Radios for the Farm: Life on a Dairy Farm

When it comes to radios for the farm, reliable communication can make all the difference. Fifth-generation dairy farmer Trevor Wendhausen shares how Midland® GMRS two-way radios help his family stay connected, save time, and keep their Southwest Wisconsin dairy operation running smoothly while carrying on a farming tradition that's been in their family for generations.

It's a Family Thing

Located in Southwest Wisconsin, Trevor Wendhausen is a fifth-generation farmer. 

It's a fully family-owned and operated farm. His great grandpa bought the farm in 1937, 220 acres at the time. His dad and uncle now own the farm, but there's seven family members working full time, including his three brothers and cousin. 

"It's my favorite part of working on the farm, working with my family. That sometimes isn't always easy because you don't get along every day, but most of the time you do and that's great. You get a lot of different opinions when you have that many people involved, but different opinions are so good."

He loves seeing his kids have the same experience growing up alongside family on the farm.

Your kids get to grow up around their uncles. Not a lot of kids get that opportunity. Obviously, we get busy, but on slower days they can walk up to the farm and be around family all the time."

Sharing the Farm Experience on Social Media

Wendhausen's farm has 380 cows and they're responsible for milking each of them twice a day.

He began sharing his experience on social media to educate the public, especially about the work on family farms.

"You see a lot of false information out there that dairy farmers aren't worried about the animals. That's not the case. Everything I do, or another farmer does each day, is for the animal to succeed. If the animal isn't doing well, neither is the farmer."

It's a shock to him and his family that he's been sharing on social media. He was shy and quiet growing up, avoided cameras when he could. Now, social media is part of his day-to-day life.

"People like it when I'm just being real."

Radios for the Farm: Midland's GMRS Two-Way Radios

The family farm began using GMRS two-way radios about five years ago. It started just with handheld GMRS radios and has evolved into an entire communications system, including the vehicle-mounted MicroMobiles.

"It's just so handy to communicate back and forth. If something is wrong one way or another, you can communicate so much faster than trying to putt out your phone and send a text, or make a phone call that nobody answers."

He said they're often saving 10 minutes at a time with the help of the right radios for the farm.

"With GMRS radios, it'll save you minutes, if not hours, at the end of the day just being able to know when stuff changes."

Currently, they're using Midland's MXT115P PRO 15-Watt MicroMobile GMRS Radio, GXT67 GMRS 5-Watt Walkie Talkie - GXT67PRO, GXT3000 GMRS Walkie Talkie 2-Pack - GXT3000VP4, MXT500SPVP- KIT 50-Watt MicroMobile GMRS Two-Way Radio | Speaker Bundle, and the SPK100 GMRS External Speaker.

His favorite is the new MXT115P PRO. 

“I really liked how that one mounted in. It mounted right into the cigarette lighter, and those were really, really simple to put in. I just liked popping them in the tractor, putting a speaker in there, and away you go.”

The Farm in July

During the month of July, the family is harvesting their oats. They planted about 100 acres in the spring. 

"We'll probably combine about half of that and we'll clip the rest of it and make into bales."

They also bought a couple hundred acres of wheat straw, which they'll have to bale, keeping them busy for the rest of the summer.

"We always joke that when it slows down, then you get into the summertime and the projects come about."

For Trevor, farming is about family, caring for every animal, and making the most of every day. With Midland® helping everyone stay connected, his family can spend less time tracking each other down and more time doing what matters most.