Looking for a Deal? Check out our Last Chance Deals on pages 8 & 9 of the Second Section
Deals!
DAIRY ST R
December 26, 2020
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 22, No. 20
Bringing their boys home
Family grows through foster care, adoption By Danna Sabolik
danna.s@dairystar.com
VERNDALE, Minn. – Life in the Middendorf home is chaotic and loud but full of love. Joel and Maureen Middendorf welcomed three boys, Breydin, 9, Jey, 8, and Nowah, 6, to be their sons July 23. “We’ve always wanted kids,” Maureen said. Joel agreed. “That’s been the plan all along, to eventually be parents,” he said. The Middendorfs milk 130 certied organic cows on their dairy farm near Verndale. The couple married in 2007 and were excited to build a family together but were unable to do so on their own. Maureen has Turner Syndrome, a rare genetic condition, a symptom of which is infertility. Because the couple wanted a large family, they considered in vitro fertilization and also adoption, but due to the detriments of each, they decided neither were right for them. “Joel and I decided to look at foster care,” Maureen said. “We decided it was the best option for us. We can do foster care and adopt the kids right out of the foster system.” Joel agreed. “There’s plenty of kids who need a good home,” he said. In February 2019, Joel and Maureen began the paperwork Turn to MIDDENDORFS | Page 6
DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR
Maureen and Joel Middendorf along with sons, from leŌ, Jey, 8, Nowah, 6 and Breydin, 9, milk 130 cows on their farm near Verndale, Minnesota. The couple adopted the biological brothers in July, aŌer fostering them for 13 months.
A calf: a perfect gift for Seedorf
The Great Christmas Giveaway winners announced By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
PERHAM, Minn. – For Caylee Seedorf, one of the best gifts she could receive is one that can be led with a halter and found in a barn rather than one wrapped and found under a tree. The 11-year-old received that kind of gift this year from Dairy Star as the youth winner of The Great Christmas Giveaway. “I’m in shock,” Caylee said after receiving the news. Caylee won the Brown Swiss September-born calf, Port-Haven Silvers Jordana, who came from the Portner family who dairy farm near Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. Jordana’s new home is now
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Caylee Seedorf and her dad, Paul, stand with the 11-year-old’s new Brown Swiss calf, Port-Haven Silvers Jordana, she won in Dairy Star’s The Great Christmas Giveaway. The Seedorfs milk 50 cows on their farm near Perham, Minnesota.
Perham, where Caylee’s family – her parents, Paul and Amanda, and brothers, Carter, 17, and Clayton, 14 – milk 50 cows in a parlor with a freestall barn. “This makes Christmas really good because I have another calf to play with and be with on the farm,” Caylee said. Paul agreed this is a good Christmas gift for his daughter. “She’s all about her animals,” he said. “They picked the right winner with Caylee. As soon as she found out, she started moving around calves to make room for her new one.” The summer of 2021 will be Caylee’s fourth year showing dairy animals in 4-H in Otter Tail County. Although her parents own the animals, she claims many as her projects. The rst animal she ever showed is now a Turn to GIVEAWAY | Page 5
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
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 Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.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 Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@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 the other side
Dairy Star likes to provide local stories, which is why we have two versions of the paper. Below are a few highlights from stories you will not ďƒžnd in this paper, but you can ďƒžnd online in zone 2. Find full editions on our website, www.dairystar.com, and click on the e-edition tab under the Dairy Star header. Zone 2 cash, heifer winners Each year, Dairy Star plays Santa Claus to two lucky winners in each publication zone, giving away a heifer calf to a lucky dairy farm youth and $1,000 cash prize to an equally lucky dairy farmer. This year, 10-year-old Paige Conley of Neosho, Wisconsin, had her name drawn to be the winner of Crisdhome Solo Angel-ET, a registered Holstein calf bred by the Kruschke family of New Richmond, Wisconsin. For the cash prize winner, Dairy Star drew the name Pat Ruzic, a dairy farmer from Hixton, Wisconsin. New rotary parlor, freestall barn at Bomaz Farms After several years of planning, the Zwald family of Bomaz Farms in Hammond, Wisconsin, began milking in their new GEA T8800 40-stall rotary parlor in May. The rotary parlor was part of an expansion from 900 cows to 1,400 cows. One person is able to handle the milking duties in the rotary, which uses automatic pre and post-dipping, as well as a stimupulse system, eliminating the need for forestripping. The expansion also included two new hybrid four-season freestall barns. Brey grabs life by the lens Bev Brey, who milks 80 cows with her husband Mark, received a camera for Christmas 15 years ago. That gift launched Brey into a new-found passion of photography. Most of Brey’s knowledge on the subject has been selftaught from simply picking up her camera and shooting, or reading about the technical aspects of the art form. She enjoys experimenting with different techniques and creative lenses. Brey has had photographs selected for an art show held at the New Visions art gallery in Marshďƒželd. Schwittay family sets up heifer memorial in mother’s memory When Ardis Schwittay, the matriarch of Schwittay Farms near Peshtigo, Wisconsin, passed away January 2019, her children wanted to ďƒžnd a special way to honor her memory. They decided to create an Ayrshire Heifer Memorial, and now every year, the family will award a registered Ayrshire heifer calf to a youth between the ages of 8 and 18. Ardis fed calves morning and night, therefore her kids felt donating a calf in her name was the best way to pay tribute to this important woman in their lives.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Pages 8-9 First Section
Bon Yankton Homme
Clay
Plymouth
nt
Kossuth
Kanabec ms ey Ra
Worth
Mitchell Howard
Hancock Cerro Gordo
aw
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mb
Hu
Floyd
ka
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Greene Guthrie
Boone
Dallas
Story
Polk
all
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Ma
s
Jasper
Fayette
Bremer
Wright Franklin Butler
Black Hawk
Grundy un Webster Hamilton Hardin
Tama
Chateld
Dairy Prole: Steve Trogstad
Benton
e war Dubuque
Dela
Jones
Linn
Iowa
First Section: Page 39
Clayton
an
an
ch
Bu
Madison Warren Marion Mahaska Keokuk
Adair
o ontg
Adams
Page
Taylor
M
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eba
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Ca
Pottawattamie Cass
mo
Union ld
go
g Rin
Clarke
Lucas
Decatur Wayne
Ames
Tranel talks about farm stress, mental health in ISU webinar
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Washington
Hubbard Wadena
Harrison Shelby
Fre
Zone 2
P
Sac
as
nt
ho
a oc
Crawford Carroll
Mills
Zone 1
Palo Alto
e Buena Vista
Ida
Monona
Third Section: Pages 2, 4
Clay
ke
ero
Ch
Woodbury
Swanson helps young dairyman get started
Dick
O’Brien
Sioux
Tyler
n inso Emmet
Osceola
Houston
e
Lyon
Fillimore
Mower
iek
ln
co
Lin
Freeborn
Faribault
Martin
ake
Turner
Jackson
sh
Hutchinson
Nobles
Winona
ne
Charles Mix
Rock
Wabasha
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted
am
Douglas
Gregory
McCook Minnehaha
Murray
All
Tripp
Moody
Clinton n Cedar
o ns
h
Jo
Jackson
Scott
Muscatine
n
Todd
on
ns
Ha
Lake
Goodhue
Rice
Second Section: Pages 18 - 19
Monroe Wapello
A
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oos
n ppa
Davis
gto
Aurora
Miner
Nicollet
Brown
W in
Brule Mellette
Sanborn
Redwood
Dakota
Scott
Sibley
Lyon
Third Section: Page 9
hin
Lyman
Jerauld
Brookings
Kingsbury
Carver
Dairy’s Working Youth: Ethan Warmkagathje
Wa s
Buffalo
Beadle
Hennepin
McLeod
Winona
iek
Hamlin
Hand
Anoka
Wright
Meeker
Renville
Yellow Medicine
Isanti
sh
Hyde
Deuel
Kandiyohi
Chippewa
Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Clark
Sherburne
we
Jones
Hughes
Swift
Benton
Stearns
Pope
Po
Stanley
Stevens
Grant Spink
Douglas
Pine
Mille Lacs
Morrison
eu r
Faulk
Potter
Todd Grant
Big Stone
Day
Carlton
Su
Dewey
Edmunds
Otter Tail
Aitkin
Crow Wing
Le
Roberts
Marshall
McPherson Brown
Walworth
Bennett
Richland
Sargent
Cass
on
Campbell
Corson
Dickey
McIntosh
n
Shannon
Ransom
LaMoure
Emmons Sioux
Becker
Clay
Third Section: Page 8
ub
Grant
Cass
Plainview
People in Dairy: Rob Young
Lake
Itasca
go
Fall River
Bames
Cook
isa Ch
Custer
men
no Mah
Wilkin
Stutsman
Logan
Pages 8 - 9 Second Section Jackson
Polk
Tra ver se
Kidder
Hintzen has yet to retain sense of taste weeks after contracting virus
Koochiching St. Louis
Red Lake
Lincoln
Burleigh
Morton
Haakon
Beltrami
Pennington
Trail
Steele
Middendorf Family grows through foster care, adoption
Lake of the Woods
Pipestone
Oliver
Sully
Lawrence
First Section: Page 10
Norman
Ziebach
TheMeade “Mielke” Market Weekly Pennington
First Section: Pages 1, 6-7
Marshall
Grand Forks
Griggs
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
Au d
Foster
Carlos
Clearwater
Wells
Verndale
Roseau
Eddy Sheridan
Page 38 First Section
Butte
Walsh
Benson
McLean
Calf Perkins Chronicles
Harding
Kittson
io
Bowman
Page 33 First Adams Section
Pembina
Nelson
Stark
Slope
Cavalier
Towner
Ramsey
McHenry
Ward
Page 32 Mercer Dunn First Section
Dairy Good Hettinger Life
Rolette Pierce
Just Thinking Out Loud
Billings Golden Valley
Bottineau
Un
Page 31 Mountrail First Section
Williams
McKenzie
First Section: Pages 1, 5 Renville
Wadena
Malones’ farm awarded farm family of Wadena County
Third Section: Pages 10 - 11
Da vi so n
Something Burke to Ruminate On
Kids Corner: The Ahos
The Great Christmas Giveaway winners announced
Page 30 First Section
Divide
Wolf Lake
Perham
Dear County Agent Guy
son
er eff
J
Van Buren
Louisa
Henry Des
Moines
Lee
Luxemburg
Peacock raising venture adds color to Mensen dairy farm Third Section: Pages 6 - 7
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
In a typical year, how would you celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? First Section: Pages 15-16
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Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 5
ConƟnued from GIVEAWAY | Page 1
May the magic of Christmas fuel your spirit and inspire your dreams
As one year comes to a close, the infinite potential of a new year approaches. May we all find new dreams to chase, new goals to achieve, with friends new and old to guide us along the way.
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Jake Golombeski, pictured with his wife, Angie, was the winner of the $1,000 cash prize in The Great Christmas Giveaway. 1,600-pound cow. “Caylee can walk her around the yard like it’s nothing,” Paul said. “That cow is a big pet.” With another animal to add to her lineup, Caylee looks forward to the potential of showing Jordana. “I have a lot of other ones I’m going to show so I have to see how she ts in,” Caylee said. “It also depends on the age group. I have a lot of calves.” Right now, Caylee has a group of ve animals she intends to show at the county fair. “Yes, I really like cows,” she said with a laugh. While the Seedorfs have had Brown Swiss crossbred animals on the farm, this will be the rst purebred of the breed on the dairy. “I’m excited about that,” Caylee said. The family’s herd consists of Holsteins along with crossbreds of Brown Swiss, Milking Shorthorn, Jersey, Montbéliarde, Angus and Charolais. “We have many colors here,” Paul said. “The Charolais and Holstein cross come out really tanish gray. When you breed them back with black and white, and Red and White Holsteins, they come out with unique colors.” On the dairy, it is no surprise to anyone that Caylee’s favorite chore is feeding calves. It allows her to check on her project animals. Now that the sixth grader is distance learning due to the coronavirus pandemic, she has even more time to care for calves. “I have a few Zoom calls every day,
but I get to help with chores because it works in my schedule,” she said. Caylee’s lucky ticket for the giveaway was drawn from her entry at Lakes Area Cooperative, where she and her dad stopped a few weeks ago. “I was hoping I would win, but I also didn’t think I would because I’m usually not that lucky,” she said. Jake Golombeski also had luck on his side when his name was drawn as a $1,000 prize winner for The Great Christmas Giveaway. “I’ve never won anything like this before,” he said. “It didn’t dawn on me that I would win.” Golombeski milks a mostly-Jersey herd of 35 cows on a rented farm near Morristown. During a trip to pick up an order of feed at Ag Partners in Morristown, Golombeski put his name in the drawing. While the prize money is an appreciated gift, it is not the Christmas surprise that tops the Golombeskis’ list this year. “It’s been a little slower around here for Christmas because my wife, Angie, and I are expecting our rst child any day,” Golombeski said. With a due date of Dec. 26, the happy couple will be excitedly welcoming a baby girl into their family. While Golombeski does not have any set plans for how he will use the money, he knows it will be well spent on baby or dairy-related items. With a baby on the way and a little extra cash in his pocket, Golombeski is happy. “I denitely have a smile on my face,” he said.
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
Con�nued from MIDDENDORFS | Page 1
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The Middendorfs – (from le�) Breydin, Maureen, Nowah, Joel and Jey – are now officially family as Joel and Maureen adopted the three biological brothers out of foster care last July. and classes to be licensed as foster will likely be involved in the future, parents. A few months later, they got too. their license and boys in the same day. “Nowah is our animal lover,” she “(Breydin, Jey and Nowah) were said. “He has a special connection our very rst foster kids,” Maureen with (the house pets) and loves the said. “Our licensure called us and cows.” said, ‘Great news; you are licensed Before joining the Middendorfs, and we also have a placement for Breydin, Jey and Nowah had never you.’” been on a dairy farm. The biological brothers rst joined the Middendorfs in June 2019 as a foster placement. In a whirlwind year, the Middendorfs went from foster family to permanent family of ve. Since the goal all along was to adopt through foster care, the Middendorfs prepared for that. “Foster parenting takes a lot of planning,” Maureen said. “You really run the show and need to have paperwork to back up your plan.” From handling various situations, to past experiences, to having different cultures inuenced at home, fostering requires a thoroughly docuJOEL MIDDENDORF, DAIRY FARMER mented plan. “They ask tons of ‘what if’ ques“We are still working on the fact tions and really make you think,” Joel that animals are a responsibility,” Joel said. The Middendorfs work with a said. “When we got the boys, they private licensing agency in Brainerd, didn’t even know how to make a bed. and their case worker works in every It was never something expected of them, so we are working those types county in Minnesota. “As long as there are no parental of things now and will work our way rights, we are open and licensed to up to bigger chores and responsibiliaccept children from every county in ties.” Maureen agreed. Minnesota,” Maureen said. “Safety is also an issue,” she Fostering on a dairy farm looks a little different than a typical foster said. “We need to make sure they can home, as well. While the boys are still stay safe. Because they didn’t grow young, they are becoming incremen- up around (the farm), it’s all new to them.” tally more involved on the farm. Another aspect to foster care is “(Breydin) will help push up feed the trauma the children have toleror scrape the barn after milking,” Joel said. “But, we are still working with ated. “Foster kids have trauma; I think all three boys on responsibility in small things.” Turn to MIDDENDORFS | Page 7 Maureen agreed and said Nowah
“(Breydin) will help push up feed or scrape the barn after milking. But, we are still working with all three boys on responsibility in small things.”
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that’s well known,” Maureen said. It requires a lot of patience and willingness to utilize resources to help kids and parents cope. “At one point, we had each of the boys in three different types of therapy,” Maureen said. Utilizing talk therapy initially helped Breydin, Jey and Nowah open up to Joel and Maureen, and from there, they were led to occupational therapy and speech therapy. “The most rewarding part of foster care is seeing the progress the kids make,” Maureen said. “If you talk to people who met the boys or got to know them when we rst got them, they are totally blown away. It’s like they’re different kids.” The boys, like many foster children, have sensory perspective issues. “The dean of students at school said, ‘(Nowah)’s the nicest kid that hits people,’” Joel said. The sensory perspective confusion comes from not understanding that a hit is not the same as a gentle tap on the arm when it comes to getting someone’s attention. The various therapies help train the senses to understand what is appropriate. Another resource the Middendorfs noted is their school. “Verndale schools have been so great,” Joel said. “The special education teachers and classroom teachers are so willing to work with us and are so understanding about these boys and their unique background.” Verndale’s elementary school has been able to remain open this fall, which is a benet for the Middendorfs. “I know a lot of kids need interaction, but these boys especially do
better when they’re in school and can interact with others,” Maureen said. Going forward with adoption was part of the plan from the beginning, but once there was a court date, the boys were as excited, if not more, to ofcially become a family. “I think Breydin was the most excited of all of us,” Maureen said. “He really craves a sense of belonging as the oldest.” Joel and Maureen’s parents were able to join the family in the courtroom, where the judge joined in over the TV. “Everything was closed from (COVID-19), so we just kind of went home afterward,” Maureen said. The following Saturday, family and close friends gathered at Middendorfs’ farm to celebrate the adoption, making up for the lack of celebration on the day of. Once the brothers were adopted, they were able to be baptized in the Middendorfs’ church, Immanuel Lutheran in Wadena. “We had the baptism for all three of them Sept. 12 in a private ceremony,” Maureen said. Their families gathered again to celebrate another milestone for Breydin, Jey and Nowah. The Middendorfs are licensed foster parents and are open to future placements. “Our goal is six kids,” Maureen said. “(Joel’s) always wanted a big family. If that doesn’t happen and that’s not what we’re supposed to do, then that’s OK too.” Every family’s journey is different, but Joel and Maureen are proud to nally be parents.
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 7
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
I do miss the cows
I left the dairy industry four years ago, Oct. 1, 2016. I was in the industry for 25 years, and I wish I had never left. I opened my own small business, and we have been ravaged by COVID-19. I am on the brink of going out of business. Although milking took a toll on my body, it never got bad, and I felt great. My dairy career was good for the most part. I was milking north of 40 cows a day and was one of the few middle-of-the-road sized barns. It’s not about the big stage. It is about doing something you know is essential and will always be in demand, doing your own thing. I have had friends like Bob from Grand Forks quit because of injuries, but I think that was overplayed. I had some fun moments I will never forget. Seeing cows do the impossible was the best part. Seeing a cow milk north of 175 pounds in one day and seeing a cow get pregnant at 135 pounds a day will be remembered forever. I will never trash agriculture; it is one of the best things you can do. We need to roll back reforms, but I like the direction we are headed. Farming at the end of the day is hard but so rewarding. I will be going back to the cows in 2021. I miss them. Joe G. St. Wendel, Minnesota
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
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Biden picks Vilsack for USDA post Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
The next agriculture secretary is the former than Tom Vilsack,” said Mulhern. House Agriculture agriculture secretary. President-elect Joe Biden Committee Chairman Collin Peterson said Vilsack has picked Tom Vilsack to lead the United States understands the issues facing farmers today, and he Department of Agriculture. During the announcement, hopes “my Senate colleagues conrm him quickly so Biden said Vilsack “wasn’t anxious to come back, but I he can address the important work at hand at USDA.” was persistent.” Biden said Vilsack’s rst Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative President Ag Insider job is to help the country recover from Brody Stapel described Vilsack as a two crises, the coronavirus pandemic strong advocate for dairy farmers and and the current economic challenges. processors. “Edge stands to work with Vilsack, 70, is the only member of the Mr. Vilsack and his future team to tackle cabinet to serve all eight years of the existing and arising challenges facing Obama administration. The last person to dairy farmers,” Stapel said. serve eight years as agriculture secretary was Minnesota’s Orville Freeman in the Criticism Kennedy and Johnson administrations. The advocacy group, Family Farm Action, is not pleased with PresidentBack story elect Biden’s decision to bring Tom As a familiar face, Tom Vilsack is Vilsack back to USDA. In a statement, expected to easily win conrmation as Family Farm Action described Vilsack By Don Wick agriculture secretary. Vilsack began his as a “big food lobbyist” who worked to Columnist life in a Pittsburgh orphanage and was globalize the food system “for the benet elected mayor of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, of a handful of monopoly corporations.” in 1987. After time in the state legislature, Vilsack was elected governor in 1999. In November 2006, Supply, demand report released the former Iowa governor announced his intention Due to an increase in cow numbers, USDA to run for the presidency but withdrew from the race moved its 2020 milk production forecast higher in in February 2007. President Obama selected Vilsack the December supply/demand report. At 222.7 billion to lead USDA in late 2008, and he stayed on the pounds, milk output is up 200 million pounds from job for eight years. In February 2017, Vilsack took November. With weaker prices for cheese and butter, the helm of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Dairy the price outlook for class III milk was also lowered. exports increased during his tenure, but Vilsack faced criticism when reports surfaced that his annual salary Dairy prices on a roller coaster ride was close to $1 million. Most agriculture groups have National Milk Producers Federation Vice praised Biden’s choice, but the progressive wing of President of Economic Policy and Market Research the Democratic Party is critical. Peter Vitaliano said the Dairy Margin Coverage program was a surprise this past year. “Going into Dairy industry praises Vilsack this year, it looked like there were not going to be National Milk Producers Federation President payments and that turned out not to be the case,” and CEO Jim Mulhern said the dairy industry will Vitaliano said. Chris Galen, who is the senior vice miss having Tom Vilsack as a colleague and friend president of membership services and strategic as he leaves the U.S. Dairy Export Council for the initiatives for NMPF, said farmers participating in USDA job. Mulhern said agriculture faces challenges the ve-year version of the Dairy Margin Coverage from a difcult economy to climate change and trade. program are facing an important deadline. “You still “No one is better suited to tackle these challenges have to contact the FSA ofce by the end of this week
to ll out the paperwork for the next year and pay the administrative fees,” Galen said. Class III milk prices are expected to grind lower going into 2021 and feed costs will remain high. USDA boosts net farm income in revised forecast The USDA’s Economic Research Service increased its net farm income forecast by 43% to $119.6 billion. With an ination adjustment, this puts net farm income at the highest level in seven years. The majority of the farm income increase comes from ad-hoc government payments totaling $46.5 billion, an increase of $24 billion from last year. Higher government payments offset a $9.7 billion decline in cash receipts for livestock producers. Crop cash receipts are forecast to increase $6.5 billion higher than last year at more than $200 billion. Budget, property taxes are ag priorities for Minnesota Legislature Lawmakers will be soon be back in St. Paul to begin a new state legislative session. Ag lobbyist Bruce Kleven said there is restructuring taking place. “Sen. Torrey Westrom from Elbow Lake was the ag nance chair last time and he’s also the ag nance chair this time, but the Senate leadership combined this committee with the ag policy committee,” Kleven said. “That used to be chaired by Sen. Bill Weber from Luverne, and he’s moved to the property tax division. Westrom will have both policy and nance. The same thing happened in the House.” COVID-19 may limit the session agenda, but right now, a key issue for agriculture is the budget. “Other than that, there’s not a lot the agriculture groups are bringing collectively,” Kleven said. “We may be working on state patrol roadside stops, and we’ll play defense on property tax gains.” The session is scheduled to begin Jan. 5, 2021. Meet the new Minnesota House agriculture nance, policy chair The new chair of the Minnesota House Agriculture Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 9
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 Finance and Policy Committee is Mike Sundin from Esko. This is Sundin’s fth legislative session, and he’s previously served on the agriculture and environment committees. There is a contrast between the smaller farms in northeast Minnesota compared to farms in western Minnesota. “We’ve seen a lot of dairy farms in my district, located in the northeast part of the state, disappear as the years go by, and now, there are only a few,” Sundin said. “On the ip side, there is an emergence of organic farmers in the area growing berries or vegetables.” Sundin plans to get more familiar with key ag issues going into the session. When it comes to the state budget, Sundin said the revised estimate out last week is good news in the short-term, but how it will impact agriculture’s budget is unclear at this time. Farm activist Anne Kanten, 93, dies Former Minnesota Deputy Commissioner of Agriculture Anne Kanten, 93, has died. Kanten became
active in farm policy during the late 1970s and 1980s. Kanten is responsible for many programs that are still being used today, including the Farm Advocate Program, Farmer-Lender Mediation and the Rural Finance Authority. Kanten was inducted into the Minnesota DFL Women’s Hall of Fame in 2000. Trivia challenge The Christmas cocktail made from egg nog, brandy or spiced rum is a Tom and Jerry. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, when is Inauguration Day? We will 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.
“I really enjoy knowing everything about each cow.” What are some of the DHIA tests you use?
We pregnancy test with DHIA each time we sample. We’ve found the results to be pretty accurate. What do you like about the PCDart program? I really enjoy knowing everything about each cow, not just what recently happened but maybe something 3 lactations ago or even 3 generations ago. There are cow families that don’t stand out milk pounds wise but health, repro and components over time are outstanding. The kind of cows you don’t notice most days because they are average low maintenance cows. I love to be able to Ànd those families and keep them around.
Tell us about your farm. I farm with my wife Emily and parents Jon and Lisa Zweber. Our farm is a diverse operation selling grassfed organic milk through Organic Valley Coop and direct marketing pork, beef, chickens and eggs to customers locally and in the wider metro area.
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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
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Farming while recovering from COVID-19
Hintzen has yet to retain sense of taste weeks after contracting virus
By Andrea Borgerding & Danna Sabolik Staff Writers
CARLOS, Minn. – Leonard and Jodi Hintzen hope no one has to experience COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. The couple milks 38 cows near Carlos and tested positive for ANDREA BORGERDING/DAIRY STAR the virus in October. They Leonard and Jodi HIntzen are pictured Dec. 15 at their home near Carlos, are happy to be on the Minnesota. The Hintzens had COVID-19 in October. Leonard has yet to regain other side of the illness. his sense of taste. They milk 38 cows. “We always felt it was something we needed to be careful with,” Jodi said. down,” he said. “I did that a lot the rst week.” “We know it’s real and people can get it, and knowing He had a virtual follow-up appointment with his it’s very widespread now it’s pretty hard to avoid.” doctor Nov. 5. On Oct. 21, Leonard began to feel pain between “I was put on Vitamin C supplements,” Leonard his shoulder blades and had a bad headache. said. “I was told that if I was working outside and got “I took it easy the next day and didn’t do too much tired to sit down and rest because they don’t know if because I was feeling pretty weak,” Leonard said. symptoms can come back or make me weak and catch When Jodi came home, Leonard was about to start a cold.” evening chores. Leonard said now he can get milking done twice a “She asked if I felt all right or had a fever,” Leon- day with a little work during the day and be ne, but if ard said. “She said my face was all red.” he works too hard, he needs to rest. Leonard took his temperature and it read 101 de“Last Friday, we cleaned the calf barn and unloadgrees. He decided to do chores that evening but would ed corn,” Leonard said. “I spent the whole day workgo to the doctor in the morning if he still had a fever ing, but then Saturday and Sunday I didn’t feel well at and was feeling ill. all. I was worn down.” “I had a treated cow that I milked rst and was Since Steve lives with their mother, she was in waiting in the milkhouse for the sanitize cycle to get close contact and had to be tested as well. They both done on the pipeline,” he said. “I started to sweat pro- tested positive and Anita, who is 84 years old, experifusely and got lightheaded and then I passed out.” enced nausea and one day of a fever. Steve tested posiLeonard came to as his brother, Steve, who helps tive but only had a cough so was able to handle chores on the farm, was shaking him and asking if he was al- most days while Leonard was feeling the worst. Neiright. ther of them lost their sense of taste or smell. Steve nished up milking, and Jodi brought Leon“Mom said that anything she ate tasted terrible,” ard to the ER at Alomere Hospital in Alexandria. She Leonard said. “But she didn’t lose her taste.” could not join him inside. Leonard was sent to a speRecovery is taking longer than Leonard would cial COVID-19 designated room where the healthcare like, but he has been able to manage the workload so workers who attended to him were equipped with per- far. sonal protective equipment. “If I don’t overdo it, I don’t feel bad,” he said. “About two hours later, they said I had COVJodi tested positive as well, and although she never ID-19,” Leonard said. “My blood oxygen level was ne but since I passed out, they wanted to get an X-ray of my lungs.” Everything checked out OK, and Leonard was sent home and directed to quarantine for 14 days. They had to notify any close contacts to do the same and be tested. Leonard was told to take Ibuprofen and Tylenol as needed, and if his symptoms worsened, to come back. Just before they had left the house earlier that LEONARD HINTZEN, DAIRY FARMER evening, Leonard grabbed a cookie and could taste it; however, when they got home late from the hospital, had a fever, she was very tired and experienced body Leonard could not taste the sandwich Jodi made him. aches the rst few days. “I still can’t taste,” Leonard said. “Sugar and salt “You just feel like you could sit on the couch all have a different feeling in my mouth. I can’t really day,” Jodi said. smell anything either.” Jodi works as a Douglas County Extension EducaWhile he endured COVID-19, Leonard experi- tor, 4-H Youth Development currently from home. enced a variety of symptoms. The couple is still wondering where they contract“The rst seven days I was really tired,” he said. ed the virus. “My fever never came back, but I felt like I wanted to “He got a call from the department of health and sleep all the time. I would sleep but wake up after an tried to trace it back two or three days,” Jodi said. hour. I had diarrhea for seven days.” Leonard said they abided to the health departLeonard typically is wary of cold and u season be- ment’s guidelines. cause he has chronic bronchitis. “Wherever we went, we wore a mask and would “I never really got any coughing or u symptoms use hand sanitizer,” he said. “They tell you not to touch though,” he said. “It probably helped that I had u and your face, but that’s a hard thing to do.” pneumonia shots earlier in the fall.” In spite of their best efforts, the Hintzens contractJodi worried about him as well. ed the coronavirus. “There were times when you did a little bit of work “I just think it’s everywhere and you kind of roll and your heart would race,” she said. the dice when you go out in public,” Jodi said. “I feel Leonard’s pulse oximeter would show his standing like we’ve been very lucky. We got care packages from pulse rate was 120 beats per minute and his oxygen our kids and used grocery pickup service. It was manlevel was low. ageable.” “I would sit down and wait for my heart to slow
“I spent the whole day working, but then Saturday and Sunday I didn’t feel well at all.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 11
Water quality oats to the top Perham Bongards cheese plant receives award By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
PERHAM, Minn. – While Bongards Creameries follows the permitting rules laid out by the state of Minnesota, the cheese processing cooperative tries to do more where it can in order to be environmentally friendly. Because of this, the cooperative’s cheese-making plant in Perham received the 2020 Industrial Water Quality Achievement Award presented by the Central States Water Environment Association. “It’s very rewarding because Bongards really strives to integrate environmental sustainability principles and practices into the way we do business,” said Chris Anderson, director of environmental health and safety at Bongards Creameries. “We do that through strong management, commitment, routine measurement of performance and recording of results. Our Perham facility … follows through on those actions and has proven over the years to uphold those goals and standards we have in place.” While water quality is important to the cooperative no matter the plant’s location, the organization is especially mindful of how it may impact the envi-
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Turn to BONGARDS | Page 12
As we’re counting down to an all-new year, we’re grateful to be in business here. CCustomers, friends and family too, a great big thanks to all of you!
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
ConƟnued from BONGARDS | Page 11 but decreased water-from-theground usage by 25%. It has also been able to reduce its biological oxygen demand, which is organic solids that go down the drain and need to be treated. “It’s reducing the organic load in the wastewater treatment system,” Anderson said. During the plant’s recent expansion in 2017, an in-line waste water monitoring system was installed to detect out-going water volume, BOD levels and total suspended solids levels. “Perham has a baseline of what they expect to be sending
out the door to the wastewater treatment system,” Anderson said. “The system continually monitors what’s going to the wastewater treatment system. If there’s a value of BOD or TSS that exceeds the baseline, people in the plant are notied via their computer screens in the plant or on a smartphone.” That allows the plant employees to take the actions they need to correct the problem. “It could be milk that could be made into cheese, so we want to do everything we can to conserve our producers’ milk to make that product into cheese instead of sending
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Bongards Creameries cheese plant in Perham, Minnesota, recently received the 2020 Industrial Water Quality Achievement Award presented by the Central States Water Environment AssociaƟon.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
These seƩling tanks are part of the wastewater treatment system at the Bongards Creameries cheese plant in Perham, Minnesota.
it down the drain,” Anderson said. Once the water is treated in the facility’s wastewater ponds, it is irrigated on the cooperative-owned 285 acres where reed canary grass is grown. “The reed canary grass is the nal treatment,” Anderson said. “It pulls in the nutrients from the wastewater to grow.” The land is rented to local farmers who get to keep the forage from the two to three cuttings in a year with the agreement that the plant will be able to irrigate the elds during the growing season. “There’s a value there to
local farmers who use that for feed products,” Anderson said. The plant has also made an efcient use from its industrial byproduct, a whey byproduct of the cheesemaking process. Because applying it on land has potential environmental complications and trucking it to an appropriate treatment facility would take a lot in trucking costs, the cooperative found another solution by working together with a lab to add an enzyme to the byproduct and stabilize it. “It was found this product could be fed to local young Holstein heifers as a feed sup-
plement,” Larson said. During the winter, the plant has enough storage to keep the wastewater until the growing season starts again. “It didn’t happen overnight,” Larson said of the improvements at the Perham plant. “This has been multiple years working on it. We just constantly tried to improve it.” The award the facility received is validation of that effort. “It’s a lot of hard work and effort the team puts in to achieve the results they have and this shows their success,” Anderson said.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 15
How do you prepare for the Christmas season?
Polly, Jacob, 15, Aiden, 9, and Matt Timmer Ellsworth, Minnesota Nobles County 135 cows How do you prepare for the Christmas season? Polly does most of the shopping although this year she has done much of it online. Polly’s mother drives to our farm from Wisconsin at Thanksgiving and spends a few days with us. She helps our kids decorate the Christmas tree and the house. Polly’s mom also makes gingerbread houses with the boys. In a typical year, how would you celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? We would celebrate Christmas Eve with Matt’s family on our farm. There are about 30 of us at that gathering. We open gifts after we have ďƒžnished chores and have enjoyed a big dinner together. Matt’s mom plays piano, so she will play Christmas tunes and we will sing Christmas carols. On Christmas Day, we drive to River Falls, Wisconsin, and spend two or three days with Polly’s family. What do you love most about the Christmas season? The whole Christmas feeling, spending time with our family, and watching our kids give and receive gifts. When we go to Wisconsin, our boys get to see their cousins. It’s nice to get a break from the farm and spend time with family. What is the best gift you have ever received? Matt’s DeWalt hammer drill. He enjoys it and has found it has a lot of uses around the farm. What is one of your favorite gifts you have given to someone special? The boys and Matt have created a miniature dairy farm on a piece of plywood. Their farm has been equipped with toys that are 1/64 scale. No matter how many tractors and cows and equipment there are on their miniature farm, it seems like the boys are always happy to add something new. What type of gifts do you like to give employees or people you work with? We like to give them things like homemade holiday breads and cookies, pork chops and cheese. Tell us about your family and your farm. We took over this farm from Matt’s parents, Arnie and Doris, in 2016. Our herd is registered Holsteins, and Matt is on the board of directors of the Minnesota Holstein Association. Over the past few years, we have been working on adding more Red Holstein genetics. We board a few head of cattle for other people. One of
Halquist Farms On the tailgate (from left) Mary Muehlenhardt, Kailyn Gerdes and Lee Muehlenhardt; (back row, from left) Scott, Beth Miles and Oliver Muehlenhardt; Hunter, Shari and Nate Gerdes Belle Plaine, Minnesota Carver County 440 cows How do you prepare for the Christmas season? As soon as Halloween is over, my mom, Mary Muehlenhardt, prepares to light up her whole farm so that on Black Friday the whole place is lit up. She also makes sure there are lights at the home farm for her to look at too. We used to make holiday cookies, but because of diets, we cut back to a few favorites to share. We always end up last-minute shopping no matter how much we try to prepare. In a typical year, how would you celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? On Christmas Eve, we’ll have dinner as a family and church in the evening. Christmas Day is opening presents after morning chores, a low-key lunch and supper with our extended family on the home farm. What do you love most about the Christmas season? Being with family and trying to ďƒžnd something that makes them happy. What is the best gift you have ever received? Some of my favorite gifts are the ones people have made for us. What is one of your favorite gifts you have given to someone special? I like to make a photo book for my parents of the family picture we had done. What type of gifts do you like to give employees or people you work with? Our family makes cheese boxes with candy in them. Employees will get a bonus. Tell us about your family and your farm. Lee and Mary Muehlenhardt run the farm with Scott and Beth Muehlenhardt and kids Miles and Oliver and Shari and Nate Gerdes and kids, Kailyn and Hunter. We milk 440 cows with help from wonderful employees. We raise all the calves and run about 1,400 acres for crops and feed.
our young cows was named the champion 2-year-old at the 2020 Minnesota Junior Holstein State Show. We are looking forward to April when we are going to have an online tag sale. We are going to put 20 of our best cattle in the sale catalogue and see how it goes.
Kirsten and Chris Hedtke, pictured with daughters Grace, Maddie and Hallie Mayer, Minnesota Carver County 70 cows How do you prepare for the Christmas season? One of our favorite traditions is cutting down a Christmas tree and putting up decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving. Each year we also make ring sausage with Kirsten’s family. This tradition has been passed down from her grandpa, and as our girls have gotten older, they have also enjoyed participating. We also bake (and eat) lots of yummy cookies with our families. Lastly, our girls look forward to a visit with Santa and opening their Advent boxes each morning that include a little treat, fun activity or an act of service to do in anticipation of Jesus’ birth. In a typical year, how would you celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Christmas Eve is usually spent with Kirsten’s side of the family and ends with Christmas Eve Mass. Before bed, the girls set out milk and cookies for Santa and some hay and carrots for his reindeer. Christmas morning, we are woken up bright and early to big smiles and excited giggles as the girls look forward to opening presents. We eat a big breakfast together before celebrating with Chris’ side of the family later in the day. What do you love most about the Christmas season? Watching the awe and wonder of the spirit of Christmas through our girls’ eyes. We also love the peacefulness of Christmas Eve in anticipation of the greatest gift that was ever given, the birth of our Savior. What is the best gift you have ever received? Chris: Kirsten had a picture of our barn with my favorite cow, Star, painted. Star was shown at the county and state fair for several years. Kirsten: A few years ago, Chris used an old window from one of the buildings at the farm to make a picture frame that included pictures of each of our girls as newborns. What is one of your favorite gifts you have given to someone special? The painting and picture frame are our favorite gifts that we have given to each other too. What type of gifts do you like to give employees or people you work with? Our milk truck driver usually gets a plate of cookies and a case of beer. We like to give our employees and landlords a gift as well. Tell us about your family and your farm. We have three daughters, Maddie, 6, Hallie, 4, and Grace, 2, and are expecting our fourth child in March. We farm in partnership with Chris’ parents, Joni and Curtis. Together we milk 70 cows and farm 300 acres.
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ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15
Josh and Nicole Speich and their children Riley, 23, Gracin, 11, and Chesney, 9 Hobby-Hill Holsteins Orfordville, Wisconsin Rock County 20 cows How do you prepare for the Christmas season? Our family loves everything about Christmas. Our farm is lled with bright Christmas lights and blow-ups before Thanksgiving until New Years. Gracin has a passion for decorating, and his talent brings a lot of slow-moving vehicles by our farm. It is a family tradition to go as a big family to a local tree farm to cut down a tree right after Thanksgiving. Making Christmas cookies is always a fun weekend of cooking and spending time together. Our family’s favorite Christmas cookies are cut-outs, red velvet crinkles, peanut butter blossoms, Ritz peanut butter covered with chocolate, thumbprints and molasses. In a typical year, how would you celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Christmas Eve and Christmas Day is always a fun, busy time of multiple family gatherings of socializing, laughing, eating prime rib and ham, opening presents, playing kid games and watching Christmas movies. Our favorite family Christmas movies are “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation,” the “Home Alone” movies and “Elf.” What do you love most about the Christmas season? Josh: Spending time with family. Nicole: Watching Christmas Hallmark movies. Riley: All the festivities, food and family time. Gracin: Seeing all the Christmas lights. Chesney: Opening all the presents. What is the best gift you have ever received? The best Christmas gift we receive each year is our good health and spending the holidays with the kids, family and friends. An extra gift is when Riley stays overnight on Christmas Eve and wakes up Christmas morning with Gracin and Chesney. What is one of your favorite gifts you have given to someone special? A favorite gift we like to give every year is something that people can use or eat. What type of gifts do you like to give employees or people you work with? We like to give our breeder, ABS representative, milk hauler and nutritionist our homemade cookies and cheese basket from Decatur Dairy. Tell us about your family and your farm. HobbyHill Holsteins was founded 15 years ago by Josh and Nicole, when Riley joined 4-H and took a passion for showing dairy cattle. As our herd continued to grow, we built a new dairy barn and bought 40 acres to support the feed needs. We were lucky enough to buy land that bordered our house. We crop our land with corn and alfalfa. Currently, we are milking 20 cows with a herd size of 50 registered Holsteins. We try to keep our milking herd to 20 head of high-quality cows, as Josh and Nicole both have full-time jobs off the farm. Josh is a machinist at a local manufacturing company, and Nicole is the controller at a local bank. With help from the kids, we make the farming schedule work. The Hobby-Hill breeding program focuses on good feet and legs, high type and great udders. Our successful breeding program has brought great honors in the showring at local, state and national shows for the kids, with the Holstein USA classiers and in milk production. Our quality milk goes to Decatur Dairy in Brodhead where it is turned into cheese. We like to call Hobby-Hill Holsteins an adventure from a 4-H project gone wild.
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Karen Kasper Owatonna, Minnesota Steele County 500 cows How do you prepare for the Christmas season? This year we celebrated Christmas early because one of my daughters was due with a baby right before Christmas. So we put up the tree and décor one week before Thanksgiving. Usually we wait until the day after Thanksgiving. Then the weekend after Thanksgiving, we bake as a family and freeze a lot of it so we can eat it closer to Christmas. I am not a big shopper and usually my two daughters do it for me, but since both girls are pregnant this year, I was on my own. We also put up quite a few outdoor lights. This year we also added a giant snowman made out of roundbales. In a typical year, how would you celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? Things have changed since my in-laws have passed away. Up until two years ago we would go to church on Christmas Eve as a big family with my husband Pete’s parents, his siblings and their families. It was a group of about 125 people so we always had to get to the church early since it’s a small country church. Then we would gather after with a potluck dinner. Our new tradition is listening to the church on radio during chores on Christmas Eve, and our kids and grandkids meeting at our house on the farm for Christmas Day. This year, we celebrated Christmas early on Dec. 12 so we could keep the newest grandbaby in the family safe. What do you love most about the Christmas season? I love it all together – the carols, the Christmas story and the decorations. Going to church, the lessons from the Bible and celebrating the birth of Jesus is important to us along with the joy of getting together. We also emphasize that gifts do not have to be expensive, but be given from the heart. What is the best gift you have ever received? I love the gifts the kids would give us when they were younger – the ones they made in school or art projects from home. I still have them and display them at Christmas time. Also, the youngest of our children, Stephanie, was born 29 years ago Dec. 18 so that was one of our greatest Christmas gifts, too. She might say the same about her son, born Dec. 15. What is one of your favorite gifts you have given to someone special? This is not a gift I have given, but it has been fun to watch my husband, Pete, give special gifts. When the kids were young, Pete gave me a locket with pictures of the kids in it. I used to wear it all the time when I had somewhere to go off the farm. When our daughters were about 5 and 8 years old, Pete bought them similar lockets. That was special to watch. What type of gifts do you like to give employees or people you work with? For people we do business with, I make plates of homemade treats such as caramels and cookies. For employees, we share goodies, treats, FFA fruit and other food all during the week of Christmas. On Christmas day, we make brunch for the employees working the morning milking shift and then have cheese and beef sticks for snacks. For the night shift employees, we order pizza. Tell us about your family and your farm. Pete and I farm together with our son, Tony. We milk our herd of 500 registered Jerseys and Holsteins twice a day. We also grow corn and hay. Tony and his wife, Betsy, who is nurse, have three children: Milo, 4, Lucy, 3, and Gracie, 8 months. The kids love to come to the farm and see the animals. Our daughter, Caitlin, is married to Jason Keck. They live about seven miles from us and raise corn and soybeans with Jason’s parents. They have a son, Waylon, 2, and are due in February. Our daughter, Stephanie, is married to Zach Adams. They have a corn and soybean farm near Glenville, Minnesota. They had their son, Kirkwood, on Dec. 15.
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Jenny and Adam Kalthoff, pictured with their children, Olivia and Lukas Melrose, Minnesota Stearns County 55 cows How do you prepare for the Christmas season? Every year since we have been married, we go and get a real tree the weekend after Thanksgiving. The last three years, we have been going to a local tree farm and cutting down our Christmas tree. Generally, Jenny puts the lights on the tree, and we all decorate it with ornaments that evening. Adam and the kids put up the nativity crib and lights in front of the house. In the middle of December, Jenny, her mom and Olivia take a day and bake various candy and assorted cookies for family, friends and neighbors. Adam and Jenny will bake cut-out sugar cookies with the kids. Generally, we frost and decorate them on a Sunday afternoon. The last few years, we have donated needed goods on the giving tree at church for those that are in need in the area. We donated various dairy products to the local food shelf. In a typical year, how would you celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas Day? We celebrate Christmas Eve by going to Christmas Eve Mass with our family, coming home for chores and then heading to Jenny’s parents for the evening. That evening is lled with a light supper of goodies and opening gifts. Before we leave our house for the evening, the kids leave a plate full of cookies for Santa along with a note for him, saying to help himself to some milk in the fridge. Christmas morning always starts with us doing chores and milking. The kids are not allowed to open any presents until we come in from the barn. Once we are in the house, we open presents from Santa. Jenny will make a pan of caramel rolls or breakfast treat. The day is spent with family from both sides. We usually go for a big dinner on one side then head to the other family for the afternoon. A tradition on Adam’s side is to visit his grandparents by Rice Lake. They have a big hill by the house that kids love to go sledding down. What do you love most about the Christmas season? Jenny: Being with family, especially family that has traveled from further away or another state that we don’t see much. Adam: I like the foods and treats we only get during Christmas time. I also enjoy the time being with family and the games or activities that take place. What is the best gift you have ever received? Jenny: Adam’s grandma’s famous monster cookies. I have received the cookies every year I have known my husband. I love to bake, and I do all the time. But these cookies are extra special because they are from Grandma, taste delicious, and I didn’t have to bake them. Adam: A chainsaw I received from my in-laws. It was a complete surprise, and it has been a very useful gift over the years. What is one of your favorite gifts you have given to someone special? Jenny: I have given a custommade calendar to my parents several years with lots of family pictures. It’s a neat way to share special memories with them. Adam: A few years ago, I bought Jenny and I tickets to see Brothers Osborne at the Palace Theater in St. Paul. It was a fun evening away from the farm. What type of gifts do you like to give employees or people you work with? We give a tray of goodies to our neighbors. We also give a tray to the milkman, nutritionist and feed delivery man. It contains the assorted candy and cookies that were baked in the middle of December with Jenny’s mom. Tell us about your family and your farm. We milk 50 Holstein and crossbred cows in a tiestall barn. We raise our replacement heifers, steers and a few beef cows. We grow corn, alfalfa, oat and soybean on 150 acres and 60 rented acres. Jenny helps on the dairy but also is a full-time veterinarian at a large animal practice. We have been dairy farming for just over three years. We have two children, Olivia, 6, and Lukas, 4, along with baby No. 3 due early January.
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 17
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Repro Leaders
Scholze Family Farms focuses on timed shots, breeding for 38% pregnancy rate Scholze Family Farms LLC Humbird, Wisconsin Clark County 550 cows What was your average pregnancy rate last year? 38%. What is your voluntary waiting period for cows? For heifers? Our VWP for heifers is 13 months and for cows is 80 days. What is your rst service conception rate? 54%. What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? Our heifers are walk and chalk; our cows are in a double ovsynch program. How do you observe for heat? Walk and chalk. How do you conrm pregnant or open cows? Ultrasound by veterinarian. What is your breeding philosophy? How do you select bulls? What traits do you focus on? Does fertility play a role in bull selection? We are looking for a durable cow. She needs to have
good feet and legs, and udders primarily. We only use bulls recommended by our genetics company. Our philosophy is that we would worse-trait match and may actually lose genetic ground if we are using our personal calls and feelings. How are cows and heifers bred? Do you have a different philosophy for breeding both? Cows and heifers are bred with A.I. We use sexed semen on our heifers, sexed semen on rst lactation cows and beef semen for mature cows. We want to see as much genetic gain as we can so we are looking to utilize our best young genetic potential. What do you do to settle hard breeders? We remove them from the herd. How many times do you try to breed a cow before you sell her? Three. Is there anything you have done or changed that brought about a signicant improvement in your reproductive program? We have been careful about dialing in the timing between the last shot and breeding. We also do annual refresher training on A.I. technique. Tell us about your farm. My brother
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Theo Scholze oversees the dairy herd at Scholze Family Farms in Humbird, Wisconsin. Theo and his brother, Will, operate the farm which is home to 550 cows. and I manage the farm together. Will does the crops and maintenance and I (Theo) manage the dairy. We milk about 550 cows. Our heifers are raised off site by a grower. We farm about 1,800 acres
of corn, soybean, alfalfa and wheat. We also have about 200 beef cows and run a direct-to-consumer mail order beef shop from the farm.
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 19
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Tidings of Comfort and Joy 2020 has been a challenging year for all. We have missed seeing our customers, colleagues, friends at most shows and events. We thank you for all you do providing nature’s perfect food, for sharing your stories and goals.
May the True Gift of the Season Light the Path in the New Year.
Cow comfort is our passion. Your dairy’s success is our priority. We are here for you. We look forward to seeing you at events in 2021, how ever the opportunities present themselves. Meanwhile, be well and stay in touch. Sign up for our Comfort Matters E-News, with useful industry updates and cow comfort resources. See the signup link at uddercomfort.com. - Best to all, The Comfort Team
1.888.773.7153 • uddercomfort.com @uddercomfort
Merry Christmas!
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
Gonzalez builds career as vet, A.I. technician, dairy farmer By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
WAUPACA, Wis. – When Segundo Gonzalez came to the United States in 1993, he did not know a word of English. After earning his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree in Ecuador, Gonzalez landed at the University of Minnesota to obtain his master’s degree in animal science. “It was really tough
From Ecuador to America not knowing the language,” Gonzalez said. “I arrived in May, and classes started in September. It was hard at the beginning, but I knew it was a challenge I could overcome.” Gonzalez grew up on a small farm in Ecuador and developed an interest in learning how dairymen farm in the U.S. While completing his schooling, he became a research assistant in a lab at the university and later worked at Jon-De Farm in Baldwin for eight years. Gonzalez worked his way up to a manager position and hired his brothers – Marco, Lauro and Jaime – to join him at Jon-De. “That was where we learned the ropes of dairy
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Segundo Gonzalez is a veterinarian who moved from Ecuador to the United States in 1993. He worked for Alta GeneƟcs for 13 years as an A.I. technician and trainer and has been farming with his siblings since 2011 on a farm they purchased near Waupaca, Wisconsin.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Vicente Gonzalez, a veterinarian from Ecuador, monitors a cow’s temperature as part of the farm’s fresh cow program. He spends 6 to 8 months of the year working with his children at Gonzalez Dairy.
farming,” Gonzalez said. The veterinarian was then recruited by Alta Genetics in 2007 to build a technician group on the northeast side of Wisconsin. His brothers were also hired as technicians. “We all learned how to breed cows,” Gonzalez said. “We started from zero and are now up to 13 A.I. technicians in this area.” In his role at Alta Genetics as the primary trainer of A.I.
technicians, Gonzalez traveled three times a day. Gonzalez extensively in the U.S. and spent 13 years with Alta overseas. He worked Monday Genetics and recently left the through Friday helping business but still provides commercial herds with A.I. training at his farm for new and reproductive programs, technicians. while his weekends were spent “We bought the farm under at Gonzalez Dairy – the farm a land contract, and it will be he and his siblings purchased paid off next July,” Gonzalez in August 2011. Gonzalez and said. his brothers, along with his The Gonzalez family milks sister, Silvia, started milking 250 cows and grew from within 150 cows twice a day. By December, they were milking Turn to GONZALEZ | Page 22
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 21
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Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
ConĆ&#x;nued from GONZALEZ | Page 20
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PHOTO SUBMITTED
Maria Gonzalez feeds calves at Gonzalez Dairy near Waupaca, Wisconsin. The Gonzalez family plans to expand in the near future by purchasing another farm with an addiĆ&#x;onal 550 cows.
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through their A.I. program, using a combination of sexed and conventional semen. “We’ve never purchased a cow since we started,â€? Gonzalez said. In 2014, they started using sexed semen on all heifers and their best genetic animals. In 2017, the family began using Angus semen on certain cows because they had more replacements than they needed. The family has also done some embryo transfer work but plans to concentrate on sexed and beef semen going forward. The farm sits on 25 acres of land near Waupaca, therefore, the Gonzalezes purchase all of their feed. “Our focus is on the cows,â€? Gonzalez said. “We leave ďƒželd work and manure hauling to a custom company. We don’t have the land to spread our manure so we had to ask to borrow our neighbors’ land. We were strangers to the area and ďƒžrst had to build relationships with our neighbors.â€? Marco is the main feeder at Gonzalez Dairy, and Silvia does the bookkeeping. Gonzalez’s wife, Maria, is in charge of calves. Jaime continues to work for Alta as well as at Gonzalez Dairy. Lauro now works at another farm – Miller’s Dairy – with his wife, Enith. Jaime purchased a farm near Weyauwega two years ago and along with his wife, Mariana, is now taking care of all the heifers for Gonzalez Dairy. Previously, heifers were sent to a custom raiser near Oshkosh. Drawing on his veterinary background, Gonzalez brings unique insight to the dairy, and he and his siblings handle nearly all veterinary work on the farm. Pregnancy checks, hoof trimming, fresh cow care, breeding and more are done by family members. Gonzalez’s father, Vicente, is also a veterinarian and spends six to eight months every year in the U.S. working alongside his children at Gonzalez Dairy. He is seeing his ďƒžrst winter this year while helping milk, feed calves and take care of fresh cows. The family-operated farm is a place where everyone works together to get the job done. Brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and cousins all chip in, and at times, three generations of Gonzalez family members are working side by side. Turn to GONZALEZ | Page 23
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 23
ConƟnued from GONZALEZ | Page 22 “I like to see the sun shining bright in the morning while working with the animals and knowing we’re producing a safe food for people who don’t have the opportunity to live in the countryside and produce their own food,” Gonzalez said. Focused on prevention, the Gonzalezes keep a close eye on cow health when walking pens and treat sick cows early. “We want to prevent issues,” Gonzalez said. “We also focus on fresh-cow care. We have set protocols we follow and closely monitor body temperature and check for ketosis the rst 10 days after freshening.” The Gonzalez family also keeps a spotlight on milk quality. Milkers must follow strict milking protocols that include monitoring cow health and singeing udders to promote cleanliness and prevent mastitis. Cows average 85 pounds of milk per day, and the somatic cell count is 105,000. “We’re trying to expand our dairy and are in the process of buying another farm with 550 cows,” Gonzalez said. “Soon, we will be milking 800.” The expansion will allow the Gonzalez family to farm in updated facilities and devote each location to specic specialties. For example, the current farm will be the home of pregnant cows, while all fresh cows will reside at the new operation, which has headlocks – a feature not found where they farm now. “Currently, I do pregnancy checks in the return alley from the parlor,” Gonzalez said. “It’s dangerous. I can do it with only 250 cows, but with more, we’ll need the headlocks. It’s a challenge doing herd health with no headlocks.” Once cows are conrmed pregnant,
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Gonzalez family milks 250 cows on their farm near Waupaca, Wisconsin. The family-operated dairy is run by (front row from leŌ) – Segundo, David, Samia, Jose, Ernesto, Emily, Rumi and Jaime (holding Sayri); (back row from leŌ) – Luis, Maria, Enith, CrisƟan, Lauro (holding Leslie), Silvia, Manuel (holding Aleyda) and Mariana. Not pictured is Marco and his family. the plan is to bring them back to the original farm at 150 days in calf. Cows are dried at 220 days pregnant and will be sent back to the new farm to calve. Other than doing some maintenance on stalls at their current farm and replacing old curtains, the family’s focus will shift to the new farm. Gonzalez and his wife have three children – Luis, 26, Samia, 13, and David, 11. Their oldest son is married to an American woman, and the couple celebrated their wedding in Ecuador. Keeping a rm grasp on their Ecuadorian roots is important to
Gonzalez and his family who make a trip to Ecuador every two years to visit relatives. “We want our kids to learn where we come from,” Gonzalez said. “Our roots are important – we don’t want to lose that. We’re bilingual and only speak Spanish at home. We also teach our kids how to read and write in Spanish.” During his 27 years in America, Gonzalez has developed a diverse resume that includes the work of veterinarian, A.I. technician/trainer and dairy farmer. More than 3,000
miles from home in a climate vastly different from Ecuador’s humid, tropical environment, Gonzalez found opportunities in the U.S. to build a business in the dairy industry. Preparing to triple in size, Gonzalez and his family are experiencing signicant growth. “We started from nothing here, and now we have the farm almost paid off and are starting another farm – that’s a big accomplishment,” Gonzalez said. “It wasn’t easy. We all had to learn English as well as the American culture. But we like cows, and we like farming, and we were willing to put in the work to make it happen.”
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
Disaster assistance available for livestock losses By Steve Frericks
County Executive Director Douglas County FSA Office
The Livestock Indemnity Program provides assistance for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease and attacks by animals reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law. For disease losses, Farm Service Agency county committees can accept veterinarian certications that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management. For 2020 livestock losses, you must file a notice within 30 calendar days of when the loss is first apparent. You then must provide the following supporting documentation to your local FSA office no later than 60 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred. – Proof of death documentation. – Copy of grower’s contracts. – Proof of normal mortality documentation. USDA has established normal mortality rates for each type and weight range of eligible livestock, i.e. adult beef cow = 1.5% and non-adult beef cattle (less than 250 pounds) = 3%. These established percentages reect losses that are considered expected or typical under normal conditions. In addition to ling a notice of loss, you must also submit an application for payment by March 1, 2021. Keeping livestock inventory records Livestock inventory records are necessary in the event of a natural disaster, so remember to keep them updated. When disasters strike, the FSA can help if you have suffered excessive livestock death losses and grazing or feed losses due to eligible natural disasters. To participate in livestock disaster assistance programs, you will be required to provide veriable documentation of death losses resulting from an eligible adverse weather event and must submit a notice of loss to your local FSA ofce within 30 calendar days of when the loss of livestock is apparent. For grazing or feed losses, you must submit a notice of loss to your local FSA ofce within 30 calendar days of when the loss is apparent and should maintain documentation and receipts. You should record all pertinent information regarding livestock inventory records including: – Documentation of the number, kind, type and weight range of livestock. – Beginning inventory supported by birth recordings or purchase receipts. For more information on documentation requirements, visit www.fsa.usda.gov.
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Reďƒ&#x;ections on 2020, looking ahead to 2021 Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 27
2020 has been a rollercoaster for everyone. Life at home, work, school and the farm has changed, and we all have shifted gears to keep marching forward. At Midwest Dairy, we quickly reacted and altered course so that even in this different world, we continued driving dairy demand and building consumer trust. Our work this year, and learnings garnered from it, helped us set forth a plan for 2021 and beyond that will use creative ideas for dairy promotion to maximize farmers’ checkoff investment. As we look back, we need to acknowledge some bright spots this year, one being the public awareness and appreciation for By Molly Pelzer those who help keep food on our CEO, Midwest Dairy Association tables. When consumers found empty shelves in the grocery stores and had trouble getting staples like milk, shoppers thought about how food gets to them, which all starts with farmers. This increased food literacy provides a unique opportunity to reach adults and children to highlight the vital role farmers play in the health of people and the world. As we move into the 2020, this will be an important message we continue to share about dairy farmers far and wide. During the pandemic, Midwest Dairy has pivoted, continually ďƒžnding ways to help dairy thrive and extend resources in this tough time. – We helped our local communities weather changes in a variety of ways, including a $500,000 donation on behalf of Midwest Dairy farmers to regional food banks, placing coolers in schools to help provide safe meals for kids even when distance learning, providing refrigeration units to food pantries and recognizing local heroes. – We presented research and insights to better understand consumers and how we can meet and anticipate their needs to capture as much market share as possible. – We increased dairy sales through foodservice and retail partnerships, including collaborative efforts with Pizza Ranch, Coborn’s, SuperValu, Casey’s General Store and more. – We embraced the virtual world as staff and dairy farmers learned new skills, moving events, partner meetings and farm tours online, which has exponentially extended the reach of these efforts and helped reach new consumers to build trust. In 2021, we are eager to kick-off our new threeyear strategic plan. While remaining committed to our key priorities, we will also incorporate new elements that will lead to increased sales and trust. Our key focus areas will be: – Increasing dairy sales. Our priority will be generating a strong and catalytic return on dairy farmers’ investment by collaborating with partners to provide category expertise, insights and marketing support. We know e-commerce will remain a critical avenue for sales, and nationally, we will continue to focus on expanding programs designed to reach consumers who shop online. – Growing trust in dairy. Working through foodservice, retail, school, healthcare and environmental partnerships, we will share dairy’s sustainable nutrition story and form deeper connections with consumers, with a special focus on parents and Generation Z.
– Advancing research in dairy. We will increase our efforts to use environmental and nutrition research, along with consumer insights, to identify the greatest opportunities for category growth, and focus on what consumers and our retail partners want and need from dairy. In addition, the Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center will explore opportunities to develop innovative new products and packaging. – Creating dairy checkoff advocates. With a wide variety of resources for dairy-related topics, we will continue working with farmers, processors and decision makers to help provide the tools they need to share examples of the value of your dairy checkoff in action. – Developing farm and community leaders for
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Production
Policy & Economics
Conservation & Sustainability
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January 14/15
January 21/22
January 28/29
Safety Doesn’t Happen by Accident
Beef Options for Dairies to Diversify, Maximize proďŹ ts
MN Milk Resolutions and Policy Opportunities in 2021
A Holistic Approach to Dairy Conservation
Kevin Wulf
Andrew Swanson
Lucas Sjostrom & Daryn McBeth
Nathan Hylla
Engaging Employees: We can do it!
Dairy Category Analysis
Financial Knowledge your Banker Wants You to Know
Why The Nature Conservancy Loves Farmers
Jorge Delgado
Megan Sheets
Gary Sipiorski
Leif Fixen
Making the Most out of your Farm Advisory Team
Oddball Organisms
Dairy 2021 Outlook
Deep Dive on Dairy Data from Discovery Farms
Leah Bischof
Matt Boyle
Marin Bozic
Tim Radatz
Bend But Don’t Break: Exploring Resiliency
Udder Dissection
Environment versus Execution
What’s a Strip Tiller have to do with Saving Money?
Monica McConkey
Mario Solis Flores
Michael Swanson
Amos Smith
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dairy. Building dairy leaders will remain a pillar to ensure the dairy community can effectively and conďƒždently share their story with consumers. Dairy leadership and storytelling will be crucial in the coming months and years as the industry showcases how dairy can be an environmental solution as we work toward achieving the 2050 industry goals together. To our Midwest Dairy farmers: We know how hard you work every day, and we remain inspired by the ways in which you have risen to the occasion, continuing to produce a nutritious, delicious product for the world. We are honored to work on your behalf, and we will strive every day to deliver the most we can for your investment in checkoff.
A Healthy Farm Needs A Healthy Farmer
Can Lower Milk Yield lead to Higher ProďŹ t per Cow?
The 2021 Landscape in Washington, DC
The Value of Collaboration for Sustainable Agriculture
Emily Krekelberg
Joleen Hadrich
Paul Bleiberg
Ryan Whisnant
Mental Resiliency
Changing the Game with Dairy Analytics
Farm Bureau Priorities for Dairy Industry Reform
Net Zero Initiative
Dennis Hoiberg
Jeffrey Bewley
John Newton
Jim Wallace & Karen Scanlon
Sleep: The Fuel of Your Resilience
Is My Dairy Business Competitive? Actions that Drive ProďŹ t
Building a Vaccine Protocol
Got Manure? Cover it Up and Take Credit
Joe Armstrong
Melissa Wilson
February 18/19
February 25/26
Dennis Hoiberg
Matt Lange & Jon Zander
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610 Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130 Hugh Chester-Jones chest001@umn.edu 507-835-3622 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391 Sandra Godden godde002@umn.edu 612-625-8177 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711 Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205 M. Scott Wells mswells@umn.edu 612-625-3747
0% 60 FOR
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Using cow rumination data By Mateus Peiter & Marcia Endres University of Minnesota
What is rumination? Rumination (a.k.a. cud chewing) is a process that consists of regurgitation, re-mastication and re-swallowing of feed boluses. This is necessary for breakdown of forages and to maintain adequate rumen pH. Dairy cows ruminate on average seven to eight hours per day. Daily rumination time decreases on the day of calving, reaching a minimum average of approximately four hours. How can we measure rumination time? Rumination can be accurately measured with different types of sensors that analyze jaw movements or sounds of mastication. Such devices collect continuous data, which can be stored and used by producers, consultants and researchers. Furthermore, these sensors can be paired with other technologies, such as the robotic milking system, allowing for the integration of behavior and production parameters for holistic monitoring of the herd. Is there a relationship between rumination time and health? The metabolic and health status of the cow during the transition period is associated with changes in DRT. Dairy cows that had a more severe inammatory response during calving are more likely to have a reduced DRT in early lactation. Research has shown that cows with metabolic or digestive disorders, such as subclinical ketosis, displaced abomasum, indigestion and ruminal acidosis had decreased DRT compared to healthy cows. Similarly, DRT decreased during lameness and pneumonia events. Also, cows that delivered twins exhibited a decrease in postpartum DRT compared to cows that delivered singletons. What about milk production? Is it associated with rumination time? Research has shown that cows with greater DRT in early lactation had increased short-term milk production, which may be due to healthier animals and rumens, and increased feed intake. For instance, a study from Italy showed that cows with greater DRT from three to six days in milk produced up to 18 pounds more milk per day during the rst 30 DIM. A study from Canada showed that DRT and milk yield followed a similar pattern around the period of disease diagnosis, where both began to decrease a few days prior to disease detection.
SKIDS & TRACKS
What have we learned in a recent study at the University of Minnesota? We used peak milk yield as a measure of overall lactation production which has a strong positive correlation with 305day milk production. Lactation peak milk yield normally occurs between 45 and 100 DIM, with rst-calf heifers peaking later than older cows. We decided to take a novel approach and investigate how the change in DRT along with the average DRT over the rst six DIM were associated with peak milk yield. For this study, we collected milk production and rumination data for 4,662 cows from 33 robotic milking system farms in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Heifers peaked at a median of 75 DIM with an average peak milk yield of 95 pounds. Older cows peaked at 44 (second lactation) and 46 (third and greater lactation) DIM with an average peak milk yield of 124 and 134 pounds, respectively. Cows normally ruminate the least amount of time the day of calving and DRT increases slowly until stable levels are reached. We found that it took on average six days to reach stable rumination levels after calving, ranging from ve to 12 days. One of the most interesting ndings was that for each 100 min/d increase in DRT from one to six DIM, older cows peaked as much as 10.7 pounds higher. However, the same relationship was not found for rst-calf heifers. A previous study showed that for each 1 pound increase in peak milk yield, the overall 305-day milk production increased by 157 pounds on average. Similarly, we found that older cows with greater average DRT in early lactation peaked higher. For example, for each 100-minute increase in average DRT from one to six DIM, cows peaked as much as 5 pounds higher. A cow ruminating on average eight hours (480 minutes) per day will produce up to 12 pounds more milk at peak compared with a cow that ruminates only four hours (240 minutes) per day. If we take the same 157-pound increase in 305-day production for each pound increase in peak milk yield, the 12-pound higher peak milk yield could result in up to 1,884 pounds higher 305-day milk production. What are the main conclusions of the study? Older cows that ruminate more in the immediate period after calving will generally produce more milk. It was interesting to nd that DRT was not associated with peak milk yield for heifers. The fact that heifers generally have a considerably lower peak along with a less steep increase in DRT in early lactation in comparison with older cows could partially explain this difference in results. Also, ndings from the study could be useful to help producers make decisions about cows’ future in the herd. For instance, cows with reduced rumination in the rst week of lactation compared to the rest of the herd could receive a special treatment or potentially be culled from the herd sooner.
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Considerations for y management on a dairy
At the University of Minnesota Extension, we get inquiries about y management from dairy producers. Flies were a consistent issue this past summer and require conscientious prevention to be managed properly. Fly management is important to help minimize potentially yield-reducing behaviors in cattle like bunching, tail switching or head throwing. Flies also have the potential to transmit diseases which can affect cattle health. The winter months are a good time to start thinking about your y prevention plan for next spring and summer. There are several kinds of ies that can cause issues on the dairy. The typical culprits in Minnesota are: stable ies, house ies, face ies and horn ies. You will want to determine what is pestering your animals to gure out the various methods for managing your particular y problem. IdentifyBy Claire LaCanne ing the type of y or ies that you are dealing with on the dairy along with understanding their lifecycle is key to develU of M Extension oping an effective y management plan. To determine which ies may be pestering your livestock, you can investigate a few factors. First, think about what kind of housing/grazing situation you have. Stable ies and house ies, sometimes collectively considered lth ies or premise ies, originate in debris such as spoiled or spilled feed, bedding, decaying organic matter and manure. They are typically in conned areas such as barns and feedlots. Face ies and horn ies are associated with dung pats in pasture. Where your cattle are located can help you differentiate which of these ies might be giving you grief and therefore, what kind of treatment you should use. Another clue that can help you determine what kind of y you are combating is where you nd the ies on the cow’s body. Stable ies tend to visit the legs of cattle. House ies are less specic about where they visit, though they typically spend time around the face, visiting liquid secretions. And for the pasture ies, face ies live up to their name, congregating around the eyes and nostrils. Horn ies on the other hand, are named a bit counterintuitively in that they do not visit horns, but rather the back, sides and bellies of cattle. Another consideration you might want to think about as you decide on your management plan is how severe of a nuisance is each of these species on your farm. In the barn or feedlot, stable ies take a blood meal from cattle, and their bites are quite painful. Cattle often react to stable ies by spending energy on avoidance behaviors like tail switching and foot stomping. Stable ies may also cause your cattle to bunch. House ies do not bite but can be found feeding on secretions from the nose and eyes. In general, house ies are mostly a nuisance and cause minimal avoidance behaviors. As for the impact of our pasture ies, face ies do not bite, but they do feed on secretions from the nose, eyes and wounds. These ies actually scrape the eyeball to get uid from the surface of conjunctiva. This feeding can be irritating to cattle and can spread pathogens; in fact, the major economic impact of face ies is the cost associated with the treatment of pinkeye. You may notice ear apping and head shaking if your cattle are being pestered by face ies. Horn ies are considered the most economically damaging insect pest affecting pastured cattle. They can cause signicant avoidance behaviors such as tail switching, head throwing and bunching. Heavy horn y infestations can result in substantially reduced weight gain and signicant economic losses. After you have determined what kind of ies are causing issues on your operation, you can be strategic about how to manage them. To manage stable ies and house ies, start with sanitation. Doing your best to remove possible breeding sites, like rotting hay or grain, manure piles and other decaying matter is the most effective way to manage stable ies and house ies. Premise sprays can help as well, but ear tags, back rubbers, dusters and pour-on insecticides are not considered effective on these lth ies. When dealing with pasture ies, ear tags are effective in managing face ies. Dust bags and back rubbers can also be effective if they are placed low enough to contact the animal’s face. Horn ies should be managed when you see around 200 ies per head of cattle. Options for horn y management include: pour-ons, sprays, dust bags, feed additives and insecticide ear tags. Feed additive products contain insecticides that pass through the animal’s digestive system and kill horn y larvae in the manure. These products are effective at reducing the number of larvae, but do not necessarily mean you will have fewer adult ies, because adult ies are mobile and can easily move to and from neighboring herds. If you use ear tags, be sure to rotate the active ingredient of your tags (use different insecticide classes) to help minimize resistance issues. Fly management is important to help minimize potentially yield-reducing behaviors in cattle. You will want to determine what kind of y is pestering your animals to gure out the best way to manage that particular y. Identifying the type of y or ies that you are dealing with on the dairy along with understanding their lifecycle is essential to developing an effective y management plan.
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Different types of ies are pictured from le�: a house y, stable y, horn y and face y.
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 29
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O, luteďƒžsk!
Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
Being Norwegian can be tough this time of year. This fact was slammed home recently when my wife and I went on a grocery hunting expedition. There in the supermarket’s freezer case – I could scarcely believe my great fortune! – was a pile of frozen luteďƒžsk TV dinners. I know a good thing when I see it, so I began to ďƒžll our shopping cart. “What are you doing?â€? my wife exclaimed. “Isn’t this fantastic?â€? I replied enthusiastically. “With these in the freezer, I can have a Norwegian Christmas dinner the year ‘round! Give me a hand, there’s only 20 or so left.â€? She whacked me upside the head with a box of Twinkies. “Put those back!â€? she ordered. “I’m not letting that icky stuff back into the house again.â€? The holiday season is upon us, arriving with all of
those holiday stresses and strains such as cleaning the house for the relatives, cooking banquet-sized meals for the relatives and putting up with the relatives’ bratty kids. Other than that, this is a relatively carefree time of year. One of the biggest sources of stress around my household during this season involves the cultural chasm that exists between my wife and me, that hotbutton issue called luteďƒžsk. For the uninitiated, luteďƒžsk starts out as big honking ďƒžllets of fresh North Atlantic cod. As delectable as this might be, the Norwegian mindset demands that one must take a good thing and improve upon it. The cod ďƒžllets are aged in the sun for a spell (cynics call this letting it rot). The thin-as-a-shingle and stiff-as-a-board chunks of ďƒžsh are rehydrated in a vat of lye water (apostates call this soaking it in
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poison). All that is left is to carefully rinse out the lye, boil the ďƒžsh brieďƒ&#x;y, drown the translucent, gelatinous substance in melted butter and ... mmm! My mouth waters at the mere thought of this Dear County Agent Guy gastronomic delicacy. When my wife and I were newlyweds, we decided to host a holiday get-together for our families. On the appointed day my wife was a blur of frenetic activity, scurrying about, cooking, cleaning, accumulating an aura of stress in the same manner that a powerful By Jerry Nelson magnet attracts iron Columnist ďƒžlings. I remained the epitome of cool and calm as I sat sipping a cold one while keeping tabs on the score of an important televised sporting event. “Slow down,â€? I advised from my perch on the couch. “We have a couple of hours before they get here. And you know how it goes: everyone’s going to stand around for a while and yak about how little Sara has grown and so on. I wouldn’t even start to boil the spuds until they arrive.â€? My wife suddenly turned a whiter shade of pale. “Potatoes,â€? she exclaimed. “I knew I forgot something! I need to go to the store. You watch things in the kitchen while I’m gone.â€? She sprinted to the car and tore off in a spray of gravel. This reminded me that drag racing would be on ESPN later that day. I assumed command of the kitchen and swiftly appraised the situation. Everything seemed to be in order except for one glaring deďƒžciency: there was not any luteďƒžsk. Fortunately, I had taken the precaution of secretly procuring a hefty slab of luteďƒžsk a few days earlier. I soon had the luteďƒžsk nestled happily in a pot of boiling water. When my wife jogged back into the house a short while later, she abruptly sat down in a chair and began to cry. I gave her a comforting hug. “I know,â€? I said soothingly. “Holiday stress can bring a person down.â€? “It’s not that,â€? she sobbed. “Why did our stupid sewer decide to back up today?â€? I replied that I couldn’t smell anything amiss. In an effort to lift her spirits, I showed her my culinary masterpiece. “Gross,â€? she said. “So that’s what stinks! Don’t tell me you’re going to eat that. It smells like it belongs in a toxic waste dump.â€? When our guests arrived, a pattern quickly emerged. My relatives would enter our house, take a deep whiff and say, “Mmm, smells like the holidays.â€? My wife’s relatives would wrinkle up their noses and ask if something had died. Our relatives segregated into two groups. Mine gathered in the dining room and noshed the day away. Hers hung by the windows, making a big show of inhaling outside air. This explains why I have to cheat on my wife, in a manner of speaking. I wonder. Can you thaw frozen luteďƒžsk by holding it under your armpit? In any case, I don’t think it would adversely affect the ďƒ&#x;avor. Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, S.D. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@ dairystar.com.
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Birds, birds, go away Birds are drawn to livestock operations’ continuous supply of available fresh feed. They feed on forage bunkers, piles, and feedbunks, consuming the energydense components of the feedstuffs or ration, which leads to increased Something to Ruminate On feed costs. Birds also increase disease risk by contaminating livestock feed. The most common invasive bird migrating to dairy farms in the winter is the European starling. Adult starlings are about 8.5 inches in length and weigh 3.2 ounces. Like most By Barry Visser other birds, starlings consume about half Nutritionist their bodyweight in grain daily. It is not unusual for ďƒ&#x;ocks numbering in the tens of thousands to migrate to a farm, leading to feed consumption well above 1,000 pounds per day. Starlings consume the high-dollar feed ingredients, such as grains and concentrates. Estimates of bird damage on commercial dairies in Wisconsin, New York and Pennsylvania suggest that starling damage resulted in $64,000 of feed loss annually per farm when the bird population reached 10,000 birds or more per day. The value of feeds consumed by birds is only part of the economic losses incurred on a dairy. Dairy nutritionists formulate rations to optimize animal performance and health. This loss of nutrients consumed by birds can greatly impact the nutrients available to cattle, directly impacting animal performance and a producer’s bottom line. In 2018, Colorado researchers reported an average of 5.5% reduction in dietary net energy levels in commercial TMRs consumed by starlings compared to those with no bird presence. Birds have been implicated in the transmission of pathogens due to their close contact with animals. The most common way pathogens are spread from birds to livestock is the excretion of feces into cattle feed and water sources. Starlings can ďƒ&#x;y with speeds up to 45 mph and travel 20 to 30 miles each day between roosting and feeding sites, thus transporting pathogens between livestock facilities. The presence of high-density bird ďƒ&#x;ocks at livestock facilities creates conditions ideal for the transmission of pathogens between birds and cattle. Pigeons can acquire and recirculate pathogens, including Salmonella, on dairy farms. Starlings may contribute to pathogen transmission by physically moving cattle feces containing Salmonella, E. coli or other pathogens into feed and water troughs, thereby disseminating pathogens throughout livestock facilities. Solutions to control bird populations by lethal methods are becoming more limited. The most common lethal method of controlling starling populations on farm is by using a compound called DRC-1339, which is the only toxin for lethal bird control currently registered by the EPA. However, this method has been under scrutiny due to the slow death of affected birds and the effects it can have on non-target species that may consume it, such as songbirds. Most of the species of birds that are nuisances on farms (sparrows, pigeons and starlings) are not protected under federal law. Thus, shooting and trapping are available methods to help control bird populations. However, both can be time-consuming and have safety concerns. The best defense is to make the farm less inviting and deter birds from coming in the ďƒžrst place. Clean up waste feed from outside and around bunkers so it’s not as easily accessible to birds. Seal any holes or
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gaps birds may use to gain access to buildings where pyrotechnics and others have been used extensively food is plentiful. on farms. However, if not used at the right time of the Strategies that deter perching in rafters or inside year, effectiveness drops dramatically, and they are buildings can be used as well. Install netting in open not long-term solutions. These devices also require a spaces to block access to focus on safety. the rafters. The use of a For now, the best Harassment d devices i are simple mechanical device, H defense against birds is to such as sharp wire or barbs make sure food and water is on rafters, or chemical another way to deter birds not easily accessible to them. agents that make roosting from staying on a farm for an This takes a combination of sites sticky or slippery, are cleaning, maintenance and common practices used to extended period. due diligence to remove deter birds from roosting opportunities for our in barns. However, each of feathered foes to make a these methods can take time and money to maintain home on the farm. When dairy producers successfully over long periods of time. prevent a bird invasion, they have protected the health Harassment devices are another way to deter of their cattle and the dairy’s bottom line. birds from staying on a farm for an extended period. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus. Propane exploders, hawk kites, ultrasonic sounds,
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Wishing you enough Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
I have celebrated over 50 Christmas mornings ripping into presents and squealing with delight at the “best gift ever.” I remember ear notching pages in the Sear’s catalog to mark my Christmas wishes. With all the excitement of the holidays as a kid, I can only recall a handful of gifts. The year our grandparents went overboard and gave my siblings and me a complete metal kitchen play set. The year I was a teenager and didn’t want anything, my parents wisely gave me a book by Pearl S. Buck. Now I think I am ready to read “The Good Earth.” The best Christmas present I received from my parents wasn’t something they bought in the store. The year I started to question the authenticity of Santa, only to be given the gift of a surprise visit by the good ol’ boy himself at our house. I don’t remember what presents he pulled out of his sack that night, but I do remember it was OK to believe for another year.
What sticks out for me during the holidays is the moments and memories shared with family and friends. I remember hanging ornaments handed down through the generations on a tree as regal as the Rockefeller Christmas tree in New York or as simple as a Charlie Brown tree plucked from a road ditch. Grade school art projects of popsicle stick frames, clothespin reindeer and colorful paper chains graced the branches. I remember sneaking downstairs with my brother to take a peek at what was wrapped under the tree. His pocket knife was sure handy at slicing the scotch tape. The Christmas church programs decked out in our white choir robes and red collars trying to make us look and sound like a choir of angels. The presents are fun, but it is just stuff that can be broken, lost or lose its sparkle over time. But memories of the moments, the feelings, the joy and the love will last a lifetime. My Christmas wish list this year is very
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simple. I want to be around the dining room table with my family laughing, sharing and loving one another. I want to treasure the moments of enough. “I Wish You Enough” is a story/poem Alice forwarded to me which hit a chord with me Just Thinking Out Loud this holiday season. I discovered it was written by Bob Perks. He writes that he overheard a mother and daughter saying their goodbyes in the airport. Standing by the security gate, they hugged and the mother said: “I love and I wish you enough.” The daughter replied, “Mom, our life together has been By Natalie Schmitt more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. Columnist I wish you enough, too, Mom.” They kissed and the daughter walked down the boarding gate. The mother walked over to the window where Bob was sitting. Standing there, he could see she wanted and needed to cry. Trying to give her space, he noticed she welcomed his concern. “Did you ever say goodbye to someone knowing it would be forever? she asked. Yes, he had but why was this a forever goodbye? “I’m old and she lives so far away,” she said. “I have challenges ahead and the reality is the next trip back will be for my funeral.” Bob paused, “I heard you say, ‘I wish you enough.’ What does that mean?” The woman smiled as she remembered the moment. “That’s a wish that has been handed down for generations in my family.” She paused and looked up as if trying to remember the moment in detail and she smiled even more. “When we said, ‘I wish you enough,’ we were wanting the other person to have a life lled with just enough good things to sustain them.” Then turning toward Bob, she shared the blessing from memory. “I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish you enough hellos to get you through the nal good-bye.” She then began to cry and walked away. Parks said it takes a minute to nd a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them and an entire life to forget them. I don’t think he ever forgot the woman he met in the airport saying her nal goodbyes. This story has lingered in my mind since Alice forwarded it to me. I’ve caught myself adding to this special wish list. Here are my wishes for you. I wish you enough dry days to dance in the rain. I wish you enough bull calves to rejoice when a special heifer arrives. I wish you enough cold days to welcome a heat wave of above zero. I wish you enough subtle sunrises to start your day off with hope. I wish you enough breathtaking sunsets to pause and give thanks for the day and all our blessings. We have said our fair share of goodbyes this year to family, neighbors and cows, but we have also welcomed new babies and dairy friends into our extended family. May we create enough moments in 2021 to make it a memorable year. Natalie, Mark and his brother Al, farm together near Rice, Minn. They milk 100 registered Holsteins under the RALMA prex. Their four children are grown up and all involved in agriculture with hopes of someone returning to the farm. For questions or comments, please e-mail Natalie at mnschmitt@jetup.net
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Treats for your feet
Normally, at this time of the year, the only treats I’m thinking about and writing about are treats you can eat. I usually spend weeks thinking about which cookies and candies I should make each year, selecting from tried-and-true favorites and searching for a few new treats to try. Over the years, I’ve shared a number of cookie-baking and candy-making stories through columns and blog posts. This year for Christmas, though, I’m sharing some treats for your feet. I frequently see requests from other dairy farmers for Dairy Good Life footwear recommendations. And for good reason. When you spend all day on your feet, working in a variety of conditions, you need good boots. The research behind these thoughts and recommendations started nearly two years ago. A friend recommended a book by a biomechanist about how people can maintain optimal movement as they age. I don’t think she was implying that I’m old (ouch!), but that I should start thinking about preserving joint function now. I started reading the book, and after the chapter on feet, started thinking a whole lot differently about the 30 different joints in each of my feet. Then I started making some changes to how I By Sadie Frericks treat my feet. It was pretty clear from the self-assessColumnist ment in the book that, mobility-wise, my feet had a lot of room for improvement. I’m sure the damage came from years of doing chores in muck boots and otherwise squeezing my feet into too-tight shoes. Two years later, my feet move a whole lot better and l ffrom feel a whole lot better. Even IIt was pretty clear more so, my knees, hips and the self-assessment in the lower back feel better, because how our feet move affects how book that, mobility-wise, my everything else up the chain feet had a lot of room for moves. p If your feet could use a little improvement. TLC, here’s my list of treats for your feet: – After I ditched my muck boots, I tried several different hiking boots and shoes in the barn. For some chores, they were great; for others, I ended up with wet toes more than I cared. (I don’t like wearing rubber overboots over my shoes; they don’t have enough traction.) I finally found a brand that’s both foot-friendly and barn-worthy: Altra Lone Peak RSM shoes and boots. All Altra shoes/boots are zero-drop (meaning no raised heel), foot-shaped (meaning roomy toe box), and light weight. Altra designed Lone Peaks for trail running and hiking, so they have great support and traction. Both the shoes and boots are available in an RSM version, which are made with high-tech waterproof material. RSM stands for rain, snow, and mud; I can attest that the M can also stand for manure. These shoes and boots keep everything out. I wear the Lone Peak RSM shoes for spring and fall. I wear Lone Peak RSM boots for winter. And I have a pair of the non-waterproof Lone Peak shoes for summer. There’s a great aftermarket for Altra shoes, so I bought all of my Lone Peaks pre-owned through eBay and REI. If I were going to buy one pair brand new, I’d buy the Lone Peak RSM boots. A brand-new pair costs about the same as a pair of high-end rubber chore boots, but they’re way more comfortable. – Whether you’re wearing hiking boots or something else, good wool socks from People Socks will help keep your feet warm in the winter. I’ve been wearing the same set of People Socks for four years now. They are an investment that lasts. People Socks are made in America from merino wool, are about half the price of other merino wool socks, and are designed with toe, arch, and heel support. – As much as I love my hiking boots for barn chores, there are times when I need boots that are a bit taller. I keep a pair of flimsy, rubber rain boots in the barn for those times. I love their flexibility, but they lack cushioning and warmth. Little Hotties Thermal Insoles are the perfect remedy. These insoles are made with wool, felt, and a layer of space-age polymers that reflect heat back into your feet. Put a pair in your boots and it feels like your feet have their own personal heaters. Technology can seem magical at times. – When I started rehabbing my feet, the first step was manually mobilizing the joints. The best way to do this is to roll a small ball around under your entire foot while sitting or standing. I massage my feet this way, usually in the morning to help them wake up. You can use a lacrosse ball or golf ball. My favorite, though, is a nubby plastic dryer ball. The little nubs really activate feet and help release foot joints. I also have a Naboso Neuro Ball on my Christmas list; I’ll let you know if it lives up to its promise of providing feet with extra sensory stimulation. Whether you’re thinking about treats you can eat or treats for your feet this holiday season, I hope you take a little time to put your feet up and enjoy the merriment of Christmas.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 33
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
Two is better than one Malones’ farm awarded farm family of Wadena County By Danna Sabolik
danna.s@dairystar.com
WADENA, Minn. – Bill and Deana Malone were shocked to hear they won Wadena County’s annual Farm Family of the Year award. “We didn’t have a clue we would be nominated or even considered,” Bill said. “We don’t farm for accolades, so it was a huge surprise.” The Malones were presented the award from the University of Minnesota which was to be awarded at Farm Fest, but the gathering was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Bill runs the 50-cow dairy operation at their home north of Wadena, while Deana operates the 130-cow beef ranch near Nimrod on top of her fulltime job in Wadena. “It keeps us very busy,” Deana said. “In the winter, it’s not unusual to spend three hours (at the ranch) after work.” Meanwhile, Bill operates the dairy entirely on his own. “She will help with vaccinations, dehorning or when we have to test cows (on the dairy),” Bill said. “But, she’s pretty busy with her own cows most of the time.” In addition to milking cows, Bill also puts up his own forages. He shares equipment with his brother and cousin, who also have farms of similar size nearby. “We share labor and it works pretty slick,” he said. “We go from eld to
DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR
Bill and Deana Malone are Wadena County’s Farm Family of the year. The couple milks 50 cows on their dairy farm near Wadena, Minnesota, and manages a 130-cow beef operaƟon near Nimrod, Minnesota. eld, and it just helps to have manpower when we’re chopping hay or silage.” Post-high school, Bill traveled west but knew he would always end up back
on the dairy. “When I came home in 1983, it wasn’t the right time to take over the home farm,” he said.
There were too many younger siblings that needed to be raised, so Bill started off on his own, and a younger Turn to MALONES | Page 35
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 35
ConƟnued from MALONES | Page 34
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The Malone family – (from leŌ) Megan holding Avery and Nate Woodward, Bill and Deana Malone, Logan and Whitney Skov, Rebecca, Mik and daughter Makayla GroŌ, KrisƟn, Mike and daughters Kendal and Payton Ahlers gather to celebrate Whitney and Logan’s nupƟals October 2019. brother took over the home farm years later. “I bought two groups of springers from a guy who had raised them as calves he bought from my uncle,” Bill said. “So I knew they were good animals, and I knew the herd they had came from.” Since then, Bill has maintained a closed herd with around 50 cows. When Bill and Deana married in 2013, they celebrated more than a union of families. It was a union of two herds. “We really are a herd,” Deana said. Deana has a son, Logan Skov, who lives at the ranch, and Bill has three daughters, Megan Woodard, Kristen Ahlers, and Rebecca Groft, who all help when they are needed. “We have two grandkids on the way and four on the ground already,” Deana said. Deana lost her late husband, Tin-
ker Skov, in a farm accident in 2009. They had built the ranch from Tinker’s grandparents farm in 1990, and Deana was not ready to give it up abruptly. “My son, Logan, and I are a good team,” Deana said. “It was something that would have been hard to give up. It was good for (Logan and I) to have a constant. It got us through that tough time.” Logan was 14 years old at the time and continues to be instrumental in the beef operation today. Similarly, Bill worked through a divorce that same year. “I needed to work, and I needed to work hard to not think about what was going on,” he said. “There was a real worry I might not be able to continue farming.” Bill had all the cattle sold in 2010 but backed out of the deal. “That was the best decision I ever
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
Women In Dairy Cassie Zirbel Greenleaf, Wisconsin Brown County 130 cows
Family: My husband, Jeff, and I have three children – Josh, 13, Audrey, 11, and Harper, 9. Tell us about your farm. I milk 130 cows and raise all of my youngstock. I sell steers at around 500 pounds and also raise a few to nishing and sell locally. I also raise about 20 pigs in the summer and sell them in the fall as quarters and halves. My farm is a little unique as I buy a complete TMR from my husband’s farm. He farms with his family on a larger scale than me. What is the busiest time of day for you? I would say the busiest time of the day is in the mornings during the school year. Trying to get all of my chores done and get the kids off to school can be a challenge, although as they get older, it gets easier. a work ethic is denitely something I enjoy about dairy farming. The people in the industry, especially my neighbors, are some of the best people you will ever meet. It is neat to see the industry come together when there is a tragedy on a farm. There is never a shortage of help to get them back on their feet.
When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I enjoy watching the Packers, bowling, boating, deer hunting, playing cards with friends and helping my kids with their 4-H projects. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. I had a cow that was calving, and the calf was coming backward. I struggled to get it out, and when I nally did, it was barely alive. I was desperate to get it to breathe, and all my tricks were not working. So not really knowing what I was doing, I gave it mouth to mouth. Much to my amazement, it actually worked. It denitely was a proud moment for me.
How do you stay connected with others in the industry? Facebook groups are a nice way to stay educated and connected to people in the industry. Reading articles from various magazines is also helpful. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? I can’t say just one person has inspired me in the industry. I have had many positive people in my life, including relatives, friends, neighbors and past employers. I have witnessed through all of these people how hard work and dedication pays off.
What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Having my kids be able to help me on the farm and develop
If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I would like her to see rsthand how important farming is to all the hardworking families and employees who operate these farms. I would hope she would take time to educate herself on the technology of farming and how it has become much more sustainable and efcient, so when she makes comments in Congress she actually knows what she is talking about. What is the best vacation you have ever taken? In March 2017, we took a whole family vacation to Florida and rented a condo on the beach. It was fun to hang out with the kids and just relax for a week.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 37
ConĆ&#x;nued from MALONES | Page 35
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Bill Malone with his daughter, KrisĆ&#x;n Ahlers, and granddaughters, Kendal and Payton Ahlers prepare a Holstein calf to show at the Wadena County Fair in 2019. made,â€? he said. “I don’t think I could do anything else. There’s no job I would give this up for. I’ve been doing this for 38 years; I’m my own boss and I can walk to work.â€? When they lived at home, Bill’s daughters were involved on the farm as well. “In high school, when they wanted to make some extra money, I told them they could work for me, and I paid them a good wage,â€? he said. “They liked
a different story. Bill would have them clean out the calf pen or do even less desirable chores. “I’d also make sure there was always a rack of hay to unload or something when a boy came to take them out,â€? Bill said. “It was an easy way to ďƒžnd out if they were worth anything. And, a lot of them weren’t.â€? Perhaps his tactics worked, because he is pleased with the son-in-laws he has today. “They all married good men,â€? he said. “They come help out when we have big projects or when I need help.â€? Today, Bill and Deana seem to have found their groove and are happy to share their expertise in the community. “I had uncles and people I looked up to when I started farming,â€? Bill said. “So, I wanted to sort of pay that back.â€? Deana is proud to stay committed to both farms as well. “We wouldn’t do it if we didn’t enjoy it,â€? she said. “There’s so many rewards that come along with it.â€? Bill agreed. “It’s been a good career,â€? he said.
“I don’t think I could do anything else. There’s no job I would give this up for.� BILL MALONE, DAIRY FARMER
farming too.� All three of his daughters were county dairy princesses and showed cattle in 4-H. “I also sent them to A.I. school,� Bill said. “I let them be involved with what they wanted to do.� If the girls got into trouble, that was
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Control the controllables Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
Wouldn’t it be great if you had a calf bedding vary by season. In warmer crystal ball? One that could accurately weather, we want calves to remain cool forecast the weather, predict milk and dry, while in cooler temperatures, prices, conrm when a heifer is in heat we want to help decrease the incidence or reveal which calf is of cold stress. Sand Calf Chronicles going to scour. How much is being used more money would you pay to frequently as a bedding be perfectly clairvoyant? in summer months as it The possibilities are keeps calves cool and endless, but the reality is dry. Whereas straw is we cannot control all the preferable in winter so variables. Fortunately, that calves can nestle into there are simple steps it and reserve body heat. you can take to optimize To check the dampness of calf health. Let’s focus on bedding, try the knee test, what we can control. which involves kneeling – Feed quality on the bedding for about colostrum to your calves a minute. If you stand up By Ellen Cushing as soon as possible. and your knees are wet Columnist Getting colostrum into or cold, then there is not calves within the rst enough dry bedding. You six hours of birth is crucial to calf should also be able to tell by manure health and future performance. Calves buildup or bedding sticking to a calf’s need colostrum antibodies in order knees. to prevent disease. Additionally, – Keep milk or milk replacer temps colostrum provides calves a high- as consistent as possible. The optimal protein, high-energy and vitamin-rich temperature for feeding milk replacer rst meal. The timing of colostrum is is 101-105 degrees. A calf’s body important because with each passing temperature is right around 102 degrees hour, the absorption rate of colostrum and feeding at that temperature means antibodies decreases. Along with she does not have to use energy to warm timing, colostrum quality is also critical. up the milk. This goal gets trickier Many farmers use a refractometer to in cold climates during winter time. determine what level of colostrum they To help ensure the right temperature, will feed to calves and what their cutoff some farmers place bottles in a pail is for rst colostrum feeding versus of warm water and feed a maximum the second. As far as volume, I refer to of four calves at a time. Calves thrive the University of Wisconsin-Madison on consistency, so changes in feeding School of Veterinary Medicine’s Dr. temperatures can cause digestive Sheila McGuirk’s recommendation upsets and even trigger gut issues like to feed at least 3 quarts of colostrum clostridials. In order to decrease the within four hours of birth (4 quarts if likelihood of digestive upsets, it is tubing colostrum). important to keep feed temperatures – Make sure calves have plenty of and schedules as consistent as possible. clean bedding. Recommendations for
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– Use guaranteed antibodies for scours prevention. Calves are born with an immature immune system, and they do not develop their own antibodies for weeks after they hit the ground. As discussed earlier, colostrum antibodies are vital to preventing diseases, such as E. coli, coronavirus and rotavirus. However, the quality of maternal colostrum is highly variable when it comes to these specic antibodies, leaving a newborn calf with inadequate protection. For years, many farmers have used cow vaccinations hoping to increase antibodies through colostrum to the calf. Unfortunately, implementing a sound vaccine program has many challenges and calves are still dying from scours despite widespread vaccination use. Today, more and more doctors and researchers are using antibodies to combat a wide variety of human diseases. This technology is also available to the livestock industry. During a recent immunology symposium, Dr. Chris Chase, Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences at South Dakota State University, highlighted the use of passive polyclonal antibodies. According to Chase, these antibodies protect against both bacterial and viral scours. He said: With vaccines, there are too many outside factors, making a 100% immunization response rate biologically impossible. But with an antibody product, farmers know exactly what they are getting – a known and proven level of protection against scours. – Practice good sanitation protocols. Sanitation is key when it comes to decreasing bacteria loads, especially on equipment that has a clear
FLUSH WATER SYSTEMS
route to a calf’s gut, including bottles, nipples, buckets, tubers, etc. The rst step is to clean off manure and dirt that you can see. Next, it is important to properly sanitize these items in order to get rid of the organisms you cannot see. In an article in Bovine Veterinarian, Dr. Donald Sockett from the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory recommends these steps: – Rinse equipment with lukewarm water. – Soak with hot water, at least 140 degrees F that contains a chlorinated alkaline detergent with a pH of 11-12. – Vigorously wash calf feeding equipment with a brush for 1-2 minutes. – Rinse with cold water and then rinse again using an acidic solution with a pH of 2-3. – Allow calf feeding equipment to fully dry (do not stack pails; use a drying rack). – Sanitize both the inside and outside of calf feeding equipment two hours or less before use. I encourage you to work with your veterinarian, nutritionist and other consultants to analyze your calf management program. Determine how well you are doing on the steps above and improve as needed. The key is to consistently control the controllables. Do that, and you will not need to rely on special fortune-telling powers. Ellen is the First Defense regional sales and marketing manager for Wisconsin and Minnesota. She’s a problem solver who loves walking calf hutches and diagnosing protocol drift. A great day is a day spent helping dairy and beef farmers keep their baby calves healthy! Ellen can be reached at ecushing@immucell.com.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020 • Page 39
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Steve Trogstad, pictured with granddaughter, Gabby Trogstad, 16 Chateld, Minnesota Olmsted County 105 cows How did you get into farming? I had a love for it right out of the gate. My folks lived in town, but my dad’s brother farmed. I bought my rst tractor at age 16 and then found a farm to start milking 30 cows in 1978, two years after I graduated from high school. I was there for a few years before I had to move. After a few more years at that farm, I landed on this farm. In 2004, I started the conversion to organic and became certied in 2008. I had my eyes opened. It’s a lot of paper work, but I like the niche market. I now am in my cooperative’s grass milk program, where I do not feed my cows any grain. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? I don’t see the conventional prices to remain strong. The mega dairies are preventing that. I think in order to make it in the dairy industry, a dairy needs to be large, diversied, debt-free or in a niche market. I think more people in communities need to support local farmers – both conventional and organic – to keep food at a local level. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? The newest thing I have done this year is using the Gallagher Tumble Wheels for my grazing system, and I don’t have any divider fences in the paddocks anymore. It takes about 10 minutes to move the cows. I move them three times a day and give them an acre or two, depending on the season. It’s simplied my life quite a bit. It made it easier to care for the paddocks. When the cows move out of the paddock, I can clip it as one big eld rather than small ones. It’s a time saver. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has ben-
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I am my own boss, and I live and die by my own decision making. I went organic for the price, but I’ve learned so much that I’m a very big believer. I think it’s the future of farming because this way of farming doesn’t shovel money into petroleumbased industries for fertilizers and inputs. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Stay humble, never give up, always be open to new ideas and try to nd a niche market. What has been the best purchase you’ve ever made on your farm? Having all my own haying equipment because on a small scale it’s hard to get custom guys in. eted you? I started letting the calves nurse on the cows. When I did that, I found the calves grew really big – almost twice the size. It’s a learning curve for me. Last year, I took any cows that weren’t perfect dairy cows and tried orphan calves on them to use those specic cows as nurse cows only. It worked, but it’s very time consuming to get the cows to accept the calves. So, I did it differently this year and left the calves on the original mothers. There was virtually nothing to it. It was like a beef cow raising a calf. I brought the cows in the barn to be milked morning and night because the calf does not drink it all. About four months into their lactation, when they slowly started to decrease in production and the calves were drinking most of the milk, then we didn’t milk them anymore. Half the herd is freshened in the spring and the other half freshens in the fall. I’m only doing the nurse cows in the spring group. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? I usually take four to ve cuttings of hay depending on the year, but I went back to doing three cuttings of hay because I don’t need the 21%, 22% or 23% hay. I’m looking
for more of a balanced ration. The last hay I tested, the sugars were 11%. By building the organic matter in the soil, it’s attributed to the higher sugars in the hay. Plus, I don’t have to use machinery that many more times or the diesel to run it.
What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? To be able to survive this long, and I did it as a single father raising two boys, Michael and Jake, who are now in their 30s. Jake helps me in his spare time, and Michael helps with hauling once in a while because he has his own trucking business.
How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? I do most of it on my own. It’s one of the cost-saving measures I’ve done. But I have lots of good help from my family. My two adult sons help when they are able and my granddaughter, Gabby, is here whenever she can. My ancé, Bonnie, does all calf records, ear tags and bookkeeping for the organic certication. It is not ideal to do the chores by myself, especially at age 62, but it is one way to help with lower milk prices. I am thankful for the people who help out whenever they can.
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? In the upcoming year, I am going to have someone else custom graze our heifers so I can have more grass available for the milking cows. In the next ve years, I am doing a four-step project on the dairy to extend the barn in order to have drive-by feeding in front of lockups for the winter. I am also looking into doing my own direct marketing. My sons might come back, but they are not sure. I am also looking into another option of helping young farmers get started farming.
Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I can do a lot of things myself. I do 90% of my own vet work, partly because there isn’t a lot to do. We don’t have displaced abomasums or milk fever. I have a mechanics degree so I also do my own repairs as time allows.
How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? There is not a lot of time, especially lately. My granddaughter comes to the farm sometimes so that’s always fun. If there is a night we have free, Bonnie and I like to watch a movie together.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 26, 2020
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