Hereford heritage

RICHMOND — With roots three generations deep, Adam Braegelmann continues to honor his family heritage, running a business established by his grandfather, Ludwig, in 1946. Today, Braegelmann owns and operates Hillview Family Farms, a beef operation with just over 80 head of Hereford cattle on the farm north of Richmond.

Growing and improving his herd and the land is one way he is looking after the livelihood of the farm, Braegelmann said. He buys registered Herefords from Fertile, and has hopes to increase his cow-calf operation to 100 calves within the next three years.

Hillview Family Farms gets steers processed locally in Richmond and then sells beef directly to consumers through the farm’s website. Braegelmann’s long-term goal, he said, is to grow his herd at a steady pace and convert to a rotationally grazed grass-fed beef operation while still feeding some grain to ensure steers receive a high-energy diet before harvest.

“I’m playing the long game,” Braegelmann said. “I’m trying to improve my herd to give me the opportunity to sell registered bulls as stock down the road.”

Sustainable farming is an important part of his plan. In 2019, he bought a neighboring farm with more land to expand his herd. He has been working with the Stearns County Natural Resources Conservation Service to put a crop management plan in motion. Braegelmann has transitioned to no-till planting of soybeans, uses minimum tillage on the corn ground and uses cover crops. When Braegelmann purchased the neighboring farmland, all its tillable acres were enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, he said. He plans to convert all of that into highly productive pastureland for rotational grazing.

“We worry about erosion,” Braegelmann said. “We do as much as we can with no-till, but a conversion like this is going to go a long way.”

Not all the new land is good farmland, Braegelmann said. The hilly spots will be put in pasture. As the CRP contracts expire, the soil is sampled to determine nutrient content. A fertility plan is then put in place to optimize use, Braegelmann said. Corn is planted the first year after returning the land to production, allowing the ground to be prepared for ideal pasture mixes to be planted. In two years, the land will be ready for grazing, and Braegelmann expects his herd size to have increased significantly by that time, assuming everything goes well, he said.

Braegelmann plans to split his calving season into a 50/50 spring and fall calving season. Last winter was the first year Braegelmann winter bale grazed his herd on the land he started to convert, he said.

“True bale grazing would be to set the bales down and then move the fence,” Braegelmann said. “I put up temporary fencing and then hauled in and rotated the balayage. I really liked it. (There was) way less manure to haul, and it saved me a lot of time and effort. The goal is to graze the cattle year-round.”

Without a barn to overwinter cattle, Braegelmann said, he moved the herd back to the barn about two weeks before calving season began.

“Herefords are a hardy breed; there’s not much that bothers them,” Braegelmann said. “The trees allowed them to get out of the wind, and they did great.”

Braegelmann said he has had a good calving period so far this year. He tries to bring the cows indoors, if he can, before they calve so he can watch them on the barn cameras and ensure they are born healthy and begin to nurse, he said. He keeps the cow and calf inside for four to five days before turning them back out to the herd.

Today, the Braegelmanns have four young farmhands — their own children — who are enjoying every aspect of farm life, Braegelmann said. The children happened to be in the barn when one of last season’s calves was born. They sat in the bunk and watched the whole process, he said. 

“I like that the kids are able to be involved,” Braegelmann said. “We go on a lot of Ranger rides, and they like tagging along for chores. Having that flexibility to spend the afternoon with the kids is hands down the best part.”

Hank, Braegelmann’s father, took over the farm in 1988 and ran it until Braegelmann went to North Dakota State University to get his degree in ag systems management. As the youngest of five, there was not anyone around to help on the farm, so his father decided to sell the cattle. As the full-time plant manager for Melrose Dairy Proteins LLC, the task of operating the farm on his own was a tall order for Hank without any of his children at home to help. After Braegelmann completed college and moved back to the area, the father-son team started raising beef again.

“I’d say I do 90% of the work now; when I need (help), I have some people I can call on,” Braegelmann said. “My dad helps, and a neighbor, who is a retired dairy farmer that I worked for when I was in high school, helps me make hay. We share some equipment.”

Braegelmann’s grandfather had a dairy operation before selling his dairy cows and purchasing Hereford cattle, Braegelmann said.

“Whether that’s what he meant to buy or just what was available at the time, I don’t know, but my dad continued to raise Hereford cattle,” Braegelmann said. “When we got cows again in 2020, Hereford was what we knew. They’re tough, easy going … and that is important to me.”

The other aspect of farming he enjoys is fieldwork, Braegelmann said. Harvest season is a favorite time of year, seeing what all the hard work and effort amounted to.

“When I put equipment away after harvest, I make a list of what I know that needs to be gone over,” Braegelmann said. “Dad has a heated shop, so all winter long, we’ll pull it into the shop, tear it apart and rebuild it. We try to stay ahead of stuff. I like working with my dad; we’ve always gotten along really well.”

Braegelmann is also a contracted poultry producer, so he does chicken chores in the morning before his cow chores. While he enjoys the cattle operation, he said, the poultry barns have been a good business for him.

“I like that no two days are the same,” Braegelmann said. “It can be frustrating some days. You make a plan and things don’t work out. But I like the diversity.”