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February 24, 2024
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 26, No. 1
Coming Powering sports nutrition together with dairy for Nehm
Pederson, Johnson collaborate to get chocolate milk cooler for Fillmore Central High School By Amy Kyllo
amy.k@star-pub.com
AMY KYLLO/DAIRY STAR
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Tractors line the streets Feb. 4 in front of Farmers’ Implement in Allenton, Wisconsin. Farmers from ve counƟes paid tribute to CurƟs Nehm on the day of his visitaƟon and funeral, riding in on approximately 150 tractors.
Community pays respects through tractor gathering By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
ALLENTON, Wis. — On Feb. 4, more than 350 people gathered at Farmers’ Implement in Allenton to remember and honor a special young man, Curtis Nehm. They came on tractors from ve counties to pay tribute to one of their own and support his family during a time of sorrow. “The farming community is super supportive, and a lot of people came,” said Nehm’s sister, Cheryl Asmus. “It was awesome. It was what we needed.” Nehm died in a farm accident Jan. 27 at the age of 27. On the day of Nehm’s visitation and funeral, approximately 150 tractors, a combine, a chopper, a grain truck and several service trucks lined the road in front of the implement where Nehm had worked since he was 15. They Turn to NEHM | Page 6
Margaret Johnson (from leŌ), Sawyer Johnson, Claira Johnson and Andrew Pederson hold milk in front of the chocolate milk cooler Jan. 31 at Fillmore Central High School in Harmony, Minnesota. Pederson and Johnson collaborated to get the cooler and its signage, which were primarily paid with grants from Undeniably Dairy.
HARMONY, Minn. — Music wafts through the halls of Fillmore Central High School, growing ever louder as one approaches the weight room. Inside, a dozen or so students work on strength conditioning using a squat rack, bench press and other equipment. Turn to FILLMORE CENTRAL | Page 2
Bringing dairy back Fernholzes named 2023 Douglas County Farm Family of the Year By Emily Breth
emily.b@star-pub.com
KENSINGTON, Minn. — Pete Fernholz and his wife, Nicole, play a leadership role in more than 10 community organizations. At the same time, they milk 500 registered Jerseys and farm 1,200 tillable acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat at Little Brook Dairy Inc. near Kensington. The Fernholz family was named the 2023 Douglas County Farm Family of the Year. “That’s how you make a community, helping with other organizations besides just farming and not expanding your vision,” Pete Fernholz said. “It’s an honor to be named farm family because of all the people who were named before me. I have great respect for them, and they have done a great job in the community.”
Turn to FERNHOLZES | Page 7
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Pete (from leŌ), Nicole, Garyvn, Tatum and Riley Fernholz stand together at Garvyn’s graduaƟon in 2023. The Fernholz family was named the 2023 Douglas County Farm Family of the Year.