A Gillett farm was honored as a Century Farm on Aug. 9 at the 2015 Wisconsin State Fair. The hobby farm of Julie and Jody Rost has been in the family for 117 years.
Homesteading the property at 7283 Klaus Lake Road was William Siech, who purchased the land in 1898 from Northwestern Railway Corporation. William and his wife, Natalie, raised 11 children. On the farm they had dairy cattle and horses and ran their own sawmill.
In 1938, their oldest daughter, Alma, married John Fisher, and they had four children. John and Alma took over the dairy operation and also raised pigs.
The land has always been used to grow alfalfa and corn.
After John died in 1983, Alma remained on the farm for 16 years until she moved into a nursing home at the age of 95. She sold the farm to her granddaughter, Julie Fisher, in 1999.
Today, it’s a hobby farm. Julie and Jody live on the farm with their two sons, Matthew and Andrew, the fifth generation to live on the homestead.
To honor the family’s heritage, Jody and Julie restored the original barn and granary in 2014 and 2015. On Sept. 19, the family hosted an old-fashioned barn dance in the restored barn, featuring live music. Over 70 people attended. The barn dance is a tradition the family intends to continue.
The Century Farm Awards Program began in 1948 as part of Wisconsin’s Centennial Celebration. The program honors families who have had continuous ownership of their Wisconsin farms or homes for 100 years or more.
For the past 41 years, Hillshire Farm of New London has sponsored the program.
More than 118 Century Farm families were recognized at the 2015 Wisconsin State Fair, presented by U.S. Cellular. More than 9,096 Century Farms have been honored since the program’s inception.
For information about the program, call Jill Albanese at 414-777-0580.
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