Meet the Krusenbaum Family

by Carrie Branovan

Apparently I'm not the only farmer 'wanna-be' who left the Krusenbaum's dairy farm thinking, I'm gonna sell everything, start over, live the good life…or, better yet, I'll just move right in…

Sue Krusenbaum tells me lots of folks are converted after spending a day on her family's farm. "It's so romantic," they tell her.

I think it was Espresso Hour that clinched it for me. At 4 o clock sharp, Sue brews up a pot of java, and serves it up along with organic cream and homemade bread and cheese. Everyone on the farm gathers around the picnic table near the garden and takes a break: they laugh, relax, and discuss the strategy for the rest of the day.

Sue and Altfrid Krusenbaum have devoted their lives to making their farm "a happy place to be." They have adopted new farming methods, adjusted their priorities, and achieved a balance for themselves and their three children: Tony 14, Julia 12, and Justin, 10. Sue explains it this way, "Too many farm kids and urbanites think of farming as a dead end, too much work for not enough pay; drudgery. We see our farm as a model to inspire future generations of people considering farming as a way of life. Our family's mission is to help young people get started in a way that's enjoyable and profitable. It's our way of giving back what we were gifted with."

The couple has taken the best elements from their diverse backgrounds and combined worldly experiences, to create their own self-styled agri-culture.