Steve and Whitney Wamhoff

Hometown: Hopkins, Michigan
District: 2

Steve and Whitney Wamhoff are all about diversification on Wamhoff Family Dairy Farm LLC. The couple recognizes the advantages of multiple revenue streams and knows what it takes to make it happen. They raise quality heifers and steers for sale and have pushed to grow more cash crops. These two can’t do it alone though, Steve’s father and brother help operate the dairy and they are raising three kids, Jameson, Makenzie, and Haley.

Q&A:

Q: What’s your farms greatest achievement?
To be able to continue as a family run and worked farm for 6 generations now.

Q: Is what you’re doing now what you dreamed of doing as a kid?
I always thought I’d be tied to the farm somehow when I was growing up.

Q: What do you love about being a farmer?
Working for myself, knowing that I’m building my own future, not someone else’s.

Q: What’s the key to running a dairy farm?
Hard work and communication.

Q: What’s your favorite chore? Why?
Breeding cows because it helps push the farms genetics and bottom line forward.

Q: Ultimate cow? Sired by who? Average production?
1004, Sired by Billy (one of our own bulls raised bulls), 92lb average over days milked.

Q: Why do you milk cows?
I grew up in a barn helping milk cows and feeding calves. After finishing my degree, I couldn’t stand the idea of being behind a desk or in an office for 40+ hours a week. An opportunity arose on the farm, and I jumped into it with both feet.

Q: Describe your farm management style in three words.
Full Family Effort.

Q: What’s one practice you’d try on your farm if you knew it was impossible to fail?
Putting cover crops on all field while grazing cattle on the cover crops.

Q: What does your farm look like in 30 years?
Hopefully full of healthy cows, luscious soil, and a beautiful great family.

On their farm:

On their dairy in Hopkins, Michigan you’ll find Holstein cows being milked in a double eight parallel parlor. With monitoring systems on the cows and the Delpro parlor system they use technology to gather information and make decisions on an individual cow and whole herd basis. The Wamhoff’s continually strive to grow and be better every day. They move to grow as a family and farm to ensure that they have a chance to do it again and again.

This article was originally published in the March/April 2024 issue of the Milk Messenger. Subscribe »