Atlas Twp. – It’s not uncommon for Maggie, a 10-year-old golden retriever, to husk and devour a half dozen ears of sweet corn in one sitting.
The corn eating canine may be chewing into the profits of Weil Dairy Farm, 9197 Gale Road, but farm owner Dan Weil is not all that concerned.
There’s plenty to go around.
A second generation farmer, Dan currently owns 500 acres and farms a total of 1,000 acres. Plenty of room to supply the popular sweet corn stand, feed 170 milking cows, plus grow an assortment of cash crops including alfalfa, soybeans and wheat.
The property was purchased by Dan’s father, Leo Weil in 1951. Leo, 82, and his wife Joan, 80, still live in their original house on the property.
‘My parents are happy to see the family dairy farm still being worked and I feel fortunate that my children are able to be brought up with this kind of hard work ethic,? said Dan. ‘Even though I put in 12-hour days, this dairy farm is my family’s way of life and all of us really enjoy it.?
While Dan said his dairy farm is doing fine, he said he realizes there are less dairy farms, and isn’t sure if any of his children will carry on the family tradition of owning a dairy farm.
The loss of Michigan dairy farms like the Weil’s is an issue, said Bob Kreft, a farm manager at Michigan State University.
‘The number of dairy farms are decreasing, however, the number of cows in Michigan is remaining steady. Cows can produce more milk now because of the progress made in their nutrition. Existing dairy farms are expanding because farmers know if they make their cows more comfortable, they will also produce more milk.?
Milking, feeding and taking care of cows, Kreft said, is very labor intensive.
‘Another reason dairy farms are disappearing is because the farmers? children may not want that kind of intensive work lilfestyle, so they decide not to continue the family business,? said Kreft.
Kreft said he believes that Michigan is starting to look at ways to preserve its farmland.
‘I know that Governor Granholm has taken trips to Maryland and Pennsylvania to take a look at farmland preservation.?