Koester Brothers Farms in Indiana: History, What It Raises, How It Makes Money and How to Contact It
Profile updated November 2026
Koester Brothers Farms is a multigenerational grain and dairy operation in Posey County, Indiana, near Wadesville and Poseyville. Dale and Lisa Koester were named 2026 Indiana Master Farmers, and the family has been featured for adopting four robotic milkers in 2012 on a dairy of roughly 200 to 220 cows.
| Location | Wadesville and Poseyville, Posey County, Indiana |
|---|---|
| Founded | Multigenerational family farm; founding year not stated in sources reviewed |
| Sectors | dairy; corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa; hay; trucking |
| Scale | About 200 to 220 dairy cows milked with four robots; acreage not published |
| Why it is elite | 2026 Indiana Master Farmers; early adopters of robotic milking |
| Ownership | Koester family; four brothers (Dale, Jim, Ray, Duane) and the next generation |
| Official website | Purdue 2026 Indiana Master Farmers announcement |
History of Koester Brothers Farms
Koester Brothers Farms grew from a family dairy and crop farm into an operation run by four brothers, Dale, Jim, Ray and Duane, with the next generation including Ray's sons Sam and Luke. The family also runs a trucking business.
Dale and Lisa Koester were named 2026 Indiana Master Farmers by Indiana Prairie Farmer and Purdue. Dale has served on the board of Farm Credit Mid-America, and Lisa is listed on the Purdue commercial agriculture team.
What Koester Brothers Farms Grows and Raises
The dairy installed four robotic milkers in 2012. Farm Progress reported that cows average 2.8 milkings a day, up from two, with benefits including less family labor for evening milking, better reproductive efficiency, earlier detection of sick cows and generally lower somatic cell counts. The family says a fifth robot would be useful.
On the crop side the farm grows corn, soybeans, wheat and some alfalfa and hay, which feed the herd and supply cash grain sales.
How Koester Brothers Farms Makes Money
Milk sales
With about 200 to 220 cows, milk is the base revenue stream. Robotic milking increased milkings per cow and output in slower months.
Grain and hay
Corn, soybeans and wheat provide market crops, and hay and alfalfa support the herd.
Trucking and services
A family trucking business adds income and uses equipment and labor outside the dairy.
Farm Insight: What Other Operators Can Learn from Koester Brothers Farms
Technology that reduces labor can let a family expand. The robots cut evening milking labor and produced herd data that supports earlier health checks. Dairy owners considering robots should plan for data management, since the family says interpreting the data remains a challenge.
A second lesson is brothers working as a team. Four brothers and the next generation share roles across dairy, crops and trucking, and community leadership in Farm Credit and Purdue shows value in industry involvement for staying informed.
Four brothers, one dairy and a herd that walks to a robot on its own schedule: that is a good story. The farm satire writers at farm.FM say the best farm humor in Posey County is a cow that has apparently learned to book herself an appointment. The ranch humor shop adds that the robots never ask for overtime, and the farm jokes about milking at 2.8 times a day are best told with a cup of coffee.
Part newsroom, part radio dial, farm.FM bills itself as America's first satirical farm site and plays Tractor Tunes, its country music for farmers. Browse a farm.FM writer's back catalog to see the style.
How to Contact Koester Brothers Farms
No official website for Koester Brothers Farms was found; this page is the Purdue announcement of the 2026 Master Farmers. Contact Posey County Purdue Extension or Indiana dairy associations for introductions.
Koester Brothers Farms Sources and Agriculture Authority Links
- Purdue 2026 Indiana Master Farmers - Announcement of the 2026 honorees
- Robots sound like an investment for this dairy - Indiana Prairie Farmer report on the robotic milkers
- Purdue Farm Management Tour in southern Indiana - Hoosier Ag Today coverage of the Koester farm
- Indiana State Department of Agriculture programs - State programs including Indiana Grown, Clean Water Indiana and the Indiana Dairy Strategy
- USDA NASS 2022 Census of Agriculture, Indiana - State-level Census of Agriculture tables for Indiana
Koester Brothers Farms FAQ
Where is Koester Brothers Farms?
In Posey County, Indiana, near Wadesville and Poseyville.
What does the farm produce?
Milk from about 200 to 220 cows, plus corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa and hay.
What award did the family win?
Dale and Lisa Koester were named 2026 Indiana Master Farmers.
When did they add robots?
Four robotic milkers were installed in 2012.
Koester Brothers Farms shows how technology and family teamwork can keep a southern Indiana dairy and grain farm competitive. See the Indiana farms guide for more resources.