About

LaClare Family Farm

Welcome to the LaClare Family Farm, which is owned and operated by Larry and Clara Hedrich of Chilton, Wisconsin. The farm was established in 1978 when the property and buildings were purchased. Along with the farm came two milking goats. Thus our introduction into goats.

We raised goats as a hobby when our children were very young. Then as our children Anna, Greg, Katie, Jessica and Heather reached 4-H age we invested in registered stock and started showing.

As our show herd grew we decided to go commercial. We started shipping milk in the spring of 1996. Our milk is currently being shipped to Carr Valley Cheese Mauston, WI.

Our children have been very involved in the farm supplying much of the needed labor. They all have been very successful in the show ring as well as in their 4-H and FFA projects. All of them have used their skills gained on the farm to work on area dairy cow farms milking and feeding calves.

Our current goal is to milk 150 head year round. All of our animals are registered. Our milking herd is on DHIA. The herd is on a monthly herd check program. A part of this program includes ultra-sounding.

To keep our herd on a year round milking status we breed out of season. Does are hand bred either naturally or AI, bucks are collected and semen is for sale.

Kids are taken at birth from the does and fed heat-treated colostrum, followed by pasteurized goat milk. They are slowly introduced to a mixture of goat milk and milk replacer.

The herd is on the State of Wisconsin’s Johnes Testing Program. The farm is located on 22 acres thus most of the feed is purchased.

Both Larry and Clara worked off the farm until June 2000 when Larry quit his job as area Superintendent for a construction company and went full time farming. Clara still works off the farm as a high school agriculture instructor at the West De Pere High School.

We feel strongly about service to our community and helping others as a result Larry and Clara both have served on the Chilton Catholic School board, Larry is currently on the Chilton Public School board. Both serve on the Calumet County fair board and Larry is on the Market Animal Committee. Larry is president of the Wisconsin Dairy Goat Association. Clara is the newsletter editor for WDGA. Both serve on committees for the American Dairy Goat Association. Clara is on the Youth 4-H / FFA Projects Committee and Larry is on the Annual Meeting, Products and Production Testing committees. Both hold their judge’s license to judge goats at Wisconsin county fairs.

Please call ahead if you are interested in a farm tour.

Again, welcome to the LaClare Family Farm.

Larry and Clara Hedrich