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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 difcult 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
Trying to better the dairy business
Volenec agvocates to improve milk prices By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MONTFORT, Wis. – All Jerry Volenec wants to do is to be able to milk cows and raise his family, working as the fth generation on his family’s dairy farm in Montfort, Wis. The current economic situation in the dairy industry is making that an increasingly more difcult thing to do, prompting Volenec to step outside of his comfort zone and enter the world of agvocacy. “I’ve never had any political-type experience or aspirations,” Volenec said. “But everything is changing, and I can’t run any faster. I’m at a position in life where I have to ght, because we can’t keep running like we are. We can’t get any more efcient.” Turn to VOLENEC | Page 7
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Jerry Volenec is the Ōh generaƟon of his family to operate their farm outside of Monƞort, Wis., and he fears he may be the last. That has led Volenec to explore the growing world of agvocacy, ghƟng to help x the problems he sees in the dairy industry.
Rising from the ashes
Orths plan to rebuild barn, edgling creamery following re By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Inga and Chance Orth operate a micro-dairy near Osseo, Wis. They have a small herd of seven Jerseys. The Orths were planning to begin producƟon of a high-end farmstead, raw-milk cheddar cheese with the compleƟon of their creamery last month but had a re Nov. 14.
OSSEO, Wis. – Inga and Chance Orth will not soon forget the morning of Nov. 14, when they looked out the window to see the dairy barn and nearly completed creamery engulfed in ames on their farm near Osseo, Wis. The Orths own seven dairy cows. They were in the process of building a creamery where they would produce high-end farmstead cheese. The Orths employ seasonal production and were in the process of drying the Turn to ORTH | 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 (ofce) 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 Ofce: 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 (ofce) 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 Hoeer (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 ofces. 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, Brickeld 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)
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Pages 8-9 First Section
FSA News & Notes
Page 26 First Section
Page 27 First Section
First Section: Pages 12 - 13
Ullom an accomplished hunter in addition to dairying
Page 37 First Section
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Pages 10 - 11 Second Section
n Barron
Sawyer
First Section: Pages 1, 6
Price
Rusk
Grantsburg
Petersons open Brickeld Brewing in Grantsburg
St. Croix Pierce
Second Section: Pages 4 - 5
Dunn
Pepin Buffalo
Eau Claire
Rumen development sets a cow up for life Third Section: Pages 16, 18 - 19
Country Cooking
Chippewa
Marathon Clark
Eau Claire Trempealeau
Our expansion project
Osseo
Taylor
Page 32 First Section
Page 33 First Section
Polk
First Section: Pages 18, 22
Orths plan to rebuild barn, edgling creamery following re
ur
Making Cents of Dairy
Burnett
Managing debt level drives prot at Rusk Rose Holsteins
Iron Ashland
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
Page 31 First Section
Come Full Circle
Bayeld
Douglas
Barronett
hb
Veterinary Wisdom
Second Section: Page 28
Ladysmith
Genomics add value to Kacvinsky’s herd
W as
Page 30 First Section
Washburn
Salmonella: an emerging problem
The Transition Pen
Ramblings from the Ridge
Eau Claire
Viroqua
Women in Dairy: Alana Peterson
Wood Jackson Adams
La Crosse Monroe
Juneau
Fond Du Lac
Vernon
ford
Richland
Columbia
Sauk
Craw
Page 29 Second Section
First Section: Page 36
Dane
Iowa
J
Lafayette
Green
n
so
er eff
Grant
Zone 2
Dodge
Rock
Elroy Montfort
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Volenec enters the world of agvocacy
From Our Side of the Fence First Section: Pages 15 - 16
First Section: Pages 1, 7
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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.
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Appetizers and in-store samples of items to simplify your holiday stress. Featuring new sales each week.
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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
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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 afuent market in the areas we focus on,” Vilsack said. “Eightyve 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 signicant 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 certied 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 ofcials about reforming the regulatory process to keep up with the changes being made in the industry. “This is a tough time but there is terric 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.”
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018
ConƟnued from ORTH | Page 1
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The Orth’s dairy barn, milk house and newly built creamery building were lost in an early morning re on Nov. 14. The Orths are working with their insurance company and lenders to begin plans for rebuilding. cows off for the winter. The cows were on pasture. There were three calves living in the barn, all of which were lost. “We’d been gone late the night before to an event, so we decided to sleep in a bit late Wednesday morning, since the cows were only being milked once a day at that time,” Inga said. “We were woken up about 8 a.m. by a neighbor, frantically honking his horn. We thought the cows were out. Then he was pounding on the door as we came down the stairs. That is when I looked out the window and saw the barn on re.” The barn was not only home to the Orths’ herd of Jersey cows, it was a focal point in Inga’s life, where she has been farming with her family for nearly 13 years. Inga and Chance were married in the barn and have spent countless hours there together. While the physical structure may be gone, Inga said she is glad for the memories. “In the overall scheme of barn res, we were actually pretty lucky,” Inga said. The creamery building was nearing completion, and installation of the equipment had been scheduled for that Friday. During the winter months, the Orths’ cows live in a loang shed, which was not affected by the re. The Orths have been touched by the outpouring of support they have received from their community and from people they have been in contact with throughout the state. “The kindness of strangers has been overwhelming,” Inga said. “Many of the volunteer reghters are farmers, too. It’s amazing that they dropped everything to come to our aid. We have a great deal of gratitude for everything our friends, neighbors and even strangers have done for us.” The Orths have been working with their lenders and their insurance company to get the details ironed out for rebuilding, and they hope to soon be able to begin working with a contractor on reconstruction of both the barn and the creamery, moving their dreams forward once again. Inga hopes to have a new facility up and running by the time their herd nishes freshening in mid-May. When Inga rst purchased the 30acre farm 13 years ago, Inga had a herd of 40 Milking Shorthorns. With the desire to be a grazer, Inga soon came to the realization that 30 acres was not enough land. “I was always feeding hay and that was costly,” Inga said. She sold off the herd, but soon decided not dairy farming was not an option for her. She bought a small herd of Jerseys, which were eventually reduced to a herd of seven cows, with the intentions to have a maximum herd size of 10 in the future. The Orths have not been market-
ing their milk for the past two years. Instead, they have been using the milk to raise their calves while they have been building an on-farm creamery to produce farmstead cheese. Originally, the Orths were planning for their creamery to be up and running in June, allowing them to have the rst of their cheese aged for six months, ready for sale right about this time of year. Construction delays set them back, and they had planned to be making their rst batches of cheese at the end of November, ready for sale next summer. “We’ve had no income off the farm for the past two years, and there was nally supposed to be a light at the end of the tunnel,” Inga said. “Instead, we have another winter of feeding the cows with no income.” The Orths’ plan for their creamery is to focus on one style of cheese, a rawmilk cheddar, which is an original British variety. The cheese is moved daily while it ages for six months. The cheese will eventually be sold exclusively in highend cheese shops in larger cities throughout the nation. “This won’t be your everyday, grilled cheese sandwich kind of cheese,” Inga said. “It will be something you’ll sit down and really enjoy eating.” Inga’s interest and knowledge in producing and marketing a high-end farmstead cheese is based in her experiences hosting the Wisconsin Public Television show Around the Farm Table, as well as the time she spends hosting cooking demonstrations around the state, featuring Wisconsin farm products. Those experiences have connected Inga with a variety of consumers, and she nds that most consumers are truly interested in knowing where their food comes from. “They want to know the farmer who produces their food, and they are willing to pay a premium for that,” Inga said. “I haven’t had the conversations with people regarding the negative connotations of agriculture, such as animal rights or antibiotics.” Inga hopes their farm and creamery can become a model for others in the industry, allowing small family farms to remain viable in the industry. “I hope this can become a growing trend,” Inga said. “That we can see more diversity in the farms and the products offered, allowing families to make a living from small farms.” Inga points to the inventiveness of farmers when it comes to nding a way to think outside of the box to maintain small family farms. “Dairy farming isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life, and it has been for generations of families,” Inga said.
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 7
Con�nued from VOLENEC | Page 1 Volenec milks 330 Holsteins with his wife, Jennifer, and his parents, Charles and Marilyn, on the family’s Hardscrabble Farm, which has been in their family since the 1890s. Alongside the family, longtime herdsman Mike Spink is a valuable member of Volenec’s team. The farm continues utilizing diversication, raising all of its bull calves to nished weight. “Without Mike, I wouldn’t be able to do this stuff,” Volenec said. “He thinks of this place like it’s his own. That makes it easier for me to have time to try and make a difference in this industry.” Volenec said he tries to spend at least one hour a day engaged in some type of activity that can impact and improve farm prices. “We all need to get involved,” Volenec said. “If you don’t get involved, you have no say in anything. Find an organization or a group that has a message that matches yours. Just get involved somewhere.” Volenec rst dipped his toes into the waters of agricultural policy-type issues last spring when his milk cooperative announced plans to institute a base. Volenec made his rst calls to the board members of his cooperative to voice his concerns, and was invited to attend a meeting with the cooperative board and non-board members. Around the same time, the Wisconsin Farmers Union held a series of meetings with guest speakers from Canada for dairy farmers to learn about the sup-
ply management programs that are part of the Canadian dairy industry. “I gured if supply management was going to be my reality, I needed to learn more about it,” Volenec said about attending the WFU meeting held in Dodgeville, Wis. “I gained a lot of insight attending that meeting.” Volenec’s insight led him to begin to write letters and to volunteer to host an informational supply management meeting held at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Pioneer Farm in April. He began to make contacts with others in the dairy industry where he was able to continue to learn more about the policies affecting dairy markets. “They encourage you to build a network, to talk to other farmers and bring people into your circle,” Volenec said. “That makes sense to me. That’s how I run my farm. I surround myself with a circle of people that know more about certain things than I do, like my nutritionist, my vet and my loan ofcer.” Volenec was invited to more agvocacy-type training by the WFU, where he continued to soak up information on how to convey his message and ideas. In August, the opportunity came for him to travel to Albany, N.Y., on a bus coordinated by the WFU to a meeting concerning the dairy industry crisis. There, Volenec came in contact with the Farm Aid organization, and he was invited to attend a Farm Aid workshop
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Jerry Volenec milks 330 cows on his Grant County farm. He said despite doing everything he’s been told to do and working to become more efficient, he said his father made a be�er living milking just 70 cows than he does with his current herd. and concert in Connecticut in October. “It was a three-day event, with a day of workshops, a day of tours and then the concert on the last day,” Volenec said. “I’d planned to go, but with the wet fall, I wasn’t nished with my corn silage, so I opted to stay home. Instead, I wrote a letter to them, hoping that my absence would be more powerful than my presence.” And, it was. Volenec’s photo appeared on the Jumbo Tron, and his letter was read to the concert-goers. “It was pretty neat,” Volenec said. “My picture was there on the big screen, right above Willie Nelson.” In November, Volenec at-
tended a WFU Young Leaders seminar held in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. “That seminar really started getting into the technical aspects of agvocacy,” Volenec said. “The speakers focused on psychology, and there were some political organizers explaining how they recruit people and build a group.” In addition to his involvement in the Wisconsin Farmers Union, Volenec has been learning more about the National Dairy Producers Organization and how they are working to affect changes in the dairy industry. “We’ve been operating under the mentality that we have to get more efcient and
get bigger,” Volenec said. “We have to make more milk per cow. I’ve spent my entire career nding ways to get more from less. My herd average is over 32,000 pounds of milk. I nish out all my steers to 1,500 pounds slaughter weight in 15 to 16 months. Things are going well, but at the end of the day, I’m still barely scraping by.” Volenec sees what is happening in the dairy industry as a direct reection of what is happening to the nation’s middle class, becoming disenfranchised and shrinking. “My dad raised me on this farm,” Volenec said. “He milked 70 cows. I’m milking over 300, and I’m not doing as well as he was.”
Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018
Optimism comes out of Trump-Xi meeting During the G20 Summit in Argentina, President used to undercut U.S. dairy products, although Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi speciďƒžcs of the new pricing system are still Jinping have agreed to a 90-day pause for any unknown.â€? new trade tariffs, allowing both sides to return to the bargaining table. The White House Baldwin seeks more changes in trade Ag Insider indicates China has also agreed to agreement purchase a “very substantialâ€? amount The USMCA trade deal still needs of agricultural products. to be ratiďƒžed by Congress and the legislatures in Mexico and Canada. U.S. A long, complicated trade relationship Senator Tammy Baldwin indicates she Before the current trade war, the will only support this trade agreement United States and China enjoyed a if changes are made, including making positive trade relationship. China improvements for Wisconsin farmers. wanted U.S. farm products and Boeing “Unfair trade practices have harmed aircraft; the United States bought our agriculture economy,â€? Baldwin electronics and furniture from China. said. “Wisconsin lost 584 dairy farms Trade consultant Dan Pearson, who is this year and trade wars and tariffs are By Don Wick a principal with Pearson International making things worse.â€? Trade Services, does not expect a fast Columnist resolution to the current trade dispute. Wolf legislation still faces uphill “It is a good time to be patient because battle I don’t see a quick resolution to these problems,â€? The U.S. House passed legislation to remove Pearson said. “One would wish it would happen, the gray wolf protection from the Endangered but when you look at the resistance on the part Species Act in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and of the steel and aluminum producers from giving Wyoming. The bill now moves to the Senate ďƒ&#x;oor up those tariffs, I think it looks like we’re in for for a vote. However, House Agriculture Committee a long period of a complicated trade relationship.â€? Ranking Member Collin Peterson, who also coPearson previously served as the chairman of the sponsored the bill, is not optimistic. “It only passed International Trade Commission. the House 194 to 180, so I don’t think there’s much chance,â€? Peterson said. “What I’m trying to do USMCA signing gets praise is show the Senate there’s support in the House. During the G20 Summit, President Donald Maybe that will help get it added into one of these Trump and his counterparts from Mexico and must-pass bills at the end of the year. I’m not giving Canada signed the new U.S.-Mexico-Canada up because we will not get a bill out of the House Agreement. Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation when the Democrats are in charge.â€? With passage, President Jim Holte said this signiďƒžes positive the act reverses a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service progress for trade. “USMCA keeps the agricultural decision blocked in federal court. trade beneďƒžts from the North American Free Trade Agreement but also provides improvements in Uncertainty for 2019 certain sectors, including dairy. USMCA eliminates Heading into 2019, both farmers and aspects of Canada’s dairy program that were being agricultural bankers are facing uncertainties. Those
uncertainties were discussed at the 2018 National Agricultural Bankers Conference in Omaha. Moving into renewal season, the biggest concern is cash ďƒ&#x;ow. “It’s hard to make something break even, much less proďƒžtable, with low commodity prices,â€? said Shan Hanes, chairman of the American Bankers Association Agricultural and Rural Bankers Committee. “We have to start looking at some of the hard numbers such as rental rates and terms with suppliers.â€?
Current farm situation differs from 1980s crisis Today’s income and cash ďƒ&#x;ow statements look very similar to the 1980s. Agricultural economist David Kohl said the one big difference is land values. “Land constitutes 83 percent of the farm balance sheet. The reason we don’t have a repeat of the 1980s is because land has held its resiliency.â€? However, the trend of leveraging land to reďƒžnance operating loans may be coming to an end. “The key will be when banks or farm credit say no to the reďƒžnance and that land comes onto the market.â€? If too much farmland becomes available, Kohl said land values will decline. Kohl, who is professor emeritus at Virginia Tech, spoke at the National Agricultural Bankers Conference in Omaha. MFP could help with cash ďƒ&#x;ow While farmers are waiting for positive trade news, Farmer Mac Director of Economic Research Jackson Takach said some plan to hold off on marketing commodities. However, USDA’s Market Facilitation Program could be helpful in terms of cash ďƒ&#x;ow. “The one positive thing that could come out of the MFP is the cash will come in December or January. It’s the perfect time for cash infusion,â€? Takach said. Milk production rises In the 23 major dairy states, milk production rose 1 percent in October. Wisconsin was Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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fractionally lower than last year. California milk production was up 3 percent in October. Saputo deal ďƒžnalized Saputo has completed its acquisition of F & A Dairy Products, which includes manufacturing plants in Dresser, Wis. and Las Cruces, N.M. The deal was valued at $85 million. Fanning takes new role with dairy checkoff Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin has named Suzanne Fanning as its new senior vice president and chief marketing ofďƒžcer for Wisconsin cheese products. Fanning joined the state dairy checkoff program two years ago as its marketing vice president. A successful deer hunting season The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is estimating more
than 211,000 deer were harvested during the nine-day gun hunting season. That’s up from nearly 198,000 last year and 197,000 in 2016. Over 104,000 hunters tagged a buck, up 6 percent from last year. 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? We’ll have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ďƒžve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora, and Sterling.
“It’s less bookwork for me and I know more about each of the cows...� 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 it’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 it’s very cost effective. Why is testing with DHIA important to your dairy? DHIA testing is important for us because it’s less bookwork for me and I know more about each of the cows that you can’t see from just looking at them.
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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018
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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 –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 – a weekend event when no one was available to milk. “I said, ‘That’s it, we’re downsizing,’’’ 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. “Forget everything you know about cows,â€? Mark said. “I don’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. “A year later, we bought some cows,â€? Mark said. “We had forgotten about those two weeks. Now we Turn to HOSCH | Page 11
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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 ofce 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
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018
Genomics add value to Kacvinsky’s herd Increased protability through genetic improvement By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Paul Kacvinsky changed the direcƟon of his registered Holstein herd by entering the world of genomics on his 40-cow dairy, Sky-Bark-Bay, near Washburn, Wis. He has been rewarded by having bred many cows that have been included on the Holstein USA’s Locator List of top geneƟc animals.
WASHBURN, Wis. – About 10 years ago, Paul Kacvinsky set out to change the direction of his registered Holstein herd. Today, he focuses on growing the genetics of his 40-cow Sky-Bark-Bay herd in Washburn, Wis. Kacvinsky sees working with genomics as a way for dairy producers to be protable in today’s dairy industry. “I make more money from genetics than I do from milking cows,” Kacvinsky said. “I’ve sold ushes on animals, and those are basically like an extra milk check.” When Kacvinsky rst started his journey into the world of breeding highgenomic cattle, he started with heifers that fell below the national averages for many of the important traits. Today, he has grown his herd averages to nearly three times the national numbers. His genomic animals average +1,066 pounds of milk, +38 pounds of protein and +49 pounds of fat, with an overall average GTPI of +2,364. On type traits, his herd averages +1.32 for type, +1.20 for udder composite and +0.72 for foot and leg composite. “I’d say that’s pretty good growth
in 10 years,” Kacvinsky said. Kacvinsky’s foray into genomics began when he purchased partial interest in a heifer that sold in the 2010 National Holstein Convention. At the time, Saintville Megaman Mallory was the No. 2 ranked Genomic Total Performance Index daughter of the bull Mr Million Mega-Man, and had high numbers for health traits such as productive life, somatic cell score and daughter pregnancy rate. Kacvinsky has continued to add to the genetic foundation of his herd, purchasing animals for traits they possess. His most recent purchase was Langs-Twin-Elm Arabela-ET, purchased at the Twin-B Dairy Farm Dispersal earlier this fall. Arabela stood out in the sale to Kacvinsky because of her high fat and protein numbers, coming in at +96 pounds of fat and +75 pounds of protein on the August genomic run. She is a Sandy-Valley Saloon daughter of View-Home Jo Amanda VG-85, a high ranking daughter of Uecker Supersire Josuper, the breeds top-ranking bull for net merit in the August proof run. Amanda is a maternal sister to two popular AI bulls, View-Home Monterey at ABS and View-Home Powerball-P at Jetstream Genetics. Arabela is carrying her sibling. She is due in May with a Claynook Casper embryo out of her Amanda, giving Kacvinsky two daughters of a prolic cow family. Turn to KACVINSKY | Page 13
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Paul Kacvinsky keeps up to date with genomics by using resources made available by Holstein USA and various AI organizaƟons.
Arabela and the embryo she is carrying descend from a well-known cow family, the Martha Sheen family. In his own marketing program, Kacvinsky will benet from the renown this cow family has world-wide. “Families like the Martha Sheens and the Peachy Shaunas are almost like buying a branded name,” Kacvinsky said. “Everyone interested in genetics knows who they are.” Kacvinsky has also worked with Compass-TRT AMRC AE J917-ET an AltaEmbassy daughter of SeagullBay Miss America-ET VG-87 DOM, a Roylane Socra Robust daughter of Ammon-Peachy Shauna-ET EX-92 DOM GMD, which is another branch of the Martha Sheen cow family. From that family, he has bred several high genomic females that appear on the Locator List and have contract interest including Sky-Bark-Bay Montros Nor Wis GP-80 and four more daughters by AltaSpring. In the past year, Kacvinsky has bred two bulls that sparked interest from Alta Genetics: Sky-Bark-Bay Altabancy-ET at +2841GTPI and Sky-Bark-Bay IMax 899 at +2826GTPI. Both bulls out of Nor Wis. The majority of the ush work and IVF work Kacvinsky does is on the highest genomic animals in his herd – the heifers. “We don’t usually ush cows, unless we specically have contracts for their embryos,” Kacvinsky said. “You make the fastest gains genomically by using the highest animals, which are typically your youngest ones.” Heifers can begin IVF programs as young as 5 months. During a typical year, Kacvinsky will work with ushing at least four to ve heifers. That gives him the opportunity to use different sires each and spread out the risks. “We can usually work with a heifer, ushing her about three to four times before we breed her at about 16 months so that she’ll calve in right around 25
months,” Kacvinsky said. Kacvinsky has a good working relationship with his ush veterinarians. He said the vets adherence to strict protocols, with everything being done on a strict time schedule when setting up both the donors and the recipients. “We follow exact protocols for both donors and recipients,” Kacvinsky said, referring to his success rate that at times nears 75 percent. “We eliminate what could go wrong by doing everything at precise times.” Sires of a heifer’s previous generations play a big role when choosing genetic matings. “You can have a great sire stack behind an individual, but one bad bull in there can really make a hole,” Kacvinsky said. “A good sire stack ultimately leads to good numbers.” Another key to being successful in the game of genomics is to use earlyrelease sires. According to Kacvinsky, using early-release sires gives a breeder a leg up on competition, having the earliest calves out of bulls. He will have some of the rst calves out of Peak AltaDateline to be born in the country, with four pregnancies due in March. He also has early calves coming in the spring from Peak AltaMilestone. “I’m really looking forward to March,” said Kacvinsky of the anticipation he has for those calves to be born. “Genomics is always changing. New numbers come out every month. Sometimes, they change the formulas for calculating the indexes, too. The last time they changed the formula, one of my highest health traits animals lost nearly half of her DPR score and a third of her PL score.” Kacvinsky plans to continue to focus on health traits and working with established cow families. “You have to make sure you have what other people want,” said Kacvinsky of the secret to his success in genomics. “Is there more to come? You bet!”
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018
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From Our Side Of The Fence What have you learned from your FBM instructor? Peter Mlsna Hillsboro, Wis. Vernon County 826 cows
Melissa Manke Bangor, Wis. La Crosse County 210 cows
Why do you choose to work with an instructor? Initially my family was in the midst of a farm transition from one generation to the next. We chose to work with an instructor to help us with that transition process. Now I choose to work with an instructor to continue my education regarding the vast realm of farming. Tell us about the cost of participation and your return on investment. The cost to enroll per year is roughly $460. With that enrollment comes so many vast opportunities. Whether it be nancial analysis of your farm, education on how to do a nutrient management plan or the ability to collect your own soil samples, these are all great returns on your investment. But the chances you get to network with farmers from your area has proven to be invaluable for me. Describe several practices or management techniques you have learned or changed on your dairy since working with an FBM instructor. I have taken over the completion of the nutrient management plan for our farm each year. I use the Snap Plus program, and with its vast capabilities I am able to more accurately see what elds need fertilizer or other nutrients applied to them. In addition, I now collect our farm’s soil samples where we used to hire that done before. I have also switched the accounting program that we use. Our previous one was out of date and my FBM instructor steered me towards a new one (PC Mars) and is able to assist me with any questions I have regarding that program. What do you cover in your meetings, and how often are they? We cover so many vast topics. From calf care, cow reproduction, accounting, crops, soil health, and the list goes on and on. The best thing about this program is that if there is a topic you want to learn more about, the FBM instructor will accommodate the class. Meetings are usually once a week in the late fall and winter time. What is the best advice you have received from your FBM instructor? What I see as a strength in myself could also be a weakness. If I see myself as a hard-working person, I could also be working too much. In order to have a truer work-life balance I need to be more aware of my choices. Tell us about your farm. I am a fourth generation dairy farmer. I, along with two of my cousins, own and operate roughly 1,100 acres and milk around 210 cows.
Who is your farm business management instructor? How many years have you worked with your instructor? Aimee Schomburg, seven years. Why do you choose to work with an instructor? Aimee and the team of FBM instructors at WTC have a strong network of information and a work ethic and passion to help farmers like us improve. Tell us about the cost of participation and your return on investment. The resources available to students in the FBM program more than offset the cost of tuition. One time we demoed a vertical tillage unit including a tractor. The plow worked great, and the discussion Aimee and I had in the cab about employee management was even more valuable to our farm.
Who is your farm business management instructor? How many years have you worked with your instructor? Aimee Schomburg, for three years. Why do you choose to work with an instructor? To be able to talk through struggles and talk about new ideas, markets and industry trends. Tell us about the cost of participation and your return on investment. It is $460. Well worth the cost of investment. We go through my nances on a monthly basis which makes things go super smooth come tax time and helps me monitor my cash inow and outow on a monthly basis.
Describe several practices or management techniques you have learned or changed on your dairy since working with an FBM instructor. Every class has take-home ideas that can be put to use right away. Having Aimee and other farmers to bounce ideas off is refreshing and energizing.
Describe several practices or management techniques you have learned or changed on your dairy since working with an FBM instructor. Adjusted rations to make them more cost effective. We separated grain and protein mix into two separate bins so I can adjust each commodity accordingly. Switching from milk replacer to whole milk from selective cows. We have zero death loss and virtually no antibiotics used any more to treat sick calves.
What do you cover in your meetings, and how often are they? This year is focused on equipment and housing. The focus topics are different each year, and Aimee is always willing to cover hot topics as they come up. We meet classroom-style once a month from December to April as well as multiple farm tours and eld days.
What do you cover in your meetings, and how often are they? Meetings go through the winter months with many other tours and meetings scattered throughout the rest of the year. We talk about a variety of topics including nancial planning, employee management strategies, nutrient management plans and animal care practices.
What is the best advice you have received from your FBM instructor? Even better than advice is the hope and enthusiasm I leave with after a class with Aimee.
What is the best advice you have received from your FBM instructor? Try to keep overhead costs as low as possible as long as it doesn’t have a negative impact on the long-term success of your business.
Tell us about your farm. They say it takes a community to raise a family. Our farm is best described as a community of people caring for animals and each other.
E-EDITION
Who is your farm business management instructor? How many years have you worked with your instructor? Aimee Schomburg. 3 years.
Logan Vieth Cashton, Wis. Monroe County 90 cows
Tell us about your farm. I milk 42 cows in a tiestall barn. I bought the cattle and machinery from my dad three years ago in May and milk in the barn I grew up on. All youngstock is raised on the farm. Forage is grown and custom harvested on the farm with the rest of the feed being purchased.
Kyle and Kip Weber Elroy, Wis. Juneau County 135 cows Who is your farm business management instructor? How many years have you worked with your instructor? My farm business instructor is Aimee Schomburg. I have been working with her for the past ve years. Why do you choose to work with an instructor? I chose to work with an instructor in order to continue learning about the dairy industry. Tell us about the cost of participation and your return on investment. The cost of the program runs around $450 per year and is a valuable resource in making smart decisions for our dairy farm. Describe several practices or management techniques you have learned or changed on your dairy since working with an FBM instructor. Aimee has helped us see the importance of keeping accurate and up to date nancial records. I have learned about soil health, feed inventories and employee management. What do you cover in your meetings, and how often are they? The classes are usually held once every two weeks for four months. We cover many topics such as soil health, nancial analysis, crop production, input costs, employee management, stress management and many other topics related to the dairy industry. What is the best advice you have received from your FBM instructor? Keep a close eye on input costs in order to make sure we have a positive return on our investment. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Heidi, and I have three children: Kyle, Kade and Hana. We purchased 100 cows from my parents in 2011. We operate a small dairy farm with my son, Kyle, and one part-time employee. We milk around 110 cows. We grow 40 acres of soybeans, 80 acres of oats, 160 acres of corn, 200 acres of alfalfa and 40 acres of winter wheat.
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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 ofcer 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 benets 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.
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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 benet 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 condential 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.
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Ryan and Johna Brock Gillett, Wis. Oconto County 240 cows Who is your farm business management instructor? How many years have you worked with your instructor? I have participated in the Farm Business Management program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College for 15 years. My current instructor is Jon Bahrke. Prior to Jon, I worked with Mark Alden. Why do you choose to work with an instructor? Farming is always changing, which means there’s always new stuff to learn. Working with an instructor helps us stay on top of things. If you want to try something new, they’re a great resource to consult with. They can also put you in touch with other farmers who’ve done the same thing or something similar. Farmers are sometimes secluded and need to look beyond the farm and the vendors who come to visit and try to nd answers within the broader community. Tell us about the cost of participation and your return on investment. The cost for combined classroom instruction and on-farm instructor time is about $500 to $600 per year. We learn about the newest technologies, and instruction is adapted to what is currently going on in the industry. The farm business management instructor is like a consultant, helping us out on an as-needed basis – either with new projects or our annual year-end nancial analysis. The knowledge we gain from our instructor helps us make informed decisions that save money. Describe several practices or management techniques you have learned or changed on your dairy since working with an FBM instructor. Every year, we compare our numbers to past years and to other farms of similar size. Everything from labor costs to the costs of operating each area of the dairy are analyzed. Then we ask, where could we make changes to save money or become more efcient? For example, after analyzing heifer costs one year, we decided to cut back on the number of heifers we raise. We decided to pay one of our guys more after seeing what other farms were paying someone in that role because we didn’t want to lose a good worker. We also worked with our instructor when adding onto our freestall barn and putting in a maternity pre-fresh area. He helped us come up with a proposal to give to our bank. What do you cover in your meetings, and how often are they? We are allotted a certain number of onfarm hours each year, and how often we meet depends on the situation. We have two-hour classes once a week during the winter and then we might meet with our instructor when classes are not in session. But, we can call our instructor any time of the year if we have a question. What is the best advice you have received from your FBM instructor? Look at situations from multiple points of view before making a decision. It’s always good to have more than one viewpoint. After all, there’s more than one way to do something. Don’t just take one person’s word and go from that. You need to keep an open mind. Collect facts and opinions from multiple sources. Tell us about your farm. We farm 800 acres and grow all of our feed. We’re a closed herd, raising our own heifers and youngstock. Our herd is primarily Holstein, but we also have a few Milking Shorthorn and crossbreed cattle, like Linebacks. My wife, Johna, helps with calves and milking and also takes care of the books. We have a lot of animals on pasture so my dad is in charge of fences and water tanks. We have four children – three are grown and on their own. Our daughter, Holly, is still at home and helps out on the farm. We also have two full-time employees and some part-time people.
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 17
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018
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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-
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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.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 21
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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 protable. 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 benecial. 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
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L
A DE
EL
E ST
L
A DE
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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.
REGISTER FREE AT ANY OF THE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 25
REGISTER AT THESE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES: WISCONSIN BARRON COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Barron • 715-537-5618
CHIPPEWA COUNTY
• Associated Milk Producers Inc. Jim Falls • 715-382-4113 • Chippewa Valley Dairy Supply Stanley • 715-644-2350
CLARK COUNTY
• Bob’s Dairy Supply, Inc Dorchester • 715-654-5252 • Cloverdale Equipment Curtiss • 715-223-3361 • Horst Stables/Equity Livestock Thorp • 608-477-7420
DANE COUNTY
• Argall Dairy Systems, Inc Belleville • 608-424-6110 • Professional Dairy Services Waunakee • 608-489-5043 • YES JCB Madison • 888-276-4365
DODGE COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Lomira • 920-269-4351 • Farmers’ Implement LLC Columbus • 920-623-9000 • Milwaukee Stockyards Reeseville • 800-728-5480
DUNN COUNTY
• Midwest Livestock Systems Menomonie • 715-235-5144
EAU CLAIRE COUNTY • Equity Livestock Altoona • 715-835-3104
FON DU LAC COUNTY
• Redeker Dairy Equipment, Inc. Brandon • 920-346-5576
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
GREEN COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Monroe • 608-328-8344 • Monroe WestfaliaSurge Monroe • 608-325-2772
IOWA COUNTY
• Ederer Dairy Supply LLC Dodgeville • 608-935-1630 • Hennessey Implement Dodgeville • 608-935-3326 • Premier Cooperative Mineral Point • 608-987-3100
JACKSON COUNTY • W.H. Lien, Inc. Hixton • 715-963-4211
JEFFERSON COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Johnson Creek • 920-699-3588
LAFAYETTE COUNTY
• Center Hill Veterinary Clinic Darlington • 608-776-4083 • Ederer Dairy Supply LLC Blanchardville • 608-523-1063
MARATHON COUNTY • Equity Livestock Stratford • 715-687-4101
MONROE COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Sparta • 608-269-3104 • Preston Dairy Equipment Sparta • 608-269-3830
PEPIN COUNTY
• Anibas Silo & Repair Arkansaw • 715-285-5317
PIERCE COUNTY
• Ag Partners Grange Hall • 715-647-5002 • Western Wisconsin Farm Store Ellsworth • 715-273-5066
RICHLAND COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Richland Center • 608-647-6151 • Premier Cooperative Richland Center • 608-647-6173
ROCK COUNTY
• Bobcat of Janesville Janesville • 608-756-0000 • Tri-County Dairy Supply Inc. Janesville • 800-822-7662
SAUK COUNTY
• Ederer Dairy Supply LLC Plain • 608-546-3713 • McFarlanes’ Sauk City • 608-643-3321
ST. CROIX COUNTY
• Leedstone Woodville • 866-467-4717
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
WASHINGTON COUNTY • Farmers’ Implement LLC Allenton • 262-629-4104
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
CLAYTON COUNTY
• Innovative Ag Services Elkader • 563-245-1230 Monona • 563-539-3501
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
JACKSON COUNTY • Innovative Ag Services Andrew • 563-672-3228
MINNESOTA DAKOTA COUNTY
• Werner Implement Vermillion • 651-437-4435
GOODHUE COUNTY
• Ag Partners - Grain Site Bellchester • 651-923-4453 Wanamingo-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
WABASHA COUNTY
• Ag Partners Farm Store Lake City • 651-345-3328 Plainview • 507-534-2531 • Beck Implement Elgin • 507-876-2122 • Leedstone Plainview • 507-534-3161 • Wingert Sales & Service Plainview • 507-534-2285
WINONA COUNTY
• Benson Farm Service Lewiston • 507-523-2188 • Elba Coop Elba • 507-796-6571 • S&S Dairy Systems St. Charles • 507-932-4288
HOUSTON COUNTY
• Farmers Win Coop Caledonia • 507-725-3306 Houston • 507-896-3147 Spring Grove • 507-498-5321
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 Wildres 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 verication by either using the online self-service identity verication method or by completing the identity verication 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.
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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?
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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 conicted 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.
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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 signicant 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 conrmed 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 difcult to identify. Neosporosis can also be difcult 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.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 29
Is dairy farming a business or lifestyle?
Producers maximize prots, a fundamental assumption to all economists. Prot 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 protability. But, the most important prediction of economic theory pertains to the zero protability, which is inevitable when a competitive commodity market such as milk satises 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 prots invites new businesses and expansions, gradually saturating the market and bidding down the price of the commodity. A lower price renders high-cost producers unprotable 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 connement 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 prots, but their business model increasingly requires a larger scale of operation to generate sufcient returns as prot margins decrease.
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To economists like me, near-zero whole. Find ways to be exible and, if protability 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- connement 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
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018
Extra special helpers I am responsible for the morning milking on Saturday mornings, so my children stay home in bed and Keith brings them over later. What could be a quiet time has become something much more amusing as of late. Last Saturday with it being the second week of deer camp, I had a plethora of cousins at the cabin for hunting. Their children come with so they can ride their four-wheelers around and hang out in the barn with me. Our farm is their only concrete agricultural connection. They soak everything up like sponges. One cousin, now 15, would spend a week with us in the summer when he was younger. Kyle was up to the barn searching me out Saturday morning, ready to help. All of the observation and training in his youth has paid off. He was a Godsend that morning. He was strong enough to help pull a calf, had the patience to feed a newborn, the good sense to help with a hard
calving and stay aware and safe, and was willing to help with anything. Garrett, at only 8 years old, was our entertainment that morning. His constant barrage of questions kept me on my toes. His bellowing sympathy pains when I was pulling a calf were hysterical. He wanted so badly to be able to help with big kid jobs that I told him he had to start with spraying down the parlor and scraping manure and work his way up. This seemed to pacify him this year. I did let him help pull the calf a bit, enough to see his face screw up into an expression of complete disturbance and awe at the process. My steadier Saturday morning sidekicks are two young neighbor girls. Stella, 8, and Brynn, 6, are early risers and willing to come to the farm and help me in the quiet of the morning. They ask intuitive questions and listen to the answers. I have heard my answers come back out of their mouths at various times, which
reafrms my belief that a million questions are worth answering if kids listen. They trade off Saturdays, and I am told by their mom that they look forward to it all week long. Ramblings from the Ridge Brynn has been known to have her barn clothes laid out for ve days in anticipation of Saturday morning. She has the mind of a scientist. The questions she asks are probing, and she is not satised with a sugar-coated response. We discuss why we do not keep all the bulls and what steers are. Her By Jacqui Davison favorite line is that Bull Columnist (our dog) is the only bull on the farm. She can explain verbatim the denition of a DA, is eager to pull a calf (provided she can name it) and has no qualms about anything slightly gross. We have had to talk about why some sick cows need to be put down, and she is well on her way to identifying a cow in labor. I have to gently restrain her when we walk cows, because she has no fear of them, and the cows are not sure if she is a joke or not when she is scolding them. She has declared red and white cows her favorite animal, and for Christmas she asked for a cow. I think she has caught the farming bug. I have told Stella as soon as she is old enough to drive the gator up the hill, she is hired. One of my favorite Saturday memories with her was a few months ago when we had a day of chaos. She was walking to search out a sick cow with me when we bumped into Peter in the barn. He asked her if being in the barn this early in the morning was punishment or prize. Stella smirked and answered prize. That day, she witnessed us running an IV on a down cow and then carrying her in the skid steer to the grass. She had the idea to grab the mint udder lotion, after remembering that it helps mastitis cows. I let her sleeve up and help pull a calf, and she was right in there, not a whisper of disgust. She is catching on to milking. When I have calm cows, she is ne to milk one start to nish on her own. I have had to call them to come and help us chase the heifers from the pasture down the road on short notice, knowing they can handle a few yells and can direct an animal. For play toys, I dropped off plastic sleeves and syringes for them. Kelly, their mom, sent me text messages that those things had them playing farm all afternoon with their younger sister, Tassia. Imitation is the highest form of attery they say, and those girls were pretending they were Stacy, Melanie and me. Brynn has even convinced her friends to play farm at recess, with one being a wild heifer that kicked (that was a true story the previous Saturday). Stella has been with me as we had to make a life decision on our cow Old Sow and saw a cow in those moments after life leaves the body. Kelly and Craig are incredible neighbors and thank me for taking their girls to the barn. In reality, it is I who must thank them. Stella and Brynn’s questioning only gives me energy and helps me to look at the farm and all that goes on through less jaded, less tired eyes. They play great with the boys and help look after Cora. Eager helpers asking for explanations of the most mundane tasks lls my bucket. Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wis. Her children, Ira (11), Dane (9), Henry (4) and Cora (adventurous crawler), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
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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 protability. 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 protable 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 reect 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 protable to extend the VWP to 88 days turns for various input pricing scenarios. In a separate in primiparous cows and more protable 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 protable 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 protability 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 protin 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-
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018
My Christmas letter Family Christmas letters that arrive with Christ- ter. Only my acrostic line was going to be “losing 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 Kia’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-
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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.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 33
Cow-centered traditions
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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. “Everything 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 husband’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, “We like mustard on our ham.â€? I have enjoyed learning about our Norseland community’s traditions, which seem more distinct than my own family’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 children’s Christmas programs, church services, parties and traditions in between chores seemed to be nearly impossible some years. I remember thinking, “When will we have our own family’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 family’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.
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018
A double passion
Ullom loves to dairy, hunt By Brittany Olson Contributing Writer
BARRONETT, Wis. – Mark Ullom said he lives for fall. “I try to calve heavier in the fall,” Ullom said. “Nothing is more beautiful than a bunch of cows in, say, August, September, October, outside with fully engorged udders.” Ullom, who milks 105 cows with his wife, Judy, on their Washburn County dairy farm near Barronett, Wis., lives for fall for an altogether different reason as told by his recreation room full of wild game he has shot both locally and on hunts thousands of miles from home. “I actually hated hunting as a kid,” Ullom said. “The weather was a lot colder in those days, and we didn’t have the warm winter clothing we do now, so when I was old enough I started hunting on my own.” Ullom went on an out-of-state hunt in New Mexico in 1974 chasing after mule deer. That rst hunt was a bust, but he was hooked for life and has not missed a year going West. “I’ve been all over heck,” Ullom said. “I’ve hunted in New Mexico, Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, Colorado and Canada in addition to here at home.” Except for one year, all of his other guided hunts were busts. It was during the fall rut in 1980 when Ullom bagged a stately bull elk in Idaho, which is mounted proudly on the wall and is surrounded by other elk, mule deer, whitetail deer, antelope, two moose and a wolf. Ullom had taken his rst elk in Steamboat Springs, Colo., two years prior, but this one was particularly BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR Ullom harvested this moose on one of special. “It was a very primitive hunt, numerous trips to Alaska. Turn to ULLOM | Page 35
BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Mark Ullom stands next to a Ɵmber wolf he shot and had mounted. He milks 105 cows with his wife, Judy, near BarroneƩ, Wis.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 35
ConĆ&#x;nued from ULLOM | Page 34
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Mark Ullom took this elk during a guided hunt near Elk City, Idaho, in the fall of 1980. and we were about 26 miles out in the wilderness,â€? Ullom said. “I got on a fresh elk trail coming down a mountain when he popped up about 30 yards away. The woods were so thick that he didn’t see me coming. He played with me for a while, but he moved at the last second and I got him. If he hadn’t moved he would have gotten away.â€? Ullom has also been to Alaska eight times hunting moose and has two bull moose prominently mounted in the recreation room. “I’ve drove up there ďƒžve times and ďƒ&#x;ew three times,â€? Ullom said. “You ever drive through Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia? I’ve seen six or seven combines out cutting wheat on my way through there, and it’s so ďƒ&#x;at I can’t see the end of the ďƒželd. It’s 3,267 miles through some of the most beautiful country you’ll ever see from here to Anchorage and then another 200 miles to get to where we usually hunt.â€?
One memorable Alaska hunt occurred in 2001 for an altogether different reason. “Moose season opens on Sept. 1, but I typically haven’t seen much until about the 12th when the moose start moving,â€? Ullom said. “It was on Sept. 11 that we decided to go into town and get something to eat at a restaurant. We walked into a cafe ‌ and everyone is glued to their TVs. Of course, we’d been out in the woods all day so we had no idea what happened, so we asked and they told us we’d been bombed. We had a heck of a time trying to ďƒ&#x;y home, but we made it.â€? When asked who does chores while he is hunting, Ullom pointed to his wife and also his employee of 22 years, Holly. “My kids help out quite a bit, too,â€? Ullom said. “I love farming, and I live to hunt. There’s no secret about that.â€?
Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin launches holiday butter promotion
As full-fat diets continue an upward trend, Americans are embracing butter more than they have in nearly ďƒžve decades. With butter sales doubling in November and December, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin is encouraging state residents to “bake local this holiday season with Wisconsin butter.â€? Running now through the end of the year, targeted digital advertisements will appear on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Pandora, Wisconsin Public Radio and the Wisconsin Radio Network. The campaign is taking a targeted approach for digital and social media buys focusing on Wisconsin residents, speciďƒžcally women 25 years and older. In addition, at-home bakers can get in the holiday mood while listening to the Wisconsin Butter Holiday Playlist on Spotify. Why take a local Wisconsin butter approach? – A Package Facts report found nearly half of people surveyed said they are willing to pay up to 10 percent more for locally grown or produced foods. Moreover, according to Better Homes & Gardens, 55 percent of millennials are eating more locally grown or produced foods compared to two years ago. – The campaign taps into the recent popularity of full-fat diets, the desire to buy local and the fact that a large amount of annual butter consumption occurs during this time period. – Buying local supports the local economy and dairy farmers, which enriches the social community. “Adding fresh Wisconsin butter to your favorite recipe is the perfect way to elevate your baking and cooking this holiday season,â€? says Suzanne Fanning, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin Senior Vice President. “Wisconsin’s dairy farmers work hard to produce high-quality dairy products and buying it locally is an excellent way to support them this season.â€? Ways to interact with the campaign include engaging with social media posts on America’s Dairyland Facebook page, listening to the Wisconsin Butter Holiday Playlist on Spotify and supporting Wisconsin farmers by buying local. This campaign complements Go Bold with Butter, the national butter campaign through the American Butter Institute, which is a trade association out of the National Milk Processors Federation (NMPF). With holiday baking season fast approaching, check the label to make sure it’s local butter that you’re buying at your grocery store.
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018
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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 worlds’ 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. 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, taking my cows to cattle shows. What are some words you like to live by? Why put off until tomorrow what can be done today?
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 37
Just days away
I have been sharing our journey towards upgrading and expanding our farm for several weeks. We are now only days away from being inspected and having robots milk our cows for us. This has been a very long and slow build, but it seems like the weeks have own by this summer. All through the project we have farmed through the wettest year we can remember. Over 50 inches of rain have caused a lot of problems and delays in making haylage and corn silage. Fall harvest was miserable with down corn and a stuck combine and grain cart. We were very thankful at Thanksgiving, because we were almost done. There is still corn standing in the wet holes, but we are nished. I left off two weeks ago explaining about how everything seemed to be waiting for the rain to stop and then back lling around the manure storage. While that was nishing up, the foundation and footings were getting poured after the in-oor heat was laid for the milk house, bathrooms, utility and ofce areas. The bulk tank came in and was set in place. It looked so big. We went with a 7,000-gallon tank. The steel girders were brought in weeks prior, and By Tina Hinchley when they started going up it looked like something from a Farmer & Columnist science ction movie with a lot of legs. As the storms and rain kept coming, the construction crew had to stop for safety. They worked on building the two robot rooms that would eventually house our four Lely robots. The insulation was laid on the beams, and the steel roof was placed over the top. While the building was being constructed, the new well was being drilled. We wanted to eliminate the high nitrates we have been living with, so the well went down to the bedrock, but then hit iron. So, the new barn has an iron lter system with the water conditioning. Foot baths were set in place and concrete pads for the waterers were poured, with water lines running up above through the special holes in the beams above. Because the manure storage is below, nothing can be under the oor. A septic tank had to be installed for the bathrooms. And, because we have tours and needed to have handicap accessibility, sinks were a special order that would accommodate a child in a wheelchair. The bathrooms would be inspected, too, so it was important to have approved sinks. The transformer from the electric company was set on concrete outside of the building, and the circuit boards were attached to the wall of the utility room. PVC pipes for the wiring were put through the holes in the beams running from one end of the building to the other. Fans, lights and electric charging stations for the Juno feed pusher and two Discovery manure pushers all had to be connected. Water lines and electric were trenched in, and the natural gas was drilled from the road. All the while, the excavators were moving soil to get the right pitch and drainage to the retention pond. E-mat, a straw woven erosion protector, had to be unrolled and secured all around the barn up to the elds after it was seeded with grass seed. This was done in between rain storms after the ground dried enough to drive on. All of the contractors arrived early while I milked and drove through the cow yard in between the switching of the groups of cows. Duane fed in the freestall barn or loang shed and he held the gates open for the crews to sneak through, while the cows stopped for a few bites of TMR at the bunk before heading into the barn or back to the freestall. Only a few times did the cows get out during this project while the gates were accidentally left open. The day the robots were delivered, we had to request the other crews not work that morning. The sky lifts, JCB movers and busy people working could not distract or be in the way when the robots were set into the robot rooms inside the building. Everything went smooth with the robot installation, and the countdown has begun. I will let you know how everything turns out with our start up in the next Dairy Star. Tina Hinchley, her husband, Duane, and their daughters, Anna and Catherine, milk 135 registered Holsteins and farm 2,500 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wis. They have been hosting farm tours for over 20 years.
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blog. In her new role, Suzanne will continue to focus on marketing communications, which includes branding, digital, advertising, public relations and consumer events, and will also add consumer condence, farmer outreach, and channel/retail marketing to her responsibilities. Suzanne continues to speak around the country to help professionals and students learn how to drive big results with small budgets and creative ideas. She has been a guest lecturer at Ohio State University and the University of Wisconsin. She has been a speaker for The Business Marketing Association, PRSSA, WSPRA, Social Media Week Chicago, Social Media Week NY, Pivot NY, BlogHer, Forrester and the National Agri-Marketing Association. She has served on the boards of Social Media Week, iBlog, I-COM, and the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association and served as president of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. Her marketing philosophies and results have been featured in Forbes, the Chicago Tribune, PRWeek, Groundswell, Secrets to Social Media Marketing, Brains on Fire, and Killing Giants.
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PREMIUM
ANIMAL BEDDING
Wisconsin dairy industry names new chief marketing ofcer Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin has named Suzanne Fanning as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Ofcer for Wisconsin Cheese. Since joining the organization two years ago, Fanning has played a key role in the start of a marketing transformation for Wisconsin’s 175-year-old cheese industry. In 2018 alone, her team led communications for the company’s brand identity, built the Cheeselandia ambassador program and made headlines around the globe for the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS® achievement of the World’s Largest Cheeseboard. Earlier this month, the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin team launched a national commercial, executed under her leadership. In addition, consumers will soon see a new Proudly Wisconsin Cheese™ logo on retail packaging. Her team’s innovative strategy has driven impressive results – increasing social media engagement by over 4,000 percent and achieving over $30 million in national publicity coverage for Wisconsin cheese with features in the New York Times, Bon Appétit and Food & Wine, as well as on The Today Show and Late Night with Seth Meyers. To view media coverage in real time, visit Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin’s media
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PREMIUM BEDDING
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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 prole
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018 • Page 39
sponsored by
Wade Holst Plainview, Minn. Wabasha County 170 goats How did you get into farming? My parents sold their dairy cow herd in 2003 when I was in high school. I always liked the farm. Over the years, I worked at a feed elevator, for a milk processing cooperative and as a hoof trimmer. I always wanted to milk cows, but it wasn’t affordable. I became friends with another dairy goat farmer. After a lot of research, my brother, Shane, and I decided to get into milking dairy goats on our home farm. We bought goats in 2013 and started milking them in January 2014. The investment had a lot to do with our choice of goats over cows. This only cost us about $40,000 to get started. It’s going well. I actually like the goats better than cows, especially when they kick. It doesn’t hurt as bad as getting kicked by a cow. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? We used to sell our milk to Montchevre, but Saputo bought it one year ago. Now there is no competition because there are no other processors that take goat milk. I don’t know what will happen to our price at the beginning of the new year. Saputo is also no longer taking on new patrons so doelings aren’t worth as much. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? We recently
bought a new tractor and haybine, which will help a lot to put up quality hay. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? We used to use conventional alfalfa and then Roundup Ready alfalfa. Two years ago, we switched to low lignin alfalfa. It has been a good switch. It helps us be more exible in our cutting schedule since it never seems that we can get in the eld when we want. It has also increased the protein level and relative feed quality. What cost-saving changes you have made recently? We started using a less expensive teat dip. We also have changed our washing system for our milking equipment in order to save on soap and acid. Both have been a good change and have not affected quality. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? The only employees we hire are a few high school students during kidding season, January through March. Sometimes they will take a few goats home during the winter so we establish good working relationships by building trust. It’s also important to communicate. If there is a problem, we talk to them right away, and they’re usually willing to listen. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I know a lot about animals. I’ve been around animals all my life. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I
like trying to put up good quality forage. I like seeing how good we can make hay. We have a total of 273 acres. We use about 80 acres for forage for our goats and 40-cow beef herd. The rest is rented to other farmers. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Do your research and know what you’re getting into. I spent about two years talking to a lot of people and planning before we started. We didn’t want to invest a lot of money into this and fail. What has been the best purchase you’ve ever made on your farm? Our new 40- by 80-foot building we put up two years ago. We use it as our kidding barn. It is wide open for the goats and also has a warm room where we can put the kids for the rst 24 hours after they are born. This barn gives us more space for the babies and allows us to keep them all under one roof. It’s nice to move them around less. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Our herd peaked at 10 pounds per goat per day. What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? This year, we don’t have any changes planned. In the next ve years, we would like to put up more buildings in order to expand our herd to about 400 goats. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? I like to spend time with my wife, Samantha, and our daughter, Leah, 1. In the summer we do a lot of grilling.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 8, 2018
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