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DAIRY ST R
Volume 18, No. 19
“All dairy, all the time”™
November 26, 2016
Better together Kaeding, Thrans build partnership, expand farm By Cassie Olson
cassie.o@dairystar.com
AUGUSTA, Wis. – Mark Kaeding quickly realized the importance of succession planning for his farm when a close call with a blood clot put things into perspective nine years ago. Today, Kaeding is working with Deanne and Eric Thran in building a farm partnership, ensuring a brighter future for both the farm and their 500 cows. Kaeding started milking at the age of 12 with his parents. Located on his family’s home farm near Augusta, Wis., Kaeding rst started milking in a stanchion barn with 28 cows. Over time, he continued to grow the farm until he had reached 350 cows in 2007. It was the rst time Kaeding had needed reliable, consistent help. As he went about hiring employees, he identied a need for a Spanish-speaking translator, which led him to meeting Turn to TOGETHER | Page 5
Hillsboro dairy farmer provides weekend meals for children
CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Eric (leŌ) and Deanne Thran and Mark Kaeding milk 500 cows on their dairy farm near Augusta, Wis. The Thrans and Kaeding are working towards entering a partnership aŌer years of working together on the farm.
It takes a village
By Cassie Olson
cassie.o@dairystar.com
HILLSBORO, Wis. – While hunger is recognized as a worldwide problem, many people do not realize the impact hunger can have in their local communities. Stacy Sosinsky, who cares for the calves on her family’s 700-cow dairy near Hillsboro, Wis., decided to take a stand against hunger after noticing its prevalence in the elementary school last fall. With the generous help of her community, Sosinsky started Feeding Our Cubs, an organization that provides packs of food, Cub Packs, to 60 elementary children in Hillsboro and Wonewoc every Friday during the school year. Sosinsky said the idea sparked long before the program’s inception. “I had read about a similar program in People magazine,” Sosinsky said. “I
CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR
always wanted to do it, but I kept saying it was something I would do when the kids were older.” Sosinsky and her husband, Adam, have two sons, Oliver, 6, and Finley, 3. When Oliver went to school last fall, Sosinsky realized she needed to get her idea rolling. “I was starting to see kids and their families at school more often and it got me thinking, if the kids need it, when exactly is a good time?” Sosinsky said. “There never is a bad time to help someone else.” Sosinsky began planning the program in October 2015 by calling a coordinator of a similar program, Snack Pak 4 Kids, in Texas. The coordinator gave Sosinsky advice and resources to get the program running and explained how his program had been successful. Soon thereafter, Sosinsky applied for Feeding Our Cubs to become a nonprot business. Before securing potential donors, Sosinsky met with the school administration to identify how many kids
Stacy Sosinsky farms with her family near Hillsboro, Wis. Last November, Sosinsky started the organizaƟon Feeding Our Cubs, which provides weekend meals for youth in the Hillsboro and Wonewoc School Districts who struggle with hunTurn to FEEDING OUR CUBS | Page 7 ger.