The annual Green County Breakfast on the Farm event is upcoming, and this year Sunset Ridge Dairy Farm will be hosting.

The 2022 event site — nearby Albany — is a family-run operation with 120 cows, including Holsteins and Registered Brown Swiss. 

Husband and wife Duane (Dewey) and Jeanne Meier run the farm with their son, David, his wife Tiffany Meier — who works at a veterinary clinic — and their daughter, Avery.

While they have separate herds of cows, they also work together on the crops and machinery side of the farming equation with their son-in-law Andrew and one of their three daughters, Jodi, who live at the neighboring farm, said Dewey. 

The arrangement has “worked well for both of us” for quite some time now, he said.

Dewey is a third-generation farmer, with David being the fourth generation in their family. 

“I like the cows and the dairying part of it, but I do like all the general aspects of the farm,” since the farming lifestyle does not involve doing the same repetitive tasks each day, said Dewey. There isn’t a lot of monotony for farmers, who have to think on their feet to react to situations that arise — like things breaking or emergencies happening. The variety is one thing he enjoys about the line of work.

He and his wife both come from agricultural backgrounds, he said, and he knew from the time he was in high school that farming was what he wanted to do as a career, after having worked with animals while growing up. 

Jeanne now works both in town at Figi Insurance and Financial Services and on the farm, Dewey said. She has milked, cared for the calves, completed bookwork for their family operation and more. 

Their kids helped at the farm while growing up, as well, Dewey added, noting that his youngest daughter recently told him that though she didn’t end up opting to become a farmer herself, she feels it was the best thing for her to grow up on a farm, and she wouldn’t have traded in her childhood experience at the dairy for any other. 

Jeanne and Dewey’s kids — Jenna, Jodi, Jessie and David — all decided to continue living in the general area, Dewey said, so their 11 grandchildren are close by, as well. 

Jenna, Jodi, Jessie and David regularly showed animals from the family’s herd through 4-H and FFA, said the Meiers, who hosted practices for the Youth Dairy Judging Teams.

Now they ship the milk that they produce on their farm to The Chalet Cheese Co-op, which is “known for ‘The Home Of World Champion Cheeses,’ including … Limburger Cheese and Deppeler’s Baby Swiss, and (many others) … Brick, Pannaro, Havarti, Deppeler’s Swiss Wheel Aged and Cheese Curds,” said the Meiers in a news release regarding the Breakfast on the Farm event. 

The cheese co-op will be offering samples and selling cheese during the 42nd annual event happening May 28 from 6-10 a.m., said Dewey.  

In preparation for guests’ arrival, the Meiers will be milking early in the morning. 

Visitors will be able to eat, listen to a band that will be playing there and take a look at a display that will feature both new and antique tractors. There will likely be a few vendors there selling honey, preserves and other such items, said Dewey.

A petting zoo, agricultural and wellness education stations and various craft vendors are also expected to be part of the event, according to a news release. 

They are planning to have a MedFlight helicopter landing from 8-9 a.m. so that people can view it and ask any questions they may have about it, added Dewey. 

While the family milked in a stall barn for years, they noted, they now have a freestall barn and a double eight parlor, which will both be available for breakfast attendees to view and ask questions about May 28. 

Dewey said they are looking forward to having the event at their place this year, commenting that “it’s a good educational and promotional event for rural as well as (people from town) to get together” to give those who might not have a background in farming insight on what the lifestyle is really like and to provide them with a better understanding of how their food is produced. 

There will be busing available to and from the farm, located at W2902 Oliver Rd. Monticello, Wis., 53570. The buses will leave from two locations (the Albany Lions Club, at 402 N Cincinnati, Albany, Wis., 53502; and the Walmart Supercenter, at 300 6th Ave W, Monroe, Wis.) from 5:30-9:30 a.m.