Extension Logo
Extension Logo
University of Minnesota Extension
extension.umn.edu

Wadena County Farm Family

Malone and Brockpahler Families

Malone Dairy has been a family farm for nearly 70 years.  Tom and Evelyn Malone purchased the farm in 1954.  They started milking nine cows by hand and selling cream.   Tom and Evelyn also raised corn, oats, and hay.

As the Malone’s farm progressed the family added more cows, more milkers, and a bulk tank, and in 1969 the Malones built a new barn.  In 1986, Tom and Evelyn’s son, John, started farming with them.  John added more cows and began renting land.  Seven years later John took over the operation.  He purchased additional land and updated machinery and buildings.

In 2019, Tyler Brockpahler, John Malone’s son-in-law, joined the farm and added cows to the herd and some new facilities.  Tyler is renting additional acreage raising mostly corn and alfalfa.  He has added TMR and a bale wrapper.  The two families milk about 65 cows and farm about 550 acres of crop and pastureland.  John’s wife, April, and Tyler’s wife, Lanae, have jobs off the farm but still help wherever they are needed.  Tyler plans to take over the operation when John retires.

John and April along with Tyler and Lanae are the farm’s owner-operators. Tyler and Lanae have four children all with responsibilities on the farm.   Izzy and Henry are calf feeders and rock pickers, Kenna feeds calves and their youngest son, Tommy is a future chore boy.

The families are involved in St. Hubert’s Catholic Church and support their local FFA.   Family members have been on boards at GENEX, the National Farmers Organization, and DHIA.

Page survey

© 2024 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.