David and Betty Czech
Czech Dairy, Inc.
David and Betty are the fourth generation of the family on their farm. The farm was started in 1875 by David’s great-grandfather, Frank. He was followed by David’s grandfather, Joseph, and finally by his parents, Ray and Bernice. Betty and David were married in 1984 and milked cows in a 67-stall tie-stall barn and ran a hog finishing barn. In 2008, the couple built a free-stall barn with a parlor as their children showed interest in staying on the farm. In 2009, the family stopped raising hogs.
The Czechs currently have 240 Holstein milk cows and 260 head of young stock. They raise all their own replacements and sell their bull calves. The cows are housed in a free-stall barn with a slatted floor and a manure pit under the barn. They milk their cows in a double-12 parlor. The family grows 360 acres of corn and raises 120 acres of alfalfa. Four years ago, the Czechs started using minimum tillage and they began planting cover crops.
All family members are involved in the dairy’s day-to-day operations. The Czech family is made up of David and Betty; their son Joseph and his wife, Alyssa; son Joshua and his wife, Krista, and their three kids, Addison, Clint and Evelyn; the Czechs’ son Scott; and daughter Taylor and her husband, Ben. Joe and Scott are the herdsmen. Josh handles feeding and mechanics. Dave and Taylor take care of the calves, Betty handles the bookwork and Ben helps wherever he is needed.
The Czechs are members of their local Catholic church. They are members of the Minnesota DHIA, the Minnesota Corn Growers Association, and the Upper Mississippi Irrigators Association. The farm is certified by the Minnesota Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program.