Many farms in the area were settled in the late 1800’s and early 1900s. This particular area was heavily concentrated in German decent. The earliest sign I have found is from the machine shed stating the completion date of “17 Oct 13”. The farm had been in the Ludtke Family from then until April 30th 2015 when I had moved in. I would imagine that in the early years the farm had a wide variety of animals and as the transition to specialization in dairy production came in the 70s so did the Ludtkes. In 2003, the state put a highway in making travel between New London, Waupaca, Appleton and Oshkosh much easier. At that time the farm had been excavated for fill to help in the highway project. It was at that point that the 3.5 acre pond was added giving the property a much more contour feel than the flat plot that was here prior. The most important part of this is that the property was wiped clean of life and it has been going though natural succession. With a little help and careful planning, the property will quickly begin building a deep rich soil. I look forward to the progress in the many years ahead.
Over the past year, I have been working with some friends to share with you visually a little more about the farm. Here is a short clip of what we have put together.
Thank you Adam & Ross for all of your hard work.
