Dukestead Acres was first established in 1973 in Neosho, WI, a small town in Dodge County. Jim and Marilyn Dukelow started the farm with only 40 cows and one D17 Allis Chalmers tractor. Jim and Marilyn’s 4 children, Chris, Greg, Jon, and Becky, were all raised on the farm and shared in the work and responsibilities together while growing up.
In 1993, Greg and Chris started their own operation with the purchase of a steer farm. A few years later in 1998, Jim, Marilyn, Chris, and Greg combined their 2 operations together to form Dukestead Acres. They purchased 600 acres and moved the farm to Abbotsford, where they currently reside. Now the brothers Chris, Greg, and Jon equally own the farm, with Jim and Marilyn still very involved in the daily operations. The farm has grown from that initial 600 acres to 1600 acres, with 700 of those acres planted in corn, 150 acres for beans, 200 acres for re-seeded hay, and the rest remaining in alfalfa hay. Dukestead Acres is currently milking 400 cows, and raise all of their own replacements, with roughly 900 head total.
Almost every building has been upgraded over the years and the family continues to utilize technology to automate tasks and increase efficiency. The farm has overcome Mother Nature’s unpredictable behavior over the years after a strong storm took down their entire machine shed and 
later a snowstorm caved in the roof of the calf barn. The buildings were rebuilt and updates like the addition of silo bunkers and automated calf feeders, and most recently a manure separator, an automatic robotic bedding system, and a robotic feed pusher has allowed the family to maximize time and get work done more efficiently.
Dukestead Acres truly is a family farm, with each family member doing their part to ensure the work gets done every day. Jim focuses on milking, planting, and spraying, while Marilyn feeds calves and drives tractor. Chris is responsible primarily for shop
maintenance, feeding, tillage, harvest, and heifer care, while his wife Monica feeds steers, drives tractor, helps with nutrient management, and takes care of landscaping the farm. Greg handles most of the government regulation responsibilities, managing conservation and nutrient management plans, milks, and does shop maintenance. Jon is the herdsman, overseeing the animal health and care, and helps with field work during the busy season. The third generation of Dukelows are already sharing in the love of 
farming with Chris and Monica’s two boys, Aaron and Nathan, both very active on the farm. Aaron, 14, drives tractor and helps with milking, while Nathan, 9, likes to spend most of his time in the calf barn. It is extremely remarkable how well all of the Dukelows work together and take great pride in their farm and animals.
Allis Chalmers has been a staple in the family since Jim and Marilyn first started out over 45 years ago. What started as just one D17, has turned into an impressive passion and collection that anyone would appreciate. The family now owns 18 Allis Chalmers and AGCO Allis tractors, from 45 horsepower all the way up to 400 horsepower, as well as 2 Massey Ferguson tractors. In addition to their extraordinary tractor collection, the Dukelows also have a vast amount of AGCO tillage pieces and most recently added a White 8816 planter to their fleet. We were lucky enough to also see the Allis Chalmers toy tractors collection Chris and Monica 
have acquired over the years. As you can see in the pictures, the toy tractor collection is beyond impressive! With their shop and offices also adorned with various Allis Chalmers and AGCO memorabilia and collectibles, it’s safe to say the Dukelow family bleeds orange through and through!
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