Farm Horizons, August 2007

Wright County farm family of the year: Loring and Carol Davis

By Roz Kohls
Staff Writer

The Loring and Carol Davis family was named Wright County Farm Family of the Year. They were presented with commendations at both the Wright County Fair July 27, and at Farm Fest, Aug. 7-9, in Redwood County.

The Davises have a 230-head dairy farm southeast of Cokato. Loring and Carol have four sons. Brad and Kevin are adults. Darin, is 17, and a senior at Dassel Cokato High School. Austin, 13, is an eighth grader at Dassel Cokato Middle School. Loring’s brother, Paul, and sister-in-law, Veda, also help farm the 950 acres in the family.

“I think it’s an excellent way to raise a family,” Carol said about operating a dairy farm. Their sons learn responsibility and a good work ethic, she added.

Their farm grew the same way a family grows, gradually, and a part or two at a time, Loring said.

Chandler and Patricia Davis started the farm back in 1957 with 17 milk cows. They built their home on a farmhouse site with a rock foundation that dates back to the 1890s. By the time Loring had finished high school, the herd had grown to 45 cows.

Loring met Carol, who is originally from a dairy farm near Watertown, through a mutual friend at a dance in Winsted. After they married and moved to the home place, Loring recalled that by 1982, the dairy had 100-head of Holsteins. Eventually, Chandler and Patricia moved into another house on the farm.

The Davises not only remodeled and added on to their barns and outbuildings, but also added on and remodeled their home, expanding it in all directions. The last time, they added rooms on to the house was in 1993, when they expanded it to the north.

Eventually they added a double-nine herringbone milking parlor to their dairy operation, Loring said.

Their family grew right along with the dairy. Everyone in the family milks the cows. The Davises always have two people milking at a time, he said.

Their son, Brad, recently graduated from a four-year program at the University of Minnesota, majoring in animal science with a dairy production emphasis. He will be able to put his education to work at the Davis farm also.

Despite working long hours, typical of dairy farming, Loring enjoys working with family at home.

“You do your own thing. You don’t have to waste a lot of time driving to work every day,” he said.

Loring also enjoys getting the best performance from the cows through good breeding. Loring told about a cow the Davises had that was nominated “All-American.” She was born right there on their farm, and was a superb specimen of how dairy cows are supposed to be. With her well-known father, and Mother Nature, and also a “fair amount of luck,” she was a satisfying and rewarding addition to the Davis farm, he said.

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