December 8, 2018 - Zone 1 by Dairy Star

Looking for a good deal?

Last Chance

Check out our Last Chance Deals on pages 8 & 9 of the second section!

e a ls

8 201 2019

DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™

Volume 20, No. 20

Vilsack hopeful for U.S. dairy industry USDEC working to increase exports to 20 percent By Krista Kuzma

krista.k@dairystar.com

WELCH, Minn. – Tom Vilsack is hopeful for the dairy industry. “There is a good day ahead if we stay committed to exports,” said Vilsack, president and CEO of the United States Dairy Export Council. Vilsack shared how the U.S. dairy exports will increase to 20 percent during his presentation Nov. 27 at the Minnesota Milk Dairy Conference and Expo in Welch, Minn. USDEC helps create awareness, expand knowledge and peak interest of U.S. dairy products in global markets. It focuses on cheese and dairy ingredients, with major markets being Mexico, Latin America, South America, the Middle East, North Africa, southeast Asia and northern Asia. To start his presentation, Vilsack rst thanked the farmers and those who work in the agriculture and food industry. “We don’t have to import any food in order to feed our population,” he said. “That’s not true of almost any of the major countries in the world today. We have incredible security because of the work you do every single day.” But this productivity is more than what is needed in the United States. “These are difcult times in the dairy industry, and the agriculture and food industry,” Vilsack said. “In my lifetime you have all increased dairy production per cow almost ve fold. … That would be a great story to tell if consumption of milk domestically had increased at the same rate. But the reality is that today there is a lot of competition … .” The good news is that United States dairy exports are increasing, Vilsack said. Over the last nine months, exports have reached 16.5 percent. Turn to VILSACK | Page 5

December 8, 2018

Metzes named Producer of the Year

Rushford family works together on dairy, on-farm creamery By Krista Kuzma

krista.k@dairystar.com

RUSHFORD, Minn. – Family and friends of the Metzes usually get an added perk whenever they gather. “They are our guinea pigs,” Jeff Metz said. “We always bring new products for people to try.” It is all part of their way to test new cheese avors from their on-farm creamery, a venture they started in 2014 to keep their dairy viable and successful in the future. It is one of the reasons why the family received the Producer of the Year award Nov. 28 at the Minnesota Milk Dairy Conference and Expo in Welch, Minn. The Metz family includes Jeff and Mariann along with their children Alicia and her ancé Ben Anderson; Courtney and her hus-

KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR

The Metz family – (from le�) Ben Anderson, Alicia, Courtney Kalbarczyk, Mariann, Jeﬀ, Nathan, Bri�any Agrimson, Dawson Agrimson, Dominick Agrimson and Nick Agrimson – received the Producer of the Year award on Nov. 28 at the Minnesota Milk Dairy Conference and Expo in Welch, Minn. The family milks 210 cows and operates an on-farm creamery near Rushford, Minn. band, Jordan Kalbarczyk; Brittany and her husband, Nick Agrimson and their two children, Dominick, 4, and Dawson, 1; and Nathan and his ancé Shelby Boldt. They milk 210 cows on their farm, Metz Hart-Land Dairy, near Rushford, Minn. “I was shocked,” Jeff said about receiving the award. “We

didn’t see it coming. We felt humbled and honored. There are so many great dairy producers out there …”. Qualications of receiving the award include being involved in the dairy industry, having a proven commitment to managing their dairy for the future, promoting the industry and being active

in their community. Building an on-farm creamery had been a dream of Jeff’s from the start of his dairying career. One of the main reasons it has worked well has been the involvement of the next generation. “It takes a lot of hard work

Turn to METZ | Page 7

From dairy novice to assistant herdsman Buttjer nds fullling career in farming By Stacey Smart Contributing Writer

REBECCA MILLER/DAIRY STAR

Carissa Bu�jer is an assistant herdsman at Schanbacher Acres in Atkins, Iowa. Bu�jer has worked on the 275-cow dairy for 10 years.

ATKINS, Iowa – Ten years ago, Carissa Buttjer had never even so much as touched a cow. Today, she is assistant herdsman at Schanbacher Acres, a 275-cow, 800-acre dairy farm in Atkins, Iowa. Buttjer, 28, ventured into the world of dairy farming as an 18-year-old college student feeding calves. Although Buttjer came to Schanbacher Acres completely green to dairying, that did not stop her from digging in and learning the ropes alongside her boss and the farm’s owner, J Schanbacher. “Everything I know about dairy I learned on the job,” Buttjer said. “I love to learn, and J has always been willing to teach me anything I want to do on the farm.” Buttjer grew up in the small town of Plaineld, Iowa with no farm exposure whatsoever. Her dad drove semi and her mom worked at an insurance agency. Buttjer was always one of the best students in her class, and her brains led people to believe she Turn to BUTTJER | Page 6

Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

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 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Amanda Thooft 320-352-6303 amanda.t@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Andrea Borgerding - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Krista Kuzma - Assistant Editor (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Ron Johnson (608) 874-4243 ron.j@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Danielle Nauman (608) 487-1101 danielle.n@dairystar.com Danna Sabolik - Staff Writer (320) 352-6303 • danna.s@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Jeff Weyer (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-8505 (cell) jeff.w@dairystar.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 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 Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Lori Menke (Southern WI) 563-608-6477 • lori.m@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@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 nal 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 ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.

A glance at what’s inside We hope you are having a great December so far. As the days are getting shorter and everyone is busy with holiday festivities, we are glad you are taking the time to read through our publication. We have rounded up great stories for you to enjoy with a warm cup of coffee in front of the replace. We talked to the Horsches of Bernard, Iowa, about the robots on their dairy. They are milking 135 cows with two robots they installed in 2012. Read about them on pages 10 and 11 of the second section. By Mark Klaphake In 2008, we wrote about Jim Harter and how he Editor built and installed a rotary parlor for his goats on his farm. Stephen Springer read that article and decided to do the same. He contacted Harter to design and build him a rotary parlor and installed it in 2017. Today, he milks 500 goats with the parlor near Henning, Minn. Read more on pages 3 and 6 of the second section. On pages 2 and 3 of the third section you can read about Dr. Jud Heinrichs from Pennsylvania State University talk about rumen health and how it impacts calves. In our From Our Side of the Fence feature we spoke with farmers who consult with a Farm Business Management instructor to improve their farms. Read about why they chose to work with an instructor, how often they meet and what they talk about on pages 15 and 16 of the rst section. Need a drink? Read about the Peterson family and their new venture into the brewery world to tide you over. We learned about how they balance dairy farming with their business, Brickeld Brewing. Turn to pages 4 and 5 of the second section to read more. Mackenzie, 7, and Izaak, 6, Vetsch make and sell handmade bookmarks and hot pads. The money they raise through this project is used to sponsor a family’s gifts at Christmastime. Read about this brother and sister duo who is giving back on pages 12 and 13 of the rst section. We enjoyed attending the annual Minnesota Milk Conference and Expo this year. The event was held Nov. 27-29 in Welch, Minn and featured a variety of speakers, performers and industry professionals. Check out photos we took on page 24.

Favorite quotes from this issue: “Why put oﬀ until tomorrow what can be done today?” -Alana Peterson, WID pg 36 rst

“If you have no clue what you’re doing with antibiotic use, that fails the principles of stewardship.” -Randy Singer, pg. 22-23 second

By the Numbers

170:

Goats Wade Holst milks near Plainview, Minn. (First section, page 39)

10:

Guernsey cows the Wood family began milking on Oct. 1. (Second Section, Pages 26-27)

MINIMIZE INPUT COSTS MAXIMIZE YIELD POTENTIAL

AXIS H-EMC-W PRECISION FERTILIZER SPREADER • EMC Technology – precise measurement and automatic speed compensation for unmatched rate control • Hydraulic Drive – maximum fuel efficiency and section control capability • ISOBUS compatible* – connect to your existing virtual terminal for easy operation of variable rate, section control, headland control, and border spreader Mounted | 112 – 148 cu. ft. capacities | 59' – 164' spreading widths

INVEST IN QUALITY ®

*check with manufacturer or dealer to ensure compatibility

Bodensteiner Implement Elkader, IA

Arnold's Alden, MN Glencoe, MN Kimball, MN Mankato, MN Sauk Rapids, MN St. Martin, MN Willmar, MN

J P Scherrman Farley, IA

Lindell Sales & Service Cannon Falls, MN

Van’s Implement Hull, IA

Northland Dairy Supply Eagle Bend, MN

Burco Sales Independence, IA

Beck Implement Elgin, MN

Dee Implement of Waukon Waukon, IA

St. Joseph Equipment Eyota, MN

Roeder Bros. Bellevue, IA Kunau Implement DeWitt, IA Preston, IA

KuhnNorthAmerica.com

Dave’s Repair Hills, MN

Miller Sellner Slayton, MN

Isaacson Sales & Service Lafayette, MN

Woller Equipment Swanville, MN

Fluegge’s Ag Mora, MN

UFC Farm Supply Waconia, MN

Northland Farm Systems Owatonna, MN

Jaycox Implement Worthington, MN

Lake Henry Implement Paynesville, MN

Pfeifer Implement Sioux Falls, SD

Titan Machinery Pipestone, MN

Mark's Machinery Yankton, SD

Dairyland Supply Sauk Centre, MN

Visit your local KUHN dealer today!

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 3

It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider

Pages 8-9 First Section

First Section: Pages 12 - 13

Veterinary Wisdom

Clay

Marshall

Lincoln

n nso

McCook Minnehaha

Wright

McLeod

Renville

Lyon

Murray

Rock

Nobles

Anoka

Hennepin Carver Scott

Redwood Brown

Nicollet

Plainview

Woods begin dairying despite current economy, other factors Second Section: Pages 26 - 27

Dakota

Rice

Goodhue Wabasha

Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted Jackson

Faribault

Martin

Freeborn

Winona

Fillimore

Mower

Houston

Rushford

Metzes named Producer of the Year

Hutchinson

Turner

Bon Yankton Homme

Lincoln Clay

Union

Lyon

Osceola Dickinson Emmet

Sioux

O’Brien

Clay

Kossuth

Palo Alto

Winnebago

Worth

Hancock

Cerro Gordo

Mitchell

Floyd

Howard

Bremer

Plymouth

Black Hawk

Zone 1

For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com

ic Ch

Fayette

Clayton

c Bu

Bernard

Third Section: Page 11

First Section: Pages 10 - 11

Dairy’s Star Youth: Bryce Huitink

are

law

Linn

Hospers

First Section: Pages 1, 7

Allamakee

Charles Mix

Moody

Meeker

Sibley

Pipestone

or n

Douglas

Lake

Chippewa

Isanti

vis

Sa nb

Miner

Brookings

Sherburne Kandiyohi

Yellow Medicine

Benton

Stearns

First Section: Page 39

Winneshiek

Page 29 Second Section

Kingsbury

Deuel

Mille Lacs

Country Cooking

Swift

Plainview

Dairy Prole: Wade Holst

Pine

isa

Hamlin

Page 37 First Section

Pages 10 - 11 Second Section

Big Sto Stone

Lac Qui Parle

Codington

Clark

Carlton

Morrison

Pope

Second Section: Page 24

Aitkin

Crow Wing

Douglas

Stevens

Grant

On the Road with Princess Kay

The “Mielke” Market Weekly

Roberts

Day

Cass

Page 33 First Section

Grant

Welch

Concert, seminars, awards draw producers to MN Milk Conference

Todd

rse

Second Section: Pages 18 - 19, 21

Come Full Circle

Otter Tail

Wilkin

The Driessens carry on a 50-year tradition of dairy farming as a team

Becker

Tra ve

Page 32 First Section

Porter

men

no Mah

Itasca

sey

Polk Norman

Making Cents of Dairy

Koochiching

First Section: Pages 15 - 16

First Section: Pages 34 - 35

St. Louis

Red Lake

Page 30 First Section

Page 31 First Section

Beltrami

Pennington

Washington

Why do you choose to work with an instructor?

Henneks named U of M Extension Farm Family of the Year

Third Section: Pages 4, 7

Lake of the Woods

Marshall

Foley

Kanabec

FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:

Roseau

Ra m

Kittson

Dear County Agent Guy

Third Section: Pages 12 - 13

Gill awarded Farm Bureau Ag Communicator of the Year

Page 27 First Section

Second Section: Pages 3, 6

Albany

Vetsches make gifts to give gifts

Hubbard

The Transition Pen

Browerville

Kids Corner: The Hoppe Family

Wadena

Page 26 First Section

Freeport

Clearwater

FSA News & Notes

Springers milk caprines with rotary parlor

Henning

Dubuque

Jones

Atkins

Jackson Buttjer

nds fullling career in farming First Section: Pages 1, 6

Hosches host robotic tour

Give milk production a push GEA’s FRone works around the clock to keep feed at the bunk, maximizing your cows’ production. Could your bunk management routine use a little extra push? GEA’s FRone automated feed pusher provides consistent, high-quality feed available day and night to boost production results from your whole herd. It’s easy to use, charges fast and contains twin batteries for maximum run time. With the help of GEA’s FRone, you can push the limits on your feeding program.

Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

WINTER DAIRY CATTLE MEETING Raising Calves During Low Milk Prices Wednesday, December 19 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

5 Presenters: Dr. Amber Hazel, Melissa Holtz, Tom Johnson, Ted Graham & Katie Nelson.

For more info and to RSVP call Katie Nelson 320-290-5136

% 15 OFF All Stock

25% OFF ALL TOYS December 15 - 24

Tank De-Icers

% 1O OFF All Calf Blankets

GREAT PRICE

on ALL Safeguard® Dewormers

Christmas Gift Ideas

ADDED ED PR PROTECTION FOR THE MUSTANGS IN YOUR STABLE Mustang Compact Skid Steers and Track Loaders come standard with the right power needed to tackle the biggest tasks. Purchase a new Mustang Skid Steer or Track Loader and receive a 2 year / 2,000 hour XPRT total (full machine) extended coverage plan at no additional cost. Offer subject to change, inquire for more details at your local Mustang dealer.

Meat/Cheese Boxes Traeger Grill Gift Boxes Gift CertiÚcates are

CALL YOUR AREA MUSTANG DEALER TODAY!

always a welcome gift

JOIN US EVERY TUESDAY FOR TIS THE SEASON TUESDAY

Appetizers and in-store samples of items to simplify your holiday stress. Featuring new sales each week.

Gilman Co-op Creamery

FEED & FARM SUPPLY STORE

Gilman, MN 320-387-2770

Open M-F 7:30-7, Sat. 7:30-5, Sun. 8:30-1 Good service - fair prices - every day

w w w .mustangmfg.com

WWW.GILMANCREAMERY.COM

BEFORE Exfoliation

TEAT END ISSUES?

AFTER

Exfoliation

OUR TEAT DIPS ARE NPE FREE!

WINTER TEAT DIP Marianne says, “Recover is a very good, economical post winter dip that brings terriﬁc results, especially when releasing cows in the cold winter elements as we do. Cows do very well on it… teats are well conditioned!”

• Dual Germicide: Primary: Chlorine Dioxide promotes a quick kill. Secondary: LAS promotes a long-lasting kill. • Effective against ALL Mastitis-Causing Organisms • Contains Lactic Acid to promote Teat Exfoliation • Teat skin conditioning – 12.4% skin conditioning package • Green coloring for easy identiﬁcation

78%

TRI-BLEND SKIN CONDITIONING PACKAGE!

GERMICIDE: 1.5% HEPTANOIC ACID Pete said, “I would recommend Recover to any producer that has an extreme cold housing situation. It keeps teats in a good, soft condition.” He also said, “I will begin using Recover on November 1st, to start the conditioning process and will continue using it throughout the entire winter.” Pete Ripka •Ogilvie, MN • 175 Cows - 3X

Marianne Peterson Pine City, MN • 400 Cows - 3X

We wish all of our dairymen and dairywomen a wonderful holiday season. May you enjoy warm, family, and good health as we celebrate the season of Christ’s birth.

Merry Christmas! From The MEDA Team and Dealers

FOR MORE INFO - CONTACT ONE OF THESE DEALERS... Advanced Dairy Systems

9 State Rd. 29 • Spring Valley, WI 54767 (715) 772-3201

Anderson Dairy Systems, Inc. 1312 13 1/2 Ave. • Barron, WI 54812 (715) 537-3300

Athman Dairy Inc.

D&D Ag Supply

East Central Dairy Supply

238 Main Street North • Pierz, MN 56364 (320) 468-2494

133 Atlantic Ave. NE • Pennock, MN 56279 (320) 599-4466

Champion Milking Systems

Dairyland Equipment Services, Inc.

Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems

Dairyland Services, LLC

Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc.

23218 350th Street • Albany, MN 56307 (320) 845-4156

24260 Cty. Rd. 27 • Plainview, MN 55964 (507) 534-3161 2545 80th Ave • Woodville, WI 54028 (715) 698-4370

2195 Hwy. 23 • Mora, MN 55051 (320) 679-1029

105 3rd Ave. NW • Epworth, IA 52045 (563) 876-3087 423 U.S. 61 • Lancaster, WI 53813 (608) 723-4634

Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equipment

1400- 7th St. SE • Pipestone, MN 56164 (507) 825-3271

Professional Dairy Systems

1449 Homecrest Ave. • Wadena, MN 56482 (218) 632-5416

Tri-County Dairy Supply, Inc.

Lang’s Dairy Equipment, Inc.

4107 N US HWY 51 • Janesville. WI 53545 608-757-2697

Mlsna Dairy Supply

12687 Hwy 18 & 52 • Postville, IA 52162 (563) 864-7417 210 N. Industrial Pkwy • West Union, IA 52175 (563) 422-5355

2337 Millennium Rd. • Decorah, IA 52101 (563) 382-8722 1126 Front Street • Cashton, WI 54619 (608) 654-5106

United Suckow Dairy

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 5

ConƟnued from VILSACK | Page 1 “That’s a record number,” Vilsack said. “We offset the decline in domestic consumption with an increase in export consumption. Over time, I think that will ultimately result in stronger and better prices. We’re committed at USDEC to working every single day to try to increase that number.” Vilsack said the USDEC’s goal is to increase dairy exports to 20 percent in the next several years. “The U.S. dairy industry came to the export business a little late,” he said. “We’re competing against other dairy companies, processors and producers that have been in the dairy business 50 years in some markets. So, we had to deepen our presence in these markets.” This has been done through increased people, partnerships and promotions, Vilsack said. More people have been hired to build developing markets in the Middle East and north Africa, especially the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. “We have a fairly afuent market in the areas we focus on,” Vilsack said. “Eightyve percent of the people who live in the UAE are not from there. The median income is $130,000. You go into a grocery store in Dubai and see a variety of groceries from around the world. More and more U.S. cheese and dairy ingredients are being sold in that market.” There is also a focus on getting more people to use American dairy products in the Chinese, Japanese and Korean markets. Creating partnerships in these markets has also been important. “We realize the importance of understanding each individual market – what people consume in China or South Korea or Japan is different than what we [in the United States] consume,” Vilsack said. In China, relationships are being established with a food-based university and there is work to incorporate dairy ingredients in the production of Chinese noodles and alcoholic beverages. There is also work in southeast Asia to encourage people to use more U.S. dairy in recipes and food manufacturing. USDEC is also creating partnerships with Costco in South Korea, Japan and China and is considering a similar partnership in Mexico. On the promotion side, the focus is on Mexico, the No. 1 market for U.S. dairy exports. Last year, 75 percent of Mexico’s imported dairy products were from the United States, Vilsack said. In the rst nine months of 2018, that has increased to 85 percent. To continue this trend, the United States plans to do more in-store promotions in Mexico along with producing a series of cheese videos of new recipes and way to incorporate the products in meals. There will also be a focus on more clearly labeling products to be from the

United States in order to be recognizable. In the trade policy arena, the United States had a goal to keep the market open with Mexico and end class 7 in Canada to provide greater market access. A new pricing system in Canada could mean more sales of U.S. dairy products. There has also been an emphasis on encouraging conversation with China. Vilsack said agriculture is the one area in the relationship with China where the United States has a signicant advantage. “The reality is the administration is right to question China,” Vilsack said. “Initially it was about us buying a lot of their stuff and them buying so little of our stuff. But, it is much more complicated than that. The issue is our request for them to change how they fundamentally do business in China. They invite the world to do business with their 1.3 billion consumers and the world is excited to do business, but there are conditions imposed on those who do business in China.” The United States will also explore other markets in Asia. “There are still growing and young populations in southeast Asian countries that are hungry and in need of dairy protein …,” Vilsack said. In the next 10 to 15 years, there will be 10 times more middle class consumers in Asia than total consumers in the United States, he said. Vilsack said American dairy farmers have a safe, high-quality and sustainablyproduced product to share with others around the world. “Americans are the only farmers worldwide who have committed to a nationally certied animal welfare standard under the FARM program,” he said. “No other farmer in the world complies with that standard in terms of animal welfare. That’s a good story to share.” For 2019, USDEC wants to sustain and expand its key markets, encourage more demand in its target markets and reinforce the commitment of the United States to the export business. “The reality is we came to this late,” Vilsack said. “For many years, people perceived us as only being in the market when we had surplus product, that we were not a long-term exporter. We want people to know we are in it for the long haul.” USDEC also is encouraging farmers to talk to government ofcials about reforming the regulatory process to keep up with the changes being made in the industry. “This is a tough time but there is terric opportunity for the dairy industry if we market effectively the good sustainability message we have and if we keep pace with change,” Vilsack said. “We’re doing everything we can at USDEC to sell as much product as we can.”

Healthy Cows Start with

Healthy Calves Programs and support for every stage... from calf to cow and everything in between!

FEED THEM FAMO!

• Milk Replacers • Starter Feeds • Protein Concentrates • Premixes • Minerals • Animal Health Products • Lick Tubs

320-836-2145 or 800-450-2145

Check out our newly redesigned website to ½nd a Famo Feeds dealer near you!

www.famofeeds.com

Auger Flighting for Ag or Industry Feeder Wagons Mixer Wagons Augers Grain/Transfer Fertilizer Salt Spreaders Food Handling

Underground Boring Mining Sludge Removal Anchors

Construction Snow Blowers Post Hole Digging Material Separators Elevators

Custom Sizes as Well as Annual Production Quantities

www.flightmfg.com 1-800-579-9978

MANCHESTER Livestock Auction, Inc.

(40 miles west of Dubuque, Iowa on 4 lane Highway 20)

DAIRY SALES 2nd Fridays Monthly at 11:00 AM Selling 150 to 250 Head

Sheep and Goats sell at 9:30 AM

563-927-2540

www.manchesterauction.com

COMPLETE BARN SOLUTIONS WHATEVER YOUR DAIRY NEEDS

Crystal Ball Farms Osceola, WI

Double 12 Magnum vertical lift with Dematron 70s and PPID

Call us to help you make your dairy operation more efﬁcient.

www.midwestlivestock.com

PINE ISLAND, MN • 800-233-8937 BEATRICE, NE • 800-342-5657 SIOUX FALLS, SD • 800-705-1447 MENOMONIE, WI • 715-235-5144

Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

ConƟnued from BUTTJER | Page 1

Willmar, MN • 320.231.1470

EXPANDING OR REMODELING YOUR LIVESTOCK OPERATION? ƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ tĞ KīĞƌ͗ ͻ sĞŶƟůĂƟŽŶ &ĂŶƐ ͻ sĞŶƟůĂƟŽŶ ŽŶƚƌŽůƐ ͻ WŽƐŝƟǀĞ WƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ dƵďĞƐ ͻ ƵƌƚĂŝŶ ^ǇƐƚĞŵƐ ͻ DĂƩƌĞƐƐĞƐ ͻ tĂƚĞƌĞƌƐ ͻ ^ƚĂůů ƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ ͻ ,ĞĂĚůŽĐŬƐ ͻ DŝƐƟŶŐ ^ǇƐƚĞŵƐ

LANGE AG SYSTEMS SPECIALIZES IN:

Ŷ NEW FACILITIES

NO JOB TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL

Ŷ RETROFITTING & REMODELING Ŷ TURNKEY PROJECTS Ŷ BARN DESIGN Ŷ INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS

Lange Ag Systems is proud to offer Grain Bags, Silage Bags & Bunker Covers from Up North Plastics and Feed Fresh Silage Covers & Custom Size Bunker Covers from Raven!

t ^ >> E t Θ h^ 'ͳ ' Θ < >>z Zz E '' Z^

www.LangeAgSystems.com

DAIRYLAND EQUIPMENT IS NOW...

Plainview & Montgomery, MN 800.548.2540

Woodville, WI

866.467.4717

REBECCA MILLER/DAIRY STAR

Carissa BuƩjer milks cows the morning of Nov. 29 at Schanbacher Acres in Atkins, Iowa. BuƩjer began working at the farm 10 years ago without any dairy experience. was going to be a doctor one day. But that was never in the cards, according to Buttjer. “I did think about being a teacher though at one time,” she said. Buttjer became interested in agriculture through her involvement with the FFA, where her focus was on leadership contests, more so than animals. But Buttjer’s attraction to the dairy industry was strong, even back in high school. When Buttjer saw an ad for a new dairy opening close to home that was hiring milkers, she told her mom she was interested. Her mom discouraged her, telling her that was hard work, and Buttjer would not want to milk cows. So, Buttjer worked at Wal-Mart instead. But, she was determined to milk a cow someday. After graduating high school in 2008, Buttjer attended Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to seek a degree in ag business. When she came across a job posting for a milker at a nearby dairy farm, she did not hesitate to apply. “I needed a job, and milking cows sounded like fun,” Buttjer said. Although Buttjer did not end up getting the milker position she wanted, she was offered a job feeding calves while Schanbacher’s wife was on maternity leave. “It ended up being the most fun job on the farm,” Buttjer said. In addition to feeding calves, Buttjer also learned how to milk and do other chores like cleaning barns. She worked at the farm part time while going to school and upon graduation was still uncertain about a career. Her boss said not to worry, they would nd work for her in the meantime. Buttjer assumed a full-time position at Schanbacher Acres learning all that was involved in the farm’s day-to-day operations. One of her rst tasks was replacing pasture fence – a mile’s worth of ve-string, high-tensile fence wire. Not much later, Buttjer learned how to IV a cow. “I saw J doing it and asked if I could try,” she said. “He said yes and showed me what to do, how to nd the vein, and so on. I remember thinking, ‘Gosh, this is awesome.’ I had never done anything with cows before working here, and now I was doing something really important, something that could save a cow’s life.” Giving her space to practice and make mistakes, a mentor like Schanbacher helped Buttjer plow her way up the ladder in a short amount of time. He taught Buttjer how to give vaccines, perform pregnancy and freshcow checks, monitor the maternity pen

and identify when cows need help with calving, treat sick animals, grind and mix feed, cut hay, chop silage and more. “I love working with animals,” Buttjer said. This go-getter soon fell in love with farming and now cannot picture herself doing anything else. “Whether good or bad, there’s something different to do each day,” said Buttjer, who could never imagine working in an ofce. “Some people think working on a dairy sounds boring, that all you do is milk cows, but that’s not true. Every day brings a new challenge.” Buttjer attends educational conferences and workshops to learn about new things she can take back to the farm. For example, she has participated in the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Calf Care Connection training and programs offered at Iowa State Extension. “There’s always something new to learn in this industry,” Buttjer said. Buttjer recently spearheaded the purchase of a camera system for the maternity barn. “For right around $700, we were able to install Wi-Fi and cameras in the barn so I can lay in bed at night and still be able to check on the cows who are about to calve,” she said. “Or, if I’m out making corn silage, I can look at my phone to see what’s going on.” In addition to Buttjer, the farm employs a couple other full-time people along with a handful of part-time employees. J’s dad, Allan, is responsible for mixing the TMR and feeding and also raises the herd’s replacement heifers at his farm two miles away. “Carissa is a great asset to our team,” J said. “She’s hardworking, conscientious and passionate about the cows and the farm. It’s been fun seeing her enthusiasm as she learns more about the industry, and we thoroughly enjoy having her around.” Choosing a lifestyle often only embraced by those born into it, Buttjer is committed to farming for the long haul. She and J have outlined a ve- to 10year plan in which J will transition into his father’s role, while Carissa moves into J’s herdsman role. “I can’t give my boss enough credit,” she said. “He’s willing to let me try anything. None of this would be possible without J. He also welcomes my input, which I think is wonderful. It’s all about the people – the people you work for and with make all the difference. The people at Schanbacher Acres are amazing, which makes me love coming to work every day.”

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 7

ConƟnued from METZ | Page 1 and dedication to be successful … sometimes I ask my kids if this is really what they want to do, but they’re passionate,” Jeff said. Many of the Metz family members run the dairy and creamery with help from a few employees. Jeff oversees the whole operation, is the head cheesemaker and works on marketing along with helping with deliveries. Mariann is the ofce manager, working with ordering, packaging and marketing among other tasks. Courtney does packaging, delivering, marketing and helps Jeff with cheesemaking. Alicia works on the dairy side taking care of calves, reproduction, herd records and employees. Nick does maintenance, milking and the crops along with being one of the lead people to give farm tours. Nathan’s role includes milking, feeding cows, taking care of youngstock and doing eldwork. Marketing their product has been a bigger challenge than the

Metzes rst realized. “There are a lot of components to it,” Mariann said. “You have to gure out what to advertise and where to put it.” For example, older generations like newspapers while younger generations prefer online content and social media. “We have had to gure out where we get our biggest bang for our buck,” Mariann said. After four years, the Metzes feel their products are being more widely recognized in the area. “I have a lot more respect for people who gure out what to do with millions of pounds of milk in the plants,” Jeff said. Although hard work, marketing their cheese has given the Metzes more opportunities to interact and connect with people in the community. “It’s fun to go to demos and meeting people,” Mariann said. When the Metzes take their

KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR

Cows at Metz Hart-Land Dairy eat their raƟon Nov. 26 near Rushford. The herd consists of Holsteins, Jerseys and Brown Swiss. cheese to sample in areas such as try to be transparent about what recognize our cheese,” he said. “It’s been very challenging. We Rochester, Minn., or the Twin Cit- we’re doing.” ies, they encounter people who Both Jeff and Mariann feel can’t compete with the big compahave never tried a cheese curd or being open is important for the nies, … but it’s the nature of the who do not know that cheese curds whole dairy community right now. business. There’s always competido not have to be batter fried. They “We’re at a turning point … tion.” Despite the challenges, the also tell others about what goes on as farms become more integrated, at the farm. the consumer will have less loy- Metzes enjoy what they are do“We’re doing a lot of promo- alty to the industry, but from our ing and will continue to use Jeff’s tion, not just for ourselves, but for interaction with the consumer, we philosophy to adapt along with the the industry, too,” Jeff said. feel they will support a family run industry. “You can let change take you The family’s dairy is also farm,” Jeff said. open to scheduled tours. The Metzes want to do their by the throat and choke you or you “Nathan likes to say that if part to give people good products can let it take you by the hand and try to lead it,” Jeff said. the cheese is good it’s because he and keep them eating dairy. While some change will be milked the cows,” said Mariann, Although having an on-farm noting that a quality product starts creamery means the family has not big, others are as small as changon the farm. felt the full effects of the ounder- ing up the avor of their cheese Tours are a good way to teach ing dairy economy, Jeff said it is curds. If the Metzes keep bringing others about the industry and make also more work than they origiKRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR the connection between cow and nally thought. their samples to gatherings, their Several avors of cheese from the on-farm creamery lls the curd, according to the Metzes. “There were four years of re- friends and family probably will refrigerator for people to purchase at Metz Hart-Land Dairy “So many people have mis- search before we even started then not mind. and Creamery. conceptions,” Mariann said. “We four years of marketing so people

Page 8 â€˘ Dairy Star â€˘ Saturday, December 8, 2018

Optimism comes out of Trump-Xi meeting During the G20 Summit in Argentina, President chance,â€? Peterson said. â€œWhat Iâ€™m trying to do Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi is show the Senate thereâ€™s support in the House. Jinping has agreed to a 90-day pause for any new Maybe that will help get it added into one of these trade tariffs, allowing both sides to return to the must-pass bills at the end of the year. Iâ€™m not giving bargaining table. The White House up because we will not get a bill out of Ag Insider indicates China has also agreed to the House when the Democrats are in purchase a â€œvery substantialâ€? amount charge.â€? With passage, the act reverses a of agricultural products. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision blocked in federal court. A long, complicated trade relationship Before the current trade war, the Current farm situation differs from United States and China enjoyed a 1980s crisis positive trade relationship. China Todayâ€™s income and cash ďƒ&#x;ow wanted U.S. farm products and Boeing statements look very similar to the aircraft; the U.S. bought electronics and 1980s. Agricultural economist David furniture from China. Trade consultant Kohl said the one big difference is land Dan Pearson, who is a principal with values. â€œLand constitutes 83 percent By Don Wick Pearson International Trade Services, of the farm balance sheet. The reason does not expect a fast resolution to we donâ€™t have a repeat of the 1980s is Columnist the current trade dispute. â€œIt is a good because land has held its resiliency.â€? time to be patient because I donâ€™t see a However, the trend of leveraging quick resolution to these problems,â€? Pearson said. land to reďƒžnance operating loans may be coming â€œOne would wish it would happen, but when you to an end. â€œThe key will be when banks or farm look at the resistance on the part of the steel and credit say no to the reďƒžnance and that land comes aluminum producers from giving up those tariffs, onto the market.â€? If too much farmland becomes I think it looks like weâ€™re in for a long period of a available, Kohl said land values will decline. Kohl, complicated trade relationship.â€? Pearson previously who is professor emeritus at Virginia Tech, spoke served as the chairman of the International Trade at the National Agricultural Bankers Conference in Commission. The Minnesota native Pearson was Omaha. on the program for the Minnesota Food and Ag Summit presented by AgriGrowth. Agriculture must educate new lawmakers Farmers from throughout the state took part Wolf legislation still faces uphill battle in the 100th Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation The U.S. House passed legislation to remove Annual Meeting. President Kevin Paap said the gray wolf protection from the Endangered the farm community is being tested. â€œThe No. 1 Species Act in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and thing people are talking about is the ďƒžnancial and Wyoming. The bill now moves to the Senate ďƒ&#x;oor mental stress and what we can do to ďƒžx that.â€? Paap for a vote. However, House Agriculture Committee continues to emphasize how important it is for Ranking Member Collin Peterson, who also co- farmers to be at the table. â€œWe must have nearly sponsored the bill, is not optimistic. â€œIt only passed 100 new representatives in Congress and a lot of the House 194 to 180, so I donâ€™t think thereâ€™s much them donâ€™t understand agriculture and yet they

have a connection to food. We have to take time so they understand that the farm bill is important, that trade is important; that adding value to animal agriculture is important.â€?

Job one: Educating new legislators about agriculture Minnesota is the only state in the country with a divided legislature; a Republican majority in the Senate and a Democratically-controlled House. Minnesota Farmers Union government relations director Thom Petersen said that should be considered positive news. â€œWeâ€™re going to have to operate in the middle of the political spectrum,â€? Petersen said. â€œThe other big thing we need to work on is the 39 new members in the House, 34 are Democrats and only ďƒžve are Republicans. Those 34 Democrats are from heavy suburban areas so ďƒžnding the agriculture connection with them is very important.â€? New House Committee leadership Minnesotaâ€™s DFL majority has announced the committee structure and chair assignments for the 2019-2020 House biennium. Jeanne Poppe of Austin will Chair the Agriculture and Food Finance and Policy Committee. Rick Hanson South St. Paul will chair the Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Walz transition team provides input Minnesota Governor-Elect Tim Walzâ€™s plan is to have his cabinet appointments made by Inauguration Day January 7. Minnesota Corn Growers Association Past President Harold Wolle is part of the Walz advisory board, representing agriculture. â€œIâ€™ve been in contact with the various ag groups and encouraged to have their members who are qualiďƒžed apply. Particularly in the agriculture commissioner position, we want someone who is collaborative and works with everyone in the Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9

PRO-AG Calf Milk Replacer and Dairy/Beef FARMERS Mineral Promotion CO-OP Get your Christmas ham www.proagfarmers.com

â—† Alexandria 1-320-763-5445

â—† Brandon

1-320-524-2285

â—† Browerville 1-320-594-2711

â—† Clarissa

1-218-756-2112

â—† Eagle Bend 1-218-738-2552

â—† GarĂ€eld

from Pro Ag Farmers Co-op! â€˘ Purchase 10 bags of milk replacer, receive 1/2 ham free! â€˘ Purchase 20 bags of milk replacer, receive two 1/2 hams free! â€˘ Purchase 1,000 lbs. dairy/beef mineral, receive 1/2 ham free! â€˘ Purchase 2,000 lbs. dairy/beef mineral, receive two 1/2 hams free!

1-320-834-2271

â—† Henning

1-218-583-2947

â—† Hoffman

1-320-986-2007

â—† Parkers Prairie

Dairy/Beef Mineral includes Heifer Smart, Free Choice 1440, Wind/Rain All Season, Corn Co-Balancer R1000, Co-Prod Form R1500

â—† Urbank

Promotion runs through December 15, 2018

1-218-338-6051

1-218-267-2401

LIMIT 4 HAMS

Dairy Star â€˘ Saturday, December 8, 2018 â€˘ Page 9

ConĆ&#x;nued from AG INSIDER | Page 8

Minnesota agriculture community.â€? There is apparently strong interest in the agriculture commissioner and other key roles within the Walz administration. Milk production rises In the 23 major dairy states, milk production rose 1 percent in October. Minnesota milk output declined a half-percentage point with cow numbers dropping 6,000 head in the past year. South Dakota milk production increased more than 4 percent with the size of the state dairy herd increasing 4,000 head. California milk production was up 3 percent in October. Wisconsin was fractionally lower than last year. Cooperative insurance option is available The open enrollment period is underway for the member-owned health plan in Minnesota called 40 Square Cooperative Solutions. Executive Director Char Vrieze sees a need for this option. â€œIf youâ€™re in the agriculture industry and you

donâ€™t have health insurance, it can be detrimental to your operation.â€? As a cooperative, farmers and agribusiness members have a vote in the programs available through 40 Square. The enrollment period is in place through December 19. â€œWe encourage you to sign up and/or see your local agent to learn about the 40 Square options.â€? Trivia challenge The Christmas tradition of egg nog began in the 13th century in England. That answers our last trivia question. Where are the traditional types of cheese used in a fondue? Weâ€™ll have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ďƒžve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora, and Sterling.

DO YOU HAVE AN UPCOMING AUCTION? Advertise It In The

DAIRY STâ˜…R

Call (320) 352-6303 for more information. ormati

â€œItâ€™s less bookwork for me and I know more about each of the cows...â€? What do you like about the DHIA tags? They are durable and many options to choose from such as brands and styles. Tell us about the convenience of going through DHIA for your ear tags. Ordering through DHIA is convenient since they keep track of the type of tag used and the 15 digit tag numbers are then already in the system so itâ€™s one less tag number to record on the barn sheets. How long have you been testing with DHIA? Testing since 2005. How long have you been using the DHIA pregnancy test? What do you like about the test? Our farm has been using the pregnancy test since it became available. I like it due to the convenience of not waiting for a veterinarian and the ability to mail samples in for testing. For small dairies itâ€™s very cost effective. Why is testing with DHIA important to your dairy? DHIA testing is important for us because itâ€™s less bookwork for me and I know more about each of the cows that you canâ€™t see from just looking at them.

Matt Thomas Lakeville, MN â€˘ 54 cows

Tell us about your farm. I farm mainly with my dad and mom Clayton and Chery. My wife Jackie and I have two kids Calvin 6 and Miranda 3 who also put their time in helping with various things. We milk 54 cows and operate 450 acres as well as custom bale and other services for area farmers. Minnesota Dairy Herd Improvement Association 307 Brighton Avenue South Buffalo, MN 55313 1.800.827.3442 www.mndhia.org

From Our Family to Yours, Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas!

with KLC Roasted Soybeans t nutritionis Ask your sted soybeans, roa for KLC le for substitutes. tt donâ€™t se

Quality

Consistency

Our soybeans have what your dairy ration needs: â€˘ Energy â€˘ Protein â€˘ Amino Acids â€˘ Bypass Protein

KLC Farms Roasting, Inc. 1-877-738-2326 877 738 23 Visit www.roastedbeans.com Preferred By Bovines Everywhere

Brightly wrapped boxesâ€Ś stockings stuffed with surprisesâ€Ś fresh Christmas cookiesâ€Ś twinkling trees all aglowâ€Ś Of all the special gifts the holiday season delivers, we appreciate the friendship of good folks like you most of all.

Thank you for letting us serve your needs in 201 Happy Holidays from all of us at...

Page 10 â€˘ Dairy Star â€˘ Saturday, December 8, 2018

Downsizing for robots

(*Savings vary. Find out why in the sellerâ€™s fact sheet on R-values. Higher R-values mean greater insulating power. )

N14685 Copenhaver Ave., Stanley Phone: (715) 644-0765 Fax: (715) 644-4931 10.8.18am

Buyers & Feeders of damaged corn, soybeans, screenings, wet, hot, dry, ďŹ re and silo corn. Trucks available. Z BAR FEED YARDS - -

Rated for softness:

WINGFLEX MATS hick 2.5â€? t

SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR

Mark and Karen Hosch were a stop on the ISU Extension and Outreach Dairy Team 2018 AutomaĆ&#x;c Milking Systems Tour Nov. 14 on their dairy near Bernard, Iowa. They milk 135 cows with three robots.

Hosches host robotic tour By Sherry Newell Contributing Writer

Bernard, Iowa â€“While many dairy farm families advance toward their goals by expanding, Mark and Karen Hosch of Bernard, Iowa, set a goal of getting smaller when they could not get employees to help them with their 200-cow herd. Mark described the turning point â€“ a weekend event when no one was available to milk. â€œI said, â€˜Thatâ€™s it, weâ€™re downsizing,â€™â€™â€™ Mark said. And, within one year, two robots have transformed their farm. It was only seven months between their initial decision to the 2012 installation of the Lely units that replaced the double-8 herringbone parlor they used for 15 years. Fortunately, they were also able to sell the parlor and use that space as maternity pens and hay

storage. Two years later, a third robot was added and the milking herd is now at 135 cows. But, they may yet be positioned for expansion in the future. Their milking facility and freestall barn is designed so a mirror image of it could be constructed and attached. Mark does not sugar coat the challenges that come with a change like the one he and his family undertook. â€œForget everything you know about cows,â€? Mark said. â€œI donâ€™t think I really understood the concept of 24 hours a day until we did this.â€? He said the startup process was two tough weeks. In fact, the ďƒžrst cow in the ďƒžrst robot kicked a valve, and it took two hours to replace the part before milking the second cow. â€œA year later, we bought some cows,â€? Mark said. â€œWe had forgotten about those two weeks. Now we Turn to HOSCH | Page 11

The Kraiburg WingďŹ‚ex design creates the highest softness for the greatest cow comfort. The innovative wing proďŹ le adapts to your cowâ€™s body shape and the chamfered rear edge eliminates the stumbling edge and is gentler on your cowâ€™s joints. â€˘ Dimensionally stable and permanently soft â€˘ Slip resistance â€˘ Integrated soft slope to rear edge promotes cleanliness â€˘ Enlarged contact surface reduces bearing pressure. â€˘ Easy to clean and disinfect

AVAILABLE AT:

133 Atlantic Ave. NE â€˘ Pennock, MN

320-599-4466

SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR

Mark and Karen Hosch (leĹŒ) describe to visitors why they prefer a feeding system where cows do not use headlocks.

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 11

ConƟnued from HOSCH | Page 10 only bring in heifers. … In every group of 10 cows, two of them never learn, two of them totally forget what they learned and six just walk right past me into the robots.” The system tracks rumination and movement, which Mark said picks up illness more quickly. The tracking shows his cows ruminating between 450 and 800 minutes a day. Above the robots, the Hosches constructed an ofce and break area with cabin-like décor including a couch, TV, computers and a viewing window. From the desk, the Hosches can see every cow in the barn while also viewing the output from nine cameras, including one in the maternity area. “He always wanted a cabin, so I told him we would make it with the robot barn,” Karen said. One of things they have viewed is the cows choosing 10 p.m. as their favorite milking time. “I don’t know why, but there are 25 cows waiting at 10 p.m.,” Karen said. To keep cows moving to be milked, Mark devised a light on the robots that goes on in the evening, which he said triggers the cows to get up and head over to be milked. One downside to his milking system, Mark said, is the cost of new transponders worn by the cows – costing about $250 each with a life of about ve years. Batteries in the units which read the transponders are also due for replacement now. In the 180-cow freestall barn, the Hosches bed with sand from the farm’s own sand hill. They raise crops but have been buying hay for more than 20 years, believing they can buy better quality hay than they can make at home. Calves are raised in hutches, and heifers are sent to a grower at four

SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR

Mark Hosch (right) discusses changes at his dairy during an Iowa State University Extension tour of roboƟc dairies on Nov. 14. months of age, returning at 12 months. The Hosches do not utilize a robotic feed-pusher, nor do they have headlocks. Instead, each cow has 1 foot of eating space through feed panels at the bunk. For breeding and herd health, they run cows through a pen into two head gates. “We stepped up our herd health with the robots, going from once a

*CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!*

Freestanding Gates Heavy Duty, Unpainted, 20-1/2 ft.

$379

month to twice a month,” Mark said. “We have the time now.” The Hosches also have a manure system based on daily hauling. At 135 cows, the Hosches’ cow numbers are signicantly down from six years ago. Still, each robot records about 3,000 pounds of milk each day and the herd has a 75 percent conception rate and a somatic cell count of

Heavy Duty

Round Feeder

Steer Feeder

$699

$3,298

50,000. By using sexed semen, they can bring in more heifers from their own herd. In the meantime, Mark said their current herd size and three robots give them an opportunity other two-robot dairy farms do not have. “We have an advantage here,” Mark said. “If a robot shuts down, we still have two working.”

20 ft Single Sided Feeder $1,129

Spanier Welding and Metal Fabrication

Paynesville, MN • 320-243-7552

NEW OR USED WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.. TRACTORS MF GC1705 w/60” deck ......................Just In MF 8650 CVT .......................................$89,500 MF 7497 ................................................$95,000 MF 7622 ............................................. $105,000 MF 6614 CVT w/ldr............................$90,000 MF 1526 comapct w/deck ..............$14,000 MF 1085 w/cab ..................................... $7,500 AGCO DT-220 ......................................$49,000 AGCO DT-200A ...................................$69,500 JD 5325 platform ...............................$16,500 JD 5075M, platform ..........................$22,500 JD 2032R tractor/loader, like new $18,000 Ford 8600, 1600 actual hrs ................Just In

Ford 8370 w/ldr/grapple.................$23,000 IH 1586 ..................................................$12,000 IH 1066 ..................................................$10,000 IH 966 ....................................................... $9,000 IH M Farmall........................................... $1,950 U-Moline, runs good .......................... $1,250 SKID STEERS & SPREADERS Gehl 5640E, 2600 hrs .................................. $24,500 Gehl 5240E ................................................ Coming In Gehl RT210, tracks ....................................... $39,500 Gehl R220 .................................................. Coming In Gehl R190, only 79 hrs., ...................................SAVE Gehl R190, 280 hrs ...................................... $32,500

Bobcat S650................................................... $21,500 Mustang V3300, 550 hrs., cab/AC .......... $32,500 MISC. ITEMS JD 4995 Windrower........................................$6,000 JD 2700 5-bottom ..........................................$4,950 Case 700, 8 bottom ................................ Coming In IH 490, 32’ ..........................................................$7,500 Sunflower 4610-9 ripper .............................. Just In Sunflower 1435-33 tandem disc .....................Call Krause 4900, 30’ disc......................................$9,500 Soil Pro Wilrich 9 shank ........................ Coming In Gehl 700, 14 wheel rake ...............................$6,500 MF 2170XD baler ......................................... $65,000

MF 1375 mower cond ................................ $17,500 MF 2270 non XD .......................................... $35,000 MF 2270XD baler, like new .................. Coming In MF 9770 w/9196 header, only 200 hrs., like new .................................................... Coming In NH BB960, 3x4 .............................................. $30,000 NH HH 7450 13’ discbine .......................... $17,900 Vermeer 605SM Cornstalk ........................ $23,500 Vermeer 605SM Corn Stalk Special ....... $28,500 Demco 500 sprayer, 60’ boom ................... Just In Brandt Bale Shredder ............................ Coming In NI 5209 discbine .............................................$8,950 Hiniker 5630 stalk shredder ..................... $27,000 Killbros 690 grain cart ...................................$7,950

Veiw our full list of used equipment at www.VillardImplement.com

Villard Implement

•

Villard, MN

•

320-838-7010

©2018 AGCO Corporation. AGCO Parts,Massey Ferguson and Challenger are worldwide brands of AGCO Corporation. Challenger, Cat and Caterpillar are trademarks of Caterpillar Inc. and are used under license by AGCO. AGCO, AGCO Parts and Massey Ferguson are trademarks of AGCO. All rights reserved.

Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

Vetsches make gifts to give gifts Dairy farm kids raise money to make Christmas special for those in need By Danna Sabolik

danna.s@dairystar.com

BROWERVILLE, Minn. – A lot of people like to give back at Christmas time, and the Vetsches are instilling that in their children at a young age. Mackenzie and Izaak Vetsch make and sell handmade goods and use the prots to sponsor a family’s Christmas gifts. Loren and Liz Vetsch along with their four children, Mackenzie, 7, Izaak, 6, Emily, 2, and Lindsey, 10 months, milk 200

cows and farm 200 acres near Browerville, Minn. After the loss of their rst child nine years ago, the Vetsches were inspired to give to those in need. “Every year we grabbed a tag from the Walmart in Little Falls, we would buy one for whatever age that child would be,” Liz said. Shortly after, using the funds from the sale of their

DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR

Mackenzie (leŌ) and Izaak Vetsch display the hand-made giŌs they sell at Christmas Ɵme. They use the funds accumulated from the craŌs to sponsor a family’s Christmas presents. They are the children of Loren and Liz Vetsch, who milk 200 cows near Browerville, Minn.

DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR

The Vetsch children sell hand-made hot pads and bookmarks at a local vendor fair, through word of mouth and on social media.

sweet corn at Christmastime as well. “We would pick up a few more tags and a few years ago we decided to pick a specic family and help them out,” Liz said. “Last year through the

Lutheran church we sponsored kids in need through the head start program. That was nice because two of our kids have been through head start. It was nice to be able to give back to them, and it was really rea-

sonable stuff, like gloves and hats.” The Vetsches have worked with Lutheran Social Services and the Lutheran church in Little Falls. This year they are working through Catholic Turn to VETSCHES | Page 13

Getting calves started on dry feed earlier, means earlier weaning, less milk replacer cost and most importantly, can lead to earlier entry into the milking herd.

An economical, pelleted alternative to traditional sweet feed Wholesome nutrition with a sweet aroma & exceptional palatability

Sweet feed that stays fresh longer

Doesn’t dry out or brick like traditional sweet feed

Shown in research to be superior to texturized feed in acceptability, performance and economics, Sweet Unique™ is manufactured using a revolutionary, patented cold-pelleting technology and includes ADM proprietary technology to optimize calf performance.

Sweet Unique™……Providing Your Calves a Treat That Yields Results!

ADMAnimalNutrition.com/Dairy • 866-666-7626

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 13

ConƟnued from VETSCHES | Page 12 Charities. “This year [the family] gave us three things they needed and three things they wanted,” Liz said. “They told us the age of the child and if it was a boy or girl. We have a family of seven this year. A mom and dad and ve kids,

“We have been very fortunate throughout our 10-year dairy farming journey that we want to start giving back to others in the dairy industry.” LIZ VETSCH, DAIRY FARMER

so this it the biggest family we have ever bought for.” In the past, the Vetsches made hot pads to accumulate funds, a fun family activity that always included Grandma. This year, the Vetsches made bookmarks. Using leftover hot pads from last year and bookmarks from this year, the Vetsches sold hot pads for $5 and bookmarks for $1. “We went to a vendor fair and sold these through word of mouth and social

media,” Liz said. “I think all together we sold 150 bookmarks this year.” Mackenzie has been sewing for a few years and enjoys being crafty. She bought a bookmark and uses it in whatever book she is reading. “For the bookmarks we take some fabric and cut it into pieces, sew it together and then we make the edges fancy and tie a string on them,” Mackenzie said. “They’re not really hard. I like making them.” Izaak helped his mom and sister make the bookmarks this year as well. It was his job to cut the edges of the bookmarks with decorative scissors and iron the bookmarks once complete. “It’s a good thing to do,” Izaak said. Both Mackenzie and Izaak help on the farm. Mackenzie helps her mom feed cows or pick up eggs from the chicken coop. Izaak likes to help his dad scrape the barn. Next year, they are planning to donate to a dairy farming family. “We did have some money left over this year, and we are sending a gift card to a dairy family with that,” Liz said. “We have been very fortunate throughout our 10-year dairy farming journey that we want to start giving back to others in the dairy industry. We know how tough it is right now, especially with Christmas, so we’d like to help out our fellow farmer.”

Dairy groups applaud nal signing of modernized NAFTA pact

The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC) commended the Trump Administration today for signing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which had been agreed to in principle on Sept. 30. The USMCA will benet America’s dairy sector by maintaining the overall U.S.-Mexico trading structure of the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), while incorporating new commitments to strengthen U.S. dairy export prospects throughout the North American region. Thanks to NAFTA, Mexico is currently the largest export destination for U.S. dairy products, accounting for $1.2 billion in sales last year. The United States commands a dominant market share in Mexico, with sales that amount to three quarters of its imported dairy products. Although the U.S. dairy industry had sought deeper market expansion and stronger disciplines from Canada on dairy, NMPF and USDEC praised U.S. negotiators for their ardent efforts to address Canada’s pervasive trade-distorting practices. The trade deal includes reforms to Canada’s controversial dairy pricing system and some additional market access – key objectives of the U.S. dairy sector. In addition to Canada-specic dairy provisions, the USCMA broke new ground by establishing a strong sanitary and phytosanitary chapter, as well as numerous provisions aimed at tackling the misuse TOM VILSACK, USDEC of geographical indications that erect barriers to U.S. exports of products that rely on common food names. Industry leaders said the ultimate impact of the agreement, which must be approved by Congress, will depend on how it’s implemented by the three countries. The U.S. dairy industry will engage with both parties in Congress to seek their support for the agreement’s passage while at the same time seeking assurances that Canada will comply with their commitments in a fair and transparent manner. “The signing of the USMCA gives America’s dairy industry greater condence as we head into 2019,” said Tom Vilsack, president and CEO of USDEC. “We trust that the administration will aggressively enforce both the letter and the spirit of the agreed upon text. Thus, it is imperative that the United States ensures that Canada implements its commitments in a manner consistent with the hardfought transparency and market-reforming disciplines secured in this agreement.” The dairy organizations urged the governments of the three nations to take the next step toward better trade relations by removing currently imposed tariffs on agricultural exports – as well as steel and aluminum – that have been sticking points in relations between the countries. “We appreciate the Trump Administration for continually raising our issues of concern and ghting for a better agreement with Canada,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of NMPF. “This year has been a challenging one for dairy producers, who are dealing with continuing low prices and the damaging effects of retaliatory tariffs that have already cost them about $1.5 billion. With today’s signing, we encourage the administration to take a fresh look at other tariffs that are hampering North American trade, including the steel and aluminum tariffs still imposed on Mexico, and to continue making progress in striking new free trade agreements and resolving ongoing trade conicts.”

“The signing of the USMCA gives America’s dairy industry greater condence as we head into 2019.”

Josh Tranel, Tranel Family Farms, Cuba City, WI Expanded from 300 to 550 cows

New double 20 swing parlor with Future Cow Brushes, DemaTron 75 Milk Meters with ID and sort gate

“We now milk 150-180 cows per hour with two people, previous we could only milk 70 cows per hour. In the new facility we wanted to add automation for the labor savings. The Future Cow brushes also added consistency and the meters increased cow data. Also, the sort gates allow me to sort through over 500 cows by myself easily.”

1-800-887-4634 (608) 723-4634

We know you don’t have time.

Let us help you succeed online.

WEB DESIGNS Brian Dingmann WEBSITE DESIGNER

Site Design/Setup typically $500-700 total. Then, only $50/month hosting fees.

ST R Publications

PLEASE CONTACT JEFF TO LEARN MORE

Jeff Weyer • OfÀce 320-352-6303 Cell: 320-260-8505 e-mail: jeff.w@dairystar.com

Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

THINK REPAIR Before it gets too cold Silo Unloader Parts Badger, Vandale, Hanson & MORE!

Ritchie Waterers Most Models In Stock. Trough and valve combinations are sized to provide as much water as your animals want, yet at the same time, limit the amount that sits in the trough when they are not drinking.

Installation Available. Parts On Hand. ding and Man e e ur tF s e e

If y

ion .

ing Dealer

Minnesota’s

nd l Ha

La rg

SELF-PROPELLED BEDDING CHOPPER

so wwave a w.da barn, we have y.com airylandsuppl

SAUK CENTRE, OFF I-94 ON THE CORNER OF HWY. 28 & 71 SOUTH

Save Time and Money!

SUPERCART VA FEED CART CAR ARTT FEED

A new generation of Bale Processors

BALE KING

At Cost!

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 15

From Our Side Of The Fence What have you learned from your FBM instructor?

Becky Clark Rollingstone, Minn. Winona County 450 cows

Ben Mergen Albany, Minn. Stearns County 51 cows

Chris Schulze Pipestone, Minn. Pipestone County 425 cows

Isaiah Tews Lewiston, Minn. Winona County 200 cows

Who is your farm business management instructor? How many years have you worked with your instructor? Tom Anderson. I have worked with him for almost three years.

Who is your farm business management instructor? How many years have you worked with your instructor? Ken Thiesen. I have been working with Ken since 2011.

Who is your farm business management instructor? How many years have you worked with your instructor? Tom Anderson. We have worked with him for about 10 years.

Why do you choose to work with an instructor? I was looking for a way to compare my farm nancials in order to focus on areas I could improve. It’s also nice to have the assurance all nancial metrics are being compared with the same calculations.

Why do you choose to work with an instructor? Great source of information. No matter what situation your farm is in chances are they have worked with something similar and can give you advice on what they have seen work. The best asset they provide is the detailed year end reports and RankEm reports.

Who is your farm business management Instructor? How many years have you worked with your instructor? Brian Boomgaarden has been our Farm Business Management Instructor for the past two years. My dad, Rod, has worked with a FBM instructor since he began dairy farming after graduating from high school in 1975.

Tell us about the cost of participation and your return on investment. The cost per year is $1,851. I qualied for a Minnesota Department of Agriculture scholarship, which covers half the cost, so I pay $925 out of pocket. My return on investment would be all the improvements I was able to make on the farm with the insights from benchmarking against high performance herds. Describe several practices or management techniques you have learned or changed on your dairy since working with an FBM instructor. I have developed a 12-month cash ow, created a capital purchase plan, learned an understanding of depreciation as a real cost, looked at market price protection, and I have a risk management plan in place. It’s important to have data before making changes so results can be measured to know the real worth of changes on the farm. What do you cover in your meetings and how often are they? We meet quarterly and at the end of the year to wrap up all nancials. Before each meeting, I send Tom a back up of my accounting books. He then creates a net herd replacement cost sheet, cost of production and tracts milk basis along with herd metrics associated with protable herds. In our meeting, we discuss current issues on the farm, where we want to go and how to make strategic moves to get there. What is the best advice you have received from your FBM instructor? He explains the commonalities of protable dairies that keep their pregnancy rate in the upper 20s, keep calves alive and only have a 2-5 percent death loss, grow the herd size or selling excess youngstock, and keeping their days in milk between 160-170. Tell us about your farm. I’m the fourth generation dairy farmer in a partnership with my parents. We milk Holsteins three times a day in the rolling hills seated along the mighty Mississippi River. I’m lucky enough to work every day with my grandpa, Dave Clark, and parents Mark and Angela Clark.

Tell us about the cost of participation and your return on investment. It is $840 per semester. I have received a beginning farmer scholarship for half off tuition a couple of times. Returns may not always be something that shows up on a bank statement. Similar to what an agronomist does for your crops, FBM instructors help to make sure every dollar is spent to best help your farm or in some cases not spent at all. Describe several practices or management techniques you have learned or changed on your dairy since working with an FBM instructor. Biggest changes I have made have come from looking at the year end RankEm reports and seeing where my farm is operating above average on costs compared to other farms in FBM programs across central Minnesota. Vet costs, semen costs and money spent per acre on corn and soybean chemicals have all caught my attention over the years by looking at these reports. Sometimes there is a reasonable explanation and sometimes corrective actions needed to be taken. What do you cover in your meetings, and how often are they? Agenda tends to vary depending on the time of year and what questions or concerns I have. Data collection for year-end reports and cashows are common for me. We usually have around four on-farm meetings and one at the college. Ken is always available via phone and email, and happy to stop out for a meeting whenever requested. What is the best advice you have received from your FBM instructor? If it looks like bad and smells bad, it is probably bad. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Alicia, and I moved to the farm in 2011 and have three daughters. We milk 51 cows and raise corn, soybeans, wheat and alfalfa. Alicia works off the farm and my dad (who we bought the farm from) helps daily.

Why do you choose to work with an instructor? We use an instructor so we can make better use of the information we put in. It also helps to get another set of eyes on the business end of things. Tell us about the cost of participation and your return on investment. It costs us about $1,800 per year. Our return on investment includes access to the FINBIN database. We use FINBIN a lot. It helps us see how we are doing compared to other dairy operations around the state. It lets us know if we can improve on areas such as our feed costs or if our vet bills are running high. Describe several practices or management techniques you have learned or changed on your dairy since working with an FBM instructor. When we expanded to 425 cows in 2010, our FBM instructor recommended we start using the Centerpoint Accounting software. Brian has helped us stay tight on our bookwork and is always looking for ways for us to become more protable. What do you cover in your meetings and how often are they? We meet with Brian quarterly. What we cover varies according to the time of the year. We are always looking at benchmarks during these reviews to see if we’ve improved or have gotten worse in any areas. At the end of the year, we sit down with Brian for a thorough year-end review of the entire operation. What is the best advice you have received from your FBM instructor? Stay up to date on the books and watch your pennies. Be as truthful as you can when you do your books. Exaggerating will just hurt you in the long run. Tell us about your farm. I operate the dairy with my father, Rod, and my brother, Devin. We raise all of our own replacement animals and farm about 1,000 acres. In 2015, I diversied our operation by starting a custom manure pumping business. I began pumping for a few neighbors, but it really took off and I now handle 75 million gallons per year. In the rst service after calving, we breed our cows with sexed, polled, genomically-tested embryos. Our goal is to create a herd of polled registered

Why do you choose to work with an instructor? We are very interested in robots, and we felt Tom is knowledgeable in this area. Quite a few friends who we look up to in the dairy community spoke highly of him. Tell us about the cost of participation and your return on investment. I feel our tuition is returned many times over, especially if you take time to look at the data we have collected during those years. We keep accurate records and compare it to others in the FBM program to help us make informed management decisions. Describe several practices or management techniques you have learned or changed on your dairy since working with an FBM instructor. One of our main goals is to hopefully add robotic milkers in the near future. The other goals have been to support our family and stay protable. We do this by only spending money if it returns more than we spend. What do you cover in your meetings, and how often are they? We meet at least twice a year up to as many as we feel we need to. We do cash ows and budgets for all enterprises. What is the best advice you have received from your FBM instructor? Don’t spend money you don’t have. Also, knowing the cost of production for crops and cows helps decide where we should devote resources, whether that’s capital or labor. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Breanne, and I along with our children, Layla, 13, Cadence, 12, Isaiah, 9, Jackson, 6, Summer, 2, Cassidy, 1, and Bennett, 1 month, have milked cows with my parents since 2008. In 2014, two of my brothers, Jacob and Joseph, joined the dairy by taking over my parents’ shares.

Holsteins that have all been genomically tested. I serve on the board of directors for the Minnesota Holstein Association, which has enabled me to get advice from other dairy producers and meet new people.

Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Heidi and Peter Kasella Royalton, Minn. Morrison County 320 cows Who is your farm business management instructor? How many years have you worked with your instructor? We have worked with Nate Converse since 2009. Why do you choose to work with an instructor? We were beginning farmers and our loan ofcer recommended it. Tell us about the cost of participation and your return on investment. The cost can vary. My husband, Peter, is a veteran so we received money to pay for tuition for the rst four years of the program. The following years we were able to apply for tuition assistance. Peter and I are both enrolled in the program that way Nate can come out to the farm twice a month versus just once. The benets of this program reach far beyond the cost of the program. Describe several practices or management techniques you have learned or changed on your dairy since working with an FBM instructor. We are able to accurately assess and evaluate our farm with other farms similar to us in size. This has been helpful in knowing when things we are doing or our cost are not in line with the industry. It’s an evaluation tool. We it also helps us determine our cost of production, budget, what is helping us and what is hindering us. We are able to set short-term and longterm goals, and review them periodically to make sure we are on the right path to achieving them. I have learned several helpful things on the bookkeeping and nancial record-keeping side along with ways to help with employees and management. What do you cover in your meetings and how often are they? We meet two times a month. We review things from our last meeting and talk about updates or changes. Then we have a list of things we want to talk about, go over nances or walk through the farm. Of course we have a lot of fun, too. Nate is a huge part of our farm and our family, and is a very true and loyal honest friend What is the best advice you have received from your FBM instructor? He has given us a lot of good advice. It’s helpful to have someone to speak encouragement when we are down, tell us the truth when there is a hard topic, give us joy when we have success or help us through our sadness when e have trials and loss. It’s nice to always have a coach or friend in your corner. Nate works for us and with us. I could not farm without Nate on a personal and professional level. He has a wealth of knowledge and gives practical, sound information Tell us about your farm. We are a fourth generation dairy farm. We are passionate about the industry and are blessed to be able to raise our four kids here. We started farming in 2007. It’s a good life.

I F A

Roller-Grinder

More milk less feed with uniform Àne-grind Solid cast rolls All belt-electric drive Single or double mills USA & International sales Replacement rolls available for most mills Used mills and tumble mixers on hand Hammer Mills

Danny and Sarah Roerick Burtrum, Minn. Morrison County 100 cows Who is your farm business management instructor? How many years have you worked with your instructor? Ken Theisen. We have worked with Ken for ve years and previously we worked with Brad Burklund for four. Why do you choose to work with an instructor? When we rst started we were looking for someone to help guide our business on the accounting side and dairy production. The one area we didn’t realize we would benet greatly from was the crops. Ken is our third party auditor. He can look at our business numbers and ask the tough questions that make our business much stronger today. He has taken our business to the next level. Tell us about the cost of participation and your return on investment. Our cost for FBM is roughly $1,500 per year. Putting a dollar amount on the return on investment is hard to pinpoint, as we feel we gain so much pertinent information about our business from the cash ows to keeping track of the amount feed/crop yields that we produce in a year and what that dollar amount means to our business. We enjoy seeing our end of the year business analysis and comparing our farm numbers to others of the same size. All the tech colleges that offer FBM will process their student’s farm business information and create an end of year report that keeps all personal information condential but shares the business numbers under one book so you are comparing apples to apples. Describe several practices or management techniques you have learned or changed on your dairy since working with an FBM instructor. We have PCMARs record keeping system in place for our daily accounting. We also keep track of our feed inventories, crop yields and livestock numbers working with FBM. What do you cover in your meetings, and how often are they? We meet quarterly with Ken. Our meetings may consist of other agribusiness, extension staff and fellow dairy producers. The meetings usually start with Sarah and Ken going through the books making sure things are correctly inputted and are in the right elds on PCMARS. We then move to the kitchen table to discuss the business. This is a great time to look at our goals and where our farm is going. After this many years with Ken, we are completely honest with him about our feelings and that is good and bad at the same time. We recently decided to put an expansion on hold due to the current state of the dairy industry. What is the best advice you have received from your FBM instructor? For your farm, it’s OK to not change right now. Tell us about your farm. My wife and I are on my home farm. We are the second generation. We have four children: Jordan, Jacob, Eli and Aubree. We run close to 300 acres of corn, soybeans and hay ground that will feed our herd and leave a little left to market. We raise our youngstock and milk in a tiestall barn with switch cows.

Phone: (319) 634-3849 • Toll Free: (800) 426-0261 web: www.ifamill.com • email: ifamill@netins.net

Keep your cows on their feet!

Get your concrete scabbled and prevent an accident!

Scabbling makes grooves in your concrete 2” wide and 3/16” deep so your cows ALWAYS have traction.

REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Smith’s of Wisconsin Serving the Midwest over 30 yrs.

1-800-525-9364

Lindell Sales & Service 37236 County 56 Blvd., Cannon Falls, MN

651-258-4311 • Mark’s Cell 651-764-4084

We carry... HOULE

Rachelle and Kraig Krienke Lester Prairie, Minn. McLeod County 500 cows Who is your farm business management instructor? How many years have you worked with your instructor? Our Farm Business Management instructor is Paul Filzen through Ridgewater College, and we have been working with Paul since 1998, so we are headed into our 21st year in the FBM program. Why do you choose to work with an instructor? Initially, we started working with Paul when we began farming full time with Kraig’s parents and were starting the farm transition process. Since then, we have grown from 60 to 500 cows, and Paul has been an invaluable asset as we run cash ows, evaluate the effect potential capital investments will have on our balance sheet and as a liaison with our primary ag lender. Tell us about the cost of participation and your return on investment. Current cost of tuition for the year is $1,900. We feel that the ROI is immeasurable. There are certainly direct cost savings in the preparation of tax forms as Paul provides all the forms and assistance in completing them for 1099s and W-2s. However, the knowledge and assistance he has and continues to provide in preparing countless variations of cash ows and balance sheets as we propose and alter building/improvement projects on the dairy is the true ROI for us. Additionally, the whole farm analysis generated is an indispensable tool for any business owner. Through the analysis you see numbers such as cost of production, true cost of raising replacements, nancial ratios and a comparison of upcoming feed needs versus what the cropping enterprise of the dairy is anticipated to produce. Describe several practices or management techniques you have learned or changed on your dairy since working with an FBM instructor. Since we started working with our FBM instructor after our initial purchase of 60 additional cows, we have added 380 cows with slow internal growth. Three main areas of change that Paul has been crucial in facilitating are as follows. In 2002, we switched from bagged forages to concrete bunkers and last year added equipment to make half of our hay into baleage. Both of these resulted in a higher quality, more even feed source with minimal shrink. Two years ago, we modied our parlor and switched to 3X milking which has resulted in an increase in production, low SSC, healthy udders and limited mastitis. Last year we switched ag lenders to a lender with a much stronger grasp of today’s dairy economy; this has helped with the current suppressed prices. All of these changes have a cost associated with them, and Paul has proven indispensable, running numerous cash ows and providing insight with every scenario proposed until we nd the right option for our dairy. What do you cover in your meetings, and how often are they? We meet 8-10 times per year. At least two of these meetings are to cover the year-end analysis, complete tax forms and generate cash ows for the upcoming year. After this is complete we may meet with Paul to alter cash ows and/or balance sheets to reect a change in animal numbers, practices or proposed capital projects or for tax planning purposes. In addition to meeting on an as-needed basis, Paul attends our quarterly MDI team meetings and provides nancial information to the team. What is the best advice you have received from your FBM instructor? To provide the most accurate information possible at all times. If you put junk in, you get junk out. Tell us about your farm. Kraig and I own and operate a 500-head conventional dairy comprised of Holsteins. We raise our replacements and feed. Our children, Elizabeth, Blake and Brodie, are the sixth generation to farm on our dairy which was established on this site in 1864.

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 17

Improve feed efficiency. Enhance profit potential.

To stay profitable, dairy producers need a ration that improves efficiency. Enogen® Feed corn helps enhance starch and fiber digestibility which provides more available energy and helps improve intake. That means, by switching to Enogen Feed corn, you’ll get greater feed efficiency to help improve your income over feed cost. Talk to your local Golden Harvest® Seed Advisor or NK® retailer about Enogen Feed corn.

All photos are either the property of Syngenta or used with permission. ©2018 Syngenta. The trademarks or service marks displayed or otherwise used herein are the property of a Syngenta Group Company. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. MW 1ENG8109-DAIRY-AG198 08/18

Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

Top Performers

Managing debt level drives prot at Rusk Rose Holsteins

Rusk Rose Holsteins, Inc. Eric, Carol and Evan Hillan Ladysmith, Wis. Rusk County 363 cows

What is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? We have 29,865 pounds of milk, 3.6 percent butterfat, 3 percent protein, 156 DIM, SCC of 63,000 and a 35 per-

cent pregnancy rate.

How many times a day do you milk? If you milk 3X a day, explain how that has worked for you. We milk three times, and it has worked really well. Do you contract your milk? Has it been successful for you? We use a combination of

CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR

Eric Hillan, along with his wife, Carol, and son, Evan, milk 363 cows on their farm, Rusk Rose Holsteins, Inc., near Ladysmith, Wis. The herd has a 29,865-pound rolling herd average with 3.6 percent fat and 3.0 percent protein.

CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR

GeneƟcs are an important part of the Hillans’ herd success. They use aAa to aid in sire selecƟon and keep accurate records to monitor reproducƟon in the herd.

puts, calls, contracts, and now, the dairy revenue insurance. It has worked to miss the lows and still capture the upside. Describe your housing and milking facility. We have a naturally-ventilated four-row

head-to-head freestall barn with a double-8 Boumatic parallel parlor. What is your herd health program? Herd health consists of weekly repro checks and monthly hoof trims. Our

cows and heifers are vaccinated twice a year with Virashield and wormed at the same time. We Johnes vaccinate and have ongoing staff training. Turn to RUSK ROSE | Page 22

The safest and most comfortable free stall system in the world EASYFIX flexible free stalls provide the ultimate in cow comfort solutions

Cow scratcher

• Increased lying times Jupiter cow mattress with built-in brisket board

Flexible free stall system with fixed or flexible couplings

• Stress free environment

• Higher milking performance

2” of latex foam

CALL US TODAY

Doug Goodale Sioux Falls 1-605-261-1508

Don Datema Ontario 1-519-670-0957

WWW.EASYFIX.COM

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 19

Call us to Save Money on your Animal Health Products! Full line of products available

FREE Shipping over $150

with UPS and Spee-Dee

715-644-2350 Chippewa Valley Dairy Supply

6053 CTY. HWY. G • STANLEY, WI 54768 • Andrew Zimmerman

MAKE YOUR NEXT PROJECT

BRENTON BUILT

Dairy Facilities & Beef Confinements are Brenton Buildings Specialty, from • New Freestall Construction 50 cow expansions to multi-million • General Contracting dollar facilities click below to see what • Material only or Turn-Key Packages Brenton Buildings can do for you.

BRENTON BUILDINGS 206 W Center St., Monona, IA 52159

563-539-4450

FAX: 563-539-4545 • www.brentonbuildings.com

“This stuff is phenomenal.” — Candice Dotterer-White

DOTTERER’S DAIRY, MILL HALL, PENNSYLVANIA The Dotterer Family: 3 generations Candice Dotterer-White, Dairy Manager 900 cows, 85 lbs/cow/day, SCC 100,000 (3x) “This stuff is phenomenal. We used to use different lotions on and off, which were inconvenient and inconsistent. But when we tried Udder Comfort™ spray 2 years ago, not only was it easy, we also saw results. We now use it regularly on all fresh cows and heifers, and for hard quarters or mastitis,” says Candice Dotterer-White, dairy manager and part of the third generation at Dotterer’s Dairy, Mill Hall, Pennsylvania. She is active in consumer outreach, enjoys being part of the Dairy Girl Network, and was part of a recent Land O’Lakes video project celebrating dairywomen. At Dotterer’s Dairy, 900 cows make 85 lbs/cow/day of high quality milk, with SCC averaging 100,000. Candice explains how Udder Comfort is a cost-effective quality management tool for starting every lactation. “We spray all fresh udders 3x/day for at least 2 days after calving (6 to 8 applications). We stick with Udder Comfort because it’s the one that works, and the spray is easy and quick, so our milkers use it.”

Quality Udders Make Quality Milk

Keep the milk in the system 1.888.773.7153 1.613.652.9086 uddercomfort.com Call to locate a distributor near you.

For external application to the udder only after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.

YOU

Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

on a new Bobcat Compact Track Loader

on a new Bobcat Skid-Steer Loader

PLUS: 2-YEAR/2,000-H

AUTHORIZED B

IOWA Bobcat of Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids • 319-393-2830

SOUTH DAKOTA Bobcat of Brookings, Inc. Brookings • 605-697-5544

Bobcat of Quad Cities Davenport • 563-381-1200

Pfeifer’s Implement Sioux Falls • 605-338-6351

JP Scherrman, Inc. Farley • 563-744-3393

MINNESOTA

Reiser Implement, Inc. Waukon • 563-568-4526

Aldrich Tractor, Inc. Verndale • 218-445-5430 Alex Power Equipment Alexandria • 320-763-4994

Bobcat of Mankato Mankato • 507-625-4511 Bobcat of Otter Tail County Fergus Falls • 218-739-4505 Bobcat of Rochester Rochester • 507-285-0753 Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. Dassel • 320-275-2737 Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. St. Cloud • 320-240-2085

Visit Bobcat.com/Offers or stop by today for details.

*Limited time offer. Available at participating and eligible dealers only. Offer may vary by product type, series, model and select units in dealer’s current inventory. Must take delivery from dealer stock by 12/31/2018. Offers available on new equipment in US and Canada finance providers to well-qualified buyers. Administrative fees may apply. Offer not available to government accounts, national accounts and municipal/utility bid customers. Non-commercial customers may not be eligible for low rate financing. Bobcat Company reserve Bobcat®, the Bobcat logo and the colors of the Bobcat machine are registered trademarks of Bobcat Company in the United States and various other countries.

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 21

on a new Bobcat Compact Excavators

HOUR FULL WARRANTY*

BOBCAT DEALERS Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. Willmar • 320-235-3672

Lund Implement Company Madison • 320-598-3150

Lano Equipment, Inc. Anoka • 763-323-1720

Miller Sellner Slayton Slayton • 507-836-8571

Lano Equipment, Inc. Loretto • 763-472-8200

Sanco Equipment Albert Lea • 507-373-4490

Lano Equipment, Inc. Shakopee • 952-445-6310

Tri-State Bobcat Burnsville • 952-894-0894

Lano Equipment of Norwood Norwood Young America • 952-467-2181

Tri-State Bobcat Little Canada • 651-407-3727

a only. Some restrictions apply. Length of contract may vary. Prior purchases not eligible. See dealer for details. Financing provided on approval of credit by authorized Bobcat es the right to extend or discontinue any of these programs at any time without prior notice.

WISCONSIN

Bobcat of Janesville Janesville • 608-756-0000 Carter & Gruenewald Co., Inc. Juda • 608-934-5201 Komro Sales & Service Durand • 715-672-4263 Komro Sales & Service Whitehall • 715-538-1495 Tri-State Bobcat Hudson • 715-531-0801

Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

Wood

ABRAHAM’S FARM REPAIR

Shavings BULK

r Call us fo New & ts Used Par

BAG

S&S Wood Products

ConƟnued from RUSK ROSE | Page 18

WE CAN REPAIR YOUR SILOS AND UNLOADERS

Bill Abraham - Over 20 years experience

320-864-6821

35335 Green Street | Independence, WI 54747

800-234-5893 | 715-985-3122

Leave message

DeLaval AcidiShine Outshines all others ™

Reduce time and expenses with a revolutionary new acid sanitizer that helps you enhance food safety, animal welfare, work efficiency and farm profitability.

CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR

Cows are fed a raƟon of BMR corn silage, alfalfa haylage, high moisture shelled corn, roasted beans, soybean meal, protected fat, minerals and wet disƟllers. What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? Cows going dry are treated with dry cow udder treatment with a sealant. In addition, cows are vaccinated with Alpha 7, Bovillus J-5, Pumagard phm-1 and SRP. Dry cows are fed a dry cow ration until freshening. Fresh cows spend two weeks in the fresh pen where they have access both to dry cow and milking cow TMR. What is the composition of your ration? What has been one of your most recent changes that have been successful for you? Our ration consists of BMR corn silage, alfalfa haylage, high moisture shelled corn, roasted soybeans, soybean meal, protected fat, minerals and wet distillers. The milk ration is a one group TMR. We started using the E-Z Feed program this year, and that has paid dividends in tracking dry matters, inventory monitoring and feed accuracy. What role does genetics play in your production level, and what is your breeding program? Genetics plays a large role on the dairy. We use Triple A to help in sire selection. Currently, cows are on presynch, then either to ovsynch or CIDR synch based on veterinarian ultrasound. First service is at 70 days. What type of improvements would you like to make that would increase your rolling herd average even higher? Tweaking protocols and minimizing protocol drift may lead to a higher RHA.

Your partners in dairy production We offer a complete range of products to our customers. We service what we sell to help keep your farm in top shape. Our goal is to make you more profitable and more efficient through innovative equipment, aftermarket solutions, scheduled maintenance and 24 hour emergency services.

List three management strategies that have kept you protable. Managing debt level. Knowing our cost of production of milk and the crops we grow. Being members of Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin has been very benecial. Tell us about your farm. Our farm consists of 1,400 acres of which 800 are owned and 600 rented. All the heifers are raised at home. We have nine full-time and part-time employees without whom we would not be in operation.

www.delaval.com

Contact one of the following dealers to learn more: IOWA Kramer Bros. Monticello, IA 319-465-5931 Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290 United-Suckow Dairy Supply West Union, IA 563-422-5355 Postville, IA 563-864-7417

WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713 Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Professional Dairy Services Waunakee, WI 608-849-5043

Mondovi Dairy Systems Inc. Mondovi, WI 715-926-5777 West Salem, WI 608-769-2113 The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470 MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA D&D Ag Supply Pennock, MN 320-599-4466

East Central Dairy Supply Mora, MN 320-679-1029 Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Watertown, MN 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD 800-284-0015 S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288 Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416

is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2018 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. www.delaval.com

CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR

Rusk Rose Holsteins does hoof trimmings on a monthly basis. The Hillans have their own chute for any cows that need individual hoof care in between trimming visits.

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 23

LEASE OPTIONS ON STEEL DEAL COMBINES AVAILABLE See our complete inventory with pictures and descriptions at:

www.mmcjd.com

Visit one of our 17 locations in Central Minnesota! (1) = GLENCOE

E ST

A DE

E ST

A DE

E ST

A DE

320-864-5571 4561 Hwy. 212

(2) = HOWARD LAKE 320-543-2170 5845 Keats Ave. SW

(3) = STEWART 320-562-2630 78412 Co. Rd. 20

Claas 970, 2008, 4000 hrs., #130021

(5) = GLENWOOD 320-634-5151 1710 N. Franklin

(6) = SAUK CENTRE 320-352-6511 1140 Centre St.

(7) = ALEXANDRIA 320-763-4220 5005 Co. Rd. 82 SE

(8) = PAYNESVILLE 320-243-7474 725 Lake Ave. S.

(9) = PRINCETON

763-389-3453 3708 Baptist Church Rd.

(10) = LITTLE FALLS 320-632-5469 16069 Hwy. 27 E.

(11) = WADENA 218-631-2311 62505 US Hwy. 10

(12) = AITKIN 218-927-2140 1120 2nd St. NW

(13) = BAXTER 218-829-5356 7045 Foley Rd.

(14) = ELBOW LAKE 218-685-4438 110 2nd St. NE

(15) = MORRIS 320-589-2011 23604 State Hwy. 9

(16) = BENSON 320-843-2610 380 Atlantic Ave.

(17) = MADISON 320-598-7575 516 1st St. E

COMBINE PLATFORMS 14 Case IH 2020, 2008, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #151174 .....................................................................................................$22,500 7 JD 212, 1987, Platform Kind: Rigid, #151024 .............................................. $4,250 10 JD 635F, 2005, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #151340 ......$13,500 6 Case 1020, 2003, Platform size: 30 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #150709 .$13,500 7 JD 930F, 2001, Platform size: 30 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #151145 ........ $8,750 5 JD 930F, 2002, Platform size: 30 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #153921 ........ $9,500 16 JD 645FD, 2017, Platform size: 45 Ft., Platform Kind: Flex/Draper, #154190 .....................................................................................................$89,500 14 JD 635F, 2014, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #153334 ......$35,425 16 JD 640FD, 2014, Platform size: 40 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #144272 ...$69,500 11 JD 630F, 2007, Platform size: 30 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #152323 ......$12,900 3 JD 625F, 2007, Platform size: 25 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #142365 ......$24,000 14 JD 640FD, 2014, Platform size: 40 Ft., Platform Kind: Flex/Draper, #144274 .....................................................................................................$69,500 1 JD 630F, 2006, Platform size: 30 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #143427 ......$21,500 7 JD 640FD, 2013, Platform size: 40 Ft., Platform Kind: Flex/Draper, #153979 .....................................................................................................$58,500 5 JD 635F, 2011, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #153865 ......$22,900 4 JD 635FD, 2018, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flex/Draper, #143978 .....................................................................................................$82,900 15 JD 635F, 2012, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #147915 ......$27,500 15 JD 630F, 2005, Platform size: 30 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #154145 ........ $6,700 17 JD 635F, 2012, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #144268 ......$28,900 5 JD 630F, 2004, Platform size: 30 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #151382 ......$11,000 4 JD 635F, 2008, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #150767 ......$25,000 14 JD 635F, 2011, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #150697 ......$24,000 8 JD 635FD, 2018, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flex/Draper, #154392 .....................................................................................................$86,900 6 Case 810, Platform Kind: Pickup, #150708 .................................................. $2,500 6 JD 640FD, 2012, Platform size: 40 Ft., Platform Kind: Flex/Draper, #144000 .....................................................................................................$57,500 16 JD 635F, 2014, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #151731 ......$37,950 8 JD 640FD, 2018, Platform size: 40 Ft., Platform Kind: Flex/Draper, #153769 .....................................................................................................$92,000 8 JD 635F, 2010, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #140551 ......$21,900 5 JD 635FD, 2015, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flex/Draper, #150552 .....................................................................................................$67,900 15 JD 635F, 2004, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #150449 ......$12,900 8 JD 640FD, 2015, Platform size: 40 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #150113 ...$69,500 1 JD 635F, 2012, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #143927 ......$24,900 17 JD 640FD, 2014, Platform size: 40 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #151563 ...$72,500 2 JD 635F, 2006, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #142452 ......$14,500 10 JD 630F, 2005, Platform size: 30 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #153866 ......$21,000 8 JD 625F, 2017, Platform size: 25 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #153768 ......$32,900 5 JD 635F, 2011, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #152874 ......$21,900 5 JD 635F, 2010, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #142787 ......$21,900 1 JD 635FD, 2015, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flex/Draper, #150553 .....................................................................................................$67,900 15 JD 635F, 2011, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #147914 ......$23,650 1 JD 635F, 2008, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #145292 ......$18,500 14 JD 635F, 2010, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #144266 ......$21,900 8 JD 635FD, 2014, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flex/Draper, #145209 .....................................................................................................$66,500 15 JD 635F, 2014, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #154374 ......$30,500 1 JD 640FD, 2017, Platform size: 40 Ft., Platform Kind: Flex/Draper, #150884 .....................................................................................................$87,500 3 JD 640FD, 2015, Platform size: 40 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #150115 ...$69,500 15 JD 635F, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #153335................$27,500 15 JD 635F, 2011, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #146353 ......$24,500 6 JD 635F, 2010, Platform size: 35 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #148646 ......$23,500 6 JD 625F, 2012, Platform size: 25 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #142196 ......$26,950 4 JD 620F, 2012, Platform size: 20 Ft., Platform Kind: Flexible, #152753 ......$23,900 COMBINES 16 JD S670, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1333 hrs., 979 sep. hrs., #151692 ...................................................................................................$219,500 5 JD S680, 2014, PRWD, Duals, 1819 hrs., 1197 sep. hrs., #147716 ............$249,000 3 JD S660, 2013, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 1252 hrs., 875 sep. hrs.,

209,500

JD S660, 2013, $ 1,225 hrs., #151693

JD 2720, 2013, 27’6”, disk ripper, #144468

39,500

96,000

Claas Jaguar 890, 2002, $ 2749 hrs., #133756

Over 1200 items with pictures updated daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com

(4) = ST. CLOUD 320-252-2010 1035 35th Ave. NE

127,000

#141412 ...................................................................................................$199,500 16 JD S680, 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, Chopper, Yield Monitor, Header, 1642hrs., 975 sep. hrs., #144328 ..............................................................................$255,000 7 JD 6620, 1976, 2WD, 4791 hrs., #150434 .................................................... $9,000 14 JD S690, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1888 hrs., 1450 sep. hrs., #153332 ...................................................................................................$194,000 14 JD S670, 2017, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Singles, Chopper, Yield Monitor, Sidehill, Harvest Mobile, 425 hrs., #145242 ...........................................................$385,000 16 JD S670, 2017, PRWD, Duals, 970 hrs., 624 sep. hrs., #146347 ................$294,500 14 JD S670, 2014, PRWD, Duals, Chopper, 903 hrs., 330 sep. hrs., #144312 ...................................................................................................$254,900 15 JD S680, 2016, PRWD, Duals, 1166 hrs., 602 sep. hrs., #148149 ..............$329,900 10 JD 9770 STS, 2009,Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, Chopper, Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 2152 hrs., 1649 sep. hrs., #144243 ....................$117,900 17 JD S690, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1406 hrs., 980 sep. hrs., #144337 ...................................................................................................$239,500 15 JD 9560 STS, 2005, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 2860 hrs., 1947 sep. hrs., #153482 ......................$69,500 4 JD 9500, 1991, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, 4719 hrs., 3234 sep. hrs., #150229 ...................................................................................................$30,900 17 JD S660, 2016, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, Chopper, Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 594 hrs., 349 sep. hrs., #145629 ........................$285,000 14 JD S680, 2017, PRWD, Duals, 373 hrs., 299 sep. hrs.,#145687 .................$405,000 16 JD S680, 2013, PRWD, Duals, 1235 hrs., 842 sep. hrs., #146109 ..............$238,500 17 JD S680, 2013, PRWD, Duals, 1425 hrs., 900 sep. hrs., #144322 ..............$224,900 14 JD S670, 2012, PRWD, Duals, 1538 hrs., 900 sep. hrs., #145813 ..............$214,500 3 JD S680, 2014, PRWD, Duals, 857 hrs., 358 sep. hrs., #144327 ................$309,500 5 JD S660, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1225 hrs., 811 sep. hrs., #151693 ...................................................................................................$209,500 2 JD S670, 2012, PRWD, Duals, 2248 hrs., 1736 sep. hrs., #143860 ............$175,000 5 JD 9500, 1992, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, Chopper, 5895 hrs., 4040 sep. hrs., #152868 .....................................................................................................$18,000 8 JD S670, 2017, PRWD, Duals, 386 hrs., 128 sep. hrs., #142208 ................$385,000 8 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, Spreader, Active Yield, 329 hrs., #153997 ...................................................................................................$445,000 3 JD S790, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, Spreader, Yield Monitor, Active Yield, 434 hrs., #154391 .....................................................................................$435,750 16 JD S680, 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Chopper, Header, 1234 hrs., 782 sep. hrs., #144326 ...................................................................................................$269,500 3 JD S690, 2014, PRWD, Duals, 1728 hrs., 1200 sep. hrs., #145222 ............$260,000 6 JD 9870 STS, 2009, PRWD, Duals, 2503 hrs., 1677sep. hrs., #141914 ......$154,900 4 JD 6620, 1979, PRWD, Singles, 3700 hrs., #148337 ..................................... $5,400 6 JD S660, 2014, PRWD, Duals, 668 hrs., 379 sep. hrs., #142203 ................$259,500 1 JD 9770 STS, 2011, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 1283 hrs., 903 sep. hrs., #143429 ..............................................................................$165,900 15 JD S670, 2016, 2WD, Duals, 360 hrs., 265 sep. hrs., #144309...................$309,500 5 JD S660, 2017, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, Yield Monitor, 355 hrs., 234 sep. hrs., #154395 ...................................................................................................$299,000 7 JD S670, 2013, 2WD, Duals, 1455 hrs., 950 sep. hrs., #145812 ................$196,500 4 JD 9600, 1996, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 4989 hrs., 3341 sep. hrs., #151078 ........$28,600 11 JD S670, 2014, PRWD, Duals, 1755 hrs., 1218 sep. hrs. #144313 ...................................................................................................$199,500 11 JD S670, 2017, 2WD, Duals, 766 hrs., 363 sep. hrs., #146349...................$315,000 4 JD S660, 2016, 2WD, Duals, 631 hrs., 473 sep. hrs., #143510 ..................$269,000 8 JD 9760 STS, 2007, 2WD, Duals, 2100 hrs., 1452 sep. hrs.,#142194 ........$104,900 16 JD S670, 2017, 2WD, Duals, 254 hrs., 186 sep. hrs., #146346 ..................$349,500 16 JD S690, 2014, PRWD, Duals, 1441 hrs., 871 sep. hrs., #144333 ..............$259,500 4 JD S670, 2015, PRWD, Duals, 1296 hrs., 900 sep. hrs., #143718 ..............$259,000 16 JD S680, 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Chopper, Yield Monitor, 1702 hrs., 1143 sep. hrs., #144329 ............................................................................$249,500 5 JD S680, 2017, PRWD, Duals, 886 hrs., 488 sep. hrs., #146345 ................$354,500 3 JD S680, 2013, PRWD, Duals, 1301 hrs., 967 sep. hrs., #140845 ..............$249,500 3 JD S680, 2017, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 724 hrs., 500 sep. hrs., #153999 ...................................................................................................$360,000 15 JD S690, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, Chopper, 1731 hrs., 1156 sep. hrs., #144335 ...................................................................................................$249,500 14 JD S680, 2012, PRWD, Singles, 1713 hrs., 1211 sep. hrs., #145287..........$209,500 17 JD 9660 STS, 2005, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 3538 hrs., 2331 sep. hrs., #151601 ..............................................................................$70,200

260,100

JD S690, 2014, $ 1728 hrs., #145222

8 JD S670, 2016, 2WD, Duals, 517 hrs., #148148 ........................................$319,500 7 JD S680, 2012, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, Yield Monitor, 2264 hrs., 1528 sep. hrs., #152167 ...................................................................................................$164,900 15 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 100 hrs., 100 sep. hrs., #143976 ...................................................................................................$419,000 15 JD S680, 2016, PRWD, Duals, 986 hrs., 640 sep. hrs., #148150 ................$329,900 17 JD 9660 STS, 2004, 2WD, Duals, 3731 hrs., 2670 sep. hrs., #150873 .........$69,660 3 JD 9870 STS, 2008, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 2590 hrs., 1789 sep. hrs., #143756......................................$139,000 6 JD S670, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 1851 hrs., 750 sep. hrs., #153514 ...................................................................................................$229,000 17 JD S680, 2013, PRWD, Duals, 1496 hrs., 808 sep. hrs., #144323 ..............$229,500 8 JD 9770 STS, 2008, PRWD, Duals, 2570 hrs., 1508 sep. hrs., #146342 .....$132,500 6 JD 9650 STS, 2001, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 3520 hrs., 2133 sep. hrs., #151309.............................................................$61,900 CORN AND ROW CROP HEADERS 3 JD 612C StalkMaster, 2011, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #152552 .....................$29,700 4 JD 708C, 2018, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #143017 .............................................$87,900 17 JD 608C, 2014, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #154118 .............................................$62,000 17 JD 608C, 2011, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #145585 .............................................$44,500 10 JD 893, 1999, 8R30”, #140414 ...................................................................$15,900 16 JD 612C, 2009, 12R30”, #144257 ...............................................................$41,900 1 JD 608C, 2009, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #143428 .............................................$35,900 11 JD 612C, 2015, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #145281 ...........................................$82,900 17 JD 612C, 2014, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #151308 ...........................................$83,500 5 JD 608C, 2012, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #143875 .............................................$52,500 10 JD 643, 6R30”, #154149 .............................................................................$10,545 6 JD 608C, 2014, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #153953 .............................................$62,000 11 JD 893, 2001, 8R30”, #150723 ...................................................................$14,985 6 JD 1291, 2005, 12R22”, #152339 ...............................................................$15,900 15 JD 612C, 2012, 12R30”, #152384 ...............................................................$27,500 17 JD 612C StalkMaster, 2011, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #151602 .....................$46,325 17 JD 612C, 2012, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #144251 ...........................................$63,500 8 JD 612C, 2013, 12R22”, StalkMaster, #151723 ...........................................$77,500 14 JD 608C, 2011, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #149076 .............................................$49,500 1 JD 612C, 2013, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #151998 ...........................................$52,800 1 JD 893, 2007, 8R30”, #153336 ...................................................................$19,500 7 JD 608C, 2009, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #150551 .............................................$48,500 4 JD 643, 6R30”, #154192 ............................................................................... $3,800 7 JD 893, 1995, 8R30”, #146709 ...................................................................$15,900 16 JD 612C, 2017, 12R30, StalkMaster, #154189 ............................................$99,500 15 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2009, Row Spacing: 30, StalkMaster, #153977......$29,500 8 JD 708C, 2018, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #154389 .............................................$83,900 8 JD 612C, 2014, 12R22”, StalkMaster, #153843 ...........................................$87,500 8 JD 712FC, 2018, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #154390 .......................................$142,900 4 JD 608C, 2016, 8R30”, #143508 .................................................................$49,000 3 JD 608C, 2013, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #149199 .............................................$54,500 16 Geringhoff RD1800/B, 2010, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #152162 ...................$39,900 5 JD 608C, 2012, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #148141 .............................................$54,900 10 JD 606C, 2013, 6R30”, StalkMaster, #151339 .............................................$54,500 6 JD 608C, 2013, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #150550 .............................................$56,000

RIPPER 17 JD 2720, 2013, #144468 ......................................................................... $39,500 Self-Propelled Forage Harvester Heads: Rotary 6 JD 678, 2008, #107326 ........................................................................... $39,500 6 JD 688, 2011, #140930 ........................................................................... $23,500 6 JD 710, 2007, #115310 ........................................................................... $33,000 6 JD 770, 2011, 138381 ............................................................................. $29,700 SELF-PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTERS 6 JD 7300, 2003, 5093 hrs., 3640 cu. hrs., #140932 ................................... $68,000 6 JD 7500, 2003, 4700 hrs., 3100 cu. hrs., #142199 ................................... $98,000 6 JD 7800, 2007, 2813 hrs., 1884 cu. hrs., #131002 .................................$126,000 6 Claas JAGUAR 890, 2002, 2749 hrs., 2290 cu. hrs., #133756 ................. $96,000 6 Claas 970, 2008, 4008 hrs., 1948 cu. hrs., #130021 ..............................$127,000

137,900

JD 9530, 2008, $ 4162 hrs., #147940

STEEL DEALS

149,500

JD 6155R, 2017, $ 212 hrs., #144514

Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

DAIRY ST R

The Great Christmas “GRAND” PRIZE

GIVEAWAY 2018

Grand Prize Drawing Will Be Held Thursday, December 13, 2018 THE WINNERS WILL BE POSTED ON WWW.DAIRYSTAR.COM, MILK BREAK NEWSLETTER AND ON FACEBOOK.

ADULT “GRAND” PRIZE

3) $1,000 CASH GIFTS! 17 & UNDER “GRAND” PRIZE

“Grand” Prize Heifer Calf:

JE-KO TYLER GUPPY

Born: September 22, 2018

Dam: Je-Ko Silver GoldÀsh Sire: Pine-Tree Mod Tyler 699-ET Granddam: Je-Ko Maurice Goldgirl Grand P Calf come rize sF from Rohdrom Dairy Farm e Grey Eaglein , Minn.

K Korinna and Jeff Rohde, Pictured with employee C Carver McDermond (center), and the Je-Ko Tyler G Guppy heifer calf that will be given away in the G Great Christmas Giveaway drawing.

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 25

REGISTER AT THESE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES: IOWA ALLAMAKEE COUNTY • Equity Livestock Waukon • 563-568-4501 • Innovative Ag Services Waukon • 563-568-3455 • K & R Feed and Grain Dorchester • 563-568-4513

BREMER COUNTY

• Farmers Win Coop Bremer • 319-352-1354 • ViaÀeld Sumner • 563-578-3214

BUCHANAN COUNTY • ViaÀeld Winthrop • 319-935-3336

CHICKASAW COUNTY

• Ag-Land Equipment New Hampton • 641-394-4226 • Farmers Win Coop Fredericksburg • 563-237-5324

CLAYTON COUNTY • Innovative Ag Services Elkader • 563-245-1230 Monona • 563-539-3501

DELAWARE COUNTY

• Edgewood Feed Mill Edgewood • 563-928-6405 • Manchester Livestock Auction Manchester • 563-927-2540

DUBUQUE COUNTY

• Cascade Livestock Auction Cascade • 563-852-3533 • Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems Inc. Epworth • 563-876-3087 • Helle Farm Equipment Dyersville • 563-875-7154 • Innovative Ag Services Cascade • 563-852-7245 Farley • 563-744-3337 • Skip Breitbach Feeds Balltown • 563-552-2393 • Ungs Shopping Center (IAS) Luxemburg • 563-853-2455

FAYETTE COUNTY

• Associated Milk Producers Inc. Arlington • 563-933-4521 • Farmers Win Coop Hawkeye • 563-427-3214 Waucoma • 563-776-6474 • ViaÀeld Arlington • 563-633-3415 Elgin • 563-426-5566 Maynard • 563-637-2285

HOWARD COUNTY

• Farmers Win Coop Cresco West • 563-547-5660

JACKSON COUNTY • Innovative Ag Services Andrew • 563-672-3228

O’BRIEN COUNTY

• Associated Milk Producers Inc. Sanborn • 712-729-3255

SIOUX COUNTY

• Rock Valley Hay Auction Co. Rock Valley • 712-476-5541 • Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Rock Valley • 1-800-962-4346

WINNESHIEK COUNTY

• Brynsaas Sales & Service Decorah • 563-382-4484 • Farmers Win Coop Burr Oak • 563-735-5427 Jackson Junction • 563-776-7541 Ridgeway • 563-737-2244 • Franzen Sales & Service Fort Atkinson • 563-534-2724 • Langs Dairy Equipment Decorah • 563-382-8722

MINNESOTA BECKER COUNTY

• Adkins Equipment Inc. Detroit Lakes • 218-847-3131

BENTON COUNTY

• Arnold’s of St. Cloud Sauk Rapids • 320-251-2585 • First National Bank of MilacaGilman OfÀce • 320-387-2233 • Gilman Co-op Creamery Gilman • 320-387-2770

BROWN COUNTY

• Associated Milk Producers Inc. New Ulm • 507-233-4600 • New Ulm Regional Vet Clinic New Ulm • 507-233-2520

CARVER COUNTY

• Bongards’ Bongards • 952-466-5521 • Lano Equipment of Norwood Norwood/Young America 952-467-2181 • Storms Welding Cologne • 952-466-3343

DAKOTA COUNTY

• Werner Implement Vermillion • 651-437-4435

DOUGLAS COUNTY • Nelson Creamery Nelson • 320-762-0115 • Osakis Creamery Assn. 1-800-584-9236 • Pro Ag Farmers Co-op GarÀeld • 320-834-2271

FILLMORE COUNTY • Farmers Win Coop Rushford • 507-864-2161

GOODHUE COUNTY

• Ag Partners - Grain Site Bellchester • 651-923-4453 Wanamingo-Agronomy Location 507-824-2215 • Ag Partners Farm Store Cannon Falls • 507-263-4651 Goodhue • 800-732-1439 Pine Island • 507-356-8313 • GB Feed and Supply Bellechester • 651-923-4425 • Midwest Livestock Systems Pine Island • 507-356-8349

HOUSTON COUNTY

• Farmers Win Coop Caledonia • 507-725-3306 Houston • 507-896-3147 Spring Grove • 507-498-5321

KANABEC COUNTY

• East Central Dairy Supply Mora • 320-679-1029 • Fluegge’s Ag Mora • 320-679-2981

KANDIYOHI COUNTY

• D&D Ag Supply & Construction Pennock • 320-599-4466 • Farm-Rite Equipment Willmar • 320-235-3672

MCLEOD COUNTY

• Arnold’s of Glencoe Glencoe • 320-864-5531 • Mueller Sales & Service Dairy Equipment Glencoe • 888-205-0974

MEEKER COUNTY

• Farm-Rite Equipment Dassel • 1-888-679-4857 • Mies Equipment Watkins • 1-800-324-8269

MILLE LACS COUNTY

• Farmers Co-op Creamery/ ADM Alliance Nutrition Foreston • 320-294-5711 • First National Bank of Milaca Milaca • 320-983-1333 • Timmer Implement Pease • 320-369-4183

MORRISON COUNTY • Litke’s Veterinary Service Pierz • 320-468-6666 • Modern Farm Equipment Pierz • 320-468-2161 • Pierz Co-op Pierz • 320-468-6655

• Sunrise Ag Cooperative Buckman • 320-468-6433 Lastrup • 320-468-2543 Little Rock • 320-584-5147 Pierz • 320-468-2168

OLMSTED COUNTY

• Associated Milk Producers Inc. Rochester • 507-282-7401

OTTER TAIL COUNTY

• Bongards’ Perham • 218-346-4680 • PCCA-Country Store Perham • 218-346-7075 • Perham Stockyards Perham • 218-346-3415 • Pro Ag Farmers Co-op in Henning 218-583-2947 • Pro Ag Farmers Co-op in Urbank 218-267-2401

PIPESTONE COUNTY

• Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equipment Pipestone • 507-825-3271

STEARNS COUNTY

• A&C Farm Service Paynesville • 320-243-3736 • Ag Venture Feed & Seed, Inc. Watkins • 320-764-9910, 800-779-8910 • Albany Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Albany • 320-845-2801 • Arnold’s of Kimball Kimball • 320-398-3800 • Arnold’s of St. Martin St. Martin • 320-548-3285 • Arnzen Construction/St. Rosa Lumber Freeport, In St. Rosa 320-836-2284 or 1-888-276-1751 • Associated Milk Producers Inc. Paynesville • 320-243-3794 • Centre Dairy Equipment & Supply Inc. Sauk Centre • 320-352-5763 or 1-800-342-2697 • Dairy Star Sauk Centre • 320-352-6303 • Dairyland Supply Sauk Centre 320-352-3987 or 1-800-338-6455 • DHIA Sauk Centre 320-352-2028 or 1-800-369-2697 • Ecker Feed Service, LLC New Munich • 320-837-5249 • Elrosa Grain & Feed Elrosa • 320-697-5515 • Farm Systems Melrose 1-800-636-5581 • 1-800-247-0012 • Farm-Rite Equipment St. Cloud • 320 240 2085 • Feed Co. Paynesville • 320-243-3938 • Freeport State Bank Freeport •1-800-252-9856 320-836-2126 Greenwald • 320-987-2265 New Munich • 320-837-5297 Melrose • 320-256-7208 • Hartung Sales & Service, Inc. Freeport • 320-836-2697 • Lake Henry Implement Lake Henry • 320-243-7411 • Leedstone Melrose • 1-877-608-3877 • Melrose Implement Inc. Melrose • 320-256-4253 • Modern Farm Equipment Sauk Centre • 320-352-6543 • Nutrien Ag Solutions 320-352-6564

STEELE COUNTY

• Ag Partners - Agronomy Owatonna • 507-413-8000 • Northland Farm Systems Owatonna • 800-385-3911

TODD COUNTY

• Pro-Ag Farmers Co-op in Clarissa Clarissa • 218-756-2112 • Pro-Ag Farmers Co-op in Eagle Bend Eagle Bend • 218-738-2552

WABASHA COUNTY

• Ag Partners Farm Store Lake City • 651-345-3328 Plainview • 507-534-2531 • Beck Implement Elgin • 507-876-2122 • Leedstone Plainview • 507-534-3161 • Wingert Sales & Service Plainview • 507-534-2285

WADENA COUNTY

• Aldrich Tractor Inc. Aldrich • 218-445-5430 • Dairyland Equipment of Menahga Menahga • 218-564-4958 • Pro Dairy Systems Wadena • 218-632-5416

WINONA COUNTY

• Benson Farm Service Lewiston • 507-523-2188 • Elba Coop Elba • 507-796-6571 • S&S Dairy Systems St. Charles • 507-932-4288

WRIGHT COUNTY

• Hobert Sales Inc. Cokato • 320-286-6284, 1-800-820-6455 • The Country Store/Munson Lakes Nutrition Howard Lake • 320-543-3517, 800-663-9177

YELLOW MEDICINE COUNTY

• Equity Elevator Wood Lake • 507-485-3153, 800-248-5427

SOUTH DAKOTA BROOKINGS COUNTY • W.W. Tire Brookings • 605-696-7400

CODINGTON COUNTY • Midwest Ag Supply Watertown • 605-882-2497

HUTCHINSON COUNTY

• Associated Milk Producers Inc. Freeman • 605-925-4234

MINNEHAHA COUNTY • Central Valley Dairy Supply Brandon • 605-467-0812 • Midwest Livestock Systems Sioux Falls • 800-705-1447

ROBERTS COUNTY • Valley Dairy Supply Corona • 605-432-5224

WISCONSIN ST. CROIX COUNTY • Leedstone Woodville • 866-467-4717

PIERCE COUNTY

• Ag Partners Grange Hall • 715-647-5002 • Western Wisconsin Farm Store Ellsworth • 715-273-5066

TREMPEALEAU COUNTY • Associated Milk Producers Inc. Blair • 608-989-2535 • Hegg Mill Ettrick • 608-525-4545

VERNON COUNTY

• Koon Kreek Feeds Coon Valley • 608-452-3838 • Premier Cooperative Westby • 608-634-3184

GRANT COUNTY

• Argall Dairy Systems, West Platteville • 608-348-3385 • Bloomington Livestock Exchange Bloomington • 608-994-2020 • Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. Lancaster • 608-723-4634 • Innovative Ag Services Cuba City • 608-744-2287 • Premier Coop Lancaster • 608-723-7023 • Scott Implement Platteville • 608-348-6565

To view a complete list of participating businesses, log on to www.dairystar.com *Enter as often as you like. One entry per store visit, please. Winners must be 18 years or older and a Grade A or B dairy farmer for heifer, or 17 years or younger and a son or daughter of a Grade A or B dairy farmer for heifer calf. Winners must also live in the Dairy Star circulation area to be eligible and are responsible for transport of animal.

Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

Sign in, sign up Farmers, ranchers and agricultural producers have new online options to access United States Department of Agriculture programs. Through USDA’s new streamlined process, producers doing business as an individual can now register, track and manage their applications for the Market Facilitation Program and 2017 FSA News & Notes Wildres and Hurricanes Indemnity Program on the secure and convenient www.farmers.gov. USDA eAuthentication does not have the mechanism to issue login accounts to businesses, corporations, other entities or for anyone acting on behalf of another individual or entity. ProBy Ryan Brunn ducers, doing business as Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. an individual, rst need to sign up for level two eAuthentication access. - Step 1: Create and online account at www. eauth.usda.gov. - Step 2: Complete identity verication by either using the online self-service identity verication method or by completing the identity verication in-person at your USDA Service Center. - Step 3: Contact your local USDA Service Center to have your new level two account linked with your USDA customer record. - Step 4: You are enrolled and ready to log in. Users with a secure level two eAuthentication ID linked to their USDA customer record can apply for select USDA programs, view and print farm maps and farm records data. Enrolling is easy. Visit farmers.gov/sign-in to learn more. To locate a service center near you or use online services not requiring eAuthentication access, visit www.farmers.gov. For technical assistance, call the eAuthentication help desk at 1-800-457-3642. Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.

Don’t Fiddle Around With Your Advertising Dollars!

DAIRY ST T★R

522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. • Sauk Centre Centre, MN 56378 (320) 352-6303 • Fax: (320) 352-5647

KARERA ´ WKLFN UXEEHU ÀRRULQJ

simple and solid mat for alleys, lanes and parlor decks

(800) 800-5824 www.agromatic.net MN & IA Sales Rep - Dewey Vine - (563) 387-7466 WI Sales Rep - Erik Niemeier - (608) 574-6046

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 27

Changing priorities The Transition Pen

By John Rosenhammer & Laura Scholtz Father/Daughter Farming Duo The day I drove home from Rochester, Minn., for the nal time was Oct. 31, 2015. I remember feeling anxious, so eager to start implementing all I had learned at Gar-Lin on our own dairy and excited to be closer to family and especially Chris, as we had been dating long distance. My head lled with ideas, short term goals of new repro protocols, teaching everyone how to roll a down cow into a bobcat bucket rather than use the hip lifters to move her, new vaccine protocols, implementing PCDart for record keeping, managing our nancial records and much more. Expanding the herd and milking 3X were goals I planned to attain within ve years. At 24 years old, not yet married and no children yet, I knew I had to work fast while I still had my freedom. I worked to build my team of advisors: our veterinarian, hoof trimmer, nutritionist, calf care experts, Farm Business Management instructor, sire selection consultant, lender and accountant. Each one of these individuals played an important role in helping me make better decisions, whether it is the type of electrolyte I use to treat calves with scours or the breakeven number I am looking for when selling heifers. They have helped me prepare for and transition through changes such as no longer using rBST and breeding certain cows to beef bulls in order to bring in more income during the low bull calf prices and avoiding too many heifers. I developed a support system: my parents, siblings, Chris, close friends and mentors. I look for advice and encouragement from women involved in dairy via dairy girl network exchange which has provided me with many connections and resources for learning. I am forever grateful for these people in my life that celebrate the good times and push me to keep going after setbacks. Watching our pregnancy rate increase, days in milk drop, nursing sick calves and cows back to health, watching our heifers grow faster and calve in younger, and getting paid well for the hefty Angus calves, have all been reasons to celebrate. Yet, over the past three years, the list of defeats in dairy farming overpowers all of the strides. By far, 2018 has caused the most hurt, pairing the poor prices with constantly trying to outpace the next rainfall or frost to get everything from planting, to silage making, to harvest and tillage nished. Each day has been exhausting, trying to gure out how to pay bills, trying to keep the tractors moving in the eld, rushing to get haylage made and manure hauled before the rain, moving dry cows and heifers around because their pasture keeps ooding, and hearing the same message, “We do not know when the markets will turn around.” At what point do we get to rest up before battling the next storm?

We BUY, SELL, TRADE used dairy equipment and milk tanks

The most amazing, physically painful, longest and most rewarding day of my life was Nov. 7, as I gave birth to our baby girl. Becoming a mom to Morgan ranks No. 1 on my list of accomplishments and more importantly my priorities. As I have mentioned before, family comes before the farm. Taking time off from the farm to care for Morgan has certainly not been a vacation, but it is worth every minute of lost sleep. Besides, I am still dealing with bottles, poop, tracking milk production and trying to keep this fresh cow on track. I love holding her little body close, listening to her baby sounds and wondering how in the world we got so lucky to have such a perfect baby. She is my ray of sunshine and warms my heart. I admit I am more conicted than ever about dairy farming and whether or not I will be able to balance my duties as a mom and those of dairy farming. Adding a third milking is certainly gone from my goals, and I am hesitant to expand the herd as I do not want to take on more than I can handle. I am married to Chris and not to

the farm. Being married means I choose to make him a priority and to help him reach his goals and make time for him each day. I have been to enough funerals to understand that my role as a wife and mom, and who I am as a person exceeds any job I will ever do. I want take Morgan to see the beauty of the Black Hills, S.D., enjoy Wisconsin Dells and time at the lake each summer. I want to support Chris as he takes on project after project from old cars to combines. My family is my priority. “At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spend with a husband, a friend, a child or a parent, ” Barbara Bush said. Laura Scholtz farms with her father, John Rosenhammer, and uncle Greg, on Roseview Dairy near Sleepy Eye, Minn. They milk 200 Holsteins and run 580 acres of cropland.

More Calcium. More Palatability. More Value. Transition cow care should be calculated, not complicated. Giving a TRANSITION™ Bolus at calving and twelve hours after delivers 44 calculated grams* of immediate and sustained release calcium from proven sources. Each TRANSITION™ Bolus is manufactured using a patented, calculated process for easy administration, better palatability and quick dissolution. For the most value in every bolus, make a calculated decision with TRANSITION™. It’s as easy as 1+1.

WE SPECIALIZE IN USED DAIRY EQUIPMENT.

Milking machine equipment, bulk milk tanks and cooling equipment. Give us a call, we will be glad to help you with any of your milking machine or bulk tank needs.

We also BUY your used equipment and milk tanks.

SALVAGE HOUSE

424 Third Street, Fullerton, NE 68638 • 800-844-5427

1-800-447-0687 | www.TransitionBolus.com © 2018. TRANSITION is a trademark of MAI Animal Health. Always read and follow label directions. *176 gram TRANSITION bolus. Smaller 88 gram bolus also available.

Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

www.extension.umn.edu/dairy

Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130

Taking notes, making tough decisions to keep a healthy herd

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

I recently spoke with a farmer whose dairy herd had been losing a signicant number of calves over the past several months. Some were stillborn and others died within an hour of being born. Ultimately, his veterinarian determined that a portion of his herd was infected with the protozoan parasite, Neospora caninum. This infection, known as neosporosis, more commonly causes abortion at four to six months of pregnancy rather than stillbirth and newborn death, but blood and tissue tests conrmed that on this farm, neosporosis was indeed the cause of the losses. By Claire LaCanne How do you diagnose a disease that U of M Extension acts uncharacteristically and shows no real symptoms other than calf loss? As a farmer, you do your best to keep accurate records and you consult professionals for help. This farmer was able to diagnose this issue on his farm because he kept extensive notes on his observations of the herd and called in his veterinarian. Using blood and tissue tests, they found infection on a small percentage of his herd, which is lucky, because this parasite is effective at spreading. Infection rates can reach 90 percent in pretty short order in some herds. Unlike Leptospira bacteria, which can also cause abortion and stillborn calves, N. caninum is not infectious to humans. This particular parasite may not spread to humans, but it can be found in another critter commonly present on farms: dogs. The caninum part of the name may help you remember that canines (dogs, coyotes, foxes) are common culprits for spreading this parasite on the farm. Beside potentially aborting or giving birth to unhealthy or stillborn calves, adult cattle do not often show physical symptoms of infection. Dogs are slightly more likely to experience other symptoms, such as muscular weakness and issues with their nervous system. Dogs become infected after eating tissues of infected cattle or deer, usually meaning carcasses or placentas. Dogs or other canines are necessary in the life cycle of the parasite, because they carry the reproductive stage of the parasite and then deposit the parasite eggs in their feces. In a way, these eggs are like weed seeds; they can survive in the

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 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435 Kota Minegishi kota@umn.edu 612-624-7455 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 M. Scott Wells mswells@umn.edu 612-625-3747 Emily Wilmes krek0033@umn.edu 320-255-6169

soil or water for a long time until conditions are right for them to thrive. In this case, the eggs stay dormant until they end up in cattle or dogs. Cattle are simply an intermediate host, so the parasite does not produce eggs inside of them and cannot move from one cow to another, just from a cow to her calves. The parasite incubates in the cattle, spreading to calves, and waiting for a canine to eat the cattle’s tissues and spread more eggs. Cows can contract neosporosis by consuming feed/water contaminated with N. caninum eggs, or via transmission from the cow to the fetus during pregnancy. Once an individual cow, bull, calf or fetus is infected, they remain infected for life and can give it to their offspring. An infected cow has the potential to pass the parasite on to her calves in every pregnancy for the rest of her life, though it can be sporadic; the infection can happen intermittently or in back-to-back pregnancies. Additionally, heifer calves born with the parasite can pass the infection to the next generation. Although infected individuals remain infected for life, there is a good chance the individual appears normal. Plus, issues with birth do not always happen, even if cows are infected. These are some of the reasons that neosporosis can be difcult to identify. Neosporosis can also be difcult to combat and prevent. Although there is a vaccine available, it is not proven to be consistently effective at preventing neosporosis. Controlling the spread of this parasite basically comes down to culling infected individuals, not introducing infected cattle into the herd and taking measures to prevent dogs from coming in contact with it. Testing the herd and selectively culling infected animals is the most effective way to eliminate neosporosis from your herd. Infected individuals should not be bred, due to the likelihood that their offspring will become infected as well. Some other suggestions include ensuring dogs and other canines cannot get near the herd or the herd’s feed and water sources. Another helpful tip is to remove placentas immediately after birth to prevent canines from eating this contaminated tissue. These strategies might seem like expensive options. However, taking these steps to eliminate neosporosis may cost pennies in comparison to the cost of keeping the infection in your herd and continuing to lose calves to this nasty parasite.

Ask for your Demo

ST 28 Radial Lift Track Loader

SW 28 Vertical Lift Skid Steer Loader

• 119” lift height • 74 hp turbo-charged Kohler Tier 4 final engine • 7/10 mph travel speed

• 134” lift height • 74.3 hp turbo-charged Perkins Tier 4 Final engine • 6.8/11.2 mph travel speed

ASK ABOUT FINANCING OPTIONS Built with American Pride

WOLLER EQUIPMENT, INC. 320-573-2341 • www.wollerequipment.com 1 Mile NE of Upsala on Hwy. 238

‘12 NH BR7070 Round Baler, 6300 bales - $19,900

‘11 NH BR7090 Round Baler, 7300 bales - $18,900

TMR SPECIALS

‘16 McHale V660 Round Baler, 3800 Bales - $38,900

NDE 2804 1100 cu ft ......$28,500 2) NDE 704 600 cu ft ..... $16,900 & $14,500 Patz 620 620 cu ft ...........$19,500 Triolet 2100 750 cu ft....$12,500 Call Us At (715) 223-3361 Or visit us on-line at www.cloverdaleequip.com N13835 County Rd. E - Curtiss, WI 54422

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 29

Is dairy farming a business or lifestyle?

Producers maximize prots, a fundamental assumption to all economists. Prot maximization to economists is akin to what the law of gravity is to physicists. Some extension colleagues recently pointed out to me that many dairy producers By Kota Minegishi see dairy farming University of MN as more of a lifestyle than a business enterprise. I was shocked, and then wondered what this means for Midwestern dairy producers. In this column, I invite you to think like an economist and see what is happening in the dairy industry based on fundamental predictions of economic theory. Economists recognize that producers differ in their management skills, strategies and resources, which can lead to varying levels of unit cost of production and hence varying protability. But, the most important prediction of economic theory pertains to the zero protability, which is inevitable when a competitive commodity market such as milk satises a condition for free entry. Free entry means there are minimal barriers for a new agent starting the same business and competing in the market. A similar situation also occurs under scalable production; that is, an existing business can expand without facing an increasing unit cost of production. The prospect of posi-

tive economic prots invites new businesses and expansions, gradually saturating the market and bidding down the price of the commodity. A lower price renders high-cost producers unprotable and drives them out of the market. Low-cost producers, on the other hand, continue to enter and scale up, further bidding the price down. In theory, the process continues until the producers of the lowest cost can barely breakeven. How fast agricultural markets change primarily depends on how fast farmers expand (for example, by increasing acreage, building additional barns and expanding herds). Thanks to progress in agricultural technology and access to large-scale capital, modern connement livestock operations can scale up quickly. This has led certain livestock industries to experience an accelerated pace of industry consolidation under free entry. Egg and poultry production became highly scalable decades ago, and more recently so did much of the swine industry. For dairies, limited availability of feed, milking labor, land and processing capacity had long been major barriers to expansion, leaving large-scale operations to business-minded Californian dairy farmers for decades up to the 2000s. This situation has evolved, and the share of milk production by large-scale dairies has expanded in many parts of the country. Low-cost producers still make positive prots, but their business model increasingly requires a larger scale of operation to generate sufcient returns as prot margins decrease.

GENERATORS for small to large dairies.

To economists like me, near-zero whole. Find ways to be exible and, if protability in dairy production ap- you can, offer to adjust your milk outpears an inescapable outcome in the puts in response to price changes. In not-too-distant future. Milk, as an agri- effect, you would be offering your risk cultural commodity, almost guarantees management service to the actors who a competitive shop around market, and for prices to Dairy i ffarming i iis a b business i increasing D lock in. Since scalability of because the situation today that in turn production means an inbrings the in- demands it. creased risk dustry closer for you, manand closer age this by to the free entry environment. In the diversifying the sources of income like past decade, the U.S. dairy market cer- crop and livestock sales, custom work tainly experienced supply and demand or off-farm employment. shocks (particularly from the interna- Explore alternative approaches tional market), yet the most fundamen- to low-cost production: Managementtal change in my view was the remark- intensive (rotational) grazing offers a ably rapid expansion by large-scale system for reducing costs in feed, capidairy operations. tal and labor in ways that conventional Dairy farming is a business be- connement operations cannot do. cause the situation today demands it. Converting crop land to pasture could Here are some ideas to consider if you seem like a wasted opportunity, but a need to reboot your farm business: dairy enterprise’s goal is not generat- Keep pace with the lowest cost ing bountiful harvests, it is achieving farms: Meticulously cut excess, while the lowest production cost for milk. minimally adopting technology up- Venture into niche markets: Exgrades. Data shows that a small frac- panding food labels (for example, ortion of small-scale dairies achieve ganic, pasture-raised, cage-free) show competitive cost levels with large- rapidly changing consumer demands scale farms, but the vast majority of and adaptation by food companies. these dairies appear to be economi- Many niche-market products appeal cally unsustainable. Pay attention to to the overarching theme of environthe unit cost of new producers, which mental sustainability, local food proreveals what is happening at the next duction, and the congruent image of unit of milk added to the supply; strive healthier, tastier and safer food origito match their cost. nating from happy animals well-cared - Build exibility in production: for by family farms. Recognize that managing risks is a valuable service to the economy as a

LOOKING TO ADVERTISE? In Northern/East Central Minnesota Call: Jeff Weyer

OfÀce 320-352-6303 Cell: 320-260-8505 jeff.w@dairystar.com

In Central, South Central Minnesota Call: Mike Schafer

Over 200 units currently on hand … 30kw up to 1000kw. Call Jay for your generator needs.

712-348-7119

320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com

PEAK LOAD SHAVING COMPLIANT UNITS AVAILABLE.

In Southeast Minnesota Call: Laura Seljan

507-250-2217 laura.s@dairystar.com

“We have had the generator for about 1 year and so far it has been trouble free! It is important that it is reliable and so far it has been just that!”

- Jeremy VanEss

HoÁand Enterprises Inc.

3189 Silver Ave., Sanborn, IA 51248 • corner of Hwy.18 and 59 South

In Southwest Minnesota, Northwest Iowa, South Dakota Call: Jerry Nelson

605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com

In Eastern Iowa Call: Amanda HoeÁer

320-250-2884 amanda.h@dairystar.com

DAIRY ST R

Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

Radio nights

I recently got me a new toy. inexorably to it. As I got closer, it whispered, “Buy Well, it is not exactly new. My guess is that it is me. You know you want to. Never mind the dust 40 or more years old and is thus out of warranty. But, and the paint spatters on my case. Just look at all the how much can you expect for $10? knobs I have. C’mon, give them a twist. My tuning My new plaything is meter is uttering just thinka Worldstar Multi-Band ing about it.” Back k when h I was a teenager, Receiver. Not just a radio, B Who could resist mind you. A receiver. such transistorized sweet It is an ugly, boxy con- we had a small AM radio in our talk? traption that all but screams, stanchion barn. The truth is, I have “I was manufactured in the long had a weakness for ra1970s.” This aged gadget dio. This day and age, with was state-of-the-art when it was new; now it is noth- satellite broadcasting and the 800-pound gorilla of ing more than an almost-worthless artifact, a relic of a Sirius XM Satellite Radio occupying the airwaves, time when the world wide web was a fanciful concept radio has lost much of its charm. Such was not always that existed only in a distant, Buck Rogers-like future. the case. When I saw that old receiver lying on the table at Back when I was a teenager, we had a small AM a household auction, I was drawn mysteriously and radio in our stanchion barn. We depended on that little

box to keep us abreast of the goings-on of the outside world while we milked. We were especially keen to learn if school had been called off due to Dear County Agent Guy bad weather. But, winter nights were as enjoyable as any school cancellation. On winter nights, the mercury would plummet as our side of the planet turned its face away from our local star. The sun’s departure allowed the ionosphere – the Heaviside layer, as the Brits like to call it – to By Jerry Nelson balloon outward. ConColumnist ditions became ripe for large amounts of skip. A person can think of radio skip as a long bank shot on a pool table: the shallower the angle of the bank, the farther the ball will travel before it contacts the next bumper. As we milked our cows on cold winter evenings, I would ddle with the AM radio, prowling the airwaves, searching for skipping signals. I was seldom disappointed. That little radio would pull in stations from as far away as Little Rock and St. Louis. I frequently locked onto the frequency for WLS in Chicago or KOMA in Oklahoma City. Sometimes, voices steeped in Texas drawls would fade into and out of the ether. That was our world wide web back then. Information from faraway places coursed at the speed of light into our humble 25-cow stanchion barn as the Surge belly buckets chugged and our Holsteins chewed their cud. Outside, the air was deadly cold, the stars were blazing, and steam curled lazily from the barn’s cupola. Inside, by employing the magic contained in our trusty AM radio, we surfed the nation’s airwaves. As soon as I got my new-old radio home, I plugged it in and red it up. I was pleased to discover that everything works, up to and including its yellowish dial light. After the sun had set, I extended the receiver’s two antennae – top-notch technology back when – and began to ddle with its constellation of knobs. There are so many choices. There is the CB band (I was hoping that I might hear C.W. McCall, but no luck), the TV band (TV without its picture is actually an improvement) and of course the AM and FM bands. But what interested me most were the shortwave bands. The venerable Worldstar Multi-Band Receiver performed like a champ. I listened to the BBC and eavesdropped on people speaking in French and German. I stumbled across a woman who prattled in rapid-re Spanish and made frequent use of a mysterious word that sounded like “kooba.” I listened for a spell to the spellbinding dots and dashes of Morse Code. I am now ready for the long cold. Whenever the winter blahs descend upon me and I am underwhelmed by the offerings on TV and overwhelmed by the internet, I will simply extend the antennae of my Worldstar Multi-Band Receiver. And, then I will nd a quiet place where I can settle in and pass the evening eavesdropping on the patter of our planet. 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.

Snowblowers | Horizontal & Vertical Mixer Wagons

Parts Warehouse

Sioux Falls, SD orders@vandminc.com 1-800-648-6507

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 31

Hold that VWP Years ago, we used to hear that most cows were not fully ready to breed until around 40 days after calving. Some farmers would breed cows if they were just past 40 days in milk, but over time most seemed to wait until 50 days before breeding. For the last couple of Veterinary Wisdom decades, longer voluntary waiting periods have been advocated by many, and now VWPs between 60 and 80 days are much more common. A longer VWP is often recommended as a way to improve reproductive performance, since some studies have shown greater fertility as VWP increases. Longer VWPs By Jim Bennett have also been advocated Columnist to reduce the numbers of cows that have short lactations, thereby increasing protability. The assumption is that cows are being dried up when income over feed cost is still high, and that total lifetime days dry increase as lactations get shorter. Furthermore, reproductive performance has improved in many herds following the adoption of timed A.I. programs, resulting in a greater percentage of cows pregnant on rst breeding, which has supported the argument that too many cows have short lactations in some herds. But, do we really know the economic value of longer VWPs? Only a few studies have looked at this question, and the results have been inconsistent. Two recent papers in the Journal of Dairy Science looked more closely at this question and found some interesting results. These papers were of several published from work done beginning in 2014 using three commercial farms in New York. Cows were inseminated following enrollment in a double-ovsynch protocol. Second and greater services were based on heat detection and ovsynch protocol or both. One group of animals was inseminated following a 60-day VWP and another was inseminated

following an 88-day VWP. All cows remained in the puter simulation. Changing input costs changed the experiment for up to 18 months unless they left the returns for both primparous and multiparous cows, herd due to sale or death. rBST was used in all three but in all simulations extending the VWP for rst lacherds. Returns were calculated as cash ow per cow tation cows was protable while extending the VWP including the lactation and dry periods. Cash ow was for older cows showed negative returns when calculaalso calculated per slot for an 18-month period, which tions were based per slot. When cash ow per cow meant that every leaving cow was replaced by a heif- was calculated for the animals that became pregnant er to accurately reect what happens on commercial at the rst breeding the relationship was the same; i.e. farms. Modeling was also completed to estimate re- it was more protable to extend the VWP to 88 days turns for various input pricing scenarios. In a separate in primiparous cows and more protable to breed oldanalysis, cash ow per cow was calculated for only er cows with a 60-day VWP. the animals that became pregnant on the rst breedThe main reason why extending the VWP in olding. er cows was not protable was because it resulted in First service conception greater culling. A secondary rate was better for primipareason is that there was no The b bottom li line iis to b be rous cows in the 88-day Th improvement in reproducVWP group compared to careful when considering an tive performance at rst the 60-day VWP group (55 breeding. percent vs 45 percent) but increase in VWP; it may not be In recent years, there there was no differences as simple as it seems. have been articles advising between groups of muldairy farmers to reduce culltiparous cows. Lactation ing hopefully to increase length was 22 days longer the age of their herds and for primiparous cows in the 88-day group versus the reduce herd replacement costs. There have also been 60-day group, but there was no difference in lactation articles recommending increasing the VWP to inlength of multiparous cows in the 88-day group and crease protability due to increased lactation length. 60-day group. There was a greater risk of culling for However, this recent analysis suggests that increasing multiparous cows in the 88-day group versus the 60- VWP in multiparous cows does not result in longer day group (35 percent vs 29 percent), but no differ- lactations because of the effect of increasing culling ence between groups of primiparous cows. However, and that the net economic effect of the longer VWP primiparous cows in the 60-day group were slightly in older cows is negative. Based on this analysis, inmore likely to be culled in the subsequent lactation creasing the VWP in multiparous cows will result in than primiparous cows in the 88-day group. greater culling rates and net economic loss. Increasing Extending the VWP from 60 to 88 days resulted the VWP in primiparous cows could increase protin a net gain of $89 per cow per lactation for the pri- ability, but remember that this study was done with miparous cows and no gain or loss per lactation for cows supplemented with BST, so the effects might be the multiparous cows. When evaluating returns per less in today’s herds. The bottom line is to be careful slot for an 18-month period, extending the VWP from when considering an increase in VWP; it may not be 60 to 88 days in primiparous cows resulted in a net as simple as it seems. gain of $68 per animal slot over 18 months, and exJim Bennett is a dairy veterinarian at Northtending the VWP in multiparous cows resulted in a ern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in net loss of $85 per slot over 18 months. Plainview, Minn. He and his wife, Pam, have four Prices for a variety of inputs such as milk price, children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@ cull price and replacement cost were changed and re- gmail.com with comments or questions. sults were predicted per 18-month slot using a com-

Air King industrial air cleaners are

a valuable tool for capturing most airborne nuisance particulate. Our self-contained filtration units continuously pull contaminated air through multiple stages of highly efficient micro-glass filters. The filtered air is then recirculated back into the working environment without the need for duct work. This results in a cleaner, healthier atmosphere for employees, while saving you money by keeping heated or air-conditioned air inside your facility.

ARLSON

WHOLESALE, INC.

1-800-669-4038

www.carlsonwholesale.net Sauk Rapids, MN Rochester, MN

Page 32 â€˘ Dairy Star â€˘ Saturday, December 8, 2018

My Christmas letter Family Christmas letters that arrive with Christ- ter. Only my acrostic line was going to be â€œlosing my mas cards are the best to read. Some are hilarious, shirt.â€? some brag a little and even with social media as the The L for lost, as in lost milk income and lost crop new norm to keep up with due to too much rain. Then distant friends and family, a I read Kiaâ€™s Christmas letter written letter is hard to beat. B that had a theme about her Be thankful h kf l when h the h h heifers if Deb and I have been horrikitchen window and all the ble at sending out cards and get out or the well floods. That things she could be thankletters. I think we have only ful for that she sees out of done it once in 44 years. means you are still active and that window every day, and This is my attempt at writ- in business. I realized I had not lost anying our Christmas letter via thing. After reading, and trythe Dairy Star. ing to match catchy phrases My ďƒžrst inclination was to a letter just seemed undoto use an acrostic version of a Christmas letter. You able. know where you line up the words Merry Christmas Only the last letter T was usable and that was vertically on the left side of the page, then proceed to thankful. Thankful that I did not lose one family tell a brief happening of the year that matches that let- member this year and am gaining a new one in Janu-

BODENSTEINER IMPLEMENT CO. www.bodimp.com

We have the BEST #46384 2013 JD 6125R 125 HP, NEW 440 WESTENDORF LDR ....................................CLE $59,500

Pre-Winter Deals

#47791 2016 JD 6130R 130 HP W/LDR MON $98,500

#46495 2014 JD 6190R 190 HP, MFWD, NEW FR TIRES CLE $85,500

#47428 2013 JD 8310R 310HP, MFWD, PS OEL $159,000

#43584 2012 JD 8335R 335 HP, DUALS DYE $149,500

#47272 2014 JD S660 793 ENG HRS ...............................ROW $198,000

#47123 2006 JD 8330 225 #47995 2014 JD 8295R 295 HP, MFWD, DUALS, PS HP, MFWD, PS, WARRANTY DYS $115,000 ROW $216,500

#47798 2011 JD 9530 475 HP 4WD MON $154,000

#43297 2010 NH T8040 333HP MFWD NH $104,000

ary. Thankful that I saw a video of granddaughter Ava swimming last night without a ďƒ&#x;oating helper device. She is 7 and has a brachial plexus injury, limiting her to one good arm. Making Cents of Dairy Thankful that my three oldest grandsons helped me last Saturday, cleaning eave spouts, trimming bushes, sweeping the shop and washing trucks. Oh, what fun we had. I taught Eli how to ride a motorbike for the ďƒžrst time, and Coyer drove a pickup for the ďƒžrst time. I wanted to By Dave Vander Kooi teach Vince how to drive Columnist a stick shift, but the old shop truck had a ďƒ&#x;at tire. I am thankful I can go watch Liv and Danika sing their hearts out at school and church programs, and how all the younger kids will ride with me in the combine. No, I have not lost, but this year makes a person really think about loss. I get calls daily from fellow dairy farmers about hard decisions we are all facing. Joe and I know we have invested so much in the dairy that we have to keep going, and by working together productively we can and will. Others who do not have updated facilities or younger people to keep it going are thinking why they are working for nothing. There can be real excitement and hope in taking on a new or different occupation. One thing I always mention to dairy farmers who are contemplating selling the cows is, before you make that ďƒžnal decision, remember the cows are what got you where you are today, good or bad. A prime example of true loss is my neighbor of 60 years. He has cancer and has been in the local hospice cottage for the last ďƒžve weeks. Because of family and health issues, his land and machinery have been auctioned off, and a once very successful farming operation is ďƒžnished. He is a good man, and yet he has rarely been able to see his grandkids who live 15 miles away. True thankfulness besides family can be found not only in things such as having cows, land and machinery, but also faithful hard working employees, good neighbors, church and school families, and true friends. We are amazed we have true friends left even though we do not send out Christmas letters. Be thankful when the heifers get out or the well ďƒ&#x;oods. That means you are still active and in business. My wish for all of you is a healthy and maybe even a wealthy New Year. Vander Kooi operates a 1,800-cow, 4,500 acre farm with his son, Joe, and daughter-in-law, Rita, near Worthington, Minn. Send him feedback at davevkooi@ icloud.com. Follow him on Instagram, @davevanderkooi.

Blue Hilltop, Inc. Your Mixer, Spreader, Hay Processor Headquarters We carry:

#47868 2011 CASE IH MAGNUM 260 FR, DUALS OEL $115,000

#47706 2016 JD 5680 BIG MAURER BIN EXT ..ROW $309,000

#46194 2014 JD S670 1062 ENG HRS CRE $207,500

#43593 2022 JD S670 PWR FOLDING GRAIN TANK ELK $159,500

www.rotomix.com

LLC

Dana Berreau

507-879-3593 / 800-821-7092 Box 116, Lake Wilson, MN 56151

Monticello New Hampton Oelwein Rowley Waukon

319-465-3515 641-394-3061 319-283-4371 319-938-2222 563-568-3463

Barn Lighting, Sheds, Fans, Trenching, Irrigation, Homes & More!

.M. ELEC E.A Bob Meyer TRI . B Master Electrician, Owner Lic. #CA03435

563-245-2470 563-423-5206 563-547-2152 563-382-2961 563-875-2724

We Offer the Following Agricultural Services:

For complete info on all our used equipment log on to bodimp.com

#46366 2015 JD 8600 1239 ENG HRS ............................WAU $285,000

Elkader Clermont Cresco Decorah Dyersville

" %

Need an Electrician?

E lectric Cell:

320-761-1042 Serving Central Minnesota

Dairy Star â€˘ Saturday, December 8, 2018 â€˘ Page 33

Cow-centered traditions

The GA-400 Gopher Getter is our standard three-point hitch model.

The GA-300 Gopher Getter attaches to a category 2 or 3 standard or quick hitch.

The GA-700 Gopher Getter is our heavy-duty 3-point model.

GEA 52 Lagoon pump $18,500

Bush Hog 2620 Rotary Mower - $9,500

Artex SBX600 Manure Spreader - Call

JT Boats 1700 Manure Agitator $112,000

Meyer 8865 Manure Spreader - $31,500

LOTS OF USED MANURE TANKS AND MIXERS COMING IN

USED MIXERS: â€˘ 3) Patz 615s â€˘ 2) Patz 500s â€˘ 2) Patz 350s â€˘ Many Used Knight Horizontal Mixers

MANURE PUMPS:

TANKS:

â€˘ 5) 52â€™ 8â€? GEA Lagoon Pumps â€˘ 52â€™ 6â€? GEA lagoon Pump â€˘ 42â€™ 8â€? GEA Lagoon Pump

â€˘ New GEA 5350 â€˘ 2014 GEA 7300 â€˘ Better Built Vac Tank

See us for your FarmStar drag hose equipment needs! 1660 Jordan West Rd., Decorah, IA

563-382-4484

www.brynsaas.com

â€˜Tis the season for winter teat dip!

15% OFF

10% OFF until 3/15/19

until 12/31/18

Protect your cows with Derma SeptÂŽ and Derma-KoteÂŽ Winterâ€™s cold, dry air can cause teat chapping and cracking. Protect your cowsâ€™ teats and your bottom line with a winter teat dip formulated and patented to shield teats from harsh winter weather. Choose Derma SeptÂŽ or Derma-KoteÂŽ from GEA to heal, protect and condition your cowsâ€™ teats while killing mastitis-causing bacteria on contact.

Derma SeptÂş

Houle SP-I-A-3B-18 Lagoon Pump - $8,500

Derma-KoteÂş

We are bumping up against the holidays. Last minute fall projects have fallen mostly by the wayside as the snow, ice and cold has arrived. It is time to keep cattle fed and bedded and concentrate on quality time in the parlor. It is also time to think about how the lifestyle of dairy farming ďƒžts into our traditions of this season. Will we make it to Christmas church services on time? When should we have extended family Christmas dinner this year? Will we have Come Full Dairy Circle any extra help for chores? I listened to a National Public Radio interviewer question Peter Kappelman, a dairy producer from Manitowoc, Wis., about the current dairy situation recently. Something he said really struck me. â€œEverything we do on our dairy is planned around the cows.â€? His comment got me thinking about how true that really is. It is inevitable that the celebrations surrounding Christmas and New Years are planned around the dairy cattle and their care. My childhood memories growing up on a small diversiďƒžed dairy, hog and laying hen operation focus mostly on the preparations such as setting up the naBy Jean Annexstad tivity scene and Christmas tree, followed by the food, Columnist gifts and merriment. I remember being in the barn and helping with chores, even on Christmas. I am sure my dad worked ahead so he would not have as much to do on the days we were celebrating. Still, there was feeding, bedding, milking and the egg operation. What I remember most is my older siblings and their spouses pitching in to help so my parents could ďƒžnish sooner and enjoy their time with our family. My husband remembers giving the cattle extra bedding and the cats extra milk on Christmas Eve. This is something that is still meaningful to us. Santa was a tradition in our family, maybe because of our German heritage. Being the youngest by nine years, I was tricked by my older brothers into racing from door to door while Santa came to deliver my gifts. I was sent to the window to look for his retreating sleigh, which I am sure I pretended to see. When I joined my husbandâ€™s Norwegian family via marriage, the Santa was replaced by the Nisse and Tomtens, who are the Scandinavian Christmas pranksters. The food changed, too, with the Scandinavian delicacies such as luteďƒžsk, lefse, lingonberries, sandbakkels, krumkake, and much more. I grew up with ham and wild rice casserole and the green wreath cookies made out of corn ďƒ&#x;akes and marshmallows. I recall being asked about holiday food traditions when I joined the family. All I could think of for a reply was, â€œWe like mustard on our ham.â€? I have enjoyed learning about our Norseland communityâ€™s traditions, which seem more distinct than my own familyâ€™s. I wonder if this might be because my Behrends family has blossomed, with four generations involved. What was a sitdown dinner is now a planned potluck set out buffet style, with a lot of grazing before and after. One thing remains the same, though. Rolf and I are always graciously asked what day and time will work for us, since we need to take care of the cows or ďƒžnd others to ďƒžll in for us. How and when to celebrate the Christmas holidays seemed to evolve from year to year when our children joined our family, our dairy herd increased and what our employee situation might be each year. Chores needed to be done, cows had calves, vet calls happened, snow storms complicated plans and it was not easy to navigate through the demands of a typical dairy farm. How to ďƒžt all of the various childrenâ€™s Christmas programs, church services, parties and traditions in between chores seemed to be nearly impossible some years. I remember thinking, â€œWhen will we have our own familyâ€™s Christmas celebration?â€? With so many others to juggle around, we struggled some years to ďƒžnd time to sit down together and open gifts. I think our children learned a great deal of patience and understanding during those years. The advice given to set a certain time for our familyâ€™s celebration perhaps should have been heeded to make it a more special and lasting memory. On the other hand, it might be that our children will remember that we planned our celebrations around the care of our cattle, the needs and desires of the others in our family and the simple joy of being together as we did chores and gave the cattle extra bedding. If they even think about a little piece of those traditions in the years to come, it will be wonderful. May you enjoy the blessings and traditions of the season. Keep things simple and meaningful. Enjoy being with your loved ones. We will keep our tradition of leaving milk and cookies for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph. Jean dairy farms with her husband, Rolf, and brother-in-law, Mike, and children Emily, Matthias and Leif. They farm near St. Peter, in Norseland, where she is still trying to ďƒžt in with the Norwegians and Swedes. They milk 200 cows and farm 650 acres. She can be reached at jeanannexstad@gmail.com.

CALL JON FOR MORE DETAILS! The GA-800 Gopher Getter is our NEWEST, heavy-duty quick hitch model.

% " !$ %% % ###

Jon Stein 320-352-5762 â€˘ 1-800-342-2697 Henning Area 218-849-0211

DAIRY EQUIPMENT CENTRE AND SUPPLY INC.

40625 State Hwy. 28 â€˘ Just West of Hwy. 71 â€˘ Sauk Centre, MN

Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

Representing the hard working farmers Henneks named U of M Extension Farm Family of the Year By Jake Doetkott Contributing Writer

FOLEY, Minn. — In 2016, the Henneks’ family farm was recognized as a century farm – having raised crops and livestock for more than 130 years under the guidance of four generations. This year, the University of Minnesota Extension has dubbed couple Dan and Deb Hennek the 2018 Benton County Farm Family of the Year. While the award is meaningful, the Henneks do not continue their family’s legacy to be honored for its achievements.

“We haven’t worked any harder than the other farmers in our area.” DEB HENNEK, DAIRY FARMER

“We haven’t worked any harder than the other farmers in our area,” Deb said. Dan agreed. “We feel we are just representing the other hard-working farmers in the area,” he said. “We all try to raise the animals the best we can. Deb and I just keep at it and make a quality product like the rest.”

JAKE DOETKOTT/DAIRY STAR

Deb and Dan Hennek milk 95 cows and crop farm 145 acres on their farm in Foley, Minn. The Henneks are the 2018 University of Minnesota Extension Benton County Farm Family of the Year. They have raised four children on the farm and now welcome their six grandchildren to enjoy similar experiences. Dan and Deb earn their living milk-

ing 95 cows, two times a day, on the 218-acre property near Foley. The Henneks’ herd boasts a rolling herd average of 24,500 pounds of milk. In addition to their dairy livestock,

the Henneks run 145 acres of tillable land, where they crop farm soybeans and corn for silage. Almost all of the Turn to HENNEKS | Page 35

BUILT WITH YOU IN MIND PRIMOR™ 2060 M & 4270 M

Stray voltage can develop at any time on any dairy. Have you noticed the following symptoms in your herd? • Increased somatic cell count • Poor reproductive performance • Decreased milk production Your dairy may have stray voltage! Contact us today and we’ll give your dairy facilities a thorough stray voltage checkup!

STOP THE SHOCKS

The KUHN Primor can process a wide variety of materials that can ® Invest in Quality be used in a multitude of ways. Both round and square bales of a wide range of sizes can be processed for both bedding materials or feed ingredients. Materials from corn stalks to wheat straw, and even to grassy hay can be processed using the multi-function rotor. Processed materials can then be dropped into a feed bunk, blown into a pile, or evenly spread throughout a pen.

Stray Voltage Consulting Over 30 years of experience 605-695-3328 • www.strayvoltageconsulting.org

THE MILK COOLING SYSTEMS SPECIALISTS

We help dairies operate more profitably!

Blue Hilltop, Inc. 507-879-3593 – 800-821-7092

Box Box 116, 116, Lake Lake Wilson, Wilson, MN MN 56151 56151 –– www.bluehilltop.com www.bluehilltop.com

Russ Pierson

SALES & SERVICE

MUELLER SALES & SERVICE Glencoe, MN • 320-864-3556 OR 888-205-0974

THE MILK COOLING SYSTEMS SPECIALISTS™

Dairy Star â€˘ Saturday, December 8, 2018 â€˘ Page 35

ConĆ&#x;nued from HENNEKS | Page 34

Without Antibiotics

GOLD JAKE DOETKOTT/DAIRY STAR

Milking cows are housed in a freestall barn on the Henneksâ€™ farm site near Foley. soybean yield goes to buying hay to feed the cattle. While Dan and Deb take care of a majority of the on-farm responsibilities, their son, Rob, assists when he can. The Henneks also have employees who help with ďƒželdwork. The farmâ€™s impressive run has seen many shifts in operation. Although horses, hogs and older equipment have come and gone, the Henneksâ€™ passion in living the farming lifestyle has remained the same. Such passion is evident in the Henneksâ€™ accomplishments in dairying. For the last 22 years, they have received awards for quality milk every single year. Even while the agriculture industry faces a paradigm shift, the Henneks keep at it â€“ refusing to falter under the weight. â€œItâ€™s been tough the last couple of years,â€? said Dan of the current farm economy. â€œPrices havenâ€™t changed for produce, but the equipment costs continue to rise. Most of us farmers just ďƒžx what we got and hope to get by for next year.â€? The Henneks have been able to sustain the poor markets with support from their neighbors, who offer their time for chores and are always available as a sounding board. For the Henneks, farming is their

devotion. Dan thoroughly enjoys working with the cattle and improving his craft. Cows initially intrigued Dan. They were part of the reason he developed such a career in the agricultural industry. Outside of farming, the Henneks have served the community in a multitude of ways. Deb created the stainedglass windows that adorn St. Lawrence Church, in Duelm. Throughout the years, Dan and Deb have served as members of the St. Johnâ€™s Area School Board and the parish council for St. Lawrence. Deb also served as co-chair for the Cookie Bake at St. Johnâ€™s. With the kids gone, the Henneks have lessened their involvement in the school system, but they give tours of their farmstead to schoolchildren, and they remain active within the church community. Moving forward, with the award under their belts, the Henneks are preparing for the next phase of their lives together: maintaining the farm and planning for retirement. The farming life has no shortage of hard work, but if there is anything that the Henneks have learned through their 39 years of marriage, it is that hard work, commitment and faith are the recipe for fulďƒžlling lives â€“ for themselves, their families and the communities around them.

SPIKE

ÂŽ

Âł WKH HPHUJHQFH RI *ROG 6SLNHÂŒ LV LQGHHG WLPHO\ IRU RXU GDLU\ LQGXVWU\ Â´ /LQFROQ 0XPIRUG '90

Gold Spike ike ke Capsules Caps psules les es

Gold Go G olld dS Sp Spike pike pi p ke

Directions for Use Support normal milk and optimal immune s system: At first signs two - four (2 - 4) capsules once or twice per day for three (3) days. Continue Continue or repeat as needed. needed Support udder health: One - two (1 - 2) capsules capsule per p day for three (3) days. Continue or repeat as needed. For For optimal ti l synergy use Gold G ld Spike S ik ÂŽ Capsule Capsules es in combination with the P-One Programâ„˘.

Ingredients ngre redie ents ts

Organic O rg rga an nicc s sugar, ug ga ar o organic rganic cm malt maltodextrin, altto ode od dext d extrin n, dried ed La L actob ba ac cilllu us s rreuteri ri fe fermen en nttation on p pro o ct a nd Lactobacillus fermentation product, and B a ac cilllu us subti us tililis ferm me en ntati ation n pr p r uctts. Bacillus subtilis fermentation products.

Storage Recommendations

Keep p refrige refrigerated g rated to extend shelf life.

Priority IAC

3504 County C t Road R d CR Manitowoc, M Manitowoc Manitow it oc oc, WI 54220 forhealthycows.com forhealthycows forheal thycows.com .com info@forhealthycows.com info@forhealth info@fo rhealthycows ycows.com com 920-682-0264

IIngredients In ngr ngrredi edien ient ents ents FULL WARRANTY/DISCLAIMER INFORMATION A AT forhealthyc forhealthycows.com cows.co com

05320.96.06202017 05320 0 0.9 96..0 06202017

7KLQN 2XWVLGH WKH %RWWOH

0LFURELRORJ\ 6XSSRUWLQJ ,PPXQH +HDOWK

JAKE DOETKOTT/DAIRY STAR

Deb and Dan Hennek milk 95 cows and crop farm 145 acres on their farm in Foley.

Priority IAC the Smart bacteria & Nutrition Company

IRUKHDOWK\FRZV FRP RU DQ $XWKRUL]HG 5HVHOOHU

Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

Women In Dairy Alana Peterson Viroqua, Wis. Vernon County 50 cows Family: I’m the oldest of two girls. My parents are Dean and Pat Peterson. Tell us about your farm. I’m the fourth generation of our family to dairy farm. I recently purchased the farm from my parents. I went to the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and graduated with a dairy science management degree in 2010. Upon my returning to the farm, my family built a 12-stall lever-lock stanchion barn with two freshening pens and an attached 50- by 100-foot bedding pack barn where the cows are housed during the winter months. During the summer, the cows are rotationally grazed. I milk twice a day. What’s the busiest time of day for you? There is always something to do on the farm. I typically start my day around 7 a.m. to start chores, and go to bed between 9:30 and 10:30 p.m. In between chores, I try and help my dad in the elds, run errands, do herd health or general maintenance work around the farm. When you get a spare moment what do you do? You need to make some time to get away from the farm to keep yourself going. I like to golf, play softball, go to a movie, teach heifers to lead, clean the house, go for a motorcycle ride or go shing. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. My rst fair project heifer Juniper decided she didn’t want to be caught for the Vernon County Fair. My dad spent an hour and nally got her lassoed for the fair. The next weekend we had another show in Viola. My dad said I couldn’t take Juniper because she took too long to catch the last time. Then I said, “But Dad, I already have her in the trailer.”

What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Being able to do it with my family, and to see how my breeding selections have and are creating my future herd. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? By attending dairy shows, keeping up with things on Facebook and making trips to the local feed and supply stores. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? My dad is the person who has inspired me. He has taught me almost everything I know about the dairy cow. He is always encouraging me to work hard and strive for my best in everything I do. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? It would be great to have a fellow woman who others look up to, to be interested in coming out and learning what really goes on here. I’d like them to see how much work it takes to raise an animal and put food on the world’s table. I’d like to see them go back and be able to advocate for the dairy industry and the tradition we are working so hard to preserve.

FARM INFORMATION STATION

What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken? I can’t say I have a best vacation ever, but my favorites are almost always time spent with my family and taking my cows to cattle shows.

Joe Gill • Farm Director

SERVING CENTRAL MINNESOTA FOR OVER 50 YEARS

What are some words you like to live by? Why put off until tomorrow what can be done today?

Catch the Dairy Star’s Mark Klaphake with Joe Gill at 6:45 a.m. the 2nd & 4th Fridays of the month on KASM!

PO Box 160, Albany, MN • (320) 845-2184 • Fax (320) 845-2187

tfn

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 37

For me, it’s lights, traditions Snow is falling outside. I have a warm cup of hot cocoa by my side and am watching the Christmas tree shimmer in our living room. Get ready, because it is Christmas time. Take a second to think about your favorite part of Christmas. Without a doubt, mine are the lights, and of course, the traditions. In my travels, I have been able to see the most wonderful time of the year come to life as Christmas lights make their way onto houses, into yards and shimmer through the windows on Christmas trees. In a On the Road with few weeks, I will be all smiles as we dive into a ChristPrincess Kay mas Eve tradition of eating cheesy Lasagna, listening to the Christmas story, pausing to feed calves and coming back to open presents with all 35 members of the Paskewitz family. Throughout the past month, I have been able to celebrate my favorite parts of Christmas as Princess Kay of the Milky Way. With my bucket in hand, I walked into a kindergarten classroom in White Bear Lake, Minn. Within no time at all, I had 90 new friends, who all happened to be about 6 years old. After looking at pictures of the farms I call home, we went through some of the simplest items we use on the farm. A milking unit, calf By Rebekka Paskewitz bottle and even silage brightened their smiles and put a 65th Princess Kay of the twinkle in their eye. They were intrigued by the sheer Milky Way fact that so much work was put into the yogurt and cheese they love. Just like the Christmas lights I admire, these kids were the light of my week. I hope that upon hearing this story, their excitement for what you do as dairy farmers can brighten your week as well. With each visit I make, I beam with pride, knowing I represent people who bring light to everyone’s lives through dairy. While my smile was still fueled by the light these students brought to my journey, I soon found myself behind the podium at Minnesota Farm Bureau’s 100th annual meeting. Here I was able to share traditions that brought myself and dairy to where it is today. Throughout the evening, I celebrated Farm Bureau’s traditions with passionate people, sparking my own reection in the traditions each of us can be grateful for in dairy. Some of mine include being picked up by Grandpa in his farm truck, “Older Yeller”, and pausing all Christmas activities to do chores before coming back to Grandma’s and resuming the festivities. I am sure each of us can think of those traditions that build who we are. As dairy farmers, we can take this time of year to celebrate the traditions of family, hard work and endurance that have brought us to where we are, while dreaming of new traditions we can form day by day. Take advantage of the time set aside this season to cherish traditions. There are a million reasons to love Christmas. Whatever makes this season special for you is something worth sharing. How can you take your favorite part of this season and share it through your lifestyle in dairy this holiday season? As we near some of our favorite holiday traditions, be sure to visit Princess Kay on Facebook and Instagram for some of my family’s traditional recipes and join me in sharing holiday stories full of light from your farm. Thanks for sharing this cup of cocoa with me. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to your family, your cows and you. Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Rebekka Paskewitz, serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Throughout the year, Princess Kay helps people understand the dedication of dairy farmers to wholesome and nutritious food, and the way milk is produced. Princess Kay does many school presentations, represents dairy farmers at the Fuel Up To Play 60 events that are held in conjunction with the Minnesota Vikings, and is very active during June Dairy Month sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods. Rebekka grew up in Browerville, Minn., working on several dairy farms including her uncle’s farms. Rebekka nds joy in sharing the story and future of dairy with others through community outreach and media platforms. She is a junior at South Dakota State University studying Agricultural Education with minors in Animal Science and Social Media. At school she is very involved with the College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences Prexy Council, Sigma Alpha Sorority, Little International, Collegiate Farm Bureau, and Dairy Club. She also enjoys showing and raising cattle, mentoring youth in 4-H and FFA, road trips, hunting, shing, tractor pulls, and watching the Vikings with Dad.

~çžžhê÷ž¾çhêèžžê ßãhê/: hê:AßßA±ïŸêÍÍ vñç²hžžžê ~èžžhê÷ž¾èhêç~ ê ßãhê/: hê:AßßA±ïŸêÍÍ vñ ²hžžž ~èžžhê÷ž¾èhêè²ñê ßãhê/: hê:AßßA±ïŸêÍÍ v÷²²hžžž ~èžžhê÷ž¾ hê ñèê ßãhê/: hê:AßßA±ïŸêÍÍ vñ ²hžžžê ~èžžhê÷ž¾ hê~ñžê ßãhê/: hê:AßßA±ïŸêÍÍ v÷²žhžžžê ~ žžhê÷ž¾èhêèè ê ßãhê/: hê:AßßA±ïŸêÍÍ vñ÷²hžžž ~ žžhê÷ž¾èhê¾~~ê ßãhê/: hê:AßßA±ïŸêÍÍ vñç hžžž ~ žžhê÷ž¾èhê ~~ê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ vñ¾ hžžž ~ žžhê÷ž¾èhê²žžê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v÷²~hžžž çç~žhê÷ž¾ hê¾ñž¾ê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v÷ñ²hžžžê çç žhê÷ž¾¾hê÷ž÷žê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v¾ç hžžž ç~ žhê÷žž~hê¾èžžê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v¾ç²h žž ç žhê÷ž¾÷hê¾~÷ ê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v÷ž hžžž ç žhê÷žž~hê¾ñ ²ê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v¾~²h žž çñ žhê÷žž~hê÷² žê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v¾ ²hžžž /àmm Ý m@ Ý v¾÷èhžžž ç~žžhê÷žžçhê¾~~ ê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ ,Ò Z ¤ ççžžhê÷žžçhê¾ çžê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v¾è²h žž ç žžhê÷žž hê÷ ÷ñê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v¾ñ hžžž /àmm Ý m@ Ý ç žžhê÷žžñhêñ¾žžê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v²~hžžž ,Ò Z ¤ Ý m@ m Ý

/àm çñžžhê÷žžñhêñèñçê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ vè~hžžž ,Ò Z ¤ ç÷ žhê÷ž¾÷hê èê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v¾² hžžž Ý

è~¾žhê¾²²èhê ²÷ ê ßãhê÷: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v ÷h žžê èç¾žhê¾²² hê÷²ž~ê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ vè~h žž èç¾žhê¾²²ñhê žžèê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ v hžžž /àmm Ý m@ Ý

¥AAãê²çžhê÷žž~hê¾² ~ê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍv¾÷çhžžž ,Ò Z ¤ /àmm Ý m@ Ý

¥AAãê~²žhê÷žž÷hê÷÷²žê ßãhê/: êÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍv²èhžžž ,Ò Z ¤ Ý

¥¥ê ¶úßãê¥ ãïykêAßyêÙ^úïïyßê ¶úßãÚÍ

Ûé Ą tÝĄĄ

éĄ²ébÞ ÜÞ Ó×bÞ/: bÞ êĄ³ÝcßÜt ß ÔØcß/: cß -cß -bÞ ¥ª[ì AánÞ×þ×án bÞ êÝäĄcßäĄĄĄcß AÔûoØâß ARcß ìáª ìQnbÞ AáÞ0»ªìáÞ oAâ oÔcß Ôß «¡¼ÔoØØ«Ôcß ½ ÞAÓ[ ÞAûA AQ n¾

±¥ aĄĄĄ ä §cĄĄĄ

/ ÛÛ¦éé ²

PREMIUM

ANIMAL BEDDING PREMIUM BEDDING

XL-BUNDLES

Save time, storage space and money.

MALA MILLS – YOUR TRUSTED RESOURCE FOR:

• XL-Bundled Bedding • Bulk Bedding • Screened Fines • Delivery

• Amount of storage space reduced by 60% • XL-Bundles can be positioned in your facility for exact coverage • Transporting XL-Bundles vs.bulk cuts freight costs by more than half • Bio-security concerns minimized by better control of storage • Less hassle and scheduling issues all around

Tell us you saw us in the Dairy Star!

320-421-0172 PHOTO SUBMITTED

Princess Kay Rebekka Paskewitz speaks during the Minnesota Farm Bureau annual meeƟng Nov. 15-17 in Bloomington, Minn.

1100 4th St. NW Little Falls, MN 56345

Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018

Wide discharge, improved material breakup

Handles the widest variety of materials

USED SKIDSTEERS

‘14 Gehl RT210, ISO/Dual H Ctrls, C/H/A, 2 Spd ................................................ $29,500 ‘14 Gehl RT175, ISO switchable ctrls, D, 12” tracks, 1750 lift cap., C/H/A, 2 spd., 111 hrs. ............................................ $41,900 ‘17 Gehl R220, pilot ctrls/H, D, 2500 lift cap., C&H, 2 spd., 1990 hrs ...................... $27,500 ‘16 Gehl R220, H ctrls, D, 2500 lift cap., 802 hrs., C/H/A, 2 spd....................... $34,500 ‘16 Gehl R220, dual T-bar ctrls, D, 2500 lift cap., C/H, 2 spd., 2676 hrs . $27,500 ‘16 Gehl R220, T-Bar Ctrls, C&H, 2 Spd ................................................ $33,000 ‘15 Gehl R220, H ctrls, D, C&H, 2 spd., 2035 hrs ........................................... $28,500 ‘15 Gehl R220, dual T-bar ctrls, D, 2500 lift cap., C&H, 2 spd, 1475 hrs ............... $29,700 ‘14 Gehl R220, T-bar, H ctrls, D, 2200 lift, C&H, 2 spd., 1230 hrs. ..................... $30,400 ‘15 Gehl R220, H ctrls, D, 2400 lift cap, C/H/A, 2 spd, 1250 hrs................................. $32,000 ‘14 Gehl R220, H ctrls, D, 2500 lift cap, C/H, 2 spd, 1338 hrs ......................... $34,250 ‘16 Gehl R190, Gehl Ctrls, C&H, 2 Spd $27,900 ‘13 Gehl R190, T-bar ctrls, D, C&H, 2 spd., 2110 lift cap, 867 hrs. ........... $30,900 ‘14 Gehl R190, hand ctrls, D, 2100 lift cap, C&H, radio, 2 spd, 2190 hrs ...... $26,250 ‘14 Gehl R190, pilot ctrls, D, C&H, 2 spd, 2103 hrs................................. $28,500 ‘15 Gehl R190, Dual Hand Ctrls, C&H, 2 spd .................................................. $20,600 ‘11 Gehl 5640E, t-bar H-ctrls, D, 2200 lift cap., SS, 2600 hrs .............. $20,500 ‘04 Gehl 5640, T-bar ctrls, D, 2200 lift cap., SS, 3905 hrs ..................................... $16,500 ‘99 Gehl 4635, T-bar ctrls, D, 1425 Lift Cap., C&H , 1350 hrs ................................. $15,200 ‘78 Gehl 2600, T-bar ctrls, G, 750 Lift Cap ........................................ $2,900 ‘13 Mustang 3300V NXT2, H/F ctrls, D, 3300 lift cap., cab, 2 spd., 838 hrs............. $33,900 ‘14 Mustang 2600R, H&F ctrls., D, C&H, 2 spd., 2600 lift cap., 850 hrs ........... $35,500 ’16 Mustang 2200R, Pilot JS Ctrls, C/H/A, 2 Spd, 2825 hrs ..................... $25,700 ‘15 Mustang 2200R, H/F Ctrls, C&H, 2 Spd, 360 hrs ................................. $32,900 ’15 Mustang 2200R, H Ctrls, C&H, 2 Spd, 230 hrs .................................. $34,800

USED SKIDSTEERS

‘16 Mustang 2100RT, NXT3, ISO/Dual H Ctrls, C/H/A, Folding Door, 2 Spd, 550 hrs $39,500 ‘07 Mustang 2076, JS Ctrls, D, 2200 Lift Cap., C/H/A, 2 spd, 2650 hrs...................... $22,700 ‘08 Mustang 2076, Dual JS Ctrls, C/H/A, SS, 912 hrs ....................................... $29,900 ‘06 Mustang 2066, dual lever/ft ctrls, D, 2000 lift cap., C/H, 1174 hrs......... $21,900 ‘06 Mustang 2066, H/F Ctrls, C&H, S spd, counter wts ....................................... $19,500 ‘06 Mustang 2066, H&F Ctrls, D, 2000 Lift Cap., 2 spd, C&H 1865 hrs ............... $22,500 ‘99 Mustang 2050, T-bar ctrls, 1650 lift cap., D, 4623 hrs., C&H, SS, 4623 hrs ...... $11,900 ‘15 Mustang 1900R, H Pilot Ctrls, C&H, 2 Spd, Sound Reduction Package, 2150 hrs. .......................................... $26,550 ‘17 Mustang 1900R, H/F Ctrls, C&H, 2 Spd, 96 hrs .................................... $33,800 ‘16 Mustang 1900R, H&F Ctrls, D, 2100 Lift Cap., C&H, 2 spd, 2727 hrs .............. $25,800 ‘16 Mustang 1500R, H/F Ctrls, Cab & Heat, 2717 hrs........................ $23,500 ‘16 Mustang 1500R, H/F ctrls, D, 1500 lift cap., C&H, 2550 hrs............ $23,250 ‘15 Mustang 1350R, H/F ctrls, D, C&H, 1450 lift cap., C&H, 1070 hrs............ $27,900 Mustang 960, T-Bar Ctrls, 57 Hp Isuzu Engine ............................ $9,000 ‘13 JD 318E, L/F ctrls, D, 2100 lift cap., C/H/A, 2 spd., 2615 hrs..................... $25,500 ‘11 JCB 225, JS/H ctrls, D, C/H/A, 2600 lift cap., 2 spd., 2291 hrs ......... $25,900 Case 1816B, Case Ctrls, New Engine, 2 sets of Tires & Buckets, 218 hrs....................... $5,800 ‘95 Takeuchi TL26-2, 12” Tracks, 4370 hrs ............................................. $9,900

TRACTORS

IH 656, gas, 63 HP ............................... $5,900 ‘13 Kubota BX2370, 4WD, 60” Mid Mount 3 Blade Mower Deck ................................ $7,800

USED TMRS/MIXERS ‘13 Penta 6720HD 725 cuft w/rubber ext., ﬂat frt conveyor, stainless steel .........$23,900 ‘04 Penta 5600, 600 cu. ft., EZ 2000V scale, corner door .............................$16,000 ‘08 Penta 5620HD, 600 cu. ft., 8” rubber ext., right corner door .......................$23,500

USED TMRS/MIXERS

Knight 3250, 10 hp elc. single phase motor, 250 cu. ft., EZ 210 Digistar scale ........$8,250 Knight 2300, 260 cu. ft., 3’ discharge...$6,900 ‘11 Kuhn Knight VTC 1100, LH slide tray, rear commodity door, 2 remote scales, mounted to 2012 Peterbuilt 367 w/40,619 miles, 66,000 GVW, 10 spd., transmission, front mount hyd. drive, 1100 cu. ft. ....................$134,000 ‘05 Kuhn Knight 3130, 300 cu. ft., 615XL Weigh-Tronix scale w/remote, 2 ft., LH disch............................................$10,500 ‘05 Kuhn Knight 3130, 615XL Weigh-Tronix Scale w/remote, 2’ LH Discharge ...... $10,500 ’94 NH 385, 540 PTO, Auger Feeder, 8’ Discharge Extension........................$7,500 Automatic ATG1800B, 1800 bu./hr., 54” blower, 4 cut rolls, load auger ......$8,500

TELEHANDLERS

‘08 Gehl RS8-44, 115 HP JD Diesel, lift cap 8,000 lbs. 3686 hrs. .............. $42,500 ‘02 Mustang 634, 2-lever, 99HP JD Diesel, 600 Lift Cap., 3300 hrs ..................... $38,700 (2) Gehl RS8-42, ’05 & ’07, 13x24 Tires ......................Starting @ $32,500 (2) ‘12 Gehl RS6-34, 1 -lever, 99HP JD Diesel, 600 Lift Cap., 1600 hrs ............ $52,000 each Genie GTH3007, 70HP Diesel, 6600 lift Cap, C&H,1414 hrs ................................... $33,900 ‘00 Genie S-60, 60 Ft Lift, 6500 Hrs .......$23,900

MANURE HANDLING

‘12 Kuhn Knight 8141, 4100 gal., hyd. lid ............................................... $35,800 ‘10 Kuhn Knight 8141, 4100 gal. ......... $38,500 (3) Kuhn Knight 8132, 1 3/8 1000 PTO .................... Start @ $18,000 (2) ’06 Kuhn Knight 8124, 1 3/8 1000 PTO ..................... Start @ $13,900 ‘05 Kuhn Knight 8118, 1800 gal., 400 bu., auger ﬂighting good cond. ................. $14,900 Kuhn Knight 8118, 1800 gal., 400 bu................................................ $10,900 ‘11 Kuhn Knight 8114, 1400 gal. ........ $13,000 ‘10 Kuhn Knight 8114, 1400 gal ......... $10,900 Knight 8030, Hammers are good........ $10,900 ‘17 Kuhn Knight 2044VB, vert beater . $27,500 ‘04 Knight 8018, 400 bu..................... $10,000 NH 195, 540 PTO, mech. drive, 2 spd . $13,000

MANURE HANDLING ‘07 NH 195, 410 bu., 2 spd., upper beater, Honda 390-13 HP motor ................... $13,900 ‘09 Meyers 3750, 750 bu., upper beater, hyd. drive apron, lights ..................... $15,900 ‘89 New Idea 3739, 540 pto, 390 bu., end gate ............................................... $6,500 ‘91 Balzer manure pump, V6, 8’ pump, 2 pt. hitch, rmt. ﬁngertip ctrl ................ $4,200 ‘00 Balzer manure pump, V6, 8’ vert. manure pump ...................................... $4,500 Jamesway manure pump, 6x8, 8’ pump, 2 pt. hitch, double agitation ................. $5,500 AGCO NI 3732, 320 bu., walking tandem, single beater, rear endgate ................... $8,750 JD 780, 400 bu., single beater ............... $6,900 Hagedorn 277, 270 cu. ft., 420 bu. ...... $12,900 ‘06 Houle EL48-6D7300, 7300 gal., W660 Raven controller, double disc injectors, Krone ﬂow meter ................ $39,500 H&S HP425VB, Vertical Beaters, Lights, ETC .................................................... $20,750 ‘09 H&S 560 ........................................ $14,500 ‘14 H&S 660, Upper Beater, Hyd Drive Apron, Variable Spd ........................... $22,850 Hagedorn 277, 270 cu. ft., 420 bu. ..... $12,900

HAY & FORAGE ’12 Kuhn GMD600GIIHD Disk Mower, 7’10” Cut, 6 Disc .................................. $7,100 Vicon CM2400 Disk Mower, 7’10” Cut ... $4,700 Vicon CM2200 Disc Mower, 6 Disc.......... $2,900 Kuhn GMD600 Disk Mower, 7’10” Cut, 6 Disc................................................... $7,800 NI 5209 Mower Cond., 9’ Cut................. $8,800 Gehl 860, 1210 hay head, 3038 CH ...... $4,200 Gehl 800 Pull-Type Forage Chopper w/Hay Head .......................................... $2,995 ‘96 JD 930 Mower Cond., 11’6” Cut, Impeller Cond ..................................... $5,750 John Deere 1360 Mower Cond, 10’, 6 Disc w/Flail Conditioning...................... $7,800 JD 1209 Mower Cond, 9’ Cut, 2 Rubber Cond. Rolls .......................... $3,500 Farm King Y550R Finishing Mower, 5’, 3 blades, 3 pt hitch ................................ $850 Gehl HA1100 Hay Head, 6’ ....................... $300 ’03 H&S BF12HC Rake, 12 Whl High Cap .$7,950 ’08 H&S X12 Rake, 12 Whl .................... $7,800

HAY & FORAGE

‘15 H&S BW1000 Bale Wrapper, 6’ Bales, Remote Start & Steer, Lights ............... $21,000 ’15 Kuhn GF222T Tedder, 8’6” Working Width, 2 Rotor, Pull-type ................................. $3,150 Kuhn GF5202THA Tedder, 4 Basket Rotor, 17’ 1” Working Width.......................... $5,800 ’12 Kuhn GA300GM Rotary Rake, 7’3” Raking Width, 10’6” Windrow.............. $5,000 ‘13 Kuhn GMD600 Disc Mower, 10” Width............................................ $7,750 ‘06 NH 1475 Mower Cond, Rubber Rollers, Lights ................................................ $12,800 NH 144 Merger, Standard Cross Conveyor, No Ext, Ground Driven ......................... $3,900 NH 144 Merger, Ground Driven.............. $2,900 ‘82 NH 851 Rd Baler, 5 x 6 bales ........... $1,850 ‘93 JD 535 Rd Baler, 5 x6 bales, twine...$7,750 H&S Super 7+4 Forage Box, 16’ Box .....$6,300 Gehl 980 Forage Box, 16’ Bx, 12 Ton Tandem, Vari-SPD Drive ..................................... $5,500 Gehl 980 Forage Box, 16’ Bx, 12 Ton Tandem 6-12 Running Gear............................... $6,950 ‘08 Meyer 6222 Forage Box, Front & Rear Unload, 22’ Box, Carted Running Gear XT2200L, hyd drive ........................... $24,500 ‘17 Anderson Hybrid X Bale Wrapper, 6’ Rd and Square Bales ..................... $35,500 ‘14 Anderson SB780, wraps round or square bales...................................... $20,900 Miller Pro 7914 Merger, 9’ Pick – Up, 14’ Meger, Hyd Drive .......................... $4,500 AS IS Case IH 600 Blower, 60” ....................... $5,300 Land Pride Disc Mower - 5 disc ............... $750 ‘12 Vermeer WRX12, 12 Whl HI Capacity Rake .................................................... $5,900

MISCELLANEOUS Berlon BSC, lifts full rd. bales ................ $450 Loftness Snow Blower, 93” width, 2 stage, hyd. swivel .......................................... $1,200 Woodchuck 1 yard sand bucket ......... $3,900 ‘98 Buffalo Scraper 53300010, 3 yd .. $6,900 Brown HB9 Backhoe, mount on Skid ldr, Q-Tach............................................... $2,600 RL Livestock Scale, Rated to 5000#, Mettler Toledo Scale Head .................................... Call

Dairy prole

Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 39