Local agricultural feats have a new name to hold high this season as Duske Dairy of Waverly clenches the title of 2024 Wright County Farm Family of the Year, a prestigious honor announced during the recent June 4 Wright County Board of Commissioners meeting. This family-run dairy farm, owned by Garret and Amber Duske since 2015, has evidently made its mark not just in dairy and cattle farming, but also in community engagement and agricultural advocacy – anchoring them to the very soil of tradition and progress.
The University of Minnesota's Family Farm Recognition Program, which has been tipping its hat to Minnesota's farm families since 1979, partners with local University of Minnesota Extension committees to handpick one family per county who illustrates a steadfast commitment to communal uplift and agricultural sustenance the Duskes, with their 120 head of dairy cattle, 300 head of feeder cattle and a diversified portfolio of crops including corn, soybeans and alfalfa, fit the bill and then some. According to the official announcement, this recognition stands as a testament to the family's generational service to the local agricultural community.
It's a full family affair at Duske Dairy, the farm breathes familial spirit as each child shoulders their share of the responsibility, Emmit, the eldest son takes on the mantle of fieldwork while Hazel shows camaraderie with the care of the chickens and the younger duo, Colton and Charlotte chip in with the calf chores, this dynamic illustrates a seamless fusion of family and farming – each generation sowing the seeds for the subsequent.
The Duske family will be publicly lauded at this year's Farmfest in Redwood Falls, a statewide nod to their efforts, and later, they'll enjoy another round of applause closer to home at the Wright County Fair during the Open Dairy Show where their local impact will take centerstage among the rolling hills and the communal ethos of Wright County's proud agricultural landscape.
