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Sulzer Family Farm, Hans Sulzer

Sulzer Natural Beef

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Sulzer Family Farm, Mike Sulzer

The Sulzer Family Farm:

 In 1910, Frederick Feldt moved a few miles from the original farmstead in Dutch Hollow to the present valley of the Sulzer Family Farm.  He was a dairy farmer and produced cheese right on the farm.  Frederick’s son, Ben Feldt, took over the farm in 1921.  Ben changed the operation from dairy to beef several years later.  His dreams were more Western Ranch than Wisconsin Dairyland.  These were the days of driving cattle for miles down country gravel roads from pasture to pasture and loading them at the railhead for shipping to market.  The farm straddled the Illinois Central & Gulf railroad that connected Freeport, Illinois with Madison, Wisconsin so getting them to market was quite easy even back then. 

 Ben’s son Wally Feldt and son-in-law, Hans Sulzer farmed side-by-side for many years.  Ben would purchase feeder calves in South Dakota and points west and send them back home in a convoy of double-decked cattle trucks.  These feeder calves would be added to the hundreds of calves from their local cow/calf herds to form a huge feeder cattle operation. 

Mike Sulzer is the 4th generation to farm this land on the rolling limestone hills of southern Wisconsin.  His cow/calf operation produces about 125 spring market cattle.  His herd is comprised of Angus, Hereford, Charolais and Simmental crossbreeds.  The cows pasture from spring to late fall and calve in September.  In winter, the cows are fed alfalfa hay and corn silage while the calves nurse.  Weaned calves are fed corn silage, alfalfa haylage and pure shelled corn until they are ready for market.

Mike is a director of the Green County Beef Producers and is active in locally promoting beef and supporting sustainable agriculture.  He practices rotational grazing, composting and natural soil conditioning.  Both Mike and his brother Jim Sulzer are teaming up to bring this natural, healthy, safe and wholesome product that has been produced on this land for almost 75 years right to your freezer.