Dairying takes a lot of skills from herd management to mechanics. For Matthew Fischer, a graduate of the Professional Dairy Producers Cornerstone Academy, the future of his family farm in Owen depends on another skill set: leadership.
The three-year program, which focuses on visionary, influential, and servant leadership, has provided Fischer with the tools to transition from an aspiring successor to a strategic planner. While he initially viewed the farm through a short-term lens, the “visionary leadership” pillar of the academy challenged him to think decades ahead.
“I never thought of really what’s that long-term succession plan of the farm,” he tells Mid-West Farm Report. “That’s one thing I’m taking away is starting to work with my folks of, hey, I’m coming back home eventually. What’s our plan?”
Beyond succession, the academy emphasizes the human element of agriculture. Fischer highlights that while “cows are easy to work with,” managing people is the most critical component of a successful business, regardless of the operation’s size. The program’s practical application allows him to practice ethical development and communication strategies in real-time.
As he prepares to return to the family operation after working off-site for two years, Fischer is focusing on sustainability and modernization, including potential shifts to an LLC structure and the implementation of robotic milking.
“Even though I have a vision in my head and I know my folks have a vision of where we want to be as a farm, we need to sit down and talk and have these conversations to get us to where we want to be so we’re sustainable for the next hundred years.”
Supported by scholarships from the Wisconsin Rural Opportunities Foundation and the Dairy’s Foundation, Fischer credits the program with providing a tenfold return on investment, ensuring that the heart of his family’s business remains strong for generations to come.
Meet the recent graduates of the Cornerstone Academy: https://www.midwestfarmreport.com/2026/03/07/cornerstone-dairy-academy-honors-18-graduates/
