WHY WE FARM
 Scott and Leslie Svacina
Thank you for your interest in my farm. My name is Leslie Svacina and I own and run Cylon Rolling Acres, a small grass-based farm south of Deer Park, Wisconsin. My husband Scott also assists with the farm outside of his day job. Our young son enjoys having the farm as his giant play yard. We choose to farm for many reasons: It's in our roots and a way of life that we know and love. We both have grown up in agriculture. I was raised in rural Northeastern Wisconsin loving the outdoors, developing a hands-on approach to life and actively participating in ag education and FFA. Scott grew up on a dairy farm in Northwestern Wisconsin. We both started our careers in agriculture working for organizations that provide supplies and services to farmers. Scott continues to do so today, while I now farm. While farming is hard work, both physical and brain power, it's a way of life we enjoy. We are thankful to be a part of agriculture and raise a family on the farm. We love the outdoors and the land. As land owners, we're proud that we care for our land in a way that not only benefits our livestock and pasture, but also the soil and wildlife. It also the reason why we rotationally graze our goats and pasture poultry. Making something our own. As a small business owner, there's not a better feeling of building something of our own. It's our farm and planning that's moving it forward. As we continue to grow, it's motivating to see our hard work and business plans pay off. Doing our part to provide nutritious food to our greater community. This doesn't really need much more explanation. It is what it is and we're glad to play a part in our regional food and ag system. |
IN THE NEWS
Hudson Star Observer: Excellence in Ag Finalists Selected, October, 10, 2016
Women Food & Ag Network Farmer Profile: Leslie Svacina of Cylon Rolling Acres, September 1, 2016. Morning Ag Clips: Women Caring for the Land events, August 1, 2016 The Country Today: St. Croix County woman taps into resources to help ensure her new farm goes mostly … According to plan, July 6, 2015 The Country Today: Meat goat producer network starts with website, April 27, 2015 St. Croix County Farm Bureau News: Member Profile, May 2014 Connect with me
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Read Leslie's farm blog.
Why Cylon?
Cylon (pronounced Si-lon) is the name of our township in St. Croix County, Wisconsin. Sorry fans, our farm is not named after the robots of Battlestar Galactica.
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MORE ABOUT THE FARM
Cylon Rolling Acres is situated on 140 acres in the northeastern corner of St. Croix County in Wisconsin, just 40 minutes east of the Minneapolis - St. Paul metro area and 30 minutes west of Menomonie, Wisconsin. About half of the land is home to the farmstead itself -- pasture, barns and the farmhouse. The other half is mostly woods, home to whitetail deer, wild turkeys, fox and black bear. We also harvest maple sap from these woods, cooking down some sap into syrup and selling the rest to an area family business who makes maple syrup.
On my farm, I raise goats for meat on pasture. I have two separate herds. My main herd is a mix of Boer, Kiko and Boer-Kiko cross does. While both are well known meat breeds, the Kiko breed does especially well on pasture, which works well with our seasonal, rotational grazing. This herd is grass-fed and lives on pasture for most of the year, eating grasses and browse. During the winter they live in the barn with access to pasture and hay, which is cut from the pastures in the summer. Our livestock guardian dogs, Ruby and Moly, also keep our goats company and provide protection from predators. We chose managed-grazing as a farming practice, which gives our animals access to part of the pasture (a paddock) for a period of time and then move on to a new paddock with fresh grass. This practice helps maximize the health of the pasture, soil and even the goats, since it helps reduce their internal parasites as well. I also have a second herd of dairy bucks, which I also raise for meat. They're raised on pasture and supplemented with some grain to provide the nutrients they need to grow. As goat milk and related products become more popular, there are now more goat dairy farms in our area. Since these farms, obviously do not milk the male goats, we now have an opportunity to raise them for meat. We've also raised pastured-turkeys in the past.
On my farm, I raise goats for meat on pasture. I have two separate herds. My main herd is a mix of Boer, Kiko and Boer-Kiko cross does. While both are well known meat breeds, the Kiko breed does especially well on pasture, which works well with our seasonal, rotational grazing. This herd is grass-fed and lives on pasture for most of the year, eating grasses and browse. During the winter they live in the barn with access to pasture and hay, which is cut from the pastures in the summer. Our livestock guardian dogs, Ruby and Moly, also keep our goats company and provide protection from predators. We chose managed-grazing as a farming practice, which gives our animals access to part of the pasture (a paddock) for a period of time and then move on to a new paddock with fresh grass. This practice helps maximize the health of the pasture, soil and even the goats, since it helps reduce their internal parasites as well. I also have a second herd of dairy bucks, which I also raise for meat. They're raised on pasture and supplemented with some grain to provide the nutrients they need to grow. As goat milk and related products become more popular, there are now more goat dairy farms in our area. Since these farms, obviously do not milk the male goats, we now have an opportunity to raise them for meat. We've also raised pastured-turkeys in the past.
Involvement:
Leslie grew up in Northeastern Wisconsin outside of Green Bay. While she didn't grow up on farm, Leslie's passion for agriculture started as a young woman taking her first high school agriscience course and joining the FFA. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in Agricultural Marketing Communications and a minor in Agribusiness. She also has a master's degree in Agribusiness from Kansas State University. Prior to solely focusing on running her farm, Leslie worked in agricultural education for the Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators and as an internship coordinator at a land-grant university. She started her career in agricultural marketing communications and has experience working in higher education in career and academic advising roles.
- St. Croix Farm Bureau, Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation and its Young Farmer and Agriculturalist organization
- Indianhead Sheep and Goat Breeders Association
- Wisconsin Farmers Union
- Wisconsin Farm Bureau Leadership Institute - Class X
- Annie's Project for Women Farmers/Beginning Women Farmers graduate
- GrassWorks and Western Wisconsin Grazing Conferences
- Grazing pasture walks
- AgStar Women's Seminar
- Nutrient management planning
- Women Caring for the Land Conservation Meetings
- Extension (Wisconsin and Minnesota) Programs: Silvopasture Workshop, Grazing 101 School, Meat Goat Workshop, Small Ruminants Workshop
- Citizen Member, St. Croix County Ground and Surface Water Quality Study Group
- St. Croix County Farm Bureau Board
- Coordinator, Wisconsin Meat Goat Producers Network
- Web Communications Manager, Indianhead Sheep and Goat Breeders Association
- Lifetime FFA Alumni Member, New Richmond FFA Alumni
- Past UW-River Falls University Alumni Board: Executive Committee Secretary, Special Events Committee
- Past UW-River Falls College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences Alumni Board President and Member
Leslie grew up in Northeastern Wisconsin outside of Green Bay. While she didn't grow up on farm, Leslie's passion for agriculture started as a young woman taking her first high school agriscience course and joining the FFA. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in Agricultural Marketing Communications and a minor in Agribusiness. She also has a master's degree in Agribusiness from Kansas State University. Prior to solely focusing on running her farm, Leslie worked in agricultural education for the Wisconsin Association of Agricultural Educators and as an internship coordinator at a land-grant university. She started her career in agricultural marketing communications and has experience working in higher education in career and academic advising roles.