YOB DON'T
A good family-size grade "A” dairy operation is within the
reach of anyone who can qualify. And, you don’t need a hun
dred thousand dollars. All you need is a life-time of dairy ex
perience, a landlord that appreciates it and a late model used
car that you’re willing to trade for operating capital. At least
that’s how Jack Bingham got started.
Jack Bingham was horn on once-famous Buffalo Creek
Farm, one of the truly great dairy operations of the Chicago
area two or three generations ago. Jack went to the University
of Wisconsin. He studied agriculture with a major in (you
guessed it) dairying.
Not too many years later, Jack became herdsman of another
great Northern Illinois dairy herd. The name of this place,
Hickory Creek Farms, will ring a bell with many Holstein
dairymen of the Midwest. It consisted of several hundred of
the best-blooded animals in the register books. As manager of
the operation, Jack had a crew of about 10 men and a herd
averaging 400 head. Oh, he had other jobs in between his three
dairy farm ventures, but when you learn what they were, you’ll
better understand why Jack simply states, “I guess I just like
cows.” Buffalo Creek Farm was located on the edge of Wheel
ing, Illinois. Jack went to grade school there. The green acres
he remembers so well, sprinkled with salt and pepper colored
cattle, are now covered with subdivision homes. No traces re
main of the magnificent milk factory.
His first job after graduation was fieldman for a dairy in
St. Croix County, Wisconsin. He was sort of a “middleman” in
the fight for cleaner milk. Dairy sanitation is a never-ending
project. Jack also helped dairymen qualify for Grade "A” recog
nition. He brought in new producer customers.
Then came Hickory Creek Farm in McHenry County, Illi
nois. It was his daily responsibility to see to it that 200 or more
head of high-producing cows got milked twice a day . . . some
of them three times.
His dairy experience continued to mount when, in 1954 he
took a job as public relations man and superintendent of the
International Dairy Show.
jack Bingham missed the dairy farm routine. He wanted a
place of his own. He wanted a purebred herd. He wanted to
see how much he could build it up. He knew he couldn’t buy a
dairy farm, but he felt sure that somewhere there was a dairy
farm that would spell “opportunity” for him.
Even the financial aspect of purebred cattle ownership is
a big hurdle. For instance, when Hickory Creek had its herd
dispersal sale, the stock brought a total of over $350-thousand.
One bull alone brought $11-thousand. Jack knew he had prob
lems, but he also had determination. And it paid off. He was
given his opportunity in 1956. He closed his deal with a hand
shake. His benefactor was William H. “Pat” Williams of Hunt
ley, Illinois who owned a long, irregular-shaped dairy farm
that measured a mile and a half from gne pointed .end to the
other. He also had a nice dairy herd and a good aat Idfi build
ings. This was to be the Bingham family's new :hume. They
moved onto the place on the conventional faror moving day,
March 1.
After working with Pat Williams for 6 years, Jack describes
his landlord this way. Says Jack, “He’s a man who never hesi
tates to spend money on the place if he’s reasonably sure it will
improve the farm or increase the productivity. He has been
very understanding, sometimes good and patient with me and
always mighty cooperative. Every tenant farmer should be so
fortunate.”
Jack’s first financial maneuver was to sell his year-old auto
mobile. He received 11 hundred dollars for it. This was his
initial operating capital. His line of machinery consisted of a
corn planter, a hay rake, a plow and two used tractors. A
meager beginning, but at least he was in business. He had
William’s herd of cattle to manage ... 28 cows and 28 heifers.
Now, six years later, he has but a few more head on the farm,
but the big difference is the fact that half of the herd belongs
to him. And, they’re all registered.
mmmwm
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