Chris Pollack values his parent’s advice. Yep, that’s right kids, he values his parent’s advice!
Chris, his wife, Kelly, and parents, Larry and Deb, are the owners of Pollack-Vu Dairy, LLC located near Ripon, Wisconsin. He said, “having family that has many years of experiences to get input from and use as a ‘sounding board’ for your ideas is a valuable asset to a young farmer.” Being able to improve on what they have done in the past to reach new goals is something he appreciates and finds to be a fun part of his job.
What makes the Pollack’s operation unique? Variety. They are a dairy farm, but also raise beef cattle, grow peas as a canning crop, grow additional crops and do custom work. “We are not very big, but we are diversified,” Chris said, “which gives us the opportunity to weather the storm through the lows in the different markets and take advantage of the highs.” Farming is what he grew up in and is very passionate about it. Growing up around animals and cropping really had an influence on him. “I just enjoy seeing things grow and the progression that we have made as an industry,” Chris stated. “While it is challenging right now for farmers, it still doesn’t take away from the feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment of finishing things and seeing the result of your work.”
“We farm,” Chris answered with a laugh when asked about his hobbies. Actually, most of his leisure time is spent enjoying the moments of parenthood. Chris and Kelly have a 3-month-old son, Max, and their daughter, Heidi, is 2 years old. He loves seeing their enthusiasm around the animals on the farm. They are currently obsessed with the cats, but Chris expects that is only the beginning of how growing up on a farm will fuel their passions.
Chris is currently the Vice President of the Fond du Lac County Farm Bureau and is a member of the Fond du Lac County Forage Council. In 2015, Chris was selected to participate in a program with the American Farm Bureau. Being selected for the program was an honor for Chris, but it also meant a large time commitment away from the farm and his family. Things were pretty busy at home during the same time; Chris and Kelly got married, they welcomed their first child, and remodeled the house. He figures he was gone for about 30 days over the course of that two-year program. There were exciting journeys and new experiences, but according to Chris, “it’s good to be back at home farming full-time.”
Thank you to Chris for sharing his story and passion for agriculture with us for this week’s Farmer Friday post. Your understanding of what it takes to “make it work” for today’s farmers can be an inspiration for others facing challenges in their own operations. Best wishes to you, your family and the future of Pollack-Vu Dairy!
#FarmerFriday ...post #73. To show our appreciation to our producer members Country Visions Cooperative will be giving a snapshot look of our customers and their operations in this feature each Friday