When our ancestors first bought the farm in 1864, it was a self-sustaining place with a mix of animals and crops. But by the 1950s, with my husband’s grandpa at the helm, the focus shifted to dairy cows. He was quite innovative, one of the first in Iowa to build a barn where the cows were getting milked, eating, and resting all under one roof.
My father-in-law continued that dairy tradition and had five kids. Two of them, my husband, Blake, and his older brother, went off to get dairy science degrees and gain experience on other farms before eventually coming back home to pursue their dream of starting their own creamery and selling their own dairy products. They invited the other two brothers to join them, and in February 2004, we sold our first gallon of milk to the public. Looking back, it’s pretty remarkable what this family did to sustain themselves and open up these different avenues of opportunity.
On my first date with Blake, he showed me the creamery they were building. I grew up on a dairy farm but never imagined I’d become a dairy farmer myself. I was pursuing graphic design and working at a newspaper, which I continued doing early in our marriage. But in 2009, after our first child, I decided to stay home, which also meant getting more involved with the farm, eventually full-time, handling bookkeeping, and overseeing tourism and marketing.
We’re a little unique in that we’re both a wholesaler and retailer. We operate two of our own markets featuring local producers, sell our products to other retailers like local groceries and cafes, and host seasonal tours on the farm, where we throw open the barn doors and let people see how their milk is made.
The first time I experimented with AI was when I needed an image to advertise our "Very Dairy Christmas" event. I wanted to have a calf in a snowy scene with a Santa hat. It was November, drab outside, and my attempts at photos just weren't turning out. So, I turned to Gemini and couldn’t believe how easy it was. As a small business owner, I don't have time for elaborate photoshoots, but I still want to be true to our brand. I immediately saw how Gemini could benefit us when we’re wanting to create those branded images for social media and advertisements.