A Recipe for Life, Friends and Food

There’s no flashing welcome sign on the quiet road in front of Jagiello Dairy Farm in Lena, Wisconsin. But without a doubt, that’s the feeling you get.

“We learned from our parents,” says Marla Wagner.

Marla, her husband, Troy, and her two brothers, Duane and Bruce Jagiello, represent the farm’s fourth generation. Their parents, Don and Marlene Jagiello, both of whom have since passed, set lasting examples for how to enjoy life. Don represented Dairyland Seed for more than 50 years, an accomplishment few can claim. He was well-respected and made a lot of friends. At his funeral, someone referred to their dad as a patriarch of the community.

Back, left to right, Marlena Wagner, Tyler Wagner, Donnie Jagiello, Bruce Jagiello, Marla Wagner. Front, left to right, Duane Jagiello, Hansen, Pete Hansen, Troy Wagner

“That has stuck with me,” she says.

If her dad was patriarch, her mom was matriarch. A picture hanging on a wall at the farm captures their essence of their influence. It’s two images combined, mom and dad looking down from the skies above and the farm below at sunrise. Their influence hangs over the farm, too.

The dairy’s motto is Remembering the Past, “Mooving” Towards the Future. It’s expressed visually by an iconic Midwestern dairy barn on the left and a modern freestyle barn on the right, connected by a young family in the middle. The owners designed it. It’s a way of saying they will never forget their roots.

The dairy supports five families and employees on just milking 600 cows and cash cropping. The fifth generation, led by siblings Tyler and Marlena Wagner, and cousin Donnie Jagiello, are ready to take the reins.

“We’re very fortunate to have children that want to grow this farm for the generations to come. Donnie, Tyler and Marlena have been managing the dairy for the last five years, contributing greatly to its success. Their efforts were recognized in January when they received the 2023 National Dairy Quality award,” Marla says.

A strong herd with good genetics cranks out the milk here. The dairy raises its own replacements and grows more than 3,000 acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat.

Everyone embraces the open-door policy Don and Marlene established. Back then, people were welcome anytime. Socializing was woven into the work. If you got stuck in mud or the tractor broke down far from the house, you’d just walk to the nearest neighbor, use their phone and make time for lunch. You might stay there half a day waiting to get picked up.

In that sense, nothing has changed. Friends stopping by is a regular occurrence on the farm. They show up for planting and for harvest, and in between they’ll stop on any given day after 5 o’clock,” Marla laughs. “Really though, our friends are a huge blessing to us, and we are very thankful for them!”

Sister and brother, Marla and Bruce, and a strong crop of DS-3193AM™.

For as long as Marla can remember, friends have pitched in to help ensile feed during harvest. You almost can’t hire anyone to do the work. Besides, Bruce says, they’re pretty happy working for food, beer and laughter.

How it all began, no one really knows. Every crop, it’s different people. Every year, without fail, they take a photo. It’s tradition, and it goes way back.

When harvest work is done, everyone kicks back on recliners and couches in the shop enjoying home cooking including Marla’s famous pizza burgers from a family recipe handed down to her by mom.

“It’s got Spam. Actually, it’s really a whole mixture of things with pizza sauce. Hands down, number one, it is the most requested meal around here,” she says.

The shop furniture started as a joke when someone dropped off an old recliner. It’s blossomed into a comfortable, year-round meal and party space. No one worries about damaging the “vintage” décor after a day of covering the piles.

“It’s just so nice,” say Marla, “the way we put our feet up and relax. I serve a lot of meals in that shop.”

There’s one guy in particular who has volunteered for 25 years out of a love for the work. He had previously never worked on a farm.

Pete Hansen is a family cousin in his mid-80s. He was born and raised near the farm but moved to Washington and spent winters in Mexico, Texas or Arizona. He lives on the farm now in a house the family built for him. But for more than 20 years, he drove up in April or May from his warm-weather haven and stayed until after harvest. His wife used to say that the closer he got to Wisconsin, the faster he would drive. There was no stopping him. He still cuts all of the grass on the farm.

‘Never wanted to get paid,” says Duane. “Just wanted to help on the farm. Pete is as much a part of the farm as anybody.”

Keep working, keep growing

Marla recalls one of the last conversations her daughter Marlena had with her mom, who said to Marlena, “You take care of this place.”

Marlena has delivered. “It’s pretty cool to be able to say we got this grandma and grandpa,” she says.

As the partners move toward a transition to Marlena, Tyler and Donnie, they will continue to grow the herd. More milk will be needed to feed more people. Nobody wants to leave, and more family members want to join. Seed sales will remain a part of their business. Marla and the team give credit to their Dairyland Seed DSM, Kevin Naze, who has helped them immensely since their dad passed. “He is a big part of the reason we’ve kept the seed business. None of us are really into sales. We feel, in a way, the seed sells itself,” she says.

The easy part, she says, is that they’ve always planted Dairyland Seed and believe in it. The majority of their customers are the same. The best part? They get to reconnect and catch up with those customers after a long winter.

Marla will keep making meals, with help from her daughter-in-law Sammy and sister-in-law Debbie, and doing the bookwork. Everyone else will keep doing their part too.

Mom and dad will continue their influence from above.