Help Save Our Family Dairy Farm After Devastating Cow Loss

Help Save Our Family Dairy Farm After Devastating Cow Loss

To friends, family, neighbors, community, and all readers,

If you’ve ever enjoyed a glass of milk that you knew was produced locally, or put a splash of cream in your coffee knowing it was from your neighbor, or sliced that block of cheese that you knew came from down the street, and if you believe in the value of generational farming, please consider donating or sharing this story. Your support means more than we can express.

We’re reaching out with heavy hearts and in a time of stress. Our family dairy farm, which has been in operation for four generations on this land, recently suffered an unimaginable loss. Due to a sudden disease outbreak, we lost almost half of our milking cows. These animals that were not just the core of our livelihood, but part of our daily lives and the core of what we worked each day to care for.

This farm is more than a business to us. It’s our heritage, our way of life, and a point of pride in our community. We’ve poured our hearts into caring for the land and our animals, working before the sun rises and long after it sets. Many in our town know us, and it has been our pride and privilege to work this land and grow food for this amazing country that we love.

The loss we’ve experienced is not just emotional, it’s financial. Rebuilding our herd is an enormous cost that we’re struggling to face, especially with insurance denying our claim and USDA denying our grant applications targeted toward the cow replacement costs. Each animal represents years of investment, care, and trust, and replacing even a portion of the animals that passed will cost tens of thousands of dollars. We’ve done everything we can to cut costs, but without help, this farm and our legacy could struggle to continue after this devastating illness.

We’re humbly asking for your support to help us purchase new cows to continue this multi-generational farm. Every dollar raised will go directly toward investment into new animals. We have found healthy, good cows from a neighboring farm that we’re seeking to purchase as soon as we have enough cash to do so.

From our families to yours, thank you for standing with us during this incredibly difficult time. Thank you for your support and consideration.

With gratitude,

Gary Fuess & Amy Klein

Garth & Cassie Fuess

Gary Fuess Farm (Fuess Acres)