In an era where the fusion of traditional farming and technology is revolutionizing the agriculture industry, individuals like Megan and Tim Schrupp exemplify what it means to combine passion, community and innovation for a sustainable future. Nestled in the heart of Eden Valley, Minn., their operation, NexGen Dairy, is a beacon for modern dairy farming practices.
A Legacy of Dedication
The Schrupps’ farming journey started as part of Megan’s family farm. This duo represents the new wave of farmers, milking 1,200 Jersey and Jersey-cross cows along with 30 registered Guernsey cows from Tim’s family stock. Though farming wasn’t initially on the career trajectory for this young couple, as Tim ventured into construction and Megan aimed to be a meteorologist, they were eventually drawn back to their roots, driven by the potential they saw in modernizing their family operations and carrying on their legacies.
“My father always encouraged me to be a dairy veterinarian,” Megan says. She now smiles looking back and says, “He obviously saw my future path better than I did.”
Innovative Management
After practicing veterinary medicine in a clinic for a couple years, Megan came back to her home farm in 2014. Today, under her management, NexGen Dairy emphasizes employee excellence and sustainability. She actively leads efforts in hands-on cow health practices, which include pregnancy checks and surgeries, ensuring the best care through comprehensive in-house services like breeding and hoof care.
On the other hand, Tim brings his construction background expertise to enhance farm infrastructure, evidenced by the heifer barn the family built in 2016.
“Every year we seem to have a decent size building project,” he says. “We utilize summer help with high school students.”
Community Leadership
Despite how busy farm life is, the couple is actively involved in the agricultural community, starting their journey with the Young Cooperator group through their milk processor, First District Association, in 2013. Their leadership was recognized as they were appointed chairs of the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) YC advisory board this past fall. The Schrupps’ passion for networking creates valuable learning opportunities and connections for themselves and others facing similar challenges across the industry.
“It’s good to be part of these kinds of networking opportunities,” Megan explains. “It’s nice to know others are also going through similar situations and challenges.”
Not only do they participate in initiatives such as “Dinner on the Dairy,” to engage with the public about their dairy farm life, but they also empower young enthusiasts through a heifer lease program, guiding children in county fairs and state competitions. The duo believes nurturing future generations helps create advocates for dairy farming in otherwise suburban environments.
“We have 14 kids at our local county fairs, state fair and some national shows with them,” Tim shares. “We try to help them with fitting and clipping animals, too.”
The couple work hard to help kids who otherwise wouldn’t get this experience and say if the urban kids show interest, it’s worth helping them out.
“Many of these kids live in the suburbs of the Twin Cities. If they go back and tell their friends how much they love cows, that is a good thing for our industry,” Megan says.
Embracing Technology
Technology forms the backbone of NexGen Dairy operations, with Megan leading data-driven decision- making processes framed by cutting-edge tools such as Alta CowWatch and Nedap collars. Their categorical approach to breeding optimizes herd health and productivity with a balanced plan using sexed semen and strategic sales of beef-on-dairy cross calves.
“In this day-and-age, making decisions is so crucial that we need to collect data that helps us make subjective decisions objective,” she says. “We need to dairy at the next level, and so we rely heavily on technology to bring us to that level.”
The herd’s focus is on both longevity and production with the top portion of the herd bred to sexed semen and the bottom portion to Angus. They breed just enough females to fill the pipeline of replacements and don’t want to raise any extra. The beef-on-dairy cross calves are sold within a few days of age, with a buyer who comes and picks them up when there is enough to fill the trailer.
“Beef cross calves usually leave anywhere from two to seven days,” Megan explains.
Sustainability and innovation can also been seen in the farm’s solar panels that were added in 2019.
Facing an Uncertain Future with Optimism
Despite the uncertainties that are facing the dairy industry today, the Schrupps continue to be steadfast in their overall mission. Their approach molds time-honored practices with new, cutting-edge technologies to help predict and capitalize on any emerging opportunities.
For Megan and Tim, dairying isn’t merely a profession, it’s a legacy that has continued and transformed with each passing generation.
“We both are grateful that we’ve been given this opportunity to actually run this farm,” Megan expresses. “It’s so hard if you are not in the industry to get where we are at, so I feel a big sense of gratitude that we’ve been given the opportunity.”
The Schrupps are not content with maintaining the status quo. They are pushing the envelope, continuously refining their processes, learning, growing and being inventive. They recognize the value of their team and seize each opportunity to propel their farm’s success further.
NexGen Dairy is more than just a dairy farm; it’s a progressive model of sustainability and innovation. Under their stewardship, the farm exemplifies how modern agricultural practices can coexist with a rich heritage. By fostering dedication, community involvement and technological advancements, they’ve set a meticulously blended blueprint for future success in dairy farming.
