Rebuilding After the Fire with Kyle Witkowski (New York)

Fourth-generation dairyman Kyle Woodkowski runs the last dairy farm in the town of Boston, just south of Buffalo, New York. At 31, he’s carved his own path—starting from scratch in his early 20s, renting barns, and slowly growing a herd through grit, debt, and late nights. Today, he’s preparing to move his 55 milking Jerseys into a brand-new freestall barn on land owned with his family—built after a devastating barn fire in 2024 nearly ended everything.Kyle walks through that morning in vivid detail: the smell of smoke, rescuing cows, and watching a century-old barn collapse. Within hours, neighbors and local farmers rallied to get him milking again, proof that rural New York’s ag community still shows up when it counts. He also shares the business decisions behind financing new facilities, his steady adoption of better recordkeeping and precision tools, and the family’s informal approach to succession through shared work and trust.For Kyle, farming means resilience: “You can start dairy farming from scratch—but you better get used to the hard times before you reach the good ones.”🎙️ Pass the MicZach’s question to Kyle: “What do you think the next generation of agriculture needs to bring to the table to not disappoint the previous generation?”Kyle’s question for the next guest: “When you make business decisions, are you planning for the next generation—or just keeping things steady for now?”Thanks for listening to Beyond the Bushels, where farm stories go deeper than yield.If you enjoyed today’s episode, be sure to follow and leave a review. Every story helps us celebrate the legacy, leadership, and lessons of American agriculture.Follow us on social media for behind-the-scenes clips, episode highlights, and more:FacebookInstagramTikTokYouTubeLinkedInWebsite