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Located in one of Wisconsin's most popular tourist areas–Door County–Cycle Farm and its owners and operators, Moriah, Tony, Jacob, Bill and Clarice Brey, welcome visitors.
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Living the dream—two generations working together on a dairy farm. The older generation is proud to work alongside their son and daughter-in-law, whereas the younger generation is realizing their dream to dairy farm on the family's century-old farm.
Formally bringing the next generation into the family business often creates excitement and anxiety, as family members consider future business structure, work responsibilities, decision-making processes, growth opportunities and succession planning. The Breys of Sturgeon Bay are no stranger to this process.
Established in 1904, the Brey family named their farm "Cycle Farm" because it represents the ever-changing life on the farm, including changing seasons and business cycles. The farm is now home to a fourth generation of farmers.
Bill and Clarice Brey recently welcomed son Tony as a business partner. Tony returned to the farm in 2007 after earning a bachelor's degree in dairy science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Tony's wife, Moriah (also a UW-Madison graduate), holds an off-farm job, but she also plays a key role in directing the farm's future. Jacob, the youngest Brey son, is a sophomore at UW-Madison and has yet to decide if he will join the family's dairy operation.
"We've always believed in leaving the door open if one or more of our children wanted to join our family's farm business. Clarice and I strived to provide an environment that welcomes growth and new opportunities," says Bill Brey.
At the farm
Family labor, plus two full-time and two part-time employees, includes:
- Bill Brey – crop manager
- Clarice Brey – calf manager and bookwork
- Tony Brey – herd manager
- Moriah Brey – marketing and public relations manager
Bill and Clarice were both born and raised on Door County dairy farms. In 1973, Bill and Clarice joined Bill's mother and father on the farm, starting with 24 grade dairy cows. They expanded to 120 registered Holstein milking cows in 2003.
"Our goal is to continue developing a profitable and desirable dairy operation that can be successful for many years into the future."
~ Tony Brey
When Tony returned to Cycle Farm after college graduation, the Brey family doubled the herd's size. Tony was able to purchase about 100 head of cattle through loans with the Farm Service Agency. The dairy operation now includes 240 milking cows and 240 young stock.
To accommodate the growing herd, the Breys have taken several expansion steps that have moved them from a 100-cow, tie-stall facility to their existing freestall barn and milking parlor operation. They concur that retrofitting part of their existing tie-stall barn into a parlor was a huge step, allowing them to hire people to do some of the milkings. Consequently, they were able to focus more on the technical aspects of managing their farm and quality dairy cattle. In 2009, the Brey family had the highest Breed Age Average in the nation for herds with 150-199 Holstein cows. Basically, this means their cows are "better looking" than a lot of other cows in herds the same size. This accomplishment has opened many doors to market their cattle.
Cycle Farm is strengthening its future through reinvestment—not only for the current generation, but also for future generations. It's a prime example of investing in the dairy industry's future and a family's future. The next chapter of Cycle Farm is just beginning.