Upper Peninsula Dairy Breeds Success Through Adversity, Diversity By Bev Berens
The fourth generation of DeVooght farmers in the making, enjoying ife at the fair. (photo provided) It’s a 15-mile drive to work a field, spread manure or check growing crops that’s the reality of farming near Marquette, Mich., for the DeVooght family. “There just isn’t a lot of good land nearby - a lot of it is wooded, and being so close to Marquette, a lot of it is developed,” said Olivia DeVooght, herd manager for the farm. The family opted to diversify their dairy operation so all five member families could make a living from their Upper Peninsula (UP) farm. Along with milking 65 cows on two robots, the DeVooghts farm more than 1,500 acres of crops, hay, maple syrup, produce, beef, pork, lamb and pull-
ing horses. In 2017, the family purchased a nearby gas station, growing it into a hub for selling their farm-grown produce, meat, hay and straw and feed, and as an outlet for other market gardeners in the area who provide seasonal produce for sale. “The gas station literally created two full-time positions for my younger sister Emily, who runs the station, and my brother Charles, who sells a lot of meat and produce,” said Olivia. The location about 10 miles outside the popular tourist town on Highway 41 sees plenty of traffic. “We keep gas as cheap as possible and draw people in for the produce and other products.” Olivia and her brother, Owen, are both full-time with cows and crops; their parents, Bill and Mary, are everywhere as needed. The milking herd is about 20 percent registered Holsteins, most of which belong to Olivia - including her first registered female she purchased from Hardy’s Holsteins, now a 15-year-old cow enjoying retirement while carrying yet another calf in a 10-acre pasture at her and husband Craig Maraccini’s home. “Most of my registered animals go back to her in some way,” Olivia said. The DeVooght siblings pause in front of their General Store and Farm/Feed supplies/gas station during one of the busiest holiday weekends of the summer. Pictured from left are Owen, Olivia, Emily, Charles and his wife Miriam, along with their two children Nash and Ali.
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Michigan Dairy Cattle News
Fall 2021
