On a Wisconsin Family Farm: Historic Tales of Character, Community and Culture

by Corey A. Geiger

On a Wisconsin Family Farm flings the barn doors wide open to a cast of characters that built America’s Dairyland. A maternal maverick, Anna Satorie, went against cultural norms and became the sole owner of her family’s homestead in 1905. The next year, Anna married John Burich, and the couple went about building a thrifty family farm.

Pioneer life was fraught with trials and tribulations as polio and tuberculosis claimed loved ones and the fabricated death of a bootlegging brother turned gangsters away from the farm. Neighbors pitched in as members of the immigrant class aided one another to construct farmsteads and support one another through unsanctioned bank loans, daring dynamite work and barn raisings.

Leaving work aside, this community also threw parties met by the rooster’s early-dawn crow. Corey Geiger, international agricultural journalist, pairs his rural roots and lively storytelling talents to capture six generations of local tales.

Genres: Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published March 29, 2021

About the author

Known to friends as the “Dancing Dairyman,” Corey Geiger danced his way onto the Family Feud television show, Texas Two-Stepped on the colored shavings during the Supreme Champion ceremonies in front of a crowd of 4,500 at the World Dairy Expo and competed at the Fred Astaire Cross Country Dance Competition national finals, where he and his wife, Krista Knigge, won top amateur couple honors in their division. In 1995, this University of Wisconsin-Madison graduate joined Hoard’s Dairyman. In 2013, Geiger was tapped as the publication’s fifth lead editor, and in 2019, he was elected the sixty-fifth president of Holstein USA. He was co-editor of World Dairy Expo’s 50th Anniversary Book, We Need a Show, and served as fundraising co-chair for the Farm Wisconsin Discovery Center. He remains true to his farming roots, managing the cropland and facility maintenance on his family’s farm, which dates back to 1867.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked the format used in this book. Corey set the stage with some background or side information and then told a story about how it all connected with the family. I learned so many things I never was aware of. I can't wait to hear the next chapter in this saga of how Elmer and Julia managed the farm going forward to when Randy and Rosalie take over. And all the connections to Reedsville, Brillion and the greater community. Great job!

[LJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who grew up in Manitowoc County and had family that were farmers this was an interesting read. It gives very factual information through six generations. Lots of compelling characters and developments.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

On A Wisconsin Family Farm: Historic Tales of Character, Community and Culture by Corey A. Geiger was an enjoyable and highly interesting read.

This nonfiction book is the story of the author’s family and their homestead in northeast Wisconsin, starting in the late 1800s and going through the 1930s. There are some more recent stories of the family sprinkled in as well.

Overall, I thought this was a very engaging read. It was fascinating to learn about farm life at these different points in history. I was especially intrigued to read about the author’s family connection to bootlegging and the routes in and distilleries in northeast Wisconsin. I also appreciated the historical and cultural context the author was able to provide about other events that were going on at various times, like when Wisconsin Governor W.D. Hoard tried mandating that school must be taught in English instead of German or Bohemian and it ended up costing him the next election. While I often shy away from nonfiction books because I get bored, this was not the case with this book as the storytelling aspect was excellent. It is written by the editor of Hoard’s Dairyman Magazine, so the high quality writing was not a surprise. This is definitely a book I would recommend to others and would read again myself.

[Jeff Rosendahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would mean more to me if it was a) written by a family member b) located in the area of the state I'm from or c) have some kind of connection to my life. It's not bad, but it seems to be rather obviously a series of newspaper articles that have been stitched together. I'm interested in the research Geiger has done into his family history, and like the parts where he describes how "life was back in the old days." But he's hampered by the fact that much of what he is writing about isn't written down, so he has to make up motives and story endings, and he's also hampered by the fact that there are so many people with the same name married to or kids of other people with the same names....it gets confusing to the reader. This is just ok, and could be the basis for a good fiction novel (think Jerry Apps "Blue Shadows Farm" or "In a Pickle"), and you can skip it unless you have a connection to Manitowoc County, WI.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Corey Geiger's Reedsville farm has been in his family for six generations going back to 1870's when Wencil and Anna Satorie bought 40 acres on a section known as the Rock (part of the Niagara Escapement). Through oral histories, photos, and documents kept for decades, Geiger was able to write about his hard working ancestors, early farming in Wisconsin, and a rarity in those early days -- property passed on to a daughter. I found the book interesting, especially the sections on the twenties and thirties, but since much of the book had been written originally for a paper, I found much of the book repetitive and in need of a good editing.

[Krista Knigge · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say- I love this author :-) His writing style is engaging and entertaining. The stories are relatable and will bring a smile to your face or tug at your emotions. You wouldn’t believe they are true if not for the photos to document the oral histories. The chapters are short and quick to get through. You learn a little history without even realizing it and maybe you’ll find yourself in a conversation with a relative or friend and get a story you didn’t know after reading this book. Enjoy!

[Roger · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a folksy story of a Wisconsin dairy farm family dating back to 1867 and the hardships and successes of multiple generations up to the present. It reminds me of my in- laws farm story dating back to 1858 - also in Wisconsin but with a Pommeranian cultural heritage, rather than Czech/Bohemian as in this book..

[Diane Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excellent historical read with many interesting facts and events. I felt it jumped around a lot to dates and I had a hard time following sometimes. I did enjoy learning more about WI and local history though.

[Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Covers 6 generations of farm living and at times was a bit repetitive. Good history lesson of heritage, hard work, and the bond between people and the land. It’s a great read for anyone interested in rural Americana or memoirs that look into the human experience.

[Rae Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Corey really did a wonderful job researching so much family history and weaving that in with history of that place and era in general.

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful memories of growing up on a Midwestern Dairy farm with comprehensive family records!

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed this family’s story and the history lessons.

[Theresa Caylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many similarities to my family’s farm history in Southern Wisconsin. Truly enjoyed it!

[Sara Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that gives you a Wisconsin families history and gives insight into what was happening in the area at the time. fun to read and I felt connected to the family as the book went on.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book with great historical information about Wisconsin and the factors affecting immigrant families in the early 20th century.

[Grace Pepperman · Rating 5 out of 5]

On a Wisconsin Family Farm is a beautiful passion project about the authors family and ancestral land. Wonderful!