David
Mathes is the seventh generation of the Mathes family to
farm the 80 acres of land purchased by Barnhardt and Salome
Mathes, in 1841. The farm enterprise has endured and has
grown through the years.
The Mathes Farm is a dairy operation that is jointly
managed by three generations consisting of father David;
son, Kirk; and grandsons, Joseph and Charles. It now
consists of 600 acres, including 450 acres of crops such as
wheat, corn, soybeans, clover, alfalfa, and barley. Since
much of the farmland is rolling ground, the Mathes practice
strip-cropping and conservation tillage. All feed for cattle
except protein-mineral supplement is produced on the farm.
The farm income is derived primarily from the sale of
milk and feeder steers. The herd consists of 200 cows, of
which 70 milking. The milking parlor has been upgraded with
automatic take-off milkers. In the past six years, the
Mathes have also added a new heifer barn and a new feed
bunk. A mixer wagon has been added to enhance the feed
program.
Our family has been involved in the Farm Bureau,
long-time supporters of the 4-H program and members of the
West Barre United Methodist Church. We have received Dairy
of Distinction and Century Farm awards and appeared in the
Farm and Ranch magazine, in 1995.
We are planning on passing on the farm to the ninth and
tenth generations. Through the hard work and determination
of many generations this farm has grown and thrived.
