Built On ADRE
I
t’s 5,100 miles from Amsterdam, Netherlands to New Mexico.
That translates into 10 hours and 47 minutes flight time. However, there were no straight-line flights that took Tara Vander Dussen’s grandparents on a non-stop flight such as that when they immigrated to the United States. “They were in their late 20s, and the made a couple of stops along the way,” Tara said. “But they ultimately ended up in New Mexico. I have grown up my whole life on a dairy farm in New Mexico – first in Southern New Mexico then Eastern New Mexico.”
Tara and her husband Daniel Vander Dussen are both fifth-generation dairy farmers, running a cow calf operation in Eastern New Mexico. They have known one another since Tara was 3 and Daniel was 5. Tara didn’t have plans to return to the farm after college. Plans, however are not often set in stone or follow a simple and straight path. They now have two children Gwenevere and Anneliese Vander Dussen. “When I went away to college ,I didn’t see myself coming back to the dairy.” Tara said. “But life had other plans for me. My now-husband and I started dating my junior year in college “It was then that I decided to use my degree in 32
Ag Mag THEAGMAG.ORG
and after graduating and getting married I moved onto his dairy farm. It was then that I decided to use my degree in environmental science to consult for dairies on environmental regulations and permitting.” Since then, days have been filled as a full-time mom and a full-time environmental consultant and agriculture advocate, as if any one of those “full-time” responsibilities were limited to “just” full-time. Still, they are all something Tara has an intense passion for a love of so time becomes nearly irrelevant. Her business New Mexico Milk Maid keeps her very busy. “There’s not enough time in the day,” she joked. “A lot of moms would probably say that, but balancing motherhood and being all in on a business can be so hard. You never really ‘balance it.’ You give your all for motherhood and do the best you can for your business with the other time you have left. Honestly, I wouldn’t change that. I am so blessed to have the ability to spend the time I want and need with my girls.” While every day is different, Tara has a routine, one with plenty of variety. She spends the majority of the day on her computer, reviewing sampling results, sending emails and putting together reports. That’s just a sampling in itself of what her day can include. “I also get out in the field to sample wells,
