Family's work honored

NEW BREMEN - Members of a New Bremen dairy farming family have been recognized for their dedication to the industry and community.

The Dairy Farmers of America has named the owners of Brownhaven Dairy its Members of Distinction for the six-state Mideast area. The award recognizes their commitment to their operation, industry and community.

"We're very humbled to be selected," family member Lou Brown said. Each year, DFA picks one notable member from each of seven districts to receive this honor.

Brothers Lou, 59 and Alan Brown, 48, are the second generation on the family farm their parents purchased in 1959 in the 07500 block State Route 364.

After they graduated from New Bremen High School, the two started helping out on the farm, Lou Brown said.

Beginning with just two cows, they helped the family operation grow to more than 300 cows across two locations with the addition of a heifer farm a mile down the highway.

Six to eight calves are born on the average day at the farm, he noted. Ensuring the cows are comfortable is important, Lou Brown pointed out. If a cow is comfortable, it will produce higher-quality milk, he said. The results speak for themselves as the dairy operation routinely meets DFA's strict requirements for its quality program.

To help keep cows comfortable, the Browns built a free-stall barn that can hold 250 cows. Lou Brown said this style provides fresher air with about 24 fans in the summer time.

"This makes a huge difference to how comfortable it is and how much airflow we have for the cows," he noted.

As the number of cows increased, so did the size of the farm. The operation has grown from 60 acres to about 500 acres on which they also grow corn for silage, soybeans for extruded beans and alfalfa hay to feed the cows.

Lou and Alan Brown have taken several steps to be good stewards of the environment by protecting and preserving the air, water and land.

They take care of their land by planting wide grass areas along waterways, maintaining wetlands and planting cover crops, Lou Brown said. In addition, they use no-till practices to prevent erosion, recycle nutrient-rich manure from the cows to nourish the crops and have planted a buffer along the wooded area to encourage wildlife, Lou Brown added.

"We live on the land, drink the water and the breathe air, so we have the responsibility to take good care of the environment. We're close to Grand Lake, and we want to make sure we're not terrible people we're portrayed as," Lou Brown said.

The two also strive to be active in the community. They host family tours every summer and are members of numerous social clubs in the area, Lou Brown noted.

Lou's son Tony, 26, and Alan's son Mitchell, 21, have learned these habits and are next in line to run the farm.

"We're glad and happy they want to take over the next generation and keep things going," Lou Brown said.

Tony Brown said "we look forward to keeping the business running."