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Hometown Farmer: All in the Family Dairy

(BERESFORD, SD) Oscar Tornberg settled in Beresford, South Dakota, in 1923. Nearly 90 years later, his grandson Mike is running the operation. The 3rd generation producer farms grain and keep cows cycling through the dairy parlor year-round.

"Cows like a routine. They like it, same routine, you know."

Mike Tornberg is no stranger to routine. After 40 years as a dairy farmer, he knows how to get the job done.

"Twice a day we milk and we'll bring the groups in and bring them into the holding pen and from there into the parlor," says Mike Tornberg.

On any given day, around 100 cows rotate through the parlor, producing 1000 gallons of milk.

"The cows average about 10 gallons a day. They're about 80 pounds is where we're at," says Tornberg.

He and his brother Bruce make sure things run smoothly - for the cows at least.

"We have our ups and downs! But we always get the milking done twice a day!" exclaims Tornberg.

All joking aside, family is what keeps this operation going.

"We depend on each other. We know what we need to do," says Tornberg.

Mike and his wife Ann have been married for 35 years. She's a retired school teacher who now cares for their granddaughters Emma and Laney.

"Now my grand kids like to come out and help. They help with the little bucket calves," says Tornberg.

He hopes to instill in them the same love he has for farming.

"Being outside. Keeping things healthy. Trying to produce a good product," says Tornberg.

And Mike is proud of the milk his cows produce. It's sampled every other day when the milkman comes.

"It's zero tolerance on antibodies and every drop of milk is checked," says Tornberg.

Even with advances in technology, the Tornberg farm is full of family tradition and Mike hopes it will continue even after he and Bruce retire.

"It's something you work your whole life at and you know, you finally get it where you want it so you'd like to pass it on, hope somebody would continue," says Tornberg.

Both of Mike and Ann's daughters are married to men in the agriculture industry - a farmer and an Ag teacher - who also help out on their operation occasionally. And both of their little granddaughters love spending time with the animals.

Reported by Erika Thomas. You can contact her at ethomas@kmeg.com to nominate someone who's Proud to be a Hometown Farmer. The Iowa Broadcast News Association awarded this series 1st place Farm & Agribusiness in 2010.