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Dairy St r Milk Break

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DAIRY ST R

January 14, 2023

“All dairy, all the time”™

Volume 24, No. 22

Maintaining excellence Youngs receive third award from Dairy Cattle Reproductive Council By Grace Jeurissen grace.j@star-pub.com

PLAINVIEW, Minn. – Centering the farm around quality milk and cattle has been a focus for Emerald Spring Dairy since Maurie and Rita Young started dairy farming with 40 cows in a tiestall barn in 1984. As the years have marched on so has the growth and progression of the Young family’s dairy farm. “I continue being impressed with the advancements dairy has made,” Maurie said. “It’s amazing what you can accomplish with good nutrition and cow comfort.” Emerald Spring Dairy and ve other dairies were

Tauers named Brown County Farm Family of the Year

GRACE JEURISSEN/DAIRY STAR

Javier Prieto MarƟnez (from leŌ), Darrin Young, Rita Young, Brandon Young and Maurie Young gather in their cross-venƟlated freestall barn Jan. 7 at Emerald Spring Dairy near Plainview, Minnesota. The dairy was awarded its third plaƟnum recogniƟon as part of the 2022 Excellence in Dairy CaƩle ReproducƟon Awards from the Dairy CaƩle ReproducƟve Council.

given platinum recognition as part of the 2022 Excellence in Dairy Cattle Reproduction

Awards from the Dairy Cattle Reproductive Council. The winners were recog-

nized Nov. 16, 2022, in Middleton, Wisconsin. This is the third year Em-

erald Spring Dairy has been recognized by the council. “It was great to be nominated again,” Darrin Young said. “We put a lot of work into our breeding program.” Darrin, a son of Maurie and Rita’s, joins his brothers Brandon and Ed and parents as they milk 1,300 cows and farm 2,000 acres on their farm near Plainview. The farm’s milk is marketed through Agropur in Le Sueur. The Youngs work closely with the team from Select Sires Inc. to choose matings, do heat detection and A.I. their cattle. Brian Dick, an A.I. technician with Select Sires, visits Emerald Spring Dairy daily to perform reproductive services. He performs routine heat detection on cows and on Thursday of each week works with Darrin to complete the double ovsynch program with timed A.I. Turn to YOUNGS | Page 7

ConnecƟng with community

By Jan Lefebvre jan.l@star-pub.com

HANSKA, Minn. – Thirty trainees from a variety of countries have interned at the Tauer family’s dairy farm near Hanska throughout the years. Currently, two men from India, one woman from Columbia and one woman from Japan are living and working on the farm. Outreach efforts such a this by the Tauers have earned them special recognition. The call from the University of Minnesota caught Angie and David Tauer off guard when they were asked if they would accept the honor of being Brown County’s 2022 Farm Family of the Year. “It was a really good

feeling,” Angie Tauer said. “You always wonder if what you do matters.” The Tauers milk 250 Holsteins in a double-6 herringbone parlor and house cows in a freestall barn on their farm near Hanska. The family also farms 450 acres of corn, rye, alfalfa and a variety of cover crop and double cropping rotations. Their children, Ruby and Adam, and David’s parents, Robert and Darlene, accompanied them to accept the award Aug. 4, 2022, during Farm Fest in Redwood Falls. Along with them, 84 other families selected from their counties were recognized at the event. One of many reasons the Tauers were recognized is for their fostering of dairy farming on a global scale. They have worked with the University of Minnesota for years through the Minnesota Agricultural Student Trainee (MAST) program, hosting interns from many countries. The farm has also begun hosting interns from

JAN LEFEBVRE/DAIRY STAR

David and Angie Tauer with their children, Adam and Ruby, gather at their heifer-raising facility Dec. 30, 2022, on their dairy farm near Hanska, Minnesota. The Tauers built the monoslope barn in 2021 and have 225 head housed there. Japan through a program offered at Big Bend Community College in Moses Lake, Washington. Angie said benets and

learning can be found on both sides of the host-intern relationships. “Our labor pool has

changed drastically since we started faming,” Angie said.

Turn to TAUER | Page 6