Honored as the Franklin Township “Farmers of the Year,” Mike and Janet Wittmann wave to the crowd during Sunday’s parade at the Plain Fire & EMS 3-Day Celebration. The special parade entry ties into the Old Franklin Township Historical Society museum’s featured display, “Farming in the Early Days.”
Mike, a 1977 River Valley High School graduate, began working the family farm in 1983 after spending time at Cedar Grove Cheese Factory and McFarlanes in Sauk. He and Janet married in 1992, officially purchasing the farm in 1997. Together, they expanded the herd to 70 dairy cows, upgraded farm buildings, and expanded their land base until Mike retired from milking in August 2025 to transition to cash cropping.
Beyond the field, the couple—parents to two sons and grandparents to two grandsons—enjoy outdoor adventures like snowmobiling, motorcycle riding, deer hunting, zip-lining, whitewater rafting, and parasailing. Through decades of hard work and overcoming trials together, Mike maintains a simple philosophy: farming is never work when you truly love what you do.
