Westphal family
The Westphal farm in Cass County was first purchased by Lloyd and Marlys Westphal in 1964. Larry and Cheri Westphal bought it from them in 1982. In the late 1990s, adjacent property was purchased, increasing the size of the operation from 280 acres to just under 400. Larry and Cheri switched from milk cows to beef cows in 1994.
Currently, the Westphals are operating a 40-pair cow/calf herd of Red Salers cattle. The cows calve in April and are sold in October. The Westphals keep and raise their own replacement heifers. They replace their bulls every two to four years. Larry and Cheri raise oats, rye, and triticale. They grow corn that is chopped and put into the silo, and they bale alfalfa, mixed grass, and clover. The Westphals’ main pasture is 100 acres for grazing cattle with three separate attached pastures for rotational grazing.
Larry handles the daily cattle chores and building maintenance. The Westphals’ son Wade takes care of planting, cleaning barns and fence repair. Their son Waylon takes care of the harvest and machinery maintenance and repair. Larry and Cheri’s grandchildren help when not in school. They feed hens and gather eggs, help with fence repair, calf ear tagging, vaccinations, and their favorite job—rock picking!
Larry and Cheri were members of the Hackensack Hustlers 4-H Club; Cheri was the club leader for five years. The couple volunteers at the Hackensack Food Shelf. Cheri oversaw the Share & Care thrift store in town and Larry was a volunteer. Share & Care is a community outreach program of the Hackensack SDA Church.
The Westphals say they are very blessed to live their life on the farm.