The Dairy Farmers of America have named Alfred Brandt the organization's 2019 central region Member of Distinction.
Brandt, whose family has farmed near Linn since 1840, has served as an advisor for the Missouri Farm Bureau's Dairy Committee, president of the Missouri Holstein Association and chairman of the State Milk Board, as well as helping lawmakers develop the Dairy Revitalization Act.
"Farming's my main business, and that's what I do every day," Brandt said. "But I do enjoy getting off the farm, and I learn a lot from these positions and from these jobs. And it really helps to network with good people in the industry while trying to move the industry forward."
Brandt milks about 130 registered Holstein and raises 120 acres of corn and alfalfa along with his wife, Sonya, and son, Sam, according to a DFA news release.
"It's all I ever really wanted to do," he said. " This is what I grew up doing, and it's really the only true work passion that I ever really had."
Brandt said he followed in the footsteps of his father, who started a commercial dairy in 1965. Brandt's parents joined him when he received the award, and it was nice to be able to share the moment with them, he added.
But, Brandt said, he doesn't expect his son, 7, to carry on the business.
"The way this industry in changing, you know, I have no idea what it's going to look like 20 years from now, and smaller-scale dairies like ours, I don't know how feasible that would be," he said. "So, if he wants to, I will help in any way possible, but that's not my expectation."
The industry is shifting to large operations. Brandt said many dairies have 30,000 cows, and a few even reach 100,000. Farmers with good business sense will be able to stay in the industry, he added, and because of the perishable nature of milk, dairies always need to be spread across the country.
"There is room for large dairies, there's room for small dairies, but everybody needs to do a better job every day," he said. "There's environmental concerns now that there weren't 30 years ago that have to be addressed. The business side of it has to be looked at closer every day than it was 30 years ago. So there's a lot of things that are going to dictate how small farms will persevere in the future."
Brandt said that includes common-sense regulation that ensures the safety of dairy products for consumers while not unnecessarily burdening dairy farmers.