Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on FarmWeekNow.com.
Please pardon Fulton County Farm Bureau President Bill Carlberg if he’s a little late to a monthly board meeting.
The cows have to be milked.
Carlberg’s herd of about 50 cows comprise the only Grade A dairy left in the county. The family has milked since 1982, which included a lot of commutes to his career at Caterpillar.
“I couldn’t have done it without a son that was totally dedicated to the dairy industry,” he said about his son, Lars. He also credited his daughter-in-law, Lori, for helping maintain the herd.
The Carlbergs have been with Prairie Farms Dairy since they began milking, and they annually rank among the top 3 in the co-op’s district for best milk quality. “They’ve been fantastic to work with.”
Carlberg was just unanimously re-elected as county president at the organization’s 101st annual meeting.
Carlberg has allowed schools and other groups to tour the facility and learn about life on the farm, but he’s also cautious to protect his herd’s health. “We are very proud of our operation, but we’re very careful about who comes on to the operation because of disease control.”
Despite the duties that come with the position, he can’t imagine a farm without dairy cows.
“It’s a commitment, but it’s a wonderful commitment,” Carlberg said. “You can see what you’ve done every day; you can see the cows. It’s a great life.
“It’s a love affair; it’s something that gets under your skin, and it becomes part of you.”
Bill Carlberg was featured in a recent edition of the “RFD Livestock Report,” which airs weekdays on 43 RFD Radio Network® affiliates and can be found on the FarmWeekNow app.
