As a self-proclaimed storyteller of agriculture, Michelle Stangler found her love for agriculture and the farming community on her family’s small dairy farm in southern Wisconsin.
Stangler grew up with all of the responsibilities associated with living on a dairy farm. “Growing up on a dairy farm is no easy task for 18 years,” she said. “Chores in the morning, chores after school, I mean it was a lot.”
kAmx? a_`g[ $E2?8=6C 2?5 96C 72>:=J DE6AA65 2H2J 7C@> 52:CJ 72C>:?8 2?5 D@=5 E96:C 96C5] sFC:?8 E9:D E:>6[ D96 H2D :?EC@5F465 E@ G2C:@FD @AA@CEF?:E:6D 7@C 25G@424J :? 28C:4F=EFC6]k^Am
kAm“p=E9@F89 H6 5@?’E 52:CJ 72C> 2?J>@C6[ x DE:== H2?E E@ 8:G6 324< E@ E96 4@>>F?:EJ 3642FD6 :E’D D@ G2=F23=6 2?5 92D 8@EE6? >6 H96C6 x 2> E@52J[” D96 D2:5] “x H2?E E@ 96=A D92C6 E96 A@D:E:G6 DE@C:6D @7 28C:4F=EFC6]”k^Am
kAm$E2?8=6C 2EE6?565 96C 7:CDE J62C 2E &(\#:G6C u2==D :? E96 72== @7 a_a_ 2D 2? 28C:4F=EFC2= 65F42E:@? >2;@C] w@H6G6C[ D96 564:565 E@ DH:E49 862CD 2?5 5@F3=6 >2;@C :? 28C:4F=EFC2= >2C<6E:?8 4@>>F?:42E:@?D 2?5 ;@FC?2=:D>]k^Am
kAm%92E’D H96? D96 7@F?5 3C@2542DE ;@FC?2=:D> E9C@F89 E96 F?:G6CD:EJ’D C25:@ DE2E:@?[ (#u(\u|] %@ AC@>@E6 A@D:E:G:EJ 2>:5DE E96 r~'xs\`h A2?56>:4[ D96 4C62E65 96C @H? C25:@ D9@H 42==65 “$92C:?8 !@D:E:G:EJ]”k^Am
kAmx?:E:2==J[ E96 D9@H 7@4FD65 @? D@?8D E92E 6IAC6DD65 A@D:E:G:EJ[ 3FE :E 6G@=G65 :?E@ D92C:?8 DE@C:6D E92E 9:89=:89E65 uup 24E:G:E:6D]k^Am
kAmw6C 8@2= H2D E@ D92C6 DE@C:6D H:E9 :?5:G:5F2=D 2H2J 7C@> E96 72C> 2?5 AC@>@E6 E96 A@D:E:G6 2DA64ED @7 28C:4F=EFC6[ ?@E ;FDE E96 762CD]k^Am
kAm“$@ >2?J A6@A=6 92G6 5:776C6?E DE@C:6D E@ D92C6[ 2?5 x =@G6 962C:?8 23@FE :E[” $E2?8=6C D2:5]k^Am
kAm$E2?8=6C H2D C646?E=J 2H2C565 &(\#:G6C u2==D’ s@?@G2? t] #2D>FDD6? qC@2542DE y@FC?2=:D> u6==@HD9:A[ 2 D:I\H66< 3C@2542DE ;@FC?2=:D> AC@8C2> E92E 9:89=:89ED AF3=:4 2772:CD :DDF6D :? H6DE6C? (:D4@?D:?] %96 C64:A:6?E >FDE 36 2 ;@FC?2=:D> >2;@C 2E &(\#u 2?5 AC@5F46 2 b_\>:?FE6 2F5:@ 5@4F>6?E2CJ 23@FE E96 :DDF6]k^Am
kAm#2D>FDD6? H2D 2 DFAA@CE6C @7 D>2== E@H? C25:@ 2?5 @C:8:?2==J 6?5@H65 2? :?E6C?D9:A AC@8C2> H:E9 E96 :562 @7 2==@H:?8 DEF56?ED E@ 36 2? :?E6C? 2E 2 D>2== C25:@ DE2E:@?[ 3FE 2 5:C64E:@? 492?86 4C62E65 E96 DF>>6C AC@;64E 76==@HD9:A]k^Am
kAm$E2?8=6C :D 7@4FD:?8 96C 5@4F>6?E2CJ @? E96 492==6?86D 52:CJ 72C>6CD 7246 :? @FC C68:@?]k^Am
kAm“Wr@?DF>6CDX 5@?’E D66 E96 492==6?86D 36J@?5 86EE:?8 J@FC >:=< 7C@> E96 DE@C6] $@ E92E’D H96C6 x H2?E E@ 5@ 2 566A 5:G6 @FE=@@< @?[” D96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%9:D AC@46DD H:== :?4=F56 4@?G6CD2E:@?D H:E9 6G6CJ@?6 :?G@=G65[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 52:CJ 72C>6C[ E96 8C@46CJ DE@C6 6>A=@J66 2?5 E96 4@?DF>6C]k^Am
kAm“x 2> C62==J =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ DA62<:?8 H:E9 2 H:56 C2?86 @7 A6@A=6 H:E9:? E96 H6DE6C? (:D4@?D:? 2C62[” D96 D2:5] “tDA64:2==J E2=<:?8 H:E9 E9@D6 :?7=F6?46CD @7 E96 2C62 2?5 ;FDE @G6C2== 9@A:?8 4@?DF>6CD D66 2 3C@256C DA64ECF> @7 E96 52:CJ 4@>>F?:EJ]”k^Am
kAm~?6 @7 $E2?8=6C’D C62D@?D 7@C 4@?E:?F:?8 96C 25G@424J :D E96 :DDF6 @7 ECFDE 36EH66? 72C>6C 2?5 4@?DF>6C]k^Am
kAm$96 H2?ED E96 4@?DF>6C E@ F?56CDE2?5 E96C6 :D >@C6 E@ 52:CJ 72C>:?8 E92? 2 82==@? @7 >:=< @? E96 8C@46CJ DE@C6 D96=7]k^Am
kAm“pD E96J 86E >@C6 @7 2 A:4EFC6 W4@?DF>6CDX H:== D66 E92E 52:CJ 72C>6CD[ 6DA64:2==J 96C6 :? (:D4@?D:?[ 2C6 42C:?8 7@C E96:C 2?:>2=D[” D96 D2:5] “%96J 2C6 ECF=J 96=A:?8 E96 4@?DF>6C 2?5 >@5:7J:?8 E96:C AC24E:46D 7@C E96>]”k^Am
kAmpD 5:C64E@C @7 E96 ;@FC?2=:D> AC@8C2> 2E &(\#:G6C u2==D[ p?5C:D $EC2F>2?:D[ 92D 366? D6CG:?8 2D 96C 724F=EJ >6?E@C 7@C E96 76==@HD9:A]k^Am
kAm“$96 =:G6D 2?5 3C62E96D 28C:4F=EFC6[” $EC2F>2?:D D2:5] “$96 4=62C=J 92D 96C D:89ED D6E @? 36:?8 2 DE@CJE6==6C 7@C 28C:4F=EFC6]”k^Am
kAm(96? 5:D4FDD:?8 $E2?8=6C’D E@A:4 49@:46[ $EC2F>2?:D E@=5 E96 {6256C\%6=68C2> D96 H2D @3G:@FD=J :?E6C6DE65 :? 5@:?8 D@>6E9:?8 H:E9:? 28C:4F=EFC6[ 3FE E96 E@A:4 BF:4<=J 4CJDE2==:K65 :?E@ 7@4FD:?8 @? E96 52:CJ :?5FDECJ]k^Am
kAm“|J D6?D6 :D E92E >@DE =:DE6?6CD :? H6DE6C? (:D4@?D:? H@F=5 F?56CDE2?5 >:=< 4@>6D 7C@> 2 4@H…qFE E96J C62==J 92G6 ?@ 4@?46AE:@? @7 2== E96 DE6AD E92E 2C6 8@:?8 @? :? 36EH66?[” $EC2F>2?:D D2:5]k^Am
kAm$EC2F>2?:D 56D4C:365 $E2?8=6C 2D “C6>2C<23=J 3FDJ” 2?5 D66>D E@ 92G6 “=@ED @7 :C@?D :? E96 7:C6”]k^Am
kAmt?E6C:?8 96C E9:C5 J62C 2E &(\#:G6C u2==D[ $E2?8=6C :D ?@H E96 AC6D:56?E 2?5 DEF56?E AC@8C2> >2?286C 7@C E96 &(\#:G6C u2==D C25:@ DE2E:@? 2?5 92D E2<6? A2CE :? >F=E:A=6 :?E6C?D9:AD :? E96 28C:4F=EFC2= 7:6=5]k^Am
kAm(9:=6 E96 76==@HD9:A :D DE:== :? E96 62C=J DE286D[ $E2?8=6C :D =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ D92C:?8 96C 7:?2= AC@;64E ?62C E96 6?5 @7 pF8FDE]k^Am