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DAIRY ST R
February 22, 2020
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 22, No. 1
“To me, it’s important that I’m making and selling the best quality milk.” – Rob Ruther
Ruthers maintain SCC at 83,000
All a part of the job
By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
PERHAM, Minn. – Rob and Amie Ruther do not take their job as dairy farmers lightly and with that is the responsibility to provide high quality milk. “It’s my job, as a dairy farmer, to produce milk that you and I can drink,” Rob said. “To me, it’s important that I’m making and selling the best quality milk. That goes with anything in life. I want to do my best job.” Rob and Amie milk 108 cows with their seven children – Eathan, 16, Jonah, 15, Clara, 13, Everett, 10, Mara, 6, Aleece, 4, and Sadie, 1 – in Otter Tail County near Perham. The couple’s niece, Cora Hoehne, also works full time on the farm. Minnesota Dairy Herd
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
The Ruthers – (from le�) Rob holding Aleece, 4, and Amie holding Sadie, 1 – and their niece Cora Hoehne milk 108 cows in O�er Tail County near Perham, Minnesota. In 2019, the Ruthers’ herd maintained an average soma�c cell count of 83,000.
Improvement Association recently recognized the family for their superior milk quality. In 2019, the Ruthers’ herd maintained an average somatic cell count of 83,000. “Honestly, we used to struggle a bit when we rst purchased this farm,” Rob said. “But we made some changes because milk quality has been something we’ve always focused on.” The Ruthers’ morning begins in the barn at 6. Rob brings the cows into the double-8 milking parlor as Amie or Hoehne scrapes the stalls of the 108-stall freestall barn. In the parlor, the Ruthers follow a consistent milking routine. Four cows are dipped with a sanitizer and wiped, stripped, and dipped and wiped again before the milking units are attached. The same procedure is then followed on the other side of the parlor. Turn to RUTHERS | Page 7
Producers’ interac�on with lawmakers making a difference
Bremers help introduce bill during MN Milk Dairy Day at the Capitol By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Last year, Hastings dairy farmers, John and Janet Bremer, attended Minnesota Milk Producers Association Dairy Day at the Capitol for the rst time where they talked with their state senator, Karla Bigham (D-54). This year, the Bremers were part of a press conference that introduced a bill sparked from their conversation one year prior. “It’s just another example of how important it is to talk to your lawmakers and get involved because you just never know what you can do until you try,” Janet said. The Bremers were two of the 57 dairy farmers and industry representatives to attend Minnesota Milk’s Dairy Day at the Capitol Feb. 18 in St. Paul.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Janet Bremer talks during a press conference to introduce the Healthy Kids’ Meals Bill Feb. 19 during Dairy Day at the Capitol in St. Paul. Janet and her husband, John, who are dairy farmers from Has�ngs, Minnesota, came up with the idea for the bill one year ago. Bigham and Rep. Jeff Brand (D19A) authored the Healthy Kids’ Meals Bill, which would make milk the default
beverage in a children’s meal sold in Minnesota. The bill is not a mandate. “This bill will hopefully start ensur-
ing children have healthy habits when it comes to their decision making when it comes to their nutrition,” Bigham said. “More importantly, this is about our dairy farmers. Minnesota lost over 300 dairy farmers last year. That is an 11% reduction from the previous year. We believe this legislation will increase consumer demand for milk and help our dairy farmers.” The idea stemmed from John, who had read about a similar California bill designed because of an inux of diabetes cases in recent years. “We presented it to Karla (last year), and she loved the idea,” John said. “She just had to get someone across party lines to get on the bill with her.” After teaming up with Brand, Bigham garnered the support of health organizations such as the American Heart Association and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, among others. Along with Minnesota Milk, the Minnesota Farmers Union also backs this bill. Turn to DAIRY DAY | Page 5
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofďƒžce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Krista Kuzma - Editor/Wisconsin (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Andrea Borgerding - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (608) 487-1101 danielle.n@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Staff Writer (262) 442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofďƒžce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofďƒžce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeďƒ&#x;er (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Julie Barnes (SE WI and Northern IL) julie.b@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Ashley Curry (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-539-7268 • ashley.c@dairystar.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $35.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute ďƒžnal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Dairy Star, LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofďƒžces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
A glance at the other side
Dairy Star likes to provide local stories, which is why we have two versions of the paper. While the majority of the features are the same, there are many stories in their respective coverage areas that are different. Want to read stories in the other version of the paper? Find full editions on our website, www.dairystar.com and click on the e-edition tab under the Dairy Star header. Here are a few highlights from stories you will not ďƒžnd in this paper, but you can ďƒžnd online in zone 2. Sled dogs racing favorite hobby of Van De Walle For dairy farmer, Jamie Van De Walle of Peshtigo, Wisconsin, there is no greater thrill than racing sled dogs. Van De Walle continues a year round training schedule with her team of sled dogs while farming with her husband, Eric, and his parents, Dan and Sue. She also works full-time as a nutritionist. Cows, cheese, conservation The three Cs are important parts that make up Koepke Farms near Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. John and Kim Koepke focus on cow health and land conservation to create their artisan cheese, LaBelle Cheese. The couple works in partnership with a creamery in Milwaukee to produce their Gouda-style cheese and distribute it throughout the region. Vanderstappen brother-sister team gears up to take over dairy Siblings Marty and Adrianna Vanderstappen are looking forward to their careers in the dairy industry. After graduating college, the two have returned to their family farm near Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where they one day plan to transition to owners. Their father, Mart, is working closely with the siblings and helping assist in the transition process. Flaigs look outside of the box for income diversity Organic, grass-fed dairy and beef, hemp production and off-farm jobs – the Flaigs have it all. Carl and Holden Flaig are continuously looking to diversify their income for their organic Milk Crystal Dairy in Wood County near Junction City, Wisconsin. The farmers also have plans to establish a mobile restaurant with an Italian brick oven. While they are busy with their many endeavors, the Flaigs would not have it any other way as they hold on to being a part of the dairy industry.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists
Bon Yankton Homme
ln
co
Lin
Clay
Freeport
Dobmeiers named First District’s young cooperators Second Section: Pages 3 - 4
ins Dick
Sioux
O’Brien
Clay
Palo Alto
e ke Buena ero Vista Ch
Woodbury
Ida
Monona
Sac
Harrison Shelby
s ta
n
ho
ca
Po
Kossuth
t
n mo
Fre
Mon
Page
Win
Kanabec
Washington
ms ey Ra
Hancock Cerro Gordo
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mb
Hu
Worth
Mitchell Howard Floyd
Greene
Bremer
Wright Franklin Butler
Guthrie
ery
Boone
Dallas
Polk
ll
ha
Story
rs Ma
aw
as
ick
Ch
Black Hawk
Grundy un Webster Hamilton Hardin
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Pottawattamie Cass m tgo
go
a neb
o alh
Crawford Carroll
Mills
Zone 1
Hubbard Wadena
Osceola
Plymouth
Lake City
on Emmet
Lyon
Houston
Tama
Jasper
Fayette
First Section: Page 39
Clayton
an
e war Dubuque
an
ch
Bu
Dairy Prole: Andy Meyer
e
Turner
Winona
Fillimore
Mower
iek
Hutchinson
Freeborn
Faribault
Martin
ake
Charles Mix
Jackson
sh
Douglas
Gregory
McCook Minnehaha
Nobles
Wabasha
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted
ne
Tripp
n
Ha
Murray
Rock
Goodhue
Rice
am
Todd
n so
Moody
Nicollet
Brown
All
Mellette
Miner
Lake
Redwood
Benton
Dela
Jones
Linn
Iowa
Clinton
n Cedar so
hn
Jo
Jackson
Scott
Muscatine
n
Aurora
Brule
Sanborn
Brookings
Madison Warren Marion Mahaska Keokuk
Adair
Adams Taylor
Union Rin
gg
old
Clarke
Lucas
Decatur Wayne
Monroe Wapello e oos
pan
Ap
Zone 2
Davis
gto
Lyman
Jerauld
Kingsbury
Dakota
Scott
Sibley
Lyon
W in
Buffalo
Beadle
Hennepin Carver
Third Section: Pages 2 - 3
hin
Hamlin
Hand
McLeod
Sticha happy with decision to farm
Wa s
Hyde
Anoka
Wright
Meeker
Renville
Yellow Medicine
Isanti
iek
Jones
Hughes
Deuel
Kandiyohi
Chippewa
Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Clark
Sherburne
New Prague
sh
Stanley
Spink
Stearns
Pope
Swift
Grant
Benton
eu r
Sully
Day
Faulk
Potter
Big Stone
Stevens
Pine
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Douglas
Su
Dewey
Todd Grant
we
Pages 10 - 11 Shannon Bennett Second Section
Wilkin
Brown
Carlton
Po
Fall River
Roberts
Marshall
Otter Tail
Heart for Dairy
Aitkin
Crow Wing
n
The “Mielke” Market Jackson Weekly
Walworth
Edmunds
Richland
Sargent
Cass
Cologne
First Section: Pages 37 - 38
go
Haakon
McPherson
Becker
Clay
Lake
isa Ch
Page 33 First Section
Campbell
M
Ransom
Dickey
en
om ahn
Cook
Itasca
bo
Corson
Meade
Custer
Cass
LaMoure
McIntosh
Sioux
Adams
Pennington
Bames
Emmons
Dairy Good Life Ziebach
Lawrence
Stutsman
Logan
Perkins
Butte
Kidder
Tra ver se
Burleigh
Morton
Just Thinking Out Loud Page 32 First Section
Harding
Norman
Oliver
Page 31 Hettinger First SectionGrant
Polk
Trail
Steele
Lincoln
Something to Ruminate Stark On
Griggs
Koochiching St. Louis
Pipestone
Bowman
Foster
Beltrami
Red Lake
n
Slope
Wells
Sheridan
Mercer
Second Section: Pages 5 - 6
Lake of the Woods
Pennington
Grand Forks
Eddy
McLean
Roseau
Marshall
Benson Nelson
Page 30 First Section
Kittson
Walsh
Ramsey
McHenry
Ward
Pembina
io
Billings Golden Valley
Pierce
Mountrail Dear County Agent Guy
Dunn
Cavalier
Towner
Un
McKenzie
Rolette
Da vi so n
Williams
Bottineau
First Section: Pages 10 - 11
Dairymen share cow comfort strategies
Froelichs convert poultry barn to tiestall facility
Au
Page 26 Renville First BurkeSection
Divide
First Section: Pages 1, 7
Ruthers maintain SCC at 83,000
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
FSA News & Notes
Lastrup
du
Scherpings treasure time spent milking cows
Norwood Young America
Perham
Le
Freeport
Pages 8-9 First Section
Clearwater
Ag Insider
on
rs ffe
Je
Van Buren
Guttenberg
Louisa
Henry Des
Moines
Lee
Legendary Cows
Third Section: Pages 8 - 9
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
What programs do you use for bookkeeping? Bowlus
Kids Corner: The Geise family
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Third Section: Pages 12 - 13
First Section: Pages 15 - 16
Faireld
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Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 • Page 5
COLD CALVES NEED MORE ENERGY!
ConƟnued from DAIRY DAY | Page 1
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Senator Dave Senjem (leŌ) talks with Dairy Day at the Capitol aƩendees (from leŌ) Ashley Warren, Ann Buck, Marianne Peterson, Tom Walsh, Dave Buck, Paul Daley and Aaron Vogt, Feb. 19 in St. Paul, Minnesota. “I have a lot of personal things involved because there’s a lot of diabetes in my family and also in John’s family,” Janet said. “It hits close to home. That was one of the things that really sold us on it. And we want to do whatever we can do to encourage milk consumption.” The Bremers are thankful for the opportunity to talk with their legislators which has created relationships with the leaders. “Even if it doesn’t become law, at least we got people thinking and people talking,” Janet said. Tom Sedgeman, a dairy farmer from Sauk Centre and a Minnesota Milk board member, had the opportunity to try to create change. He testied to senators on the agriculture, rural development and housing policy committee. The day’s meeting focused on farm safety.
“It’s very painful for me when I hear young people, especially children, pass away from farm accidents,” Sedgeman said about why he wanted to testify. Along with being a dairy farmer, Sedgeman taught agriculture for 10 years and incorporated lessons about safety on the farm. He also worked several years for Kraft Foods. “I got the perspective of safety from the corporate side,” he said. “What I see happening in industry and the improvements they’ve made, and the emphasis they’ve put on safety, I feel in farming we haven’t kept pace.” While larger farms must follow OSHA laws and are required to have insurance audits, smaller dairies do not have the same regulations, Sedgeman said. Turn to DAIRY DAY | Page 6
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
ConƟnued from DAIRY DAY | Page 5
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“On smaller family farms, and smaller is a broad term, they don’t have required safety meetings or audits,” he said. “The goal would be to get all of us to stir our imagine and to think outside the box to make a difference on our farms, and in our families and for our employees.” Sedgeman’s ideas to do this include encompassing businesses that work with farms to invest in their customers’ farm safety, encourage families to discuss farm safety as part of the business and create a safety audit checklist that farmers can go through on their own.
“I think we’ve gained a certain amount of respect coming here every year and relating to the legislature on a one-to-one level.” DAVID BUCK, DAIRY FARMER
“I would rather the farmers address the issues on their farms themselves,” Sedgeman said. “We know our farms. It’s our business. I would rather make the changes through being better informed and better aware than some regulatory agency dictate to me what I need to do.” Other participants in the day were able to meet in small groups with legislators in their ofces to discuss important dairy issues. “It’s always good to get dairy farmers up here and meet with the local legislators,” said David Buck, Minnesota Milk president and a dairy farmer from Goodhue. “The legislators learn about our
problems, and the farmers learn that these people are trying to gure out answers to the questions and the problems. It’s a good two-way street.” The legislative priorities of Minnesota Milk included needing a streamlined regulatory environment. Minnesota Milk supports the continuation of the Livestock Investment Grants and encourages the expansion to immediate family members for the Beginning Farmer Tax Credit. It also encourages lawmakers to conform to Section 179 to eliminate recent issues with Like Kind Exchanges, causing state tax bills on phantom income. The organization also supports efforts to address climate change. Dairy farmers in attendance talked about the benets of alfalfa, how Minnesota milk production lowers greenhouse gases in comparison to other countries and how methane digestors have the ability to generate power and lower greenhouse gas totals. Other priorities include investing in farmers by trying to help with problem areas including high health insurance premiums for small businesses, the need for road and bridge improvements, and better broadband internet. “It’s the age of technology and communication,” Buck said. “You need internet. I liken it to back in the ‘40s when they brought electricity to the farm. It’s the same thing. We need up-to-date technology.” Overall, dairy farmers were satised with their work at the Capitol. “I think we’ve gained a certain amount of respect coming here every year and relating to the legislature on a one-to-one level,” Buck said. “It’s good to have that communication. They listen and not that they can always deliver, but they listen and it’s a good exercise on both sides.”
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ConƟnued from RUTHERS | Page 1 Cows are carefully monitored so they are not over-milked. Following milking, the cows are dipped with an iodine solution. “Consistency,” Amie said. “With our milking procedure, everything.” Rob agreed. “I think double dipping before we milk really helps too,” he said. During milking, the Ruthers pay close attention to their herd. If an animal shows signs of mastitis, they will bucket her milk and let the infection run its course. Previously, they sent in cultures and waited for results before deciding which antibiotic to use, but now when a cow becomes infected, the Ruthers typically do not intervene. “We understand antibiotics are tools,” Rob said. “We give cows a chance to recover before we run for the bottle. Honestly, we haven’t treated a cow in a long time.” Amie agreed. “I think we’ve created a better immune system for the cows and that’s why our SCC is low,” she said. Calves are fed milk from the bucketed animals. Outside of the milking parlor, the Ruthers focus on cleanliness. They use a bedding mixture of one-third sawdust to two-thirds wood shavings. Stalls are bedded once a week and scraped frequently throughout the day. Rob also diligently tracks stray voltage, which he attributes to uctuations in SCC. “You can tell if stray voltage is affecting them,” Rob said. “It’s either one or two cows close by or the whole herd, and they dance. Testing for that can be as simple as nding a cord that was left plugged in.” Attention to detail and consistency
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Cora Hoehne cleans stalls in the Ruthers’ freestall barn Feb. 7 at their dairy near Perham, Minnesota. have propelled the Ruthers’ milk quality, and it has paid off. The family receives a premium of 70 cents per hundredweight for a SCC under 100,000 from their cooperative, Lakes Area Cooperative in Perham. Rob estimated that the premium brings in an additional $1,500 each month. “ T h e r e ’s a n i c e s e n s e o f accomplishment to see our SCC where it’s at. The last two years have been really good,” Rob said. “We’ve just been able to control what we can control.” The Ruthers purchased their farm site in 2012.
In a short time, the couple addressed three areas they felt were contributing to a high SCC: the housing facility for milking cows, stray voltage and chronic cows. Initially, the cows were housed in a bedded pack barn. “But, the barn was designed for stalls,” Rob said. “The bank also encouraged us to change that right away.” The Ruthers then focused on confronting stray voltage throughout the farm. And, as Rob and Amie had heifers calving in, they aggressively culled cows from their herd.
“Between the free stalls and heifers calving in, we really saw a change in SCC,” Rob said. Amie agreed. “Although that helped us some, we still had cows freshening with a high SCC,” she said. So, the Ruthers reevaluated their management. They rst reviewed their dry cow protocol. The couple was dry treating every cow with antibiotics and an intramammary teat sealant. They toyed with selective dry cow therapy but chose to implement a no-treatment protocol. “I read a lot about treatments and why treat a cow if the infection could run its course,” Amie said. They also shied away from bedding with straw. While the straw worked well, Rob was bedding twice a day. When a different bedding type became available for purchase, it created a drier environment for the cows and eliminated some labor. For a short stint, the Ruthers milked any fresh cows and bucketed animals in the farm’s old tiestall barn. “I’d like to get back to that where everyone was all in one place and I didn’t have to sort out cows if they were treated or whatever,” said Rob, whose close-up cows are occupying the old facility. The last seven years have provided the Ruthers with opportunity to improve their work as dairy farmers and, in turn, be recognized for their milk quality. While the family is pleased with their progress, it is only a stepping-stone in their continual quest to do their job well. “It’s been a learning curve, but it never hurts to experiment and see what works,” Rob said. “I have to know I’m doing my best to give people quality milk.”
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Work continues on U.S.-China trade relations Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
The phase one trade deal between the United States are still putting stress on farm cash ows. Farm subsidy and China is now ofcially in place. All eyes are on the payments help, notably crop insurance and the Market exports to China with the commitment to signicantly Facilitation Program payments. Those were, in many increase their agricultural purchases from the United cases, the difference between net operating loss or prot.” States in the next two years. Work continues on other Smith said there are some positives that should help parts of the agreement. China must sign improve the 2020 outlook. “One year ago Ag Insider paperwork acknowledging the safety we had almost no trade agreements in place. standards for U.S. dairy products. By midThis year, we have the U.S.-Mexico-Canada March, China has agreed to eliminate the Agreement, bilateral trade agreements with cattle age requirements for imports of U.S. Japan, South Korea and the phase one deal beef and beef products. with China. It may take patience, but at least the groundwork has been laid for trade Could Chinese imports be inuenced by normalization and improved farm prices.” coronavirus? The phase one trade agreement became Lawmakers hear progress report on effective in mid-February. The Russell DAIRI program Group President Randy Russell said no one In one of the rst hearings of the anticipated the coronavirus to impact China’s session, the Minnesota House Agriculture purchases. “There is an Act of God provision and Food Finance and Policy Division got in the agreement, which would allow them an update on Minnesota’s Dairy Assistance, By Don Wick to postpone some of the purchases if there Investment and Relief Initiative. The DAIRI Columnist was a signicant ood, drought or some type program was created in the 2019 legislative of situation that’s beyond normal. It doesn’t session to encourage enrollment in the Dairy allow them to get out of the purchases, just temporarily Margin Coverage program. Lawmakers issued $8 million pull back on some of the purchases.” Another important for the program. According to DAIRI grant supervisor part of the agreement is enforcement. “President Trump Ashley Bress, 1,550 farms were involved in the rst round sent a signal he’s willing to reduce tariffs as long as China of DAIRI program payments. Altogether, $3.4 million in makes signicant changes on intellectual property rights, payments were issued, with checks ranging from $26 to foreign investments and currency manipulations. Whether $5,000. Bress said the second round of program payments people agree with it or not, Trump has used tariffs as a are being issued to Minnesota dairy farmers. “One week means to an end. That’s why we’ve ended up with a strong ago we started to issue payments. We will issue about agreement.” 180 checks.” Round two payments will total about $4.5 million. Canada’s USMCA ratication vote delayed The Canadian Parliament may not vote to ratify the Advocacy groups sue FSA over CAFOs U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement until April. Canadian The Farm Service Agency is being sued by a handful Prime Minister Justin Trudeau hoped to wrap up the of advocacy groups in a disagreement over large-scale trade deal this month, but the issue has been bogged animal agriculture operations. The lawsuit claims the FSA down at the committee level. Trudeau’s Liberal Party lost has delayed and overly redacted Freedom of Information its majority in the October elections, giving opposition Act requests. The Public Justice Foundation, Animal parties the leverage to delay the process. Legal Defense Fund, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Center for Food Safety and Food & Water Watch are FCA CEO testies about farm economy behind this lawsuit. These groups are looking for nancial The House Appropriations Subcommittee records to determine if tax dollars are beneting the largeon Agriculture took testimony from Farm Credit scale farms at the expense of small family-based farms. Administration CEO Glen Smith. Smith told lawmakers the U.S. farm sector continues to face challenges. “High Developing a system for sustainability payments operating costs for labor, farm inputs and other expenses Sustainability is a buzzword today, but it can be
difcult coming to terms with what that means. Bruce Knight, who leads Strategic Conservation Solutions, believes sustainability must evolve as relationships between food companies and farmers, rather than from policy and regulatory forces. Knight is part of the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium. “We’re trying to build a mechanism of voluntary incentive payments from companies and transfer that into carbon payments, water quality payments or water quantity payments.” Knight is a South Dakota farmer who served as the NRCS chief and USDA undersecretary for marketing and regulatory programs during the George W. Bush administration. Land O’Lakes adopts ‘Farmer Owned’ brand Land O’Lakes has new packaging for its butter that features its farmer members. The phrase ‘Farmer Owned” will be above the brand on the front of the packaging. Products, like stick butter, will also include photos of Land O’Lakes farmers and co-op members. This is the 100th anniversary for the co-op and Land O’Lakes President and CEO Beth Ford said it is important to connect the men and women who grow the food with those who consume it. SD dairy farm recognized at cattle industry convention Boadwine Farms of Baltic, South Dakota received the Beef Quality Assurance Dairy Award at the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention. Owners Lynn and Trish Boadwine milk more than 2,000 Holstein dairy cows and farm 2,500 acres of rotating feed and forage crops. The Boadwine family exemplies the BQA program by producing quality milk and beef, along with opening its doors to educate local students, South Dakota State University interns and consumers across the state. Olson to serve another four years as NFO President The National Farmers Organization has reelected Paul Olson as its president. The Wisconsin dairy farmer has been in that role for the past 20 years. Bruce Schultz of Montana was elected vice president of the organization. VanDerWal takes MSCA post Allison VanDerWal has been hired as the new Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association executive director and beef quality assurance coordinator. VanDerWal graduated from the University of Minnesota
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ConĆ&#x;nued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 in May 2019 with a master’s degree in ruminant nutrition. VanDerWal grew up on her family’s feedlot near Sanborn, Minnesota and begins the new role in early April. Trivia challenge Dairy Queen has the menu item called the Blizzard. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, the Borden Dairy Company had a cartoon cow as a mascot. What was the name of that cow? 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.
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The Froelichs – (from leŌ) Tracie holding Jordyn, 2, and JusƟn holding Emery, 4 – milk 100 cows in Morrison County near Lastrup, Minnesota.
Froelichs convert poultry barn to tiestall facility a few years passed and we took another look at our options.” Tracie agreed. LASTRUP, Minn. – Sitting on the north end of “We were living here (in Lastrup) and driving 12 the Froelichs’ farm site is a staple building that, until miles each day to take care of the cows,” she said. “At recently, sat empty for more than 20 years. the time, I was pregnant with our second, and we didn’t In an effort to continue operating on the family’s want to keep doing that.” farm site and pursue a dairying career, Justin and TraIn the spring of 2017, the couple began their renocie Froelich converted the 36-by-220 poultry barn to vation project. By early September of that year, they a 92-stall tiestall dairy barn. moved 65 cows into the tiestall barn. “We were at a point where we wanted a place to While the barn was primarily used for laying hens, call ours,” Justin said. after Justin’s grandfather stopped raising birds, the cages The Froelichs and their daughters – Emery, 4, and were removed and the facility was used for storing hay. Jordyn, 2 – milk 100 Holsteins at their farm in Morrison “We thought it was the perfect size for what we County near Lastrup. The farm site is where Justin’s needed,” Justin said. “It was going to be a lot of work, dad, Terry, grew up, and where Justin found his passion but we could use a lot of what was already here. And, for farming. this was a project we could complete that was the lowJustin began milking cows in 2012. During that est cost alternative to be able to dairy farm without time, he and Tracie purchased her dad’s herd of 57 growing our herd.” cows at Tracie’s home farm near Buckman. The Froelichs were able to repurpose much of the “We looked at converting the barn in 2012 but barn. They kept the outer building frame and lights, decided to go to her dad’s instead,” Justin said. “Then, and were able to use the original manure system that pumped waste from the barn to a pit near the farm’s stanchion barn. On the east end of the barn is a holding tank that allows the Froelichs to pump manure every other day. “That was one of the biggest deciding factors,” Justin said. “The manure system was grandfathered in. All we had to do was make sure the line was open.” Family and friends helped the Froelichs take the tin off the interior walls and bring the barn down to the studs. From there, they reinsulated the facility and put up white walls. “As soon as we took MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR The Ɵestall barn has 92 stalls at the Froelichs’ dairy farm near Lastrup, MinTurn to FROELICHS | nesota. In 2017, the couple renovated the farm’s old poultry barn to the dairy Page 11 facility. By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
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ConƟnued from FROELICHS | Page 10
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Four 72-inch fans are installed at the west end of the Ɵestall barn at the Froelichs’ dairy near Lastrup, Minnesota. The poultry barn was completely guƩed and remodeled to accommodate dairy cows. the tin off, it looked like an entirely different building,” Justin said. The couple, Terry and friends also tore out walls that separated the barn area from a wood shop, cooler room and ofce. At the west end of the barn, the Froelichs installed four 72-inch fans. “In the summertime, there are virtually no ies in the barn,” Tracie said. Justin agreed. “The fans pull the air through the barn and underneath the cows, not just down the center aisle,” he said. “There’s just airow to no end.” Justin and Tracie worked with Hartung Sales and Service Inc., of Freeport, to design stalls that would maximize the space available and provide adequate cow comfort. The barn provided enough room for 92 stalls with 6-foot bunk space in front of the cows. “It’s roomy and the ventilation is great,” said Justin of what he likes most about the facility. Justin purchased milking equipment, such as the pipeline and bulk tank, from a farmer in Wisconsin who was transitioning to robots. And come moving day, he nished morning milking at his in-laws’ farm and then brought the vacuum pump and other supplies to his place. Within four hours the herd was relocated. “We wanted to get it all done in between milkings,” Justin said.
The cows adjusted quickly to their new environment, and in time the Froelichs have lled the barn – and then some. They also moved all of their youngstock and dry cows home. “It’s really rewarding to look down the barn and see all we’ve built from just 57 cows,” Tracie said. Now, the Froelichs’ days are spent better than they could have ever imagined. Justin is in the barn by 3:30 a.m. He cleans the barn and begins milking. At the same time, Justin’s dad mixes feed. He comes to the farm every day to help tend to the herd. Afterwards, Justin feeds the milking herd and takes care of other farm chores. Tracie and the girls also help most days by feeding calves. Tracie also holds a part-time job as a hair stylist in Pierz. “We keep telling the girls how lucky they are to see their parents every day,” Tracie said. Justin agreed. “Honestly, that was a really important part for us,” he said. “We want our kids to grow up how we did, on the farm.” The barn renovation has not only allowed the Froelichs to revitalize a central building on the family farm but also assist the young couple in forming their dairy career. “On the outside it’s nothing special,” Justin said. “But on the inside, it works.” Mark Klaphake contributed to this article.
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
Innovating infant formula with goat milk Wisconsin company manufactures rst in US
primary background was in internal medicine and pediatrics. In May 2019, He partnered NEKOOSA, Wis. – Tom with James Esselman, DDS, to Freston, a co-founder of MTV, found the Bêne Baby Company once said that innovation is to produce the goat milk infant taking two things that exist and formula which is the rst of its putting them together in a new kind manufactured in the United States. way. For their efforts, the pair was That is exactly what Nikos Linardakis did when he devel- awarded designation as a semioped Bêne Baby infant formula nalist in the 2020 Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge using goat milk. Linardakis’, MD and presi- which recognizes entrepreneurs dent of the Bêne Baby Company, developing innovative farming and agricultural products with a regional emphasis. “These hardworking entrepreneurs demonstrated their commitment to take on some of the biggest challenges in agriculture. Their innovation will help American farmers continue to grow healthy, affordable products for consumPHOTO SUBMITTED ers,” said Zippy Bêne Baby infant formula, made from Wis- Duvall, AFBF consin-produced goat milk, is the rst of its president. “It’s a pleasure to reckind to be produced in the United States. By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
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James Esselman, D.D.S., is one of the founding partners of the Bêne Baby Company in Nekoosa, Wisconsin. ognize and award these outstanding businesses to help them deliver solutions that will drive U.S. agriculture forward.” The $10,000 prize will help Bêne Baby Company launch their new product and assist them in developing relationships with the dairy farmers who provide the goat milk for their product. “I have wanted to do this for the last few years, but the availability of goat milk and the cost of production had challenges,”
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formula,” Linardakis said. Linardakis spoke on the differences between free sugars, such as corn syrup, and naturally occurring sugars found in fruits, vegetables and also in milk. “The naturally occurring sugars are healthier and enter the blood stream more slowly,” he said. “Over consumption of high fructose corn syrup and other free sugars cause spikes in blood glucose levels which is linked to a host of reactions in the body, like hyperactivity, sleep issues and obesity. Introducing free sugars into the body during infancy can set a child up for health problems later on in life, including childhood obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes and potential addiction problems.” Goat milk became the perfect vehicle for Linardakis to pursue making a healthier, more natural infant formula because of the protein structure of the milk. “Cow milk and also soy are considered highly allergenic when introduced to infants under a year old,” Linardakis said. “The main reason they are allergenic is because of the types of protein. The casein protein creates a reaction in the infant, causing them to spit up, bloat and have other problems. When infants are unable to properly digest, they won’t absorb the necessary nutrients.” Turn to FORMULA | Page 13
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ConĆ&#x;nued from FORMULA | Page 12 Linardakis said goat milk has low alpha S-1 and low A-1 beta casein, the two most allergenic casein proteins, and is high in beneďƒžcial alpha 2 and A-2 beta casein. “If you start a baby on cow’s milk formula, they may have an allergy or reaction because their immune system recognizes that as an allergen,â€? Linardakis said. “That is why we say you should start with the goat milk formula.â€? Linardakis said with the increased popularity of selecting for A2A2 genetics in cows, A2A2 milk can be a good option, but that the proteins in cow’s milk are longer and require more enzymes to digest. Also, the fats in goat’s milk are small and medium chain triglycerides, and are structurally different from those in cow’s milk. “Structurally, the lipids are different because they are amphiphilic which is unique for goat milk and means you do not necessarily need to homogenize the milk,â€? Linardakis said. “It mixes with the water and disperses evenly instead of separating. That is a beneďƒžt for the infant. The smaller and medium chain triglycerides are very good for brain, skin and heart health.â€? Linardakis said infants beneďƒžt from consumption of formula derived from goat’s milk from birth to 12 months because their digestive systems lack the ability to process the longer proteins and larger lipid molecules; however, as they become toddlers, their digestive systems have matured enough to be able to digest the proteins and lipids in cow’s milk without the allergic responses. “This is the ďƒžrst formula with goat milk made in
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Nikos Linardakis, M.D., specializes in family pracĆ&#x;ce and pediatrics, and developed a healthier infant formula using goat milk. BĂŞne Baby Company was a semi-ďƒžnalist in the 2020 Farm Bureau Ag InnovaĆ&#x;on Challenge. the United States,â€? Linardakis said. “It meets all (Food and Drug Administration) nutrient requirements, and the ingredient traceability goes back to the farmer. This insures quality, biosecurity and the control of shipping conditions. Parents can feel good they are giving their
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infant a product they can trust.â€? BĂŞne Baby Company has partnered with a Wisconsin goat milk processor to source the milk required for their infant formula. The milk is dried and processed in Wisconsin as well. “It’s a sustainable solution for dairy farmers,â€? said James Esselman of creating new markets for goat milk. “It was a winning formula for the Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge, but it is also a winning formula for dairy farmers if they want to convert to farming goats. It’s an additional source of income.â€? Linardakis said that creating an infant formula made from goat milk opens up a whole new market for goat milk. At the beginning, they will be producing about 40,000 units of formula each month. “That is a lot of milk, truckloads,â€? Linardakis said. “Goat milk used to be just for cheese. We’ve created a new market for goat milk. The global infant formula market is also signiďƒžcant; it is estimated over $45 billion and expected to have a compound growth rate of over 9% annually.â€? When the product is launched, BĂŞne Baby Company plans to utilize channels for sales with several major retailers that will be carrying the formula. While the company will not be retailing the formula online themselves, it will be available online through their retail partners. “We love helping our community here in Nekoosa, and we are really committed to Wisconsin,â€? Linardakis said. “We are going to be giving back to the community, providing product to lower income families so they can have the beneďƒžts of healthy nutrition.â€?
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 • Page 15
What is a beneficial change you made to bookkeeping? Andrew and Chelsa Golberg Deer Creek, Minnesota Otter Tail County 200 cows Describe your bookkeeping within a week’s time. Every week our bookkeeping is different. The main things that happen regularly are paying bills and doing our payroll which generally takes
place twice a month. What programs do you use for bookkeeping? I (Chelsa) use QuickBooks and Excel/Google Sheets for all of our bookkeeping. I use the QuickBooks online version and appreciate its features. I use Excel and Google Sheets to do payroll for the farm. What outside resources do you use to help you with this role? We didn’t use very many outside resources until recently. Now I have an accountant who can help me with certain things in QuickBooks. She is great at helping to make sure I enter complicated transactions correctly and our balance sheet is accurate. What is one change you made to bookkeeping that has beneďƒžted the farm? Switching to online QuickBooks. This has allowed me to write and print checks, sync with our online banking and allow my accountant instant access to help me even when we don’t have time to meet. Anything that can save time is a huge advantage because our lives are so busy already. This has allowed me to do a better job staying current with our bookkeeping and gives us instant feedback on our business. What was the learning curve for this position, and what training have you done to help you? The learning curve for this position has been huge. I knew nothing about farm accounting when we started. My husband and I started dairying in 2005, and every year I am learning something new to improve the way we are doing things. We were enrolled in a farm business management class when we ďƒžrst started farming. I have not had any formal training in bookkeeping for our dairy but think it would have been beneďƒžcial. What was the most important piece of advice you would give about bookkeeping? You have to create a system that works for your farm and situation. Figure out your own weaknesses (I am a procrastinator) and ďƒžnd ways that help you avoid those weaknesses. With our online system, I don’t have to enter checks into QuickBooks again since I write and print them in the system, and other transactions are synced with our bank account. This eliminates me having to enter everything later which I tended to procrastinate on. As business owners, we sometimes forget to put value on our own time, but, as busy parents, our time is precious and valuable. Tell us about your farm. My husband, Andrew, and I are raising our two children, Ellie, 9, and Hank, 7, on our 200-cow dairy in Deer Creek. We started off exclusively milking cows and raising crops as forages for our herd. In the last ďƒžve years, we have diversiďƒžed to survive the turbulent milk prices. We expanded our business to add custom hay and corn chopping and cus-
John and Staci Scherber Rogers, Minnesota Hennepin County 112 cows Describe your bookkeeping within a week’s time. Usually John sits down at our computer once a week to enter in the checks we have written out and the deposits we have made. He then cross references these entries with our bank account. It used to be that he could wait a month before having to make entries, but with the tough dairy industry for the last four years, it seems like we have to keep on top of things to see what bills can get paid. What programs do you use for bookkeeping? We use PcMars, a farm accounting program on our computer, and FINPAK for ďƒžnancial analysis. What outside resources do you use to help you with this role? We enter all our information into PcMars ourselves, and then Stan Vander Kooi, a farm management consultant, runs the FINPAK analysis. He generates balance sheets, cash ďƒ&#x;ows and cost analyses. Our banker has also been helpful with putting information together for us. What is one change you made to bookkeeping that has beneďƒžted the farm? We’ve changed two things. One: having a consultant to help us bring together our information and look at our business more objectively. Two: doing our bookkeeping on the computer. It makes it easier for us to see where we are throughout the year. What was the learning curve for this position, and what training have you done to help you? PcMars is a fairly simple program and is easy to use. It adapts well to any size or type of farm. The biggest challenge was developing the habit of sitting down at the computer. Our farm consultant helped us set it up and get started. What was the most important piece of advice you would give about bookkeeping? Take the time to sit down and enter the information. Even if we don’t do anything with the information, the simple task of entering it helps us understand the farm better. Tell us about your farm. We have one of the few dairy farms left in Hennepin County. We farm about 250 acres to feed our dairy herd. We grow oats, alfalfa and corn. We raise all our replacements here on the farm. We have a cross-ventilated freestall barn to house the cows. We milk the cows in a 46-stall barn with a pipeline, using six milking units. When it is ďƒžnancially feasible, we would like to move milking into the freestall barn. It is set up to someday install milking robots. We have no extra employees. Our four children living at home help with chores. A family friend, Pete, helps regularly whenever needed. Our daughter, Quinci, recently graduated with a dairy management degree and is starting to farm with us. tom heifer raising to our business. Along with our 200 milking cows, we raise 350 custom heifers along with 150 of our own. I work off the farm as a math teacher at Creek High School, and we have employees who help Andrew manage the daily workload on the farm.
Laurel Swenson Dusty Willow Dairy Lakota, North Dakota Nelson County 800 cows Describe your bookkeeping within a week’s time. Each week of the month, payables are entered and bills are processed. Since we now receive milk checks weekly, we can also examine cash ďƒ&#x;ow in weekly detail. Payroll is completed twice a month, and income statements are generated monthly. With more and more parts and supplies ordered online, time needs to be given weekly to keep those transactions accurately recorded, also. What programs do you use for bookkeeping? We began our operation using the Agcheck accounting program, and when that program was discontinued, our records were merged into CenterPoint for agriculture and payroll. Both programs are offered by Red Wing Software. What outside resources do you use to help you with this role? In addition to CenterPoint, for computer support, for technical questions we consult our accountant on any issues we don’t feel familiar with. What is one change you made to bookkeeping that has beneďƒžted the farm? Several years ago, we put extra time into using our monthly reports to track expenses in extreme detail with the goal of cutting costs. This included examining all invoices, comparing products and prices, and changing protocols where needed. Although this sounds simple, it was hard to carve out the time while milking 24/7. We were able to realize some signiďƒžcant savings in drug costs, parlor supplies and feed expense. That whole process gave us conďƒždence and underlined the value of using our numbers in a timely manner. What was the learning curve for this position, and what training have you done to help you? When we initially expanded from 75 cows to 450 cows, the learning curve was huge in every aspect of the operation. At that time, in 1999, Land O’ Lakes was offering the assistance of a dairy startup team to producers. So, we had monthly guidance and advice through the building process and on into the ďƒžrst year of operation. This included several hours monthly of on-site accounting program assistance which was a lifesaver as we had no training in accrual accounting. What is the most important piece of advice you would give about bookkeeping? Understand that the data you are entering needs to be utilized to help manage your business. It’s not just about paying bills and generating reports at year end for the bank. It’s about measuring things so you can manage them. Keep current on book work and be consistent in the methods you use. It’s also good to have someone that’s ordering and using the parts and supplies regularly look over those bills not only for errors but for trends that may need managing. Tell us about your farm. Our dairy career began in 1985 when we outďƒžtted a barn on the family property and began milking heifers Kent had raised from calves and A.I. bred. In 1999, after 12 years in business as a ďƒžrst-generation dairy, Kent and I formed an LLP and expanded from 75 cows to 450 cows with help of an investor group. In 2009, we had the opportunity to buy out the other investors. We operate as a family farm corporation that includes our son, Cameron, as crop manager and our daughter, Hilary, as herd information manager. With the help of 16 additional employees, we milk 800 cows, raise our heifer calves, grow about 400 steers annually and farm 1,000 acres. We are the only dairy in our county and one of approximately a dozen dairies in North Dakota that milk over 500 cows.
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Nathan Kling Taylor, Wisconsin Jackson County 500 cows Describe your bookkeeping within a week’s time. With milk checks coming bi-weekly, we usually cut checks for the bills after a milk check comes. Payroll is done biweekly on our farm also. What programs do you use for bookkeeping? We use the AAIMS accounting program that is supported through the University of Wisconsin Center for Dairy Protability. We have used this for about 20 years, and it has served us well. It does all of our accounting including payroll for our employees. We can easily export les to our accountant for tax work. What outside resources do you use to help you with this role? I do all the computer data entry and payroll for our farm as I like to know what is being spent in different areas. By doing this myself, I am better informed of what is being spent where and can react quicker when something looks abnormal. My wife does most of the check writing for us. What is one change you made to bookkeeping that has beneted the farm? Having a computer program that can generate cash ows and balance sheets that are up to date. Our lender and accountant like to have these reports readily available when needed. What was the learning curve for this position, and what training have you done to help you? The learning curve is not bad. It was something that needed to be done and information we wanted to track, so I started doing it when I started on my own. It’s not complicated, just a lot of basic math. What is the most important piece of advice you would give about bookkeeping? Keep records current. It’s much easier and enjoyable to do a little more often than a lot infrequently. Tell us about your farm. My wife and I have two farms: one is a 250cow organic dairy and one is a 250cow robotic conventional dairy. We farm about 1,400 acres of crops. The organic dairy is rotationally grazed on about 300 acres of pasture. We raise our heifers at both dairies and also raise some feeder steers. We also do custom harvesting and manure hauling for a few neighbors.
Sheri Sexton Millville, Minnesota Wabasha County 125 cows Describe your bookkeeping within a week’s time. I pay bills by mail on a weekly basis and then balance the checkbook once or twice a week. What programs do you use for bookkeeping? I use QuickBooks which was recommended to us by our accountant. We have used it for 23 years. Before that, I used pencil and paper. I still use a checkbook register. What outside resources do you use to help you with this role? We work with an accountant who we meet with every November and every January. We discuss tax recommendations on how to save money and other tax tips. What is one change you made to bookkeeping that has beneted the farm? When we decided to hire a good accountant and lawyer, that beneted the farm. It provides us with good tax advice. Plus, it saved us money. Before we started with this accountant, we took our taxes to H&R Block, but they missed over $2,000 in deductions. What was the learning curve for this position, and what training have you done to help you? I have been doing this for 40 years, so it is just learning over the years what works. When we moved to QuickBooks, it took a while to learn it and play around to nd what we needed. It is denitely better than paper and pencil. I try to emphasize to my kids the importance of bookkeeping and the business aspect of the farm. The younger generation does not write checks. I tell them they need to have a paper trail. My rule of thumb is anything for the farm needs to be paid for with a check because that is my paper trail. What is the most important piece of advice you would give about bookkeeping? Have a paper trail. Bookkeeping is a lot of work. I would not procrastinate getting it done. A big key to success in bookkeeping is having an accountant who knows what he or she is doing with agricultural clients. Also, another big benet for us was paying our kids a wage each year for a tax deduction. Tell us about your farm. My husband, Vince, and I farm together with our daughter, Staci, who milks her cows on the farm but has a separate herd. Our son, Lance, returned to the farm in January 2019, as well. We are working to transition him in and transition us out of the dairy within the next ve years.
Kevin Krentz Berlin, Wisconsin Waushara County 600 cows Describe your bookkeeping within a week’s time. My biggest responsibility is nancial. Not only writing the checks out but maintaining individual accounts in order to make educated decisions about marketing and asset investments. I also update rations and maintain feed usage records compared to production. Weekly, I also update records of manure applications to elds. What programs do you use for bookkeeping? I use Centerpoint from RedWing software for our nancial records. This is an agricultural-based software that helps track cost of production. Our feed software is TMR tracker in order to track inventories and control shrink. I also use Excel for its versatility of calculations. What outside resources do you use to help you with this role? We utilize a number of consultants and advisors. RedWing software offers training to help maximize the ability of their programs. Organizations such as Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin offer continued training on a number of aspects including record keeping. What is one change you made to bookkeeping that has beneted the farm? I look for continued improvement. Every year I try to improve on what I’m doing. Some are big and some are small. Last year, I moved to scanning receipts versus ling them. What was the learning curve for this position, and what training have you done to help you? Financial entry is one thing, but getting to managerial accounting and knowing cost of production of enterprises would take knowledge of accounting. I have taken accounting courses through Fox Valley Tech, attended the DairyExec program through Cornell and nancial training through PDPW. What is the most important piece of advice you would give about bookkeeping? Keep it up to date. Once you get behind, it becomes harder. Financial bookkeeping and understanding are the most important things a business owner can do. Tell us about your farm. We have 600 cows and operate 1,300 acres of corn, alfalfa and wheat which we use on the farm. We also raise 500 heifers for our replacements.
Keith and Heather Behounek Hayeld, Minnesota Dodge County 300 cows Describe your bookkeeping within a week’s time. My mom, Rhonda, still does the bulk of the bookwork, spending between 12-16 hours each week entering information; I oversee the overall process and work together with her to get it done. I spend about two hours each week doing any additional entering that needs to get done. I also do payroll every other week. My wife, Heather, also helps with bookkeeping if we need it. What programs do you use for bookkeeping? We have been using PcMars Farm Accounting software for the past 20 years. Before this, we used paper and pencil. What outside resources do you use to help you with this role? We work regularly with an accountant who does our payroll deposits. We also have a farm business management instructor. Any time we have a question with bookkeeping, we can call one or the other and nd the answer. What is one change you made to bookkeeping that has beneted the farm? Although it was a long time ago, going to PcMars was a huge step. We can do so much with it, look up information easily and categorize items. What used to take us days with pencil and paper for our farm business management analysis now takes us hours. The next step we would like to take is to go to direct deposit. What was the learning curve for this position, and what training have you done to help you? We trained as we went. For the rst few years, we kept written records along with the computer until we felt comfortable with the program. The software is farm friendly and not hard to use. We also rely on our farm business management instructor and accountant if we have questions. What is the most important piece of advice you would give about bookkeeping? Keep up with bookkeeping. Do it on a regular basis. It is a lot easier to input the information every week than to leave it for later. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Heather, and I have three kids – Kutter, 4, and Kolt and Willow, 2 months. I farm in partnership with my parents, Ron and Rhonda, and brother, Kyle. Heather works full time on the farm. We crop 650 acres for the cows and raise 300 youngstock.
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
Repro Leaders
Synchronization protocols key for reproduction at McClellan Farms Inc.
McClellan Farms Inc. Delavan, Wisconsin Walworth County 500 cows
What was your average pregnancy rate last year? 32% on DC305, 30% on DHI for the cows. 48% for heifers on DC305. What is your voluntary waiting period for cows? For heifers? For cows, 80 days and 12.5 months for heifers. What is your rst service conception rate? For cows, 51% and 66% for heifers. What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? We have SCR ear tags for heat and health monitoring. If a cow is actively cycling, we monitor heat cycles and breed off of natural heat. If a cow has not shown any heat activity via observation, SCR or vet check by 45 DIM, she is enrolled in a 2-G Presynch program. Our heifers are observed for heat. If they have not been bred by 13 months of age, they are given prostaglandin to induce estrus. Average age of rst calving is 22.5-23 months. How do you observe for heat? Cows are observed throughout the day and when moving to the holding area for milking. The SCR system is also used extensively.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The McClellan Farms repro team – (from leŌ) herd manager Bill Manseld, Gumaro Perez and assistant manager Hector Mendoza – help maintain the farm’s average pregnancy rate of 32% – on their 500 cow dairy near Delavan, Wisconsin.
Turn to MCLELLAN | Page 20
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 • Page 19
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Managers of large herds, robot herdsany herd-can relate to these benefits by profitably starting each lactation, especially first lactations with Udder Comfort. Dairies like these saw big benefits get even better when applying prefresh 1x/day for a week before calving, especially on 2-year-olds. Now we have a new tool to easily do groups in headlocks, stalls or in the parlor: the Udder Comfort Backpack.
“First lactation robot fetch time was cut by 70%-from 2 to 3 weeks to under a week. That’s huge,” says Josh.
“It doesn’t cost money, it makes money.” says VandeHey. “Trust me, if it didn’t work, I wouldn’t be using it.”
“By softening them right into calving, udders went through fewer changes after calving, making robots more efficient. Now, we do all prefresh groups in headlocks, and our SCC dropped to 70,000,” he explains. “I absolutely love this product and the backpack!”
Bob Keefer (right) was already impressed with Udder Comfort results in the past 2 years. His 700 cows near Shippensburg, Pennsylvania make 90 pounds of milk with 135,000 SCC. “Then I did prefresh heifer groups 1x/day for a week before calving. We averaged more milk, and I could see the benefits,” Bob reports. “But what impressed me was zero mastitis. That’s big. Now, we start everything prefresh with Udder Comfort. I am so pleased with this.”
Bruce VandeHey milks 490 cows making 91 pounds with 130,000 SCC near Wrightstown, Wisconsin. He says: “It’s a no-brainer.” Bruce (left) has been using Udder Comfort 10 years, and for the past 7, all cows in the fresh group get it for the first 6 to 8 days in milk.
At Lingen Dairy, Balaton, Minnesota, 240 cows milk robotically and 100 through the parlor, making 87 pounds of high component milk. For 5 years, Josh Lingen (above) saw great results with routine use of Udder Comfort on all fresh cows after calving, but he wanted to see what it would do for prefresh 2-year-olds calving into robots. “The Udder Comfort heifers came in with udders full of milk, but so soft, no edema, and faster robot attachments.
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“But we start our 2-year-olds prefresh,” he says. “We put baleage down, lock them in, and spray udders with Udder Comfort 1x/day for a week before calving. They also get it in the fresh group.
Check out our new website and blog to learn more! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter @UdderComfort
&Žƌ ĞdžƚĞƌŶĂů ĂƉƉůŝĐĂƟ ŽŶ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ƵĚĚĞƌ ŽŶůLJ͕ ĂŌ Ğƌ ŵŝůŬŝŶŐ͕ ĂƐ ĂŶ ĞƐƐĞŶƟ Ăů ĐŽŵƉŽŶĞŶƚ ŽĨ ƵĚĚĞƌ ŵĂŶĂŐĞŵĞŶƚ͘ tĂƐŚ ĂŶĚ ĚƌLJ ƚĞĂƚƐ ďĞĨŽƌĞ ŵŝůŬŝŶŐ͘
Quality Udders Make Quality Milk Come see us at Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls March 25-26 Wisconsin Farm Show, Oshkosh March 31-April 2
For questions and to locate a distributor, call 1.888.773.7153
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
ConƟnued from MCLELLAN | Page 18
Heifers are observed around 7:30 a.m. when feed is pushed up. They are observed later in the morning when alleys are scraped and again in the afternoon when feed is pushed up again. How do you conrm pregnant or open cows? Cows and heifers are checked by ultrasound after 25 days bred and conrmed by ultrasound after 40 days bred. What is your breeding philosophy? How do you select bulls? What traits do you focus on? Does fertility play a role in bull selection? We want to breed a sound, trouble-free cow with good components and productive life. We place a little more
emphasis on calving ease for heifers. We have been genomics testing for over three years and are using that information for mating and sexed semen decisions with more sexed semen use in the heifers. How are cows and heifers bred? Do you have a different philosophy for breeding both? Everything is bred using A.I. in-house. We try to follow the morning/evening timing rule as much as possible on both cows and heifers. What do you do to settle hard breeders? Perhaps a little more synchronization protocols and/ or use of a CIDR protocol. STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Cows at McClellan Farms wear a blue RFID tag in their ear which monitors cows’ heat acƟvity and ruminaƟon levels. Sometimes they settle better to Angus. Being a hard breeder is not a successful long-term strategy in our herd. How many times do you try to breed a cow before you sell her? It depends on the cow. Her production, age, history and health all factor into the decision, but we usually do not continue breeding after 250 DIM. STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Bill Manseld, herd manager at McClellan Farms near Delavan, Wisconsin, checks cows’ heat acƟvity levels on the dairy’s SCR system.
Is there anything you have done or changed that brought about a signicant improvement in your reproductive
program? There is no one huge change that we have made. We have an increasing trust in and dependency on our SCR system. With our vet’s advice, we have been rening our synchronization protocols. Most recently, we have adopted a two-shot prostaglandin for all cows in the second or later lactation. Tell us about your farm. We have been a parlor/freestall herd for over 50 years, expanding from 100 to 500 head, mostly internally. We have always placed an emphasis on quality,
home-grown feed and nutrition for herd health and production. Selling our milk to Grande Cheese for over 25 years has led us to produce high quality milk with an emphasis on components. We have been using sand bedding for about the same amount of time. After a brief irtation with custom raising our heifers 20 years ago, we raise them in-house for the benets of a closed herd. Recently, through the use of genomics testing, we are culling excess calves at 4 months of age.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 • Page 21
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JD 8320R, 2015, 1538 hrs., $ #1 143 4351 517 17 #143517
181,400
JD 9560R, 2012, 2509 hrs. #166191
205,000
$
JD 8335R, 2011, 4937 hrs. $ #165966
139,000
DB60 Planter, 2013, 24R30” $ #1161 6124 245 24 45 #161245
75,900
JD 1790, 2012, 31R15” #161182
154,000
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Over 1200 items with pictures updated daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com 7
ARTCULATED 4WD TRACTORS
15 5 8 14 14 3
JD 9570R, 2019, p. shift, duals, hyd. pump, PTO, guidance, HD Gudgeon, HydraCushion axle, 138 hrs., #166628 ..........................................................................$409,500 JD 9570R, 2019, p. shift, duals, hyd. pump, PTO, guidance, HD Gudgeon, HydraCushion axle, 3108 hrs., #166629 ........................................................................$399,500 JD 9560R, 2014, p. shift, duals, HD Gudgeon, 28538 hrs., #159510 .........................$199,500 JD 9530, 2007, p. shift, duals, 42668 hrs., #165656...................................................$139,900 JD 9560R, 2014, p. shift, duals, HD Gudgeon, 51428 hrs., #158666 .........................$159,500 JD 9620R, 2016, p. shift, duals, HD Gudgeon, HydraCushion axle, 26358 hrs., #161527 ......................................................................................................$269,500 JD 8760, 1991, syncro;, duals, 94838 hrs., #166573 .................................................... $29,900 JD 9620R, 2015, e18; duals, guidance, HydraCushion axle, 14158 hrs., #166166 ...$315,500 JD 9530, 2011, p. shift, duals, 32808 hrs., #166213...................................................$154,900 Ford Versatile 9680, 1995, syncro; duals, 68738 hrs., #161602.............................. $49,400 JD 9420, 2007, partial p. shift, triples, 54008 hrs., #166008........................................ $94,900 JD 9560R, 2012, e18; duals, hyd. pump, HD Gudgeon, 25098 hrs., #166191 ..........$205,000
10 10 1 5 11 11 8
JD 8300, end wheel, 13’, 6” spacing, #158233 ...............................................................$5,700 Melroe 202, 1985, 12’, 6” spacing, #161328 .................................................................$1,700 JD 455, 1996, folding, 30’, 10” spacing, #166982...........................................................$8,800 JD 455, 2016, folding, 25’, 7.5” spacing, #160567....................................................... $44,900 JD 9400, no till, 10’, 6” spacing, #164959 .......................................................................$4,750 JD 9400, no till, 10’, 6” spacing, #164960........................................................................$4,750 JD 455, 2019, folding, 25’, 6” spacing, #164918.......................................................... $61,900
4 10 17 15 15 15 9 16 5 11 8 14 14 14 14 14 10 1 9 8 14 3
JD 2210, 2009, 53’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #154393........................................... $42,900 JD 960, 1998, 27, 3-section folding, C-shank, #159473 ................................................$6,900 Wil-Rich QUAD X, 2005, 50.5’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #166741....................... $23,400 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2014, 60’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #154509 ............ $51,900 JD 2210, 2007, 65’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #166478........................................... $43,900 JD 2210, 2008, 65’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #166479........................................... $45,900 JD 2230fh, 2018, 60.5’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #166421 ................................... $89,900 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2014, 60’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #154510 ............ $51,900 JD 2210, 2012, 55.5’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #162453........................................ $51,900 JD 960, 1989, 25.5’, 3-section folding, C-shank, #158920 .............................................$4,399 JD 2210, 2014, 55.5’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #154394........................................ $58,500 JD 980, 1998, #156455 .................................................................................................. $14,430 JD 2210, 2013, 50.5’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #160879........................................ $48,900 Krause 5635, 2009, 28’, 3-section folding, #160777 ................................................. $19,400 JD 2200, 2002, 47’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #161487........................................... $25,400 JD 960, 1989, 42’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #165959 ................................................$9,900 JD 726, 1997, 30’, 3-section folding, #148851............................................................. $18,900 JD 200, 2008, 45’, 5-section folding, #165958............................................................. $10,500 JD 726, 2004, 38’, 3-section folding, #160491............................................................. $20,900 JD 2310, 2014, 39’, 5-section folding, #159691 .......................................................... $39,900 JD 200, 2002, 45’, 5-section folding, #160980............................................................. $11,400 JD 200, 2004, 45’, 5-section folding, #166554............................................................. $10,500
4 4 2 10 17 17
JD 1775NT, 2018, 16”R30”, flex fold, central fill, Row Command, #150736 .............$169,000 JD 1760, 2013, 12”R30”, flex fold, 3.0 bu., #156200 .................................................... $52,500 JD DB60, 2014, 24”R30”, flex fold, central fill system, #156907 ................................$159,000 JD 1750, 2000, 6”R30”, rigid, finger pickup, 1.6 bu., #166057 .................................... $14,500 JD 1765, 2015, 12”R30”, flex fold, 1.6 bu., Row Command, #155243........................ $54,500 JD 1760, 2012, 12”R30”, flex fold, 3.0 bu., #166557 .................................................... $35,000
7 6 1 15 15
BOX DRILLS
FIELD CULTIVATORS
(1) = GLENCOE 4561 Hwy. 212
PLANTERS
3
White 6322, #156848 .................................................................................................. $18,900 JD 7000, 6”R30”, rigid, finger pickup, 1.6 bu., #161201..................................................$4,900 JD DB66, 2018, 36”R22”, flex fold, Exact Emerge, central fill, Row Command, elect. drive, #161533...........................................................................$315,400 JD 1770NT, 2010, 12”R30”, flex fold, central fill, #166423 .......................................... $71,900 JD DB60, 2013, 24”R30”, flex fold, central fill, Row Command, #161245 .................$154,000 JD 7200, 1993, 12”R30”, wing fold, 1.6 bu., #166682 ................................................. $13,900 JD 7200, 1990, 6”R30”, rigid; finger pickup, 1.6 bu., #166352 .......................................$6,900 JD DB60, 2014, 24”R30”, flex fold, central fill, Row Command, #160470 .................$169,500 JD 1775NT, 2017, 24”R30”, wing fold, Exact Emerge, central fill, #160204..............$262,900 JD 1770, 1998, 16”R30”, flex fold, 1.6 bu., #159037 .................................................... $20,900 JD 1790, 2012, 31”R15”, flex fold, central fill, #161182 ............................................... $89,000 JD 1765, 2018, 12”R30”, flex fold, 3.0 bu., Row Command, #161082......................... $75,900 JD DB66, 2005, 36”R22”, flex fold, central fill, Row Command, #166985 .................$128,400 JD 1780, 1999, 24”R22”, flex fold, 3.0 bu., #155446 .................................................... $33,500 JD DB66, 2018, 36”R22”, flex fold, central fill, Row Command, elect. drive, #161783.$279,500 JD DB66, 2012, 36”R22”, flex fold, central fill, Row Command, #166296 .................$199,900 White 6722, 16”R22”, wing fold, 1.6 bu., #157535 .................................................... $11,900 Moore Built, 24”R22”, 3.0 bu., #159607 .................................................................... $27,900 JD 7200, 24”R22”, #159126........................................................................................... $14,900 JD 1725, 2018, 16”R30”, wing fold, Exact Emerge, central fill, Row Command, elect. drive, #164717...........................................................................$184,000 JD 1710, 24”R22”, wing fold, 1.6 bu., Row Command, elect. drive, #164780............. $42,900
2 10 10 7 1 15 9 5
Hardi RANGER 2000, 2014, #155294........................................................................ $20,500 Blum 750, 1979, #158936 ...............................................................................................$4,900 Miller Pro 750, #159603 ................................................................................................$6,500 Summers ULTIMATE, 2001, #159606........................................................................ $13,400 Hardi 4000, 2011, #166560 ......................................................................................... $19,500 Hardi RANGER 2000, 2014, #163524........................................................................ $17,900 Fast 9518, #158292 ...................................................................................................... $25,900 Top Air TA1200, 2008, #155358 ................................................................................. $16,650
4 10 7 7
Ag-Chem 1074, 2009, 100’, stainless tank, 3650 hrs., #158291................................ $56,900 JD 4920, 2004, 4600 hrs., #157917 .............................................................................. $69,500 Melroe 216, 1985, poly tank, 20” nozzle spacing, #165990 .........................................$5,650 JD R4038, 2017, 120’, boom leveling, stainless tank, hyd. tread adjust, guidance, traction control, 20” nozzle spacing, 216 hrs., #166646...............................$336,900 JD R4038, 2019, 120’, boom leveling, stainless tank, hyd. tread adjust, guidance, traction control, 20” nozzle spacing, 97 hrs., #165472.................................$327,900 JD R4038, 2018, 120’, 20” nozzle spacing, 511 hrs., #150887 ...................................$314,900 JD R4038, 2018, 120’, boom leveling, stainless tank, hyd. tread adjust, traction control, 20” nozzle spacing, ExactApply, 316 hrs., #157823 ...........................$329,500 JD 4940, 2013, 120’, boom leveling, stainless tank, hyd. tread adjust, guidance, 20” nozzle spacing, 2741 hrs., #163551 ........................................................................$132,000 JD R4038, 2017, hyd. tread adjust, 510 hrs., #143961 ..............................................$299,500 Melroe 220, 1985, 60’, 20” nozzle spacing, 1233 hrs., #160062....................................$8,450 Melroe 218, 1988, 60’, 20” nozzle spacing, 924 hrs., #160063................................... $10,900
7 1 1 9 16 16 5 5 8 8 14 14 14 16 14 14 14
6 1 16 8 14 14 14 4 4 4 4
PULL-TYPE SPRAYERS
SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS
UTILITY TRACTORS
JD 5115M, 2018, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540 PTO, mid tire, loader, 913 hrs., #143690 $69,500 JD 5075M, 2018, p. reverser, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, mid tire, 250 hrs., #163843 ..... $42,900 JD 5045E, 2018, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, mid tire, 250 hrs., #163844 ....................... $23,900 JD 6110M, 2017, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, mid tire, loader, 178 hrs., #145468................................................................................................. $97,900
Visit one of our 17 locations in Central Minnesota! (7) = ALEXANDRIA (9) = PRINCETON (4) = ST. CLOUD 1035 35th Ave. NE
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1710 N. Franklin
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78412 Co. Rd. 20
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1140 Centre St.
320-763-4220 5005 Co. Rd. 82 SE
3708 Baptist Church Rd.
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16069 Hwy. 27 E.
725 Lake Ave. S.
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CALL TODAY! (320)365-1653 (12) = AITKIN 1120 2nd St. NW
(10) = LITTLE FALLS (13) = BAXTER (11) = WADENA 62505 US Hwy. 10
JD 6110M, 2018, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, mid tire, 418 hrs., #149248 .............................................................................................. $89,500 JD 6130M, 2019, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, mid tire, 150 hrs., #152367 .............................................................................................. $99,500 JD 6135E, 2019, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540 PTO, narrow tire, loader, 154 hrs., #152152................................................................................................. $82,900 JD 5100M, 2018, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, mid tire, 300 hrs., #152371$61,900 JD 6105E, 2019, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, mid tire, 43 hrs., #151983 . $71,900 JD 6130R, 2017, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, wide tire, 311 hrs., #144503 ............................................................................................ $99,500 JD 5075M, 2019, p. reverser, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, mid tire, loader, 35 hrs., #165471 ................................................................................................... $59,500 Allis - Chalmers WD45, 1955, syncro, 2WD, 540 PTO, mid tire, #163019 ..................$1,750 JD 3020, 1969, cab, syncro, 2WD, 540/1000 PTO,; mid tire, loader, 9222 hrs., #163540 ..$7,900 JD 6110M, 2018, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, narrow tire, 221 hrs., #149246......................................................................................... $94,900 JD 6110M, 2018, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, Rear PTO: 540, 540/1000; mid tire, loader, 146 hrs., #149250 .................................................................................. $89,500 JD 6110R, 2017, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, wide tire, 196 hrs., #145477 ............................................................................................ $98,900 JD 6110R, 2017, cab, IVT; MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, mid tire, 271 hrs., #145469 .......$106,900 JD 5090R, 2018, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, mid tire, 13 hrs., #147006 ................................................................................................ $71,900 JD 5055E, 2018, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, mid tire, 98 hrs., #140787 ......................... $32,900 JD 5055E, 2018, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, mid tire, 7 hrs., #140896 ........................... $32,900 JD 5075E, 2018, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, mid tire, 4 hrs., #140875 ........................... $36,900 JD 5065E, 2018, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, mid tire, 37 hrs., #140790 ......................... $33,900 JD 6130R, 2017, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, loader, 294 hrs., #147778...............................................................................................$109,500 JD 3020, 1964, 2WD, p. shift, 540 PTO, singles, wide tire, 12989 hrs., #165991............$7,900 JD 6110R, 2016, cab, IVT, MFWD, 518 hrs., #144500 .................................................. $95,900 JD 6135E, 2016, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, wide tire, 99 hrs., #142599 ................... $71,900 JD 6120E, 2018, 482 hrs., #143694 .............................................................................. $79,500 JD 2040, 1979, 2WD, 540 PTO, mid tire, #157048........................................................ $11,900 JD 5090E/540M, 2019 cab, p. reverser, MFWD, loader, 540 PTO, mid tire, 101 hrs., #153273 .............................................................................................. $61,900 JD 5090E/540M, 2019 cab, p. reverser, MFWD, loader, 540 PTO, mid tire, 100 hrs., #153019 .............................................................................................. $61,900 JD 5065E, 2018, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, mid tire, 16 hrs., #147837 ......................... $33,900 JD 5075E, 2018, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540 PTO, mid tire, 110 hrs., #147838 ......... $41,900 Ford 8N, syncro, 2WD; 540 PTO, #165474 .......................................................................$1,700 JD 6120E, 2018, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540 PTO, mid tire, loader, 233 hrs., #143692 . $79,500 Case IH Farmall 110C, 2015, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, mid tire, loader, 694 hrs., #161390 .................................................................................. $49,900 Case IH 585, 1985, syncro, 2WD; 540 PTO, wide tire, loader, 3515 hrs., #162344 ..... $12,995 JD 6110M, 2018, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, narrow tire, 97 hrs., #149242 ........................................................................................... $87,900 JD 6120M, 2018, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, mid tire, 169 hrs., #141903 .............................................................................................. $92,900 JD 6130R, 2016, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, mid tire, 420 hrs., #142596 .............................................................................................. $99,500 JD 6135E, 2018, 476 hrs., #143698 .............................................................................. $84,900 JD 6430, 2008, cab, p. reverser, 2WD, 540 PTO, mid tire, 1050 hrs., #161657............. $49,500 JD 6430, 2008, cab, p. reverser, 2WD, 540 PTO, mid tire, 1050 hrs., #161657............. $49,500
7045 Foley Rd.
(14) = ELBOW LAKE
(16) = BENSON
(15) = MORRIS
(17) = MADISON
110 2nd St. NE
23604 State Hwy. 9
380 Atlantic Ave. 516 1st St. E
SEE OUR COMPLETE INVENTORY WITH PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS AT: www.mmcjd.com
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
DeLaval Parlor P500 milking system
96
”
max ceiling height requirement for DeLaval SynchroArc™
Up to
Cows, courts keep Iowa dairy family busy
56
%
reduction in exit cycle time with DeLaval SynchroSweep™
3
cow flow control options
ZERO
obstructions at cow exit STEPHEN GASSMAN/DAIRY STAR
Keith Koopmann officiates a high school basketball game Feb. 18 at Wahlert Catholic High School in Dubuque, Iowa. By Sherry Newell Contributing Writer
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 Mondovi Dairy Systems Inc. Mondovi, WI 715-926-5777
MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA D&D Ag Supply Pennock, MN 320-599-4466 East Central Dairy Supply Mora, MN 320-679-1029
Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0267
Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Watertown, SD 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD 800-284-0015
Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579
S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288
The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470
Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
West Salem, WI 608-769-2113
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2020 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. All facts and figures are the result of data collected on test farms and pilot farms. Data compared to DeLaval Champion. Results may vary and are not guaranteed. www.delaval.com
EPWORTH, Iowa – Keith Koopmann does not just call the shots at his dairy farm. He calls them for basketball games in the area surrounding his farm near Epworth. Keith is a referee and spends many of his evenings from late November to early March working games ranging from junior high to high school, both for girls and boys teams. By the time this season ends, he will have ofciated at 120 games. Meanwhile, his wife, Katie, coaches their daughter’s fth grade basketball team. It is safe to say the cows and court take up much of their time in the winter. “We changed to milking at 9 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. and feed after that,” said Keith, explaining how he ts evening games into a dairy farming schedule. “That means my free time starts around 4 p.m. We get in from chores at night around midnight or 1 a.m. and start again at about 8 a.m. or 8:30 a.m.” As a bonus, the family saves $280 to $300 a month in electric costs because their provider charges double from 4-9 p.m. when the Koopmanns would have otherwise been running their milking equipment. Katie adjusts her chore schedule to take care of Grace, 11, Kenzie, 7, and Harper, 5. She heads to the house partway through milking to get the family to bed and gets them off to school before joining Keith in the barn each morning. In the summer, she coaches the girls’ softball teams. With 90 milking cows in a freestall and double-6 parlor setup, the Koopmanns plan for an extra helper for each milking; Keith’s sister, Sally, or his nephew, Kurt, typically ll that role. His parents, Ambrose and Marlene, are active on the farm, and cousins help with eld work when needed. The family raises youngstock and steers on 166 acres with an additional 90 acres rented. Keith began dairying in 1988, went into partnership with his brothers in 1996, taking over the cows himself in 2008. He and Katie purchased the farm in 2016. He also has a custom chopping business. Keith’s work as a referee started three years ago when a fellow referee with whom he showed Brown Swiss suggested he give it a try. Keith played basketball in his school years and in a city league for 15 years, while Katie was a high school and collegiate athlete. They met while playing softball. At rst, Keith was a referee for junior high and Turn to KOOPMANNS | Page 23
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 • Page 23
Con�nued from KOOPMANNS | Page 22 then became certied for junior varsity and varsity. Schools work from a list of referees and send out contracts for games, giving Keith the option to accept or reject dates. “I could do ve nights a week if I wanted to, but I have to be at the farm,” he said. And while dairying has not been protable lately, Keith does not referee for the money. “It’s to see the kids’ faces, to be a part of it,” Keith said, telling a story about a recent game where the coaches agreed to help a special needs player make a basket. “This kid just loved being out there. … Then they just kept giving the kid the ball. I bet he made ve or six baskets, including a 3-pointer. … It was a wonderful reminder why I do this. It brought tears to my eyes.” Keith has yet to encounter a difcult situation as a referee. However, Katie sometimes sees his calls differently when she watches a game. “We talk about the games; that’s kind of our conversation in the barn
“You have to put your best foot forward, making the most of things, surround yourself with the best people.” KEITH KOOPMANN, DAIRY FARMER
afterward,” she said. “He’ll tell me what he saw, and I’ll say what I saw.” Taking his referee role seriously is part of Keith’s mantra. Keith remembers what a NCAA referee said at a meeting he attended.
STEPHEN GASSMAN/DAIRY STAR
Keith and Ka�e Koopmann, along with their children (from le�) Grace, Harper and Kenzie, milk 90 cows on their farm near Epworth, Iowa. The Koopmanns juggle their schedules to allow Keith to referee high school basketball games. By the end of this season, he will have officiated 120 games. “He told us never to forget it doesn’t matter if it’s second grade or the nal four – do the best you can do because it matters a lot to someone involved with that game,” Keith said. “I carry that advice with me.” In some ways, Keith said, being a referee is like being a farmer or doing custom chopping work. The job is physical: He gets plenty of exercise during a
game – statistics say a referee runs about 3 miles each game. “You have to put your best foot forward, make the most of things, surround yourself with the best people,” Keith said. “Treat people the way you want to be treated, and if you explain your decisions, 99 percent of the time it will be OK.” Those values, along with knowing
the importance of respecting people and decisions, are what Keith and Katie are teaching their children both through sports and farming. “We love the sports,” Katie said. “It keeps us all active. But we also love farming.” Keith agreed. “And we still make time for the family,” he said. “That has to t in, too.”
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 • Page 25
Farmers participate in new Midwest Dairy leadership program By Krista Kuzma and Sherry Newell Staff Writers
An effort to develop the next generation of dairy leaders launched in February, bringing together 15 dairy farmers for an 18-month program created by Midwest Dairy. The Dairy Experience and Agricultural Leadership Program targets dairy farmers ages 40 and younger who want to become more involved in their industry, said Theresa Reps, Midwest Dairy agricultural affairs manager.“Midwest Dairy has always had an emphasis on leadership,” Reps said. However, much of the leadership activity was through youth programs like dairy princess, ambassadors and summer internships. “We recognize we didn’t have a lot of coordinated programs that targeted the next generation of dairy leaders,” Reps said. “So, we’re hoping these participants can potentially be our featured board members or people we go to for media interviews or farm tours.” Midwest Dairy manages the dairy checkoff in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Illinois, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and the eastern half of Oklahoma. The inaugural class of DEAL included members from seven of those states. The rst of three phases of the program was Feb. 11-13 and brought the group to San Antonio, Texas – a destination chosen to help the dairy farmers enjoy a few days away from
the farm while they learned more about the checkoff and its work. Sessions focused on the checkoff’s creation and structure, and consumer insights. The group also completed an exercise to learn about their own strengths. Before the next session, members of the class will attend a Midwest Dairy board meeting and meet with staff. The next phase will take place in Chicago in fall 2020 with a tour of the headquarters of Dairy Management Inc., the national checkoff organization. Sessions will be geared toward interaction with consumers both in person and online. A homework assignment will direct participants to be involved in a consumer event back home. A nal phase in the summer of 2021 will help class members develop skills for working with media. They will also attend a Midwest Dairy corporate board meeting. Megan Schrupp made the decision to apply for the program when a current Midwest Dairy board member contacted her. She was selected on DEAL’s stated criteria of wanting to learn more, having a passion for dairy, and being actively involved on a farm. Each dairy farmer wrote answers to essay questions in the application. “Being a younger and newer dairy farmer, I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn about our checkoff organization,” said Shrupp, who has been dairying for seven years as part of a family that milks 800 cows near Eden Valley, Minnesota.
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She said meeting the dairy farmers from other states was a highlight of the rst gathering. “Minnesota has such a strong dairy community; we forget Midwest Dairy isn’t just Minnesota. … I thought it was fantastic that we had representation from the whole region,” she said. Shrupp, like most of the other participants, is not new to local dairy promotion. She has served with her husband on the Meeker County American Dairy Association board and helped organize a new event called Dinner on the Dairy. She also helped create a cheese pairing at a local brewery. “But I wanted to know how does this work on the state stage, regional stage and the national stage?” Shrupp said. That is a logical question for many dairy farmers in the age group targeted by DEAL – those just starting to take over the farm or working their way up the management ladder. “It’s a generation that wasn’t alive or was barely alive when the dairy checkoff was created, so they don’t remember a time prior to the checkoff,” Reps said. Reps said many board members within checkoff and in other organizations are looking to retire. Midwest Dairy hopes DEAL can help identify dairy farmers to ll the gaps in leadership those retirements could create. Shrupp said she thinks the program is going to be great at getting
DEAL participants – Pat Bakeberg, Waverly, Minnesota – Andrew Miron, Hugo, Minnesota – Tyler Otte, Randolph, Minnesota – Megan Schrupp, Eden Valley, Minnesota – Rita Vander Kooi, Worthington, Minnesota – Josie Rozum, Ely, Iowa – Aaron Titterington, Spence, Iowa – Dakota Cowger, Peotone, Illinois – Angie Hildebrandt, South Beloit, Illinois – Carrie Murman, Glenvil, Nebraska – Heath Snodgrass, Orchard, Nebraska – Ashton Atteberry, Conway, Missouri – Scott VanZyverden, Niangua, Missouri – Ben Yoder, Hutchinson, Kansas – Logan Courtney, Chouteau, Oklahoma participants involved. “As the dairy industry changes, promotion and education is becoming more and more critical,” she said. “Dairy farmers need to share their story. This program will allow us to do that in a more strategic and effective way.” Midwest Dairy expects to begin recruiting for a second DEAL class in 2021.
Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
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Deadlines for ARC, PLC approaching The signup deadline for the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programs is March 16. Do not delay, and contact the FSA as soon as you know your election. You can choose to sign a multi-year contract. However, if you decide down the road to make a change to your FSA News & Notes election, you can do so for 2021 through 2023 crop years. The Livestock Indemnity Program provides assistance to eligible producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather, disease By Ryan Brunn and attacks by animals Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. reintroduced into the wild by the federal government or protected by federal law. LIP compensates livestock owners and contract growers for livestock death losses in excess of normal mortality due to adverse weather, including losses due to hurricanes, ďƒ&#x;oods, blizzards, wildďƒžres, extreme heat or extreme cold. For disease losses, FSA county committees can accept veterinarian certiďƒžcations that livestock deaths were directly related to adverse weather and unpreventable through good animal husbandry and management. For 2019 and 2020 livestock losses, eligible livestock owners must ďƒžle a notice within 30 calendar days of when the loss is ďƒžrst apparent. Participants must provide the following supporting documentation to their FSA ofďƒžce no later than 60 calendar days after the end of the calendar year in which the eligible loss condition occurred. Producers are reminded to keep updated livestock inventory records. These records are necessary in the event of a natural disaster. - Proof of death documentation. - Copy of grower’s contracts. - Proof of normal mortality documentation. The USDA has established normal mortality rates for each type and weight range of eligible livestock, i.e. adult beef cow 1.5% and non-adult beef cattle (less than 400 pounds) 5%. These established percentages reďƒ&#x;ect losses that are considered expected or typical under normal conditions. In addition to ďƒžling a notice of loss, producers must also submit an application for payment by March 1 for 2019 losses and March 1, 2021, for losses that occur in 2020. Additional Information about LIP is available at a FSA ofďƒžce or at: http://www.fsa.usda. gov. 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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Schools, the largest school district in Kansas, added dairy-based smoothies to the daily breakfast menu in 23 middle and high schools. The projection for the 2019-20 school year, in this one school district alone, is more than 216,500 incremental pounds of milk will be used. Midwest Dairy is also providing strategic counsel to retailers in the region on how to best merchandise dairy foods to its shoppers. For example, a Minnesota-based grocery store chain experienced growth in yogurt sales following its collaboration with Midwest Dairy who presented an analysis and recommendations to improve the retailer’s yogurt sales. Our collaboration helped slow the decline in yogurt sales. A 12% decline in yogurt sales at the end of 2018 increased 9 percentage points to only a 3% decline which showed promise for continued gains over time.
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Keep in mind, these are only singular examples of success fueled by your checkoff investment. In the case of McDonald’s, by offering a lower-sugar milk to its millions of customers, dairy consumption is sure to reach even new heights. The reformulation could also signal other restaurants to reconsider the value of uid milk when served with the consumer in mind. Midwest Dairy works across the region to drive demand and sales. Success models experienced in one school district or at one retail chain are being introduced and implemented in additional districts and retail grocery and convenience stores across the 10 states. As the saying goes, “Good news travels fast.” Please join me in sharing these bright spots for dairy in your professional and community outreach. Collectively, we can shift the narrative to demonstrate dairy’s strength.
G e nt
Amidst challenging headlines, it can be difcult to keep sight on the progress being made in the dairy industry, but I assure you the good news is there, and the dairy industry is strong. I call on fellow dairy farmers and other industry representatives to be more proactive in sharing our successes. Doing so will help shift the narrative and help us showcase the reality that dairy is very much alive. For those unclear about dairy’s status – farmers and consumers alike – this will instill a renewed condence which will help fuel our industry’s long-term success. Consider these bright spots for By Allen Merrill dairy. Midwest Dairy Corporate board While milk consumption might be down, household penetration chair remains at an impressive 94%. That means 94% of households today have milk in their refrigerator. What is more, cheese sales are at an all-time high and per capita consumption for dairy products has continued to grow, both domestically and globally, resulting in a $100 billion retail category. If families are not buying as many gallons of milk, it is likely they are lling this gap by purchasing other dairy products including butter, cheese and yogurt. In addition, dairy exports continue to show promise for the industry. In 2019, total U.S. dairy exports hit $6 billion, up 8% compared to the previous year. Plus, dairy export value has increased 25% over the last three years. As progress on the trade front is being made, we can be optimistic exports will remain a source of strength for the industry. Earlier this year, McDonald’s reintroduced chocolate milk to its happy meals after having dropped it from the menu in 2018 due to concerns over sugar content. A national checkoff partnership with Dairy Management Inc. allowed the restaurant to develop a lower-sugar avored milk option to put back on the menu for their kids’ meals. DMI rst supplied information on consumer trends and preferences then worked with the McDonald’s team and provided support from food scientists to make the reformulated chocolate milk a reality. On a regional level, staff at Midwest Dairy are working closely with schools across our 10-state region to introduce innovative meal programs and menus which increase dairy options as well as drive meal participation and dairy sales. Here is one example: In addition to launching a second chance breakfast program across the district, Wichita Public
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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610 Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130 Hugh Chester-Jones chest001@umn.edu 507-835-3622 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391 Sandra Godden godde002@umn.edu 612-625-8177 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711 Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 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 Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205 M. Scott Wells mswells@umn.edu 612-625-3747 Emily Wilmes krek0033@umn.edu 320-255-6169
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
A better you for a better farm
As tasks, bills and everything else pile up on the farm, prioritization is important. As you set those priorities, where do you fall on that list? Is your care and wellbeing even considered a priority? In farming, and in our culture in general, we value long work hours and putting our bodies through extremes to get the job done. There is something to be admired in that, but it also takes a toll. I hear far too often of farmers feeling guilty about taking vacations or even getting off the farm for a couple of days to go to a trade show or conference. Taking care of ourselves is not selsh. The wellbeing of the farm depends on the wellbeing of the farmer. When thinking about wellbeing, I like By Emily Wilmes to harken back to an earlier time in dairy U of M Extension farming and picture a three-legged milking stool. A stool has two major components: the seat and the legs. Think of the seat as you: your responsibilities, your health, your job, your family, etc. The seat is supported by the legs. In this example, the legs represent three areas of health or wellbeing: physical, mental and emotional. Your physical health is the general wellbeing of your body: sleeping seven to nine hours each night, eating balanced meals and snacks, and being active. Mental health and emotional health can be a little tricky to tell apart, but think of them like a tag team. Mental health refers to your ability to process information. Emotional health refers to your ability to express feelings which are based upon the information you have processed. We need to attend to all three legs equally in order to ensure we are properly supported. If you neglect one area, imagine cutting an inch off of one of the legs. You will still be upright, but it will be uncomfortable and more difcult to support yourself. Taking care of yourself is so critical because it allows you to then take care of others. I think it is in the nature of every farmer to want to rush to help someone in need and to make sure everyone is comfortable and cared for before caring for themselves. You have likely heard me or someone else say, “Adjust your own oxygen mask rst.” When you y, this is always a key part of the safety message shared pre-ight. You cannot give 100 percent of yourself to others if you are not at 100 percent to begin with. You cannot pour from an empty cup. So, what are you doing to ll your cup? What recharges you to 100 percent? Think back to the three-legged stool. It is important we are using a combination of strategies to promote physical, mental and emotional health. Some strategies I like to use and encourage others to try are deep breathing, meditation or reection, positive self-talk, physical activity, hobbies, connecting with people in your social network and speaking with a mental health professional. Deep breathing is a great way to reset your brain and regroup your thoughts. It is quick, free and easy. In deep breathing, the
only thing you need to focus on is the air going in and out of your lungs. My favorite deep breathing exercise is box breathing: inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds and rest for four seconds. Repeat this cycle a few times and see how refreshed you can feel. Meditation and reection are similar practices that focus on clearing your mind of competing thoughts and focusing your attention on one major thing. Meditation is a great way to clear your mind and examine your thoughts from an outside perspective. There are several meditation apps and YouTube videos out there. It can feel a little weird at rst, but it can really have an impact on how you feel mentally and emotionally. Reection is similar as it is about observing your thoughts in a specic way. Some great ways to reect include journaling, writing down three things you are grateful for every day, or savoring a moment of awe, serenity or joy. A positive mindset has been proven to improve people’s moods and how they feel about themselves. Positive self-talk focuses on the way you view yourself and your day. A great exercise to try is replacing all the times you think about what you have to do with what you get to do. “I have to pick up the kids after school,” becomes, “I get to pick up the kids after school.” As you think about yourself and your abilities, it can be easy to get negative and think the worst of ourselves (“I’m lazy,” or “I’m not good at my job”). If you would not say those things to your closest friend or family member, you should not be saying them to yourself. Physical activity plays a crucial role in supporting all three areas of our wellbeing. Whether it is exercising at the gym, going for a run, taking the dog for a walk or playing with the kids outside, doing some physical activity each day will help promote a healthy body and a healthy mind. Similarly, hobbies can support our physical, mental and emotional health. Sports, cooking, reading, hunting and shing are all great ways to enjoy something you are passionate about and take care of yourself. One of the easiest and best ways to support emotional health is through connecting with your social network. When we are under stress or in a mental health crisis, we tend to isolate ourselves from others. Being social and talking to people we trust is imperative to emotional and mental wellbeing. Sometimes, we may nd it is benecial to talk to someone who does not know our entire life. Mental health professionals are not only for people in a mental health crisis or with a mental illness. They are for everyone. It can be far too easy to put ourselves low on the priority list. Self-care is not selsh; taking care of your physical, mental and emotional health ensures you are at your best for your farm, family and friends. If you or a family member need assistance, contact the Minnesota Farm and Rural Helpline at 833-600-2670. You can also visit http://z.umn.edu/ruralstress for a full list of resources.
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Several tragic farming accidents this fall in Minnesota serve as a reminder that farming is a dangerous occupation. These accidents rattle local communities and have many people asking why. This includes the accidental deaths of three people from silo gas. This incident was unusual because it happened so late in the year. Silo gas is dangerous even in small amounts. It is important all family members, employees and others on the farm understand the dangers associated with silo gas. What causes silo gas formation? During normal silage fermentation, the major gas produced is carbon dioxide. Although produced in smaller amounts, nitrogen dioxide is also a naturally occurring gas during fermentation. Certain bacteria produce nitric oxide By Jim Salfer U of M Extension from nitrates in the crop. Even though nitric oxide is not lethal, it quickly converts to silo gas (nitrogen dioxide) when exposed to the air. All crops contain some nitrates, and higher levels of nitrates increase the potential for higher levels of silo gas. Nitrogen dioxide is a yellowish, brown gas and tends to smell like bleach. Nevertheless, smell is not a reliable indicator of silo gas. Silo gas can potentially be produced anytime there is fermentation in the presence of nitrates. This is usually a few hours up to a few weeks after harvest. Problematic weather conditions can affect silo gas formation. If the crop is harvested during cold weather, fermentation can be slow or delayed. When the weather warms up or the feed reheats, a secondary fermentation can occur. In these conditions, silo gas can be produced several weeks or even months after harvest. What makes silo gas so dangerous? Inhaling even small amounts of silo gas can result in serious, permanent lung damage. When inhaled, the silo gas combines with moisture in the lungs and forms nitric acid. This corrosive acid causes chemical burns of the airways and lungs and may lead to complete asphyxiation. Silo gas acts fast – exposure to high concentrations can make a person helpless in two to three minutes. Symptoms include coughing, shortness of breath, chills, fever and nausea. Even low-level exposures can be dangerous. Over a period of a few hours to days, a slow inammation in the lungs can develop. This may result in uid buildup in the lungs that can be potentially deadly. Another unique characteristic of exposure to silo gas poisoning is the risk of relapse up to six weeks after the original exposure. The effects of the uid in the lungs can lead to pneumonia several weeks after the exposure. The greatest risk is during the rst three weeks after harvest. Any weather condition that promotes higher nitrates in the plant will lead to greater production of silo gas. In dry growing years, if it rains right before harvest, the plants will take up nitrates from the soil increasing the risk of higher silo gas production. Plants damaged by hail or frost also can be potentially higher in nitrates. Beware of unique weather or growing conditions that might lead to unusual patterns in the production of silo gas. If harvesting during very cold weather, the crop may not ferment completely. When the crop mass warms up, there is potential for a secondary fermentation. If nitrates are still present in the feed, silo gas will be produced. Since nitrogen dioxide is heavier than air, it will stay near the ground and not dissipate without ventilation or wind. In upright silos, it will ow down the chutes and into buildings or feed rooms. Be aware of any bleach like odor and vacate the area immediately. Silo gas can even be a risk with bunkers or piles. Because the silo gas is heavier than air, if the air is still, silo gas may drift from these structures and collect in lowlying areas. Alternatively, it may blow into buildings or other structures. If there is even a slight bleach like smell, stay away. If you experience any throat irritation, coughing, headaches or nausea, get to fresh air immediately. See a doctor immediately if you believe you have been exposed to silo gas. It is tragic when farm accidents occur. Some happen in spite of everyone’s best efforts. However, using extra precaution can help prevent some accidents. Check http://z.umn.edu/silogas for checklists and other safety tips on silage storage safety.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 • Page 29
Water woes
Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
There are elements in life that we take for granted, little wooden shack whose yawning portals looked mainly because it seems as if they have always been large enough to swallow small children. Denitely there. This includes such items as phones, electricity not the kind of place where a guy might be inclined to and Cher. relax with a good book. It is likely that we will not miss any of these I was 5 years old when our parents added a bbathroom onto our farmhouse things until we are deprived aand installed a pressurized of them. The phrase h “i “it won’t ’ go” ” iis “Honey, why is Th water system. It was just in everything in the house how she describes nearly time, too, as I was beginning oating up toward the to discover the joys of leisure every type of problem. ceiling?” reading. T “Oops. I guess I forgot to This is why I still think it is ssomewhat of a miracle that a pay the gravity bill.” One thing that we tend to take for granted is person can get water by simply turning a faucet. That running water. At least most people do. also explains why I did not get overly excited when I spent my earliest years in a farmhouse where the water system at our house conked out some years obtaining water meant pumping it by hand from an ago. underground cistern. I was potty trained in a privy – The rst indication of an issue came from my a two holer – a scary, drafty, spider-infested rickety wife.
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“Something’s wrong with the washing machine,” she said. “It won’t go.” The phrase “it won’t go” is how she describes nearly every type of problem. “Something’s wrong with the car/the blender/ the dog. It won’t go.” Dear County Agent Guy After a bit of troubleshooting, I determined our water pump had bitten the dust. I broke the news to my wife by telling her, “Well, it appears that our well isn’t feeling very well.” I have always wanted to say something By Jerry Nelson like that. Columnist “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked. “It means that we no longer have pressurized water. Don’t worry, though; I know how to handle this situation. I’ll get us a communal water pail to drink from, and I’ll show you how the whole family can eke out a bath from a single teakettle of hot water. And I know a whole bunch of water-saving laundry tips. Say, for instance, that it looks like rain.” “Why don’t we just x the well?” “Because that would cost money. My way will be a ton cheaper. Now, back to the laundry. Did you know that you can get at least four days out of one pair of underwear? First, you wear it the normal way. The next day you wear it backwards and the day after that, you turn it inside out and on the fourth day, you wear it inside out and backwards. And there’s no reason to wash a shirt when a hearty dose of Febreze can make it smell as fresh as a spring morning. First thing tomorrow, the boys and I will hammer together a privy from that pile of old lumber. I feel like splurging, so we’ll go deluxe and make it a threeholer. And all of that junk mail and those catalogues the mailman brings us will save us beaucoup bucks on TP expenditures. Um, what are you doing with the phone?” “I’m calling Motel Six to see if they have a room for me. You and the boys can go right ahead and live like barbarians but count me out.” “What do you mean, barbarians? We still have the internet and electricity. If it would make you feel any better, Miss Fussbudget, I could download and print out some pictures of Martha Stewart’s bathroom. Then you can sit in the bathtub and luxuriate in that quarter of an inch of lukewarm water and pretend that you’re at Martha’s house. Think of it as virtual bathing.” To make an expensive story short, my wife would not agree to this plan. I was forced to call Torgrude Well Drilling and Rod Torgrude, the guy who had originally bored our well 17 years earlier, came to our farm and installed a new submersible pump. I complained half-heartedly about how things do not last anymore but was secretly glad to know there are still some people who will always be there for you. Pressurized water was soon coursing through our house’s waterpipes once again. Our well was made well, and all’s well that ends well. Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, S.D. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@ dairystar.com.
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Grow your heifer before calving, not after
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 • Page 31
The goal of most heifer replacement programs is to raise high-quality, healthy heifers in an efďƒžcient and economical manner. These heifers have the genetics, frame, body condition and management background to conceive in a timely manner, reach their potential for high ďƒžrst-lactation Something to Ruminate On milk yield and become proďƒžtable replacements to the herd. I recently participated in a series of producer discussions with Dr. Michael Overton, Elanco Animal Health, to discuss the dynamics of heifer rearing and the costs associated By Barry Visser with inadequate heifer Nutritionist growth. The age at ďƒžrst calving has been trending downward the past decade. Today, many herds bring heifers into the milking herd at 22 months or even younger. Early calving has been promoted because it gets heifers in the milking string faster, decreases heifer numbers, and reduces heifer feed and rearing costs. For some dairies, this reduction has been positive for lifetime milk production, but, for many, it has not. The primary difference is bodyweight at ďƒžrst calving. There is a philosophical disconnect between age at ďƒžrst calving and average daily gain on many dairies. Bodyweight of a heifer at the time of ďƒžrst calving is a proxy for growth and size. If heifers have not reached the desired size at calving, they will continue to grow during lactation. This is much less efďƒžcient and happens at the expense of milk production. Overton estimates that 1 pound of growth during lactation cost 7 pounds of milk. Dr. Gavin Staley, a technical service veterinarian with Diamond V, uses a rule of thumb that 60 pounds heavier weight at calving equates to 3 to 4 pounds more milk production per day across the whole herd. How big should heifers be at the time of calving? To answer this question, a farm must know the average weight of mature cows in the herd. Cows typically do not reach their mature size until their third to fourth lactation. A subset of these cows between 80 and 120 days in milk should be used as the predictor for mature size. Overton cautions not to use the last load of cull cows that were long DIM with excess body condition. Overton shares that fresh heifers need to weigh 85% of the mature bodyweight post-calving. If springing heifers are easier to weigh, they should be closer to 95% of this mature bodyweight shortly before calving. Assuming the average mature bodyweight in your herd is 1,500 pounds, a springing heifer should weigh approximately 1,425 pounds. To reach these goals, farms must maintain an ambitious daily rate of gain during the rearing process. The chart below shows the average daily growth rate needed to achieve an average Holstein springer weight of 1,425 pounds. Calf birth weight of 85 pounds was subtracted to determine a desired weight gain of 1,340 pounds from birth to calving. Average daily gain 2.09 lbs. 2 lbs. 1.91 lbs. 1.84 lbs. 1.76 lbs.
Age at calving 21 months 22 months 23 months 24 months 25 months
Striving to reach these growth rates all year round is a challenge in many heifer rearing systems. However, if we can get heifers weighing close to 85% of their mature bodyweight at calving, much less growth is required in ďƒžrst lactation. Weight at calving not only determines ďƒžrstlactation performance, it has a profound impact on the lifetime performance and your overall herd performance. In an extensive record analysis, Staley concluded that ďƒžrst-lactation milk production determines the upper limit for the whole herd. He stated, “A herd cannot outperform the production set by ďƒžrst-lactation animals.â€? Staley established four guidelines after reviewing trends in nearly a half-million records: - First-lactation production at 10 weeks (approximate peak production) will be very near the herd production average across all lactations.
- At ďƒžve weeks post-calving, second-lactation cows will produce 30 pounds more milk than ďƒžrstlactation heifers. - At ďƒžve weeks post-calving, third-lactation cows will produce 8 to 10 pounds more milk than secondlactation cows. - The above differences appear to be independent of milking frequency and level of production. If your ďƒžrst lactation heifers do not meet production expectations, it may be time to implement a more intensive program to measure bodyweight. If you are not meeting growth goals, an evaluation of your heifer-rearing program may identify bottlenecks. In the meantime, delayed breeding can be a short-term solution so that heifers are reaching their weight goals at calving. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
Winter surprises
You never know what is going to happen during a winter season. You prepare for the worst and hope for the best. You try to maintain tractors and feeding equipment to prevent major breakdowns. You provide the best care, feed and shelter for the animals. You plan ahead. Every April and May, we try to avoid breeding heifers to calve the following winter. Sometimes things do not line up right, and we have a few that decide they want some extra attention. We do not like calving heifers in the winter because swollen, leaking teats lead to frozen Just Thinking Out Loud teats and a short production life span for the heifer not to mention the stress on her calf. We will calve some cows during these months because it works for us with housing. Regardless, calves born during these months end up with some very unique life stories and names. We keep a close eye on all our expecting mothersBy Natalie Schmitt to-be. Mark and Austin have Columnist developed an eye to know when a calf will arrive. There are the obvious signs of bagging up, restless, off by herself and a tail that just will not go down. With a quick feel just below her tail head, as she slips past them, they feel the muscles loosen and relax for the impending calf. They can generally guess within a couple of hours. Then there are those who blow the whole theory out of the water and you end up with a winter surprise. One very cold sub-zero January morning, Mark came to the house carrying a black block of ice. I grabbed old towels and started rubbing her down, trying to keep her blood circulating. The kids grabbed my blow dryer to help warm her up. (I think my blow dryer has been used on more calves and cows toplines than my own hair.) Once we warmed her up, she could start to prance around the back porch. We needed to come up with a great name. Since she had a chilly start to life, we named her Chilly. We could spot her anywhere in the lot. While we were able to warm her up, we were not able to save all of her ears. I do not even know if she had enough nubbins left to put a tag in. Luckily ears do not contribute to classication scores as she went on to be EX-93 2-E. Chilly went on to have daughters named Icicle and Freezee. Her most notable calf came during a weather event, as well. Chilly decided to have a calf outside during an overnight rainstorm. The next morning, we discovered a very wet black calf. She had a single drop of white on her face, hence the name Raindrop. She went on to have Dewdrop and Mist. Last month, when we were testing cows, the DHIA tester was talking about a farmer who found a calf in his shed overnight. The calf was not moving, and he thought
A nice i winter i suprise i we get this year is an extra day. it was dead. A while later, the son noticed the calf moved and realized it was still alive. They do not know how but it was. They brought her to the milkhouse and hosed her down with warm water to thaw her out. She became a milking cow in their herd known as Survivor. Mark said they had a similar calf born on the farm when he was a young kid. They literally had to chip her of out an ice block from the ground. She survived, and they named her Iceberg. I do not know if she had a calf named Lettuce or not. It was before my time on the farm. A nice winter surprise we get this year is an extra day. An extra day of milk. An extra day to have some fun. There is a myth that we are too busy. We just do not have the time. We all have the same 24 hours. It is how you use those hours. We make time for the things that are important to us. With our extra 24 hours, we are heading north for a family friend’s wedding, weather permitting. What will your winter surprise be with your extra day? Have fun. Natalie, Mark and his brother Al, farm together near Rice, Minn. They milk 100 registered Holsteins under the RALMA prex. Their four children are grown up and all involved in agriculture with hopes of someone returning to the farm. For questions or comments, please e-mail Natalie at mnschmitt@ jetup.net.
The brightest Star
Eight years ago, Monika fell in love with Star, the little, chocolate-colored Jersey calf that she showed at our county fair. Three years ago, I wrote about Star, Monika, and Monika’s growing herd of Jerseys – all descended from Star. In that column, I said, “I can’t help but think that Monika sure struck gold when she picked Star for a show calf ve years ago.” But gold mines don’t last forever and neither Dairy Good Life do cows. Two weeks ago, Monika said goodbye to Star. Just before Star calved, she lost a front teat – either she stepped on it herself or another cow in the bedded pack did. Given what we’ve learned from previous stepped-off teats, this was more than a minor injury. When Lucy lost her teat a couple years ago, she developed a systemic infection within 12 hours and we couldn’t save her. When Amore stepped off her teat last fall a week before calving, she severed an artery; we managed to stop the hemorrhaging by stitching it up, but not soon enough. By Sadie Frericks We lost both Amore and her unborn calf. Columnist So it’s somewhat of a miracle that Star held on long enough to deliver a live heifer calf and produce enough perfect colostrum to give her calf a good start. But shortly after she calved, the teat-less quarter became infected. Star still looked OK, but her lack of appetite told us that she didn’t feel very good – either due to the infection, the pain, or both. (As a fellow mammal, I cannot even imagine the pain level in a situation like that.) We made the gut-wrenching decision that Star should go before her condition got any worse. Twelve hours later, we said our nal goodbyes. It was heartbreaking. For Monika and for the rest of us. We all loved Star. Through the tears that continue to ow when I think about Star and her exceptional life, I can see all of the gifts she gave Monika. She gave Monika the gift of friendship. Star was Monika’s best fur-friend for eight years. That’s longer than any other friend Monika has ever had – animal or human. She was the kind of best friend every mom wants for her daughSStar’s ’ li light h will ill continue i to ter: gentle, affectionate, and shine in those daughters, stable. She was always there for Monika. granddaughters, and greatWhenever Monika granddaughters. But there needed a giggle, she would bring Star jellybeans and will never be another Star. watch her sort them out of the TMR. When we told Monika that Star wasn’t feeling good, she brought Star some gummy bears. When Star wouldn’t eat the candy, Monika began to understand just how unwell Star was feeling. She gave Monika so many opportunities for rst-time experiences. Glen called her the teacher cow. She helped Monika earn her rst purple ribbons. She was the rst cow Monika milked all by herself. She was the rst cow Monika palpated – when Glen saw that Star was in labor this last time, he brought her in and showed Monika how to check the calf’s presentation. She helped Monika learn about genetics: Star’s rst two heifer calves were chocolate-brown like she was. Her next three heifer calves were the morecommon Jersey-fawn. At rst Monika was confused and, to be honest, a little disappointed that Star had delivered light-colored Jerseys. We explained that sometimes calves look like their dams and sometimes they look like their sires. Monika came to accept – and love – the new-colored calves in her herd. Perhaps Star’s greatest gift is the rather impressive herd of Jerseys she gave Monika. As brood cows go, Star was incredible. All of Star’s daughters, grand-daughters, and great-granddaughters have been as calm and friendly as Star. They come up to us in the pasture for chin and poll scratches. They let the kids lay on them in the barn. And they’ve all taken to the halter like they were born to show. Star’s light will continue to shine in those daughters, granddaughters, and great-granddaughters. But there will never be another Star.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 • Page 33
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
A life built by farming
Scherpings treasure time spent milking cows By Sarah Colburn Contributing Writer
FREEPORT, Minn. – Ken Scherping was just 18 years old when his father, Edward Scherping, died in a farming accident, and he took over the family business. Ken buried his dad Dec. 24, 1982, the day of his 19th birthday. Ken does not recall making a decision to take over the family farm. The task was what needed to be done, and now, 40 years later, something Ken and his wife, MaryBeth, are still doing. “We had good friends who helped along the way and good employees,� Ken said. The Scherping family milks 100 cows in Stearns County near Freeport. The dairy features an underground tunnel from the main house to the barn. It was built in 1973, the same year Edward took a fall on the ice that left him with a broken kneecap and an extreme fear of winter glaze. The tunnel, made of cement, has its own lighting and became the main method of transportation for Edward. After his leg injury, Edward continued to dairy farm but never milked cows again. Instead, he hired help and his seven kids pitched in too. Ken, the youngest, began milking full time when he turned 16. Ken remembers his dad waking at 4:30 every day to put on his brace and go to work in the milkhouse, washing
MaryBeth and Ken Scherping milk 100 cows in Stearns County near Freeport, Minnesota. the milkers and overseeing the entire operation. “He was always here, no vacations; he didn’t leave the farm,� Ken said.
“(He) worked constantly.� Ken remembers his mom, Bernice, having her own farm chores. She prepped all 60 cows for milking and
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WHICH BARN IS BEST FOR YOUR HERD?
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MaryBeth Scherping feeds calves in December on her family’s dairy farm near Freeport, Minnesota. Now, the prep work is MaryBeth’s task. The two wake by 5:15; MaryBeth feeds the calves and beds, while Ken brings the cows up to the stanchion barn from the freestall facility. They work together all morning – milking, sweeping the barn, scraping the yard, and cleaning and bedding the free stalls. In the afternoons, Ken and MaryBeth bed the youngstock. MaryBeth also tends to the bookwork. A high school and college student are hired to help with evening chores. The couple’s adult sons – Tony, Nick and Shawn – are also readily available to return home to help whenever they are needed. The farm has grown and changed throughout the years. It was founded in 1898 and has been in the family for more than 100 years. The Scherpings have grown from 60 milking cows and now raise 70 replacement heifers on a nearby farm site where they house their youngstock. They keep all their bull calves and nish them out as steers and farm more than 260 acres of corn, alfalfa, oat and soybean. Technology has changed the way the Scherpings do things. For example, they started using a mixer wagon. The Scherpings also installed an automatic calf feeder, built a shop and erected a shed for the youngstock. “We improved things to make life a little easier,” MaryBeth said. They use the same milking system they had in 1983, and the cows wear activity monitors. “It’s like having a 24-hour herdsman,” Ken said.
Farm life for the Scherpings is not without its struggles, especially the last ve years. “With the trade wars going on it seems like agriculture is the one really suffering,” Ken said. “We have our ups and downs, but we get through it.” The farm brings the two a sense of pride, something that kept Ken going in those early years after he lost his dad. “The animals depend on us; they depend on us to feed them and care for them,” Ken said. The work is the same, and the cows have to be cared for whether the Scherpings are making $9 or $20 per hundredweight. Ken and MaryBeth not only have the stress of tending to their animals, but they have to debate whether to keep the farm going. “Farming is a nice life but people have to realize that you … have to sacrice when you farm,” MaryBeth said. “You have to be home for chores.” What keeps them going at this point is their grandkids – Adella, 5, Emmett, 3, and Darren, 6 months. “They like to come out to the farm and like to be with Grandpa in the tractor,” MaryBeth said. The grandkids visit the farm at least once a week. The Scherpings know raising their kids on the farm taught the boys responsibility and work ethic. “Farming offers a lot of different opportunities from electrical to carpentry,” MaryBeth said. “They all know how to do it, and if something is not working, they’ll gure it out. Plus, being family-oriented, and that’s important to them.”
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SARAH COLBURN/CONTRIBUTOR
Ken Scherping stands in a tunnel that runs from the house to the barn on the dairy near Freeport, Minnesota. The tunnel was built by Ken’s father, Edward Scherping, in 1973 aŌer a fall on the ice leŌ him with a broken kneecap and difculƟes walking on ice.
Open House March 20th! N10828 County Highway O | Greenwood, WI 715.267.1416 | www.greenwoodsilo.com
Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
Women In Dairy
Beth Wurst Farmington, Wisconsin Polk County 50 cows Family: My husband, David, has lived his entire life on our farm. He took over the operation right after his high school graduation. I am a city girl turned country. I have a master’s degree and taught in two Lutheran schools before getting married. The rst was a one-room school where I taught all grades through eighth grade. At the other school, I taught third grade. Kevin Zeitler, a starting guard on the New York Giants football team, and a former Badger, was one of my last third grade students. We have three children. Michael, 18, attends Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in New Richmond in the agricultural mechanics program. He is handy with equipment repairs and eldwork. Katie, 17, is a junior in high school. She loves cows and helps with eldwork. Sarah, 9, our bubbly fourth grader, is good at moving cattle and does a lot of chores including milking. Tell us about your farm. Established in 1852, our family farm turns 168 years old this year. We milk 50 cows in a 1962 tiestall barn. Feed is stored in Harvestore silos. Cows are fed with a computerized robot. We own 630 acres and rent a few more. We grow alfalfa, corn and soybeans. What is the busiest time of day for you? The afternoon is most challenging. There are chores to be done, I oftentimes run carpool and also prepare supper all within a short amount of time. I have learned over the years to juggle these tasks without feeding burnt offerings to my family. When you get spare moment, what do you do? My husband said Hallmark Channel. But what I do enjoy is hanging out at our cabin on a small lake only 12 minutes from our farm. I love to entertain company there. It’s like a mini retreat. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. I think the planning, clearing of the land and building our machine shop is one of my favorite memories. Before we built it there was no proper place for Dave to work on repairing machinery. Now that it is built, it serves a multipurpose. The guys now have plenty of room to work on equipment, and there is room for many of our favorite farm antiques. There is much needed room for eld equipment and to play basketball. It also serves as a great place to host graduation parties. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I remember before I was married, I was talking to my father about being worried that I
would not be a good farm wife. He had great condence and reassured me that I would be a good farm wife. I have embraced this life and want no other. I have been blessed with a wonderful family and farm. Dairy farming has its ups and downs, but I have never wanted our farming career to end. It is sad to hear of so many family farms shutting down. I would like to encourage my fellow farmers to be proud of this lifestyle and to look ahead to better things to come. For me, we have been very blessed, but farming isn’t about becoming rich. It’s about being content and thankful for the opportunity to be a steward of this small piece of our world. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? We have many close friends who are also dairy farmers or have had a connection to dairy. We have a common bond and help each other whenever possible. We also like to attend as many farm shows as we can to gain knowledge in our industry. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? My mother-in-law, Phyllis. I only got to spend a short 10 years with her before she passed away, but she taught me so many things about being a farm wife. I felt a strong bond with her. I learned how to cook, can, raise a vegetable garden and so much more. She was kind, gentle and was always willing to help me and offer wise advice. We shared some tears and a great deal of laughter. She was the epitome of a farm wife up until the very day she died. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? I cannot think of a particular prominent woman. Instead I would like to invite anyone with little farm experience to come and see what a day of farming is really all about. Many people are misinformed and are given a negative image of farming. I am amazed at the knowledge a farmer must retain and the work ethic one must possess to be a successful farmer. I think the phrase, “jack of all trades and master of none,” sums it up well. I would like people to see the incredible amount of work and care that goes into farming day after day. What is the best vacation you have ever taken? It is not easy to line up help or plan a family vacation. Our trip West was my favorite. It was a surprise for our children. We made it to Owatonna, Minnesota, on our way to the Black Hills when, to our surprise, we discovered it was the 75th anniversary of Sturgis, and we were headed right into the middle of it. We continued on since we had our farm work covered, and we wanted our family to experience the beauty of the Black Hills. Even though we had a difcult search for a hotel room each night, we had a fantastic time. However, after three days of being surrounded by millions of bikers, we decided to get out of Dodge and drive further west to get away from all the congestion. We continued to Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota. We visited battleelds, museums and the awesome Theodore Roosevelt National Park. What a great adventure.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 • Page 37
HEART
HEART
DAIRY
DAIRY
Willy & Judy Blonigen 43
Darrell Vande Griend 25
Dairy farming for
Dairy farming for
Years
Willy and Judy Blonigen milk 70 cows in Stearns County near St. MarĆ&#x;n, Minnesota
Tell us about your farm. Our farm was bought in 1952. Willy’s dad ran the farm until Willy started taking over in 1986. We got married in 1993 and have been improving since then. We have 454 acres and have 70 milk cows. We raise all replacement heifers and ďƒžnish out all the steers. We buy an extra 40-50 bull calves to ďƒžnish out. Tell us about your family. We have six children and two granddaughters. Sheila has two girls ages 6 and 4 and lives and works in Albany. She has a boyfriend, Casey. Alex got married to Amanda this past September and lives on the farm. Alex runs his own trucking business, and Amanda is a nurse and helps with chores at night. Ben lives by Albany and works as a diesel mechanic/road construction for a company out of St. Augusta. He has a girlfriend, Emily. Christopher works in St. Martin and lives and helps on the farm. He raises calves and does custom milking. He also has a girlfriend, Emily. Noah helps on the farm. He is a senior in high school and plans on attending Ridgewater College for precision ag. Victoria is a sophomore in high school and also helps on the farm. They all help if they can when we need them on the farm and with ďƒželd work. What has been the highlight of your dairying career? The highlight of our dairying career has been seeing the farm grow and improve. My dad built the ďƒžrst slat ďƒ&#x;oor barn in the state in 1966, and we are still using it. Another highlight is seeing some of the kids want to continue farming. What do you love about dairy farming? We like being our own boss and working with the animals. We also like being home to raise our own kids and teach them values and a good work ethic. What has been the biggest obstacle you have faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? The biggest obstacle has been the low prices of milk, grain, etc., the last 4-5 years. With the prices of everything being down, there has been nothing to help carry us through. We have overcome it by tightening our belt and only doing things that need to be done now. We push off things that can wait to be done. What has been the best decision you have made on your farm? Some of the best decisions we have made were putting in the TMR and the conveyors to help reduce physical labor. Building a heated machine shop makes it easier to work on equipment especially in the winter which is why we wish we would have built it years ago. Another good decision is allowing the kids to try their own ideas and guiding them so they can learn by their own mistakes. Who has been an inspiration to you during your dairying career? Our good friend, Ron Schaefer, has been an inspiration. I (Willy) started farming at the same time Ron did so we have been able to bounce ideas off of each other, laugh during good times, complain during bad times and understand exactly what the other is going through. We are both in the same boat.
DAIRY Dairy farming for
Darrell Vande Griend milks 230 cows in Sioux County near Hull, Iowa.
Tell us about your farm. My great-grandfather purchased this farm nearly 100 years ago. He had a typical farm for that time with a few hogs and some chickens and a small dairy herd. My grandfather, Henry, took over from his father and my dad, Dave, and my uncle, Jason, joined our family operation in the 1970s. Dad and Jason started out milking 90 head in a stanchion barn. In the early 1990s, they built a double-6 parallel parlor which has since been expanded to a double-8. In 1999, we built a freestall barn that enabled us to expand our herd to its present size. In 2010, we remodeled the original barn to make it more usable and to further extend its life. Tell us about your family. We are a family of dairymen. My father, Dave, raises our baby calves. Jason does a little bit of everything and performs a lot of the ďƒželd work. My cousin, Joel, has joined the operation and is the farm’s chief mechanic. Joel keeps our machinery in top condition which is important as we do our own silage chopping and haul our manure. I am the farm’s herdsman. What has been the highlight of your dairying career? Coming back to our home farm after being away for some years. I worked as a dairy cow breeder in California for a while. Then I worked for my in-laws who operate a dairy and a bottling plant in Phoenix. I learned a lot from both of those jobs but was glad to return to northwestern Iowa so I could bring up my kids here. What do you love about dairy farming? I love being around for my kids and watching them grow up. I get to be there every day when they get home from school. It’s nice that my dad and my uncle can ďƒžll in when I’m gone so I can ďƒ&#x;ex my schedule and attend my kids’ events. What has been the biggest obstacle you have faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? The last couple of years have been tough. We tightened up the operation and watched things a little closer. We do our best to keep all of our animals healthy and have learned that there are some areas where you simply can’t cut corners. Last year’s cropping season was a huge struggle due to all the rain. We’re glad that it’s behind us and are looking forward to a better growing season this year. What has been the best decision you have made on your farm? Switching back to sand bedding. We had been using manure solids that we were buying from another farm. The solids worked but not as good as sand. We have found that sand gives the cows better traction and lowers their SCC. We are working on setting up a sand separator to recover some of the waste sand. Who has been an inspiration to you during your dairying career? My dad has been my inspiration. I have learned a lot from him, including the value of hard work and responsibility. He has taught me that there are a lot of little nuances to caring for baby calves. I’ve depended on his help to guide me and assist me with making important decisions.
6$8. &(175( 01 3KRQH $VN IRU 5DOSK RU 6WHYH
ZZZ PPFMG FRP
HEART Roger Hoen
Years
2014, 1301 Hours, RWA, Kernel Star Processor, Prodrive, Dohrman Inoculate System, Autotrac and Harvest Lab Ready
59 Years
Roger Hoen milks 95 cows in Carver County near Cologne, Minnesota.
Tell us about your farm. The homestead has been in the family for more than 100 years. Before 1957, we had a 26-cow stall barn. In 1957, Dad built a 44-stall barn. In 1970, a 25-by-80 Harvestor for haylage. In 1971, a 34-stall addition to the barn. In 1976, we built a 20-by-70 stave silo for corn and built a 20-by-50 Harvestor for highmoisture corn in 1978. We purchased a TMR mixer in 1990 and installed automatic takeoff milkers in 2000. My brother, Rich, and his wife, Kim, my wife, Carol, and I farm 750 acres with the help of our sons. Our sons work full time jobs off the farm. Tell us about your family. Carol and I have seven grown children and four granddaughters. Jim owns his own milk route and helps daily with milking and other chores. Bill is a herdsman for Otto Dairy. Greg works for DitchWitch and helps with maintenance and repairs on the farm. Tony is a sales and service technician for Finish Master and helps with milking and chores. Julie works for Security Bank. Kellie works for Ofďƒžce Solutions as the ofďƒžce manager. Kari is a project manager assistant for HighMark. What has been the highlight of your dairying career? There are so many highlights from going to haylage and high-moisture corn for feed, having a skidsteer and automatic takeoffs. But I think the greatest is having our sons helping when they can. What do you love about dairy farming? I guess it is the competitiveness and always trying to improve. What has been the biggest obstacle you have faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? Taking time off is a struggle. I do not like leaving someone else with all the work. I may be able to overcome this by retiring. I am 70. What has been the best decision you have made on your farm? My best decision was getting married and having a family. It creates purpose in your life. Who has been an inspiration to you during your dairying career? Nearly everyone. My dad, my uncles, two older brothers, ag teachers, shop teachers, my wife and children. I learn from them all.
$
239,000
8700, 2016, 680 Hrs, RWA .............................. $393,900 8600, 2016, 785 Hrs, RWA .............................. $359,000 8600, 2015, 1197 Hrs, RWA ............................ $262,500 8500, 2017, 103 Hrs, RWA .............................. $429,000 8500, 2016, 665 Hrs, RWA .............................. $329,000 8500, 2016, 588 Hrs, RWA ............................. $315,000 8400, 2015, 1110 Hrs, RWA ............................ $257,400 8300, 2017, 350 Hrs, RWA .............................. $336,400 7780, 2014, 1301 Hrs, RWA ............................ $239,000 7550, 2008, 1442 Hrs, RWA ............................ $132,900 7700, 2007, 1570 Hrs, RWA ............................ $129,500 6810, 1996, 4925 Hrs, 2WD .............................. $29,500 Claas 890, 2002, 2290 Hrs .............................. $96,000 NH FR9090, 2008,1998 Hrs ........................... $139,000 All hours listed are “cutter hours�.
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Page g 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
HEART
HEART
DAIRY
DAIRY
Keith Kohrs
Kerwin Siewert
Dairy farming for
44 Years
Dairy farming for
50 Years
Keith Kohrs milks 120 cows in Wabasha County near Lake City, Minnesota.
Tell us about your farm. I farm together with my son, Jeremy, who joined the operation in 2003. Our farm is 160 acres. Along with milking our 120 cows, we raise all our heifers along with our steers until about 500 pounds. We rent about 40 acres of hay ground we use for round bales. I am the third generation to farm on this site. After I graduated from high school in 1976, I started farming with my dad full time. I took over from him in 1990. The barn used to be a 46-stall stanchion barn; however, in 2008, we retrotted in a double-10 parallel parlor. At that time, we created a bedded pack for the cows. In 2011, we built a freestall barn. Tell us about your family. My wife, Deb, and I have been married for 40 years. We have three children – Jessica, Jeremy and Jennifer – and 10 grandchildren. What has been the highlight of your dairying career? Being able to raise my kids on the farm. They are all in their 30s, and they still talk about their memories of growing up on the farm. What do you love about dairy farming? I have always loved working with the cows and the youngstock. It is one of the few jobs where you can take your kids to work with you. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? Hanging in there through the bad prices. I always say if you’re looking to get rich, do something else. You have to love it. We have been able to get through these low times by not spending any more than we have to and xing what we have. What was the best decision you have made on your farm? Putting in the double-10 parallel parlor in 2008. I have a bad back and would not have been able to milk this long if we still had a stanchion barn. Who has been an inspiration to you during your dairying career? My children have been an inspiration to me. They have always been by my side. Deb worked off the farm, so they would be with me on the farm or my mom would watch them if I could not have them with me. I liked to see how they grew. They used to ride their tricycles up and down the barn, and the cows would not even inch. But my biggest inspiration is my wife, Deb. I can go in the house and be down about having a bad day, but after talking with her, she makes me realize what is really important in life.
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Kerwin Siewert milks 575 cows in Wabasha County near Zumbro Falls, Minnesota
Tell us about your farm. I received my doctorate from the University of Minnesota in 1969 and then taught dairy nutrition and dairy management at the University of Illinois for one year. I came back to my family’s farm in 1970. My dad sold me the farm and moved to Lake City; however, he still helped on the farm for 15 years. At the time, we milked 60 cows in a tiestall barn. My wife, Sandy, worked off the farm as a dietitian. In 1995, our son, Kevin, joined the farm so we expanded to support both families. That is when we built our double-8 parallel parlor we still use today along with a freestall barn. Since then, we have added more barns for milking cows along with youngstock and other animals. Kevin transitioned into the farm, and we co-managed the farm for several years. He took over in the early 2000s. I still work on the farm every day. My main tasks are with the genetics. I make the bull selections and work with all youngstock. We work in partnership with Genex to implant embryos from the company, so I also work with them. I also do the bookkeeping along with eldwork during the summer. I help where I am needed on the farm. Tell us about your family. My wife, Sandy, and I have three children, Kevin, Ila and Lowell, along with 10 grandchildren. What has been the highlight of your dairying career? I have liked being able to expand and see the farm grow. This includes being able to bring Kevin in. It is fun to watch the way he manages the farm. It has also been a highlight to add employees and watch how well the workforce works together. Running this farm would not be possible without them. Everyone gets along well. What do you love about dairy farming? I have a big passion for the dairy cow. She really is marvelous in how she converts a feed source into a nutritious product. I also love genetics and seeing how dairy cows have improved in the last 50 years. In the 1970s, if a cow was milking 60 or 70 pounds of milk per day, you really had a good cow. Now we have cows that produce double that. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in your dairying career and how did you overcome it? When we expanded, we were buying registered cattle from all over the Midwest. In 1997, we discovered something was wrong with our cows. Nearly 40% of our herd was infected with Johne’s disease. We started implementing practices to clean it up. It took about ve years to get rid of it. Our herd has been clear since about 2007, and now we do not even test for it. But when we rst encountered it in our herd, it was a big challenge. Another challenge was when we switched from mattresses to sand bedding in 2010. It helped the cows right away, but it was a big change in our facility. We had to learn to manage it. What was the best decision you have made on your farm? Our best decision has been hiring a good herdsman and good employees. One employee has been here for 20 years and another four have been here 15 years or more. The rest of the employees have been here between ve and 10 years. We give them responsibility, let them take ownership and treat them well. Who has been an inspiration to you during your dairying career? My college advisor, Dr. Don Otterby, at the University of Minnesota. He is now deceased. Going back to the farm was not the popular thing to do after getting a doctorate, but he was supportive of me. He always had condence in his students’ abilities to carry out tasks and was supportive of students’ development as an individual.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020 • Page 39
sponsored by dairy farmers? Try not to overspend. Do what you can to make sure cow comfort is the best it can be. Cow comfort is key so if you can afford them, do the upgrades to improve that area.
Andy Meyer Lake City, Minnesota Wabasha County 130 cows How did you get into farming? I was born here and have been helping since I was little. I started farming full time with my dad after I graduated from high school in 1997. I always liked working with the cows. Genetics have always interested me. I also like seeing how much milk we get out of the cows, especially with a focus on components because the majority of the herd is Jersey. We milk our cows in a 100-stall tiestall barn built in 1979. We have to switch 30 cows every milking.
What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your farm? Last fall, we put rubber mats in the middle aisle. Another good purchase was the automatic takeoffs we put in 5.5 years ago. We used to have three people milking. With the takeoffs, we were able to cut down to two people for milking. Plus, there is less bending needed, and the milking is more uniform for the cows. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Raising my family on the farm. My wife, Amanda, and I have two sons, Trent, 21, and Brayden, 17. Both boys were able to be with me on the farm every day until they needed to go to school.
What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? It has been nice since the price came back up. Hopefully it stays up. It was a long ve years with low prices. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? About two years ago, we started testing our milk through AgSource. I have mobile access to all the cows’ records on my smartphone. Our breeding company can also log in when looking up a cow for breeding. Having instant access to that information has made certain aspects on the farm easier. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? We switched to using colostrum replacer rather than feeding fresh colostrum. The calves are doing a lot better now. We were having issues before we started using it. It is not cheap, but it gives the calves a good start.
What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? We did not really do anything different. We tried not to spend money on anything that was not needed. We did not do any extra projects. We did milk a few more cows to try to get a little more milk, and we put a little more grass in our alfalfa to save a bit on seed. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? We have one full-time employee and two part-time employees. Communication is key and having a routine schedule also
helps. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I know my cows well so I can tell when one is in heat or sick. That is what is nice about the tiestall barn. I can see them clearly all the time. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I like being able to set my own schedule and being my own boss for the most part. I do not have to clock in. What advice would you give other
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? In the next year, we plan to put in new mats in the stalls, but other than that we do not have big plans. In the long term, we are going to work on increasing the herd’s components and start breeding more of the cows back to Jersey. Right now, about 25% of the herd is Holstein or crossbred. We also would like to be milking fewer cows so we do not have to switch any in the barn. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We are a big sports family. We attend a lot of high school football and basketball games. We also watch the Vikings during the season.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 22, 2020
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