His cows and his bulk tank for milk are gone, but the dairy industry is still very much in the blood of Joe Haberli. It has been a year since Haberli auctioned off the animals and the equipment that had been a staple of his family’s farming operation for close to 70 years. Haberli did not exit the agriculture business entirely, helping with custom cropping operations throughout the peninsula and raising over 250 heifers for Casco’s Dairy Dreams. Haberli says he looks back at last year’s decision with no regrets.

Haberli was not alone in his decision to stop milking as Wisconsin lost 700 dairy farms last year and another 300 during the first five months of 2020 according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He is still happy that his family still gets to do what they love, right down to picking stones.

Picture from Haberli Farms Facebook Page