Hirsch Dairy - It's In the Blood

This story is about a family that lives and breathes dairy. Whether they are directly involved with the family business or not, it’s clear that it’s in the blood of every single member. I had the pleasure of touring Hirsch Dairy with the youngest daughter, Kathryn, who btw is the best assistant manager around :). She showed me the place where she grew up, the place where dairy turned from something that her family did into something she wants to be involved with for the rest of her life. 

 Let’s start at the beginning of this story - Jake Hirsch, who is a native to Colorado and grew up on a dairy farm near Boyd Lake, took his inheritance and bought the property that would become Hirsch Dairy. You could say, he literally built it “from the ground up.” In 1994, it was just him and a few hundred cows before he met his wife, Rebecca and they started their family - Sarah, who does the books for the farm, Jacob, who oversees the farming side of the dairy, Awna who is an analytical animal protein scientist out-of-state, Kathryn who works as an assistant manager at another large dairy in the area, and Conrad who is in high school and pursuing his certifications in diesel mechanics. 

 Something I love to see in the younger generation, not THAT much younger ;) is the passion and love for agriculture. When I asked Kathryn what the dairy meant to her, her response was straightforward; “I love the connection.” Over the years, Hirsch Dairy has been host to dairy judging competitions, showcased cattle in dairy shows, helped local youth with their show animals, and generally been an open place to come and learn about the industry. Kathryn has played a big role in all of it, both when she did it herself and even now as she spends her time on another dairy.

  As we all know, farm life is hard. What a simple word to describe the feelings about something you love so much that sometimes just drives ya crazy. One of the hardest moments Kathryn can remember was losing her “keep.” Jake allows all the kids a “keep” animal - one that stays, no matter what, until the end. Somewhat recently, Kathryn lost her keep animal, Miss Kay, who had been with her for 11 years. Those 11 years were during some of the most painful growing times in a person' s life - growing up, graduating high school, moving out, and starting her career in dairy. Kathryn holds tight to her fond memories of Miss Kay and showed me the exact pen she lived in before she went to graze some heavenly meadows. 

  As I toured the dairy, it was incredible to see how an operation can be so care-focused and thorough. I watched as Kathryn greeted several cows by name - these ladies are featured in the photos! In the hospital area, a calf was being treated for a broken leg, and an employee was walking through the maternity pen putting eyes on each cow. I was astounded to learn that a handful of cows on the farm are currently 15 years old, and they don’t look a day over 6! Kathryn also made sure she mentioned a number the family is very proud of; the avg milk weight per cow per day is 97 lbs. 97! Remarkable.

 This is a case where I was truly able to capture a legacy, starting with Jake and then Rebecca, followed by every single one of their children. I think we can all agree how strongly that passion for agriculture runs in the blood like it does with this family. Looking forward, I can’t wait to see how this dairy continues to set the standard for cow care and dairy excellence. As for Kathryn, safe to say she’s found that thing she wants to do with her life and so far she's pretty dang good at it!