MarBec Dairy in Gilmanton, Wisconsin, began in 1993 when Marty Hallock set out to build a farm grounded in leadership and education. Those values have shaped MarBec into what it is today, a thriving dairy home to 1,250 cows. Marty’s son, Jonathon, returned to the farm full-time in 2013 and became a partner in 2018. Now, he’s continuing that legacy alongside his father and adding his own vision for growth and teamwork.

For Jonathon, dairy farming is about more than milk. “I wanted to have a positive impact in the best way I could,” he says. That mindset guides how he approaches challenges and opportunities. “This dairy didn’t get where it is all by itself. We do take a lot of advice from people who are smarter than us.” Hallock believes success comes from surrounding yourself with people who push you forward. “One of the greatest things that you come to learn is that you surround yourself with people you hope are better than you because they’ll help you grow.”

Organizations like PDP have been a big part of that journey. “Some of the greatest organizations that have helped us do that are PDP,” Jonathon shares. “PDP has really helped this farm to grow. Whether we were at their meetings, at their conference, or in my case, they helped set me up with a peer group.” Those connections have given Jonathon and his team the tools and ideas to keep improving and stay focused on what matters most.

At MarBec Dairy, that focus is on people. “At the dairy, we like to say there are an order of tasks here and people are first,” Hallock explains. His goal is simple. “I want to make sure everybody gets home safely. Everybody’s had a good day, and everybody feels respected and that they’ve had a positive impact on this dairy at the end of the day.”

Want to see more of Jonathon’s story and life at MarBec Dairy? Check out the video here.