Lee Kinnard
President, Owner

As president of Kinnard Farms, Lee manages the business, the people and the cows. Over the years, Kinnard Farms has grown due to Lee’s new ideas, methods and solutions that have a positive impact on animal care, regenerative agriculture and food production. The farm’s commitment to the practice of innovation results from Lee’s upbringing by his progressive parents, Alvin & Milly — plus a conscious, purposeful search for opportunity. This commitment creates change with economic and social potential for the farm’s economics, the community and national food security.

New ideas grow on the farm every day. From research trials on improved calf care practices to changes in cow care (a result of data analytics) to cutting-edge methodology to protect water quality, Lee stays focused on making agriculture better.

Lee and Rod, his brother, grew Kinnard Farms by hiring the right people and getting out of their way. Today, Lee’s team of experts manage animals and crop systems at the highest level of excellence. More than 100 employees take great pride in providing millions of people with nutritious beef and dairy foods produced in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin.

“Agriculture is the answer to keeping rural Kewaunee County’s landscape of green and gold fields. Growing our farm provides jobs for youth to stay in our community, tax resources for community services and strong schools — plus, we support local businesses. When agriculture thrives, communities thrive.”

Jackie Stewart
Vice President, Marketing & Community Relations

David Stewart
Treasurer, Financial Strategist

Jackie is responsible for marketing and community events and is the liaison with families who rent their land to the farm. She finds it rewarding to meet with the landowners — many of whom knew her parents and even her grandparents and farmed the land themselves. David provides strategic counsel on the farm’s financials with an emphasis on projections and business growth.

Jackie, the second youngest of the seven Kinnard children, loved working on the farm as a child. Alvin and Milly provided their children with an education, and in return, the children came home for the summer and worked on the farm. They had a choice: house work, field work or yard work. Jackie chose milking and yard work. She especially loved working in the flower beds with her mom.

After college, Jackie worked in news and sales at WFRV Channel 5 in Green Bay. David, originally from Ohio, earned his MBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin–Madison before becoming the Controller of WFRV Channel 5. During their 25 years of working together at the station, Jackie and David spent many Sundays at the farm with Milly. Jackie recalls special days when she and her mom toured the flower gardens and ate the scrumptious dessert Milly had baked that morning.

When Lee, Rod and Maureen decided it was time to expand the farm in 2012, it created a need for new positions — perfect for Jackie and David. Jackie feels coming back to the farm to work with her brothers and neighbors was what she and David were meant to do. Today, visitors to the farm enjoy Jackie’s beautiful arrangements, gardens and planters, inspired by Milly.

“I love being back on the farm. There is something very special about returning to the place I grew up and having the opportunity to work with my family and an incredibly talented team of employees. So many things have changed, but the core values remain the same.” – Jackie

“Jackie’s family has such an outstanding legacy in the community and in the Wisconsin dairy industry. Lee works night and day to contribute to that legacy, and it’s an honor to assist him on any endeavor.” – David

Tyler Cravillion
Field Operations Manager

Every day on the farm is different for Tyler, who manages planting, harvest, scheduling and everything in between. During winter, Tyler studies crop rotations to plan for spring planting and preps equipment to plant thousands of acres. Summer involves working with the farm’s agronomist monitoring crops, and fall is a very busy time, with corn silage harvest, planting cover crops and monitoring feed quality and moisture to make sure custom operators arrive at just the right time.

Tyler started full-time on the farm in 2015, and in spring of 2018, he was promoted to Field Operations Manager. One of his favorite parts of the job is being able to help implement and use new technology, such as an in-season autonomous applicator that runs off the planter’s GPS.

In his spare time, Tyler enjoys riding UTVs, snowmobiling, camping, hunting and traveling with his two sons, his girlfriend Amanda and her daughter. His travels have taken him on hunting trips to Texas and South Africa, and he is looking forward to planning his next trip soon.

“I like where Kinnard Farms is going. I like to be in the front row of new technology. I always want to be the best. I found my place, and this is the farm I want to be on.”

Amanda Duncan
Calf Depot Manager

Amanda is responsible for creating a nursery of tranquility for the farm’s calves. Newborn calves are the future and legacy of the farm. She and her team administer vaccines and assure the calves get a lot of sleep. Amanda also runs The Calf Depot, a consortium of farmers dedicated to best practices for newborn calves. She uses her leadership skills to help others get their calves off to the best start.

Knowing calves are properly taken care of involves training her team with her same sense of compassion. Amanda’s heart for caring for animals extends beyond her job. She has taken in kittens dropped off at the farm, fostered abandoned goats and pot-bellied pigs, provided extra care for special needs calves and owns a few miniature horses.

Amanda has a bachelor’s degree in dairy science with a minor in ag business from UW-River Falls. She credits her internships, hands on training and bilingual skills with giving her a step up. When Amanda isn’t at work on the farm, she farms at home. Amanda and Aaron, her husband, took over her family’s beef farm raising Waygu Pinzgauer crosses and selling direct from the farm. They have three young children — two girls and a boy.

“At Kinnard Farms, animal welfare is never put into question over cost. I want baby calves to have the best start. I have full support to provide the very best care.”

Amanda Heiges
Business Manager

If it involves numbers, Amanda is in charge. Her responsibilities include accounts receivable, accounts payable and human resources. She works with the county or local town government on permits for new projects on the farm, such as a new building or new technology. During the growing season, Amanda inputs and analyzes data. She logs every pound that comes in from the fields, is applied to the field or is planted in the field.

Amanda received her bachelor’s degree in animal science with a minor in crop science from UW-River Falls. She applies her knowledge in both areas to advancing the business. In the fall, Amanda enjoys getting outside with a drone to film tractors creating the silage pile. She enjoys educating people on what the land gives back to the community.

Amanda loves watching her daughter play soccer and basketball. An avid reader, Amanda reads multiple books simultaneously, from murder mystery to romance to memoir. She enjoys traveling and camping with her boyfriend, Tyler, and their children.

“I love working in agriculture. Every day there is a new project to work on at Kinnard Farms. It’s great to see new technology and how agriculture is moving forward on the cow and cropping side of the farm.”

Carissa Koeppel
Herd Manager

Carissa oversees the herd health team, which is responsible for general care of the animals on the farm, including treatment and prevention of disease. An apprenticeship in high school at a veterinary clinic spurred her passion for working with animals. She completed training as a Certified Veterinary Technician at Madison Area Technical College. While there, her rotations at the large animal clinic in Casco introduced her to Kinnard Farms. She started as a herdsperson on the farm and became the Herd Manager in 2020. At the end of the day, Carissa feels accomplished knowing she helps provide a great life for the cows and the people who care for them.

Carissa’s first job is being a mom to two active, young boys who love being outside. When she finds the rare time to sit, there’s a cup of coffee and a book in her hands. Carissa’s other half, Luke, owns a trucking firm and can often be found on the farm as well.

“I love being able to make a difference for the cows and the people at Kinnard Farms. I’m bilingual, and my favorite days are when I can work side by side with my team teaching or helping vaccinate the animals. I try to bring positivity and kindness to my job every day.”

Phillip M. G. Peixoto
Director of Dairy/Herd Veterinarian

Phillip works directly with the herd and feed managers, as well as their field leaders to ensure the utmost care for the animals and employees. Collectively, he gathers information from multiple sectors on the farm involved with animal health and production and translates it into numbers. Communication with everyone on staff is key to digest technical information and deliver it in tangible language to managers and employees.

Phillip obtained a veterinary degree from the Federal University of Goias in Brazil. After graduating, he went on to pursue a Master’s in Veterinary Clinical Science with a practical component from the University of Illinois. He then acquired a Ph.D. in Animal Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Florida in 2024. Throughout Phillip’s studies, he always worked alongside affiliated dairies — either as clinician or as extensionist providing orientation and training. He enjoys travel, practicing sports and grilling meat.

“The fact that the animals’ lives are honored at Kinnard Farms is captivating. I believe my mission here is to coordinate and motivate the employees to always deliver their best to the animals.”

Todd Salentine
Shop Service Manager

If it has a motor or wheels and moves, Todd keeps it running. Todd and his team work on tractors, skid loaders, side by sides, payloaders, semis and more. He enjoys working for a business that puts animals and people first. Todd manages the new state-of-the-art shop, which includes a pit with a hydraulic floor that allows his team to work underneath the entire length of a semi while standing and new wash bays that are also built for employee comfort. Todd also helps implement new technology in the shop, such as a new software program that tracks hours on vehicles, service intervals and uses QR codes to manage inventory.

For the past 20 years, Todd has been certified as a Master Truck Equipment Technician by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence, in addition to being a certified welder. Todd is an avid deer hunter (gun and bow) and works on his friend’s stock car in his spare time. Todd and his wife, Michelle, enjoy attending heavy metal and country music concerts. They have one grown daughter.

“If a job needs to get done, I try to make sure it gets done. It’s who I am, how I was raised. At Kinnard Farms, they give you the tools you need to get the job done right.”

Mark Schlaefer
Feed Manager

Mark touches everything related to milk production on the farm: food, rest and the locomotion of the cow. He leads the Feed Center team and works to assure each cow has fresh feed in front of her when she returns from milking. Mark and his team mix 10 different recipes — known as rations — into 30 batches of feed each day. Mixing 688 tons of Total Mixed Ration per day requires skills in inventory and quality control. Mark is also responsible for delivering the recycled sand bedding to the barns and managing the in-house hoof trimming.

Mark attended UW-River Falls and was a member of Alpha Gamma Rho. He started his career in sales but knew his passion was caring for animals. Mark enjoys painting and woodworking, and you can often spot him stopping to harvest old barn wood from buildings being torn down. He has served as a volunteer firefighter for the Southern Door Fire Department for more than 30 years. He and his wife, Laurie, have one grown daughter.

“I truly love the job. Little boys grow up wanting to drive big tractors or be a fireman or drive a semi. I can do it all at Kinnard Farms.”

Paula Shefchik
Office Manager

Paula is the first smiling face you see when you walk in the business offices of the farm. As Office Manager, Paula greets guests and delivery drivers and runs the front office. She also assists all managers and team members with a variety of tasks, including human resources and payroll.

Paula started at Kinnard Farms as an Office Assistant and advanced to Office Manager in 2024. Raised a “city girl,” Paula has learned to love farm life, especially at harvest time during which she and Eric, her husband, often drive to the farm at night to watch the lights of the pile tractors packing the silage.

Paula credits the open lines of communication for the strong company culture at Kinnard Farms. This allows for work/life balance and the ability to enjoy lots of family time with her husband, two adult, married daughters, two bonus daughters and three grandchildren. She loves bringing her grandchildren and other family members to the farm to see the calves and rotary milking parlor. Paula also likes to spend time with friends, traveling, working in her perennial gardens, taking photos of nature and at their family cabin.

“Kinnard Farms offers a really great, flexible work/life balance. I have never worked for a company as appreciative and caring as Kinnard Farms. They truly care about their employees, as well as their families, and they make sure you don’t miss out on any of life’s important moments.”

Marty Thiry
Facility Maintenance Manager

Marty’s position covers a wide range of responsibilities, including management of the sand recycling room, problem-solving unplanned breakdowns, overseeing scheduled maintenance and more. Previously, Marty spent 25 years working on paper machines in Green Bay. Now he has a two-minute drive to work and applies his mechanical knowledge to finetune equipment on the farm. Marty thrives on the innovation implemented on the farm. He and his team make sure the recycled sand is suitable for the cows, controlling cleanliness and dryness.

With his mechanical mind, Marty taught himself how to restore engines and cars. His recent projects include a 1972 Mustang and a 1967 Galaxy, and he’s currently working on restoring a 1970 Mustang. Marty and his wife, Sue, enjoy side by siding to go check out waterfalls or natural areas, camping and spending family time in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. They have three grown children.

“There’s such a wide array of equipment that I work on at Kinnard Farms that my job never gets boring. It’s challenging and rewarding, and there’s always something new on the farm. At the end of the day, you feel you’ve made some headway.”