Brothers calling it a career after nearly 50 years on the farm
By Kyle Pozorski
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MADISON, Wis. (WISC) — Brothers Randy and LaVerne Theis are calling it a career. The two have been farming together on Madison’s far west side for close to 50 years. The Theis Brothers Farm, 8901 W. Mineral Point Rd., has been in the family since 1939.
A lot has changed during the family’s nine decades of farming, including the landscape surrounding their property. The farm is located on Mineral Point Road approximately one mile west of the Beltline.
Randy Theis says that while the farm has survived, countless developments have gone up nearby. To the east of their property, the University of Wisconsin has bought large swaths of land for the development of a future research park. To the west, scores of new housing has been built, all to accompany Madison’s growing population.
All told, it’s left the Theis brothers as one of the last operating farms on Mineral Point Road. Randy Theis said one thing is for certain: with all that’s changed, the traffic has increased dramatically.
“This road has 20,000 cars on it each day,” he said.
While new roads have been built, old ones have also been removed. Theis said the amount of new housing developments are among the most striking changes.
Through it all, however, the farm has been one constant.
But like all good things, their final days on the farm are coming to a curtain call.
“It just seemed like it to be a time to move on,” said Theis.
Currently an auction is being held to sell off the farm’s machinery which includes tractors, trucks, trailers and more, according to Steffes Group, which is providing the auction services. It will run through 1 p.m. on Dec. 5.
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Jaymes Langrehrjlangrehr@wisctv.com608-277-5241
