If you walk onto one of Riverview, LLP’s dairies at the break of dawn, you won’t just hear the hum of the milking parlor or the murmur of a waking herd. You’ll see a team gathered for morning stretches — a deliberate pause to focus on safety — and a pervasive mantra that defines the air they breathe: “Be Kind.”
While the “Be Kind” signs are literally painted on the walls, for the 26 interns who joined the Riverview family this summer, the experience has been a masterclass in how culture drives commerce. While many students come to Riverview for the hands-on opportunity to work with elite genetics and massive infrastructure, they stay — and sometimes return — for a culture that prioritizes the human element above all else.
A Legacy of Opportunity
The roots of Riverview trace back to 1939, when Paul Fehr moved to West Central Minnesota to raise crops and beef cattle. By the 1990s, the family faced a familiar question: How do we bring the next generation home to the farm? The answer was an expansion into dairy that transformed a family feedlot into a diversified agribusiness spanning five states.
“The reason we started milking cows was to provide opportunity for the next generation,” Martha Koehl of Riverview says. “That is what we are still doing today. Dairy and milking cows is really our vehicle to do that, but what we want to be known for is our people.”
That legacy of passing the baton is something the current leadership takes seriously. Founder Lloyd Fehr often shares with the interns that he gave his own son the opportunity to lead when he was in his 30s, rather than waiting until the older generation could no longer step into the barn. It is this transparency about succession and growth that sets the stage for the 10-week immersion program.
The Accountability of Kindness
In the high-stakes environment of a modern dairy, “Be Kind” is more than a nice sentiment; it is a critical safety protocol. Erin Larson of Riverview’s Human Resources department explains that kindness is a primary tool for risk management.
“We acknowledge that in times of stress — whether it’s a 100-degree heatwave or a difficult calving — there is a heightened risk to possibly get hurt,” Larson says. “We tell our team: nothing we do is worth getting hurt, and always treat our animals and coworkers with respect and kindness. Kindness breeds kindness, and those who are kind do well here.”
This culture is tested and refined through what Riverview calls “candor out of love.” When a mistake happens or a conflict arises, employees are encouraged to be candid.
“It’s about having a discussion of how we, as a business and as coworkers, can improve with the challenge at hand,” Larson explains. It’s a philosophy that teaches interns to navigate professional friction through the lens of respect rather than reaction.
The “Mosaic” Internship
The 2026 cohort represents a mosaic of interest, from dairy production and beef systems to accounting, IT and even construction management for Riverview’s new milk processing plant. The program isn’t about filling seats; it’s about finding those who are hungry.
“That hunger to learn is what we look for,” Larson says. “We don’t expect a 20-year-old to have their life figured out — none of us really do— but we want students who are inspired by change.”
Interns rotate through various teams, attending academy classes that teach leadership and the Golden Rule. My own daughter, Cassie, served as a dairy production intern this summer at Grace Dairy in Montevideo, Minn. While she gained immense technical skills in maternity and repro, it was the “Be Kind” culture that resonated most.
“The culture that Riverview provides opens so many opportunities and allows me to make connections with other people who are also passionate about the dairy industry,” Cassie says.
She witnessed this firsthand in the breakroom, where language barriers between English and Spanish speakers were bridged with humor and cookies. When a coworker spent weeks calling her “Casey,” she didn’t correct him until she floored the break room by revealing her full name was Cassandra. “Why didn’t you tell us?” they laughed. It is these small moments of human connection that make a massive operation feel like a close-knit family.
A Front-Row Seat to the American Dream
One of the most moving aspects of the Riverview culture is its role in the lives of first-generation Americans. The dairy serves as a bridge between the heritage of fifth-generation farmers like Koehl and coworkers from Mexico and beyond who are living their own American Dream.
“We get a front-row seat to people discovering the American Dream, and it just gives me chills,” Koehl shares. “We see photos of families at their citizenship ceremonies, and it’s a reminder for all of us how special this really is.”
This collaboration is the secret sauce of Riverview. Whether it’s an intern like Cassie practicing her Spanish or a veteran employee helping a newcomer with English, the goal is a team effort where everyone raises the level of the person next to them.
Connecting to the Broader Chain
As Riverview expands into processing, the internship has evolved to show students they are part of a global food supply chain. This summer, interns toured facilities like Valley Queen to understand how their on-farm work impacts the final product on the consumer’s shelf.
With the construction of a new powder plant underway, Riverview is even hosting construction interns.
“It’s about the willingness of our coworkers to say, ‘You want to learn about this? Come to the office Tuesday and let’s talk,’” Larson says. This transparency ensures that interns see themselves as more than just barn staff — they are future leaders of this big dairy industry.
“If You Want to Go Far, Go Together”
The Riverview philosophy is summed up in a favorite team quote: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
This spirit extends into the rural communities they call home. By being a good neighbor — supporting local fire departments, hosting school tours and partnering with local crop growers — Riverview ensures that the heartbeat of rural America stays strong.
For the interns, the ultimate goal is to leave as a better person.
“I hope they take away the humility to ask for help,” Larson says. “The macho attitude doesn’t serve anyone. I want them to acknowledge their strengths but lean on others for the rest.”
Larson points out the ultimate intern success story and that is one past intern saying: ‘I came for the cows, but I stayed for the people.’ That is the heart of what we do.”
The 2026 Harvest
As the summer of 2026 wraps up, the interns — including Cassie — leave with more than just a resume builder. They leave with a deep-seated appreciation for an industry that feeds the world while never losing sight of the individual.
At Riverview, they don’t just cultivate crops and milk; they cultivate the next generation of agricultural leaders. They prove that when you prioritize the heart, the harvest will follow. And whether these 26 students return to Riverview or take their grit back to a family farm or into the industry, they carry with them the understanding that a successful business is built on a foundation.
Full disclosure: My daughter, Cassie, was one of those 26 interns this summer at Grace Dairy in Montevideo. When I traveled to Minnesota to visit her and tour several Riverview sites, I expected to be impressed by the scale, the genetics and the infrastructure. And I was. But what struck me most profoundly was something you can’t quantify in milk production or herd size. It was the morning stretches before shifts. The bilingual laughter in the breakroom. The way seasoned employees took time to mentor a college student. The “Be Kind” signs that weren’t just decoration but lived practice. I left Minnesota with a deeper understanding of what my daughter had been telling me all summer: Riverview isn’t just teaching the next generation how to run a dairy — they’re teaching them how to build a culture worth coming home to. And in an industry facing consolidation and uncertainty, that might be the most valuable lesson of all.
