Mike Hellenbrand ~ The Lasting Legacy

A feature article in our Winter 2020 issue written by Kathleen O’Keefe, originally published at Cowsmo, read the full article clicking here.

He knew the stress and success of a career on Wall Street, sat on the Executive Board of World Dairy Expo, and was partners with some of the most successful people in the purebred dairy cattle industry, yet what might say the most about Mike Hellenbrand was how he treated the kids in our business. Mike passed away after a long illness last summer, but he created a lasting legacy with some motivated young people.

The story behind City Slickers Farm, owned and operated by Mike & Linda Hellenbrand, has been pretty well documented. Both had high-powered New York City careers in the financial industry, but following the events on September 11, 2001, they looked for something different in life and relocated back to Mike’s native Wisconsin. With the same energy that had propelled them in NYC, Mike & Linda applied themselves to creating a new business in Cross Plains, WI.

“Our business model evolved over time,” recalls Linda Hellendbrand. “We didn’t necessarily think we would be involved with all of the breeds, but the Holstein market was pretty saturated and price competitive. Mike saw some opportunities to make an impact and build some value in the colored breeds.” They had a unique set up to take embryos from elite cows, get those calves on the ground, and take wonderful care of them. “Mike loved talking and connecting with people. We had more exposure with various breeders because we worked with several breeds. Those partners trusted us to raise those calves and nuture those genetics from their great cows of their breeds,” comments Linda. “People would come and look at calves that resulted from various matings from these outstanding cows. It was like a living catalog with the calves right in front of you.”

Tribute

Hellenbrand, Michael Herbert “Mike”

CROSS PLAINS – Michael Herbert “Mike” Hellenbrand, age 67, of Cross Plains, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, July 1, 2020, after a long illness. Mike was born on Aug. 1, 1952, in Verona, Wis., the son of Charles and Shirley (Paradise) Hellenbrand. Growing up in Cross Plains, Mike cultivated his passion for baseball, business, and bovines. In his youth, spending time on his grandparents’ dairy farm sparked a desire that would later become his second career. Mike loved playing baseball. With his father’s coaching Mike became an accomplished pitcher. Newspapers headlined his no-hitter games played at MATC and with local Home Talent Leagues.

Mike graduated from Middleton High School and received a bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. His successful career began in the banking business in Madison. Mike’s hard work, expertise, and high standards of excellence and integrity, qualities that were a constant in all his endeavors, quickly led to promotions and seats on community boards. His career ambitions took him to Boston, then New York City, where for the next 10 years Mike led the Mortgage Securitization Group at Bear Stearns, a major Wall Street investment bank. At his wedding in NYC where he married his wife, Linda Brown, Mike danced and sang with the band playing “New York, New York.” He made it there, now he could make it anywhere.

Following the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Mike and Linda decided to move back to his early roots of Cross Plains. Mike gave up the “rat race” of Wall Street for the “cattle race” and a budding new dairy cattle technology called embryo transfer. Their farm called “City Slickers” with a prefix of “Hillpoint” on the cattle registration papers became widely known throughout the industry in a remarkably few short years. Journalists intrigued with the success of the city to farm career shift would often ask Mike during interviews what was most challenging. He would say, “In my old life, I could always negotiate a transaction… but with farming, you are up against Mother Nature, and she doesn’t negotiate.”

Mike’s unbridled Wall Street energy was transferred to creating some of the dairy breed’s best calves that went on to be show and genetic winners in the US and internationally. City Slickers Farm owned Jr. and Grand Champions at the World Dairy Expo along with countless All-American nominations. Yet, Mike’s real joy was helping youth get into the dairy industry through the competitive showing of their animals. Aspiring dairymen and women point to Mike as their “inspiration” in starting their dairy future.

For those that had the fortune of visiting City Slickers Farm at calf feeding, those gentle moos are now silent on the passing of Michael Hellenbrand, a man that achieved astounding accomplishments for the US dairy industry in a short 17 years. Mike had an infectious love of cows. The health, well-being and promotion of dairy cattle were priorities on the farm, with his cattle partnerships, veterinarians, and in his position on the Executive Board of World Dairy Expo. Combine these traits with his leadership, vision, decisiveness, and his tireless support of youth in agriculture and you begin to realize the breadth of Mike’s impact on the lives he touched. He made so many wonderful friends who he would describe as “great people who I learned so much from”.