Lisa Reeck has no troubles keeping herself busy on her family farm, Greenwood Dairy, near Paynesville, Minnesota. This mom of two young boys is living the 24/7 dairy farm lifestyle alongside her husband and his family. “Growing up on a dairy farm with four sisters, certainly has helped have that frame of reference for marrying into a dairy farm family,” says Lisa. “We’re committed to raising cows and milking them three times a day 365 days a year.”
Greenwood Dairy dates back to 1885 and is a 5th generation farm. The family milks about 675 cows which Lisa describes as a colorful mix with Holsteins and cross breeds in the herd. Their milk travels to nearby First District Cooperative in Litchfield, MN where the majority is made into cheese.
Lisa’s role on the farm is multifaceted. Her primary responsibility consists of raising all the baby calves, young heifers and steers. With her accounting and marketing degree from the University of Minnesota, she also handles the financial portion of the farm by managing payroll and accounting. And as needed, she’ll help in the main dairy barn.
To reset from her busy schedule, Lisa turns to staying active through running. “Running fills my cup. It’s therapeutic and something I genuinely enjoy doing,” says Lisa, “I think it’s important to have something to do for myself.” She started running in college to stay active and spend time outdoors exploring the Twin Cities. It wasn’t until she got married and moved to a small town that she got more serious into running and challenged herself with a half marathon, and eventually a marathon.
Running has allowed her to connect with people who have diverse lives in the running community. She especially enjoys challenging herself to improve her times and enjoys seeing others succeed with their health and wellness goals. Running also has become a fun family activity as Lisa loves taking out the jogging stroller with her kids and hearing her older son cheer for mom.
In her duel role as a runner and mom of young boys, Lisa makes fueling her active lifestyle and family a priority and relies on dairy to help her achieve that. After finishing a run, Lisa almost always enjoys a glass of chocolate milk to provide the carbohydrates, high-quality protein and hydration that her recovering body needs.
“I feel really good about feeding dairy foods to my kids because I know how much care and dedication goes into producing these foods. There’s nothing healthier than grabbing a glass of milk or cup of cottage cheese or yogurt or cheese,” shares Lisa. For a busy mom like Lisa, dairy is the quick and naturally nutritious foods she turns to.
*Photos featured in this article were taken prior to March 2020 before mandatory mask/social distancing mandates were implemented.