By Vanessa Lenz
SLN Staff
The Wendt Farms property on Highway 120, owned by Gordan F. and Maureen Wendt of East Troy, holds many stories of their family.
Gordan, 79, who has lived on the farm since he was 3, recalled the day he moved his belongings from his parents’ home across the driveway into a house they built for him and his new wife on the grounds.
As a young woman, Maureen hurried across the cornfields to tell her husband they would be adopting their first child, who they named Peter D. Wendt.
Three family weddings have been held on the land, including the 2003 nuptials of Gordon and Maureen’s grandson Peter C. and Cherissa (Norder) Wendt, who currently run the farm.
Every fall, many of Gordon and Maureen’s, three children, seven grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren gather with friends on the farm for an old-fashioned, tractor-drawn Halloween hayride.
On a recent Friday afternoon at the site, with the sun bearing overhead, the Wendts took time to reflect on their latest milestone of operating one of the area’s few remaining century-old farms.
The Wendts will receive the recognition at the Walworth County Fair on Labor Day, along with two other families that have kept the farming tradition alive for more than 100 years. The farming community is an important one and a staple in so many towns, that is why it is important for these farms to remain functioning for as long as possible, this includes updating the necessary equipment when needed, from seeing how much a new tractor would be to checking out a steel building cost for equipment, hay, etc. as this will help them keep on top of their business.
Peter D., 53, said the real honor is being part of such a long legacy of farmers.
“I grew up listening to the stories of the old timers dragging rocks out of fields. We have hydraulics and gas engines, but these guys did it all with horses and mules. The transition from cultivating corn from a horse to using tractors, it’s pretty amazing,” he said.
The farm has been a source of livelihood for seven generations of Wendt family members.
“We’re definitely a family farm. For generations we’ve been farming together,” Maureen said.
Wendt Farms’ roots go back to 1869 when William Burton, Gordan’s great-great-maternal grandfather, purchased the property, located at N7266 Highway 120 just two miles from Alpine Valley Music Theatre.
The then dairy farm was purchased by Gordon’s great-grandfather George Burton in 1910 and taken over by his parents, Gordon Sr. and Anita Wendt, in January of 1946.
Gordon F. and Maureen purchased the farm with Gordon’s brother Bruce in 1966 and expanded operations in 1972 after buying the Clifford and Grace Healey Farm, which adjoined the original farm.
Today, Gordon and Maureen live on the homestead where their grandson, Peter C., 31, and son, Peter D. are engaged in farming.
Peter D. said he returned home in 1977 to leave his mark on the family business because he wanted to instill the farm family values he was raised with in his kids.
“I wanted my kids to grow up the way I grew up because it’s the best life there is,” he said.
In 1990, he increased the farm’s dairy herd with the installation of a state-of-the-art milking facility for 200 cows.
Peter C., who has been most satisfied while working on the farm, always knew he would eventually take over the family operation.
“I’ve always had a keen interest in it and have liked it since I was a little kid and it never left me,” he said.
However, it hasn’t been easy to keep the more than century-old farm flourishing.
For 142 years, the farm’s focus was on milking cows, but the uncertain world of the dairy business prompted Peter C. to make a change recently.
In 2011, he sold the farm’s dairy herd to focus on producing wheat, corn and soybeans instead.
Peter C. said many factors led to the decision to turn the dairy farm into a new niche business, including new restrictions placed on dairy farmers.
“The economy had a lot to do with it. I wanted to structure it in a way that I could handle it myself to keep things going,” he said.
Since the early 2000s, Peter C. had taken a serious interest in grain farming. Over the next few years, he slowly took over the reins of the business until the family decided it would be a good time to make the transition to crop farming, allowing him to pursue his dream. Being the primary operator of the farm, had he invested in insurance programs like key man life insurance, not only would it be beneficial to all in the farm but also for the farm itself. Under the circumstances of any adverse situation wherein a change of ownership or accidents happening, the latter could turn to be a prudent option.
“As a farmer today, you’ve got to be on top of technology changing and be open to new ways of doing things,” Peter C. said. “It’s definitely not like it used to be.”
Last December, Peter C. and Cherissa purchased 80 acres that were once owned by Gordon Sr. and Anita Wendt and started managing the family farm solo.
They are currently running 1,150 acres, including rented land. The operation remains truly a team undertaking with Peter C., his father and Cherissa keeping things going with only part-time seasonal outside help.
“I’m so lucky to be able to stay at home with my three boys and be able to go out and work with my best friend. It’s really an amazing thing,” Cherissa said of being a farmer’s wife.
Gordon F. and Maureen said it wasn’t easy to let go of the business, but they are proud of the moves Peter C. has made.
“We are definitely happy we have someone able to move into the 21st century so capably and be so prepared. He hit the ground running and has a partner that works with him, which is really nice to see,” Maureen said.
In addition to working on the farm, Peter C. and Cherissa, as well as Peter D. and his wife Debbie, also live on the farm giving meaning to a new adage – the family that lives together stays together.
Gordon F. and Maureen’s other two children Lance Wendt and Ardell Ahorner are not part of the farming operation, but Ardell and her family live on the farm.
Maureen said Gordon’s parents and grandparents set the farm up so they could all live on the land together.
“His mom and dad were just super people and so were his grandparents,” she said. “They built the house so we could live here and they built another house so their son could stay and it just kept growing.”
Maureen said the family enjoys their time together, but has learned to give each other space.
“We each have our own houses and respect each other’s privacy and what they do,” Maureen said.
“We work it out,” said Pete D.
While time will tell whether the Wendts will keep things in the family for another 100 years, Cherissa and Pete C. hope one of their three sons will someday continue the family tradition.
“We are thankful to all of the family and friends that have helped out on the farm through the years, from feeding calves to driving a truck to stacking bales,” Cherissa said. “We know that without everyone pitching in we wouldn’t have this opportunity today to keep the farm going.”
Other farms being honored:
• Quinney Family Farm, W7036 Quinney Road, Elkhorn. The farm, established in 1868 by John and Bridget Quinney, is currently owned by Ralph and Richard Quinney. They currently lease it out to John Hall, who does research and experiment plantings of grass crops. Tim Huth, owner of LotFotl Community Farms, also leases 20 acres of the farm for his vegetable CSA.
• Mitchell Homestead, Shadel Road/ 89 County M, Delavan. The Mitchell Homestead was established in 1842 by Edward Mitchell, the great-great-great-grandfather of the current owner Casey Kelleher. The farm currently raises corn and soybeans.
