Meet the Candidates: Lydia Luebke - Turning a New Page in Her Families Dairyland Story

My families dairyland story begins on October 21st, 1972. The day my grandparents, Robert, and Diane Kissinger, were united in marriage. They branched out from the family farms they grew up on to start their own family and dairy farm in Kiel, Wisconsin.

Both their family and farm grew with the addition of their four daughters: Karen, Janet, Becky, and Katie, creating Kissinger’s Family Farms. The sister’s worked side-by-side with their parent’s every day, ensuring their dairy herd was milked, fed, cleaned, and healthy.

They, like their parents before them, grew up on one of Wisconsin’s 6,000 dairy farms, 95% of which are family owned. This experience instilled the importance of hard work, responsibility, and diligence into each of the sisters. These core values have guided our family for years and will continue to guide our families for many generations to come.

My parents, Allan and the late Karen Luebke, became the 2nd generation on our farm. This is where my dairyland story begins, with my brother, Adam. On the farm I could be found milking cows, feeding calves, and raising market hogs. Growing up I was involved in 4-H and FFA and was honored to serve as the 2021 Manitowoc County Fairest of the Fair.

My passion for the dairy industry led me to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in dairy science with a minor in agricultural business in 2021. On campus I was involved in Collegiate Farm Bureau and the Association of Women in Agriculture.

Today, I am turning a new page in my families dairyland story by still being involved in agriculture but, not being the farmer in the story. I became the first generation to leave our farm and work full-time off the farm. After college I served as the quality assurance intern at American Foods Group: Dressed Beef. Where I discovered the vital importance, the dairy industry plays with in the beef industry. After completing my internship, I found my new place in agriculture at a family-owned cheese company, as a microbiology specialist. Every day I ensure the highest quality Wisconsin cheese reaches consumers across the nation.

My brother will continue to write our story as the 3rd generation on the farm, while I turn page in our dairyland story.