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Dairy St r Milk Break

Volume 26, No. 17

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October 26, 2024

“All dairy, all the time”™

Reaching Help from Wisconsin the world Wohlk heads Hurricane through up Helene relief innovation By Danielle Nauman

Global Dairy Summit highlights processing investment, product development By Stacey Smart

stacey.s@dairystar.com

Editor’s Note: This article is part two of a two-part series covering the Global Dairy Summit that took place at this year’s World Dairy Expo. MADISON, Wis. — A historic investment in milk processing is taking place in the U.S. to the tune of over $7 billion. This investment was the focus of discussion during the Global Dairy Summit Oct. 4 at World Dairy Expo in Madison. At the summit hosted by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, four industry leaders spoke about the global dairy industry following Wisconsin’s Secretary of Agriculture Randy Romanski’s welcome address. Speakers included Krysta Harden, president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council; Heather Anfang, president of Dairy Foods and executive vice president of Land O’ Lakes Inc.; Mike McCully, president and owner of McCully Consulting; and Dave Lenzmeier, CEO of Milk Specialties Global. Harden kicked off by talking about U.S. exports, which she said are on an incline, though there are dips. Exports are the future of U.S. dairy, Harden said, with 17% of U.S. milk production currently exported. Nearly one-fourth of U.S. cheese is exported. “Demand is rising in many destinations,” she said. Harden noted there is a tight milk supply currently, partly because of demands on the system as well as the heifer shortage. Turn to GLOBAL SUMMIT | Page 6

danielle.n@dairystar.com

RICE LAKE, Wis. — In Kurt Wohlk’s mind, when fellow farmers are in need that call must be answered. Wohlk headed up an effort to collect hay and other supplies for those devastated by Hurricane Helene. “It just feels very American,” Wohlk said. “It doesn’t matter what race, creed, color (or where) you come from. In a time like this, everyone is just an American, and everyone helps.” Wohlk, who trucks part time and farms part time with his brother, Clayton, on their 65-cow, 500-acre dairy farm near Almena,

DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Kaitlin Esanbock (middle) and Kurt Wohlk talk to a television reporter during the Hurricane Helene donaƟon collecƟon Oct. 12 near Rice Lake, Wisconsin. The farmers send ve semitrailers lled with hay, livestock feed, fencing equipment and more.

joined forces with fellow Barron County agriculturist Kaitlin Esanbock to set up a collection day Oct. 12 at the Barron County Fairgrounds

for area residents to answer the call for help. The duo said they were shocked by the response. “We had hoped to put together at least one atbed semi-trailer of hay and maybe some fencing supplies,” Wohlk said. What they ended up with was ve semi-trailers lled with hay, livestock feed, fencing equipment, food, bottled water, cleaning supplies and personal items the people of the southeastern U. S. needed in the wake of the historic hurricane. This relief effort is not the rst time Wohlk has rallied his neighbors to help distressed fellow farmers. In 2017 he worked with a group of local farm enthusiasts, including Esanbock, to send three semi-loads of hay, fencing equipment and other supplies to Ashland,

Kansas, following wildres that ravaged the area that spring. As car after car pulled in through the donation site, and trailer load after trailer load of hay was unloaded, from as far south as Mondovi and as far north as Superior, Wohlk said he was overwhelmed, but not completely surprised at the generosity of the people of northwestern Wisconsin. Dozens of volunteers were on hand at the fairgrounds helping to collect donations and reloading them onto the semi-trailers. “We needed to nd another truck to haul for us,” Wohlk said. “The response has been amazing. In total, we had around 1,400 bales of hay, including almost 1,300 small squares.” Turn to HURRICANE RELIEF | Page 2 DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR

Eric Nyhus (top) and Phil Limmex (boƩom) secure straps on a load of hay Oct. 12 near Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Nyhus offered to help load during the collecƟon and Limmex was a volunteer driver.