High Grove Farm Journal – February 2026
Mar 09, 2026 (Westby, WI)
February on the dairy farm often feels like the longest stretch of winter. The days meander by slowly with the cold settling deep. Mornings begin before the sun, with the familiar rhythm of milking, feeding, and checking on the herd while frost clings to every gate and water line. Snowbanks have grown taller this year than in seasons past, and the winter weather makes every task take a little more effort and a few extra layers of clothes and coats to get through the day.
Nothing compares to the cold that February brings. You can even see it in pictures!
By mid-February, the routine feels exhausting and the idea of spring seems beyond reach, as if it will never arrive. The cows seem to sense the season too. They’re content staying in the barn and chewing their cud while the wind howls outside. Inside the milk house, steam rises and the warm hum of the equipment is a welcome contrast to the biting air outdoors. Even simple chores like bedding stalls or hauling feed feel more taxing this time of year, when winter has lingered long enough to test everyone’s patience.
Signs of spring: new calves and morning sunshine with mom in the maternity pen.
Still, February carries small hints that winter will end. Seed magazines brighten the daily mail and spring planning takes our minds off the never ending winter barn chores. Now the daylight stretches a little further into the evening chores, and the occasional mild afternoon softens the edges of winter. There’s a quiet anticipation around the farm—and the promise that before long the mud, birdsong and busy energy of spring will return once again! And we can’t wait!
-Jessica
Jessica Rogers is a Westby Creamery farmer-owner who is sharing glimpses of farm life with us.
