Mom - Dairy Farmer - Marathon Runner - Coach; Meet Renee Clark, Kieler Farms
- Dianne Jentz
- Oct 17
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 19
L-R; Optimist Member Clark Anderson; Renee Clark, Kieler Farms; Optimist President Terri Ellis
Renee Clark is a third generation owner of Kieler Farms with eight other family members who all have a great passion for, and commitment to, Wisconsin's dairy industry. Renee is also a mom to three daughters, a marathon runner, and a cross country coach at Platteville High School.
Her grandfather, Lawrence Kieler, bought their original 250 acre farm in 1947 where he milked 13 cows in a stanchion barn. Over the years they took on several expansion projects and in 2018, they moved into their current barn with a 50 stall rotary parlor where they currently milk 2000 cows, three times a day. They run 4500 acres, of which they own approximately half, to raise the feed for their livestock. Renee spends several hours a day in "her office" which is a 12-ton front end loader used to mix feed for their dairy herd. Her husband, Matt, oversees construction projects and maintenance on the farm. She has a brother that serves as their mechanic, a sister-in-law that manages the parlor, and an uncle and cousin who are veterinarians. Her mom, Ann, takes care of bill paying and paperwork while her dad, Louie, is a jack-of-all-trades. In addition, her father-in-law helps with feeding cattle at their various farms.
Renee described their operation as being "family dynamic" with ~30 "amazing" employees that are a mix of full-time, seasonal and college students. Because of them, she's able to find balance between the farm, being a mom, her running/training, and coaching role. Renee has a personal goal to run a marathon in each state. She currently has 30 states under her belt and is saving her 50th marathon to be completed in Wisconsin. Thank you, Renee, for your commitment to our community, agriculture, and the dairy industry! Your energy is admirable!
Renee's video is linked below. Enjoy!
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