Each year the Kewaunee County Breakfast on the Farm is hosted by a different Family Farm located in Kewaunee County!
Our 2023 Host Family Farm
Salentine Homestead Dairy LLC is excited to host this year’s breakfast after waiting a few years since being canceled in 2020 due to COVID. It all started in 1920 when Ben & Marie Salentine purchased the farm & its original 80 acres. In the 1950’s, their son, Nick, purchased the farm with his wife Agnes. In 1975, Jim, the 3rd generation, and his wife Mary purchased the farm. During their time, they grew the farm from 45 cows to 80 cows until the year 2000 when they added the existing milking parlor & free-stall barn. They then doubled their herd. In 2014, a partnership was formed, Salentine Homestead Dairy LLC which includes the family’s 4th generation, Josh & Jenny. Since 2016, the Salentine’s have worked hard at improving cow comfort and have added on additional cows to where they are today, milking 300 cows on this family farm. The young stock are raised off-site by two high quality calf & heifer growers.
On the farm tours, the Salentine’s are excited to showcase their contour strip cropping, cow comfort, and their cow activity monitors which were installed in January of 2020. The Salentine’s continue to promote dairy & their love of agriculture in Kewaunee County.
Find Salentine Homestead Dairy on Facebook!
Salentine Homestead Dairy LLC, E1669 County Road A, Luxemburg, WI 54217
The Salentine Family; Jim, Josh, Jenny, Megan, Caleb & Molly
Father’s Day June 18th, 2023 * Catholic Mass 7 AM * Serving 8 AM – 12 PM
Facts & Stats:
- Century Farm in 2020 – over 100 years of family farming!
- Jim & Mary previously hosted Breakfast on the Farm in 1992
Herd:
300 Milking Cows; 80 lbs Milk/Cow per day; Milking 2x/day; Fat – 410 % Test; Protein – 310 % Test; SCC – 90,000; Heifers raised at Circle Bar Heifer Ranch in Kansas; calves raised at Circle E Calves in Casco, WI
Crops:
560 Acres (owned & rented); Corn – 240 Acres; Alfalfa – 180 Acres; Wheat – 50 Acres; Soybeans – 90 Acres
Owners:
The Salentine Family
Employees:
9 Part-time
Herd Veterinarian:
Dairyland Vet Service; Dr. Mike Heiman
Nutritionist:
CP Feeds; James Downey
Hoof Trimmer:
Blazei Hoof Trimming
Milk Marketer:
Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative
Milk Hauler:
DeJardin Trucking LLC
Feed Mill:
CP Feeds, Luxemburg Milling, Rio Creek Feed Mill
Interview with the Family
Our goal is to continue farming with the next generation. We look forward to continuing good working relationships to continue to see our family business thrive. We value the health & comfort of our cows. We also value our dedicated employees, they put in early hours. We value our wonderful working relationships with the many local businesses, they are always just a phone call away!
We had wished Mary (wife, mom, & grandmother) could be here to celebrate this milestone with us. We know God had a different plan and know she’s watching from above with a great big smile. 
When did your Dairy Story Begin?
- 1920 – Original Farm Purchased by Ben & Marie Salentine
- 1946 – The 2nd Generation becomes the owners, Nick & Agnes Salentine
- 1975 – The 3rd Generation becomes the owners, Jim & Mary Salentine
- 2018 – Salentine Homestead Dairy was formed with the addition of the 4th Generation, Josh & Jenny Salentine
What is your farming background?
Jim is the 3rd Generation on the Family Farm, Josh & Jenny are the 4th generation.
What milestones happened in the early years?
In 2000 we transitioned from milking cows in a stanchion barn and built a free-stall barn & a double-8 milking parlor. In 2015, we decided to have our calves & heifers raised off the farm. This allowed us to draw most of our focus to our milk cows that are on the farm. We’ve been nothing but pleased with the excellent care the calves & heifers receive from our partnering businesses, Circle E Calves and Circle Bar Heifer Ranch. Josh & Jenny moved to the farm in 2016 and a formal partnership between Jim/Mary and Josh/Jenny was formed in 2017, creating Salentine Homestead Dairy LLC.
What hardships have you had to overcome?
Josh & Jenny lived just 2 miles from the farm, in the Village of Luxemburg; while this was super close, it became tiring making 3, 4, & sometimes 5 or more trips back & forth the farm each day. Josh & Jenny sold their home super quick & moved to the farm in 2016. Jenny works fulltime off the farm in addition to her morning chores. She processes payroll on the farm. Mary had taken care of the bookwork up until she passed away last fall, Josh now takes care of most of that bookwork with assistance from Knowles Tax LLC.
Growth & Education:
Josh is a graduate of UW Wisconsin Farm & Industry Short Course Program and continues his education through the NWTC Farm Business & Production Management Course and through Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin seminars.
A Letter from the Family: 
We look forward to seeing you and your family at Breakfast on the Farm this Father’s Day! Special thank you to the Kewaunee County Dairy Promotion Committee, all of our sponsors, the hundreds of volunteers, family and friends – this wouldn’t be possible without each of you! We’re so very grateful for the opportunity to finally host breakfast since being canceled due to COVID in 2020. We hope you enjoy learning about the history of our family farm and what we do each & every day! Most importantly we hope you learn something about Wisconsin agriculture! So please join us for a delicious dairy breakfast and a day of making memories!
Remember to always treat yourself with a Dairy good treat!
Sincerely,
The Salentine Family
Jim, Josh, Jenny, Megan, Caleb & Molly