The Caldwell Farm

The Caldwell Farm article to run in the Marshfield News Herald on August 29th.

Cattle make the Wisconsin farm go 'round. Moreover, the undisputed king of Wisconsin cattle breeds is the Holstein-Friesian, valued for its quantity milk production. However, not every cow is a Holstein and some farmers have a different business model in mind. Such is the Caldwell Farms operation on Yellowstone Road north of Milladore.

Lorna Caldwell is someone you should know. She and her husband, Michael, have been hard at work for the past five years developing and making ready for market, a line of USDA certified organic beef products. The variety they have chosen to produce is the Scottish heirloom Belted Galloway.

Belted Galloway cattle were first brought to the United States in 1950 and have attracted a loyal following since that time. Four years ago, the Caldwells purchased thirteen registered Belted Galloway cattle. A year later, they invested in some eighty quality breeding stock from a ranch in Wyoming. Those "Belties" have formed the genetic foundation for their business.

Through selective breeding and management, they have grown their herd to roughly two hundred twenty five animals including seven handsome bulls. Each bull, and most cows and calves are registered or recorded and the pedigrees of new calves are documented by the latest DNA technology. Bull calves considered for breeding stock are also tested for variation in tenderness genes.

These cattle have a distinctive coloration. They are a solid color stem, and stern, with a continuous white strip around their middle. Some light-heartedly refer to them as the Oreo cookie cows; black on both ends and white in the center.

In addition to the black and white animals, some are dun colored. Their black coloring is replaced by a butterscotch shade of tan. There are also red and white Belties. Belties are naturally polled, or without horns. They have a thick curly coat of coarse hair with a dense mossy undercoat, and are stocky in stature. Lorna says they are social and very protective of their young.

All of the Caldwell animals are grass fed and Belties are big eaters. This requires extensive pastureland. I recently visited the Caldwell Farm, a sprawling operation, and Lorna took me for a "range ride." No, I did not have to get on a horse; we traveled on their four-wheel vehicle accompanied by their dog, Wrangler .

We moved through a maze of gates to find the herd in the shade of the woods at the back of the farm. It only took one or two calls from Lorna and 170 head were on their feet and trailing behind us as we moved into a different pasture. They were suddenly knee deep in fresh alfalfa and the forward progress stopped.

We checked the stock tanks to be sure there was a full supply of fresh clean water. From there we went to check on the yearlings in another part of the property. This is a daily routine for Lorna. They breed and raise all of their cattle with care and attention to detail on their family-owned farm.

Additionally, she keeps detailed records for each animal, the food they eat, and the records documenting their land management. The USDA inspects their operation annually to qualify their beef as "certified organic" and all of their records are scrutinized at that time.

The "Certified Organic" designation is a coveted value-added label. This means that their animals, the land on which the animals live, and the food they eat is all free of agri-chemicals, hormones, medications, and any other non-organic contamination.
Since their entire operation must comply with USDA rules for a full three years before they can call their meat products "certified organic," they received that designation in 2003.

This year they will offer their first commercial beef products under their trademarked label, "Beltie Beef." They will be available through Pete's Meat Service in Rudolph, Bella's Italian Meat Market in Appleton, or by contacting the Caldwells at 715.457.6765 or toll free at 1.877.846.5721. E-mail to [e-mail]. They also sell animals for breeding purposes. Their web site is www.caldwellfarms.com.

And, today's humor is the definition:
ADMIRATION, n: Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselves.
Ambrose Bierce