Page 6 • Dairy Star • Second Section • Saturday, September 9, 2017
First comes Facebook, then comes marriage Bedded Barn
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BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Tristan Swartz and Megan Herfel discuss their plans for the day on their 60-cow dairy farm near Gilman, Wis. The couple will be married on Oct. 14 aŌer meeƟng through social media.
Swartz, Herfel combine herds, become engaged By Brittany Olson
brittany.o@dairystar.com
GILMAN, Wis. – It was purely by chance that Tristan Swartz and Megan Herfel met on Facebook after Herfel posted in a dairy farming group about leaving her dairy farm in Mount Horeb, Wis., and moving to Missouri to begin a new chapter in her dairy career. Swartz, a Missouri native who had left his life as a custom harvester behind to buy a dairy farm in Wisconsin, messaged her and said, “Don’t do it. I just moved 600 miles north from Missouri to do the opposite.” One thing led to another, and over the course of a few short months their chance meeting blossomed into
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the greatest love each has ever known. The couple, who milk 60 cows on Swartz’s farm near Gilman, Wis., are marrying Oct. 14, after meeting this April. Swartz admitted that he almost turned around and went home the rst time he saw Herfel, not realizing she was much shorter in stature than him. “I thought it was a little kid driving her truck,” Swartz said. “I just about turned around and left.” He stayed, and he is thankful. “After we met for the rst time in person, I drove home and told myself over and over not to get my hopes up,” Swartz said. “I knew from the rst time we milked together that I was going to marry her if she’d have me.” During the beginning of their courtship, each of them would drive for two hours, spend two hours together, and then drive home to get their chores done. “It was hard dating 200 miles apart when we both farmed,” Herfel said. “My dad, Dean, came up and spoke with Tristan, and it was decided that I would move my cattle and machinery up here.” Herfel’s auction was held on June 15, and shortly afterward, she packed up and moved her cattle and equipment hours away from the place she had always called home to chase a new dream. She quickly found that not only was Taylor County different from her old home farm, but that she and her soon-to-be husband had different management styles, as well.
BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Megan Herfel watches as her ancé, Tristan Swartz, parks a tractor after haying. They are geƫng married in October aŌer meeƟng on Facebook.
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