It was probably a cold December day in 1900 when Martin Flannery buttoned and laced himself into the warmest clothes he owned and headed out to do chores on the farm he had just purchased in the hills of northwest Green County. Now, exactly 100 years later, his great-grandson Michael Flannery repeats the same ritual day in and day out on the very same farm. While more than 7,000 Wisconsin farm families have earned the Century Farm distinction over the years, the Flannerys are one of just a handful honored this year whose farm ownership began at the start of the 20th Century and continues into the new millennium. Much has changed in Wisconsin agriculture over those 100 years, but a lot has also remained the same.
Farmers still work long hours and are at the mercy of weather and markets.
The choice to farm in the family tradition came naturally to Mike. It's the best way to raise kids. I enjoy it, although there are a lot of days when it sure looks greener on the other side. The current downtrend in milk prices is just one of many ups and downs the farm has endured over the years. When Martin and Daisy Flannery moved onto the farm from another farm in Lafayette County, Wisconsin was in the midst of a boom in the dairy industry that would eventually become the state's nickname.