The Great Christmas “GRAND” PRIZE
GIVEAWAY
See pages 24 and 25 of this section for details!
DAIRY ST R
November 12, 2022
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 24, No. 18
Bittersweet change leads to opportunity Talberg leaves Minnesota to farm in Wisconsin By Grace Jeurissen grace.j@star-pub.com
ATHENS, Wis. – Opportunities can arrive at unexpected moments, but for Ryan Talberg, a young farmer from Minnesota, the opportunity to grow his herd and acquire more land has come after a long search for the perfect place to call home. Throughout the morning of Oct. 28, the entire Talberg family showed their emotions with the wiping of tears as they all kept busy nishing up the last chores before two cattle pots arrived to take their cattle to their new home in Athens. After several trips back and forth leading up to the move, the day became surreal
Mursus named Minnesota Milk Producers of the Year
for Talberg as he nished morning milking. “This has been my home for almost my entire life; this has been my herd’s home for the last seven years,” Talberg said. “I wish I had an opportunity to stay, but with being landlocked, high land prices and neighbors with far deeper pocketbooks, this was my only option to grow and make my dream work. Out there I have room to grow not only my herd but maybe someday raise a family on the farm too.” For the last seven years, Talberg has lived in Freeport, Minnesota, with his parents, Dan and Stephanie
GRACE JEURISSEN/DAIRY STAR
Ryan Talberg milks cows for the last Ɵme Oct. 28 in Freeport, Minnesota. Talberg’s next milking was in a 67-stall Ɵestall barn in Athens, Wisconsin, that he purchased in September.
Talberg, to pursue his dream of running a dairy farm. Talberg said they have been more than supportive since
the beginning, having dairy farmed themselves until 2001 when they dispersed the herd. “I’ve been looking for a
few years for a site to purchase because I’m landlocked here Turn to TALBERG | Page 7
Leaving the barn door open
By Tiffany Klaphake tiffany.k@dairystar.com
NEW YORK MILLS, Minn. – More than 1,350 guests have visited Mursu Dairy during the last 10 years. A brown guest book lays open at the dairy, awaiting visitors who come for a tour. It is the second book of its kind, the rst had the names of more than 1,000 guests. People from the neighborhood, county, state, country and around the world have made their way to Mursu Dairy to see the innovation of this small dairy farm near New York Mills. But now in addition to vast visitors, Mursu Dairy has been named the 2022 Minnesota Milk Producers of the Year.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Tom (from leŌ), Tammy, Vanessa, holding Johan, Mallory and Jeremy Mursu stand by their farm near New York Mills, Minnesota. The Mursus were named the 2022 Minnesota Milk Producers of the Year. “We do what we can in our little corner of the world,” Tammy Mursu said. The farm is run by Tom Mursu and his wife, Tammy, and their son, Jeremy Mursu, and his wife, Vanessa. Tom said the award is an
honor. “We were shocked,” he said. Minnesota Milk selects a farm from those who have been nominated. Nominees are touted as being innovative and open to the public.
Tom said Mursu Dairy has seen an uptick in interest ever since they put two robotic milking systems on their farm. “We’ve always had an open door,” Tom said. Tom has served on cooperative boards, and Tom and
Tammy serve on the Otter Tail County American Dairy Association. Jeremy serves on the West Central Holstein Club board. The whole Mursu family is involved in planning and implementing an annual visit to the farm by the New York Mills kindergarten class. Each year, the students come to the farm to see and learn about where milk comes from. Princess Kay of the Milky Way usually pays a visit to the school that day as well. The event started in 2014 as an idea between Tammy and daughter Bridgett, who is a kindergarten teacher. Mursu Dairy has come a long way in the past 70 years. Tom’s parents started to rent a dairy farm near New York Mills in the mid-1950s. After a couple of years of renting, they bought the farm. Tom’s dad, Martin, would get up every morning and milk 12 cows by hand. Then, on his Turn to MURSU | Page 6