For six generations, Howe Farms has focused on dairying on about 2,000 acres of Michigan soil. Now, with their eyes on current trends and their minds on their children, the Howe family is reprioritizing. After years in the dairy industry, they have their sights set on higher-margin cash crops. “We want to set the next generation up for a better quality of life,” says Dawn Howe. Her husband, Mark, is eager to embrace the change, confessing, “Some people don’t like change, but I like change.”
For years, the cows always came first. Now, the Howes are reprioritizing to ensure their small family farm stays in the family. But the change doesn’t mean they’re moving backwards. The next generation of Howe farmers, which includes Mark and Dawn’s three sons and nephew, are focused on the future. With new ideas like drone surveying, the Howe family is hopeful that their new direction will help amplify their legacy for the next generation.