness to themselves and the people of the area.
