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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 21, No. 18
Making the leap from stanchions to robots
November 9, 2019
Deployment on a dairy farm
Used machines make automated milking affordable for Grunnets By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
BROOKLYN, Wis. – James and Joni Grunnet never thought they would be able to afford a robotic milking system. However, when two used Lely A3 robotic milking units came up for sale, milking with robots became a reality for the young couple who had been planning to build a double-8 parlor on their 110-cow dairy, Sugar Brook Dairy, near Brooklyn, Wis. “The cost to purchase, rebuild and install the robots was less than what it would have cost us to build the milking parlor,” Joni said. “The two used robots together were less expensive than one brand new robot.” The robots, which came from Ohio, were under four years old. “These robots fell in our lap, and we didn’t want to pass them up,” Joni said. “We did a lot of updates to make them current.” The Grunnets red up the robots for their rst milking on Jan. 2, 2018. It was a bitterly cold day with temperatures dipping as low as minus 14 degrees Fahrenheit accompanied by a wind chill of 25 below zero. “We had a lot of friends and family there to help that rst week,” Turn to GRUNNETS | Page 5
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CASSIE OLSON
Stephanie and Alan Hughes and their children – (from leŌ) Derek, Bryce and Gavin – operate SunseƩ Dairy near PiƩsville, Wis. Alan, a member of the 115th Fighter Wing of the Wisconsin Air NaƟonal Guard, was deployed in July to spend three months serving in Afghanistan, leaving Stephanie and their children to run the farm.
Hughes family ready to welcome dad home from Afghanistan By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Joni and James Grunnet pose with one of their favorite cows, Peanut. The Grunnets started milking with robots in January 2018 on their 110-cow dairy near Brooklyn, Wis.
PITTSVILLE, Wis. – Alan and Stephanie Hughes and their family have faced many of the same challenges as other dairy farmers this summer. They have also faced the challenge of operating their farm while Alan has been deployed in Bagram, Afghanistan, as part of the 115th Fighter Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard of Truax Field in Madison, Wis. The Hugheses along with their children, Bryce, 9, Gavin, 7, and Derek, 2, operate Sunsett Dairy milking 60 head of Jerseys, Milking Shorthorns, Holsteins and Red and White Holsteins near Pittsville, Wis. They use rotational grazing on 50 acres of pasture. Along with 280 of his fellow airmen, Alan deployed in mid-July to serve approximately three months overseas at the Bagram Airforce Base. Alan will return home sometime during the rst week in November. “Alan’s unit is a very tight-knit group, a very strong unit,” Stephanie said. “That high morale and strong friendships help them deal with their time overseas. They are very well-known for the
quality of their work and for their commitment to safety.” Alan joined the Air National Guard ve years ago, to follow in the footsteps of other family members who have served in the military. Alan is an aircraft mechanic and has worked in aircraft maintenance at an area airport for several years, and has run his own aircraft maintenance business. Since his deployment, Stephanie and her children have been dealing with an absent spouse and parent, along with running the farm on their own. “The most challenging thing is not having someone there, emotionally, on the bad days,” Stephanie said. “Your best friend is gone, and there is no one there for support to tell you that tomorrow will be a better day.” Stephanie said she has learned a lot about herself and what she is capable of taking on and accomplishing since Alan’s departure. “I’ve learned a lot about my own resiliency and about accountability since Alan’s been gone,” Stephanie said. “I’ve learned to prioriTurn to HUGHES | Page 7
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofďƒžce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Krista Kuzma - Editor/Wisconsin (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Andrea Borgerding - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (608) 487-1101 danielle.n@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Staff Writer (262) 442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofďƒžce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com Jeff Weyer (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-8505 (cell) jeff.w@dairystar.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofďƒžce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeďƒ&#x;er (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Julie Barnes (SE WI and Northern IL) julie.b@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Ashley Curry (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-539-7268 • ashley.c@dairystar.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $35.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute ďƒžnal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Dairy Star, LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofďƒžces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
A glance at what’s inside
Many parts of our coverage area have been experiencing winter-like weather. For this issue’s “From our side of the fenceâ€? we talked to dairy farmers about calf care management, especially during winter months. Read on pages 15-16 in ďƒžrst section how these dairy producers manage the youngest of their herd during the colder months. With the cooler weather and the falling snow, the paper is also thinking about Christmas. Dairy Star is once again having the annual Great Christmas Heifer Giveaway. While adults can win a cash prize, there are two calves up for grabs in the youth giveaway. Turn to pages 24-25 in ďƒžrst section to read more about the calves and about the details of how to sign up. This issue we also brought back our popular photo-only Day in the Life feature. Instead of focusing on one family and a story, all staff members stopped in at dairy farms across our coverage area to snap a picture of what was happening at the moment. Check out the photo feature on pages 16-21 in second section. Two cooperatives in our coverage area have made changes. Associated Milk Producers Inc. recently announced the closure of two of its plants – one in Rochester, Minn., and one in Arlington, Iowa. Read about the reasons behind that decision on page 11 in ďƒžrst section. And Plainview Milk Products Cooperative, which has a plant location both in Plainview, Minn., and Hastings, Minn., has a new general manager, Guy Huus. Read more about the person taking over this management position on page 34 in ďƒžrst section. While top care for their cows is a priority for dairy farmers, sometimes there is one cow in the herd that receives special attention. For Adriana Aldinger, this cow’s name is Vegas. She and the 8-year-old Holstein have a special bond and have spent a lot of time together, CORRECTION: including Vegas helping Aldinger’s boyfriend propose. Read more about what In the Oct. 26 Dairy Star, in this cow has meant for Aldinger and her family’s farm on page 6 in second the article, “On-farm creamery makes cheese from eight Jersection. At Vir-Clar farms, caring for their animals and farm is shown through their sey cows,â€? it should be clariďƒžed attention to detail while using their new automated feeding system. The 2,000- that the Woodses feed about two cow, 3,500-acre operation has a state-of-the-art feed center, which automates pounds of organic corn per cow to entice them into the milking nearly every step of the feeding process – from onsite ingredient access and parlor. Also, Gary Grossen, is a loading to feed delivery – saving signiďƒžcant dollars in annual feed costs for the Wisconsin Master Cheesemakfarm near Fond du Lac, Wis. Read more about it on pages 6-7 in third section. erÂŽ. Dairy Star regrets the error.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 26, 2019 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Pittsville
Ag Insider
Christoph found niche using older genetics
Wood
Juneau
Vernon
Lodi farm gets major makeover
Third Section: Pages 3 - 5
Richland
Waushara
o ag Calumet
eb
nn Wi
Green Lake Fond Du Lac
Columbia Dodge
Brooklyn
Lafayette Green
Used machines make automated milking affordable for Grunnets
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Jo Daviess
First Section: Pages 1, 5-6
Carroll
Rock
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Now with Expanded Coverage!
Fond Du Lac
Vir-Clar Farms dramatically reduces feed costs through automation
Jefferson Waukesha Walworth go
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Iowa
Grant
Page 22 Second Section
Dane
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Country Cooking
Ke w
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Sauk
Ogle Lee
Racine
Third Section: Pages 6 - 7
Kenosha
McHenry
DeKalb Whiteside
Do or
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Adams
Monroe La Crosse
Lodi
Shawano
ton S he bo Milwaukee Ozauk M yg ee an anito wo c
First Section: Pages 28 - 29
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Portage Waupaca Jackson
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Buffalo
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Wangen spends 50 years hauling milk
Menominee
Bo
Pages 10 - 11 Second Section
Pepin
Menominee
Langlade
Marathon
Clark
Eau Claire
ar
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The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Westby
Taylor
Chippewa
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Lincoln
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Page 33 First Section
Pierce
Dunn
Oneida
Rusk
Barron
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St. Croix
Third Section: Pages 10-11
Price
Delta
Dickinson
Vilas
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Kids Corner: The Wallermans
Iron
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Norwalk
Come Full Circle
Second Section: Pages 22 - 23
Flo
Sawyer
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Veterinary Wisdom
Page 32 First Section
Second Section: Page 36
One lucky youth to win registered Jersey calf
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Ashland
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Page 30 First Section
Making Cents of Dairy
Lodi
Women in Dairy: Kelli Mitchell
Bayeld
Douglas
Ramblings from the Ridge
Page 31 First Section
Hillsboro
First Section: Pages 1, 7
First Section: Pages 12 - 13
Trempealeau
Page 27 First Section
Boyd
hb
Lots of pumpkins
Hughes family ready to welcome dad home from Afghanistan
Wa s
Pages 8-9 First Section
Waterloo Kane
Breeding bulls at heart of Battist Farms Third Section: Pages 37 - 38
Rock Island
Dairy’s Star Youth: Brian “Mac” McCullough Third Section: Page 9
DAIRY ST T R
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Dairy Prole: Justin Morton
Third Section: Page 39
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Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 5
ConƟnued from GRUNNETS | Page 1
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The Grunnets milk with two used Lely A3 roboƟc milking units, which cost less to purchase, rebuild and install than the parlor. James said. “We had to physically push each cow into the robot, and although startup was a stressful time, it was also sort of like a party. People brought food. We joked around.” The Grunnets have been farming together since 2006 and, in addition to dairy, also farm 400 acres. James and Joni built a freestall barn in 2011 and continued milking in their stanchion barn, which they converted into a 10-stall at-barn parlor. They built the robotic facility in 2017. “It was a big change going from a stanchion barn to robots,” James said. Nearly two years in, the Grunnets are liking their robots most days. “They have their ups and downs,” Joni said. “But when everything is working well, the robots are really nice.” James agreed the end result is great but not the startup, a week he calls hell week and one he would never want to relive. “You don’t sleep, and you eat on the run,” James said. By day No. 7, Joni said the company’s representative became like a psychiatrist. “You start breaking down emotionally because you feel like you’re never going to leave the barn again,” Joni said. “The system requires so much monitoring in the beginning as cows learn how
to use it. Cows are really full of milk – they’re upset, you’re upset. There’s also a drop in milk.” Fortunately, that period did not last forever, and within a few weeks life became a little more normal as cows settled into their new milking routine. And now, the Grunnets are enjoying the many advantages of using robots. “We are way more efcient now,” Joni said. “The robots save us a lot of time. We spent seven to eight hours each day milking in the stanchion barn. That takes a lot out of your day. Now, we have more time now to spend with our family and manage the dairy.” The Grunnets have two children, Steven, 11, and Caitlyn, 5. “We have more exibility because we can do chores when we want,” Joni said. “Now we both can go to our kids’ functions and stay the whole time. We don’t have to nd hired help or leave early.” Family functions and holidays are also better because of robotic milking. “On Christmas morning, we can all wake up together as a family and open presents … and then go do chores after,” Joni said. In the stanchion barn, chores required two to three people. Now, only
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Turn to GRUNNETS | Page 6
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
ConƟnued from GRUNNETS | Page 5
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Joni Grunnet analyzes reports that provide an in-depth look into cow health and behavior on her family’s dairy near Brooklyn, Wis. one person is necessary. And since she no longer milks cows, Joni said she feels better physically. “My shoulders, knees and ankles don’t hurt anymore,” she said. “I’m short, so milking was especially hard on my shoulders because of all the reaching.” Robotic milking changed Joni’s approach to cow management. “I felt like I was a good cow manager when I milked every day,” she said. “But then you go from looking at cows to looking at a computer. When we switched to robots, I had to learn how to read and understand reports, and then take that information and learn how to apply it.” Joni spends about 45 minutes to an hour each day analyzing reports. “You have to let the computer do its job,” Joni said. “… I take into account everything the reports are telling me and then I do what the computer recommends.” Joni said the computer is kind of like having another employee, but that it picks up on stuff a hired hand would probably overlook. Providing an intimate look into cow health and behavior, the computer detects things the naked eye cannot. “Before robots, we only monitored temperature,” Joni said. “Now, we monitor all sorts of things, including activity and rumination. Rumination is big – if a cow is not eating, the computer knows. Since switching to robots, we pick up on ketosis far better and sooner. Also, any slight changes in milk conductivity helps
us pick up on problem quarters quicker. The activity monitors are also helpful in pinpointing optimal insemination times for cows in heat.” Most cows favor one robot over the other except for the herd’s handful of Jerseys, which are not fussy about using the left or right robot. According to the Grunnets’ experience, their Jersey cows caught onto the robots fast – within hours – whereas other breeds took a couple weeks to adapt. The Grunnets’ cows, which are mostly Holstein along with some Brown Swiss and Jersey, are milked approximately 2.9 times per day in the robot and average around 75 pounds of milk per cow. Calm, relaxed cows are another benet of this independent milking method. “We had a tame herd before, but now I’m almost eaten alive when I go in by the cows,” Joni said. “They’re extremely friendly and happy because they’re free to milk on their own terms. We rarely put cows in a headlock anymore because there’s no need. They just stand there.” When it comes to drawbacks, Joni said, “You’re always on call with robots. We get calls in the middle of the night sometimes to move teat cups back in place, for example. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s no fun when you have to get dressed and come down to the barn for 30 seconds of work. Yet it still beats getting a text from your hired hand at 4 a.m. saying he’s not coming to work that day. We used to need a part-time employee, but now it’s just us.”
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ConƟnued from HUGHES | Page 1 tize what has to get done versus what should get done and go from there.” Stephanie said rotational grazing has been a benecial management practice, making her chores easier over the summer months. While Stephanie knew Alan’s deployment would be a challenge for her, the couple worked to make the process as easy as possible for their three sons. They made the decision to talk to their boys about Alan’s upcoming deployment prior to his leaving and to keep them well-informed about what was happening while their dad was away. “We taught them about where he would be, so that they knew exactly where he was even though he wasn’t here with us,” Stephanie said. “They have known they had to step up, and they have been phenomenal.” Once they knew the deployment was on the horizon, the Hugheses made a list of activities they wanted to do as a family before Alan left in July and a second list of activities the boys wanted to do with Stephanie while their dad was away. “We did everything on the list with Alan before he left,” Stephanie said. “Then this summer, the boys wanted to go camping, visit a waterpark and take in the air show. We got all that done and a few other things. It gave them something to look forward to and helped make the time with Alan gone maybe go by a little faster.” Technology has helped the Hugheses bridge the physical distance separating them from Alan the past three months. Stephanie said Alan has had internet access at his base in Afghanistan, which has allowed her and the boys to
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Stephanie Hughes feeds calves on her family’s dairy near PiƩsville, Wis. She has been running her family’s farm single-handedly during her husband, Alan’s, deployment to Afghanistan with the Wisconsin Air NaƟonal Guard. communicate with him every day using video chat. “We didn’t send any letters this time while he was gone,” Stephanie said. “When he was gone ve years ago for basic training, we wrote him a letter every day.” Stephanie is grateful for family and friends who have helped her when she needed an extra pair of hands around
the farm or needed time to get away to work on checking off the boys’ to-do list. “We were able to do lots of stuff,” Stephanie said. “We were able to see the Big Boy steam train when it came to Merrillan, Wis., and we made it down to World Dairy Expo to watch my nephew show.” As far as maintaining family life
while dairy farming during Alan’s deployment, Stephanie said the evenings since school started have been the toughest, balancing chores, meals, school and church activities, 4-H, Cub Scouts, baths and bedtimes. “Those things are tough to balance even with two people here,” Stephanie said. “But you just have to adjust your schedule and make it work.” When school started, Stephanie adjusted her morning chore schedule to allow her to be back into the house by 6:30 to get the kids ready for school and on the bus. “You have to try to keep things the same,” Stephanie said. When the Hugheses rst learned of the upcoming deployment, they notied their children’s school, asking them to keep an extra eye and ear on them, making sure they were handling the situation. While the Hughes family has been dealing with their challenges during Alan’s deployment, Stephanie is quick to point out their family is not alone; rather, they are one of the many families of the military who have loved ones who have served and are serving the country. “The pride that we feel for the country, the pride that you feel that someone you love is committed to protecting the country is indescribable,” Stephanie said. “We are very humbled to be a military family. That is what the military is – military is family. Since he’s been gone, I can’t listen to ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ without crying. The entire feeling is overwhelming and humbling.”
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
ATCP 51 permitting rule on pause
The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture will Coverage program. This report said the two negatives take more time to consider the proposed ATCP 51 in the U.S. dairy markets are the modest decline in rule. This policy sets the standards and the process butter prices and a decline in U.S. dairy exports. local governments must follow for new or expanding livestock operations. ATCP 51 updates were scheduled Dairy hay costs rise Alfalfa hay prices are rising to go to the Department of Agriculture, Ag Insider nationwide. The price for alfalfa has Trade and Consumer Protection averaged $181 per ton. That compares to governing board, but Agriculture $179 in the previous month and last year. Secretary-designee Brad Pfaff said In Wisconsin, alfalfa hay averaged $190 additional time is needed to evaluate the per ton in September. That is down $2 revised ATCP 51 regulations. A coalition from August, but up $36 from one year of Wisconsin agriculture groups called ago. on the state to reject proposed changes to the complex rule because it would hurt USDA to buy milk for food nutrition farmers. The Wisconsin Farmers Union programs was an exception, saying the ATCP 51 USDA plans to purchase $50 million rule should be brought to the DATCP in ďƒ&#x;uid milk for food banks and nutrition board immediately. assistance programs. This Section 32 By Don Wick purchase is part of the administration’s USMCA expected to move quickly Columnist trade mitigation assistance. The when it reaches Congress agriculture department bought fresh milk The U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement implementing legislation could be soon be sent to for the ďƒžrst time ever last year. Since that time, more Capitol Hill. Once the trade deal reaches Congress, than $250 million worth of milk has been purchased. The Russell Group President Randy Russell said it will be considered quickly. “I think there are sufďƒžcient Ag labor bill reforms H2A visa program A bipartisan agriculture guest worker bill has votes in the House and Senate to pass it. I’m cautiously optimistic we’ll have the USMCA done between now been introduced in the House. This bill would provide and when Congress breaks for Christmas.â€? Russell legal status to current ag workers and their families. said it is possible to have something ratiďƒžed by It also makes changes in the H2A visa program, Thanksgiving. “There’s been lots of work happening allowing year-round permitting. The National Milk Producers Federation supports the proposal, saying to move through the ďƒžnal details.â€? dairy farmers have a unique labor crisis because their jobs are not seasonal or temporary. Dairy margins improve Milk prices move into levels not seen in ďƒžve years. Cheddar cheese prices have not been this high since Hours of service legislation introduced Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in late 2014. That has provided a boost to Class III milk prices. USDA’s latest all-milk price for all of 2019 Congress to provide ďƒ&#x;exibility and relief from was projected to average $18.40 per hundredweight. Hours of Services rules for agricultural haulers. The That is more than $2 higher than the average for 2018. Responsible and Efďƒžcient Agriculture Destination Act According to the Dairy Market Report published adds the same 150-air-mile radius to the back end of a by Dairy Management, Inc. and the National Milk hauler’s destination, which currently applies from the Producers Federation, the balance sheet for dairy trip origin. It also clariďƒžes that this exemption would farmers has also been improved by the Dairy Margin apply in every state on a year-round basis.
Fed cuts benchmark interest rates by 25% The Federal Reserve has cut the benchmark interest rate by a quarter percent. This is the third interest rate deduction this year. Fed Chair Jerome Powell also indicated interest rates will likely stay at current levels unless the economy takes a sharp downturn. Farmers with harvest delays should contact their insurance provider Farmers with a federal crop insurance policy can now request more time to harvest crops by ďƒžling a Notice of Loss with their approved insurance provider. The end of the insurance period for corn and soybeans is Dec. 10. Once the loss notice is ďƒžled, insurance providers will then grant additional harvest time on a case by case basis. USDA’s Risk Management Agency is encouraging farmers experiencing harvest delays to contact their insurance agent as soon as possible. AMPI discontinues production at two plants Due to a decline in dairy farm numbers and milk production in the region, Associated Milk Producers, Incorporated is shutting down two of its plants. Those facilities are the Rochester, Minn., cheese plant and the Arlington, Iowa, nonfat dry milk plant. The milk that had been processed at these plants will be routed to other AMPI plants. Dairy exporter of the year BelGioioso Cheese has been named the exporter of the year by the U.S. Dairy Export Council. The Wisconsin-based ďƒžrm sells cheese in 45 countries. National FFA Proďƒžciency Awards earned by Wisconsin students Three Wisconsin FFA members took home national proďƒžciency award honors from the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis. Levi Alsum of Randolph Cambria-Friesland was the winner for vegetable production. Niamh Sexton of Waupaca FFA Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 was recognized for equine science and Kayla Reed of Pulaski was honored for wildlife production and management. Trivia challenge A quart of milk weighs 2.15 pounds. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, what is the weight of a gallon of milk? We’ll have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in
Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
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Panelists share insights on Wisconsin’s ag economy By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
Editor’s note: This is Part 2 of a two part series of reports from the discussion on Wisconsin’s ag economy. Members of the discussion panel included Brad Pfaff, Wisconsin Agriculture Secretary designee; Travis Tranel, Wisconsin’s 49th District Assemblyman and dairy farmer; Dr. Paul Mitchell, agricultural economics professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the director of Renk Agribusiness Institute; Dr. Charles Irish, emeritus Volkman-Bascom professor of law and former director of the East Asian Legal Studies Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and Anna Landmark, owner of Landmark Creamery. PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Pam Jahnke turned the discussion back to Pfaff, asking him to share how his department is working with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development to support farmers and to create options for farmers who leave production agriculture. “One out of nine people in this state that have a job have a job in agriculture,” Pfaff said. “We have one of the most advanced supply chains for agricultural than any other state. We can have a raw commodity that comes from a farm eld or dairy farm in Grant County, and it can be made into a nished product right here in Grant County.” Pfaff said now is the time to continue to invest in what has been built. “Things such as the Dairy Innovation Hub are opportunities to bring money back to the countryside,” Pfaff said. “We have a lot of farms in this state; 7,500 dairy farms and close to 60,000 farms in this state. Every one of them is an economic engine, and we should invest in them just like we want to invest in industry.” Pfaff said while some people are leaving production agriculture, they have a desire to remain involved in the industry. He referred to the Agriculture Workforce Development Education Board created in 2007 with the intent of offering additional training needed for those leaving production agriculture to shift into other jobs within the agricultural sector. “If you are a farmer, you know how to weld,” Pfaff said. “You know mechanics. You have a pretty good idea how to communicate with other farmers. You could be a fertilizer or seed salesman; there are a lot of things you could do. Let’s keep these people in agriculture. They may not be milking the cows or harvesting the corn or soybeans, but they have a role to play in agriculture and in our rural communities.”
“In the long-term, we need to come up with a system where farmers can still produce enough food to feed the country and export throughout the world at an affordable price [...]” TRAVIS TRANEL
Pfaff urged those in the audience not directly involved with production agriculture to consider what they could do to support the industry. “We can’t snap our ngers and change the price overnight,” Pfaff said. “We also can’t just rest on what we’ve already done. Let’s build on what we’ve got, the supply chain, these farmers, the work ethic, our heritage and our culture.” Jahnke echoed the thoughts of both Mitchell and Pfaff, recalling the bleak outlook in agriculture in the 1980s with few jobs, interest rates starting at 16% and high rates of foreclosure. Using that perspective, she asked Tranel to talk about the stress facing farmers, calling him the bridge between the policy end of the discussion and what is happening in real life on the farm.
“I want to be careful when we talk about [mental health], because when you talk about things like suicide prevention some people that aren’t involved in agriculture and don’t understand what is going on want to know what is up with these farmers and their mental health …,” Tranel said. … “We’ve talked a lot today about stress, and that stress is real, but I don’t think the general public understands that. $200 million dollars towards mental health for agriculture is not going to do a darn thing. Let’s be honest about that. Farmers need markets to sell product to at an affordable price so they can pay their bills. Short of that, you’re not going to accomplish anything.” Tranel said the focus of agriculture needs to change. “We’ve focused the last 40 or 50 years on how can we produce enough food to feed the world, a growing population,” he said. “I’ve been hearing that since I was a kid. We have enough production. We need to start guring out the next component, the health of rural America. … We don’t have a food shortage, but you talk about work ethic and if this country, God forbid, does face a problem, if there are no farm kids to turn to, we’re going to have a real situation on our hands. These conversations are much more than about feeding a growing population. It’s not a crisis, but society is denitely at a crossroads.” Jahnke spoke about how the farm becomes a farmer’s identity, something those outside of agriculture might not understand. “Most farmers see that farm as their identity,” Jahnke said. “They think that if they can’t pay their bills, it is a personal reection on them. If they lose their farm, they think about their grandparents or great grandparents. We have a very strange connection with what we do and why we do it.” Tranel agreed. He said those outside agriculture often cannot grasp the mindset instilled in farmers from a young age. “We were taught that hard work, if you worked 20 hours a day, that’s how you get ahead,” Tranel said. “But how hard you work has nothing to do with how much money you make. Farming is a perfect example of that. One way that we have dealt with the stress is that we do what we know how to do. We just keep working and working. I think now, ve years later, we are starting to feel like we aren’t getting ahead and that is what really concerns me.” Jahnke asked Tranel to address sustainability, and how he denes it in terms of public perception, economics and the environment. “Sustainability depends on who you ask,” Tranel said. “If you ask a farmer what sustainable farming means, it means they can pay their bills and their kids can join the farm and it can continue on. If you ask a consumer, they probably have a completely different answer and mindset. There is so much conict between what the consumer wants and what they are willing to pay for. A lot of the reason we are having this discussion is because food is so cheap. The 98% of the people that aren’t involved in agriculture but still eat three times a day, they are beneting. We have the cheapest food in the world. Other developed countries spend anywhere from 10% to 20% of their take-home pay on food. We spend 5% to 6%. So even though farmers can’t pay their bills these last ve years, they are still feeding everybody. So if you ask that farmer if that is sustainable, they are going to say no.” Tranel said federal agriculture policies encourage more production of corn and soybeans despite the over-supply and the detrimental effects on sustainability of water quality and erosion. “In the long-term, we need to come up with a system where farmers can still produce enough food to feed the country and export throughout the world at an affordable price, but still make sure our land is going to be around for generations to come,” Tranel said. “That is sustainable to me, but everybody has their own answer. One of the things we are learning is that sometimes what is sustainable for both the land and the economics is in direct conict with what the public wants.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 11
AMPI stops production at two plants Decision allows cooperative to focus on products with higher return By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
NEW ULM, Minn. – Associated Milk Producers Inc. recently announced it has stopped production at two of its plants – one in Rochester, Minn., and another in Arlington, Iowa. “The co-op’s board of directors and the management team took a look at the situation, and dairy farms in those areas have left the business,â€? said Sarah Schmidt, vice president of public affairs for AMPI. “The best decision for the co-op going forward was to close those plants, and direct resources to other plants and opportunities that could deem the best returns for members’ milk checks.â€? The Rochester plant made 640-pound blocks of cheese and had 75 employees while the Arlington plant made non-fat dry milk and employed 49 people. Tom Hoscheit is a member of the AMPI corporate board, representing southern Minnesota in District 1. He and his son, Cole, milk 350 cows on their dairy near Caledonia, Minn. “We monitored this for quite some time before we made a decision, and then we looked at all our options,â€? Hoscheit said. “These plants have to be productive, or we have to do something different. This decision affects a lot of farmers and it affects a lot of employees, and we don’t take this decision lightly.â€? The Rochester plant’s downtown location was one reason for it being chosen to stop production. “The location is not ideal for bringing in milk trucks and hauling out cheese,â€? Schmidt said. “It’s a plant that was built as a three-story structure several years ago. That type of a building is not conducive to new investments in cheese making equipment. It would have been a signiďƒžcant amount of money to bring that plant up to today’s modern cheese making equipment.â€? Within the last two years, AMPI has updated its cheese vats in its Sanborn, Iowa, location, where it makes 640and 700-pound block cheese, and in its Paynesville, Minn., plant, where it makes 500-pound barrel cheese. The cooperative’s cheese plants in Jim Falls, Wis., and Blair, Wis., that make 640- and 700-pound block cheese had also been updated in 2011. “The next plant on the list would have been Rochester, and it was going to be extremely difďƒžcult and very costly to invest in new cheesemaking equipment at that location,â€? Schmidt said. While the Arlington plant also showed its age, the reason for its closure is based on the product it made. “Non-fat dry milk is not the best return on a dairy farmers’ milk,â€? Schmidt said. “If you look at the class system in dairy products, non-fat dry milk is a class 4 product and that is the lowest price paid for milk. We were always directing milk to the plants with the best returns.â€? Schmidt said the best returns include making milk into cheese or butter, or selling milk to other companies to bottle ďƒ&#x;uid milk. “A non-fat dry milk plant does come in handy in times of over production so while it always was the lowest return on members’ milk it was good in times of ďƒ&#x;ush,â€? Schmidt said. “We are deďƒžnitely not in a time of ďƒ&#x;ush anymore like we were two years ago. ... Plants aren’t full in the Upper Midwest anymore.â€?
The milk normally taken in at these two locations will be diverted to others in the area including to the plants in Blair, Wis., and New Ulm, Minn. Some milk will continue to be delivered to the Rochester plant because it is sold to Kemps and used for bottling. The bottling portion of the Rochester plant that is rented by Kemps will continue to operate. “Absolutely every pound of milk still has a home,â€? Schmidt said. “We’re just redirecting and rerouting that milk to a different plant location.â€? In the immediate future, AMPI members will not see any changes. “Long term those are the conversations we’re having right now – trying to map where’s the best home for each member’s milk,â€? Schmidt said. “Hauling will be something to consider. The goal is that members don’t experience any change right away and long term just looking at hauling and making sure it’s as fair as possible.â€? While production at each plant has stopped, it has not yet been decided what will happen with each facility. The cooperatives’ other plants will operate as usual. In addition to the Jim Falls, Blair, Sanborn and Paynesville plants, AMPI has a hard-Italian cheese plant in Hoven, S.D., and a consumer package cheese plant in Portage, Wis., that takes the cooperatives’ blocks and barrels of cheese, and cuts and wraps it into consumer ready products. It also has a non-fat dry milk plant in Freeman, S.D. “That plant is different than the Arlington plant because it has the ability to make high heat and super high heat nonfat dry milk, which is a type of non-fat dry milk that can yield a higher premium than traditional non-fat. It is used in a lot in baked goods,â€? Schmidt said. In addition to cheese, AMPI also makes consumer packaged butter in New Ulm, Minn. This year, the cooperative launched its new brand, Dinner Bell Creamery, with its butter. “It’s something our dairy farmers have wanted to do for many years, and now we’re in a place and time where you can launch a brand for a fraction of the cost when it comes to advertising because we’re able to use social media to share our story and the internet through our website,â€? Schmidt said. After the ďƒžrst of the year, the cooperative will also start marketing cheese under the same brand. This and closing the two plants are all part of AMPI’s goal to ďƒžnd the best market for the milk from the cooperative’s members. “We want the farmers to know we’re trying to improve their bottom line and do the best job of marketing their product,â€? Hoscheit said “They all do a good job of producing milk and put a good quality product into the bulk tank. It’s our job to pick up that product at the farm and market it as a co-op. That’s what we’re trying to do.â€? Schmidt had similar thoughts. “All dairy farmers can know that they produce a wonderful product and there is great demand for it, especially cheese and butter,â€? Schmidt said. “That’s the business AMPI member owners have invested in, and I think that’s a really wise move long term. Butter and cheese consumption continue to grow every year.â€? And while the dairy economy has been tough, Schmidt said this move to shut down plants is a good business move. “The headline on the surface of this announcement does look scary, but this is not a bank telling AMPI to sell two plants,â€? Schmidt said. “The co-op ďƒžnancially is the healthiest it’s been in the past ďƒžve years. This is the co-op making a good decision for the long term.â€?
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
They do not make them like they used to Christoph found niche using older genetics By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
BOYD, Wis. – Mike Christoph knows the results he wants to get from his cows, and he has learned the best way to achieve those results is to stick to the breeding philosophy he has honed over his 38-year career as a dairy farmer. Christoph milks 42 cows on his farm near Boyd, Wis., and his herd is currently home to eight cows classied as Excellent. He has a herd BAA of 107%. He has been ne-tuning a breeding philosophy that works in his herd and gives him the type of cow he admires and enjoys working with. Christoph is looking to breed a balanced cow with great capacity. “I like cows that milk because that is what pays the bills,” Christoph said. “I have my ration balanced for 60 pounds of milk. We’re constantly between 65 and 70 pounds. That has a lot to do with the capacity of the cows.” Christoph has seen changes in cows during his lifetime involvement in the dairy industry. When he was a child, Christoph recalls his dad switching from Ayrshires to Holsteins. “The Surge buckets we had used held 40 pounds of milk,” Christoph said. “When dad got more Holsteins, he had to get a bigger bucket that held 50
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Mike Christoph milk 45 cows on his farm near Boyd, Wis. He has been milking cows for 38 years and has learned how to breed exactly the kind of cows he likes, using a breeding philosophy he has developed over the years. pounds of milk. Then that wasn’t cutting it, and my dad put in a pipeline. In those years, they fed corn silage and dry hay. In the summer, when the cows really milked, they were getting fed green chop.” As technology advanced, Christoph said his dad put up a silo which allowed them to put up better quality feed. Their
cows milked heavier for longer periods of time with the improvement in the feed. “Hay was still stretched over a twoto three-week period,” Christoph said. “Now I make hay three days out of the year; rst, second and third crop, so all my feed is exactly the way I want it. You look at how they balance rations
now, and all the technology we use to get the extra milk production. When you really look at it, how much has genetics helped out? You look at some of these cows with these high numbers. Would they have milked like that back Turn to CHRISTOPH | Page 13
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 13
ConƟnued from CHRISTOPH | Page 12 in the 1960s with that kind of feed? I don’t think genetics have come as far as we would like to think.” Christoph feels the greatest advancements have been in the areas of feet and legs, primarily because of the increased use of connement systems as well as udders because of the advancements in milking systems. “When you look at increased milk production, though, I think has more to do with the technology we have,” Christoph said. “We have cows milking 200 pounds a day. But if you took that cow off of BST and put her back onto a corn silage and dry hay diet, she wouldn’t milk like that.” In the early 1990s, Christoph began grazing the cows, and he began looking for the kind of cow that best-suited that practice. “I tried some cross-breeding, but I wasn’t really satised with the results I got,” Christoph said. “A few of the crosses worked. I tried them all. The ones that I liked the best were the Norwegian Red and Jerseys crossed on the Holsteins. Good cattle, but they just didn’t t what I was looking for. I went back and looked at the cows that had performed when I started grazing. I started using more Canadian Holstein sires from the small studs.” Christoph’s search for the perfect cow continued. “One day I went to one of the shows, and I walked around and looked at a few cows and I saw this one cow that I really liked,” Christoph said. “That was (Stookey Elm Park) Blackrose. I came home and started using her sons real heavy. In fact, I still use them.” As he began nding the results he wanted, Christoph began delving deeper into what some might call the genetic history of the Holstein breed, using old-
er and older bulls. “I’ve got an Elmcroft Pontiac Chieftain daughter that I like a lot. She is in her seventh lactation,” Christoph said. “I had a King Of The ABCs daughter that was a favorite that just left the herd last year as an 11-year-old cow.” If the names of those bulls are unfamiliar, as a point of reference, Elmcroft Pontiac Chieftain was born in 1962 while King Of The ABCs was born in 1967. “Probably all of the bulls I use have been dead for a while,” Christoph said. Christoph is a big believer in the aAa dairy cattle breeding system, which is a guide that helps identify qualities a cow needs in a mating decision as well as the qualities a particular bull brings to a mating, giving dairy cattle breeders a guide to help create a herd of consistently balanced cows. “aAa analysis is the biggest tool in the toolbox,” Christoph said. “I use it probably a little differently because I know the bulls. For younger people that don’t know the bulls as well, it’s the greatest tool they can get.” Christoph has been using the system for the past 20 years of his breeding career, and he said it is particularly helpful when using the older bulls. “I still have three ampules of Thonyma Ormsby Senator (born in 1952) and six ampules of Rosafe Citation R (born in 1958) in my tank,” Christoph said. “Those are all bulls I use selectively.” In addition to his use of older bulls, Christoph relies on herd sires for mating his cows. “About half my herd is sired by herd sires,” Christoph said. “Those sires are all out of bulls like Sunnylodge Linjet and Hanover Hill Triple Threat-Red.”
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
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From Our Side Of The Fence
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 15
How do you adapt your calf management for cold weather?
Megan Opperman Junction City, Wis. Portage County 300 calves Tell us about your calf raising facilities. We have 150 calves in hutches at all times, and each of the four calf barns has space for 62 calves. The calf barns are all in, all out facilities. The barns have individual Calf-Tel pens which are easily removed from the barn for cleaning. The ventilation in the barns is from one tube running the length of the barn over the center aisle as well as curtains that are adjusted according to the outdoor temperature. In the calf barns, there is a drain in the ďƒ&#x;oor the length of the barn in front of the calves for dumping water pails. There is also a ďƒ&#x;oor drain behind the calves to catch any runoff as the ďƒ&#x;oor where the hutches are placed slopes to the back to aid in drainage. Each barn is equipped with a grain bin as well as a water hydrant for hooking up the pressure washer to wash out barns. What is your calf care protocol immediately after the calf is born? The ďƒžrst thing that is done is the naval is dipped. The calf is tagged and given Bo-Se as well as Ecolizer +C. We are using the ColoQuick System for our colostrum to pasteurize, store and warm for feeding. One gallon of fresh, pasteurized colostrum is taken from the refrigerator after the calf is born and placed in the warmer. After 20 minutes the calf is tube fed the colostrum. The calf receives a First Defense gel tube after the colostrum is fed. The calf is moved to our warming room which is a room with a straw pack right next to the calving pens. The warming room is ventilated based on the temperature and has in ďƒ&#x;oor heating for the winter. The calf will stay here until it receives a second feeding of 2 liters of colostrum 15 hours after birth. This feeding is given by bottle, and, if the calf does not drink, we do not tube it. After this, the calf will be moved to a hutch and any further vaccination will be done once bulls and heifers are in separate housing. How do you adapt your calf management for cold weather? For colder weather, we switch from using shavings for bedding after the calf is 1 week old to using a straw and shaving mixture after the calf is over 1 week old when it is cold. We use calf jackets as well as ear muffs to help the calves conserve as much energy as possible. We have doors we put on hutches of young calves as well as any calves that are sick. We keep calves in the warming room from a little longer time period to make sure they are active and dry before moving them to their hutches. Tell us your best calf survival story. My favorite calf recoveries are when I have a scouring and dehydrated calf that I place an IV in and they make an improvement from getting that extra hydration through the IV. What are the greatest difďƒžculties of caring for calves during the winter months? How do you address these? When they get sick and cannot stay warm. We address this by always having sufďƒžcient amounts of straw in their hutches as well as using calf jackets, blankets and ear muffs. Another difďƒžculty is keeping fresh water in front of the calves as it freezes quickly. We feed fresh, warm water twice a day to make sure they have adequate access to all of the water they need. It is not easy to keep employees working outside in the harsh elements. This is one of the reasons we put up our calf barns as it provides a more ideal climate for the employees to do a better job with the calves as well as keeps calves out of the cold, wind and snow. Describe one health challenge you have had to overcome in your calves. How did you manage it? We had Rota Corona come back in a lot of fecal samples on our calves that were scouring. This was also causing some respiratory issues in the calves. We worked with our veterinarian to add in a vaccine to better combat the Rota Corona. After implementing this vaccine, we saw improvements in our calves. What is one change that has been most beneďƒžcial for your calf management? Improving and increasing our vaccination protocols. We were being proactive with respiratory disease compared to being more reactive to the disease with having to treat calves. This has helped signiďƒžcantly in our older calves and weaned calves being healthier as they are not having any respiratory treatment events as young calves.
Pam Selz-Pralle Humbird, Wis. Clark County 475 cows Tell us about your calf raising facilities. We have group pens in a positive-pressure barn for calves 10 days to almost 4 months old. Circulating fans above the pens also aid in air movement at nose level. Newborns are backgrounded in individual calf pens for 8-10 days then moved to a group of four calves. Pens are sized so each calf has 45 square feet. Calves are mob fed milk replacer twice daily. What is your calf care protocol immediately after the calf is born? Newborns receive 1 gallon colostrum within 15-20 minutes. Colostrum is brix tested. They get another 2 quarts of ďƒžrst milking colostrum at their next feeding. We continue transition milk for two days before starting milk replacer. Navels are immediately dipped in iodine and dehorning paste is applied within 24 hours of birth. They also get an intranasal vaccine. How do you adapt your calf management for cold weather? Newborns go into the calf warmer until completely dry and then get a calf jacket. If it’s really cold, we may add a heat lamp to their individual pens. We straw-bed deeper in winter. Calves are fed a 20% fat milk replacer. During the coldest days, we add a mid-day feeding. Tell us your best calf survival story. Last winter presented some extreme cold challenges affecting our calves at 2-4 weeks old. We built a small hut inside the group pen and vented heat into it. This aided in reducing cold stress while keeping them on the same routine. What are the greatest difďƒžculties of caring for calves during the winter months? How do you address these? It’s the warm days and cold nights that are more typical in late fall or early spring. Removing moist air is crucial to avoid pneumonia. With our new facility, we have temperature controls on the fans but nothing beats visual observation and taking temperatures. So, we adjust the ventilation based on that, as well. Frozen water is another challenge. With group pens, we have the advantage of a community water tub versus individual pails. Last year, we dropped in plastic bottles ďƒžlled with dry ice and water. That lowered the freezing point delaying totally frozen water tubs. Eventually, it gets so cold they freeze up, too. Then, we deliver warm water via milk taxi to pens. Describe one health challenge you have had to overcome in your calves. How did you manage it? Prior to 2018, pneumonia plagued us. Calves were raised in individual pens in a naturally ventilated barn plus lots of fans. Once we started feeding more volume to calves (even tried 3X feeding), they deďƒžnitely grew bigger, but they also increased urine output and respiration moisture. We were treating fevers every day. If we didn’t, pneumonia was guaranteed. We were turning sufďƒžcient air in the building but not the air 8 inches in front of their nose. Now in group housing, we have terriďƒžc air movement at bedding pack level. We have less than 1% treatment rate and don’t treat animals until their temperature is 103.5. We’ve gone from a 6% death loss to less than one-half a percent. Calories and great air at nose level have led to success. What is one change that has been most beneďƒžcial for your calf management? Group pens and mob feeding calves has exceeded our expectations. Beyond the improved air ďƒ&#x;ow, we actually control the calf’s environment every day without much weather interference. We’ve increased starter intake at a younger age, improved labor efďƒžciency in both feeding and cleaning, reduced straw usage, drastically reduced treatments, and grow healthy, robust calves. We started out wanting an auto-feeder barn but couldn’t justify the price tag. We were leery at ďƒžrst of group pens/mob feeding while weighing options but are pleased now. We are thankful for farmers letting us tour their calf raising systems so we could design a hybrid that ďƒžt our dairy and our budget. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Mikayla McGee Baldwin, Wis. St. Croix County 1,500 cows Tell us about your calf raising facilities. We raise approximately 200 calves on what we call our calf pad. We have Calf-Tel hutches on an asphalt slab designed to channel water and keep hutches tilted slightly
forward. What is your calf care protocol immediately after the calf is born? We feed pasteurized milk with a balancer three times a day. Everything stays on a bottle from day one to weaning. Immediately after calves are born, they are placed in a small group pen with deep straw bedding and an overhead heater (this time of year). Navels are dipped with iodine and the Calf-Guard vaccine is given to the calf. After 45 minutes, a gallon of colostrum is fed followed by another half gallon 12 hours later. How do you adapt your calf management for cold weather? In preparation for winter, we increase the percentage of solids in the milk, all calves wear a jacket until they no longer t and add additional straw bedding. We also keep newborns in the barn longer and bring in donuts for employees more frequently. During extreme cold spells, we have added a 10 p.m. feeding. Tell us your best calf survival story. We have a great calf crew here, and one of our goals the past ve years has been to go 365 days without a preventable calf death. Two years ago, we came 10 days away from meeting our goal. We have not yet reached our goal. Every year we are learning new things, and I’m sure we will get there some day. What are the greatest difculties of caring for calves during the winter months? How do you address these? The most difcult thing in the winter months with hutches is simply keeping the calves out of the elements. We are actually in the beginning stages of designing a calf barn. Describe one health challenge you have had to overcome in your calves. How did you manage it? A few years back we had purchased some cattle from another farm and with them came Salmonella Dublin. The only thing you can do is clean, then clean and clean some more. We have not had an outbreak in a few years, but we still have strict protocols to ensure cleanliness. What is one change that has been most benecial for your calf management? We have not always fed calves milk three times a day. I believe making that change made a huge difference in calf health and daily gains.
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Dave Oechsner Leroy, Wis. Dodge County 600 cows Tell us about your calf raising facilities. We have 75 poly square hutches. Calves are raised in outdoor hutches for the rst 2.5 months. They are weaned at 2 months old and are allowed two weeks to get accustomed to having only starter and water, which they receive from birth on. They are then moved to a calf barn and placed in pens in groups of 10. We raise calves in three buildings and keep moving them as they get older. At 8 months old, they go into groups of 40-50. What is your calf care protocol immediately after the calf is born? Newborn calves are given Calf-Guard, Bovine Ecolizer +C, Inforce 3 and a shot of BO-SE. We dip the navel with chlorhexidine and feed 1 gallon of colostrum within a half-hour to an hour after birth. At the second feeding, we feed 2 quarts of colostrum and then switch to Cow’s Match milk replacer for the third feeding. How do you adapt your calf management for cold weather? Calves are bedded well year-round. When it’s cold, we put calf jackets on them before moving them to the hutch. Last winter, we started feeding 4 quarts of milk twice a day instead of three to increase energy. We also provide free-choice warm water twice a day between feeding milk twice a day. Tell us your best calf survival story. We have very little health issues with our calves. Cows are all vaccinated before calves are born so disease prevention is on board with the calf before birth. We are aware of what’s going on with our animals in general. What are the greatest difculties of caring for calves during the winter months? How do you address these? All of our calves are raised outside, so if we get a lot of snow and wind, we have to ght through the drifts to get to the calves. I still feel that outdoor housing is how you get the healthiest calves. There are a lot of good structures out there today with ventilation that allow you to do a good job in a barn, but we’ve always done good outside, so we stay outside. We have doors for the front of the hutches that we put on to keep the calves inside if the forecast is calling for lots of snow or strong winds. Feeding is done inside the hutch year-round. Describe one health challenge you have had to overcome in your calves. How did you manage it? About 20 years ago, we were losing some calves between 7-10 days of age. They were seemingly healthy, and then suddenly they were dead. After we lost three calves that way, we did a necropsy and clostridium was detected. That’s when we started vaccinating for this – the ‘C’ in the Bovine Ecolizer is for clostridium. That has taken care of that problem for us. What is one change that has been most benecial for your calf management? The calf barns that calves move into after weaning are now tunnel ventilated. Before, it was force pressure to bring in air from the outside, but this wasn’t working. We reversed it and put fans on the end of the buildings, and now we have less respiratory issues in weaned calves with less treatment required.
Deb Pollack Ripon, Wis. Fond du Lac County 175 cows Tell us about your calf raising facilities. After we built the new freestall barn and parlor, we gutted the old barn. This houses the closeup cows and the calves. Both ends are covered with sliding doors, and the west side has sliding windows and several fans. I can keep the barn well-ventilated. The north end of the barn houses the close-up cows on a manure pack. The south end has calf pens which cover the east and west walls. The pens are made by placing the old calf hut wires against the outside walls – no solid panels. Just open wires for good air movement. We have one calf per pen. What is your calf care protocol immediately after the calf is born? I allow the cow to clean the calf. As soon as I discover the newborn during the day or rst thing in the morning, I put the calf into a clean, straw-bedded pen. I iodine the navel with 7% iodine, remove extra teats from the heifers and give all calves 3cc of BOSE. All the cows get Scour Guard 4KC during the dry period. I feed the calf 3 quarts of colostrum within the rst 1-6 hours. I use a Brix Fractometer to test all colostrum. The rst feeding must test higher than 21. If the cow’s milk does not pass that test, I have frozen colostrum to feed instead. When I feed calves again, I feed the newborn another 3 quarts of colostrum. I have found my calves do better with this split feeding of colostrum than when I tried feeding 1 gallon at birth. How do you adapt your calf management for cold weather? When it gets cold, I use a calf warmer to dry and warm the newborn. Then, I use a woolover on new calves and an insulated calf jacket on older calves. In the winter, the barn does not get much below 20 degrees. Since purchasing the pasteurizer and keeping the calves in the barn, I have not had to add anything to the milk. Our herd averages 4% butterfat. All year round, the calves start out at 3 quarts of milk two times per day, and I slowly increase it until they are drinking 5 liters two times per day. They always have free choice water and a good calf starter. At 7 weeks of age, I drop the milk volume to 3 liters two times a day for a week and then wean them. Tell us your best calf survival story. I rarely lose a calf that is born alive; therefore, I do not have a good calf survival story to share. What are the greatest difculties of caring for calves during the winter months? How do you address these? I have had some pneumonia problems in winter, but the vet has designed a ventilation system with PVC pipe that I hope will eliminate that problem. Describe one health challenge you have had to overcome in your calves. How did you manage it? Scours. If a calf starts backing off of milk, they get electrolytes right away or a few hours later, two times a day or more if needed. I use Land O’ Lakes electrolyte and booster. I found that getting calves on an electrolyte schedule immediately will quickly get them through any scours or stomach upset without any other treatment. What is one change that has been most benecial for your calf management? The best thing we ever did for the calves was to buy a pasteurizer. The calves have had less severe cases of scours at 1 week of age and seem to be healthier.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 17
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
Top Performers
Blumenfeld Holsteins focuses on animal potential, health to promote performance Blumenfeld Holsteins LLC Hawley, Minn. Clay County 500 cows
150 days in milk, Lepto 5 at the second pregnancy check, and another J-Vac and Vision 8 at dry-off. What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? Dry cows are dry treated with ToMORROW tubes, and we also use an udder sealant, OptiShield. We prepare closeup cows three weeks before calving. Dry cows will be housed on a loose housing/bedded pack starting this fall, and close ups cows are brought to the closeup pens that are part of the main lactating barn. Having this area part of the main milking facility helps with transition because the cows have less changes to adapt to once they are fresh.
What is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? The rolling herd average is 30,143 pounds of milk, 1,160 pounds of butterfat and 930 pounds protein. How many times a day do you milk? If you do not milk 3X a day, have you tried it in the past? We are currently milking 2.8 times a day through DeLaval robots. Do you contract your milk? Has it been successful for you? We do not contract milk. Describe your housing and milking facility. We have a 6-row freestall barn with a central feed alley with a hybrid cross vent/curtain ventilation
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system. Two years ago, we retrotted the barn and put in DeLaval’s VMS robotic milkers, using a free-ow milking style. Cows choose their own milking routine and frequency. What is your herd health program? We run an aggressive vaccination protocol with fresh cows receiving Inforce at freshening, Bovi-Shield Gold and JVac at 40 days in milk, another J-Vac at
Through the years you have been farming, what change has created the biggest jump in your herd average? That is like asking which drop of rain caused the ood. A lot of little things Turn to BLUMENFELD | Page 20
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ANDREA BORGERDING/DAIRY STAR
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What is the composition of your ration? What has been one of your most recent changes that has been successful for you? We feed BMR corn silage, dry alfalfa, haylage/baleage, cottonseed and pressed beet pulp along with a commercial grain mix. We feel the BMR corn silage has made a large impact on production, and netuning forage quality is huge.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 19
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CLOVER PATCH DAIRY MILLERSBURG, OHIO Alan and Sharon Kozak 429 Reg. Jerseys #4 GJPI in U.S. 58 lbs/cow/day 5.3F 3.8P 135,000 SCC “I like Udder Comfort,™ especially for fresh heifers. Getting colostrum into the calves and Udder Comfort onto the udders are post-calving priorities here,” says Alan Kozak. He and Sharon operate Clover Patch Dairy, Millersburg, Ohio, milking 429 registered Jerseys. Their herd is No. 4 in the U.S. Genomic Jersey Performance Index (GJPI). They produce just under 60 lbs of 5.3F 3.8P 135,000 SCC milk in a grass-based system. (https://wp.me/pb1wH7-7n) “We use Udder Comfort because this is the product that works. It softens udders and removes edema fast. It reduces swelling and congestion in fresh animals better than anything else we’ve tried, getting udders in great shape, fast. It’s also part of our routine for any clinical mastitis. “But our main use is at freshening. We spray fresh udders consistently after milking for the first 3 to 4 days. Udders are softer, milkers stay on better, and milkout is more complete. Quality udders and quality milk, that’s what I like to see.”
Quality Udders Make Quality Milk To locate a dealer, call 1.888.773.7153 Visit our new website at uddercomfort.com @uddercomfort For external application to the udder only, after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
ConƟnued from BLUMENFELD | Page 18
can make the whole picture very different. What role does genetics play in your production level, and what is your breeding program? Genetics for us are huge. We feel that one has to build the cow from the inside out and realize the potential by management. In other words, breed for a model cow in your herd by using top of the line genetics and then through keeping the cow healthy and putting quality feed through her she will in turn perform to her genetic capabilities. You cannot use the cheapest genetics and then expect your animals
to perform to the top of the average. Nature does not work that way. As for our reproduction program, all cows wear an activity tag, and any cow not bred by 70 days in milk is enrolled in our Ovsync program. Re-sync is used for any open cows during herd check. Cows are conrmed pregnant using DHIA milk samples. What type of improvements would you like to make that would increase your rolling herd average even higher? We have some opportunity with early lactation 2-year-old visits to the robot that would drive peak milk, and we are
ANDREA BORGERDING/DAIRY STAR
This cow is an example of what Blumenfeld Holsteins strives for in their breeding strategy. The farm uses top of the line genetics on the herd.
always working to remain cutting edge with genetic improvement. We upgraded three robots to help with fresh heifer adaptation. Cow comfort and forage quality are always on the radar as well for any possible upward adjustment. List three management strategies that have kept you profitable. Genetic progress to keep raising the bar with animal potential, animal health to keep performance expression unhindered and forage quality to give them the best possible opportunity to perform. What would you say are the three most important factors for you that helped you attain your current herd average? Along with working on the management strategies in the previous questions, teamwork is huge. To have every team member performing at the top of his game is key to success. Also, robots helped us increase milkings per cow per day and help drive each cow’s potential upward as the cows now have the opportunity to excel on an individual basis within the herd. Tell us about your farm. Blumenfeld Holsteins is part of Spring Prairie Colony, a Christian based community near Hawley, Minn. We’ve had dairy cows since we started in 1979. The rst barn built was an 80-cow tiestall. In 1995, a wing was added to increase cow numbers to 120 and a dou-
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 21
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1843 Sep Hrs, #163669.................................................$89,900 4 JD 9870 STS, ‘08, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 3262 Sep Hrs, #160885.............................................. $101,900 16 JD 9870 STS, ‘10, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 3242 hrs., 2400 Sep Hrs., #161419 ...............................$99,500 3 JD 9870 STS, ‘09, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2360 hrs., 1580 Sep Hrs., #163675............................................. $109,500 5 JD S550, ‘12, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 1426 hrs., 1077 Sep Hrs., #161903............................................. $154,900 4 JD S660, ‘16, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 655 hrs., 478 Sep Hrs., #143510............................................... $199,500 2 JD S660, ‘13, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1045 hrs., 688 Sep Hrs., #154698 ...................................... $209,500 17 JD S660, ‘12, 1342 hrs., 1025 Sep Hrs., #155239 ...... $178,000 17 JD S660, ‘15, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 787 hrs., 545 Sep Hrs., #157075............................................... $229,500 15 JD S660, ‘14, Corn/Bean, 2WD, #155345 ................. $189,500 5 JD S660, ‘14, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 769 Sep Hrs., #155826 ................................................................... $230,500 4 JD S670, ‘15, PRWD, Duals, 1361 hrs., 1014 Sep Hrs., #143718.................................................234900 2 JD S670, ‘12, PRWD, Duals, 2319 hrs., 1834 Sep Hrs., #143860............................................. $149,500 7 JD S670, ‘13, 2WD, Duals, 1462 hrs., 998 Sep Hrs., #145812............................................... $189,500 6 JD S670, ‘14, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1902 hrs., 1260 Sep Hrs., #153514 ............................ $192,900 16 JD S670, ‘17, 2WD, Duals, 257 hrs., 186 Sep Hrs., #146346 .................................................................... $349,500 16 JD S670, ‘13, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1584 hrs., 1190 Sep Hrs., #161854 ............................ $180,400 11 JD S670, ‘14, PRWD, Duals, 1759 hrs., 1218 Sep Hrs., #144313............................................. $164,900 11 JD S670, ‘17, 2WD, Duals, 918 hrs., 496 Sep Hrs., #146349 .................................................................... $269,500 8 JD S670, ‘16, 2WD, Duals, 614 hrs., 422 Sep Hrs., #148148 .................................................................... $279,500 8 JD S670, ‘14, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1665 hrs., 1265 Sep Hrs, #155388.............................................. $210,000 10 JD S680, ‘14, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1639 hrs., 1251 Sep Hrs., #161855............................................. $209,500 17 JD S680, ‘13, PRWD, Duals, 1426 hrs., 1013 Sep Hrs., #144322............................................. $169,500 7 JD S680, ‘13, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2112 hrs., 1391 Sep Hrs, #162070.............................................. $196,400 7 JD S680, ‘13, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2767 hrs., 1871 Sep Hrs., #161858 ............................ $169,500 15 JD S680, ‘14, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1743 hrs., 1361 Sep Hrs., #156460 ............................ $205,500 15 JD S680, ‘12, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2486 hrs., 1881 Sep Hrs., #163765...............................................$159400 16 JD S680, ‘15, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals,
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1153 Sep Hrs., #144328............................................. $194,900 16 JD S680, ‘14, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2429 hrs., 1781 Sep Hrs., #159509............................................. $187,400 16 JD S680, ‘14, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 12 hrs., 671 Sep Hrs., #161645............................................... $259,500 5 JD S680, ‘14, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1861 hrs., 1248 Sep Hrs., #147716............................................. $209,500 11 JD S680, ‘12, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2308 hrs., 1529 Sep Hrs., #152167............................................. $149,500 3 JD S680, ‘12, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2262 hrs., 1680 Sep Hrs., #154637............................................. $184,000 14 JD S690, ‘14, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1972 hrs., 1446 Sep Hrs., #153332............................................. $194,000 14 JD S690, ‘14, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1998 hrs., 1480 Sep Hrs., #161532............................................. $217,400 3 JD S690, ‘14, PRWD, Duals, 1812 hrs., 1317 Sep Hrs., #145222 .................................................................... $189,500 17 JD S770, ‘18, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 243 Sep Hrs., #156063 .................................................................... $329,500 14 JD S770, ‘18, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 270 hrs., 190 Sep Hrs, #155380................................................ $389,500 7 JD S780, ‘18, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 502 hrs., 268 Sep Hrs., #159539............................................... $421,900 1 JD S780, ‘18, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 483 hrs., 235 Sep Hrs., #157910............................................... $425,000 16 JD S780, ‘18, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 377 hrs., 279 Sep Hrs., #154461............................................... $425,000 16 JD S780, ‘18, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, Spreader, 522 hrs., 327 Sep Hrs., #154560 ................................ $419,500 16 JD S780, ‘18, Corn/Bean, PRWD; Duals, 463 hrs., 283 Sep Hrs., #157911............................................... $420,000 10 Pickett Twin Master, ‘14, #159226........................ $148,500 RIPPERS 6 JD 512, ‘12, #162033 ...................................................$15,900 7 Case IH 870, ‘12, #163215 ..........................................$40,400 5 Case IH 870, ‘12, #160721 ..........................................$43,900 14 Case IH 870, ‘13, #160533 ..........................................$46,400 ‘15 Case IH 875, ‘14, #150892 ..........................................$51,900 17 JD 2700, ‘07, #151561.................................................$17,900 5 JD 2700, ‘12, #162338.................................................$20,900 1 JD 2720, ‘13, #162185.................................................$29,900 8 JD 2720, ‘14, #155362.................................................$37,900 8 JD 2720, ‘13, #161404.................................................$34,900 4 JD 2730, ‘16, #143847.................................................$59,500 7 JD 2730, ‘15, #152025.................................................$87,205 11 JD 2730, ‘15, #143523.................................................$79,500 8 Kuhn 4850, ‘15, #154000 ...........................................$34,900 11 Case IH 9300, ‘03, #162470 ........................................$18,900 1 Krause 4850-15, #163794 .........................................$15,900 10 Krause 4850-18, ‘07, #152120 ............................ $16,900 3 Tebben DT7M24, ‘16, #155258 ..................................$10,995
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49,500
$
ARARTICULATED 4WD TRACTORS 10 JD 8450, ‘84, Partial PS, duals, 1789 hrs., #161603 .... $19,500 7 JD 9400, ‘99, Partial PS, duals, 6460 hrs., #163523 ........69500 17 JD 9530, ‘09, PS, duals, 3073 hrs., #163522 ............. $149,500 15 JD 9530, ‘07, PS, duals, 4340 hrs., #161774 ............. $152,400 1 JD 9630, ‘11, PS, duals, 4220 hrs., #162597.............. $141,900 14 Ford Versatile 9680, ‘95, Syncro, duals, 6873 hrs., #161602.......................................................$49,400 1 JD 9560R, ‘12, duals, 3000 hrs., #163796................. $197,500 15 JD 9560R, ‘14, PS, duals, 4495 hrs., #158665 ........... $179,500 15 JD 9560R, ‘14, PS, duals, 5127 hrs., #158666 ........... $165,000 16 JD 9560R, ‘14, PS, duals, 2746 hrs., #159510 ........... $217,400 16 JD 9560R, ‘12, PS, triples, 865 hrs., #161649 ........... $254,000 11 JD 9570R, ‘18, PS, duals, pto, 242 hrs., #147190 ..... $389,500 8 JD 9570R, ‘17, duals, 653 hrs., #163754................... $319,900 15 JD 9620R, ‘16, PS, duals, 2533 hrs., #161527 ........... $279,900 16 JD 9620R, ‘17, PS, duals, 1281 hrs., #163225 ........... $319,500 14 JD 9620R, ‘15, triples, 2330 hrs., #161422 ............... $283,900 CHISEL PLOWS 7 White 445, ‘95, 14 ft, Rigid, #163317 ...........................$9,500 8 JD 2410, ‘10, 28 ft, 3-Section Folding, #161403 ..........$34,900 17 Krause 4814, 17 ft, Rigid, #161625 ............................$10,900 16 Sunflower 4233-23, ‘10, 23 ft, 3-Sectio, #163583 ....$28,500 5 Wil-Rich 657 DCR, ‘13, 28 ft, 3-Section #163557 .......$32,900 14 Case IH Flex Till 600, ‘11, 61 ft, 5-Section, #160261..$46,400 COMBINES 7 JD 6620, ‘81, 4500 hrs., 4500 Sep Hrs., #156979 ...........$8,500 7 JD 9400, ‘89, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, Chopper, 6793 hrs., 4198 Sep Hrs., #156978 ...............................$18,995 1 JD 9500, ‘92, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, 4246 hrs., 2850 Sep Hrs., #163670................................................$19,500 5 JD 9500, ‘95, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, Chopper, 4285 hrs., 2953 Sep Hrs., #163536 ...............................$19,500 7 JD 9600, ‘90, 6778 hrs., 4605 Sep Hrs., #155273 .........$18,900 6 JD 9610, ‘98, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, 4619 Sep Hrs., #163581................................................$17,900 5 JD 9610, ‘99 Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 4965 hrs., 3424 Sep Hrs., #163535................................................$29,900 7 JD 9650 STS, ‘02, Corn/Bean, PRWD, duals, 5002 hrs., 3459 Sep Hrs., #161213 ...............................$44,900 17 JD 9660 STS, ‘04, 2WD, Duals, 3731 hrs., 2670 Sep Hrs., #150873................................................$49,500 17 JD 9660 STS, ‘05, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 3538 hrs., 2331 Sep Hrs., #151601 ...............................$49,500 3 JD 9660 STS, ‘04, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2228 hrs., 1562 Sep Hrs., #163577 ...............................$74,000 6 JD 9670 STS, ‘08, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2668 hrs., 1748 Sep Hrs., #163474 ...............................$81,400 14 JD 9750 STS, ‘00, 7685 hrs., 5021 Sep Hrs., #155851..$39,500 4 JD 9770 STS, ‘09, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 1878 Sep Hrs., #162933................................................$95,000 5 JD 9770 STS, ‘09, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals,
AL
ST
JD S690, 2014, 1744 hrs., 1303 sep hrs., #145222
JD S670, 2013, 1584 hrs., 1190 Sep Hrs., #161854
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JD 9660 STS, 2005, 3538 hrs., 2331 sep hrs., #151601
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JD S550, 2012, 1426 hrs., 1077 Sep Hrs., #161903
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Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
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Jazzy Dox Dot 8330, born Sept. 8 and daughter of Jazzy Cruiser 7336 and JX Pine-Tree Dox, is the Great Christmas Heifer Calf Giveaway this year. Youth aged 17 and under can register for their chance to win this Jersey calf.
One lucky youth to win registered Jersey calf By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
LODI, Wis. – One lucky child will receive an extraordinary gift this Christmas. The gift cannot be wrapped but may don a big red bow. The gift is a calf named Dot who has a face that will tug at any child’s heartstrings. For the Dairy Star’s annual Great Christmas Heifer Giveaway one youth aged 17 and under can register for their chance to win the grand prize – a registered Jersey calf. The heifer comes from Jazzy Jerseys and owned by Dave Endres in Lodi, Wis. The Endres family milks 850 cows and farms 1,200 acres. Born Sept. 8, Jazzy Dox Dot 8330 is the daughter of Jazzy Cruiser 7336 and is sired by JX Pine-Tree Dox. Her granddam is Jazzy Meridian 5839 – a VG-84-point Turn to ENDRES | Page 23
www.delaval.com
Contact one of the following dealers to learn more: IOWA Kramer Bros. Monticello, IA 319-465-5931 Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290 United-Suckow Dairy Supply West Union, IA 563-422-5355 Postville, IA 563-864-7417
WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713 Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Professional Dairy Services Waunakee, WI 608-849-5043
Mondovi Dairy Systems Inc. Mondovi, WI 715-926-5777 West Salem, WI 608-769-2113 The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470 MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA D&D Ag Supply Pennock, MN 320-599-4466
East Central Dairy Supply Mora, MN 320-679-1029 Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Watertown, MN 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD 800-284-0015 S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288 Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2019 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. All facts and figures are the result of data collected on test farms and pilot farms. Data compared to DeLaval Champion. Results may vary and are not guaranteed. www.delaval.com
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Vinny Endres poses with Dot, the calf that will be given away in Dairy Star’s Great Christmas Heifer Calf Giveaway.
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 23
ConƟnued from ENDRES | Page 22 cow with 19,216 pounds of milk, 932 pounds of butterfat and 777 pounds of protein in her last lactation. “Dot comes from a family of decent production and good type, and has the potential to be a show animal,” Endres said. “The dam is a rst-lactation heifer who has not yet been scored but has a JPI (Jersey Performance Index) of 137. Dot has a JPI of 146.” Jazzy Jerseys’ breeding program strives to keep components high while producing an animal with good feet and legs, and udder. The registered Jersey herd is part of the American Jersey Cattle Associations’ REAP (Registration, Equity, Appraisal, Performance) program. “We don’t use a super-high milk bull unless he can also hold the components,” Endres said. “We also watch size closely. We do not want bigger cows. Bigger Jerseys are not as efcient.” Endres has three children – Vinny, 29, Sydney, 25, and Mitchell, 23 – who are all involved with the dairy. Vinny, a full-time electrical engineering student, also works on the farm full time xing whatever needs to be repaired. Mitchell is in charge of the crops and trucking business. The farm hauls its own milk to Saputo Cheese. Sydney works off the farm full time for the U.S. Jersey Association as an area representative and helps on the farm when she is not traveling. Jazzy Jerseys employs 14 people, including family members. “We wanted to be a part of this giveaway because we believe in supporting the next generation of dairy farmers,” Endres said. “We like the fact this calf is being given to a kid.” Endres has been farming at his current location since late 1994. Prior to that, he farmed in Waunakee, Wis., milking 50 Holsteins. “The barn got too small,” Endres said. “So, I bought a Jersey and found out I really liked them.”
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Sydney Endres and her dad, Dave Endres, pose in front of their Jersey cows at Jazzy Jerseys in Lodi, Wis. The Endres family milks 850 registered Jerseys and farms 1,200 acres. They are providing the calf for this year’s Great Christmas Heifer Calf Giveaway. By 1992, Endres had replaced all of his Holsteins. He grew his herd from 150 cows to its present size at the current location. Why Jerseys? “I realized really fast that I was milking the wrong breed,” Endres said. “It’s interesting what you nd out when comparing the diets and production of a 2-year-old Jersey versus a 2-year-old Holstein. The No. 1 reason I switched is feed efciency. The Jersey’s income
over feed cost is much higher than the Holstein. I also like their longevity, breeding efciency and the fact they’re pretty easy to work with.” Endres is a devoted Jersey breeder who spent 16 years on the American Jersey Cattle Association board and served as president from 2009-2018. His hope is that no matter where Dot goes, she will inspire a deep passion for Jerseys.
“If they don’t currently have Jerseys, I hope the winning family falls in love with the breed and switches to Jersey,” Endres said. “That’s how it started for us. We bought one and it exploded from there. Most people who get started with Jerseys say it was a 4-H project gone wild. It then turns into half the herd or the whole herd. We would love to see Dot be the beginning to someone’s Jersey herd.”
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
+
DAIRY ST R
The Great Christmas “GRAND” PRIZE
GIVEAWAY 2019
Grand Prize Drawing Will Be Held Thursday, December 12, 2019 THE WINNERS WILL BE POSTED ON WWW.DAIRYSTAR.COM, MILK BREAK NEWSLETTER AND ON FACEBOOK.
ADULT “GRAND” PRIZE
2) $1,000 CASH GIFTS! 17 & UNDER “GRAND” PRIZE
“Grand” Prize Heifer Calf:
JAZZY DOX DOT 8330 Born: September 8, 2019 Dam: Jazzy Cruiser 7336 Sire: JX Pine-Tree Dox Granddam: Jazzy Meridian 5839 Grand P Calf come rize s Jazzy Jers From ey owned by s, Dave Endr es Lodi, Wis. in
V Vinny Endres pictured with the Jazzy Dox Dot 8330 h heifer calf that will be given away in the G Great Christmas Giveaway drawing.
REGISTER FREE AT ANY OF THE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 25
REGISTER AT THESE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES: WISCONSIN BARRON COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Barron • 715-537-5618
CHIPPEWA COUNTY
• Associated Milk Producers Inc. Jim Falls • 715-382-4113 • Chippewa Valley Dairy Supply Stanley • 715-644-2350
CLARK COUNTY
• Cloverdale Equipment Curtiss • 715-223-3361
DANE COUNTY
• Argall Dairy Systems, Inc Belleville • 608-424-6110 • Yes JCB- A Division of YES Equip. & Service Madison • 888-276-4365
DODGE COUNTY
MARATHON COUNTY • Equity Livestock Stratford • 715-687-4101
MONROE COUNTY
• Compeer Financial Monroe • 608-328-5934 • Equity Livestock Sparta • 608-269-3104 • Preston Dairy Equipment Sparta • 608-269-3830
PEPIN COUNTY
• Anibas Silo & Repair Arkansaw • 715-285-5317
PIERCE COUNTY
• Ag Partners Grange Hall • 715-647-5002 • Western Wisconsin Farm Store Ellsworth • 715-273-5066
RICHLAND COUNTY
DUNN COUNTY
• Advanced Dairy Solutions Richland Center • 608-647-4488 • Equity Livestock Richland Center • 608-647-6151
EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
• Tri-County Dairy Supply Inc. Janesville • 800-822-7662
FON DU LAC COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Bonduel • 715-758-2125
GRANT COUNTY
• Associated Milk Producers Inc. Blair • 608-989-2535
• Equity Livestock Lomira • 920-269-4351 • Midwest Livestock Systems Menomonie • 715-235-5144 • Equity Livestock Altoona • 715-835-3104
• Redeker Dairy Equipment, Inc. Brandon • 920-346-5576 • Argall Dairy Systems, West Platteville • 608-348-3385 • Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. Lancaster • 608-723-4634 • Innovative Ag Services Cuba City • 608-744-2287 • J. Gile Dairy Cuba City • 608-744-2661 • Scott Implement Platteville • 608-348-6565
GREEN COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Monroe • 608-328-8344 • Monroe WestfaliaSurge/Koehn, Inc. Monroe • 608-325-2772
JACKSON COUNTY • W.H. Lien, Inc. Hixton • 715-963-4211
JEFFERSON COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Johnson Creek • 920-699-3588
LAFAYETTE COUNTY
• Center Hill Veterinary Clinic Darlington • 608-776-4083 • Ederer Dairy Supply LLC Blanchardville • 608-523-1063 • Ruf’s Farm Service Fayette • 608-776-4048
MANITOWOC COUNTY • Equity Livestock Reedsville • 920-7544361
ROCK COUNTY
SHAWANO COUNTY
TREMPEALEAU COUNTY VERNON COUNTY
• Koon Kreek Feeds Coon Valley • 608-452-3838
WALWORTH COUNTY
• Complete Feed Services LLC Sharon • 262-736-3333 • Triebold Outdoor Power Whitewater • 262-473-2464
WAUPACA COUNTY • Equity Livestock Marion • 715-754-5227
IOWA
ALLAMAKEE COUNTY • Bodensteiner Implement Waukon • 563-568-3463 • Equity Livestock Waukon • 563-568-4501 • Innovative Ag Services Waukon • 563-568-3455 • Waukon Veterinary Services Waukon • 563-568-2487
CLAYTON COUNTY
• Bodensteiner Implement Elkader • 563-245-2470 • Innovative Ag Services Elkader • 563-245-1230 Monona • 563-539-3501
DUBUQUE COUNTY
• Bodensteiner Implement Dyersville • 563-875-2724 • Brunkan Equipment Worthington • 563-855-2434 • Cascade Livestock Auction Cascade • 563-852-3533 • Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems Inc. Epworth • 563-876-3087 • Helle Farm Equipment Dyersville • 563-875-7154 • Innovative Ag Services Cascade • 563-852-7245 Farley • 563-744-3337 • New Vienna Ag Automation New Vienna • 563-921-2896 • Skip Breitbach Feeds Balltown • 563-552-2393 • Scherrmann’s Implement Dyersville • 563 875-2426 • Ungs Shopping Center (IAS) Luxemburg • 563-853-2455
JACKSON COUNTY • Innovative Ag Services Andrew • 563-672-3228
MINNESOTA DAKOTA COUNTY
• Werner Implement Vermillion • 651-437-4435
GOODHUE COUNTY
• Ag Partners - Grain Site Bellchester • 651-923-4453 Wanamingo • 507-824-2231 Wanamingo-Agronomy Location 507-824-2215 • Ag Partners Farm Store Cannon Falls • 507-263-4651 Goodhue • 800-732-1439 Pine Island • 507-356-8313 • GB Feed and Supply Bellechester • 651-923-4425 • Midwest Livestock Systems Pine Island • 507-356-8349
HOUSTON COUNTY
• Farmers Win Coop Caledonia • 507-725-3306 Houston • 507-896-3147 Spring Grove • 507-498-5321
WABASHA COUNTY
• Ag Partners Farm Store Lake City • 651-345-3328 Plainview • 507-534-2531 • Beck Implement Elgin • 507-876-2122 • Leedstone Plainview • 507-534-3161 • Wingert Sales & Service Plainview • 507-534-2285
WINONA COUNTY
• Benson Farm Service Lewiston • 507-523-2188 • Elba Coop Elba • 507-796-6571 • S&S Dairy Systems St. Charles • 507-932-4288
To view a complete list of participating businesses, log on to www.dairystar.com
*Enter as often as you like. One entry per store visit, please. Winners must be 18 years or older and a Grade A or B dairy farmer for heifer, or 17 years or younger and a son or daughter of a Grade A or B dairy farmer for heifer calf. Winners must also live in the Dairy Star circulation area to be eligible and are responsible for transport of animal.
Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
USDA opens 2020 enrollment for DMC Dairy producers can now enroll in the Dairy Margin Coverage for 2020. The United States Department of Agriculture FSA News & Notes Farm Service Agency opened signup for the program that helps producers manage economic risk brought on by milk price and feed cost disparities. The DMC program offers reasonably priced protection to dairy producers when the By Ryan Brunn difference between the allStearns Co. Exec. Dir. milk price and the average feed cost (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount selected by the producer. The deadline to enroll in DMC for 2020 is Dec. 13. Dairy farmers earned more than $300 million from the program in 2019 so far. Producers are encouraged to take advantage of this very important risk management tool for 2020. All producers who want 2020 coverage, even those who took advantage of the 25% premium discount by locking in the coverage level for ve years of margin protection coverage, are required to visit the ofce during this signup period to pay the annual administrative fee. Dairy producers should denitely consider coverage for 2020 as even the slightest drop in the margin can trigger payments. The 2018 farm bill created DMC, improving on
D i ffarmers earned Dairy d more than $300 million from the program in 2019 so far. the previous safety net for dairy producers. DMC is one of many programs that FSA and other USDA agencies are implementing to support America’s farmers. For more information on enrolling in DMC and taking advantage of an online dairy decision tool that assists producers in selecting coverage for 2020, visit the DMC webpage at https://www.fsa.usda. gov/programs-and-services/dairy-margin-coverageprogram/index For additional questions and assistance, contact a USDA service center. To locate a FSA ofce, visit http://www.farmers.gov/service-locator. Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.
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Visitors to the Hinchley farm last week pick pumpkins in the snow-covered pumpkin patch.
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donations so cars, vans, trucks and trailers were packed with pumpkins. We offered them to anyone. I did have a group of young mothers that took extra to make baby food. A man came to get some for his goats and sheep to eat during the winter. We have tossed the pumpkins that were decorations around the corn shocks into the goats and sheep. They really do love them, but cows do not seem to. So, the left over pumpkins will sit in the eld until the corn is harvested and the chisel plow makes its way to the patch. Some pumpkins will come up in the spring as volunteer seedlings, but the patch will have to go to a new spot in a different eld. Tina Hinchley, her husband, Duane, and their daughters, Anna and Catherine, milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2,300 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wisconsin. They have been hosting farm tours for over 20 years.
G e nt
As part of our fall farm eld trips, we have included free pumpkins for our school groups and guests to pick. They are planted last of all our crops on the second weekend in June. The varieties of pumpkins are limited to two types to insure the kids can carry them home in their back pack; the sweet sugar pie pumpkin and a smaller jack-o-lantern variety. Both need to be white mold resistant. My husband, Duane, has the eld in perfect condition and depending on what crop was there the previous year we use a pre-plant herbicide. We head to the eld in the late afternoon with the tobacco planter and a couple bags of pumpkin seeds. I sit on the seat low to the ground and drop the seeds down into where By Tina Hinchley the tobacco plants would Farmer & Columnist normally get placed into the soil. The seeds get covered up as we roll ahead. Within a few days after a rain, the seedlings pop up, and I can see what kind of planting I did. If I dropped too many close together, we have to thin the row. If Duane drives too fast, we end up with less plants per row. After doing this for over 20 years, we are pretty good at getting the right speed and dropping only two seeds at a time. When we host tours in the summer, to camps, church groups and families, we check on the pumpkin plants. The yellow owers bloom and quickly grow into green baby pumpkins. I lift the big, heart shaped leaves for the kids to see what will eventually turn orange when they head back to school. This year was a good year for pumpkins. From any point on our farm looking east, the glow of the orange pumpkins can still be seen. The school groups often cheer, “Look at all of these pumpkins,” when we drive up with the hayride to the patch. The kids love to pick pumpkins. Even with the rain, mud and snow; yes, snow. These kids dressed for the weather with boots, mittens and winter gear for their day at the farm. They have a hard time waiting their turn to climb down the steps to nd their own pumpkin. Often the parents ask, “What do I do with all the left overs?” The sweet sugar pie pumpkins will last until Thanksgiving if I get them out of the eld before too many heavy frosts or snow. In years past, I would cook up a bunch of pumpkins and freeze the puree so I could easily grab a bag and make a pumpkin pie or mufns. This year, I did not get around to it. Now we try to give them away. This fall we had organizations in need of pumpkin
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 27
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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
Westby’s cream of the crop
Wangen spends 50 years hauling milk By Danielle Nauman
danieele.n@dairystar.com
WESTBY, Wis. – In the fall of 1969, John Wangen, a recent high school graduate, was not sure what he wanted to do with his life. And, then a milk route came up for sale and the rest is history. Celebrating his 50th anniversary of hauling milk, Wangen, Viroqua, Wis., knows he found his calling when he purchased the route. “The route came up for sale, and my dad said we should buy it, run it for a year, and we could always re-sell it,” Wangen said. “It was something to do.” After the rst year went by, Wangen decided he enjoyed hauling milk to the Westby Cooperative Creamery of Westby, Wis. As other milk haulers in the area put routes up for sale, Wangen purchased those and had two trucks running several routes. Eventually Wangen grew his milk hauling business to include three trucks. In 2007, he sold his business to another hauling company, and that business has been sold again. Despite selling the business, Wangen has continued to drive his routes, delivering milk to the creamery for the past 12 years. “When I rst started, a man named Curt Olson instilled in me that a farmer relies on me to do my job right because that is his paycheck,” Wangen said. “He reminded me that I wouldn’t want someone messing up my paycheck.” For the rst ve years of his career, Wangen hauled milk cans. “That rst route … had 23
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
John Wangen (leŌ) picks up a load of milk from Mark Levendoski at the Levendoskis’ farm near Genoa, Wis. For 48 of the 50 years that Wangen has hauled milk for the Westby Coop Creamery, he has stopped at the Levendoski family farm. producers that we picked up,” Wangen said. Today, Wangen picks up 18 farms spread over a slightly larger geographical area. He picks up 10 farms one day and eight the next. The most farms Wangen has stopped at in a day were 32 farms on two routes, which he said were all small farms with an average of 1,000 pounds of milk. “I haul 46,000 to 50,000 pounds of milk in a load,” Wangen said. “Back then, we would be lucky to have a load with 15,000 pounds. I had a friend that used to say he could spend all day picking up 12,000 or 14,000 pounds of milk. Now you can get that in one stop.” Throughout the past 50 years, Wangen has seen a number of changes in the dairy industry and the way milk is marketed.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
John Wangen lls out the paperwork for a load of milk he hauled in to the Westby Coop Creamery in Westby, Wis. Wangen began his career hauling milk in cans in 1969.
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“First we had the cans, and then we had both Grade A and Grade B milk, and it all had to be kept separate,” Wangen said. “They stopped taking cans here about 1976. We kept our can route going until 1975 when we decided it wasn’t economical to keep the truck needed to have the route.” Wangen said milk needed to be hauled on a different schedule using the milk cans. “In the summer, we’d go out and pick up the night’s milk so it didn’t get hot,” Wangen said. “Then we’d get a second load on the regular route. We’d be going to the same place twice a day.” When milk was hauled in cans, Wangen said all the milk weights and recording were done at the creamery. “We would pull up alongside the plant and unload the cans onto a track that rolled them inside where the milk was weighed, sampled and recorded with the farmer’s number,” Wangen said. “We would pull ahead to another door and washed cans would come back out to the truck for our next load.” Wangen said not much has changed in the protocols that milk truck drivers are required to follow. He said the biggest change in his on-farm routine is that almost all the farms have automatic tank washers. “The tanks used to have to be washed by hand,” Wangen said. “Now we start the automatic washers for everyone.” Wangen said the biggest challenges he has faced relate to having hired help when he owned his trucking company. “I always told new drivers they need to remember this is a seven-days-a-week job. You have to be willing to run weekends and holidays,” Wangen said. “I told them I would get them time off, but they needed to let me know. We have to be Turn to WANGEN | Page 29
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there to get the milk. These farmers rely on us.” Wangen recalled one extremely wet and heavy late spring snow storm in 1973 that shut everything down for nearly a day and a half. “I got to a few of my farms, but not many,” he said of the 1973 storm. “We had to wait until the plows got through.” For 48 of his 50 years hauling milk, Wangen has pulled into the driveway at the Levendoski family farm near Genoa, Wis., where he has known four of the six generations of the Levendoski family that call it home. “John is the only milk man I can remember,” said Mark Levendoski, the second of the four generations that Wangen has worked with. “He is reliable and conscientious, and he takes time to do the job right.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 29
Wangen said the simple things, like watching the farm families grow and the changing of the seasons, are the things he has enjoyed the most throughout his career. “Seeing all the seasons – planting in the spring, crops growing in the summer, the harvest in the fall,” Wangen said. “And, in the winter when it just snows and all the trees have new snow on their branches, it is just awesome. You’re the rst one to see it untouched.” Wangen is not looking to hang up his milk hoses or turn in the keys to his truck yet, even though he has met his goal of hauling milk for 50 years. “Most guys retire and then go out and get another job,” Wangen said. “Why would I want to do that? I’m ne right here, and I feel good enough to do it.”
Schlafer named President, CEO of Foremost Farms USA®
The Foremost Farms USA® Board of Directors announced today that Greg Schlafer will join the dairy cooperative as President & Chief Executive Ofcer on December 2, 2019. Schlafer assumes leadership of the company following the retirement of Michael Doyle. Schlafer brings more than 25 years of experience in the food industry and a proven track record of business and leadership success to his role at Foremost. “This is a time of change and innovation at our cooperative. We are implementing strategies to maximize our members’ milk solids with a focus on protability,” said David Scheevel, Chairman of the Board. “We are thrilled to welcome Greg. He is a seasoned leader with outstanding business acumen. He brings a wealth of experience gained from a series of successful leadership roles at large food companies, including one with a dairy operation.” Schlafer most recently served as Vice President, Food Group Sales & Marketing at J.R. Simplot GREG SCHLAFER, FOREMOST FARMS PRESIDEN/CEO Company where he transformed the front end of the food processor’s business. J.R. Simplot is a privately held agribusiness rm with products marketed in more than 40 countries. Prior to that, he was President of Lamb Weston, a division of ConAgra Foods, Inc. Schlafer lead the Lamb Weston business, including 22 potato processing plants in six countries and more than $3 billion in annual sales. Schlafer started his career at General Mills where he assumed roles of increasing responsibility including Vice President & General Manager, Bakeries & Foodservice Division. “Foremost produces award-winning dairy products and it’s an honor to join the team,” said Schlafer. “The organization is a cooperative that exists to benet the hard-working farm families who own it. I’m excited to help Foremost enable the business objectives of its member-owners while meeting customer needs.” Schlafer has served on several boards including the International Dairy, Deli & Bakery Association, and the North American Millers Association. He earned his MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management and his undergraduate degree from the University of Minnesota.
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Constant comparison Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
‘Comparison is the thief of joy.’ This quote could have easily come about in the past few years, yet it is attributed to none other than Theodore Roosevelt. I don’t think he dealt with the constant bombardment of social media opportunities to compare oneself either. When I rst heard this quote, social media is what came to mind. How often have you scrolled through the daily buzz on Facebook only to be left feeling inadequate in your life? Did you have a bowl of cereal for breakfast instead of a fabulous three egg omelet? Are you wearing yoga pants instead of something fantastic? I say these in jest, but those of you on social media are well aware of these posts. I could feel myself being sucked into a hole dug by too many comparisons, a heavy load of mom guilt, and overall frustration last winter. My Facebook feed was ooded with professional family
Christmas card photos, matching outts, smiles, evergreen trees, and hand-painted signs. I adore these pictures from my friends, but when I was scrolling down through one after another I could feel it overwhelming me. I was comparing myself to them. I haven’t had professional family photos done in years, my kids weren’t in matching attire, and for the last three years our family pictures have been taken with my husband’s classic truck. What if I wasn’t doing it right? I’m sure some of you reading this think perhaps this sounds quite silly; pathetic even. Yet, I’m sure that all of you have had moments of comparison in your lives. Something that made you question your parenting beliefs, made you feel like a bad mom because instead of giving your children the newest everything for Christmas, you stuck to a small list. You promised yourself that you wouldn’t give your
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children anything you were going to want to throw away in a week because it would drive them and you crazy. The advent of Facebook and the constant knowledge of what others are doing in their lives makes it all that much more convenient to compare. So I took a radical move. I removed the Facebook app from my phone. I still have an account, but now to access it, I have to log in. It isn’t quite as easy for me to mindlessly scroll through to the Ramblings from the Ridge point of frustration, and in almost a year, I have only done it twice. My close network of friends is aware that I did this, and keep me informed of anything of importance. However, no one ever messaged me asking me where I went. ‘Why aren’t you posting? Why aren’t By Jacqui Davison you commenting?’ This Columnist fact alone makes it clear that we really don’t pay too much attention to the lives of other people we are ‘friends’ with online. I chuckle as I explain to people that I took Facebook off my phone, and how it makes me feel so much better. The frequent response is, “I wish I could do that.” I smile and tell them they should try –– it will free up hours of their life. It is very clear to me that the friendships that matter are the ones I have in real life. The experiences I share with friends in the esh are more meaningful when they aren’t posted on Facebook for the world to offer their opinion about what we were doing and where we were. Other than give me more time to read a book or sew a quilt, being a bit less plugged in has helped me ward off those peer pressure feelings that I need to be running my kids to this activity or that one. When you aren’t aware of them, you don’t have to go to them. This, however, is a double-edged sword. It seems that the world just assumes that everyone is on Facebook these days. From the school systems to businesses to coaches and instructors, they type a Facebook post and gure now everyone knows what the latest update is. I am now in the minority, as there are fewer and fewer people not accessing some form of social media. This is where I struggle. We as a society cannot afford to assume that every human is on Facebook. The humorous part is, telling someone so usually brings about the retort, “Good for you. Don’t do it. It sucks you in.” It sounds like an addiction when put that way. I already feel better about the approaching holiday season, knowing that I have limited my opportunities for comparison. It was truly stealing my joy last year. It helped me remember what things I hold dear for this time of year, and not be thinking about all of the things that other people are doing. I will take some pictures of my Thanksgiving pies, but I don’t need to post them to have others tell me they are good. The empty pie plates will be proof enough of that, courtesy of the people I love who are there with me. Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wis. Her children, Ira, 12, Dane, 10, Henry, 5, and Cora (toddler), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
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Bimodal milk let down: Why it is important?
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 31
Bimodal milking is a result of delayed milk ejection (DME). In such cases, milk in the gland cistern empties into the claw. But, since milk has not been released from the alveoli, milk ow diminishes greatly until the effects Veterinary Wisdom of stimulation by the liners causes oxytocin release and then release of alveolar milk. When this happens, milk ow rapidly increases and proceeds as regular and normal. We have known about bimodal milking for many years. Measuring bimodal milking, or DME, have By Jim Bennett been difcult for most of Columnist us. A relatively new tool, the VaDia digital recorder, now makes measurement much easier. Since we can now measure DME, we can manage it. A couple of recent studies from Michigan have helped us better understand what causes DME and how DME affects the cow. In the rst study (Moore-Foster et. al. 2019), milk ow dynamics were recorded for 3,824 milkings on 64 herds. Average SCC was 157,000, and average milk production was 83 pounds. Average stimulation time during the rst pre-milking pass was eight seconds, and the average total stimulation time was 14.2 seconds. The average prep-lag time (rst touch to attachment) was 103 seconds. DME was dened as more than 30 seconds from start of milking until the beginning of ow. DME occurred in an average of 25% of the cows in each herd, with a range of 0% to 75%. Decreasing the stimulation time was the most signicant variable affecting DME. Herd size was the next most signicant variable, with larger herds having greater proportions of cows with DME.
Previous studies have shown stimulation time and prep-lag time to affect DME. Most experts suggest somewhere between 60-120 seconds as appropriate prep-lag times, and total stimulation time of greater than 10 or 12 seconds. Proper stimulation and prep-lag times may not be as critical for cows with greater udder ll, such as early lactation cows. Prep-lag time was not a signicant factor affecting DME in this study, but the authors’ concluded that few cows in the study were observed with very short prep-lag times. Larger herds may have more emphasis on parlor throughput than smaller farms; this was the explanation for the observation of greater proportions of cows with DME in large herds. An interesting nding was that DME did not increase a cow’s total milking time. This is counterintuitive because one would expect milking to take longer if the ow is delayed at the beginning.
W h We have k known about b bimodal milking for many years. Indeed, many consultants have assumed that DME increases milking time based on this reasoning. Thus, this study suggested that perhaps yield was reduced in cows with DME. In the second, follow up study (Erskine, 2019), milk production and milk vacuum dynamics were tracked in one herd for 10 days to determine if DME resulted in reduced milk production. Of the cows in the herd, 46% exhibited bimodal milk ow. In cows where milk let down was delayed for 60 seconds, daily milk production was reduced by seven pounds. This is an important nding because it means delayed milk ejection signicantly decreases milk production and revenue on a farm. If one uses a goal of less than 20% DME, a herd with 75% DME would be losing seven
pounds of production per day on 50% of their cows or would see a total reduction in milk production by 3.5 pounds per cow per day for all cows. Increasing stimulation time would not increase unit on time, though it could decrease parlor throughput if adding stimulation time signicantly extended the time from opening the parlor gate until all units are off. Of course, we also know that DME results in a greater percentage of milking time in low ow which can be harmful to teat ends and ultimately may increase incidence of clinical and subclinical mastitis. So, why is bimodal milk let down important? Because it happens when milk ejection is delayed, and because delayed milk letdown results in signicantly less milk. For herds with a signicant percentage of cows exhibiting DME, a simple way to increase milk production and total revenue is to increase pre-milking stimulation time. Teat end health may also improve by reducing DME. Testing for bimodal letdown and DME is simple and can be done by monitoring one milking with a couple of VaDia testers in most cases. Ask your veterinarian for details. Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minn. He also consults on dairy farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail.com with comments or questions.
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
Do you ever think when you drive by other In early June, I wrote about our corn planting woes and how severely wet our soils were. We were people’s ďƒželds how nice they look from the road able to plant corn on about 1,000 acres from June 4-8. and if only your ďƒželds were that nice? Let me tell We had also previously mudded in 1,000 acres during you a little secret, their ďƒželds have problems too. We very brief planting windows secured some of the lower, throughout May. We also wetter ďƒželds because they Do you ever think hi k when h you reseeded many drowned D could not plant them in a out acres of alfalfa with drive by other people’s fields timely manner. We also perennial ryegrass mixes. found rocks, gullies and tile Then the fun started. We how nice they look from the washouts just like in our own were able to secure another road and if only your fields ďƒželds. 2,000 acres of prevent plant Now it is November, acres from neighbors who were that nice? and I can tell you the good, realized that planting cash bad and the ugly of how it crop corn after June 1 was all turned out. The Japanese not going to be a winner. We ordered 1,600 acres of millet was a winner. It was easy to seed, fertilize and dwarf BMR forage sorghum seed, 150 acres of Teff weed, and control costs were minimal. In 60 days, we seed and 250 acres of Japanese millet seed. had 5-6 tons per acre of 65% moisture grass silage that
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tested 14% protein. This along with a few pounds of ground corn almost makes a perfect heifer ration. We planted it around July 1 and thought we might even get a second crop off it, but it did not regrow much after Sept. 1. If I ever get soybeans hailed off in Making Cents of Dairy early summer, Japanese millet would be my ďƒžrst option to plant on those acres. The Teff grass was slow to germinate and grew slowly at ďƒžrst. The seed was high priced, and a little hard to get. We chopped most of it with the millet, but it only yielded about 2-3 By Dave Vander Kooi tons per acre. We did Columnist round bale some and even made a few small square bales. The dry hay smelled great, and it did test in the high teens in protein. It might have a place for horse or calf hay. My grandsons are thinking about more small square bales next year so they can make some cash. The verdict on the forage sorghum is still out. As of now we have chopped about 1,000 acres with it averaging about 10 tons per acre. We have ďƒžnished two piles of it at two of our heifer grower farms. The feed absolutely smells delicious and is running about 65% moisture even after the many hard freezes we have already had. We are working on our last pile at the dairy, and our nutritionist wants to use it for several purposes. He wants to replace some straw and corn silage in the dry cow ration and thinks it will save 2030 cents per cow per day. He also wants to put some in the milk cow ration to replace some purchased wet gluten, hoping to save 15 cents per cow per day. Supposedly there is high sugar content in the forage sorghum that makes it a special kind of feed. So far the early samples are running 10%-11% protein. We ďƒžgure we have $25 per ton in hard costs in the forage sorghum. This would include seed, fertilizer, weed control, land compensation, chopping, hauling and packing. That would be about $10-$15 less than one ton of corn silage. The feed is not as valuable as corn silage, but we do not know for sure how much less valuable. We do know it is feed. The ugly part of all this is the extra work everyone has done to accomplish all this. I have employees secretly texting me if they can join me on the combine crew instead of getting their trucks drug through the mud all day on the silage crew. Fortunately, Joe bought a Safety Pull setup for all the trucks this year, and it gets used all too frequently. My favorite Peterbilt has a bad starter, a broken hydraulic pump, uses two gallons of engine oil daily and is probably carrying an extra ton of mud on it. Seriously, the employees have been great as have been all the neighbors who worked with us through this challenging year. I hope we never have to do it again. I think all of us would have gone crazy were it not for daughter-in-law Rita bringing out delicious meals to the ďƒželd every noon and night for over a month. Vander Kooi operates a 1,800-cow, 4,500 acre farm with his son, Joe, and daughter-in-law, Rita, near Worthington, Minn. Send him feedback at davevkooi@ icloud.com. Follow him on Instagram, @davevanderkooi.
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Genial labor not a bad option
“I’ve been doing genial labor all of my life.” That statement jumped off of the application for the work of milking cows and scraping manure at our farm. It was written by an 18-year-old we recently hired. I thought about the genial labor description about work experience that would make him a good candidate for the job. Curious, I found the dictionary denition, “ge.ni.al, adjective, friendly and cheerful.” At rst, I thought he meant to write menial labor. When I looked again, I decided he may have meant general labor. But, I like the original descriptor of genial labor. After all, that is what a lot of dairy farming, or any type of farming, is all about day in and day out – doing hard work in an amiable fashion. Come Full Dairy Circle I have been thinking about the labor we do and also what every parent, aunt and uncle before us has done to get us to the place where we are now on our operation. I think about the work handled every day by the people whom we work with side by side, and I wonder sometimes what drives us to do it. The days are long and the work is tough and wearing on bodies and minds. My pondering during November leads me to think of relatives and friends who have served or are serving in the U.S. military. We will soon observe Veterans Day when we honor those who served in every facet of the U.S. military in countless wars By Jean Annexstad and in countless ways. I appreciate all they have Columnist done to insure our freedom. In our families, both my father, Richard, and Rolf’s father, Carl, served in World War II. They were young men from farms, in the middle of college, trained in the Navy and sent off to the Pacic and Atlantic. What must that have been like? What did their days hold? How different would their lives have been from what they were accustomed to growing up on a farm? I have often wondered about those things. Sadly, neither can be asked now, but they did leave some of their thoughts behind. Here is what was published in a book about Norseland’s history taken from an interview with Carl in 2008. “Carl’s experience was joining the Navy and enrolling in the U-12 program (Navy Ofcer Training) in 1943. Carl was sent to Pearl Harbor in November of 1944 and assigned to LST 446, which was part of a otilla assigned to carry the Marines on their initial landing on Iwo Jima in February and Okinawa in April. Heading west from Pearl Harbor in total black-out at night and radio silence by day, Carl pulled watch on the ‘bridge’ and it gave him ample time to think about home.” He recalls, “In the very tense hours prior to the landing, I began to wonder what I was doing here. I volunteered for this. Tasks at home that I had hated seemed very pleasant – vaccinating pigs in a hot, dusty hog pen, cleaning the chicken house on a day when the wind was from the south, splitting wood in below zero weather, cleaning calf pens. But here I was, surrounded by people as frightened as I was, still all alone. And if I could describe the fear as the kamikaze approached (it appeared we were a split second from eternity), I would, but words to describe it were not in my vocabulary.” Those words my father-in-law spoke are memorable. They are especially poignant because my own father’s aircraft carrier, the U.S. Ticonderoga, was hit by kamikaze planes, killing 300 on board when he was out ying missions. His roommate was killed as he slept. My father had enlisted in the Navy Air Corps, trained in Pensacola, Fla., ying OS2U seaplanes patrolling for German submarines, then continued ying in a ghter squadron, ying F4Us and F6Fs in missions in the Philippines. After WWII ended, Richard nished college at the University of Minnesota, worked as a bacteriologist for the Minnesota State Dairy and Food Department, and eventually returned to his home to farm, raising dairy, hogs and chickens and growing crops. Carl returned to his family’s farm and eventually moved to our present farm where he and my mother-in-law began to dairy farm. Our fathers came back from their wartime duty and gladly worked on their farms without complaining. Maybe it was the way they were raised or their personalities, but no doubt part of their dedication and enjoyment was because of their U.S. Navy experiences. They gained perspective and an appreciation for the farm life and work. It is important to reect on their experiences and to express gratitude and appreciation for what all people in military service did for this county and are doing yet today. It is good to pause and think about this as we go about our genial labor. Jean dairy farms with her husband, Rolf, and brother-in-law, Mike, and children Emily, Matthias and Leif. They farm near St. Peter, in Norseland, where she is still trying to t in with the Norwegians and Swedes. They milk 200 cows and farm 650 acres. She can be reached at jeanannexstad@gmail.com.
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
Huus named general manager at Plainview Milk Products Cooperative
New leader hopes to add patrons, further integrate cooperative’s two locations By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
PLAINVIEW, Minn. – Plainview Milk Products Cooperative has a new general manager. Guy Huus is the new leader for the cooperative that has 184 patrons and two plant locations – one in Plainview, Minn., and one in Hastings, Minn. “I’m looking to solidify the organization and get it on a disciplined path for maintaining its business and growing it,” Huus said. Huus grew up in a small town in North Dakota, spending summers working on relatives’ farms. For the past 17 years, Huus has been managing companies, with 15 of those being in the food industry. Along with being in charge of the information technology department at Cargill for eight years, Huus has also worked for potato and sunower seed businesses, interacting with both growers and customers. “My dairy background is limited,” Huus said. “I believe why the board brought me in was primarily because of my leadership experience. What I’m very good at is the manufacturing business, managing relationships both on the patron side and on the customer side.” This goes hand in hand with the rst of his four objectives for the cooperative – improve customer and patron relations. “As the business leader … a lot of what I do is manage relationships,” Huus
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Guy Huus is the general manager of Plainview Milk Products CooperaƟve effecƟve Oct. 1. The cooperaƟve has two plant locaƟons – Plainview, Minn., and HasƟngs, Minn. said. “A big focus for me is solidifying relationship with customers so I’ll be actively involved in doing that. And, also at the patron level, getting in front of patrons and working with eld service staff to maintain those relationships.” Huus said this will always be part of the plan. “My objectives from year to year will always be to improve relations with patrons and customers,” he said. “I don’t think that ever goes away. It’s a continual maintenance thing. You’re always in front
of customers wanting to get additional business and maintain the business you currently have. That’s a very important activity. You do that with patrons, too.” His second objective for the cooperative is to create a strategic plan to improve the protability of the business. This will be done by setting up a three to ve year plan. “It is something that identies and prioritizes work activity going forward,” Huus said. “The goal would be to improve the sales and protability for the co-op.
There will be process improvement initiatives that are identied. Those are things we’ll work on as we go forward.” Part of this includes the goal of lling the plants to capacity by bringing on more patrons. His third objective is to integrate the co-ops’ Plainview and Hastings locations. “We merged with Hastings [Cooperative Creamery] less than a year ago so another objective is to nd the synergies for that integration and get that tightly integrated as one entity,” Huus said. The fourth objective is to manage day-to-day business at both locations. While Huus will be primarily focused on the plant in Plainview, he will spend one or two days a week in Hastings to work together with the assistant general manager there. Although the milk price has been rising, Huus is aware of the economic turmoil that has been happening the previous four years in the dairy industry. “When there’s changes, you have to understand where you’re at and where you’re going,” Huus said. “Then you have to review that on an ongoing basis so you can react to it properly. I think the businesses that react to it properly are the ones that actually soften the downturns.” Regardless of milk price, Huus is looking forward to working with the farmers, employees and customers of Plainview Milk Products Cooperative. “I get excited about developing the people and the business itself,” Huus said. “When I see the people grow in their careers, that enriches my job satisfaction. When I do that, that’s when I am successful. What I’m excited about is to continue to make Plainview Milk very successful. The co-op is a very vibrant co-op. It’s very strong. I’m looking to make it stronger. We’re not that far away.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 35
2020 DMC enrollment open Adjustments to more accurately reect production history By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
With only a few months remaining in the rst year of the Dairy Margin Coverage program, considering how the program will t into the farm’s business model for 2020 should be on the minds of many. Enrollment for the program in 2020 opened Oct. 7 and will close Dec. 13. “We had a high rate of participation in 2019 [in Stearns County], and we’ve been promoting the program for next year,” Ryan Brunn said. Brunn is Stearns County’s executive director for the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency. While the structure of the program will remain the same, there is a slight change to benet farms that have transitioned ownership. This year, dairy farmers have the option to apply for a one-time retroactive intergenerational transfer provision, which would account for a family member becoming a stakeholder in the dairy business and adjusting production history accordingly. “With this retroactive option, if a lineal family member joined the dairy farm and they purchased cattle for the dairy, production history would be increased proportionate to the number of cattle added,” Brunn said. The provision will include intergenerational transfers from 2014 to present and cattle purchased within 120 days of the family member joining the farm. “A lineal family member means a son, daughter, adopted child or grandchild or a spouse of any of those,” Brunn said. A similar rule was in place in the former Margin Protection Program. To participate in DMC, dairy farmers must enroll by the Decem-
ber deadline, regardless if they are signing up for the rst time or have locked in an elected coverage level for ve years. When enrolling, farmers are responsible for paying a yearly $100 administrative fee and signing a contract. “We need farmers to enroll whether this is a one-time participation or the second year of ve years,” Brunn said. “It’s a way for us to catch if there are any changes to the business.” Such changes would be if the business was restructured and to conrm the dairy has continued selling milk commercially. Or, if the farm has discontinued milking cows, then FSA also needs to be informed. “Our goal is to make sure they still meet the criteria of the program,” Brunn said. “It’s a way for us to have continued communication with everyone; to get together once a year and go over the accuracy of the farm’s information for enrollment.” As of Oct. 28, 85% of licensed dairy operations in the United States were enrolled in DMC and received more than $300 million in indemnity payments in 2019, according to the USDA. At the top of the list was Wisconsin’s dairy industry. To date, 5,884 of the state’s 6,518 dairy operations with established production history have received a total of $68,808,842 in indemnity payments. “While we don’t know how enrollment will ultimately go for this coming year, we are doing a small amount of outreach so farmers are aware,” Brunn said. In the rst month of 2020 enrollment, the nation has seen 2.49% of its dairy operations with established production history opt in for DMC. Wisconsin dairy farms make up nearly half the list with 327 farms enrolled, 5% of the state’s dairy industry. For more information on DMC enrollment, speak with a county FSA agent or visit the USDA’s website at: http://www.fsa.usda.gov/programsand-services/dairy-margin-coverage-program/index.
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
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Family: Husband, Steve, daughters, Madison and Allison, and son, Brooks. Tell us about your farm. My husband and his brother, Jeff, are partners and the fth generation of Mitchells to farm in this valley. We have a wonderful team that helps us care for our animals. We raise our heifers to age 5 months, and then they go to a raiser and come back about 60 days prefresh. What is the busiest time of day for you? It depends on the day, but generally it’s busier in the morning right up until lunch. When you get a spare moment what do you do? I love to read anything historical ction to post-apocalyptic. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. The farm celebrated its sesquicentennial in 2005. We had over 1,000 people tour the farm school twin sisters and calf feeders) saved a baby bird at the farm. I don’t and enjoy pizza and ice cream treats. I remember the time Lexie and Lauren (high recall their mother being nearly as excited as they were.
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What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I was that farm girl who was never going to marry a farmer, so I make sure to tell my children to never say never. However, I can’t imagine my life any other way. People are what makes the world go round, and the dairy industry has some pretty awesome people. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? There is a wonderful group called the Dairy Girl Network. You can nd answers to all sorts of questions through their social media group. They also host networking events, regionally and nationally. There is also a local group, and we message back and forth. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? Julie (Krull) Larson. She was a successful alum when I was in college and always had good ideas. She’s still a powerful force in the ag industry. She has balanced her career, kids and a marriage with grace. She has been a go-to person for ideas. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? Melania Trump. She is a smart and successful immigrant and underrated as our First Lady. Politics aside, I’d love to show a FLOTUS around our farm.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 37
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STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The BaĆŤst family – (from leĹŒ) Jodie Bobolz, Karen, Jim and Philip – stand in front of the bull yard where the farm’s breeding age bulls are housed near Waterloo, Wis. The BaĆŤsts milk 180 cows and farm 1,000 acres.
Dairy has long history of selling quality animals to fellow producers By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
WATERLOO, Wis. – Selling registered Holstein breeding bulls is as much a part of this farm’s heritage as is milking cows. For 52 years, Battist bulls have produced daughters with admirable traits – both close to home and as far away as Asia. Jim Battist, along with his wife, Karen, son, Philip, and daughter, Jodie Bobolz, operate Battist Farms near Waterloo, Wis., where they milk 180 cows and farm 1,000 acres. Jim and his father, Earl, started the breeding bull business in 1967 after deciding to raise bulls instead of pigs. “We had a nice registered Holstein herd, and someone told us that with the quality of our herd, we should do bulls and get rid of the pigs,� said Jim, who has called Battist Farms his home since 1944. “So, that’s what we did.� In 1976, Jim won the Wisconsin Outstanding Farmer Award. He was asked to speak at various events and used that as an opportunity to promote his business. At the time, the Battists were selling cattle all over the country and world. From the 1970s into the ‘90s, the Battists sold bulls throughout the United States and to China, Iran, Central America and South America. “I had a customer once who only
wanted top-shelf bulls that were black in color,â€? Jim said. “He begged me to come see his herd, which I did, and it was so heartwarming to see his beautiful cattle.â€? Battist Farms sells about 100 bulls per year to farms of all sizes. Some purchase one; others buy four to ďƒžve per year or even more. Because the industry has shrunk, Jim said all sales have now been within Wisconsin and most bulls are sold to farms within a two-hour distance. Most business comes from repeat customers and word of mouth. The farm has 100 bulls for sale at any given time – from calves to breeding age. Most bulls are purchased at 13-14 months of age when they are ready to breed heifers. The herd is A.I. bred, and Jodie does all the mating. “We breed our cows to the best bulls in production and type,â€? Jodie said. “Calving ease is also extremely important. I’m currently using a lot of Hancock, Helix, Firecracker, Unix and Pharo. For Red and Whites, I’m using Crown and Jackson. Currently on the lot, we have bulls sired by guys like Callen, Uptown, Mitchell, Modesty and Crush, as well as Polo – a polled Red and White bull.â€? Bringing out red in the cows was Jodie’s idea; Jim does not like the varied color in the Holstein breed. However, there is a demand for those bulls, Jim said. The farm raises about ďƒžve per year, and the red ones are sold quickly.
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Bull and heifer calves are housed together in the summer nursery in the stanchion barn at BaĆŤst Farms near Waterloo, Wis.
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
ConƟnued from BATTISTS | Page 37
“My heart has a big spot for Red and Whites,” Jodie said. “We stacked the recessive genes to get them; we did not purchase any. Our red bulls are usually spoken for as soon as they are born.” Jodie seeks both type and production but said production has to be there no matter what when selling bulls for breeding. The Battists said they have received compliments on production of offspring. Battist Farms’ rolling herd average is 25,461 pounds of milk, 1,026 pounds of butterfat and 788 pounds of protein. “I have nieces and nephews who like to show, so sometimes I go a little fancier,” Jodie said. “I like to look at nice cows when I’m milking. And, I like them tall. According to some breeders, we have some of the biggest cows around.” Jim now leaves most of the selling to Philip and Jodie. “People usually pick the bull that catches their eye rst,” Jodie said. “Upstanding, sharp-looking bulls sell
“There’s honesty in the bull business, and that comes back to you.” JIM BATTIST, DAIRY FARMER
fast. And, when the buyer looks at the dam’s production, that seals the deal.” Jodie helps guide buyers in their selection, especially if they have bought bulls from Battist Farms in the past. “I may tell them that bull is not a good cross with what they have currently,” she said. “For example, if they have an Atwood son, I tell them not to
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The Baƫst family has been raising breeding bulls since 1967 and sells approximately 100 bulls per year from their farm near Waterloo, Wis. buy another Atwood.” Some customers have preferences such as wanting a bull as white as possible or as black as possible while others are looking for production. Several customers buy their bulls sight unseen. “They will say, ‘This is what I want, pick it out for me,’” Jodie said. “They trust us to make a good decision. Pedigrees are my specialty, whereas Phil knows the bulls’ temperaments and will point out any aws. He watches the bulls every day and knows them well. If a customer has small kids, he may steer them away from certain bulls.”
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Bulls are raised alongside heifers in summer or winter nurseries depending on the season. Summer housing is located in the original stanchion barn, which has been converted to calf pens. In winter, calves are moved to a building that can be heated. Jim likes to break the housing cycle and said calves stay healthier this way. As the bulls grow, they are moved to a bedded pack with outdoor feeding before being moved across the road to a bedded pack and pasture. The bulls are fed a corn silage and haylage diet. Jodie raises the bulls from birth to 6 months of age, and Philip takes over
after that. Philip is also in charge of crops and feeding, and has three kids who help on the farm – Karleena, 18, Marissa, 15, and Joshua, 11. “I tell my nieces and nephews not to spoil the bulls,” Jodie said. “Bulls aren’t necessarily mean, they just want attention, especially when they’re used to getting it.” Battist Farms has achieved more than ve decades of success in the bull market and plans to continue breeding high-quality bulls for years to come. “There’s honesty in the bull business, and that comes back to you,” Jim said.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019 • Page 39
with Justin Morton of Evansville, Wis. What do you enjoy most about farming? Working with my family, being my own boss, being around animals instead of humans, seeing the herd improve and being outside.
Justin Morton Evansville, Wis. Rock County 140 cows How did you get into farming? Being raised on the farm started my interest in farming. Throughout grade school, I looked forward to being able to help my family with the farm after school. Following high school, I attended the University of Wisconsin Farm and Industry Short Course and was able to meet people with similar interests and learned more about the industry. I took the farm over after my dad passed in 2014. I could never imagine myself doing any other career. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry in the next year? I’m concerned the milk prices won’t rebound. We need to better promote cow’s milk to improve sales and show the importance of having it within homes. Consumers have lost respect for the farmer and don’t realize the importance they hold within our state’s economy. Also, the expenses for producing crops and milk have continued to increase while the profits have remained the same. What is the latest technology you have implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? CowManager heat detection sensors. They improve our conception rate and detection of sick cows to allow for quicker treatment. We have had great luck with the system. What is the management practice you have changed in the past year that has beneted you? We breed the cows and heifers ourselves. I breed the cows, and Mark Thompson, who works with me full time, will breed the heifers, typically. A couple years ago, we started our reg-
What advice would you give other farmers? My advice to new farmers would be to make sure you love it, because if you don’t, it will be a lot harder to keep going. I typically don’t give advice to existing farms; I take advice from them. I am still learning every day how to be a better farmer. What has been the best purchase you have made? Calf pens, head locks, free stalls, CowManager system and round baler. We use our round baler to make hay and bedding for the animals. We also use it for a second income by doing custom work.
istered cow herd and have since started to classify the cows and test milk. This has helped keep track of milk quality and genetics within the herd. We conduct a biweekly herd check. We feed milk replacer to the calves. We used to feed the milk from the tank to them and have since found milk replacer to be more consistent (temperature and quality of milk) and allows for more milk to go in the tank. We feed TMR to the heifers above 6 months of age. What cost saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? We made changes to protein, calf grain and milk replacer. We have looked around to different vendors to nd the best price for the quality of feed we are looking for. We
do our equipment repairs ourselves. We try to not custom hire eld work. How do you retain a good working relationship with employees? I listen to their thoughts and let them participate in decision making. I also allow them time off when they ask for it. We try to work with them as much as possible. Finding good farm help these days is difcult. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I am able to work well with the cows and can remain calm around them. I also love to learn new skills to improve the herd. For example, I learned how to breed and detect problems with the cows without having to call a vet.
What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Creating a herd I am proud of. I am excited to have others come and see the cows. What are you plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? My hopes are to continue to improve the herd and quality of milk we ship. If milk prices would cooperate, I would love to be able to improve some of our buildings and equipment. We haven’t been able to since milk prices dropped. How do you and your family like to spend time when not doing chores? I love to drive around and look at farms and different things around southern Wisconsin. We have found some cool places out in the middle of nowhere. My wife, Amanda, loves to travel. We make sure to go somewhere each year.
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Derma-Kote®
Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 9, 2019
&QPoV NGV RTQƂVU ETCEM VJKU YKPVGT Protect your cows with Derma Sept® and Derma-Kote® Winter’s cold, dry air can cause teat chapping and cracking. Protect your cows’ teats and your bottom line with a winter teat dip formulated and patented to shield teats from harsh winter weather. Choose Derma Sept® or Derma-Kote® from GEA to heal, protect and condition your cows’ teats while killing mastitis-causing bacteria on contact. Work with your local GEA dealer to develop a complete winter teat health program that includes Derma Sept® or Derma-Kote®.
Your Local GEA Milking Equipment Dealers
Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. Midwest Livestock Systems Rock Valley, IA Lancaster, WI • 800-887-4634 Menomonie, WI • 715-235-5144 Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. Monroe WestfaliaSurge 712-476-5608 • 800-962-4346 Pine Island, MN • 800-233-8937 Lancaster, WI • 800-887-4634 Monroe, WI • 608-325-2772 Colton, SD J. Gile Dairy Equipment, Inc. Sioux Falls, SD • 800-705-1447 Service 800-944-1217 Cuba City, WILeedstone, • 608-744-2661 Beatrice, NE • 800-742-5748 Inc. Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Edgerton, MN Baraboo, WI • 608-356-8384 Central Ag Supply, Inc. Melrose, MN Rock Valley, Chemical IA Sales 507-920-8626 Juneau, WI WI • 920-386-2611 Leedstone, Inc. Monroe WestfaliaSurge / Baraboo, • 608-356-8384 320-256-3303 • 800-996-3303 712-476-5608 • 800-962-4346 Melrose, MN Glencoe, MN Koehn, Inc. Juneau, WI • 920-386-2611 Colton SDEquipment, Leedstone, Inc. Tri County Dairy Sioux Dairy Inc. Supply, Inc. Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems, Inc. 877-608-3877 • 800-996-3303 Monroe, WI • 608-325-2772 Janesville, WI • 800-822-7662 Melrose, CentralEpworth, Ag Supply, IA • Inc. 563-876-3087 Glencoe, MN MN Rock Valley, IA 320-864-5575 • 877-864-5575 Preston Dairy Equipment 320-256-3303 • 800-996-3303 Baraboo, WI • 608-356-8384 712-476-5608 • 800-962-4346 Fitzgerald, Inc. Plainview, MN Sparta, WI Glencoe, MN Juneau, WI • 920-386-2611 Colton, SD Elkader, IA • 563-245-2560 507-534-3161 • 800-548-2540 608-269-3830 • 1-888-863-0227 320-864-5575 • 877-864-5575 Service 800-944-1217 Centre Dairy Equipment and Supply Inc. Woodville, WI • 866-467-4717 Centre Dairy Equipment Sauk Centre, MN Advanced Dairy Solutions 320-352-5762 • 800-342-2697 Richland Center, WI 608-647-4488 • 800-772-4770 Central Ag Supply, Inc.
Sauk Centre, MN 320-352-5762 • 800-342-2697 Fitzgerald, Inc. Elkader, IA • 563-245-2560
Midwest Livestock Systems, Inc. Menomonie, WI • 715-235-5144 Owen, WI • 715-229-4740 Pine Island, MN • 800-233-8937 Sioux Falls, MN • 800-705-1447 Beatrice, NE • 800-742-5748
Edgerton, MN Chemical Sales 507-920-8626