The holiday season brings thoughts of togetherness and family time. Yet that spirit is seen year ‘round, and has been present for generations, at Francis Lindauer & Sons Dairy. Located in Ferdinand, just a few miles and a couple hills away from Santa Claus, Indiana, the family farm has been in operation since 1933. A simple start during the age of the Great Depression laid the foundation for the dairy today milking 500 cows and farming the rolling hills of Southern Indiana. Craig Lindauer, a co-owner of the farm, manages the operation with wife Melanie, his brother Doug and wife Jessica, cousin Jake and wife Emily, along with his father, Phil and wife Sharon, and Uncle Mike and wife Judy.
Craig shares how the family approaches getting the work done. “We’ve all grown up together, and each of us has an area we oversee,” Craig says. He runs point on the calves and the milk house, along with managing employees and handling the bookwork and banking relationships. Doug takes care of making the feed and working with their nutritionist, as well as some crop responsibilities. Jake is head of the free stall barn and working with the herd manager, as well as the farm operations such as manure hauling and crop work (planting, harvest, etc.). “We cross paths to help each other out and sometimes are able to see something for another with a fresh perspective,” Craig says.
The farm has six to eight employees who primarily help with milking, with family members stepping in as needed. “We have transitioned over the years to have help, which has really been beneficial when there is so much to get done with the cows and farm,” Craig says. He points out his Dad milked both shifts for many years, and Phil still beats everyone down to the barn in the morning to this day.
In an industry that is prone to ups and downs, Craig sees opportunity with dairy beef which helps when milk prices are down. He is hopeful the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act gets signed in Washington DC which will be beneficial today and in the future. “I’ve been in the schools and see milk getting thrown away by kids, I worry we will lose a generation of kids developing a preference for milk,” Craig says. “If we can get them drinking whole milk and liking it, that behavior can influence their habits 10-15 years down the road.”
It is important for the industry to work together, and the Lindauers appreciate the role IDP plays in advocacy and bringing producers together. “We enjoy the camaraderie with other producers and connections we make through IDP,” Craig says. “It’s good to go to the meetings and learn new things while continuing to build strong relationships.”
The family also builds strong relationships with their community as they help tell the dairy industry’s story. Family members host tours on the farm all year long, helping students see where their favorite foods, like ice cream come from. “We have hundreds of kids tour the farm, and we always end the tour with ice cream,” Craig points out. As the kids ask questions, they realize that chocolate milk does NOT come from brown cows (yes, that question is asked!) and can see the hard work it takes to care for the animals.
Craig shares they also help with county fair ag days and other events that help consumers understand the dairy business. “While it can be hard to fit in a request or the timing isn’t good like when we are chopping silage, I hate to tell anyone no,” Craig says. “After all, if we don’t tell our story, who will?”
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