When Alfons Wender settled at Wiesenhof exactly 40 years ago, he had 20 dairy cows in a cubicle barn. Now, in 2024, as his son Andreas and daughter-in-law Marion are taking over the farm, almost 300 cows are milked every day. There has been continuous growth and major development for both the farm’s human and animal inhabitants. The latest construction project, a 1,100 m² outdoor loafing area, means that the farm is now also QM++ certified and meets all the criteria for Animal Husbandry Level 3.
On a clear day, you can see as far as neighboring Luxembourg from the Wiesenhof farm in Perl-Wochern, and France is only a few kilometers away. Here, in a region where three countries meet, Wiesenhof has evolved from a typical small holding into a high-performance dairy farm over the last 40 years, one that strives to harmonize modern technology, profitability and animal welfare. Built in 2023, the loafing area is just the latest construction project among many in recent decades. These have included a new dairy barn over 20 years ago, a new young stock area almost 15 years ago and a new milking parlor with PV system a good ten years ago; there has always been work to do.
And both generations, Alfons and Maritta and Andreas and Marion, have always had a business mindset coupled with a focus on animal welfare. The Wender family has, for example, long been committed to a cow to cubicle ratio of 1:1. “Cows need to be able to retreat and find some peace and quiet,” explains Alfons Wender during a tour of the farm. Wiesenhof’s topographical location means it isn’t possible for the cows to graze. Because of this, the Wenders decided to build an outdoor loafing area. “The sloping hillside was also one of the biggest challenges of this project,” says Andreas Wender. “We had to do a lot of leveling off to create a sufficiently large space.” The animals have access to the loafing area all year round and it has proved popular, depending on the weather. “When it rains, our cows are more like us humans and prefer to stay in their dry barn,” says Andreas Wender with a smile on his face.
Managing a herd of almost 300 dairy cows is in some ways easier today than ever before. “We essentially have all the data for each individual cow at our fingertips on our cell phones,” explain Marion and Andreas Wender. “The app not only shows us the results of the genetic analysis we have done after birth, but we can also see the current milk yield, the timeline for their next insemination and much more with just a few taps.” But this isn’t the only area where digitalization is supporting daily work, as is the case on an increasing number of farms. GPS, digital analyses and other tools have also become indispensable for efficient field work and for using fertilizer and crop protection as effectively as possible.
However, the Wender family has decided against the use of automation and robots in one key area. Milking has been carried out in the double 16 milking parlor since 2013. “Given the size of our farm, we see it as a real advantage that we can see and check on all our cows twice a day,” explains Marion Wender, who is in charge of milking mornings and afternoons. “Being able to check udders and hooves and get an overall impression every day is definitely worth the manual work for us – it means we can spot and respond to developments quickly. So, we made a conscious decision not to invest in milking robots or a rotary milking parlor.”
The animals are curious and very attentive as we walk through the barn. But, often to the astonishment of visitors, they don’t like to be stroked. Marion Wender subsequently explains to visitors aged between 4 and 90 that the animals primarily associate human contact with milking and are therefore very cautious when it comes to making contact, despite their curiosity. Over the past few months, the cows have also been getting used to some new faces on the farm.
Since March 1, the Wender family has employed two agricultural assistants who also live on the farm. The two young men come from Tanzania and have quickly settled into life in the Upper Moselle region, soon becoming an asset to the family business. “We deliberately chose when to bring them on board,” explains Andreas Wender. “I was able to provide plenty of support during their induction as there wasn’t much to do in the fields. Now that our field and farmland work is increasing, the processes are clear and many things are already running like clockwork.” This means that Andreas Wender and his father can concentrate on cultivating around 170 hectares of arable land and 160 hectares of grassland. The aim is to grow and harvest as much feed as possible themselves. But they are also aware that, given the size of the herd, certain components will still have to be bought in.
Similar to Hochwald’s “Prepared for tomorrow” strategy, the Wender family is also getting future-ready. They are systematically investing in buildings, technology and animal welfare, while always keeping an eye on the financial side of things. Because investments need to pay off to secure the future of Wiesenhof. For current and future generations in the tri-border region where Germany, France and Luxembourg meet.
