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DAIRY ST R March 6 - 7 • Chippewa Valley Expo Center
Volume 20, No. 1
Dairy safety net restructured in federal budget
“All dairy, all the time”™
February 24, 2018
Counting on their components
MPP, LGM included in disaster relief package By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
Signicant nancial relief is on the horizon for dairy farmers. The federal government laid out revisions to both the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) and Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) in the federal spending bill, which was signed by President Trump Feb. 9. Albeit a short-term x, the provisions will provide nearly $1.2 billion in baseline spending for the next farm bill and create a more secure safety net for dairy farmers. “Previously, we had not had an effective dairy safety net at the federal level. We still don’t have everything the industry needs, but it’s a big step. … We’re making progress,” said Chris Galen with National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). Sens. Pat Roberts (Kan. – R) and Debbie Stabenow (Mich. – D), chair and vice chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, along with Sens. Thad Cochran (Miss. – R) and Patrick Leahy (Vt. – D), chair and vice chair of the Senate Appropriation Committee, respectively, offered the changes to the dairy government-funded programs with the looming market conditions. After nearly a year of negotiations in both the Senate and House, legislation was passed to improve programs as part of the disaster package of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. The most drastic revisions are contained in MPPDairy. “MPP was designed for simplicity with xed premiums. The problem has been the premiums are too high relative to the margins over the last four years and people are not signing up,” said Marin Bozic, assistant professor of applied economics at the University of Minnesota and associate director of Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center. Changes include raising the catastrophic level for Tier 1 coverage from $4 to $5; adjusting Tier 1 production covered for dairy farmers from the rst 4 million pounds to rst 5 million pounds of annual milk production; reducing premium rates for dairy farmers’ Tier 1 production coverage; calculating margins on a monthly basis rather than every two months; waiving the annual $100 service fee for beginning, limited resource, disadvantaged or military veteran farmers under the discretion of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); and reopening a 90-day enrollment for 2018 coverage. These changes not only more accurately reect the current dairy situation for the average-sized dairy farm in the U.S. of about 220 cows, but also is a more costeffective safety measure. With the catastrophic coverage at $5, premiums begin at $0.009 per hundredweight (cwt.) for $5.50 coverage level in Tier 1 in comparison to $0.03 per cwt. for the same level in Tier 1 in previous years. The new premiums continue with $0.016 per cwt. for $6 coverage; $0.04 per cwt. at $6.50 coverage; $0.063 per cwt. for $7 coverage; $0.087 per cwt. for $7.50 coverage; and Turn to MPP | Page 5
BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Trevor (leŌ) and Charlie Baier’s herd of 400 cows has a daily milk yield of 99 pounds per day with a 4.0 percent fat, 3.0 percent protein, and somaƟc cell count between 30 to 40,000 at Baier Creek Dairy near Eau Galle, Wis. Not pictured are Rod and Steve Baier.
Baiers’ herd testing at 4 percent butterfat By Brittany Olson
brittany.o@dairystar.com
EAU GALLE, Wis. – With strong butter prices and shrinking premiums on top of lackluster class III prices, many dairy farmers are focusing on maintaining or improving the amount of milk solids leaving the farm in the milk truck. While genetics are an important piece of the milk production puzzle, environment – including high quality feed and cow comfort – help to unlock a cow’s genetic potential. That nature-and-nurture philosophy is on display at Baier Creek Farms, where father and son, Charlie and Trevor Baier, along with Charlie’s brother and nephew, Rod and Steve, milk 400 cows near Eau Galle, Wis. The Baiers’ herd of mostly Holstein cows, with a few Jersey crosses, averages 99 pounds of milk every day with 4 percent butterfat and a somatic cell count between 30 to 40,000. “We try to stay around a 3 to 3.1 percent protein,” Trevor said. “We ship two loads of milk a day, and those two loads are typically between a 4 to 4.1 fat.” Because their milk goes toward cheese production, the Baiers also keep a close eye on their herd’s cheese yield, which is around 3,379 pounds per cow throughout the lactation period. “Our herd average is slightly under 33,790
pounds, or 10 times our cheese yield,” Trevor said. After their cooperative nixed the use of rBST by its members at the beginning of 2018, the Baiers weren’t sure what to expect as far as total milk loss. However, they have noticed an uptick in butterfat production with losing volume. “Before we went off rBST, our fat was around a 3.85 to 3.9. Going off of it has come back to bite us a little bit as far as overall pounds shipped, but the increased components are paying for the loss in milk,” Trevor said. “We’re getting paid on a component basis so it helps.” Genetics play a large role in high-producing dairy cows. Trevor said their breeding philosophy, particularly in the past year, has shifted from selecting for functional type to choosing bulls from proven high component cow families. “Instead of worrying about feet and legs, for example, components are going to take our herd to the next level,” Trevor said. Keeping their cows clean and comfortable in their sand-bedded freestalls with fresh air moving throughout the barn at all times is a top priority for the Baiers. Stalls are raked and cleaned every milking, and the barn was built to prevent overstocking with one stall for every cow. On top of keeping their cows’ living quarters clean, the Baiers are also looking to minimize their cows’ time going to and from the milking parlor so they can get back to eating and resting as soon as possible. “Cow comfort locks in genetics,” Charlie said. Turn to BAIER | Page 6
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofďƒžce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Amanda Thooft 320-352-6303 amanda.t@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Andrea Borgerding - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Krista Kuzma - Assistant Editor (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Ron Johnson (608) 874-4243 ron.j@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Brittany Olson (320) 352-6303 brittany.o@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (715) 245-6848 danielle.n@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 - Jeff Weyer (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-8505 (cell) jeff.w@dairystar.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofďƒžce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Lori Menke (Eastern Iowa, Southern WI) 563-608-6477 • lori.m@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 megan.s@dairystar.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $35.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute ďƒžnal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Dairy Star, LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofďƒžces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
A glance at what’s inside
Dairy Proďƒžle brought to you by your
North America dealers.
This issue we had another great mix of stories from in the barn to what people do with their free time when not doing chores. With the depressed milk price, one dairy farm organization has stepped up to try to do something about it. The Dairy Pricing Association, led by Tom Olson, who milks 33 cows near Black River Falls, Wis., conducted a recent conference call outlining how the grass-roots organization has been using its 10-cent per hundredweight fee to buy cheese on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) in hopes it would take cheese off the market and increase the milk price. That cheese is then donated to organizations to help feed people in need. Last year, the DPA purchased three loads of cheese. Read on pages 12-13 in ďƒžrst section about the DPA’s planned efforts for the upcoming year. Mid-February also gave the upper Midwest a few warm days, which allowed several farmers a chance to get a few extra projects done. This included the Molitor family, who milks 126 cows on their dairy near Sauk Rapids, Minn. On Feb. 14, the family was able to clean out pens that would otherwise be frozen in addition to getting all the everyday chores done. Read about them in our “Day in the lifeâ€? feature on pages 16, 18-19 in second section. With spring right around the corner, so are several dairy princess contests. In this issue’s “From our side of the fenceâ€? feature on pages 15-16 in ďƒžrst section, we reached out to former dairy princesses. They talked about why young women should be involved in their dairy princess programs, what events they would plan if they were a dairy princess coordinator and how they continue to promote dairy in their life now. With the Olympics wrapping up, sports have been on the minds of many. But curling is always on the minds of former dairy farmer, Dan Lilla, who is a member of the Centerville Curling Club in Centerville, Wis. He is one of over 300 members in the club, which has hosted national events in the past. Read about this former dairy farmer’s past-time on pages 34-35 in ďƒžrst section. – The Dairy Star Editorial Team
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Pages 8-9 First Section
The Transition Pen
Eau Galle
Comstock
Barron
Cadott
First Section: Pages 1, 6 - 7
First Section: Page 39
Second Section: Pages 16, 18 - 19
First Section: Pages 10 - 11
Baiers’ herd testing at 4 percent butterfat
Page 27 First Section
Dairy Prole: Casey Catlin
Murphy faces challenges on small farm
A day in the life of the Molitor family
Rural Roots Page 28 First Section
Polk County dairy bowl teams win state 4-H, junior Holstein contests
Bayeld
Douglas
ur Burnett
Sawyer
Price
Page 30 First Section
Polk
Something to Ruminate On
Just Thinking Out Loud Page 32 First Section
Barron
Taylor
Black River Falls
Dairy Pricing Association works to increase milk price First Section: Pages 12 - 13
St. Croix Pierce
Dunn
Pepin Buffalo
Dairy Good Life Page 33 First Section
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Pages 10 - 11 Second Section
Cashton
Klinkner brothers named Monroe County conservation farmers
Rusk
Second Section: Pages 6 - 7
Chippewa
Marathon Clark
Eau Claire Trempealeau
Page 31 First Section
Second Section: Pages 32 - 33
Ashland
n
Ramblings from the Ridge
Women meet for Heart of the Farm conference
Iron
First Section: Pages 23, 25
hb
Page 29 First Section
Marsheld
Amery
W as
Every glass can make a difference
Wood Jackson
Wisconsin Dells
Adams
La Crosse Monroe
Family is paramount at Walk-Era Holsteins
Juneau Vernon
Centerville
Curling provides social outlet for dairy farmer First Section: Pages 34 - 35
ford
Richland
Sauk
Craw
Iowa
Fond Du Lac Columbia
Dane
Lafayette
Zone 2
Green
Dodge
J
n
so
er eff
Grant
Third Section: Pages 5 - 7
Rock
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
Why should young women get involved in princess programs? Pages 15-16
Brooklyn
McNeelys improve protocols for a 43 percent pregnancy rate
First Section: Pages 18, 20
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
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Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
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ConƟnued from MPP | Page 1 $0.142 for $8 coverage. “There are tremendous reductions in premiums, particularly for $8 where the biggest absolute decline is, and with the new Tier 1 that is incentive to take a fresh look at the program,” Bozic said. Last year, 20,314 dairy farmers across the nation signed up for MPPDairy – 5,260 in Wisconsin and 2,318 in Minnesota – according to the USDA. The nation’s farmers enrolled represented roughly 137 billion pounds of milk based on production history. Within Dairy Star’s coverage area, more than 31 billion pounds of milk based on production history were eligible for a payment at various levels of coverage in 2017, with a majority of the production being covered at the catastrophic coverage level of $4. “Margins in 2017 didn’t favor MPP, although some farmers did receive payments,” Bozic said. Part of the criticism with the original structure of MPP-Dairy was how margins were determined, calculating the average margin over two months. In several cases, the average margin was outside of a payment level as one month’s margin was signicantly lower and the next was high enough to skew the two-month average. By calculating margins monthly and issuing payments on the same schedule, dairy farmers may see up to 12 payments this year. In a report released by Dairy Markets and Policy Feb. 9, 2018, margins are expected to be below $8, with a 50 percent probability of being below $7 until July. However, MPP-Dairy will not benet every farmer who signs up for coverage below $8. The lowest percentage of production history a farmer can enroll is 25 percent, with a maximum of 90 percent. Dairies smaller than 500 cows have the opportunity to enroll 90 percent of production history and anticipate a small
net return, while larger dairies must enroll a smaller percentage in order to gain a net return. “If a farmer milks 800 cows, production above 5 million pounds becomes a part of Tier 2 and they will pay more in premiums than what is expected to pay out,” Bozic said. “Those farmers should enroll a lower percent of milk production covered at $8 or look elsewhere for support.” For dairy farmers who will not benet from MPP-Dairy, LGM may be another option. The disaster package eliminates the $20 million annual cap on all livestock insurance, which includes dairy. Previously, LGM was limited with a small amount of funding for subsidies. As of Feb. 13, the available balance for dairy subsidies was about $3.5 million, according to Bozic. “Now, it’s essentially unlimited for subsidies,” Bozic said. “Farmers with more than 800 cows should focus on an alternative strategy like LGM.” With these changes to dairy safety net programs, Bozic encourages dairy farmers to evaluate their business and what approach will work for them. “Those who can enroll 90 percent of production history will benet tremendously from MPP. I encourage everyone to take a closer look at MPP,” Bozic said. While adjustments to current dairy safety net programs will create shortterm relief, the $1.2 billion in baseline funding for the new farm bill is essential in establishing a secure long-term program. The completion of a farm bill is tentatively set for Sept. 30. At the time of print, the USDA did not announce when enrollment for 2018 MPP-Dairy would reopen. For more information, farmers are encouraged to speak with their FSA agent or visit http:// dairymarkets.org/MPP/Tool/.
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
ConƟnued from BAIER | Page 1
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Cow comfort is a priority at Baier Creek Dairy near Eau Galle, Wis. The cows’ sand-bedded freestalls are groomed daily to keep the cows clean.
“Laying down for 14 hours a day is the key.” Consistently producing quality feed is also top of mind during the cropping season. “Until we corrected ourselves and started to make perfect feed, we weren’t really producing at the level we wanted to,” Trevor said. “We’re maximizing our forages so we don’t have to buy corn to add energy or soybean meal to add protein, and our feed efciency is better that way.” Alfalfa is harvested for haylage every 28 days throughout the season to capitalize on protein content and ber digestibility. The Baiers are also outstanding growers of brown-midrib
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corn silage, as exhibited by their championship win at the 2017 World Forage Analysis Superbowl. “I am a big believer in BMR corn,” Trevor said. Bypass fat is also added to the ration to improve milk fat, as well as molasses. The two working together in the ration, on top of the high-quality forages, have played a large role in keeping fat tests high. “The bypass adds extra butterfat and it keeps rumen acidity down, too,” Trevor said. “Feeding molasses has been our ticket to higher butterfat, too. It binds everything up.” Turn to BAIER | Page 7
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 7
ConƟnued from BAIER | Page 6 The cows are fed once a day, and feed is pushed twice every milking leading to a total of six pushes per day. Paying close attention to how they are feeding transition cows in the post-fresh period has not only improved milk component production, but milk production overall. “The feed has to be fresh,” Charlie said. “The way we feed transition cows has really helped, too.” Trevor echoed his father, adding that getting their cows to peak earlier in the lactation sustains their lactation curves throughout the 305 days they are in the milking string. “We don’t want their lactation curves getting thrown off,” Trevor said. “We don’t want to take away bypass and molasses coming into the milking string and affect peak
milk and lactation curves.” The Baiers’ advice for farmers looking to improve butterfat production includes keeping a close eye on feed storage and consistently keeping cows comfortable and eating good feed. “Talk to your nutritionist about adding something to the ration with value,” Trevor said. “Keep in mind that every farm is different, and that cows don’t like change.” Charlie agreed. “You’ve got to manage your bunkers. Overlling them can lead to problems like mold in the feed,” Charlie said. “You’ve got to switch your thinking to cow comfort, too. We spend a lot of time making sure they eat as a group and lay down as a group and try to prevent overstocking. Just take care of your cows.”
BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR
The Baiers’ new transiƟon barn, along with how they feed transiƟon cows, has contributed to cows peaking earlier in their lactaƟons and sustaining their lactaƟon curves for a longer period of Ɵme.
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Tough decisions to be made in the farm bill The new supplemental budget bill includes opportunity to enroll or adjust their MPP coverage. changes for the dairy and cotton programs, providing new baseline funding. There are 39 other pro- Big blemish grams in the current farm bill that have no baseline According to the trade advisor to Agriculture for the 2018 farm bill. Chairman Michael Secretary Sonny Perdue, Jason HafeAg Insider Conaway and the other members of the meister, the North American Free Trade House Agriculture Committee will need Agreement has been positive for U.S. agto make some tough decisions. “We’ve riculture. However, Canada’s unwillinggot hard decisions to make between good ness to negotiate on dairy trade is a big programs. All of the easy cuts have been blemish on NAFTA. made in previous farm bills. We’re now down to programs that are benecial. Trade negotiations toughen We’re trying to combine some things in After a recent face-to-face meeta bigger piece to leave them intact. We’re ing, South Dakota Representative Kristi working those angles.” Conaway said his Noem said U.S. Trade Representative committee is nearly ready to move on the Robert Lighthizer was more combative farm bill, but the timeline depends on the than she’s seen before. “He’s frustrated By Don Wick ability to get oor time. “There are things we aren’t seeing the Canadians move on Columnist outside of my control like the debt ceilissues like dairy. They’re not really negoing, like the CR expiring on March 23. tiating very well. He wants to keep NAFAll of those kinds of things are complicated. If I had TA, but he’s also getting mixed signals from different it my way, it would be in committee late February people. The people who want him to ght for changes and across the oor in March for the House version. in dairy policy. They want to have certain things on Senator Roberts wants to be on a similar timeframe. the table, but then, there are other people, like me, If we were both able to get our bills done by the end who constantly go to him and say we shouldn’t withof March, we’d have about six months to reconcile drawal from NAFTA, it’s too critically important for between the two and get those hard decisions made agriculture. He says he’s getting constant feedback on for the president to sign it and it go into affect October different sides of the issue from Congress. He knows 1.” it’s important for our economy and agriculture. He’s trying to negotiate with Canada, but it’s been a chalUSDA asked to open enrollment for revised MPP lenge.” Noem said Lighthizer is working without a The National Milk Producers Federation is asking single deputy trade ambassador. “He says it’s cripUSDA to quickly reopen the sign-up period for the pling our negotiations with getting these trade agreeMargin Protection Program. The enrollment period ments done. We have to break the log jam in the Senfor 2018 closed in December, but Congress directed ate and get people appointed. He’s supposed to have USDA to revise that deadline in the recent supple- at least ve deputies. Today, he has zero. I talked to mental budget bill. More affordable coverage is now him six months ago asking if he had enough help. At available for dairy farmers. NMPF President and that time, he said he thought he would, but he hasn’t CEO Jim Mulhern said farmers should be given the gotten anyone since then.”
Roberts seeks a rule change to advance legislative process Arizona Senator Jeff Flake’s hold on the conrmation of Gregg Doug to be the chief agricultural trade negotiator has nally been lifted. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts is anxious to move forward, having met with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to nd oor time for a vote. “I want to see changes in Senate rules to speed up the process. This business of delaying people and ling cloture, and than there are 30 hours of debate, is a wonderful tool for people who want to stop things,” Roberts said. “We had to expedite this. As a matter of fact, on the Rules Committee, we’re considering a change. Instead of 30 hours, it could be moved to six (hours), which would certainly speed things up.” Perdue addresses the state of the farm economy Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue faced a wide range of questions in a House Ag Committee hearing on Tuesday. Topics addressed include SNAP and nutrition programs, trade, agricultural labor, and broadband. Many of the questions came back to market prices and the farm economy. In a brief questionand-answer period with reporters, Perdue cited the recent trade dust-up with China over sorghum. “If we could do something specically about prices, we would have done that a long time ago. Obviously, I wanted to point out the sensitivity of the commodity markets. It can react overnight. When you see the cash price of sorghum go down over $1, we need to be careful in trade policies of how we react internationally.” Dairy sustainability MOU signed USDA and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy plan to work together to promote environmental sustainability. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Dairy Management Inc. Chairman Paul Rovey signed the new Memorandum of Understanding at a California dairy farm. A similar MOU was signed in 2009. Previous efforts in research and sustainability projects include anaerobic digesters on dairy farms and the development of nutrient recovery technologies. A global leader Wisconsin enjoyed a 6 percent increase in exports in 2017. Canada, Mexico and China are the top three markets for Wisconsin exports. The amount of agricultural exports to Canada increased 1.5 percent; Mexico was up 14 percent and China was up nearly 28 percent. Dairy issues discussed at Farmers Union convention Darin Von Ruden will serve another term as president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union. Von Ruden is Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 a dairy farmer at Westby. At the WFU State Convention in Wisconsin Dells, the organization passed special orders calling for dairy policy reform and local control for the siting of large livestock operations. FarmFirst elects ofcer team John Rettler of Neosho, Wis. has been re-elected as president of the FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative. Randy Geiger of Reedsville, Wis. is the vice president. Kathy Bauer of Faribault, Minn. is the secretary and Rich Meyer of Unity, Wis. is the treasurer. FarmFirst Dairy Co-op is based in Madison, Wis. and has members in Wisconsin, Minnesota, South Dakota, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. Manske retires Cooperative Network President/ CEO John Manske has retired. Man-
ske spent 25 years with Cooperative Network and its predecessor organization, Wisconsin Federation of Cooperatives. Gary Weber has been named the interim president/CEO. Trivia challenge The Brown Swiss Breeders Association of the USA is based in Beloit, Wis. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, how many compartments can be found in the cow’s stomach? We’ll have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
CORRECTION
In the Jan. 27 Dairy Star, it was incorrectly stated that Cosmic Wheel Creamery fertilizes vegetables with cow manure. This is incorrect and against organic standards. The creamery composts the manure and then uses the compost as fertilizer. Dairy Star regrets the error.
“It has helped us be more profitable...” How has testing with DHIA benefitted your dairy? It has helped us be more proÀtable by improving production and milk quality. The Scout program is also helpful in keeping track of our breeding program. What are some of the different tests you use through DHIA? Why are they important to you? We are on ofÀcial DHIA test so production records become part of our registration records. We use the SCC test. It helps us keep SCC counts low. We use DHIA pregnancy tests because it is easy to do and many times tells us early if a cow is open or pregnant. When you get your DHIA reports, which information do you Ànd most useful? Explain. The SCC is the Àrst thing we look at when we get our DHIA report. Then we can address any cow with a problem. Tell us about your farm. The Schefers Bros. partnership was formed in 1979 with Ralph Schefers and Ken and Julie Schefers. The beginning of 2016, we formed an LLC and included Jason Schefers, (Ken and Julie’s son) into the business. We have a 500 acre farm. We raise corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat. In addition to the milking herd, we also feed out dairy steers.
Jason, Ken and Ralph Schefers (not pictured: Ken’s wife, Julie)
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Overcoming obstacles in dairy farming
Murphy faces challenges on small farm By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
CADOTT, Wis. – When she was 18, Danielle Murphy didn’t want anything to do with taking over her family’s dairy farm. By the time she turned 21, she had a change of heart and bought her rst cows in April of 2015. Nearly three years later, she’s milking 35 head on her own, while her ancé, Brad Kmieciak, works off the farm as a union ironworker. The couple has a 2-year-old son, Weston, and is expecting their second child in June. Murphy grew up on her family’s Eau Claire County dairy near Cadott, Wis., where her parents milked for over 30 years. When she graduated from high school, she DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR moved to Iowa to attend Danielle Murphy milks 35 cows on a farm she rents from her parents near nursing school and took CadoƩ, Wis. a job as a milker at the Iowa State University dairy farm. She soon decided and I love them,” Murphy said of her cows. “For a she preferred milking cows to a future nursing career while, I had at least one cow of every breed in the and moved home to rent the farm from her parents. barn.” “I like milking cows and decided that if I was The barn Murphy milks in had been gutted after going to do it, I wanted to do it for myself,” Murphy her parents sold their cows when she went away to said. school. She put in new stalls, making them shorter, to The spring of 2015 was a challenging time to start accommodate Jerseys in the future. in the dairy industry according to Murphy. While she worked on the barn and put a pipeline “Milk prices were sliding, but cow prices were in, she began to accumulate cows before she was still high,” she said. “I bought cows that were going permitted to sell milk, and fed calves with the milk. for kill and brought them home and babied them In mid-May 2015, Murphy passed her inspection along. Good cows were going for over $3,000, and I to begin shipping milk to the AMPI plant at Jim Falls, couldn’t afford that. Now they are giving cows away.” Wis., and she received her rst milk check June 1. The herd Murphy has accumulated is of mixed “At that point in time I wasn’t concerned about breeds, although her original plan, and now long-term nding a market for milk,” Murphy said. “My parents goal, was for a herd of Jerseys or Jersey-cross cows. had always shipped to AMPI, and it was just a natural “It’s quite a motley crew, but they are my girls t for me.” Murphy continues to work on improving her small herd, working toward the type of animal she wants to work with. She raises all her heifer calves for replacements. “I’m working to make my herd better and to start building to Jersey crosses through A.I.,” Murphy said. “I’ve just started using A.I. to breed all my cows. My rst pregnancy check for A.I. breedings will be the end of the month. I decided that it wasn’t safe to have a bull around with a 2-year-old running around.” When breeding DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR Turn to MURPHY Danielle Murphy’s herd is housed in a 35-stall Ɵestall barn. | Page 11
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 11
Con�nued from MURPHY | Page 10 her cows, Murphy’s primary selection trait is polled animals. “The worst job on the farm is dehorning, even using paste. You might miss and still end up with a horn you have to deal with,” Murphy said. “Plus, I worry about the animal rights groups telling us someday that we can’t dehorn anymore. Breeding for polled just makes sense for me.” Murphy has a polled Red and White Holstein cow. She purchased a polled JerseyAyrshire cross calf that she is looking forward to having join her herd. “It’s going to be several generations, but eventually my herd will be entirely polled,” Murphy said. Emphasis is also placed on breeding for high components, and Murphy is starting to breed for good feet and legs. “I’m starting to see that DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR breeding for healthy feet and Danielle Murphy began milking about three years ago. She purchased cows as she could afford legs is important,” Murphy them and built a small mixed-breed herd. said. “I do a lot of grazing in the summer months, and the life, she admits she hasn’t cows, Murphy decided she Murphy said. “Sometimes cows do a lot of walking. They chosen the easiest path for wanted to continue working people don’t take you seriously have to be healthy in that way.” herself and her family. At to build her dream, despite the as the decision-maker for the Murphy is proactive about times she questions why she maintaining a low somatic cell continues to pursue dairy count, as she receives a quality farming. premium on her milk check “A few weeks ago, I had the if she remains under 250,000 cows for sale,” Murphy said. “I SCC. was stressed with milk prices. I “With just 35 cows, it’s was questioning myself. I was kind of a balancing act,” looking at other farmers that Murphy said. “It just takes one couldn’t make a go of it. I’m DANIELLE MURPHY, DAIRY FARMER cow to go high, even in one 24 years old and will soon have many obstacles she faces. farm. Being small is another quarter to make the bulk tank two young children.” “Being young and female obstacle. The banks don’t take count go high.” After a call from someone While Murphy loves her interested in purchasing her is denitely an obstacle,” you seriously when you are a
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small farm.” While her parents were no longer dairying on the farm when Murphy began her career, transitioning of the farm itself is something her family is working on. “Right now, I have to rent,” Murphy said. “Buying doesn’t cash-ow. This farm is my dad’s retirement. Eventually I want to be able to pay him a fair price for it.” Another concern Murphy has is what would happen if she were to lose her milk market, and she has investigated different direct-marketing opportunities that might be available to her. Murphy uses social media to connect with other young dairy farmers and with consumers and is using some of that feedback in helping determine her future path. “It’s kind of scary and intimidating to see what people say and think about dairy farming on social media,” Murphy said. “We are sometimes painted to be the bad guy, and it makes me nervous. I try to show what really happens on the farm, and how sometimes things just don’t go the way you want them to go. I often wonder if I’m making the right choice. But for me, I know it is. This farm is worth everything for me. I don’t want to give up now. I want my kids to have the opportunity to grow up here on the farm, and maybe run it someday if they want. I don’t want us to be the last of a dying breed.”
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Dairy Pricing Association works to increase milk price
Producers pool money to purchase, donate cheddar cheese By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. – An idea that began nearly 10 years ago is starting to gain steam as more dairy farmers are becoming frustrated with milk prices that fall far below cost of production. When frustration begins to lead to action, change can be affected. Over 300 interested dairy farmers took part in a conference call hosted by the Dairy Pricing Association (DPA) earlier this month to learn more about this grassroots-based organization with the goal of helping improve markets. The groundwork for the DPA was laid in 2009 during a phone call between Black River Falls, Wis., dairy farmer Tom Olson and Darlington, Wis., dairy farmer Robin Berg. Today Olson, who milks 33 Holsteins on his Jackson County dairy farm, is spearheading the group and working to affect not only milk prices but helping to feed hungry Americans. Olson said many farmers don’t know how milk price is dictated, which Olson describes as a scary situation. “Small farms are blaming big farms for overproduction, and all farmers tend to blame processors for the price they receive,” Olson said. “If you’re in a Federal Milk Marketing Order
DANIELLE NAUMAN/ DAIRY STAR
Tom Olson is spearheading the Dairy Pricing AssociaƟon, which is working to bring dairy farmers together to improve milk price and help ght hunger in the United States. Olson milks 33 cows near Black River Falls, Wis. (FMMO) they both are wrong. Once you understand how pricing works, then all this makes sense.” Olson said each month the National Agricultural Statistics Survey (NASS) looks at how cheese is trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and that cheddar cheese is the driving force. “In January, the Federal Order Class III price, based on 3.5 percent
butterfat, was announced at $14/cwt,” Olson said. “They arrive at the price by going to the CME and looking at the cheese trade for January.” He went on to explain that on the CME, the 40-pound blocks traded at $1.49 and the 500-pound barrels traded at $1.33. Those prices are averaged to come to $1.41. “Because cheese yields 10 pounds of cheese per every 100 pounds of milk,
you multiply that to get the milk price per hundred-weight,” Olson said. As a point of reference, in 2013 and 2014, cheese on the CME was trading over $2 per pound, and milk prices were over $20/cwt. “All of this information is out there and available,” Olson said. “It’s no secret.” Olson urges producers to use the information available to become more informed and aware of how milk is priced and factors that affect it, including information about the FMMO pricing (www.ffma30.com) and cheese trading (www.cheesereporter.com). The premise of the DPA is for producers to pool their money to purchase cheese to help affect the price of cheese trading on the CME and ultimately the base price for milk. The Dairy Pricing Association works by advertising to purchase cheese at a higher market price, urging processors to come to DPA to sell their product. “We gure that we need to purchase a load of cheese a week to positively affect milk prices,” Olson said. “In order to support $2 cheese, and in turn $20 milk, we gure that we would need just 2 percent of the milk produced in this country to be enrolled in DPA.” Olson calculates that purchasing a 40,000-pound load of cheese, at $2 per pound, would cost $80,000. Purchasing a load each week would require $4.16 million. Based on the 2016 gure of 212 billion pounds of milk produced in the U.S., 10 cents per hundredweight on just 2 percent of the milk produced Turn to DPA | Page 13
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ConĆ&#x;nued from DPA | Page 12 would accomplish that. “For example, if we wanted to purchase everything that was traded at Chicago in 2017, at 10-cent participation, we would need less than 10 percent of the milk produced,â€? Olson said. Today there are over 400 members spread throughout 10 states who contribute to DPA at a base share of 10 cents per hundredweight. Those producers ship milk through 27 milk handlers. “We’re not allowed to go to the CME with our dollars because that is price-ďƒžxing because we are producing the product,â€? Olson said referring to the Capper-Volstead Act of 1922, which allows producers to form associations to compete together in the marketplace. “What we can do is advertise for a load of cheese,â€? Olson said. “Forty-thousand pounds is a trade on the CME.â€? In 2017, the DPA purchased three loads of cheese, one in April at $1.65,
“We never take possession of the cheese we buy. We don’t have to store, we don’t have to cut it up or distribute it.� TOM OLSON, DAIRY FARMER
in July at $1.61 and in October at $1.84. The purchases were made because those were the time frames when DPA had enough money available to make the purchases. “One purchase of 40,000 pounds of cheese is the equivalent of eight truckloads of milk,� Olson said. “We can move a lot of cheese and a lot of milk off the market doing this. We can get the most bang for our buck.� When the DPA makes a cheese purchase, the cheese is donated to food pantries and soup kitchens. “We never take possession of the cheese we buy,� Olson said. “We don’t have to store, we don’t have to cut it up or distribute it. All the organizations we donate it to are responsible for that.� DPA works with groups such as Hunger Task Force and Feeding Amer-
ica to donate and distribute the cheese they purchase. The need for this product to feed hungry and homeless Americans is great, with nearly 49 million people in this country going hungry. “When we started this and were explaining this to Feeding America, they told us that if there was a zip code where we made a purchase, they could pick it up and make use of it,â€? Olson said. In addition to using cheese purchases to help ďƒžght hunger in the United States, the DPA is beginning to develop a partnership with Christian Aid Ministries to take whole milk powder overseas to help ďƒžght hunger globally. Some farmers fear losing their market if they join DPA, but Olson is quick to allay those fears. “First off, we aren’t taking milk away from the plant or disrupting ďƒ&#x;ow to the plant,â€? Olson said. “It’s not money from the processor’s pocket. We’ll contact the plant and make sure they understand what is the DPA and how it works.â€? Another project DPA is working on is the design and patenting of a country of origin label that processors can apply to use, free of charge, provided they meet the criteria. “We think that consumers will go crazy about that,â€? Olson said. “It’s really important to make sure they know that their dairy products are made here in the United States.â€? The dairy crisis is not good for cheesemakers either. “Without my dairy producers, all I have is a building of scrap stainless steel,â€? said Ken Heiman, Nasonville Dairy master cheesemaker, during the DPA conference call. “Truly their purpose is two-fold, they are taking commercial product off the market,â€? Heiman said of DPA. “But you really have to look at the bright side of what they are doing, shipping cheese to hurricane victims and to food pantries across the country. I’m very proud to be able to be associated with them and able to sell them product.â€? Heiman has had a working relationship with the DPA for over three years and has sold cheese to the group several times. “There is really no downside to this,â€? Olson said. “Even if we never move the market a penny, we’ve helped feed all these needy people.â€?
“Only treating one cow for mastitis.� Dan Ziegler
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 15
From Our Side Of The Fence Why should young women get involved in princess programs?
Kari (Skiba) Stanek Reedsburg, Wis. Sauk County Years served as a dairy princess: I served numerous times in Isanti County, Minn. Our county has the opportunity for little miss, junior and senior dairy princesses to serve. That tradition still continues today. Ofcial titles during those years: Isanti County Little Miss: My rst title they actually gave us individual ribbons with a name based on our interviews. Mine was “Little Promoter.” Then I served as Isanti County Junior Dairy Princess, Region 2 Junior Dairy Princess, Isanti/Anoka, County Senior Dairy Princess, Region 2 Senior Dairy Princess and 44th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Why should young women get involved in their dairy princess programs? Every past and current dairy princess I have met has their own story of why they did it, which is great because there are a variety of good reasons to serve as a dairy princess. It was my opportunity to give back and support the dairy community, which provided me so much throughout my childhood in the way of life lessons on and off the farm. Through my experience as a dairy princess, I gained so much and that was something I wasn’t expecting as I was there to give back and promote an industry I truly love. I gained even more knowledge about dairy, like what people like to eat and why. I improved my communications skills in so many different capacities. I made numerous friends and grew my network. And, I learned that sharing my experiences about life on the farm can open the door to a conversation that can make an impact on one person’s eating choices by listening to them and answering their questions. What were the most unique or thought-provoking questions you were asked as a dairy princess? “Do brown cows give chocolate milk?” I like it because it’s fun, quick and easy to respond to, so there is time to add another educational point to the conversation. Like, did you know chocolate milk is actually a great recovery drink after sports or exercise? And, then backing it up with a personal story. My daughter, a seventh grader, loves her chocolate milk after her sports activities. Especially on long days when she has multiple games or for a quick refuel at halftime or just after games. It makes her feel great. If you were the coordinator of a dairy princess program now, what type of events would you incorporate? I’ve learned that people remember things best when they have a great overall experience. The best educational experiences are hands-on or interactive. I don’t want to create a new event, but I want to ensure that a proven activity, classroom visits, are planned and prepped well ensuring that it is a memorable experience. Make sure of your goals of the visit, keep it simple and view it as what do you want the children to remember and possibly share with their parents when they get home. Bring tools of our trade for kids to touch and feel, like calf bottles, feed or even a calf. Do an activity like making butter or ice cream. Don’t forget about the teachers or any school administrators. You want them to remember a good experience and possibly follow up with their students about it through another educational-related activity. Maybe even leave something special behind for the teacher like a book to read to the class or even a business card with a link to a website with more educational activities they can do with their kids. If any current dairy princess coordinators need more ideas to improve their current classroom visits, we have a great dairy community on social media. What is the most important message people now need to hear about the dairy community or dairy products? First and foremost, we as dairy farmers take great care of our animals and each farmer needs to share how they do this on their farm. We live in the United States of America, which gives us all great freedoms, meaning no two farms are exactly the same. But, we also have similar standards of what and why we do things. We care for our animals. Share how you care. Secondly, milk and dairy products are an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. With the creative food trends we seem to be in, there are even more ways to consume dairy. Share what you like and why, try some of the new foods and share your experiences. How do you continue to promote dairy in your life? Dairy and agriculture are a life-long passion that my parents, David and Kathy Skiba, instilled in me. I use social media tools as a way to interact with friends and followers all over the world. Some things are from our farm interactions and some are generated by others. I utilize my kids’ school or sports by sharing cheese or yogurt snacks. Sometimes I strike up random conversations with people and try to share a nugget of dairy goodness. I keep cow photos and videos close, especially throughout my house and in my ofce. Tell us about yourself. After spending almost 20 years working in marketing communications within the global agriculture sector, I have switched roles to focus on my family and community, while still promoting agriculture, especially dairy whenever I can. I am the communications and media specialist for the school district of Reedsburg where my children attend school. In addition, I operate my own business, Golden Hill Communications, offering my communications, media relations, and project and event planning expertise to companies, organizations and individuals around the world. My husband, Joe, and I along with our three children, Sykora, Cyana and Zynita, raise Jerseys and a few Holsteins, plus some chickens, pigs and bees all under the Golden Hill Genetics farm name.
Sierra Solum Rice Lake, Wis. Barron County Years served as a dairy princess: Two Ofcial titles during those years: Barron County Junior Holstein Queen and Barron County Fairest of the Fair Why should young women get involved in their dairy princess programs? It’s a great way to promote the dairy industry, and wonderful for developing condence and public speaking skills. It’s a great way to advocate for agriculture, especially if you’re in the industry. What were the most unique or thought-provoking questions you were asked as a dairy princess? Why cows at the fair were so skinny because you could see how dened their bone structure was. As someone who had been around dairy cows my whole life, it was something I had never thought about before. I explained to them that being able to see bone denition in a cow does not mean she is unhealthy. If you were the coordinator of a dairy princess program now, what type of events would you incorporate? I would include going to schools and talking to kids. They are interested in learning about agriculture. I would also encourage being present at dairy shows in the area to answer questions that the public might have. What is the most important message people now need to hear about the dairy community or dairy products? Dairy farmers care for their animals. Most dairy farmers aren’t in it for the money, and dairy is not a heartless industry. How do you continue to promote dairy in your life? I tell people in conversation that I’m from a dairy farm and am open about it. You cannot be close-minded. Tell us about yourself. I work at the Barron County Boys and Girls Club as the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and social skills program leader. I also help my parents, Chuck and Cathy, on our 70-cow dairy where I take care of the calves. Sydney Endres Lodi, Wis. Columbia County Years served as a dairy princess and ofcial titles held during those years: Two years Wisconsin Jersey Princess and one year National Jersey Queen Why should young women get involved in their dairy princess programs? If you have a love for your animals, dairy princess programs are a great way to be able to share that love with other people. You are connecting with other people in the breed and dairy industry and people outside of it. It also helps develop professional skills you will use throughout your life. What were the most unique or thought-provoking questions you were asked as a dairy princess? My connection with Kaitlyn Riley, who was the Wisconsin Jersey Queen the rst year I was princess, led us to co-hosting a radio show during college at University of Wisconsin-Madison. The radio show ended up connecting me with a vegan we interviewed. I ended up inviting her to see my farm, and she brought along three other vegan friends. The questions I was asked on that farm tour were so different from any other questions I have ever been asked. A lot were about the feelings and thoughts of the animals, which isn’t something we think of every day. We both ended up learning things from each other in the process. If you were the coordinator of a dairy princess program now, what type of events would you incorporate? I would try to incorporate more public outreach events for the programs. Dairy princesses are well-spoken and personable, that is why they are in the position. They can take those talents and use them to connect with people outside of the dairy industry. The fact that they are wearing something noticeable (be it a sash, ambassador coat, tiara, etc.) makes them noticeable and approachable. I believe they can make an impact in their communities by being a positive image for the dairy industry. What is the most important message people now need to hear about the dairy community or dairy products? Their milk is safe and raised in a humane way. Farmers put so much effort into making sure their cows are comfortable and well-cared for, which leads to a healthy and safe product for consumers. How do you continue to promote dairy in your life? I do a quite a few things, but my favorite is making sure I continue to stay involved in an activity outside of agriculture. For me, that is cross country skiing. I talk all the time about my cows with the people I ski with, which leads to them asking me questions about cows and dairy products. Anytime we go somewhere together, and someone asks something about cows or agriculture in general, I’m now the go-to person to answer that for them. Tell us about yourself. I work for U.S. Jersey in eld services helping Jersey farms with the services that we offer. I work out of my home in Lodi, Wis., and am fortunate to be able to help on my home farm, Jazzy Jerseys, whenever I can. My two brothers, Vinny and Mitchell, are both at home on the farm with my dad, Dave, and I look forward to eventually returning to work full time on the farm and diversify to include agritourism.
Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Lisa Hoesly Behnke New Glarus, Wis. Green County Years served as a dairy princess and ofcial titles during those years: 1979-80 Green County Dairy Queen; 1985-86 Alice in Dairyland
Kaitlyn Riley Gays Mill, Wis. Crawford County Years served as a dairy princess and ofcial title during those years: 2014 Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs
Why should young women get involved in their dairy princess programs? The opportunity to become acquainted with the leaders in our industry and communities, gain knowledge of the organizations and businesses that support agriculture in my county and state, and build a relationship with media gatekeepers has benetted me my whole life. The experiences helped me grow as a person, but the chance to build a network of friends and gain mentors in the agricultural industry has proven to be priceless throughout my life and career.
Why should young women get involved in their Fairest (dairy princess) programs? I would encourage all young adults to become involved in their local leadership programs whether they are for county fairest, dairy princess or another ambassador title because of the opportunities for professional development. In addition to public speaking, these positions enrich marketing and communication skills. The chances to network with industry leaders are endless and can open doors to career possibilities.
What were the most unique or thought-provoking questions you were asked as a dairy princess? Things were not so contentious years ago when I served in this role. People genuinely enjoyed the cheese we sampled and often knew the dairy farmers and cheesemakers who had a hand in making it. I think that is still true today in our rural county, but even so, we need to make an effort to make people feel connected to those of us who are owners and caretakers of the land and animals. We need to maintain trust. Most people are honestly curious about things they don’t understand. Those people are a pleasure to meet and engage in an exchange of information. The tough ones are those who have developed a deep-rooted distrust of agriculture. Social media has given mis-information and hatred a platform it simply does not deserve. We need to discover what has triggered such a visceral reaction to agriculture in the likes of those who contribute to HSUS. It’s hard to reason with people who are lled with emotion and refuse to accept facts, logic and science.
What were the most unique or thought-provoking questions you were asked as a fairest? I remember watching the dairy cattle show at the Wisconsin State Fair, and a fairgoer asked if the event was a beauty contest for cows. Pleased that someone without a farming background took an interest in the agriculture exhibits, I was happy to explain what characteristics judges look for while placing dairy cattle. Throughout the 11 days of the Wisconsin State Fair, similar questions were asked about the swine, poultry, sheep and other agricultural shows. These were the most thought-provoking questions because they challenged me to break down farm jargon and explain agricultural practices to those who wanted to learn more about food, fuel and ber production.
If you were the coordinator of a dairy princess program now, what type of events would you incorporate? Radio reports, newspaper articles, TV appearances, school visits, grocery store promotions, nursing home visits and countless appearances at community festivals and events, where they serve as the local ambassador. The queens and their family members also assist with selling cream puffs, milk shakes, cheese and milk from the Ag Chest Trailers at events throughout the year. The group has also enjoyed assisting with Wisconsin State Fair children’s tours and working in the educational House of Moo. They also serve as World Dairy Expo school tour leaders. What is the most important message people now need to hear about the dairy community or dairy products? We need to promote the pure goodness of dairy products. I’m not sure when or how we lost the title of “nature’s most nearly perfect food,” but it’s true and backed by science, and we need to nd a way to regain consumer trust, both in our products and how we care for the land and animals we raise. How do you continue to promote dairy in your life? Milk and dairy products are a staple in our household, and any time I contribute to a potluck, I’m going to make sure the recipe I choose features dairy. Besides being involved in the Ag Chest, I make it a point to share positive information about the industry and dairy products with non-farm friends whenever an opportunity presents itself. Tell us about yourself. I am the marketing and communications director at AgSource. A cooperative, owned by dairy farmers, we provide laboratory analysis and management information to the agricultural industry in the United States and abroad. I live in New Glarus, Wis., with my husband, Roger. Our daughter, Morgan, is a graphic designer. She and her husband farm in New York. Our daughter, Taylor, is pursuing a nursing degree at the University of WisconsinMadison.
If you were the coordinator of a fairest program now, what type of events would you incorporate? More events with urban audiences to connect with youth who may not know about the educational opportunities available at one of Wisconsin’s 76 county and district fairs. Whether they are inspired to exhibit or simply attend, outreach events can encourage new youth to bring their ideas to the fair industry. What is the most important message people now need to hear about the dairy community or dairy products? The dairy community shares the same concerns consumers have for dairy production. We are striving to improve animal welfare, environmental sustainability, food safety and other practices that have key roles in our industry. If we, as a community, can appropriately share that message, I believe we can create a greater connection with our consumers and build trust in the quality of products we provide. How do you continue to promote dairy in your life? Crawford County Dairy Promoters and Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation have provided numerous opportunities to promote dairy at various events. In addition, social media has been a great tool for sharing my family farm’s story on a daily basis and create personal connections with consumers. Tell us about yourself. After serving as the 2014 Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs, I enjoyed a career in broadcast communications. I started as the farm news director at WQPC-FM Radio in Prairie du Chien, Wis., before becoming a multimedia journalist at WQOW News 18 in Eau Claire, Wis. In May of 2017, I returned home to my family’s registered Jersey farm near Gays Mills, where I work alongside my parents, Jody and Paulette Riley. I continue sharing the story of agriculture as a freelance journalist.
Haley Reeson New Glarus, Wis. Green County Years served as a dairy princess: 2014-2015 Ofcial titles during those years: Green County Dairy Princess Why should young women get involved in their dairy princess programs? Young women should get involved in the dairy princess programs because it opens up so many doors for the rest of your life. The memories, friends and experiences will follow you. It teaches you patience, respect and kindness, as well as increases your passion for dairy promotion. And, it’s just fun to hang around people that care and want to learn about what you do. What were the most unique or thought-provoking questions you were asked as a dairy princess? Do brown cows make chocolate milk? Do cows have sharp teeth? What does a cow really feel like? In a way, I take what I have been to be able to grow up in for granted. I pet and cuddle and kiss my cows most every day. They are my pets. Some kids haven’t even been in the same building as a cow, and it shocks me that they have never experienced the wet nose of a cow rubbing against their arm. If you were the coordinator of a dairy princess program now, what type of events would you incorporate? If I had to add more events, I would add more radio promotions and out-of-county experiences like state fairs and cattle shows. I would also add more local farm tours, so the girls could get as educated as they can on the local businesses that back them and the industry they love. What is the most important message people now need to hear about the dairy community or dairy products? See and look at the facts from all sides. There is so many false facts and accusations about this industry, and I want people to know the real truth about the passion and hard work that goes behind putting food on peoples’ tables. How do you continue to promote dairy in your life? While being at a non-agriculture school, I get many questions about dairy all the time. I love to chat and talk to people about the importance of dairy in their diets, as well as promote truth about how the industry does things to keep people happy and healthy. I am in a political science class all about food policies, so I get to voice my experiences and knowledge pretty heavily. Also, my friends have many questions about my unique lifestyle and my cows. I just love their faces when I tell them how milk is made and distributed or how baby calves are born. Tell us about yourself. My parents are Dean and Rae Reeson, and I also have a partner in crime, my brother, Brock. I grew up in Blanchardville Wis., and my brother and I attended New Glarus High School. I graduated in 2016, and I attend the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh studying public relations with a minor in advertising. I also work for the UWO football team, handling traveling plans, equipment and any other odd jobs around the stadium. My parents got both my brother and I involved in the dairy industry at a young age. I started showing dairy cattle when I was 6 years old and continue to do so now. I show Holstein and Brown Swiss heifers, and it was because of my showing experiences that I got to be the dairy princess, as well as shape me into the woman I am today, and I will forever cherish it.
55th Annual Eau Claire, WI Farm Show Tuesday and Wednesday, March 6-7, 2018 FREEing,
Free Park Admission, t& Entertainmen s ic Health Clin
Chippewa Valley Expo Center (Menards Conference Center) Eau Claire, WI Show Hours: 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily
• Over 150 exhibitors • Free Health Clinics by St. Joseph & Sacred Heart Hospital HSHS, EC health Dept.
Creature Encounter with Marthe Herbert on stage 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The “Granddaddy” of farm shows salutes all farmers and family members. embers.
Coordinated by: North Country Enterprises • Phone: 715-289-4632 • nceinfo.4632@gmail.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 17
We provide for them because they provide for us. We believe you get the best out of every animal by putting the best into every animal. That’s why we’ve expanded our portfolio of cattle health solutions. Because cattle are the reason we’re here. And when you put cattle first, everything else comes second.
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Repro Leaders
McNeelys improve protocols for a 43 percent pregnancy rate Jim, Jeff and Jamison McNeely Brooklyn, Wis. Green County 190 milking, 215 with dry cows
We had an audit of our practices and changed many of our protocols including an A.I. refresher. Following the changes we made, everything started to click.
What was your average pregnancy rate last year? When we won the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council award last year, we were at 42 percent, and now, on our last DHI sheet we are at 43 percent. Just a couple years ago, we were down around 18 percent, and I (Jeff) decided to look into why.
What is your voluntary waiting period for cows? For heifers? We backed our VWP for cows up to 78 days, which is about a week later than we used to practice. I will not breed a cow before that. As far as heifers, we start breeding them at 14 months and if they aren’t pregnant by 15 months,
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
The McNeely family (from le�) – Jamison, Jim and Jeff – operate Rollin Green Farms near Brooklyn, Wis. By re-evalua�ng management prac�ces, they have achieved a 43 percent pregnancy rate in their 190-cow herd. they go in with a clean-up bull.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Increases in the farms pregnancy rate have meant more consistent calving intervals and more calves being born to use as replacements.
What is your rst service conception rate? Our rst service conception rate is consistently over 60 percent. We’ve had good luck at getting them pregnant on the rst service. With the higher rst service
conception rate and ramping up heat detection at the 21 day interval, it has gotten to the point that if I have an open cow on pregnancy check day, I’m disappointed in myself.
chronization program? We use double-ovsynch for the rst service, starting the rst one at about 50 days. We aggressively heat detect after that. If a cow shows up open on
What is your reproduction program? Do you use a syn-
Turn to ROLLIN GREEN | Page 20
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Dairy producers encounter many challenges when transitioning fresh cows to milking. A challenge that can be underestimated is udder edema, which is considered to be a contributing factor in udder scald. When impacts of udder edema and udder scald are combined, economic studies showed more net effect on milk losses in the first 30 to 50 days in milk than other post-partum conditions. Dairy managers, who put a high priority on animal well-being look for ways to prevent udder edema and pay attention to mammary comfort. At Beer Cattle, Berne, Indiana, 200 heifers are calved monthly and milked a couple weeks before going to new homes. For 2 years, they’ve been using Udder Comfort™ for all fresh heifers with a light application 2x/day for 7 days after calving. “Heifers reached peak production faster with softer, more pliable udders and a production increase averaging over 3 pounds with collaborative SCC below 200,000,” says Keith Beer. He recently compared 2x/day with a heavier amount of Udder Comfort for shorter periods (3 days). “We saw very good results on 90 to 95% of nearly 200 heifers receiving this method. Milk flow increase was in the same range, averaging over 3 pounds additional milk by 2 weeks after calving and similar udder quality,” he says.
At Sandy Valley Farms, Scandinavia, Wisconsin, beautiful productive udders are hallmarks of elite genetics and attention to cow comfort. All first and second lactation ladies (top photo) get Udder Comfort spray daily prefresh for one week before calving. The 400 cows are milked 2x/day with a recent test of (2x) 88 lbs 4.2F 3.2P and 53,000 SCC. That’s a lot of quality milk!
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Con�nued from ROLLIN GREEN | Page 18 pregnancy check day we will use either Re-synch or CID-R synch. Beef semen is used by the third or fourth service. How do you observe for heat? Every Monday, I paint the tailheads of the 21-day cows, and rotate the color I use each week. This makes it easier to nd those cows. I print off a list of those cows that I keep in my pocket. I walk the freestall pens three times a day and physically look for each cow on the list. I walk the pens after morning milking, at noon and after night milking. This also helps me catch any sick cows. How do you conrm pregnant or open cows? We ultrasound for pregnancy at about 32 days for the rst check, recheck at 45 days and again at 100 days. 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 use a lot of young sires, and we have found that with genomics, those bulls are better. We look at traits like NM$, UDC, FLC, PL, DPR and put some emphasis on TPI. We look for a balanced bull that is not too extreme on either type or production. The young sires are more consistent now with genomics, and I think the 2-year-olds we are calving now are light-years
ahead of the 2-year-olds we calved 10 years ago. How are cows and heifers bred? Do you have a different philosophy for breeding both? Cows are bred A.I. and heifers are bred A.I. at 14 months. If they are not conrmed pregnant by 15 months they are put in with a bull. We look for calving ease scores below seven for our heifers. We have a camera in the calving pen, but there isn’t labor around the clock to deal with hard calvings. When selecting a clean-up bull, we buy from outside the herd and nd an outcross to the genetics that we have. What do you do to settle hard breeders? If they don’t settle after two-three services, we start to use CIDR-synch and beef semen. With the pregnancy rate where it is, we don’t mess around with problem cows for very long. How many times do you try to breed a cow before you sell her? If a cow goes past four or ve services, we code her as a do not breed and eventually cull her. We won’t breed cows anymore after they are over 180 days open. Extended lactation or extended dry period cows tend to have problems in the fresh pen when they nally do calve again.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Jeff McNeely paints tailheads each week on the 21-day cows, and carries that list with him for the week. He walks through the freestalls three �mes each day, watching cows. Is there anything you have done or changed that brought about a signicant improvement in your reproductive program? We had an audit done to determine where we could improve our protocols. The VWP was raised to 78 days, 21-day interval cows are tail painted and pens are walked three times a day, two prostaglandin shots are given during ovsynch and A.I. retraining. Everything we changed worked together to
substantially improve our reproduction program. Tell us about your farm. My grandparents, Bob and Pat McNeely, bought the farm in 1973. I (Jeff) manage the cows, my dad, Jim, manages the crops and my brother, Jamison, maintains the machinery and is in charge of feeding. We milk 190 cows, raise all of our replacements and also nish out our steers. We crop 1,700 acres
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 21
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ARTICULATED 4WD TRACTORS 7 JD 8640, 1987, 10435 hrs., #137151 ............................................... $20,350 6 JD 9400, 1996, 6332 hrs., #134367 ............................................... $55,000 3 JD 9400, 1997, 6450 hrs., #143813 ............................................... $73,000 7 JD 9620, 2006, 6120 hrs., #138706.............................................. $85,000 10 NH TJ280, 2007, 2766 hrs., #145092 .............................................$107,000 6 JD 9320, 2004, 5573 hrs., #144041 .............................................$112,500 16 JD 9400, 2001, 3624 hrs., #144488 .............................................$117,500 7 NH T9020, 2009, 2905 hrs., #142873 .............................................$129,000 5 Caterpillar MT945C, 2009, 2805 hrs., #143742 .............................................$159,000 15 JD 9560R, 2013, 3184 hrs., #145194 .............................................$165,000 15 JD 9630, 2009, 3600 hrs., #144489 .............................................$165,500 17 JD 9230, 2010, 581 hrs., #144487 .............................................$195,000 6 JD 9460R, 2014, 2656 hrs., #141947 .............................................$199,500 10 JD 9410R, 2013, 1760 hrs., #143197 .............................................$209,500 3 JD 9410R, 2014, 1525 hrs., #143772 .............................................$230,000 7 JD 9560R, 2012, 1135 hrs., #143874 .............................................$249,900 3 JD 9470R, 2015, 693 hrs., #143840 .............................................$259,500 3 JD 9620R, 2015, 1975 hrs., #145223............................................$295,000 8 JD 9520R, 2017, 350 hrs., #142212 .............................................$329,500 3 JD 9620R, 2015, 693 hrs., #125913 .............................................$365,000 5 JD 9620R, 2015, 561 hrs., #137678 .............................................$365,000 BOX DRILLS 2 JD 455, 1992, #137165 ................... $14,500 2 JD 455, 1996, #132155 ................... $15,900 11 JD 455, 2004, #141660 ................... $20,700 8 JD 455, 2017, #139188 ................... $49,900 11 JD 455, 2017, #131015 ................... $59,900 FIELD CULTIVATORS 1 JD 980, 1998, 44 ft, #143425........ $14,900 16 Wil-Rich QUAD 5, 50 ft, #144479. $14,900 2 JD 985, 1998, 54 ft, #138937........ $15,000 17 JD 980, 1996, 38 ft, #144447........ $15,500 15 JD 980, 2001, 45 ft, #144448........ $15,900 2 JD 985, 1995, 55 ft, #130971........ $18,000 5 Wil-Rich Quad X, 2005, 55 ft, #138553 ............................................... $20,900 7 Case Tiger Mate II, 50 ft, #143937 ............................................... $21,450 16 Case IH 110, 2013, 50 ft, #49666 ................................................. $21,500 8 JD 985, 1998, 59 ft, #135905........ $21,500 3 JD 985, 1998, 49 ft, #143979........ $22,000 3 DMI Tigermate II, 50 ft, #145252 ..$23,500 16 JD 2210, 2008, 31 ft, #144457 .....$24,500 6 JD 2200, 2003, 46 ft, #142441 ..... $26,000 7 JD 2210, 2013, 27 ft, #143876 .....$28,500 9 JD 2210, 2013, 26 ft, #143846 .....$28,900 5 JD 2210, 2013, 33 ft, #143827 .....$29,000 9 JD 2210, 2005, 46 ft, #120515 .....$29,500 7 Wil-Rich, Quad X2, 2011, 55 ft, #138552 ............................................... $29,500 11 Wil-Rich Quad X2, 2009, #145302 ............................................... $35,500
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JD 9620, 2006, 6120 hrs., #138706
85,000
$
37,000
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4 JD 330G, 2016, 600 hrs., #140027 ............................................... $53,000 5 JD 332E, 2016, 390 hrs., #139118 ............................................... $54,500 TRACK TRACTORS 7 JD 9620T, 2005, 6191 hrs., #145278 ............................................... $89,500 17 JD 9620T, 2005, 4267 hrs., #144569 .............................................$108,500 2 Challenger MT865, 2003, 5791 hrs., #138939 .............................................$109,000 7 JD 8295RT, 2010, 3921 hrs., #145277 .............................................$138,900 14 JD 8295RT, 2010, 2900 hrs., #145188 .............................................$139,000 9 Caterpillar MT765C, 2012, 1820 hrs., #136810 .............................................$163,000 6 CIH 535, 2010, 5115 hrs., #145258 .............................................$167,500 4 JD 8335RT, 2012, 3200 hrs., #143521 .............................................$169,000 15 JD 8335RT, 2013, 2110 hrs., #144548 .............................................$189,500 16 JD 8345RT, 2014, 1786 hrs., #144550 .............................................$195,000 3 JD 9560RT, 2012, 2093 hrs., #140934 .............................................$199,500 15 JD 8310RT, 2014, 941 hrs., #144546 .............................................$219,500 16 JD 9560RT, 2012, 2000 hrs., #144563 .............................................$229,000 3 JD 9510RT, 2013, 1490 hrs., #141091 .............................................$249,500 15 JD 9560RT, 2013, 1316 hrs., #144562 .............................................$255,000 15 JD 9560RT, 2013, 1266 hrs., #144564 .............................................$255,000 15 JD 9460RT, 2014, 920 hrs., #144557 .............................................$257,000 6 JD 9510RT, 2014, 1429 hrs., #142684 .............................................$262,500 15 JD 9560RT, 2014, 1892 hrs., #144565 .............................................$264,000 14 JD 8320RT, 2017, 120 hrs., #145238 .............................................$268,000 17 JD 8345RT, 2015, 948 hrs., #144551 .............................................$269,500 16 JD 9560RT, 2014, 1005 hrs., #144560 .............................................$270,000 16 JD 9460RT, 2013, 577 hrs., #144555 .............................................$275,000 15 JD 9460RT, 2014, 525 hrs., #144556 .............................................$279,500 14 JD 9470RT, 2015, 959 hrs., #144558 .............................................$279,500 16 JD 9560RT, 2014, 890 hrs., #144561 .............................................$299,500 16 JD 9560RT, 2014, 648 hrs., #144566 .............................................$309,500 8 JD 8370RT, 2017, 408 hrs., #143196 .............................................$315,000 14 JD 9570RT, 2015, 741 hrs., #144568 .............................................$361,500 16 JD 9570RT, 2015, 657 hrs., #144567 .............................................$365,500 4 JD 9520RX, 2016, 946 hrs., #143518 .............................................$369,000 5 JD 9620RX, 2016, 350 hrs., #142273 .............................................$459,000 14 JD 9620RX, 2017, 261 hrs., #145235 .............................................$459,000 11 JD 9620RX, 2017, 262 hrs., #135324 .............................................$459,000
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10 JD 260-II, 2003, 1355 hrs., #144042 ............................................... $20,900 7 Bobcat S70, 2015, 218 hrs., #145275 ............................................... $21,995 4 JD 318D, 2012, 2346 hrs., #143720 ............................................... $23,500 10 NH L218, 2013, 1767 hrs., #145300 ............................................... $23,900 10 Bobcat S510, 2014, 1578 hrs., #145271 ............................................... $25,900 6 JD 318E, 2015, 2811 hrs., #140525 ............................................... $25,900 10 JD 318E, 2015, 2336 hrs., #135979 ............................................... $26,500 11 NH L230, 2011, 3300 hrs., #139121 ............................................... $27,300 10 JD 320E, 2016, 2489 hrs., #143842 ............................................... $27,500 11 JD 320D, 2013, 1023 hrs., #133492 ............................................... $28,900 9 JD 318D, 2013, 925 hrs., #135024 ............................................... $29,500 16 JD 320E, 2015, 1734 hrs., #134169 ............................................... $30,900 11 JD 318E, 2014, 762 hrs., #135937 ............................................... $33,500 8 JD 318E, 2015, 335 hrs., #142491 ............................................... $34,000 3 Caterpillar 272D, 2015, 1475 hrs., #145200 ............................................... $34,500 5 JD 320E, 2014, 1101 hrs., #135139 ............................................... $34,900 4 JD 320E, 2014, 475 hrs., #135901 ............................................... $35,900 5 JD 320E, 2014, 470 hrs., #142118 ............................................... $35,900 11 Bobcat S650, 2013, 859 hrs., #140188 ............................................... $37,500 8 JD 320E, 2015, 645 hrs., #138375 ............................................... $37,600 4 JD 320E, 2015, 145 hrs., #142683 ............................................... $38,500 3 JD 326D, 2012, 318 hrs., #135015 ............................................... $38,500 6 JD 326E, 2016, 1105 hrs., #141601 ............................................... $38,900 16 JD 332E, 2014, 1408 hrs., #132664 ............................................... $38,900 1 JD 328D, 2010, 410 hrs., #141011 ............................................... $38,900 1 JD 326E, 2015, 537 hrs., #134033 ............................................... $39,500 6 JD 320E, 2016, 79 hrs., #140280 ..$39,900 7 JD 326D, 2012, 210 hrs., #135673 ............................................... $40,500 12 JD 326E, 2015, 387 hrs., #118578 ............................................... $40,900 10 JD 332D, 2012, 812 hrs., #127231 ............................................... $41,900 4 JD 326E, 2016, 347 hrs., #138363 ............................................... $42,000 4 JD 320E, 2015, 260 hrs., #143386 ............................................... $42,900 15 JD 320E, 2017, 64 hrs., #144216 ..$43,900 11 JD 324E, 2016, 104 hrs., #137786 ............................................... $45,000 12 JD 326E, 2016, 65 hrs., #126370 ..$45,900 4 JD 326E, 2016, 150 hrs., #142477 ............................................... $46,000 4 Bobcat S850, 2013, 550 hrs., #140039 ............................................... $48,900 11 JD 332E, 2015, 168 hrs., #135560 ............................................... $49,500 6 JD 332E, 2015, 511 hrs., #138924 ............................................... $51,900
5 Case IH 200, 2012, 60 ft, #135767 ............................................... $41,900 14 JD 2210, 2005, 60 ft, #144458 ....$42,900 14 JD 2210, 2011, 56 ft, #144450 .....$43,900 17 JD 2210, 2008, #144459 ................ $44,500 8 Case IH Tigermate 200, 2010, 50 ft, #140723 ............................................... $45,000 15 JD 2210, 2011, 60 ft, #144451 .....$45,500 14 JD 2210, 2010, #144461 ................ $53,900 6 CIH 200, 2011, 60 ft, #129150......$55,000 15 JD 2210, 2014, 56 ft, #145264 .....$56,000 17 JD 2210, 2013, 51 ft, #144454 .....$57,500 16 JD 2210, 2014, #145295 ................ $57,780 15 JD 2210, 2014, 56 ft, #144456 .....$58,000 17 JD 2210, 2012, 46 ft, #144452 .....$59,500 7 JD 2210, 2013, 56 ft, #140858 .....$59,500 16 JD 2210, 2012, 48 ft, #144453 .....$61,000 16 JD 2210, 2012, 48 ft, #144455 .....$61,000 PLANTERS: DRAWN 10 JD 7200, 1986, 12R30, #136880 ..$14,985 17 JD 1760, 1997, 12R30, #144407 ..$23,500 9 White 8186, 2005, 16R30, #139731 ............................................... $26,000 3 JD 1760, 1996, 12R30, #140452 ..$27,500 15 JD 1760, 2004, 12R30, #144405 ..$27,500 7 JD 1760, 1997, 12R30, #137790 ..$28,050 17 JD 1760, 1998, 12R30#144408 ....$29,500 4 JD 1750, 2014, 6R30, #141859 ....$32,000 9 JD 1750, 2013, 8R30, #131524 ....$33,000 8 White 8200, 2013, 12R30, #137538 ............................................... $37,000 8 Wil-Rich, 24-22, 2009, 24R22, #139224 ............................................... $53,900 17 JD 1770NT, 2008, 24R30, #144416 ............................................... $56,000 4 JD 1770, 2011, 12R30, #132629 ..$59,000 16 JD 1770NT, 2008, 24R30, #144417 ............................................... $62,000 11 White 8524, 2013, 24R30, #140624 ............................................... $67,000 8 JD 1765, 2015, 12R30, #140333 ..$72,900 4 JD 1765, 2015, 12R30, #138495 ..$79,900 15 JD 1770NT, 2014, 16R30, #144409 ............................................... $85,000 16 JD DB44, 2008, 24R22, #144423 .$85,000 9 JD 1770NT CCS, 2013, 16R30, #142692 .............................................$103,000 7 JD 1790, 2013, #140721 ..............$104,900 1 JD 1770NT, 2014, 16R30, #140214 .............................................$109,000 3 JD DB66, 2005, 36R22, #141473 .............................................$125,000 14 JD DB66, 2013, 36R22, #144426 .............................................$155,000 16 JD DB44, 2017, 24R22, #144422 .............................................$207,500 15 JD 1775NT, 2015, 24R30, #144419 .............................................$209,500 7 JD DB66, 2016, 36R22, #140442 .............................................$239,500 5 JD DB44, 2017, 24R22, #141612 .............................................$255,000 SKID STEER LOADERS 3 Gehl SL4835SXT, 2003, 1685 hrs., #143757 ............................................... $14,850 12 JD 240, 2000, 1383 hrs., #138075 ............................................... $14,900 10 JD 318D, 2011, 5895 hrs., #143844 ............................................... $16,500 7 Bobcat S185, 2003, 1550 hrs., #141064 ............................................... $18,900 8 JD 318D, 2013, 2447 hrs., #143873 ............................................... $19,250 13 JD 325, 2008, 3177 hrs., #138043 ............................................... $19,900
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JD 9560R, 2013, 3184 hrs., #145194
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JD 2310, 45’ 9”, 2008, #124769
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JD 2210, 45.5’ 2005, #120515
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Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
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Record amount of land hits the market through FNC
Data released by land grant universities and industry organizations point out that there has been less farm and ranch land for sale than usual the past few years. Despite today’s slow land market, Farmers National Company is experiencing a 50 percent increase in the land it has for sale over its previous high volume. The historic run-up in land prices during the decade leading up to and including 2013 faded in to the background as the past four years instead witnessed a steady and measured decline in values for crop and grazing land throughout the Midwest and Great Plains. Some regions experienced the decline sooner with a larger drop-off in land prices, whereas other regions saw less of a decline. Good quality land generally declined less while lower quality tracts saw weak demand and a bigger price decline. At this time, the market for quality land is steady to slightly stronger. So, what’s next for land values, up or down? Randy Dickhut, AFM, senior vice president of real estate operations for Farmers National Company, said there are a number of positive factors supporting current land values. “The industry has experienced a post-harvest bump in land prices in most grain producing areas. With above average crop yields in most locations, farmer optimism has increased as has the bidding for quality crop land. The supply of land on the open market remains low while the number of buyers and demand is adequate for what is on the market at this time,” Dickhut said. Other factors also are providing support for today’s land prices, Dickhut noted. Continued low interest rates are helping create a demand for ag land as a long-term investment for individuals and institutional funds. In general, there is still enough purchasing power in the hands of farmers to compete for good land or land that helps grow ones operation. We are also seeing a small increase in 1031 tax deferred exchange buyers as they move to trade into different land or to diversify out of other real estate holdings and into cropland,” Dickhut said. However, there also are factors on the horizon that could negatively affect land values, Dickhut noted. Current farm economics are not conducive to strength in the land market. Low grain prices are keeping overall farm income levels depressed. That means that lower incomes are reducing the cash ow necessary to nance crop inputs, equipment needs and land payments, leaving less cash for land purchases. “Individual and institutional investors are well aware of the lower grain prices and incomes. The resulting reduction in the return on investment for land has kept some investors out of the land market during the past few years,” he said. Another factor that may weigh on land prices is that lenders are being more cautious in the amount of money they will lend for agricultural land purchases. This could dampen demand as farmers and ranchers are the predominant buyers of crop and grazing land, Dickhut pointed out. “Cash ow and equity concerns of farmers could generate additional land for sale in the market as some producers liquidate either land or equipment to shore up their nances. The magnitude of these additional land sales will probably be small and vary by region, but the potential for an increase in the supply of land on the market bears watching,” he said. The nal factor that could have a downward effect on land values are the outside inuences. This could include negative outcomes for trade that U.S. agriculture depends upon, unexpected consequences from tax laws and potential changes in the next Farm Bill. “The next six months will determine the direction of land values. Economic and nancial factors will become more evident for producers and lenders. The factors and the outside inuences will become better dened as we move through 2018. Now more than ever, professional advice and representation are critical to receiving a fair market price for agricultural land no matter if values move up or down. And more and more landowners are putting their trust in Farmers National Company to sell their land,” Dickhut said.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 23
Growing, learning, winning as a team
Polk County dairy bowl teams win state 4-H, junior Holstein contests By Brittany Olson
brittany.o@dairystar.com
AMERY, Wis. – For two nights a week, nearly a dozen adolescents descend on the Dado farm near Amery, Wis., for dinner, treats, conversation and – last but not least – dairy bowl practice. The Polk County dairy bowl teams, consisting of Hailey Clausen, Katherine and Tayler Elwood, Courtney Glenna and Ella Williamson of Amery, Wis.; and Kristi Getschel, Andrew, Marie and Grace Haase, and Mikayla Peper, all of Osceola, Wis., have been practicing together since August of 2016. The senior teams are headed to represent Wisconsin at both the national 4-H and national Holstein dairy bowl contest after winning both state-level competitions within two weeks of each other. “This is a unique team in that they all show dairy cattle, but not all of them are from a dairy farm,” said Gwen Dado, who hosts and coaches daily practices during the week at her 500cow dairy. “Most dairy bowl kids start practicing at the age of 8. These kids started in high school, and have already accomplished amazing things.” Dado is assisted by Patti Hurtgen, formerly of Amery and now living in Fort Atkinson, Wis. In addition to
BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR
The Polk County dairy bowl teams include (from leŌ) – Hailey Clausen, KrisƟ Getschel, Grace Haase, Tayler Elwood, Mikayla Peper, Andrew Haase, Courtney Glenna, Marie Haase, Katherine Elwood and coach Gwen Dado. Polk County is headed to compete at the naƟonal 4-H and Holstein AssociaƟon dairy bowl contests aŌer winning at the state level in both arenas. Not pictured are Ella Williamson and Paƫ Hurtgen. practices, the team meets for up to nine hours at a time on the weekends for power practices when Hurtgen is in the area. “Patti writes the questions, and I just read them,” Dado said. Dairy bowl contests, covering topics such as management, history and genetics, are set up in two rounds. The rst round allows each contestant to answer three questions in a row, which are worth 10 points each if answered correctly. During the second round, anyone from either team playing can buzz in; if answered correctly, that member’s team gets 15 points. If
incorrect, 10 points are deducted off that team’s overall score. “Bonuses helped us quite a bit,” Getschel said. “If three different team members get questions correct during the second round, you get a bonus.” While the contests themselves are largely the same, there are differences between topics covered at the 4-H contest, which requires having a wealth of knowledge in a plethora of areas. Teams can get mixed up between age differences as well; senior dairy bowl team members in 4-H must be at least 14, while Holstein requires 16 years of age or older.
“Holstein quiz bowl contests are more breed-focused with more trivia, such as which cow won which show and when,” Getschel said. “4-H contests focus more on management and practical knowledge.” Peper said that, sometimes, there is overlap between competitions. “We see a lot of the same people at both contests, too,” Peper said. In addition to regular practices where members break into pairs and read questions to each other, they might nd themselves in the barn learning from Dado’s husband, Rick, how certain practices are applied in the real Turn to POLK COUNTY | Page 25
Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 25
ConƟnued from POLK COUNTY | Page 23 world. “I’m a visual learner, so I love farm visits where I can physically see and learn how, for an example, an antibiotic is used,” Peper said. Getschel nds the barn visits helpful, too, especially since she lives on a dairy farm. “Dairy bowl gets you thinking about why you do things on the farm the way you do, instead of just doing them,” Getschel said. At the Wisconsin Junior Holstein Convention in Stevens Point, Wis., the senior Holstein team consisting of Hailey, Kristi, Marie and Mikayla
the nal championship round when Polk County was behind Shawano County by 60 points. “We nally got to the point where we were up by ve points when a [member] from Shawano County buzzed in, got it wrong and got 10 more points taken off,” Peper said. Dado was particularly proud of her team after they were so far behind. “The kids had the tenacity to come from behind and stick together,” Dado said. “Another great thing about these kids is that they know their strengths, so they can buzz in and one of them will know the answer.”
“It has to come from within to want to spend hours going over dairy bowl questions and have fun doing it. We win as a team and we lose as a team.” GWEN DADO, COACH
and the junior Holstein team consisting of Katherine, Grace, Courtney and Ella made for Polk County’s rst debut at the state Holstein dairy bowl contest during the rst weekend in January. Dado, who happened to be at a wedding in Illinois that weekend, was unable to attend and waited with bated breath as texts from Hurtgen described matches that went down to the wire, particularly
Earlier this month, the senior 4-H team consisting of Tayler, Kristi, Marie and Mikayla won the state title after defeating the Door County senior team by just ve points. They will represent Wisconsin this fall at the national 4-H contest held in conjunction with the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky. “It’s great to be going to nationals with such a great
BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR
The state-winning 4-H dairy bowl team includes (from leŌ) – Tayler Elwood, Mikayla Peper, KrisƟ Getschel and Marie Haase – from Polk County. They will represent Wisconsin next fall at the naƟonal contest in Louisville, Ky. Peper, Getschel and Haase, along with Hailey Clausen (not pictured) also won the state Holstein dairy bowl contest at the Wisconsin Holstein AssociaƟon’s junior convenƟon in early January. team,” Getschel said. Making the win especially sweet was that, after being on the state runner-up team in 2016 and 2017, Elwood was part of the team that won state. “It felt great to nally win,” Elwood said. Dado said that, while it is great to win at the state level, placing at the national contest is the prize they have their eyes on. “We’re going to nationals to place in the top two,” Dado said. “If we want to take it
to the next level, we go to compete and not to attend.” Dairy bowl has not only brought kids from two different communities together as friends, which Dado has thoroughly enjoyed watching, but it has made them better students and given them material for writing speeches and papers. “Marie and I are taking a nutrition class right now, and one time she had the worksheet lled out before the teacher started talking,” Andrew said.
Their younger sister said that it has taught her how to study, with all of the other team members nodding in unison. “I’ve learned how to retain information better and more quickly,” Grace said. Importantly, they have all learned how to work as a team through good times and bad. “It has to come from within to want to spend hours going over dairy bowl questions and have fun doing it,” Dado said. “We win as a team and we lose as a team.”
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
ARC/PLC signup, marketing loan reminders
As a friendly reminder, we are asking that you please inform our ofce of any changes to your farming operation as soon as you can as we are preparing for the 2018 crop year. This can be a change of address, business name or type (corporation, LLC, partnership, FSA News & Notes etc.) or adding land to your operation whether by lease or purchase. For the ofce to make a land change, we require the producer provide a signed lease agreement or a recorded deed to show purchase. 2018 ARC/PLC signup is underway, so stop in the ofce and take care of this By Ryan Brunn before eld work begins. Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. We can email or fax them for signatures as well if that is more convenient. Take care of this task now to avoid adding time to your trips to the ofce later in the year. This fall, many producers utilized our Marketing Assistance Loan program and took a loan on their 2017 corn, soybeans or small grain. Since it has been a few months, I wanted to remind these producers of their responsibility to maintain their grain and the proper way to dispose of any grain that is being used as collateral to remain in compliance with the program and avoid any penalties. Bins are ideally designed to hold a level volume of grain. When bins are overlled and grain is heaped, airow is hindered, and the chance of spoilage increases. Producers who take out marketing assistance loans and use the farm-stored grain as collateral should remember that they are responsible for maintaining the quality of the grain through the term of the loan. This includes preventing any insect infestations that could lead to unmarketable grain. If loan grain has been disposed of through feeding, selling or any other form of disposal without prior written authorization from the county ofce staff, it is considered unauthorized disposition. The nancial penalties for unauthorized dispositions are severe and a producer’s name will be placed on a loan violation list for a two-year period. Always call before you haul any grain under loan and let us know where you are selling. If you are planning on feeding the grain, you must buy back the bushels before you feed. Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 27
Learning how to deal with frustration The Transition Pen
By John Rosenhammer & Laura Scholtz Father/Daughter Farming Duo Leaving the farm for 10 days in January made me nervous. I rushed to nish entering records into PCDart, instructing my dad and sister how to use our rumination and heat activity system on their own. I made lists of vaccines and ovsynch shots to be given on specic days. I gave instructions on feeding calves and made sure all bills were paid before I left. My dad and I had been debating during the week about which cows to sell but hadn’t come to an agreement. As I ran out of time, I wrote down a list of about six cows and told him to choose a few, and we would deal with the rest when I returned. I wanted each of the six cows gone and each had their reasons. Apple was No. 1 on my list. She has a history of getting pregnant and instantly dropping in milk production well before her dry up date and this lactation was no exception. I knew she was one of dad’s favorites, and he certainly wouldn’t sell her. As I drove away from the farm, I dreaded coming back because I knew Apple would still be there, still be a low producer, and I’d have to convince my dad her time was up. Fast forward 10 days. Monday morning, I woke up early, eager to see all the new calves, fresh heifers and other changes since I’d been gone. First, I walked through the calf barn, many healthy new calves greeted me, and a few older ones frustrated me as I could tell they weren’t as aggressive as they had been when I left. Next, I went to the barn and saw a list of low milk cows that I knew wasn’t good. I helped with milking, anxiously watching for each of the cows on my cull list to gure out who Dad had sold. Finally, I nished milking and had time to investigate. I checked over the calves and gave them treatments. Then, I went through the list of cows with low milk and decided who to treat and who needed to be culled, as without rBST as an aid I knew a comeback wasn’t in the future for the open, late lactation cows. At last, I found time to check on the fresh cow. I was informed they didn’t know what was wrong. She couldn’t get up but hadn’t fallen down and wasn’t responding to any treatment. No. 892 didn’t even inch as I walked in, took her temperature, which was low, indicating she was shutting down. Frustration lled my mind and my body lled with anger. My dad had already given 892 each treatment I would’ve tried. We had planned on lack of rBST causing us to cull a few cows, but not all at once. I knew I could nurse the sick calves back to health, but their slow down in growth costs money and additional labor. To be completely honest, the millennial in me wanted to scream, blame my frustrations on everyone else and make excuses. I knew if I didn’t take action to calm myself, I would say something I would regret. I stayed in my ofce all afternoon, getting caught up on records and orga-
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nizing my ofce. Getting these simple tasks accomplished improved my mood. I accepted that 892 wasn’t anyone’s fault. I checked our heifer numbers, and we had plenty of replacements to justify culling a few more cows. I again made a list of cows to cull. My dad agreed we needed to cull a few and called the trucker for the next morning. We had a list of ve cows and agreed we would sell at least four. As Tuesday morning came around, I told myself I would not let myself become frustrated again. At the beginning of milking, my dad and I discussed the cows and of course Apple was the one he didn’t want to budge on. I calmly showed him her production records as evidence. I knew if he didn’t agree to sell Apple this week, I’d have to again bring her up the next time we sell cows. He said he would think about it as we milked cows. I knew continually talking to try and make my point clear wasn’t a way to get through to my dad. I wrote down each of the cows on our white board and listed their reasons. Oddly enough, this
gave me peace that I had stated my opinion and it had been heard. Later in the morning, the trucker came. I found my dad and as calmly as I could, stated my reasoning and this time, he nodded and we started sorting cows. That moment was the highlight of my week, not because I got my way but because I managed to keep my calm, got a huge weight off my shoulders and handled the situation like a mature adult. It is far too easy to let our emotions get the best of us, to make excuses, to argue, to rush judgement and blame others. Dairy farming has no time for that. Each day presents challenges creating many reasons to be upset or take on a negative attitude. I cannot control what happens each day. Cows will die unexpectedly and calves will get sick, but I can control my attitude and react in a positive way. Laura Scholtz farms with her father, John Rosenhammer, and uncle, Greg, on Roseview Dairy near Sleepy Eye, Minn. They milk 200 Holsteins and run 580 acres of cropland.
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
WMMB helps drive holiday cheese sales
Cheese sales increased by 23 percent during the month of December compared to the rest of the calendar year. The Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) helped boost Wisconsin cheese sales at retail with seasonal specic marketing programs. This December sales lift resulted in an extra 70 million pounds of cheese moving off grocery store shelves, an equivalent of 700 million pounds of milk, according to IRI data. WMMB capitalized on anticipated December cheese purchases by releasing Grate.Pair.Share. online magazine, targeting local and national media, and building custom promotions with key retailers. Grate.Pair.Share. Magazine The Holiday issue of Grate.Pair.Share. magazine was the most successful issue to date, using seasonal recipes and gift ideas as the core content to target dairy consumers. • The 2017 Holiday issue has seen 5.9 million impressions to date, which is a 68 percent increase from the previous year. • Grate.Pair.Share highlighted unique Wisconsin specialty cheese gift sets including one from Sartori Cheese that was featured on the “TODAY Show” in December. • Recipe videos from the magazine were also featured on Wisconsin Cheese social channels, including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Increased Publicity As trends show people demanding more specialty varieties, WMMB leads the conversation by directing consumers to purchase Wisconsin specialty cheese. • The New York Times featured Deer Creek’s The Blue Jay from the Artisan Cheese Exchange, based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. • Continued local and national media outreach also included press releases announcing the debut of the Holiday edition of Grate.Pair.Share. and an annual consumer trends release that includes Wisconsin cheese. • In 2017, WMMB doubled media coverage value. All of WMMB’s media mentions are showcased on wisconsindairybuzz.com. Partnering with Key Retailers To create a nationwide custom promotion of Wisconsin cheese, WMMB partnered with key retailer Sam’s Club. • Custom video content highlighted six brands of Wisconsin dairy products for the Sam’s Club website, where consumers could purchase it online. • Research detailing the shopping patterns of targeted audiences helped to develop partnerships with key customers to drive retail sales for Wisconsin dairy products online and in-store. • Wisconsin identied cheese is found in nearly 80,000 stores across the country, due in part to the programs funded by checkoff dollars. For more information on your dairy checkoff dollars at work, visit WMMB.com or connect with the company on Facebook.
Bald eagle showed off shing skills
An expert sherman showed me his skills one evening, several years ago. And, he didn’t even use a pole, line, hook or bait. I lived in central Wisconsin’s Portage County and was walking on a gravel road that led to Lake EmRural Roots ily. The road had a pond of sorts on one side, and the lake on the other. Whistling a low tune that went nowhere, and immersed in thought, I did not see Mr. (or Mrs.) Eagle until the last possible instant. It dropped like a hot rock out of the sky and splashed into the clear water of the small pond. By Ron Johnson Yes, that startled me Staff Writer out of my thinking. But something else surprised me even more. The eagle, when it rose out of the water, carried in its yellow talons a sh. And, it wasn’t a mere minnow. Instead, the eagle apped away bearing a trout, bass or walleye that would make any human angler proud. That was the rst time I witnessed such shing prowess. So far, it has been the last time. But with any luck, I should be able to once more observe an eagle or two shing. Southwest Wisconsin where I live and work is proving especially attractive to our nation’s symbol. To be sure, the Badger State has a very long way to go before it boasts as many eagles as it does dairy cows. Wisconsin, according to the state agriculture department, has 1.28 million cows. No, America’s Dairyland is not yet bald eagle land. Nevertheless, it’s a good place to see living, breathing, wild examples of our nation’s symbol. That’s because Wisconsin’s population of the magnicent birds is growing. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) looked for occupied bald eagle nests during 2016. Those aerial surveys and observations made from the ground found 1,590 occupied nests. That was an increase of 5.7 percent, or roughly 90 more than during the previous survey. That’s dramatically more nests than found in 1973, the survey’s rst year. Forty-ve years ago, only 108 occupied bald eagle nests were found in the Badger State. Three states have more bald eagles than Wisconsin. According to the American Eagle Foundation, Alaska is the place to go if you really want to see bald eagles. The Last Frontier had somewhere on the order of 30,000 bald eagles in 2015. Minnesota leads the way in bald eagles. The eagle foundation estimates that the Gopher State was home to 1,312 pairs in 2007. After Minnesota, Florida comes in third for bald eagles. There, it’s estimated that 1,166 pairs glided across the sky in 2017. Bald eagles are doing well, after being nearly ex-
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tinct during the 1960s and ‘70s. Banning certain pesticides and giving the birds more protection are credited with sending eagle numbers skyward. Growing up in southwest Wisconsin, I never once saw a bald eagle. My rst sighting of one came in 1973 in Vilas County, Wis. It’s one of the northern playgrounds that’s extremely popular for shing and other forms of outdoor recreation. I was staying for just a couple of late-May days in a rented cabin. Exploring the lake, I was surprised when a pontoon plane landed. I’d never before seen such a craft, except on TV, and then probably in the program “Gentle Ben.” You know, the one about the tame black bear in Florida. Anyway, the oat plane’s pilot yelled out, asking if I’d like to see a bit of northern Wisconsin from the air. So, in I climbed, and up we climbed. Not only was that my rst time in a oat plane, but it was also my rst time in any kind of airplane. What I remember the best from that day was the bald eagle. We ew over it at a good distance, the eagle gliding quietly some hundreds of feet under the noisy machine. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure of encountering more eagles. Besides the Lake Emily encounter, I’ve seen countless more eagles while driving along Highway 35. That highway lies just three or four miles west of where I live, and I traverse it south to Prairie du Chien and into Iowa, and north to La Crosse and points beyond. In late February and into March, the eagles start moving to their nesting sites. At that time of year, it’s common to see eagles shing. Some of them perch on muskrat houses near open water and use the rat houses’ tops to gain better views. A visit to Dubuque, Iowa, in late autumn gave me the most eagles I’ve seen at one time. A hundred or more perched and swooped on a blufftop there. I can nd dozens of eagles in the trees four miles from my house. A commercial sherman has his shop atop the ridge there and disposes of the sh cleanings in a nearby eld. Such an easy meal draws many eagles. Eagles don’t nest on our nine acres, but they do perch at the top of the giant, dead elm tree behind our house. And, more than once, I’ve been treated to the sight of an eagle cruising low down the hill following my driveway as it headed to Plum Creek for a bit of shing. A couple of years ago, we had a bald eagle and a golden eagle sharing a tree. They watched for the county road to be devoid of cars and trucks. Then they visited the remains of a deer. Several Wisconsin communities hold eagle watching days during the winter. Prairie du Chien’s takes place Feb. 23 and 24 this year. Participating is a great way to be introduced to our nation’s living symbol. For me, an eagle watching day can come at almost any time. That’s one reason I enjoy living where I do.
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Every glass can make a difference
N FL O O AR
PREVENT YOUR COWS FROM DOING THE SPLITS PRE
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B
I have been hosting farm tours for over 20 years and one thing is always true – the visitors want to know more about farming and agriculture. They want to know where their food comes from. If they can tie it to a real farmer, then the circle is complete. The farm to table concept has inspired many. Some farmers work with chefs to host meals in their pastures. The event brings the consumers to the farm to see the sustainable practices, the healthy animals, and meet the people who make it happen: the farmers. I have hosted a dairy breakfast and a few family reunions and weddings, but haven’t planned a farm to table meal, yet. While our guests go around our farm, I point out the conservation strips that hold the soil in place and talk about our nutrient management practices where we spread manure. They see and touch the cows and calves and seem to think this is a grand life, and they are enviBy Tina Hinchley ous of us. Throughout the stops, I also bring up inputs. After Farmer & Columnist all, farming is a business. It costs $6 a day to feed a cow, $2,000 to raise a heifer calf to a cow, and $500,000 for a combine without the head that is needed to harvest the crop. Someone usually tallies up the numbers and asks, “How do you make any money?” In the past it was easy to say when milk price is low, corn price is high. It evens out. Well, that is no longer the case. We have always been frugal and watched what we spend, but this year will be a tough year for us and many other farmers. “How much do you get for a gallon of your milk?” is asked when stopping in the milk house to see the bulk tank and milking machines. We explain that we get paid by weight, and that in the past we got extra money for quality, but not as much anymore. Extra charges have appeared on milk checks to get the milk to the plants, and we have no control of our milk price because it is a commodity. The truth is we farmers have a lot of milk. All farms are dealing with uncertainty. We know the cheese plants are full of product, and the future trading and export markets are in limbo. Small and large farm families are watching every penny. These people didn’t expect this when they pulled into the yard of the farm. They came to see the farm and were not aware of the crisis that we have been in. I don’t usually say how many farmers lost their farms, and I don’t mention that there are farmers who are working with pain and have become addicted to pain medicine and other drugs. I have never brought up that some farmers have committed suicide. I would never want to make it a depressing tour and have these families feeling sad. Perhaps they can read my face or hear it in my voice, but when talking about the dairy farming industry today, they know we are hurting. “What can we do to help?” is usually asked before the tour is concluded. These families care about farmers and agriculture. They want to continue to see “America’s Dairyland” when they go for Sunday drives and venture out of the city. They now know a farmer, and they want to help. That is an easy question for me to answer. You can help all of us by serving more dairy for your family such as milk, yogurt, ice cream, cheese and butter. Put away the soda and sports drinks so the kids don’t have access to them. Purchase not just one gallon of milk, but two, so there is always milk in the refrigerator. What if their kids don’t like white milk? Easy, buy chocolate. White and chocolate milk have the same nine essential nutrients. Simply telling the families that Olympic athletes drink chocolate milk to refuel after a hard work out helps inspire the idea that milk is a great choice. Simply put, no other beverage out there is more naturally nutrient rich than milk and serving for serving, there is no better value. Demographics show a drop in uid milk consumption, but this is 2018. This is the year we can change that. Everyone can help dairy farmers. Every glass of milk can make a difference. Having children powered by milk is a provoking idea. I encourage all of the kids to drink their milk at school. I try to motivate the parents to get involved at school and insist that the milk is 2% and that it is served cold. Many children only get their milk while at school, and if they don’t drink it, their growing bodies are not getting the nutrients to make them strong and smart. Milk needs to be something they want to drink, served cold and tasting delicious. But also, let us not forget that everyone needs milk: Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa. Some tell me they get calcium from vitamins and protein from expensive nutrient shake products. Some admit they don’t like milk, but they like to eat cheese. That’s in line with the demographics that show the older generations are eating more cheese. I give them a cheese challenge and request they try a different cheese every week. That isn’t too hard. There are over 600 varieties of Wisconsin cheese. Shopping at the grocery store is an opportunity to see all the new and favorite dairy products in the deli and dairy case. Every purchase will help farmers by consuming more dairy, and this is two-fold. It will give nutritious and delicious dairy into peoples’ diets to insure they will have a strong and healthy family. Tina Hinchley, her husband, Duane, and their daughters, Anna and Catherine, milk 135 registered Holsteins and farm 2,500 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wis. They have been hosting farm tours for over 20 years.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 29
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Undercover heroes A couple weeks ago, Cora and I were lucky enough to meet one of my favorite children’s book authors of all time – Patricia Polacco. She has written 115 books in 32 years, all beautifully illustrated by herself, many telling stories from deep within her family history. They are incredible; they will make you laugh, cry and feel so much just from the pages of a children’s book. It is a family joke in our house that I can’t read one aloud without crying. I dare you to read “Pink and Say” or “The Buttery” and not let loose a stream of tears. However, I don’t bring this up to tell you about her amazing list of books. I mention her because she said something that I can’t get out of my head. I’ve been thinking about it all week. She struggled immensely as a student and was telling the guests at her book signing about how a couple teachers helped her nd her way. “Teachers are some of our last real heroes,” she said. Now, to be fair, she was talking about getting help with severe dyslexia and other issues, but after the events in Florida this past week, I keep hearing her words in my
mind. I debated writing about other topics this week, but in truth, this was the only topic I kept coming back to. It gives me goosebumps, makes my stomach turn and scares me to pieces – all at the same time. I know I’m not alone in any of these feelings. I keep thinking about my dear teacher friends going through their ALICE training, the most recent a few weeks ago. I think about them hearing shooting over the loudspeaker for practice of how they would respond. I think of them having to go through simulated injuries to make split-second decisions. I think of them having to keep all of this potential fear compartmentalized while they try to teach our children the many lessons they need to succeed in life. ALICE is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate, and is touted as the No. 1 Active Shooter Civilian Response Training for all organizations. According to their website, they have trained 4,200 K-12
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school districts in our nation since Columbine. As a former teacher, I know these teachers didn’t sign up for this. This wasn’t a class you took in college. I don’t even think it was a discussion we had when I was in the elementary education program in college. They Ramblings from the Ridge go to school day after day, trying to drill the basics into students’ heads. These are the things they went to college to learn how to do. They are busy teaching how to read, how to solve algebraic equations, how to memorize the elements, how to sew, what the ancient cultures gave to us and how to use By Jacqui Davison the Dewey Decimal sysColumnist tem to nd a book in the library. There are also the things that don’t come from books: how to be a good friend, a good teammate, how to talk things out, how to be respectful of others’ ideas that differ from yours, how to navigate the world of peer pressure, what to do when your body is changing and how to show someone kindness. Some of you just read that last sentence and thought those were jobs of the parents, didn’t you? Sure, but these are changing times, and teachers are doing a lot of teaching that doesn’t come with a prescribed lesson plan. These teachers go to school every morning with the belief that they will make a difference in the young lives that come in and out of their rooms. They hope their students will learn things within the walls of their school they can use in the real world, lessons to help them in everyday life. They keep their doors open so students know they are always willing to listen to any problems they have, however mundane they may be. They hold fast to the belief that we as humans are innately good and remind students of that daily with examples from the world. They will replay words they said in frustration to their students hours later, hoping they didn’t close a door that was just beginning to open with a stubborn pupil. They watch their classroom for signs of not only academic struggles, but struggles with hunger, home life and fellow classmates. They listen beyond the words coming out of children’s mouths and read between the lines, watching for signs that someone might be slipping through the cracks. As if all of these things weren’t enough to keep them busy, now they need to think about escape routes and hatch a split second evacuation plan if their ultimate fear ever arises. What would they do if their sanctuary of learning would be broken by that horric sound? They stie fear and replace it with a welcoming smile and a good attitude. They have heavy hearts every time they hear of another tragedy and look at the faces in front of them and search for things they may be missing. These teachers are often not in the same classrooms as their own children, yet they would protect yours and mine as if they were theirs. Patricia Polacco was right. Teachers are heroes. They believe the future can be brighter, with the help of the students in their classroom. They nurture, encourage and remind them that this world is theirs, too. That everyone is valued and belongs. They believe that kindness will prevail. It has to. “Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” – J.R.R. Tolkien Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wis. Her children, Ira (11), Dane (9), Henry (4) and Cora (adventurous crawler), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 31
Cold stress in dairy cows Timing for this column is a bit delayed as the days are getting longer and we’ve recently seen a few days above freezing; however, we know it’s been a cold winter in the Midwest, and we still have cold days in front of us. A signicant amount of information focuses on the benets of Something to Ruminate On heat abatement as we reach the upper critical temperature-humidity index around 68 degrees F. Little research, however, focuses on cold stress in dairy cattle. Mature dairy cattle produce an incredible amount of heat By Barry Visser through rumination Nutritionist and the digestion of feedstuffs, and thus withstand weather conditions that we might nd unbearable. While most cows in the Midwest are sheltered, experts have suggested the lower critical temperatures at which cows might eventually sacrice milk production may fall between freezing and zero degrees F. At this threshold, cows begin to expend extra energy to maintain body temperature. This is dependent on many variables, including air movement in a barn, humidity, extent of winter hair coat, production level, and bedding type and condition. Dry matter intake (DMI) can often be a limiting factor on production for lactating dairy cows. While cows have a mild capacity to increase energy intake through extremely cold weather, there are limitations. Forage quality and rate of digestion will impact rumen ll. Work with your nutritionist to adjust DMI and energy density during extremely cold weather. Feed bunk management practices, such as feeding frequency, feed pushup and distribution, are more critical than ever during cold months. In addition, we deal with frozen chunks of silage and other moist feeds in the TMR, and feeds are consumed at a temperature much cooler than the standard environment of rumen microbes. Water consumption is critical to maintain DMI even in cooler temperatures. While winter water consumption is lower than summer, high-producing dairy cows still benet from a minimum of 2 linear inches of available water space. In addition to frozen water, ice buildup can limit water access. Techniques with salt or sand can reduce this challenge, but take advantage of breaks in the cold to remove this ice and accelerate the process. Cleaning waterers in the winter months can also be a challenge. Again, take advantage of warmer periods to focus on this task. The primary challenges with prolonged cold stress often go beyond nutrition. Frozen, chunky bedding results in compromised lying surfaces and impacts stall usage. Extra effort should be made to keep stalls lled, groomed, clean and dry. Frozen manure in alleys and slippery oors can be a concern for cow movement and injury. Footbath usage often decreases (for obvious reasons) during periods of cold weather, resulting in increased lameness. Teat health can be compromised. Drying and dipping strategies are often adjusted to reduce the risk for mastitis. Consideration needs to be taken as we enter the next few months of transitioning weather patterns. A quick removal of the long, winter hair across the topline of incoming heifers and sometimes dry cows is benecial to a smooth facility transition. Monitor air quality in the barns. Often, we have walls or doors buttoned up tight in the dead of winter and may need to reevaluate with warmer daytime temperatures. Fan and sprinkler maintenance will also follow in the next couple months. Despite what the groundhog might indicate, winter will come to an end soon. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
A couple good stories
I’m Irish, and I love stories. I love to hear stories. routine, and he thought we needed a diversion. He I love to share stories. I guess that is why I enjoy said, “Should we go out for a Valentine’s Day dinner?â€? sharing my thoughts with you. Here are a couple of Now, most wives would jump for joy at the thought stories to love, laugh at, nod that their husband came up your head in agreement and with this novel idea all on even sigh out loud at. their own. I kept bedding When iis the Wh h b best time i ffor a A couple of weeks ago, cows and not missing a Mark stopped in the barn to farmer to be down and out of beat said, “Which co-op ask me a question. We were commission? Most would say is serving a dinner?â€? Our struggling to get through the area Select Sires meeting morning chore routine after never, but sometimes we don’t was that day. I didn’t go to another night of sub-zero have a choice. the meeting and when Mark temperatures. I was babying got there, they were at the the silo unloaders as they bottom of the pans for food. chiseled away at frozen Karma. silage. Mark was pounding on barn cleaner ďƒ&#x;ights so The real reason I didn’t want to go out for dinner they could make it around the reverse curve without was because I didn’t want to be inadvertently exposed breaking. We were both getting tired of the same old to the ďƒ&#x;u bug that is going around. When there is a
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ďƒ&#x;u epidemic, being stuck on the farm with chores and problems can look like a good option. I needed to stay healthy so I could have a surgery. The reason behind the operation is a story in itself. I don’t remember how the kids got all the cattle Just Thinking Out Loud down to a state show that summer, but somehow they couldn’t get them all home in one load. They had made all the trucking arrangements, and I was their backup plan if things didn’t work. I think I was really their original and only plan of how to get all the cattle home. They could get the heifers up to By Natalie Schmitt Howard Lake, but I would Columnist need to bring them the rest of the way home. No problem. I hooked the trailer to the truck and took off to get the show heifers. After about a 45 minute drive on curvy back roads around several lakes, I ďƒžnally made it to Groos’ farm. No one was home; there was a breakfast they were helping with that day. I had instructions as to where I would ďƒžnd the heifers in the side pen of the parlor. Sure enough, that is where I found them. Only, they didn’t have their halters on. I was going to have to catch them. One of the heifers was Jonathon’s yearling by the name of Ralma Gold Crush because she was such a monster and if she stepped on your foot, it was going to hurt. Do you see where the story is going? The Goldwyn bloodline in her also made her a little on the nervous side, and she was not about to be haltered up again. We danced around the pen for a couple of turns before I ďƒžnally got close enough to snag her ears and loop her nose in the halter. Then it happened. She lived up to her name. She put all her weight on the top of my foot as she tried to spin away from me. I dropped to my knees and rolled my eyes as I tried to take in enough air through my nose to keep me from yelling. I wasn’t thinking when I left home that I would need to put on my work boots because I was just picking up show heifers. I had slipped into a pair of tennis shoes. I struggled to stand on my foot, but knew I had to because there wasn’t anyone else around to help. I had to walk it off. As my dad would say, “It’s a long ways from your heart.â€? I hobbled with Crush to the trailer and was able to load the smaller calves with no problems. Now, I just had that winding drive home. Did I mention it was my right foot that Crush crushed? My foot throbbed with pain as I tried to accelerate and brake. I couldn’t put the truck on cruise control because of the curvy roads. Needless to say, it was a long drive home. Now, since there was no blood, no foul. I didn’t go to the doctor, and eventually my foot began to feel better. Fast forward 10 years. When is the best time for a farmer to be down and out of commission? Most would say never, but sometimes we don’t have a choice. At least I could choose when I wanted to be laid up for a couple of months. I picked February and March to be stuck in the house. Most of the sub-zero temps are over, and the daily routine should be steady with fewer breakdowns. I can’t be in the garden yet, and we won’t be in the ďƒželds for a while. This is as good of a time as any, I guess. For the next two months, I have to keep my weight off of my foot. When Crush stepped on it, she really did crush the bones in the top of my foot and now they need time to fuse together. Since I was already under the knife and the doctor was in the area, he also ďƒžxed my bunion. It was a two for one deal. It is kind of like a remodeling project. Since you’re already ďƒžxing up the kitchen, you might as well do the bathroom, too. If you’re going to make a mess, make one big mess. I won’t be able to tell you what is going on in the barn, but I don’t think being laid up will keep me from ďƒžnding new stories to share with you. Natalie, Mark and his brother, Al, Schmitt farm together near Rice, Minn. They milk 100 registered Holsteins under the RALMA preďƒžx. Their four children are great help around the farm and are pushing Natalie out of several jobs. Therefore she is thankful to have something else to do. For questions or comments please e-mail Natalie at mnschmitt@jetup.net.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 33
A cup of tea
A NEW WORLD DEMANDS NEW HOLLAND.
I love tea. As a dairy farmer, it almost seems sacrilegious to write those words. Of course, I love milk and drink my fair share every day. But I drink a lot of tea every day, too. Dairy Good Life I drink tea because I love the taste, I appreciate the health benets, and I need the caffeine. Caffeine helps me manage my ADD. (Speaking of caffeine, why don’t we have caffeinated milk yet? Think chocolate milk for grown-ups. My favorite vegetable juice offers a version supplemented with caffeine; chocolate milk could, too.) One of the most delightful parts of drinking tea is the great variety of avors available. (Bottled milk marketers, are you reading this? More avors lead to more consumption.) If you ask my mother, though, she would tell By Sadie Frericks you I have a tea problem: too many varieties to choose from. I believe Glen shares her thoughts. Columnist When a visitor recently asked if we had tea, Glen ung the cupboard doors open so he could conspicuously gesture to the entire cupboard shelf I have dedicated to tea storage. I do have an expansive collection: green teas, black teas, herbal tisanes, loose leaf, teabags, and silken pyramids. They are all packaged in assorted boxes, bags, jars, and tins. I just counted my teas out of curiosity. I have over 40 varieties of tea. (Do we offer our customers even four varieties of avored milk?) Plus, I like to mix and match varieties – blackberry green tea with raspberry black tea, or lemon ginger herbal tea with Chinese green tea. The combinations are heavenly. Mixing tea varieties works well because I steep 16 ounces of tea at a time. Over the years, I’ve become a more utilitarian tea drinker. I don’t sit and sip a small cup of tea. Instead, I steep a double batch in a 16-ounce, stainless steel insulated travel mug. My tea mug follows me around the house, out to the barn, or in the van. The mug is covered so I can drink on the go without worrying about jostling my cup and spilling hot tea. In spite of my utilitarian tea habit, I still enjoy the ritual of boiling the water, steeping the tea, and slowly drawing in the rst sip (even if it’s only to make sure the tea isn’t too hot). I often stretch or do my REACH exercises while waiting for the kettle to steam or the tea leaves to release their nuanced avors into the hot water. A couple weeks ago after speaking to a group of college students at my alma mater, I spent a couple hours catching up with a good friend who lives near campus. As soon as I walked into her kitchen, she offered me a cup of tea. One of the many things we share is our love of tea. We sat together, sipMy tea mug ffollows M ll me ping our tea, sharing stories. around the house, out to the It was a wonderful visit. On the drive home, I barn, or in the van. reected on our time together and realized I had forgotten how soothing it is to wrap my hands around a warm cup of tea and just sit for a moment. My insulated steel mug simply isn’t as comforting as a colorful ceramic teacup. It doesn’t warm up the same. Sipping isn’t the same. After that revelation, I resolved to enjoy my tea more. Now, in the evening, I make my last cup of tea for day in one of my beautiful teacups. I still rarely sit down to drink it – the bedtime hours are just too crazy in our house – but I do wrap my hands around the warm cup and let the warmth soothe my soul while I sip the hot brew. It’s remarkable how even these short moments of peace at the end of the day help me feel more calm all the next day. I sent my friend a note thanking her for helping me remember one of my favorite parts of drinking tea. Life truly is better when we connect with our friends. When we make time for soothing rituals – whether that’s sipping hot tea or some other way to be mindful. And when we nd joy and peace in small comforts. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minn. They have three children – Dan, 11, Monika, 8, and Daphne, 5. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail. com
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
A game of strategy, angles, skill
Curling is social outlet for former dairy farmer By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
CENTERVILLE, Wis. – Dan Lilla carefully considers where the curling stones lay on the other end of the lane from him while he calculates the next shot his teammates should take. Curling, a sport dating back to 16th Century Scotland, has taken the country by storm during this Winter Olympics. Lilla, a recently retired Trempealeau County dairy farmer, became drawn to the sport in his seventhgrade phy-ed class. “Our school PE class came to the curling club for a couple of weeks,” Lilla said. “I really enjoyed it, and I’ve been playing ever since.” While Lilla’s involvement did not begin as a family tradi-
tion, it has become one, and several members of his family have joined him in the sport of curling. The Centerville club is one of over 25 curling clubs in the state of Wisconsin and was established in the late 1940s. The current Centerville Curling Club was built in 1996, replacing a previous structure and is attached to the town hall. Lilla serves as the secretary of the Centerville Curling Club, located in Centerville, Wis., in Trempealeau County. The club is one of the larger curling clubs in Wisconsin and is home to over 300 members, ranging in age from school-aged children to senior citizens. “We have an after-school junior league that has kids as young as third grade playing,” Lilla said. “Youth has its advantages in curl-
ing, but you can be competitive in curling for many, many years.” Lilla said an adaptation has been made in recreational play to allow the use of a stick to push the stones, making it easier people to continue to play as they get older. The Centerville Curling Club runs several mens, womens and senior leagues in addition to their junior league. The club also hosts several bonspiels, or tournaments, throughout the season, which typically runs from early November through the end of March. Members travel to other clubs to participate in their bonspiels. Bonspiels are held for a range of competitiveness, including some held for fun and to expose inexperienced curlers to the game. The Centerville club is well-
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Curling stones weigh 40 pounds each and are made from a special type of granite that only comes from one parƟcular quarry in Scotland. They cost over $500 each.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Dan Lilla shows the boƩom of the curling stone, which is designed to slide along the ice when thrown by a curler. Lilla, who sold his milking herd last fall aŌer dairy farming his enƟre life, has parƟcipated in curling since he was in seventh grade. known throughout the curling world and has hosted state and national events, including hosting the Scottish Mens Curling Team on two occasions. “Every ve years, the Scottish mens and womens teams and the U.S. mens and womens teams swap tours,” Lilla said. “The last two times, the Scottish teams have come here and played. It’s
20 people who come, and we are able to play against them.” According to Lilla, to be a U.S. player selected to tour Scotland, you must build an impressive resume of involvement in the sport of curling. Lilla also said most of the members of the U.S. Olympic
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 35
ConƟnued from JOHNSONS | Page 34
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DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Dan Lilla (leŌ) throws a stone toward the house on the opposite end while teammate Tom Bice (right) looks on, preparing to sweep ahead of the stone. Curling team have played at Centerville at some point during their curling careers. Several members of the club have had the opportunity to travel across the country and internationally attending curling events. A curling team consists of four people and is led by a skip, or captain. A game in the Centerville leagues consist of playing eight ends. In the Olympics and the national championships, a game consists of playing to 10 ends. “They used to play to 12 or 14 ends,” Lilla said. “That was way back when they were playing outside on natural ice.” An end is completed when each team has sent their eight stones to the opposite end of the lane. Points are scored based on which team has stones the closest to the center. “It’s very much a game of skill, strategies and playing angles,” Lilla said. “That is what makes it interesting and fun to play. You can be as competitive as you want to be.” Lilla compares curling to playing golf or pool, using angles to make shots off of other stones that have already been played. The curling stones weigh 40 pounds each and are made from a special type of granite that comes from only one quarry in Scotland. That granite does not break, ake or chip. The stones cost approximately $500 each, and the handle attached for curling adds another $70 to $80 to the price. Each player curls two stones during an end. The skip is at the target end and helps to line up the shots for each curler. The curler must release his stone before
the hog line, or it is ruled dead. Once a stone has been sent across the hog line, the remaining two team members use specialized brooms to sweep in front of the stone. This sweeping is done to help increase the distance a stone travels and impact the direction the stone travels by polishing the ice in front of it. While they are not required for recreational league play, many curlers wear special shoes designed with built-in sliders to make maneuvering on the ice easier. Special grippers can also be worn on shoes for the same effect. The Centerville Curling Club’s ice is exclusively kept for curling. Club members are responsible for making the ice and also for its upkeep. “When we rst make ice, the sheet isn’t even an inch thick,” Lilla said. “We ood the rink three additional times during the season to bring the ice back to the same condition as the beginning of the season.” The ice is slightly textured. Each day before league games, the ice is scraped with a self-propelled resurfacer to remove the texture. The ice is then swept off and re-pebbled by hand with a sprinkler-like device. Lilla said he enjoys the social aspect of the game as much as he enjoys competing. Two of his team members are high school friends. “It’s enjoyable to get out and spend time with other people that enjoy the same things you do,” he said. “It’s a local activity. I don’t have to travel far to take part in it. It has always been an enjoyable way to get some time off the farm.”
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Dan Lilla (right) and teammate Larry Adams (leŌ) sweep the ice in an aƩempt to make the stone reach its intended target. Behind them is teammate Tom Bice.
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
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Women In Dairy
Traci Klostermann New Vienna, Iowa Dubuque County 80 cows Tell us about your family. My family consists of my husband, Jack; daughter, Felicia Middendorf, and her husband, Daniel. Felicia is a teacher and, with Daniel and his parents, dairy farms at Long Prairie, Minn. Our son, Alan, is farming with us, and our daughter, Katy, is a freshman at Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. Katy was the Dubuque County Dairy Princess Alternate in 2016. Another daughter, Amelia, is a freshman at Western Dubuque High School and helps with milking and takes care of the calves and is active in sports. Our son, Eli, is in rst grade and loves to help where he can. He loves riding in the tractors during planting and harvest seasons. Our youngest son, Luke, is in kindergarten and likes to get hugs from our pet cow, Chawnee, chase the cats and play with the dogs. He also likes to ride in the tractor or combine with Grandpa Jerry, mostly because Grandpa has candy in his cooler. Granddaughter Zoey Middendorf likes her cows and puppy dogs. Tell us about your farm. We farm 280 acres. We harvest corn, alfalfa, oats and winter rye as a cover crop where we chop corn. We chop the rye in the spring. All our crops we use to feed our animals. We milk about 70 cows, mostly Holsteins, with a few Brown Swiss-cross, Jersey-cross, and Red and White Holsteins. We also have a couple Milking Shorthorn crosses. We A.I. breed all our cows and mature heifers. We raise all our heifer calves. Along with Jack’s dad, we feed out steers. I, along with the daily activities of chores, do the bookkeeping and help with the cattle recordkeeping.
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What’s the busiest time of day for you? From the moment we get up to when we get the two youngest boys to bed. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I love history and genealogy. I have been working on my family history for almost 20 years. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. We still had a bull, and he decided to chase me. I was eight months pregnant with our oldest son and jumping over a gate to get away. Needless to say, not too much later we got rid of the bull and started A.I. breeding. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I did not grow up on a dairy farm. My dad’s side of the family raised stock cows and hogs when I was younger. Now, two of my uncles are dairy farmers. I grew up between my family’s farm (during the summer and some weekends) and living in the city. I have always loved being around animals. I enjoy the time spent with my family and talking about daily activities while in the barn. I also work off the farm about four or ve days a week. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? By going to meetings from our dairy co-op and talking with family, friends and neighbors. We also go to promotions or dairy days to learn what is new in the industry. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? My husband and his parents. They showed me how to milk and take care of the animals; how to put faith in our religion to help with every-day dealings and some unfortunate happenings; and how to raise children with respect for where their food comes from and how to work hard for all they have. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? Women in the Senate, legislature or government who pass bills and regulations to see how farming is necessary and how their food is made. It doesn’t appear in the grocery store. I would like to show how the animals are well cared for and treated. Farming is a 24-hour-a-day, sevendays-a-week job that doesn’t get the respect like most jobs do. What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken? We took all the kids to South Dakota where we went to Mount Rushmore. The kids did research to see what they would like to do while we were there. Another time, we all went to Milwaukee and watched the reworks over the lake from the rooftop of our hotel. What are some words you like to live by? Every day is a challenge; don’t take anything for granted.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 37
Is stress wearing you out?
Increased work hours lead to increased fatigue By Brittany Olson
brittany.o@dairystar.com
In a period of depressed milk commodity prices across the board for all of American agriculture, farmers are ďƒžnding themselves working even harder to be the best managers they can be. Even though striving to improve a farm’s management and business acumen is a good thing, not getting adequate rest and sleep can lead to mishaps on the farm that could have been avoided otherwise, said John Shutske, University of WisconsinExtension farm safety specialist. “While stress is part of everyday life, farmers and their families need to recognize that too much stress can be deadly,â€? Shutske said. “Frequently, people think if they work harder, problems will eventually go away.â€? That train of thought, Shutske said, contributes to a vicious cycle of stress and burnout that can cause either a mechanical or emotional breakdown. He added that factors people can’t control cause them the most stress. “Farmers face a variety of stressful things, many beyond their control,â€? Shutske said. “Two prime examples are weather and markets, both of which directly affect a farm family’s livelihood.â€? Dairy farming is one of a handful of remaining occupations where a majority of the work is outside, which in the Upper Midwest can mean cold stress and frostbite in the winter or heat stress in the summer. On top of weather, farmers also face intense emotional and mental strain during hard economic times.
“Planning during stressful times is extremely important. Set personal, ďƒžnancial and family goals, and use the variety of community resources wisely.â€? JOHN SHUTSKE, UW EXTENSION
“Families facing the possibility of having to give up farming are often torn,� Shutske said. “They face the pressure of leaving a long farming tradition that goes back many generations. Some people feel like a failure even though they are in a situation that’s beyond their control.� Because economic and emotional stress are prevalent, farmers are more likely to be not only tired from stress and not getting enough sleep, but also distracted. During busy seasons such as planting or harvest, it is common
for farmers to work upwards of 100 hours a week for several weeks straight. “They are more likely to make critical mistakes, perform tasks out of sequence or forget important procedures such as turning off a rotation machine part before servicing it,â€? Shutske said. “I once had a farmer tell of being so preoccupied during harvest that he found himself on top of the combine’s corn header late at night trying to unplug it John Shutske with the header UW Extension still engaged and the engine running at full idle. He suddenly snapped out of this trance-like state and realized he was inches from possible death.â€? While the markets and weather are out of a farmer’s control, there are measures they can take to reduce stress and prevent burnout. Many of these measures include correcting safety hazards, which may cause accidents and further stress down the road, making downtime a priority and taking care of their health. “Take time to make purposeful, concrete changes to reduce farm hazards. It’s impossible to be stress free, so make sure you have backup measures in place. These include machinery guards, rollover protection on tractors, and machinery lighting and marking for road travel,â€? Shutske said. “Tractor rollovers and roadway collisions are among the greatest farming hazards. Also, be extremely careful with your kids. Take precautions to insure that teens operating equipment or doing chores have the appropriate mental and physical maturity to do the job safely.â€? Last, but certainly not least, farmers need to make time for taking care of themselves whether it’s carving out an hour for a doctor’s appointment, eating good food, getting enough sleep, or taking an afternoon away with family members or friends. It’s hard to take care of others if people doesn’t take care of themselves ďƒžrst. “Get regular checkups. Let your doctor know how you feel physically and emotionally. Take the time to eat right,â€? Shutske said. “No farmer would dream of putting poor fuel in a tractor, yet during busy seasons we may eat junk food on the run or, worse yet, not eat at all.â€? Exercise and humor are also natural stress relievers, as is communication with loved ones. All too often, it is common for those under severe duress to withdraw from those they love the most. “Planning during stressful times is extremely important. Set personal, ďƒžnancial and family goals, and use the variety of community resources wisely,â€? Shutske said. “Too often, farmers think things will simply work out. Sometimes they do, but it usually takes a proactive and planned approach.â€?
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LOOKING TO ADVERTISE? In Northern Wisconsin Call:
Megan Stuessel
608-387-1202 megan.s@dairystar.com
In Southern Wisconsin & Northern Illinois Call: Lori Menke
563-608-6477 lori.m@dairystar.com
DAIRY ST R
Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
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Visit Bobcat.com/Offers or stop by today for details. *Offer ends 2/28/2018. Available at participating and eligible dealers only. Offer may vary by product type, series, model and select units in dealer inventory. Offers available on new equipment in US and Canada only. Some restrictions apply. Length of contract may vary. See dealer for details. Financing provided on approval of credit by authorized Bobcat finance providers to well-qualified buyers. Administrative fees may apply. Offer not available to government accounts, national accounts and municipal/utility bid customers. Non-commercial customers may not be eligible for low rate financing. Bobcat Company reserves the right to extend or discontinue any of these programs at any time without prior notice. Bobcat®, the Bobcat logo and the colors of the Bobcat machine are registered trademarks of Bobcat Company in the United States and various other countries.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 39
sponsored by
Casey Catlin, pictured with ancé, Jennifer Michel Comstock, Wis. Polk County 60 cows How did you get into farming? I farm with my dad, Jim, and took over for my uncle, Ron, in January. Jennifer and I met and started dating while we were students at UW-River Falls, graduated last spring, and got engaged a couple weeks ago. She comes from a dairy farm down in Jefferson County, Wis. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? I think a lot of people have used all their equity and may not be able to hang on much longer. Milk prices are denitely a concern. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? We installed a Patz liquid transfer pump with our barn cleaner, which moves the liquid right into the manure spreader so the manure doesn’t get balled up in the chute. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? We put headlocks in for our heifers last fall, which made catching them for breeding and vet work much nicer. We’ve done a lot more hoof trimming as well, which has been helpful on the cow side of things.
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I enjoy being my own boss. You get to do a lot of things, not just one thing repetitively.
How do you retain a good working relationship with your employee(s)? Don’t make them do something you wouldn’t do and work alongside them. Explain what jobs you want them to do, and how you want them done.
What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Growing better crops and improving the genetics of our cows.
What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Take care of the cows and they’ll take care of you. Just because something works for someone else doesn’t mean it will work for What cost-saving steps have you implemented you because everyone has their own way of during the low milk price? We try not to cut doing things. back on the cows because if you do, you’ll pay for it in the long run. We also try not to What has been the best purchase you’ve ever push the cows too hard, and we x as much made on your farm? Cow mats, which we as we can ourselves. bought on an auction in 2015.
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? Remodel an existing facility into a new calf barn and pour more Tell us about a skill you possess that makes cement outside so we don’t have to deal with dairy farming easier for you. I can do just as much mud in the spring. about anything. I’m pretty good with cows, but I can x a lot of stuff myself, which I learned How do you or your family like to spend time how to do from my dad. when you are not doing chores? Jennifer and I are pretty active. We like to hunt and sh together, and once in a while we’ll go out to eat.
Star Blends is a full service feed manufacturing facility. We provide custom complete feeds, supplements and minerals. We utilize modern technology to produce your needed products on demand with the highest quality feeds at the best cost. We also offer a wide selection of commodities, ingredients and additives. We are focused on dairy, efficiently delivering to farms in Western Wisconsin. Give us a call, we’d be happy to discuss our commodities or custom products and services with you and your nutritionist.
1919 Riley Road Sparta, WI 54656 | 800.462.4125
Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
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Used Kuhn Knight 8124, #4097 - $24,900
Used Kuhn Knight 8124, #4079 - $14,900
Used Kuhn Knight 8132, #3609 - $29,900
Used Kuhn Knight SLC 141, #4098 - $49,900
Used Kuhn Knight SLC 150, #4105 - $64,900
Used Meyer 7500, #4047 - $14,500
Used New Holland 165, #4005 - $7,200
Used New Holland 195, #4033 - $11,800
Used New Holland 195, #4051 - $12,900
Used New Holland 195, #4061 - $12,900
Used Calumet 3250, #3992 - $12,500
Used Jamesway AT5600, #3959 - $28,500
Used Kelly Ryan 5X12, #4075 - $7,900
Used Valmetal H5600, #3650 - $18,900
Salesmen: Shawn Martin (608) 778-4554 or Joe Ryan (608) 778-2900
4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI
Office: (608) 348-9401 or Toll Free: 1(888) BUY-Patz www.steinhartsfarmservice.com
4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI