ORANGEVILLE — Hi View Farm outside of Orangeville is where Brian and Kristi Dinderman put their children on the bus each morning and then walk a few feet to work on their dairy farm.
It’s a life they love after purchasing the farm from Kristi’s family. Despite facing the ups and downs of agriculture prices and climate, along with some additional family challenges, they still agree that life is best on the farm.
Brian and Kristi also have found a niche in breeding and genetics; they work with artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer.
With their combined background and experience, Brian and Kristi aren’t looking to get bigger. Instead, they’re looking to be better at what they already do well. As technology changes and progresses, things become more affordable, Brian said.
“We like to be the ones to care for our animals,” Brian said. “We want good animals that are well balanced in type and production.”
Both Brian and Kristi have registered cattle backgrounds and grew up in FFA and 4-H. Kristi was familiar with Ayrshire and Brian with Guernseys.
They show at fairs and expos, which has been great publicity. They want to increase and better their genetics, and they’re very selective about breeding the animals they keep and sell.
“Several have gone on to do well,” Kristi said. “It’s exciting. We don’t always have time to get ready to show all of the animals. It’s fun to sell them and see other people take them to the next level.”
The couple married in 2004 after meeting at a county fair and seeing each other in the same show circles. They have three children: Alaina, 10, and twins, Amery and Aidan, 8.
As the children get older, they’re showing as well, in addition to their nightly calf feeding duties. Last summer was a big achievement when Aidan, who has cerebral palsy, was able to show an Ayrshire calf and win first prize at the Stephenson County Fair.
The family faces the fluctuation of milk prices and knows to save when prices are good. The Dindermans are happy with their family oriented roots and hire little to no labor other than themselves. They milk about 70 head of dairy and have between 80 and 90 young stock.
Brian and Kristi also find time to teach a class at Highland Community College. Brian serves as a board member on the American Guernsey Association, is an Illinois Guernsey Director and is on the Holstein Board and the Farm Bureau Board. Kristi is active with Ayrshire Association and National Youth Committee, is an Orangeville FFA alum and serves on their Orangeville United Methodist Church board of directors.
Although some believe small family farms are going by the wayside, Brian says that’s not how they see it.
“We feel there’s a fit for all of us,” he said. “You’ll always have competition for land, but we don’t see that as a challenge – we see it as working together.”
By: Emily Massingill
Source: Journal Standard