Oftentimes when you think about retirement, there’s a lot of relaxation in the mix, but for David and Joanna Uhl of Dundee, Michigan, it’s a whole new chapter of keeping busy.
The couple is enjoying this new stage of life in their beautiful home on their new cattle farm.
David and Joanna are no strangers to the trials and tribulations of raising cattle, though. They have been in the farm business since 1990.
Since then, they have traveled to different cattle shows, they have bred cows, and their two sons grew up raising cattle for 4-H.
When they retired, they decided it was the perfect time to kick their cattle business into high gear. To do so, they needed a bigger property to accommodate their dreams.
In 2021, they began pursuing a large piece of land just around the corner from their home.
“We had a family meeting and decided we wanted to grow. I had always been looking at this piece of property around the corner,” said David. “I knew the gentleman that owned it. I think he just got tired of me bugging him and decided to sell it to me.”
Developing a Plan
From that point on, they began drawing up a plan to include a custom home and two large barns.
To make it happen, they reached out to GreenStone and began working with Financial Services Officer Stephanie Lundy. Because of COVID-19 protocols, their first meeting was by video chat, but that didn’t stop an important relationship from blossoming.
“Our first meeting had to be on Zoom, and still, her warmth and her ability to communicate clearly regardless of the setting set us at ease immediately and we have enjoyed working with her from that moment on,” said Joanna. “She’s accessible and knowledgeable.”
“They were really great people to talk with and their project was cool. I was really excited about it,” said Stephanie.
That cool project included heated barns with enough space to accommodate about 80 cattle, a room for family parties in one of the barns, and a large barnyard for the cattle to roam.
After the property was complete and COVID-19 settled down, Stephanie was able to visit the farm and see that plan come to life.
“I’ve never had anyone actually come out to any place we’ve bought,” said David. “Nobody ever came out and she has made it clear to us that GreenStone is in it for the long haul. She wants us to be successful.”
Giving Back to the Community
As if a retirement filled with wrangling cattle isn’t enough, David and Joanna are committed to working in public service.
David is the Economic Development and Public Safety Director for French Town Charter Township. Public safety is in his blood after his 35 years with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and when he started a police force from scratch for the Village of Dundee where he worked as police chief for four years.
“I’ve been in public service my whole life. My wife has, too. We are very committed to our communities and giving back to our communities, and we think it’s very important to be in the position where we can help,” said David.
Joanna is on her 22nd year as the Dundee Township Supervisor, which is only half as long as her nearly 40-year career in teaching at Plymouth Canton schools.
As a longtime teacher, she knows the best way to keep children in line is to give them something to do. Raising her two boys is a big reason they went into farming in the first place.
“Since the boys were young, we thought it was a great way to instill responsibility and keep the boys busy and it has worked out really well,” said Joanna. “They are very hardworking individuals.”
Looking to the Future
And with the help of those two hardworking sons, they hope to expand even more. Right now, David and Joanna have about thirty cattle, but they’re ready to welcome more soon.
Eventually, they hope to open a shop on their land.
“We’d also like to put up a little building on our property where people could come and buy local produce and our meat,” said David. “People tell us they can’t afford to buy an entire cow, but they want to buy pieces of it, so we want to move in that direction.”
And they’re leaning on GreenStone to make all future expansions happen – that’s something that Stephanie is excited about.
“At GreenStone, we’re in a unique space where people who want to live on larger parcels, that’s our niche. That’s what we’re made to do.”
This article was originally published in GreenStone's 2022 annual report. You can view the annual report in its entirety here.
