BISMARCK – The Kleingartner Dairy Farm of Gackle has received the Commissioner’s Award of Dairy Excellence.
The Kleingartner Dairy Farm is run by Sue and Ross Kleingartner and their two children. The Kleingartners are currently milking 100 cows, which include seven dairy breeds.
Both Sue and Ross have a long family history of dairying and have been milking their own cows for 26 years. Their grown children are the fourth generation on the farm. The family also raises about 600 head of sheep and 350 head of beef cattle, along with crops to feed their animals.
They show their seven registered dairy breeds at multiple shows, including the North Dakota State Fair, the Minnesota State Fair and the World Dairy Expo and have scored excellent in dairy cattle genetics in all but two breeds. Their goal is to get the last two excellent rankings after showings in March.
Sue is also the chairperson for the North Dakota Dairy Promotion Commission, which helps expand domestic and foreign markets for fluid milk and dairy products.
“The Kleingartners have a remarkable inspection record,” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “They have had excellent inspections and produced quality milk throughout 2020. Their dairy is unique in that it runs so many breeds of dairy cows.”
The family is a member of Associated Milk Producers, Inc. and they are a Grade A dairy farm.