The 320-acre Mielke S-Curve Farm is owned by Dale and Deb Mielke and has been for a long time.

“It was purchased by Dale’s grandfather and his uncle in 1926, so it nine years it will be the second family farm in his family to reach the century mark,” said Deb of the farm.

The Mielke’s have a total of 380 cows, 320 of them for milking, and with live stock that total rises close to 700.

The Mielke’s take pride in keeping the farm in the family, which they hope will continue in the coming years.

“I’m the youngest in the family and dad needed somebody to take it over, not that he pushed me,” Dale reflected. “It was my decision and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it. Our kids help us every bit of the way, so it’s definitely a family farm and there aren’t too many of those left anymore.”

Last year, the Mielke’s faced health-related challenges, but they’re grateful for their employees who helped ensure the farm was still run successfully, says Deb.

“We could not have succeeded without the help of our employees,” Deb said. “We have a wonderful milking crew that came and showed up when they were supposed to as if we were here and I really appreciated that.”

As the Mielke’s prepare to host the Shawano Country Brunch on the Farm, they’re looking forward to welcoming folks from around the county to their farm in what’s become a continued growing event.

“In the years past, it used to be hurry up and eat and leave because we need to turn the tables over a certain amount of times for everybody to get fed, but now our theory is because it’s not a fundraiser for the farm bureau, it’s educational. The emphasis is on education.”