MONROE, WIS. – Pilot/farmer, Dan Wegmueller, and his wife, Ashley, hosted the 2015 “Green County Breakfast On The Farm,” May 30, 2015, on their 500-acre dairy farm located 3 miles southeast of Monroe Municipal Airport (KEFT), Monroe, Wis.
The Wegmuellers operate a grass-based/registered Brown Swiss dairy farm with 60 cows. During the summer, the cows are rotated to a different pasture each day, much like the grazing operations of New Zealand and Australia. The culmination of the breakfast included the act of turning the cows out to pasture, a delightful performance for even seasoned dairy herdsmen.
In addition to cows and airplanes, the breakfast featured classic cars and antique farm machinery, and educational booths highlighting the diversity and importance of agriculture. Wegmueller also added a special focus on “grassroots flying.”
Josh Brownell of Madison, Wis., assisted by his wife, Kerryann, hopped rides in their 1930 Waco Taperwing biplane from Wegmueller’s small grass airstrip. Brownell said they welcomed the opportunity to connect with families and the public, and see the reaction of kids to his biplane.
“It’s pretty unique,” says Brownell, who flys Boeing 747 cargo planes out of Anchorage, Alaska for a living. Kerryann is a sociologist at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. In just 5 years since purchasing the aircraft, the Brownells have given over 4,000 rides.
Also on display was Wegmueller’s 1940 Fairchild 24R, which he completely restored himself with the help of friends at EAA Chapter 431 in nearby Brodhead, Wis.
The rolling conditions of the runway and limited space for parking, prohibited Wegmueller from opening his airstrip up to visiting pilots, so he offered to shuttle pilots and their passengers from Monroe Municipal Airport that day.
To read more about Wegmueller’s 1940 Fairchild 24R restoration project, go to: https://www.midwestflyer.com/?p=6068.
