MARATHON & LINCOLN COUNTY INCUBATOR FARM PROJECT
SUCCESSFULLY HATCHES FIRST NEW FARM

The Lincoln and Marathon County Agribusiness Incubator Project, a UW-Extension facilitated project that began in 2003, successfully hatched its first new farm in 2007, a year ahead of schedule, and also got a second dairy farm started into the incubation process. On August 2nd a special pasture walk at the Lyle Guralski Farm, the site of the first incubator farm, celebrated the hatching of the Enos and Phoebe Martin Farm.

Throughout the four year process the Guralskis and Martins worked with Extension Agriculture Agent Tom Cadwallader to create a variety of decision making tools and a unique lease arrangement that helped the transition process along and they also shared all of their experiences with other farmers and those who counsel farmers at a number of events, including pasture walks and conferences. Although the original plan had the Martin Farm going off on their own in 2008 the system worked so well they were able to do it in early 2007. The August 2nd pasture walk had an excellent turnout with approximately 35 farmers, farm financial advisors and federal, state and local agency staff on hand providing an excellent forum for farmers and those who support them to talk about their various experiences in getting new farms started and share both cautions and successes.

The Guralski-Martin Incubator not only successfully started a new farm; it modeled several different farm transition concepts.  One concept was having the established farmer actually buy a second farm as a way of expanding his current operation, rather than expanding at a single location, providing the economic benefits of an expansion while also providing an opportunity for an aspiring farmer to get started. The Guralski-Martin Incubator also used the low cost dairy modernization concepts of retrofitting the old stanchion barn into a flat-barn parlor, developing a rotational grazing system for 100 cows+, and a building a wind-break/ bedded pack winter housing system that addressed both environmental concerns and housing costs that can be a challenge for new farms. The Incubator also developed a lease with option to buy operating arrangement that provided for a smooth transition when the Martins were ready to purchase the farm and head out on their own.

In December the second incubator farm, the Blado-Zimmerman Incubator Farm, got off and running using a slightly different approach. The Blado-Zimmerman Incubator farm modernized an old parlor located at the Ron and Bev Zimmerman Farm allowing aspiring dairy farmer and graduate of the Wisconsin School for Beginning Dairy Farmers, Carley Blado, to get his start in farming. The parlor is about a half mile down the road from the Zimmerman’s home farm and hadn’t been used for nearly 30 years. Conservative financial projections show that the farm will not only help Blado get his start in farming the investment will also give the Zimmermans a steady retirement income. The Blado-Zimmerman Incubator Farm will also be working with county Extension faculty and state Extension farm management specialists to pilot a Limited Liability Partnership arrangement for getting a new farm started that hasn’t been allowed up to this point by the USDA Farm Services Agency Beginning Farmer Loan Program.

Tom Cadwallader, Agricultural Development Agent - 2007 Success Story

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