Earlier this summer, we had the opportunity to chat with the Pankratz brothers, Jon and Matt, as well as their grandpa Lawrence, and learn more about the unique history of their family farm, Pankratz Farms in Marshfield. We visited the family in their shop while prepping for chopping season, which, in our opinion, is the best place to get information for a good article if we do say so ourselves! The Pankratz family has been rooted deeply in the farming community since 1946, when Lawrence returned from serving our country in WWII and purchased an 80-acre farm just east of Marshfield. The farm was turn-key ready with 2 teams of horses, pigs, 16 cows, and even a Ford 9N tractor. Two months after the farm was purchased, Lawrence married his wife, Olive, and they had 4 children; James, Paul, Mary, and Steve. Steve and his wife Barb kept the tradition going by taking over the farm in the 1970s, and now 72 years later, their 3 children, Jon, Matt, and Kaylan, are the third generation on Pankratz farms.
The Pankratz Farm today is still located just outside of Marshfield, but it has seen some
significant changes since 1946! Almost all of the buildings have been updated, and it’s grown in size as well. The herd grew from 16 to over 300, with 140 cows currently being milked. Their acreage also grew exponentially from the original 80 acres to 1,350 acres now planted in a mix of alfalfa, corn, beans, and wheat. The farm has been and still is very much a family affair, where everyone has their own responsibilities but comes together to help each other with whatever needs to 
be done. Steve and Barb are still very active in the daily operations at the farm. Steve milks and also operates the combine and chopper, and Barb runs the robotic feeder. Their sons Jon focus on the maintenance of the equipment, and Matt focuses on the crops and also feeds, while daughter Kaylan is the herdsman.
The Pankratz farm continues to change, especially
with the adoption and addition of new technology in various aspects of the farm. The family greatly values the benefits and efficiencies found in staying ahead with technology and implementing changes like a robotic feeder in their operation. They work closely with industry experts like their field agronomist to capitalize on seed genetic improvements and credit equipment upgrades like auto-steer, variable rate application control systems and Precision Planting components on their planter to helping their operation grow and stay efficient. The upcoming year looks to be an exciting year for the Pankratz family as they look to grow their herd to 360 head while adding on to the barn and installing new curtains.
Farming is certainly a way of life for this family and Jon’s wife Keri is also very involved in the family farm, but in a slightly different way. Keri runs her own business called “The Farmer’s Wife” where she makes beautiful furniture, decals, floormats, home décor, rustic wedding decorations, and just 
about anything else you could think of! Check out Keri’s products at https://thefarmerswifewi.com.
We don’t foresee the Pankratz family slowing down anytime soon and we look forward to continuing to be a partner to the family in their growing operation!
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