In the rural heart of Wisconsin, near Eau Claire, Dutch Dairy stands as a testament to the fusion of traditional farming values and modern agricultural innovation. Owned and operated by Amy and Sander Penterman, a deep-seated dedication to sustainability, community welfare and agriculture advocacy propels this family-run dairy farm forward.
Embracing Modern Agriculture
Sander, is a first-generation immigrant from the Netherlands and after selling their farm quota, his family laid down roots in Wisconsin, investing in the property that is their home today. Today, the family milks 1,000 cows in a double-12 parallel parlor, prioritizing animal health, comfort and high-quality milk production. The heart of our farm’s success lies in their pioneering approach, from practicing no-till farming to leveraging the CowManager activity monitoring system.
“We do believe in high-quality milk production,” Amy Penterman shared at the 2025 Global Dairy Conference in Chicago, Ill. “Our main focus is on cow comfort and consistency.”
She says that because of the CowManager technology, they are able to be there for their kids and not worry about what’s going on back home.
“Because we’ve got it right in the palm of our hand,” Penterman says.
Sander agrees with his wife, adding: “Before CowManager we had to be in the barn, we had to physically walk to the barn and see what was going on. CowManager shows you can be anywhere in the world and you still can track you cows.”
The Pentermans raise their heifers on site until six months of age, and then they are sent to a custom heifer grower about 90 miles from them. They return home about two months prior to calving.
The family farms around 1,200 acres of cropland and grows corn, alfalfa and butcher wheat that is added to the ration for their herd.
Community and Advocacy
Community involvement and advocacy are at the core of the Penterman family. They reach the dairy business association board that Penterman is involved with, as well as education and engagement work through their local FFA chapter. These efforts highlight the vibrancy and critical economic role of Wisconsin’s $45 billion dairy industry while encouraging young minds to see themselves as integral players in agriculture’s future.
In 2023, the Pentermans acquired and reopened a local country restaurant that they own property next to. While the family felt like they didn’t have a lot of spare time due to their roots in agriculture, they have made the restaurant a place where the community can see farmers.
“We hope that we can link the farm to table in the future,” Penterman says, noting they are open for business four nights a week. “Our kids not only work on the farm; they also work in the restaurant. So, it’s giving them a neat, unique perspective of kind of all different areas, because we really want them to have broad horizons.”
Bridging Hope
In 2002, the Pentermans faced a tragedy no family should endure — the loss of their oldest son to suicide. This devastating event spurred them into action, recognizing the urgent need to raise awareness about suicide prevention within their community and beyond.
In a community of just 1,200 people, they experienced three suicides in the span of four months: their son, a father of one of their students, and a teacher from their school district. This painful period underscored the necessity of community support and education.
“So, what can we do to help mitigate that and also open our farm up to people so they can see what a modern dairy farm looks like? We host a corn maze every fall, and those funds are raised for suicide prevention,” Penterman shares, noting that they work with their local fire department and school district.
Cultivating the Future
The collective endeavors at Dutch Dairy, from managing a successful dairy operation to preserving the history embodied in their local restaurant, are driven by common values: innovation, efficiency, community and education. They aim to inspire and sustain future generations of farmers, raising awareness of the essential role they play in not just sustaining, but growing, agri-based communities.
“We got to educate our future generations, so they want to come back to the farm,” Penterman says. “At Dutch Dairy, we don’t just milk cows. We grow a future.”
Through their values of innovation, efficiency, community involvement and education, the Pentermans inspire and sustain not just a farm, but a bright future for the dairy industry, demonstrating the power of agricultural heritage and forward-thinking vision.
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