STRATFORD, WI (OnFocus) – When Matt Redetzke worked over the road welding stainless, people couldn’t believe he wanted to leave the company to milk cows. He would tell them, “It’s no joke.” Thus, the name was born, Redetzkes’ No Joke Dairy.
Redetzkes’ No Joke Dairy is family owned by Matt and Brittany Redetzke and brother Sam Redetzke. Matt and Sam are 5th generation, and operations of the farm are done by family, which includes four generations of Redetzkes’ and one employee. The farm has been in the family since 1911 when the original barn was built by Otto and Ottelia Redetzke.
Matt and Sam’s parents, Doug and Darla, sold their cows in 2011. Matt was ready to be home and get back into farming, so Matt and Brittany started crop farming in 2012. In 2013 they began buying calves. That’s when Sam was brought in to take care of the animals while Matt was away working. They grew a herd with those calves and began milking in 2015. Past herds were Holstein, but the current milking herd of zoo is mainly Jersey with some cross breeding. There are 400 head on site, including youngstock.
Currently milking with 20 ATO’s in the original tie stall barn, Redetzke’s are looking to expand to a new robot barn starting with 6 robots. “We have already begun working on our future plans by prepping the pad area for the robot barn that will be a new building. Also, in preparation for the robots to arrive, we built a new 5-million-gallon manure lagoon. Plus, an addition to the side of the original barn has just been completed to provide for our freshening/special needs cows,” Matt Redetzke proudly states.
The Redetzke’s don’t want to get stuck in “this is how we’ve always done it” but rather they want to “try new things, explore new ideas, and use the wisdom of past experience.”
“Wisconsin Farm Technology Days is excited to work with this young family operation to bring new ideas and innovation to dairy farmers across the state,” states Anna Maenner, Show General Manager, “We look forward to having farmers join us July 14 – 16, 2026, at Redetzkes’ No Joke Dairy in Stratford for the 72nd Wisconsin Farm Technology Days.”
Follow Redetzkes’ adventures on their Facebook page at Redetzkes’ No Joke Dairy. Farm Technology Days of Wisconsin, Inc. (dba Wisconsin Farm Technology Days) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that provides education in and about agriculture through a 3-day farm show that rotates to farming operations across the state.
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Author: News Desk
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