Farm Event Features Fresh-Air Exercise

Farm Event Features Fresh-Air Exercise Lena, Wis., dairy farmer Carolyn Alsteen and personal trainer Beth Schmit have teamed up to host Fitness on the Farm, an annual agriculture-inspired workout celebration. Alsteen, the fifth generation of her family to work on the farm, plans to eventually transition into ownership of the 550-cow operation. “Beth Schmit, my childhood friend and personal trainer, was trying to help me find ways to get workouts in,” says Alsteen. “It’s not easy to make it to the gym on busy farm days. I started doing squats with pails of grain as I was feeding calves, doing elevated push-ups on the milk taxi while watering calves, and during tractor season, trying to get some quick movement in if there was a lull.” This farm-focused intentional movement planted the seeds for Fitness on the Farm. The annual fitness event aims to promote dairy while teaching people to incorporate the tasks and equipment around them into their daily lives to achieve their fitness goals. “I’ve always enjoyed bringing community to our farm, and Beth loves hosting classes and being a source for community outreach,” says Alsteen. “It felt natural to bring two things we both have a passion for together.” The pair started small. “Our first year was mainly friends and people we knew, but we’ve continued to grow every year,” says Alsteen. “Last year, our third year, we had our best attendance so far.”  “It’s challenging, as so many things occur in the summer,” Schmit adds. “But last year we grew in attendance by over half. The feedback was great.” They note that first-time visitors may be hesitant but quickly praise the event, promising to bring friends back next year. “We have things pretty well figured out now, so setting up doesn’t take too long,” says Alsteen. “June is Dairy Month, so we choose to do it either the last weekend in May or the first weekend in June to kick things off,” says Alsteen. “Those attending register at 7:30, with the race starting in waves at 8. Usually everyone is finished by 9:30. The biggest thing is hoping we don’t overlap with chopping first crops or aren’t still heavy into planting.” The fitness challenges are designed to accommodate a range of abilities, with participants from 5 to 72 years old. “You can make it however difficult or easy you want,” says Alsteen. “We offer ways to challenge yourself if you’d like.” In many ways, the event aims to mimic the daily movements that come with a job in agriculture—lots of interruptions and changes in direction. “It’s definitely more intense than a regular farm day,” says Alsteen. “I mean, we aren’t always running laps out to the stone pile. Still, the activities we have planned show how tough and labor-intensive farming can be—carrying pails of grain, picking rocks, moving gates, throwing tires, sprinting when the cows get out!” Summer 2026 will be the pair’s fourth year hosting, and they’re excited to surpass last year’s participation. “If you’re looking to run something similar, just do it,” says Alsteen. “It doesn’t have to be all perfectly planned. Start small and start with friends; that’s what I’ve done for all the events I’ve hosted on the farm. People genuinely want these kinds of experiences. They love them.” “We have some fun ideas in store for this year’s event, held on May 30th,” says Schmit. “We encourage all to watch our Facebook page. If another farm wants to run something similar, they can connect with us, too. We’ll help them navigate how the event could work for them.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Fitness on the Farm, Carolyn Alsteen (Alsteenfarmsllc@gmail.com; Facebook: Alsteen Farms, LLC; Instagram: carolyn.alsteen) or Beth Schmit (Facebook: Homegrown Fitness, LLC; Instagram: homegrown fitness_llc).

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