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Volume 19, No. 1
February 25, 2017
“In two weeks, it went from a barn of cobwebs to a barn of cows.” - Ken Bekius
Ambition revitalizes family farm
Bekius begins milking in parents’ barn By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
MILACA, Minn. – At 22 years old, Ken Bekius’ life has come full circle, from riding his bicycle down the alleyway of his family’s dairy barn to now walking down that very alleyway, milking his own herd. This past summer, Bekius purchased a herd of 42 registered cattle from a retiring dairy producer near Thief River Falls, Minn., and on Oct. 15, 2016, he began milking in his parents’ – Curt and Jackie’s – 75-stall tiestall barn near Milaca, Minn. “This barn sat empty for ve years. In two weeks, it went from a barn of cobwebs to a barn of cows,” said Bekius, who is currently milking 60 Holsteins and Brown Swiss, as well as one Milking Shorthorn and Jersey. While Bekius’ parents continue to custom raise dairy heif-
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Ken Bekius milks 60 cows on his parents’ farm near Milaca, Minn. AŌer the barn sat empty for ve years, Bekius updated the facility and began milking Oct. 15, 2016.
A world of dairy Castaneda explains international trade, impact on farms By Cassie Olson
cassie.o@dairystar.com
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – With the changing of presidential administrations, the topic of international trade is being examined more so than ever. Acronyms such as “TPP” and “NAFTA” are mentioned daily in mainstream media, but can easily be confused by the average citizen. Jaime Castaneda, Senior Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and Trade Policy for the National Milk Producers Federation, explained possible impacts of trade and its value on farms during an educational session on Feb. 10 at the FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative Annual Meeting at the Chula Vista Resort in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Castaneda said the United States is
well-positioned to compete in international markets. “You know how to produce milk; a lot of it. The United States has a very large, highly productive herd,” Castaneda said. “We are well-positioned to supply a lot of milk.” The United States dairy industry continues to grow. Milk production in the country has seen an average increase of 1.7 percent per year, more than any other country globally. Meanwhile, domestic use of milk in the United States also continues to grow, but at a slightly lower rate of one percent per year. Having a surplus of milk makes the United States strategically placed to compete well in international markets. One of the most recognizable trade agreements in the United States is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which rst began taking shape in 1989 as the United States made its free trade agreement with Canada. Negotiations began to take place with Turn to TRADE | Page 5
ers and beef cattle, they sold their milking herd in 2011, when Bekius was 16. Soon after, Bekius found other opportunities to stay involved in the industry, working for neighboring dairy producers and heifer raisers. Then in 2015, after milking in a stall barn, Bekius decided to repair his family’s barn. “Honestly, I didn’t see a future in dairy until that moment. Then, I thought I could do this for a lifetime,” Bekius said. “I started saving my pennies.” Bekius’ father was eager to help his son become established in the industry. “When Kenny said he wanted to farm, I was hopeful,” he said. “I did this for 20 years, and I know the battles and struggles that are a part of dairy farming; but it’s a job that you get to wake up and enjoy what you’re doing.” Together, Bekius and his family prepared the barn by replacing the wooden walls with steel, installing new light xtures and updating the milk Turn to BEKIUS | Page 7
Hendrickson’s dairying career coming to a close
Cows leaving, but not farmer’s love of good cows By Ron Johnson
ron.j@dairystar.com
BLANCHARDVILLE, Wis. – Is there really life after cows? Larry Hendrickson hopes so. This dairyman of 50 years is in the midst of selling his remaining registered Holsteins, both black-and-white and redand-white. The barn on Larry and Marie Hendricksons’ Green County farm in south-central Wisconsin was home to 45 cows a year ago, but now, just 15 cows and eight youngstock remain. Parting with 30 cows so far has not been easy. Half the tiestall barn is devoid of cows and has been curtained off, to keep cold air out and help keep the water pipes from freezing. “I love my cows,” Hendrickson said. Turn to HENDRICKSON | Page 6
RON JOHNSON/DAIRY START
Larry Hendrickson is down to 15 cows as he approaches reƟrement aŌer 50 years of dairying near Blanchardville, Wis.
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
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 - Managing Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Krista Kuzma - Assistant Editor (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Ron Johnson (608) 874-4243 ron.j@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Jennifer Coyne (320) 352-6303 jenn@dairystar.com Cassie Olson (715) 245-6848 cassie.o@dairystar.com Brittany Olson (320) 352-6303 brittany.o@dairystar.com
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.
North America dealers. A glance at what’s inside
Dairy Proďƒžle brought to you by your
At a time when some dairy farmers struggle to retain quality employees, Maristela Rovai, a dairy specialist for South Dakota State University Extension, plans to do something to help. She and a team of people developed the Upper MidwestPuerto Rico Educational Collaborative, which helps teach Puerto Rican citizens dairy laborer skills and places them on dairy farms in the Midwest. Since Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, those living there are considered legal U.S. citizens. Could Puerto Rico help supply dairies with quality employees? To read about the program, turn to pages 12-13 in ďƒžrst section. A group of dairy producers were able to get off the farm By Mark Klaphake and see dairying in a different part of the country Feb. 15-19 Editor while on the Minnesota Milk Producers Association Texas Dairy Tour. They visited a 1,640-cow dairy in Hico, Texas. This dairy is one of two dairies owned by Clemens and Karin Kuiper, who were originally from the Netherlands and immigrated to Texas in 2006. Read about the Kuipers’ dairy on pages 2-3 in third section. Along with visiting a dairy, the participants on the Minnesota Milk Producers Association Texas Dairy Tour were able to have a little fun, too. They visited the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Sixth Floor Museum where John F Kennedy was assassinated and the AT&T Stadium, the largest one in the NFL. They also put on their dancing shoes for learning the Texas two-step and tried their hand at golf. Another highlight included traveling to the famous Fort Worth Stockyards where they witnessed the daily cattle drive and watched the American Rodeo Semi-Finals. Check out the photo page of the tour on page 6 in third section. In this issue’s “From our side of the fenceâ€? feature, dairy farmers talked about technology in the dairy industry and on the farm. Find out what their favorite is and what they think has made the most impact. Read about it on pages 15-16 in ďƒžrst section. This issue, we’re spreading the love for dairy farming by featuring producers who have been in the business 30 years or more. The “Heart for dairyâ€? feature asks producers about their favorite memory and what they love about dairy farming, among other questions. Check out the feature on pages 22-23, 25 in ďƒžrst section. We’re also excited to roll out a new feature for this issue called “Dairy ties,â€? which debuts on pages 18-20 in the second section. The goal with this feature is to highlight family members who dairy, but not together. The questions deal with anything from how often siblings talk about farming to what technology they have now they wished they had when they were children. It will be a fun feature to see the connections in the industry!
Favorite quotes from this issue:
“We have been producing at a loss and relying on the rest of the farming business to support the dairy.� - Mansel Raymond, Second Section pages 14-15
“Seeing this group, this is absolutely awesome and almost gives me tears. The seed was planted in the ground and they let it grow.� - Brant Groen, First Section pages 35, 37
By the Numbers
393: 30:
The number of dairy farms in Texas, the sixth-largest dairy producing state in the nation. (Third Section pages
4, 7)
Percent of the nation’s dairy exports going to Mexico. (Second Section pages 34-35)
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 3
It’s all inside...
FIRST SECTION
Browerville
Sartell
Second Section: Pages 18 - 19 Kittson
First Section: Pages 10 - 11
Pages 4, 7 Rising production in the Lone Star State Page 6 Minnesota Milk Producers Association visits Texas
nb or n
Kingsbury
Douglas Charles Mix
Pages 16 - 23 Classieds
n nso
Moody
McCook Minnehaha
Hutchinson
Hubbard
McLeod
Carver Scott
Sibley Redwood
Nicollet Brown
Rock
Nobles
Kanabec ms
Hennepin Renville
Yellow Medicine
Wright ey
Meeker
Plainview
Maintain prot when milk price dips
Washinton
Kandiyohi
Chippewa
Murray
Isanti
Anoka
Swift
Lyon
First Section: Pages 18, 20
Second Section: Pages 34 - 35
Dakota
Rice
Goodhue Wabasha
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted Jackson
Martin
Faribault
Freeborn
Mower
Turner
Bon Yankton Homme
Page 9 Some Udder Stuff
Pages 12 - 13 Kid’s Corner: The Van Dyk Family Page 11 Dairy’s Star Youth: Eva Doornink Pages 14 - 15 Dairy Calendar
Lake
Stearns
New Prague
Repro Leaders: Metogga Lake Dairy
Winona
Fillimore
Houston
Ha
Da
vis
on
Sa
Miner
Brookings
Benton
r
Hamlin
Pine Mille Lacs
Morrison
Pope
Second Section: Page 36
Carlton
Crow Wing
Sherburne
Lac Qui Parle Deuel
Aitkin
eu
Clark
Cass
Douglas
Stevens
Grant Codington
St. Paul
Peterson cautiously optimistic about ag prospects
go
Kuipers move from Netherlands, thrive in Texas
Big Sto Stone
Second Section: Page 4
Itasca
Todd Grant
Roseville
Riebes presented Distinguished Service Award at GDC Banquet
isa
Pages 2 - 3
Roberts
Day
Page 30 Croes family involved in local and industry organizations
THIRD SECTION
Ottertail
Wilkin
First Section: PagesMarshall 12 - 13
DHIA Lifetime cows by $ value
Pages 32 - 33 UW vet med professor explores options for mechanical ventilation Pages 38 - 39 Dairy Recipes
rse
Puerto Rico: dairy producers’ employment solution?
Bekius begins milking in parents’ barn
Ch
FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative hosts industry panel Pages 20 - 21 Family Ties: Sigurdsen Page 22 Recognizing 25 years of Carver County Dairy Expo Page 25 Mid-American Hay Auction Results Pages 28 - 29
Becker
Clay
Brookings
en
nom
Mah
Lincoln
Page 16
Norman
Tra ve
Pages 14 - 15 Dairying Around the World
Polk
Wadena
Second Section: Pages 8 - 9
First Section: Pages 1, 7
Koochiching
Clearwater
Johnson grateful for second chance after suffering lifealtering car accident
Second Section: Page 22
St. Louis
Red Lake
SECOND SECTION
Page 6 Organic Valley expands Grassmilk® production in mid-Atlantic Pages 10 - 11 The “Mielke” Market Weekly Page 12 Dairy markets Page 13 Area hay auction results
Beltrami
Pennington
Milbank
Milaca
Berning presents at Carver County Dairy Expo
Lake of the Woods
Marshall
Pipestone
Page 30 Dear County Agent Guy Page 31 Rural Roots Page 32 Just Thinking Outloud Page 33 Dairy Good Life Page 34 Something to Ruminate On Page 36 Women in Jeans: Jade Proksch
Roseau
Norwood Young America
Su
Finding your values, mission, vision and goals
Udermann brothers propose to girlfriends on family dairy in same week
Ra
Producers weigh in on challenges, benets of milking systems
Le
Pages 1, 5 Castaneda explains international trade, impact on farms Pages 1, 6 Hendrickson’s dairying career coming to a close Pages 8 - 9 Ag Insider Pages 22 - 24 Heart for Dairy Page 26 FSA News & Notes Page 27 The Transition Pen Page 28 What do dairy farmers in Minnesota and Nicaragua have in common? Page 29
Lincoln Clay
Union
Lyon
Osceola Dickinson Emmet
Sioux
O’Brien
Clay
Palo Alto
Kossuth
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
What is your favorite technology? Pages 15-16
Plymouth
Harmony, Minn.
Zone 1
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Rochester
Dairy farmers help make breakfast super
Dairy Prole: Paul Schriever Page 39
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Second Section: Pages 26 - 27
Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 5
ConƟnued from TRADE | Page 1 Mexico about creating an agreement in the early 1990s. After hearing of this, Canada made a request for a trilateral agreement between the three countries. President George H.W. Bush, Mexican President Salinas and Canadian Prime Minster Brian Mulroney signed NAFTA in 1992. It was then ratied by legislatures of all three countries in 1993 before becoming law. NAFTA was created with the intent of reducing trade costs, increasing business investment and helping North American countries compete in the global marketplace. After NAFTA was introduced, many other countries began to examine the idea of trade agreements. From 2004 to 2012, the United States has negotiated 16 different trade agreements As for the dairy industry, producers have typically been skeptical of trade, Castaneda said. “To be honest, dairy wasn’t on the table. We didn’t like trade,” Castaneda said. Overtime, however, Castaneda said he has seen a shift in these mindsets. Following the elimination of the European Union quota system in 2015 as well as the rapid growth of New Zealand’s dairy industry, there has been an impact on global dairy markets. “New Zealand exports 95 percent of their milk,” Castaneda said. “With the removal of the E.U.’s quotas, we have seen an impact as their markets have grown rapidly in the last two years.” Castaneda said trade agreements help the United States compete in similar scenarios, but getting support on legislation continues to be a battle. “Many trade agreements have barely been passed. Most have been passed primarily on the Republican side,” Castaneda said. “These trade agreements have expanded your dollars on the farm
by giving you a larger market to service.” With a new administration in the White House, Castaneda said President Trump’s stance on trade is still unclear. While the United States has ofcially withdrawn from the Trans-Pacic Partnership, the President said the country still has a commitment to free and fair trade. “We are not sure where the President will stand or what his agenda is on trade,” Castaneda said. “We are looking for the best possible deal; while it might not be perfect, it needs to be the best deal for the United States to enter.” Castaneda said trade is a critical issue for dairy. The United States has seen a 10 percent growth in dairy trade in the last 10 years, exporting 4 billion pounds of milk product. Since 2003, 50 percent of the United States milk production growth – referred to as new milk by Castaneda – has been put into export markets. Additionally, Castaneda said dairy exports mean jobs. “For every $5 billion in dairy exports, there are 120,000 U.S. jobs. This is not limited to dairy farming, but also manufacturing and related sectors,” Castaneda said. “It is a serious matter for all of rural America.” Coming out of a tough year for dairy in 2016, Castaneda said now, more than ever, it is important for farmers to work with legislators and organizations to demand fair trade agreements that promote the consumption of dairy products from our country. “New Zealand and Europe are moving ahead of our country in dairy,” Castaneda said. “We need the support of dairy farmers to trust and work with us to nd new ways to improve our presence in the global trade economy.”
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
ConƟnued from HENDRICKSON | Page 1
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“It’s going to be very, very hard. When I go back to hit the switch for the barn cleaner and I get back to where it’s been empty all winter – it’s hard.” Hendrickson said he sometimes stands behind the empty stalls and remembers each cow – one by one – that once stood there. Each one had a name. But back problems and age have taken their toll on Hendrickson, thus the reason for bidding goodbye to the cows. On March 1, Hendrickson will have lived on his farm 50 years. His parents rst rented before buying this farm, which sits on the Dane and Lafayette county line. “I was 15 when we moved here, but I was milking cows when I was 10 years old,” Hendrickson said. It wasn’t unusual for him to milk alone in the evening, while his father labored in the elds. Hendrickson liked working with good cattle so much that, after high school, he worked seven years as the herdsman on a nearby farm. Next, it was on to eastern Wisconsin, where he worked three years as a barn boss for Great Northern Land and Cattle Company in Fond du Lac, Wis. That rm held monthly production sales, offering excess cows from area farms. It also held an occasional elite consignment sale, where some cows fetched as much as $40,000. From then, it was back home to the farm near Blanchardville because his father needed surgery. Hendrickson’s two younger brothers were still in school, so Hendrickson helped shoulder the burden of the farm work. “Once I got home, I realized, home’s pretty nice.” Hendrickson said. Hendrickson and his dad worked out an arrangement that gave the younger Hendrickson 20 percent of the milk check for his contributions to the 36-cow farm. They milked grade cows then, but Hendrickson soon started building a registered herd. “I was looking for something to get me rejuvenated,” Hendrickson said. His rst registered Holstein – a blackand-white one – set him back $3,500. “That was a lot of money back then,” he said. Red-and-white cattle came to Larlee Holsteins by accident, Hendrickson said. Hendrickson had a cow that was extremely difcult to get pregnant, so he had her bred to a bull known for being just the ticket for hard settlers. The resulting calf turned out to be red-and-white. So Hendrickson decided to create his own line of red-and-white cattle. “I thought the calves were kind of cute,” Hendrickson said. Over time, the situation with Hendrickson and his father evolved into a 50-50 arrangement. But, one day the elder Hendrickson said something that has stuck with his son. That was, “’You know, Hendrickson, I thought we were in the business to sell milk, not buy it,’” Hendrickson said. Another farmer once told Hendrickson something similar: “’What’s important isn’t what goes in the tank, but what goes in the bank,’” Hendrickson said. His dad was not happy about buying so many inputs in an attempt to coax more milk out of the cows. So Hendrickson began cash renting the farm on his own and making all the decisions. “In a few months, when I couldn’t pay the feed bill, I understood what my father meant,” Hendrickson said. So Hendrickson eased up on pushing the cows. He decided to aim for a lower herd average and lower expenses in hopes to make more prot. It’s a philosophy that has stood the dairyman in good stead. Even today, Hendrickson gures his herd is at its most
protable producing 22,000 to 24,000 pounds per cow. The herd average is at approximately 23,500 pounds now, with a 4 percent fat test, a 3.2 protein test, and a somatic cell count of 110,000. Hendrickson traces his now-satised hunger for ever-higher milk production to winning an award many years ago. “The worst thing that ever happened to me was when we had the top cow in Green County one year. I got a nice, big plaque, and that’s when I started pushing the cows pretty hard. I was going to have the top herd average,” he said. To be sure, Hendrickson doesn’t totally shy away from honors and recognition. In the past, he has done well when he exhibited his cattle at local and state shows, and World Dairy Expo. In addition, he has sold a couple bulls into A.I. But those days are gone as Hendrickson is in the process of selling the rest of his herd. It’s not the scenario Hendrickson once envisioned. “My dream was, when I hit 60, I wanted to cut down to 30 to 35 cows. And then when I got to be 65, I wanted to cut down to 20 to 25 nice, registered cows and just monkey with them and let the world go by,” he said. The cost of farming these days bothers him. “[Especially] the debt young people have to take on,” he said. “I used to fret and stew when I had to borrow $20,000 to buy a chopper. I fretted and stewed until it was paid for.” Hendrickson has been selective in the way he farms his 120 acres. For instance, he has never fed a total mixed ration and does not have a freestall barn. You won’t nd a silo on the place, either. Instead, Hendrickson has his hay round baled and wrapped in plastic, to make baleage. And, he’s a fan of hay that’s a blend of alfalfa and tall fescue. Another favored crop is triticale, a cross of wheat and rye. “I seem to get more milk out of it,” Hendrickson said. Nearing the twilight of his dairying career, the veteran dairyman believes there’s still a place for smaller farms. It’s possible to still make a good living with 45 cows, he said. “Keep your expenses down and your debtload down,” Hendrickson said. “Don’t buy your milk. Make your land, your homegrown forages make your milk.” As his herd continues to shrink, Hendrickson continues to think. He remembers the words of a good friend and neighbor who died a year ago. “One thing he said to me was, ‘Hendrickson, there’s life after cows. Get rid of your cows and enjoy life,’” he said Hendrickson and Marie enjoy having their 11 grandchildren out to the farm. The youngsters enjoy the cows, horses, miniature donkeys, dogs, cats and chickens. Hendrickson especially likes the rooster. “I’ve got to have one rooster, so I can hear it crow,” he said. “That’s what makes a farm.” When the cows are all gone, Marie will continue working at the Monroe Clinic and helping on the farm – Hendrickson called his wife “the best calf feeder there ever was” – while Hendrickson tends the remaining livestock. If he could turn back the clock, yes, he would choose dairying as a career again. “It’s tough,” he said. “But I’ve gained friends and relationships from being in the registered Holstein business. I have great neighbors. When I need a hand, I can call one of them.” Hendrickson admitted that he will no doubt cry as the last of his beloved cows leaves. “I’ll go to my grave loving a good dairy cow.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 7
ConƟnued from BEKIUS | Page 1 house. Bekius was able to save his parents’ milking units, but had to purchase a bulk tank and cleaning system. Then come last summer, Bekius’ father saw an advertisement for the herd dispersal of Leonard Geske in northern Minnesota. “I had already decided last winter that I was going to dairy farm. With Leonard’s deal, it was sink or swim,” Bekius said. “I spent a day up at his farm and I liked what I saw.” The duo worked out an agreement and Bekius planned to bring the herd home in September. However, with harvest, the date was postponed until October. “The scariest time was the day before getting the cows,” Bekius said. “We drove into Leonard’s driveway and my worries were gone. I was super excited knowing I’d nally done it, my dream had come true.” However, Bekius’ career did not start as seamlessly as he would have liked. During the rst milking on the evening of Oct. 15, the wash system was not properly functioning. With help from his older brother, Shawn, 24, Bekius bypassed the system. That same evening, the bulk tank was not cooling. “At 11 p.m., I went out and got 100 pounds of ice to put in the tank until we could get it xed the next morning,” Bekius said. Fortunately, since that rst long night, dairy farming has been a promising endeavor for the young producer.
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Bekius uses the same milking units his parents, Curt and Jackie, used when they milked cows. However, a new wash system and bulk tank were installed in the milkhouse. In the last four months, Bekius pur“These cows had never seen ferchased additional cattle and calved in mented feed before,” Bekius said. “Now, springing heifers. He has also greatly im- eight of my top 10 producing cows are proved milk production. from that herd and two of them make The cows that were part of Bekius’ more than 100 pounds. They’ve really original herd were managed in a low- taken off.” input system, being fed grass and a small Bekius is currently maintaining a amount of grain. bulk tank average of 70 pounds and a soAfter bringing them home, Bekius matic cell count hovering near 100,000. slowly introduced silage and haylage “My goal is to beat my father’s reinto their diet. The herd is now on a high- cords,” Bekius said. powered TMR mix of alfalfa, silage and Part of Bekius’ success comes from grain. the assistance of his family – his par-
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ents and brothers, Shawn, Brad, 20, and Doug, 17. Bekius rents the barn from his parents and purchases feed from Shawn and his dad. Additionally, his family helps with chores when they are able. “My mom is a saint. She feeds the calves before going to work and when she comes home at night,” Bekius said. “And after wheeling feed for a month after starting, Doug found me a feed cart online that we went and purchased.” Working together as a family has benetted Bekius’ start-up business, as he does not have large investments in real estate and equipment. “We follow the Great American Barter System,” Bekius’ dad said. In the coming years, Bekius hopes to purchase the farm from his parents and further develop his herd. But for now, the dairyman is focused on becoming more accustomed to his newfound role – enduring sleepless nights with rst-calf heifers and reaching out to veteran producers, such as Don Thoeny of Ogilvie, Minn., for guidance. “Don is the one that I call when I have questions and don’t have the answers,” Bekius said. “He’s been a great mentor.” Above all, Bekius is grateful for the continued support of his family and the opportunity he was given to return home and make a living in the same barn he played in as a child. “It’s such an accomplishment to be here,” he said. “This is the lifestyle I want.”
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Dairy safety net dominates House hearing Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
In more than 2.5 hours of testimony before the the North American Free Trade Agreement. PresiHouse Agriculture Committee at mid-month, more dent Donald Trump said only minor changes will than half of the time was devoted to dairy policy. The be made in the trade deal with Canada. “We have a Margin Price Protection program was very outstanding trade relationship with Ag Insider seen as one part of the current Farm Bill Canada,” said Trump. “We will be tweakthat needs to be improved. University ing it, doing certain things to benet both of Missouri Extension economist Scott of our countries. It’s a much less severe Brown was asked for ideas to improve situation than what’s taking place on the MPP, including a lower premium for southern border. On the southern border, farmers. “I found dairy producers very for many years, the transaction wasn’t disinterested in making payments for fair to the U.S.” Canadian Prime Minister premiums and getting nothing in return,” Justin Trudeau emphasized the relationsaid Brown. “I’m not certain lowering ship between the United States and Canpremiums generates additional participaada. “We know by working together, ention in the program.” House Agriculture suring the continued effective integration Committee Ranking Member Collin Peof our two economies, we are going to be By Don Wick terson said dairy farmers are expecting a creating greater opportunities for middle change in farm policy that would provide class Canadians and Americans now and Columnist more support than the current safety net. well into the future.” The Minnesota lawmaker said it is more likely that Congress will ne tune the current Margin Price Pro- Ryan discusses Dairy Trade with Trudeau tection program in the next Farm Bill. It is not known if President Trump and Prime Minister Trudeau discussed dairy policy during their Getting serious meeting, but House Speaker Paul Ryan did bring it American Farm Bureau Federation Senior Direc- up. Ryan, who is a congressman from southern Wistor of Congressional Relations Mary Kay Thatcher consin, said he urged Trudeau to improve market said 2018 Farm Bill discussions are about to get seri- access for United States dairy products. Ryan also ous. “These are the rst hearings of the year. They brought up dairy trade policy in a discussion with Cawon’t be the last, but I think both sides have said they nadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland. The Naare going to start this out by really listening to farm- tional Milk Producers Federation, U.S. Dairy Export ers and other people affected by the Farm Bill, and Council and International Dairy Foods Association then they will start putting pen to paper and moving claim Canada has new policies designed to limit U.S. forward.” The budget will be a difcult part of the dairy imports. conversation. “We have a big decit. People will be looking for other places they can take a cut. We al- Soybean Groups oppose Dairy Pride Act ready know we have less money in this Farm Bill to The American Soybean Association and the Soybuild a bill with a good safety net, nutrition program, foods Association of North America are challenging etc., than we did the last time. The budget will play a the proposed legislation that would restrict the marbig part in it.” keting of soymilk. Dairy-state lawmakers want to prohibit the term milk from being used with anything Trump says NAFTA will be ‘tweaked’ with Canada but dairy products. The soybean trade groups downThere has been a lot of rhetoric about trade and played any confusion over the terminology and said
soymilk is an important connection point between farmers and consumers.
A request that seems ‘onerous’ for some A bill that would prevent the Minnesota Department of Transportation from establishing a permit process for those who mow or hay in road ditches has been referred to the House Agriculture Policy Committee. Representative Chris Swedzinski, who is a Republican from Ghent, is sponsoring the bill. Swedzinski said his bill turns back an onerous request from MnDOT. “While this permit may not seem like a lot in itself, it’s one of many of permits an individual has to get. The idea it’s the wild, wild west out there and farmers are destroying the ditches is simply not the case.” Pollinators cited as a reason for MnDOT ditch permits The issue of mowing or haying ditches has become a major point of contention for agriculture. MnDOT director of government affairs Scott Peterson defended the permitting rules, saying safety was one reason for the permits. Peterson testied before a Minnesota House committee that there is an environmental issue. “We heard a lot of concern from some of the folks who are concerned about the habitat for pollinators, small game and birds,” said Peterson. “In addition, the governor has issued an executive order requiring MnDOT to manage its right of way to the benet of the pollinators.” Minnesota Farm Bureau and Minnesota Farmers Union testied in support of the bill that would prevent MnDOT’s action. Pat Verly, Marshall, was one of a handful of individual farmers who also went before the House Transportation Committee. “Most of the people who cut the road ditches are doing a good job of controlling weeds and maintaining ditches and saving the DOT some expense,” explained Verly. “My concern as a landowner is why has this come about when the old system is working very well?” Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 9
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 Production drops for major dairy exporters Milk production in the top ve global dairy exporting regions declined nearly 2.5 percent in December. According to the U.S. Dairy Export Council and USDA, the United States was the only one of these regions with a year-over-year increase in milk production. The other four major dairy exporting regions are the European Union, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.
plier for the company. Weller makes the move to Land O’Lakes The former chief of the Natural Resources Conservation Service is taking a job with Land O’Lakes. Jason Weller will take over as a senior director of sustainability. This will be part of the Land O’Lakes SUSTAIN business, which was created late last year. This business segment concentrates on sustainability and conservation efforts within the agriculture industry.
Dean Foods anticipates lower earnings in ‘17 For the fourth quarter, Dean Foods is reporting net income of nearly $33 million. That’s up from $18 million a year ago. Dean Foods is the largest dairy processor in the United States. Looking ahead, the company is downplaying its prot outlook. A downturn in milk consumption and costs associated with its recent joint venture with CROPP, an organic dairy cooperative.
Trivia challenge Fleckvieh is a dual-purpose cattle breed that originated in the 19th century by crossbreeding Simmental cattle. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, how much cheese does the average American consume each year? 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.
Voluntary recall expands Due to possible listeria contamination, Sargento Foods has a voluntary recall of some of its cheeses. The Feb. 10 recall was on some of the Sargento brand Colby cheeses. Seven days later, the recall was expanded to some other cheeses. Indiana-based Deutsch Kase Haus supplied the cheese to Sargento Foods and has been dropped as a sup-
“Lameness manager makes it so simple to add animals to the maintenance trim list.” Why did you decide to use Lameness Manager? We have always entered our foot trim and lame cows into Dairy Comp. This way we can track each cow’s health status. Last summer when I attended a meeting on Lameness Manager, I saw ways that would make entering our footrim and lameness easier. Lameness Manager makes it so simple to add animals to the maintenance trim list. Before, we would enter it on our own Excel spreadsheet which was a lot more entering and work. How has Lameness Manager changed the way you manage your herd? The report is programmed to have the lame or problem cows repeat on the list in three weeks for a recheck which before they may have been missed. Have you noticed any correlation between lameness and ketosis? When a cow is lame she may be off feed, which could mean she has ketosis or a displaced abomasum. Why do you test with DHIA? We are able to use the DairyComp program which seems to be the universal language in the dairy industry.
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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
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Brothers, Jake and Alex Udermann, both proposed to their ancees last fall. Jake is engaged to Amber Karnik (leŌ) and Alex is engaged to Kirsten Meier (right). The Udermanns milk 120 cows on their farm, Meadowbrook Dairy, near Sartell, Minn.
Udermann brothers propose to girlfriends on family dairy in same week By Andrea Borgerding andrea.b@dairystar.com
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SARTELL, Minn. – Brothers, Alex and Jake Udermann, have been following each other’s lead for most of their lives. From growing up together, to farming full time and now nding their matches, at 23 and 22 years of age – the brothers both found a unique way to propose to their ancées last fall on their family dairy farm, Meadowbrook Dairy, near Sartell, Minn. “We actually didn’t discuss our proposals other than giving each other a heads up a few days before,” Alex said. “It was more of a coincidence that we both got engaged within a week of each other.” They each had a good reason to choose the time and place they did. “We both decided to incorporate the farm into our proposals for a few reasons. We love farming, it’s where home is, family is, and it’s our passion, our dream, our legacy, and truly where our hearts are,” Jake said. And fall is a favorite time of year for the brothers. “It’s harvest time. There are many pretty colors, nice weather, and all the equipment is getting used, and everyone is working together to get harvest done,” Alex said. Once each of the brothers told their family the plans for proposing, they wanted everyone to be a part of the preparation. “We both helped each other set up the areas to make it perfect,” Alex said. Jake helped Alex park the equipment. Alex helped Jake by keeping Amber busy in the barn so she wouldn’t go try nding Jake while he was setting up the proposal scene. Plus, other family members were involved, too. “We just really wanted to make it a team effort and incorporate everyone so they could be there to share the special moment with us,” Alex said. Alex planned his proposal to girlfriend Kirsten Meier on Sept. 30. After dating for a little over a year, Alex designed a proposal site, including a combine and tractor with a grain cart parked diagonally. He stacked straw bales and laid sawdust to set the scene. On the bales, he spray painted, “Will you marry me?” Meier, who works on a dairy farm and for Select Sires, was surprised when she and Alex walked behind the shed to catch a view of the Northern Lights, but was instead led into the proposal site. “I grabbed her hand and said ‘Close your eyes and follow me.’ I then led her to a yard light near the site. I told her, ‘Turn the light on when I tell you,’ and left to stand in the sawdust. After she turned the light on and saw everything she ran up to me with a big hug,” Alex said. Alex’s dad, John, was in the tractor and Jake was in the combine ready to turn on the beacons and ashers
at the peak of the question. “He got down on one knee and proposed,” Meier said. “It’s hard not to cry when you’re that surprised.” Despite the well-thought out plans, the tractor and combine lights went off prematurely. “We saw them hug so we thought it was done,” John said with a chuckle. Although the timing was off, Meier did say ‘yes’ to Alex – amongst the display of green farm machinery. Afterwards, Alex’s parents, Jake and Jake’s girlfriend, Amber, all joined in congratulating the newly engaged couple. “I just remember all the excitement and happiness that overcame me. Alex is always full of surprises and this was the best one yet. He picked out the perfect ring by himself. I couldn’t be any more proud to call him my ancé,” Meier said. Alex’s proposal was not the only one in the mix. Unbeknownst to Alex, Jake had full plans of proposing to his girlfriend, Amber Karnik. “I didn’t really want to do a Christmas-themed proposal. I liked the idea of pumpkins and a Halloween theme,” Jake said. John was the only one who was in on both proposals. “They asked me what I thought of things, and I gave them a couple ideas,” John said. “But then I just kind of let them go with it.” “We presented him with the ideas and he added some little touches,” Alex said. “It was his idea to spray paint the bales for my proposal.” One week after Alex and Meier’s engagement, Jake worked to set up the perfect proposal site. With help from his mom, Mary Lou, Jake set up bales in the hay shed. The bales displayed perfectly placed pumpkins, each painted with a letter to spell out, “Will you marry me?” Pumpkins painted with ‘yes’ and ‘no’ were placed nearby for Karnik’s nal answer. “I had gotten ready to go on a date that night,” Karnik said. “But then everyone had to go outside to look for a calf that supposedly got out. So we all went out in the dark.” Jake and Karnik rode in the back of a pickup with ashlights. When they reached the hay shed, they were left to look for the calf between hay bales stacked outside. “I wanted to give my dad time to turn around with the pickup and shine the headlights into the hay shed,” Jake said. “Then he yelled at us, ‘It’s in here.’” They walked in to the display of pumpkins. Jake got down on one knee to pop the question as family members came into the shed to watch. “When I rst saw the pumpkins I was speechless. I didn’t know what to say. The pumpkins were perfect Turn to UDERMANN | Page 11
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 11
ConƟnued from UDERMANN | Page 10
PHOTO SUBMITTED
(Above) Alex’s proposal site included a combine and tractor with a grain cart parked diagonally. Alex proposed to Kirsten Meier on Sept. 30, 2016. and all I could do was cry. It was such a perfect night and such a beautiful moment,” Karnik said. Karnik picked up the pumpkin with ‘yes’ painted on it. Family gathered to congratulate the newly engaged couple. Four months after their engagements, the two couples are busy planning their weddings. Alex and Meier are getting married Sept. 30, and Jake and Karnik on Aug. 26. “We have the church, venues, photographers and DJ all planned and booked. We just have the smaller details to do now,” Jake said. “Almost everything is the same for our weddings, we both chose to have a traditional, countrystyle wedding, so the planning has been pretty easy” Alex said. Once the weddings are done, the brothers are looking forward to farming with their wives. On the farm, Jake’s responsibilities include feeding young stock and cows and helping switch cows on the families’ 120-cow dairy. Alex is the herdsman and helps with eldwork as needed on their 1,500 acres of cropland. The brothers work full time on the farm, and are the fth generation to join the farm. “There are a lot of things we do as a team,” Jake said. “Our priority is taking care of the cows. But when it comes to eldwork, it’s all a group effort.” Karnik currently helps by feeding calves in the morning and evenings
PHOTO SUBMITTED
(Above) Jake’s proposal site included pumpkins for a fall harvest theme. Jake proposed to Amber Karnik on Oct. 7, 2015.
when she is not working full time as a PCA for the disabled. She said she has enjoyed learning about life on a farm. “I love everything about farming,” Karnik said. “Before I started dating him, I had never been on a farm.” Alex is looking forward to farming with Meier, as well. “A lot of people have been ribbing on the expense of two weddings, one month apart,” John said. “But both of us couldn’t be happier that our sons found very wonderful women to marry and we couldn’t be more happy and proud to call them future daughters-in-law.” The brothers said they had a great example to follow since their parents have been married for over 30 years. “They have showed us and taught us so many great traits to follow,” Alex said. In the next year, the Udermann brothers will nd themselves going into the next stage of their lives. For them, life and farming will always intertwine – and having a brother close to experience it with – has made it that much more memorable. Krista Kuzma contributed to this article.
Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
A closer look by Jennifer Coyne
Industry news addressed with help from your neighbors
Puerto Rico: dairy producers’ employment solution?
SDSU launches training, hiring program
BROOKINGS, S.D. – On many farms, managing labor is one of the most difcult responsibilities, and with the intentions of the new administration, that job is becoming increasingly more difcult. However, with a challenging economic environment and national unemployment rate of 12 percent, could Puerto Rico be the labor solution for U.S. dairies? Maristela Rovai thinks so. “We’re at a time of immigration reform, but have a possible solution in regards to our dairy workforce,” said Rovai, South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension dairy specialist. In late 2015, Rovai and her team of Dr. Karla Hernandez and Dr. Alvaro Garcia explored different avenues for farm laborers, and developed the Upper Midwest-Puerto Rico Educational Collaborative (UMPREC).The team was awarded a Community Innovation Grant by the South Dakota Community Foundation to help fund the project. The primary goal for the project de-
velopment was to resolve labor shortages in the Midwest, particularly South Dakota. Coincidentally, the Spanishspeaking U.S. territory was also experiencing a severe economic downturn, leaving many Puerto Ricans without employment. “Our rst concern was nding enough skilled, well-trained laborers,” Rovai said. “This collaboration could be a good way to help with Puerto Rico’s economic problem and also our challenge here.” As a U.S. territory, those living in Puerto Rico are considered legal U.S. citizens upon arriving on U.S. soil and must abide by the U.S. constitution; although, the territory also has their own constitution. Because of these circumstances, proper hiring of Puerto Ricans for dairy farm employment must go through the Puerto Rican Department of Labor. “U.S. dairy farmers have to go through the system and create a formal job offer, explaining the job requirements,” Rovai said. However, if a dairy producer places an advertisement for hired help, and a Puerto Rican discovers the notice and reaches out to the farm, the hiring process does not need to be monitored in the same capacity. Over the past 18 months, Rovai
has hosted several meetings with South Dakota dairy producers and community members to further enhance the project – identifying needs of area dairies, as well as addressing concerns. Rodney and Dorothy Elliot, of Lake Norden, S.D., have attended these meetings and provided input, alongside two of their Puerto Rican employees. Three years ago, the Elliots were amidst a challenge on their 4,500-cow dairy, Drumgoon Dairy, struggling to nd and retain workers. “It was a staff crisis,” said Rodney Elliot, who employs 50 individuals. “It was tough to nd people willing to work hard and stay.” In the years that followed, the Elliots worked with an agency to legally hire Puerto Ricans for jobs on their dairy. However, with inconsistency within the agency’s contract and lack of skilled workers, the Elliots only retained three employees from the many who arrived at the dairy. “Sometimes, I was picking them up at the airport and bringing them back the next day. We weren’t getting any work done,” Elliot said. “On the bright side, the ones who stayed have brought success to the farm.” Because of their previous unsuccessful searches for new employees through a third party organization, the
Elliots expressed concerns for UMPREC’s approach. “We can’t sugar coat this. Farming is not an ideal job for everyone, but when you have a family to feed, it’s a good job,” Elliot said. “This is a new idea to nd people, and I think going through the Department of Labor is the correct route.” Also joining the efforts were Stan Moore, with Michigan State University. In December, Rovai and Moore traveled to Puerto Rico to visit with Carlos Román Román, assistant deputy director for the Employment Service Division of the Puerto Rico Department of Labor. “The [economic] crisis on the island has affected thousands. If people manage to get jobs on U.S. dairies, they could be a part of a new workplace,” Román Román said. Together, the group hosted several orientation sessions that explained the purpose of the collaboration and what the commitment would be. “Puerto Ricans are searching for the American Dream, a promising new start for future generations to come,” Rovai said. “they seek nancial security, but the priority is an embracing community for them and their families.” Now that the program has gained interest from both dairy producers and Turn to PUERTO RICO | Page 13
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Maristela Rovai hosts an educaƟonal seminar to interested workers in Ponce, Puerto Rico, this past winter. This spring, Rovai will conduct more educaƟonal and training seminars for those willing to work on U.S. dairy farms. potential employees, Rovai and her team are establishing a thorough training program that would prepare workers for daily tasks at the dairy. “We want to recruit workers that understand daily dairy operations and are able to handle the responsibilities,” Rovai said. “Most of them don’t have any dairy experience and don’t know that they might be working up to 12-hour days, six days a week.” The trainings will begin this spring at the University of Puerto Rico Research Station, exposing job candidates to real on-farm scenarios, and further educating them on basic dairy knowledge including milking procedures, safe cow-handling practices and proper animal welfare practices, among many more. “This will be crucial because we want to protect both sides, the dairy farmers and these workers,” Rovai said. “We really want to nd people who are committed.” Additionally, once the Puerto Ricans arrive in the United States, they will undergo more specic training with dairy producers and become integrated into
the communities through social training classes. “This program will provide us with the opportunity to expand on what we’re doing already; to further embrace different cultures, knowing people are more likely to stay if they feel a part of our community,” said Stacy Aesoph, with the Brookings Economic Development Corporation in Brookings, S.D. “This could directly benet dairies, but also the local communities.” As UMPREC further develops, Rovai is hopeful this may be an option to better the labor concerns in the Upper Midwest, and eventually, across the entire nation. Dairy producers, like the Elliots, are cautiously hopeful this program may be another source of labor, in addition to the local hired help, and those working under J1 and TN-2 visas. “Nobody said it would be easy, and it’s denitely not going to be easy, but something has to happen,” Elliot said. “Puerto Rico could be a part of our cocktail of labor options.”
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
ConƟnued from TECHNOLOGY | Page 15
Andy Koltes St. Cloud, Minn. Stearns County 125 cows
Brandon Sauer Pierz, Minn. Morrison County 75 cows
Brad Johnson Russell, Minn. Lyon County 65 cows
Alan Manning Eastman, Wis. Crawford County 300 cows
What has been your favorite technology you’ve ever incorporated into your dairy? Smart phones. They are very important to our operation from checking weather and market prices to cow records and researching new products.
What has been your favorite technology you’ve ever incorporated into your dairy? My TMR mixer. It saves a lot of time and labor, and I think my cows are doing better because of it.
What has been your favorite technology you’ve ever incorporated into your dairy? Fifteen years ago, I added automatic detachers and 4 more milking units for a total of 8 units in my double 4 milking parlor. It makes milking easier and faster with only one person in the parlor.
What has been your favorite technology you’ve ever incorporated into your dairy? Heat detection collars. I started using collars so we could minimize the amount of drugs to get cows pregnant. It has been an efcient way to catch cows that show low or even silent heats.
What factors do you consider when deciding if a technology is right for your dairy operation? How will it affect our cows? And, most importantly, protability and efciency. If price wasn’t an issue, what technology would you incorporate into your dairy? We would build a new freestall barn with robotic milkers and an automatic feeding system. What technology do you feel has made the biggest impact in the dairy industry? TMR mixers. They have been around for a long time, but I think they enabled farmers to get a lot more out of their cows and help with feed consistency and efciency. What technology is out there now that you are researching? We are looking into a GPS guidance system for our tractors. Hopefully, we can be more accurate in the eld saving fuel, time and other inputs. What kind of technology do you wish was available that isn’t? It would be nice if the skid steer manufacturers would come up with a way to hook up the hoses of an attachment to the skid steer without the operator having to get out of the seat and do it manually. Tell us about your farm. Koltes Dairy is a fourth generation dairy farm. I farm with my wife, Missy, and our three kids, my brother, Mike, and his wife, Brianna, and my parents, Ken and Tess. We milk 125 cows. They are housed in a freestall and bedding pack barn. We milk in a swing-10 parlor. All of our replacement heifers are raised here. We farm 375 acres of corn, alfalfa and soybeans.
What factors do you consider when deciding if a technology is right for your dairy operation? Mostly, cost. Also, I look to see if it will save me any time and labor, and how fast it can pay itself off. If price wasn’t an issue, what technology would you incorporate into your dairy? Maybe a new barn and milking robot because most people I’ve spoken with say the robots are doing well. They save time and labor, and would allow me to be better at managing the cows. What technology do you feel has made the biggest impact in the dairy industry? Robotic milking equipment. Now, it’s tough to hire people and robots take away the milking chore, leaving managing cows for the people. What technology is out there now that you are researching? Now, I’m looking at a new sand-bedded freestall barn and a new parlor. I’m switching cows twice a day and I need to nd a more efcient way to milk. What kind of technology do you wish was available that isn’t? Why? I wish there was a robot that could scrape the back of the tie stalls. I seem to be doing that all day long. By the time I get to the end of the barn, I could start back over. Tell us about your farm. I started farming in 2010 in a 39-stall tiestall barn. In 2012, I added a 31-stall freestall barn and am still switching to milk in the tiestall barn. My dad helps with switching and together we split the eldwork. We run 300 acres and raise corn and alfalfa. I also help my dad with his herd of beef cows.
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What factors do you consider when deciding if a technology is right for your dairy operation? Cost, and if the new technology will add more maintenance and upkeep. If price wasn’t an issue what technology would you incorporate into your dairy? I would add a heat detection system. With smaller herds such as mine, there are less cows to spread out the costs of the system per cow. What technology do you feel has made the biggest impact in the dairy industry? Robot milkers. They have kept more dairy farmers in the industry who have had a hard time nding hired labor. What technology is out there now that you are researching? A water treatment system for the cow’s drinking water. If your cows drink more water, they will give more milk. What kind of technology do you wish was available, that isn’t? Why? A pause button for the cows. You could push the button and put them on pause and take some time off. Tell us about your farm. I am the 4th generation of our family to farm here since 1888. I milk 65 head of Holsteins. My wife, Dianne, works as a Registered Nurse at Avera in Tyler, Minn. Our oldest daughter, Rachel, works at Valley Queen Cheese Factory in Milbank, S.D. Our second daughter, Krista, will graduate from South Dakota State University this spring with a degree in dairy manufacturing and has taken a job with DFA in Kansas City. Our son, Ross, is a freshman at SDSU where he is studying agronomy.
What technology do you feel has made the biggest impact in the dairy industry? The TMR, because it has made it much simpler to feed and manage large amounts of cattle and to ensure the proper ration is delivered to every animal the same way. What technology is out there now that you are researching? Calf-Vantage. I am currently doing a study with Calf-Vantage on our farm that grows heifers 24 percent faster. I feel this can have a great impact on any dairy’s bottom line. What kind of technology do you wish was available, that isn’t? Calving tags. I would like for there to be a tag that would mount onto the cows tails that will sense her calving and send an alert. I feel it would be benecial for problem calvers and to ensure calves are taken care of in a timely matter. Tell us about your farm. We currently run 480 acres and milk 250 cows with robots in Crawford County.
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If price wasn’t an issue what technology would you incorporate into your dairy? I would like to have a feeding system that could sample and mix feed for the cows throughout the day. Milking with robots has made me realize how fast feed changes affect the cows.
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
Repro Leaders
Preg rate success a team effort at Metogga Lake Dairy Metogga Lake Dairy Ray, Bridget, Tim, Brian, Nick and Dan Pieper; Tracy Cemensky; Chrissy Duhme New Prague, Minn. Rice County 425 cows
How do you conrm pregnant or open cows? We have a weekly vet check where we use ultrasound on both cows and heifers to be conrmed pregnant or open. If an animal is open, she will go on ovsynch.
What was your pregnancy rate average last year? Last year, our pregnancy rate averaged 28 percent.
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 like to use quality high net merit and high milk bulls. When selecting bulls to use, we focus on net merit, milk, fat, protein, somatic cell score, productive life, foot and leg composite, udder composite and sire conception rate. We also look at fertility, and it truly does make a difference. Chrissy chooses a few bulls from four genetic companies that t into our criteria, and then a genetics company mates the cows for us using the bulls Chrissy chose.
What is your voluntary waiting period for cows? For heifers? For cows, our voluntary waiting period is 60 days in milk. For heifers, we will breed them at 12 months if they are big enough. Otherwise, we start them on lutalyse at 14 months. What is your rst service conception rate? For cows, the rst service conception rate is 50 percent while it is at 63 percent for heifers. What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? All cows are in a G-6-G synch program. At 42 days, we give
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
The Piepers family – (from leŌ) Brian, Nick, Tracy Cemensky, Dan, Tim and Chrissy Duhme – along with their vet, Dr. Dan Kreuser (right) work as a team to keep their 425-cow herd’s average pregnancy rate at 28 percent. The Piepers farm near New Prague, Minn. prostaglandin, then GnRH at 44 and 50 days. At 57 days, we give prostaglandin again followed by GnRH at 59 days before being bred at 60 days. We’ve been using this program for six years. All heifers are bred off standing heat from 12
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How do you observe for heat? We watch our heifers when we clean and scrape barns daily for about 15 minutes each day. Cows are observed for heat when walking to the parlor at milking time twice a day.
Business
How are cows and heifers bred? Do you have a different philosophy for breeding both? The only difference for cows and heifers is we make Turn to PIEPERS | Page 20
Check Out these Businesses at the 50th Annual Central MN Farm Show!
Booth #
Ag Star Financial Services ...............................................................................................#B821, B900 Ag Tech Drainage ......................................................................................................................... #A307 Aldrich Tractor ........................................................................................ #C4007-4010, C5000-5003 American Door Works ..................................................................................................................#B838 AMPS, Inc. .........................................................................................................................................#B810 Arnold’s .......................................................................................................... #B922-925, B1000-1003 Arnzen Construction/St. Rosa Lumber ...........................................#C3011-3013, C4004-4006 Arvig ................................................................................................................................................#C7011 Belgrade Co-op/Melrose Ag ..................................................................................................... #A508 Benton Ag ..................................................................................................................................... #B1013 Byron Seeds .................................................................................................................................... #A603 Carlson Wholesale ................................................................................ #C2011-2012, C3004-3005 Centra Sota Co-op ................................................................................#C5009-5013, C6002-6006 Central Petroleum Co./ Cen-Pe-Co ......................................................................................... #A518 Champion Milking Systems ............................................................................................. #A512-513 Complete Grain Systems.....................................................................................................#B802-804 Country Acres ..................................................................................................................................... #A7 Dairyland Seed, Inc. ...................................................................................................................... #A601 Dairyland Supply ............................................................................................ #A612-622, A700-710 Farm-Rite Equipment ......................................................................................................... #A416-417 Finken Water Treatment-Plumbing, Heating& Cooling............................................. ##C37024 Freeport State Bank ......................................................................................................................#B824 Gilman Co-op Creamery ....................................................................................................#B928-931 Hutton, Inc. ....................................................................................................................................#C7004 Jim’s Electric ................................................................................................................................... #A515 Leedstone, Inc. ....................................................................................................................... #B932-933 Lifestyle Lumber, Inc. ................................................................................................................... #A719 Litzau Farm Drainage & Boring ................................................................................................ #A120 Messer Repair & Fabricating, Inc. .................................................................................... #A308-310 Midsota Manufacturing, Inc. ............................................................................................ #A418-422 Midwest Machinery Co. ................................................................................ #A521-522, A609-610 Mimbach Fleet ...................................................................................................................... #A110-111 MN Spray Foam Insulation ........................................................................................................ #A118 Modern Farm Equipment ....................................#B817-820 B839-842 B918-921, B940-947 Mustang Seeds ............................................................................................................................#C7005 NAPA Auto Parts............................................................................................................................. #B816 Northern Tool and Equipment ........................................................................................ #A505-506 Northland Buildings .....................................................................................................................#B907 Osakis Silo Co. ..............................................................................................................................#C6000 PAI Insurance Group ......................................................................................................................#B807 Paul’s Welding & Repair .............................................................................................................. #A101 RDO Equipment .............................................................................................. #A319-322, A407-410 River Power & Equipment, Inc. ................................................................................................. #A504 Royalton Lumber, Inc. ...................................................................................................................#B914 Schlenner Wenner & Co. ..............................................................................................................#B909 Silver Stream Shelters ................................................................................................................. #A207 Stearns Bank of Albany.................................................................................................................#B917 Stearns County Farm Bureau .....................................................................................................#B901 Sunrise Ag ....................................................................................................................................... #A714 Terning Seeds .................................................................................................................. #B939, B1017 Thomas Tool & Supplies ............................................................................................................. #A115 Traut Wells ........................................................................................................................................#B809 Woller Equipment .......................................................................................... #A217-218, A305-306
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 19
“Udder Comfort works… without handling. Just spray it on. — Adam Faust
AUSTONE HOLSTEINS, Adam Faust CHILTON, WISCONSIN 70 registered Holsteins, 75 lbs, SCC 150,000
“I am sold on this product. It gets edema out fast for a complete milkout.
“I picked up an Udder Comfort™ sample on the first day of the 2016 Oshkosh show. Two days later, after using it on a high-pedigree 2-yr-old, I had my hired man go back to buy a whole gallon. That fresh heifer had not been milking out completely and was giving well below her production potential. “I sprayed her udder after each milking, and by the 3rd time, she was milking out to a dishrag. Her 7-day average rose quickly from 15 to 94 lbs after the Udder Comfort straightened her out,” explained Adam Faust of Faustone Holsteins, Chilton, Wisconsin. Recently, Adam was named one of 5 statewide finalists for Wisconsin Outstanding Young Farmer.
“We spray Udder Comfort on all fresh udders after each milking for 7 days. I see them get going and SCC come down faster, and far fewer high-count cows. I tried other brands but did not see benefits, so I was skeptical that this would do anything without massage. Udder Comfort works, and it works without handling. Just spray it on.”
Quality Udders Make Quality Milk
Keep the milk in the system 1.888.773.7153 1.613.652.9086 uddercomfort.com Call to locate a distributor near you. For external application to the udder only after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
Con�nued from PIEPERS | Page 18
sure to use calving ease bulls on our heifers. Heifers are bred in headlocks and our cows are sorted during milking to a holding pen and bred in a small pen with a palpation rail. Brian does most of the breeding, but Tim and Nick also help when needed. What do you do to settle hard breeders? We use an extremely high settler, outcross bull on cows that have been bred four times or more.
How many times do you try to breed a cow before you sell her? We get over 90 percent of our cows and heifers pregnant on the rst three breedings. We will go up to ve breedings depending on her production, days in milk and the history of the cow. It always depends on each cow, but if a mature cow is milking less than 80 pounds of milk she will probably be put on the do-not-breed list while heifers milking under 60 pounds of milk will be on the do-not-breed list.
Is there anything you have done or changed that brought about a signicant improvement in your reproductive program? We work closely with our vet, Dr. Dan Kreuser. Our breeding seems to get better every year, which we think is the result of breeding solid, sound cows to good healthtrait bulls. Tell us about your farm. Ray and Bridget Pieper purchased the farm in 1973. Although they are still involved on the farm, it is now mostly run
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Chrissy Duhme looks over a sire summary book in the office on her family’s dairy.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Dan Pieper and Dr. Dan Kreuser walk behind a group of heifers they are pregnancy checking on the Piepers’ dairy near New Prague, Minn.
by six of their children – the second generation to operate Metogga Lake Dairy. Our farm seems to keep growing little by little every year. We focus on putting up quality feed, maintaining healthy cows, cow comfort, improving efciency and communication. In 1988, the farm went through its rst expansion in the stall barn, growing to 60 cows from 35. In 1997, a freestall barn was
added and the stall barn was converted into a double-10 herringbone parlor to milk the herd, which had grown to 200 cows. In 2010, the most recent expansion happened with another freestall barn to accommodate the farm’s increasing cow numbers. In between all those years, there were also three heifer barns added for the youngstock.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 21
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FIELD CULTIVATORS CIH 200, 2011, #129150......... $55,000 JD 985, 1995, #130971 .......... $18,000 JD 2210, 2009, #131140 ........ $44,900 JD 2210, 2005, #120515 ........ $39,500 JD 2210, 2006, #119500 ........ $37,900 JD 2210, 2007, #102810 ........ $37,900 JD 2210, #135359 .................... $32,000 LARGE SQUARE BALERS JD L330, 2016, #125537 ......$125,900 JD L330, 2015, #135164 ......$109,000 MOWER CONDITIONERS JD 635, 2013, #134300 .......... $21,900 JD 635, 2008, #126498 .......... $15,900 JD 830, 2015, #134944 .......... $25,900 JD 835, 2015, #133943 .......... $26,500 JD 835, 2012, #130580 .......... $24,000 JD 835, 2008, #131315 .......... $18,500 JD 946, 2014, #126997 .......... $32,000 JD 946, 2014, #126629 .......... $30,900 JD 946, 2011, #126500 .......... $25,500 JD 946, 2009, #132018 .......... $23,500 JD 946, 2005, #130363 .......... $17,500 JD 956, 2013, #121134 .......... $28,900 JD 956, 2011, #126054 .......... $27,900 NH H7150, 2012, #126620 .... $24,500 NH H7150, 2011, #122976 .... $19,900 PLANTERS: DRAWN JD 1750, 2013, #131524 ........ $36,500 JD 1750, 2001, #127462 ........ $20,500 JD 1750, 1998, #123390 ........ $20,000 JD 1760, 2005, #134967 ........ $39,700 JD 1760, 1997, #135651 ........ $27,900 JD 1770, 2011, #132629 ........ $72,500 JD 1770, 2004, #120099 ........ $42,900 JD 1780, 2001, #134553 ........ $42,500 JD 1780, 2001, #135591 ........ $34,900 JD 1780, 1997, #127222 ........ $28,500 JD 1770NT, 2014, #134722 ....................................$127,330 JD 1770NT, 2012, #117386 ... $89,500 JD 1770NT, 2014, #120447 ... $89,500 JD 1770NT, 2010, #134770 ... $78,732 JD 1770NT, 2010, #123272 ... $77,500 JD 1770NT, 2010, #131019 ... $75,000 JD 1770NT, 2010, #120512 ... $71,500 JD 1770NT, 2006, #135018 ... $64,000 JD 1770NT CCS, 2013, #125129 ....................................$115,000 JD 1770NT CCS, 2012, #135066 ...................................... $99,500 JD 1790 CCS, 2004, #125700 ...................................... $67,900 JD 1790 CCS, 2004, #124998 ...................................... $61,900 JD DB44, 2015, #132329 .....$169,000 JD DB44, 2005, #134620 ....... $89,900 JD DB44, 2008, #131589 ....... $58,500 JD DB66, 2009, #101972 .....$149,000 PULL-TYPE SPRAYERS Hardi 4400, 2011, #135264 .. $37,900
129,900
2015 JD 6155R $ #134317
3 Top Air TA1600, 2013, #134895 ...................................... $52,000 ROUND BALERS 12 JD 458, 2009, #131244 .......... $18,900 6 JD 469, 2013, #131787 .......... $30,900 7 JD 469, 2014, #121911 .......... $30,900 5 JD 568, 2011, #126221 .......... $32,900 9 JD 568, 2008, #119918 .......... $30,000 1 JD 568, 2007, #122377 .......... $25,900 11 JD 568, 2007, #131763 .......... $18,900 8 JD 568, 2007, #131030 .......... $17,500 8 JD 569, 2012, #134619 .......... $42,000 7 JD 569, 2015, #135163 .......... $41,000 8 JD 569, 2015, #134021 .......... $40,500 10 JD 569, 2013, #126055 .......... $38,900 8 JD 569, 2014, #124210 .......... $38,900 4 JD 569, 2014, #135360 .......... $37,000 2 JD 569, 2013, #135012 .......... $26,900 2 JD 458 Silage Special, 2010, #132415 ...................................... $19,500 4 JD 459 Silage Special, 2013, #134718 ...................................... $32,500 5 JD 468 Silage Special, 2012, #132115 ...................................... $31,900 2 JD 468 Silage Special, 2011, #126398 ...................................... $30,900 4 JD 468 Silage Special, 2012, #134462 ...................................... $26,000 6 JD 569 Silage Special, 2015, #134962 ...................................... $44,500 10 JD 582 Silage Special, 2006, #132056 ...................................... $18,500 10 NH BR7090, 2012, #133944 .. $22,900 11 NH BR7090, 2008, #123046.. $21,900 1 CIH RB564, 2008, #129522 ... $23,000 TRACTORS 12 JD 2950, 1984, 10321 hrs., #134614 ...................................... $24,500 1 JD 4255, 1991, 11822 hrs., #133470 ...................................... $27,900 2 JD 4560, 1993, 4640 hrs., #135362 ...................................... $56,000 8 JD 4955, 1989, 8190 hrs., #133760 ...................................... $52,900 10 International 5488, 1982, 8140 hrs., #129314 ...................................... $24,500 10 JD 6400, 1994, 7825 hrs., #129836 ...................................... $34,900 4 JD 6400, 1997, 12549 hrs., #134717 ...................................... $29,700 11 JD 6420, 2005, 4279 hrs., #135510 ...................................... $58,000 8 JD 6430, 2010, 696 hrs., #128336 ...................................... $72,500 10 JD 6430, 2008, 3072 hrs., #125897 ...................................... $64,500 4 MF 6616, 2014, 898 hrs., #127776 ...................................... $99,500 4 JD 7420, 2007, 4776 hrs., #134043 ...................................... $64,900 4 JD 7420, 2007, 5301 hrs., #134042 ...................................... $58,900
86,900
2013 JD 6125M, $ 125 hp., 243 hrs., #123591
10 JD 7520, 2007, 13300 hrs., #134769 ...................................... $34,900 8 JD 7630, 2007, 3782 hrs., #131106 ....................................$105,000 4 JD 7830, 2008, 3289 hrs., #135361 ....................................$114,500 11 JD 7920, 2003, 4910 hrs., #134912 ...................................... $94,900 6 JD 8100, 1994, 3510 hrs., #134258 ...................................... $81,900 4 JD 8220, 2004, 1640 hrs., #132349 ....................................$122,000 8 JD 8220, 2002, 5469 hrs., #127863 ....................................$108,500 11 JD 8330, 2006, 4009 hrs., #121999 ....................................$124,900 6 CIH 145 PUMA, 2013, 755 hrs., #134447 ...................................... $84,500 10 JD 5075M, 2009, 385 hrs., #135624 ...................................... $39,500 4 JD 5075M, 2013, 100 hrs., #125138 ...................................... $38,000 6 JD 5085E, 2016, 241 hrs., #124729 ...................................... $51,900 12 JD 5085M, 2012, 1610 hrs., #125293 ...................................... $45,900 6 JD 5100E, 2016, 99 hrs., #124826 ...................................... $54,900 7 JD 5100M, 2015, 295 hrs., #118463 ...................................... $62,900 4 JD 5115M, 2012, 611 hrs., #129621 ...................................... $66,500 6 JD 6105E, 2016, 292 hrs., #124868 ...................................... $63,900 4 JD 6105M, 2014, 320 hrs., #132099 ...................................... $71,000 4 JD 6105R, 2014, 106 hrs., #127952 ...................................... $99,000 2 JD 6105R, 2013, 414 hrs., #135169 ...................................... $91,500 4 JD 6110R, 2015, 104 hrs., #119898 ....................................$105,900 12 JD 6120E, 2016, 125 hrs., #124883 ...................................... $73,900 8 JD 6120E, 2016, 267 hrs., #124871 ...................................... $67,900 4 JD 6120R, 2015, 132 hrs., #124875 ....................................$118,900 5 JD 6125M, 2013, 657 hrs., #126547 ...................................... $91,000 11 JD 6125M, 2013, 359 hrs., #123591 ...................................... $86,900 4 JD 6125R, 2013, 500 hrs., #134131 ....................................$103,000 7 JD 6125R, 2014, 505 hrs., #135212 ...................................... $99,500 3 JD 6125R, 2014, 479 hrs., #128687 ...................................... $99,000 10 JD 6130D, 2015, 223 hrs., #123740 ...................................... $69,500 11 JD 6130D, 2011, 4100 hrs., #134834 ...................................... $44,900
JD 5085M, 2012, $ 85 hp., 1610 hrs., #125293
47,995
10 JD 6135E, 2015, 1 hr., #124880 ...................................... $76,900 4 JD 6135E, 2015, 298 hrs., #124885 ...................................... $71,900 7 JD 6140D, 2014, 15 hrs., #133561 ...................................... $68,900 10 JD 6140D, 2013, 378 hrs., #131138 ...................................... $62,500 9 JD 6145R, 2015, 268 hrs., #120191 ....................................$122,900 9 JD 6150R, 2013, 698 hrs., #127915 ....................................$119,000 2 JD 6155R, 2015, 170 hrs., #134317 ....................................$129,900 1 JD 6155R, 2015, 179 hrs., #124983 ....................................$129,500 8 JD 6175R, 2015, 650 hrs., #135147 ....................................$148,000 1 JD 7200R, 2012, 729 hrs., #135070 ....................................$129,900 1 JD 7215R, 2013, 447 hrs., #117213 ....................................$149,500 4 JD 7215R, 2013, 1150 hrs., #133909 ....................................$142,000 2 JD 7215R, 2012, 2848 hrs., #135525 ....................................$123,100 1 JD 7230R, 2014, 447 hrs., #126805 ....................................$193,000 2 JD 7230R, 2015, 88 hrs., #134308 ....................................$187,500 1 JD 7230R, 2015, 446 hrs., #126922 ....................................$171,500 3 JD 8235R, 2013, 1636 hrs., #127894 ....................................$159,000 8 JD 8245R, 2015, 767 hrs., #134375 ....................................$192,900 4 JD 8245R, 2015, 494 hrs., #135325 ....................................$185,500 3 JD 8245R, 2014, 429 hrs., #107406 ....................................$172,900 5 JD 8260R, 2013, 1527 hrs., #125130 ....................................$179,000 6 JD 8270R, 2015, 223 hrs., #117210 ....................................$247,000 2 JD 8270R, 2015, 100 hrs., #134459 ....................................$239,000 2 JD 8285R, 2011, 1345 hrs., #118552 ....................................$226,900 8 JD 8295R, 2015, 911 hrs., #134373 ....................................$224,900 7 JD 8320R, 2014, 2084 hrs., #127013 ....................................$227,500 1 JD 8320R, 2010, 2557 hrs., #117098 ....................................$185,000 3 JD 8335R, 2013, 2029 hrs., #127896 ....................................$219,000 4 Kubota M100GX, 2014, 450 hrs., #131537 ...................................... $49,000 6 CIH MAGNUM 180, 2010, 1227 hrs., #131001 ....................................$103,500 2 CIH PUMA 230 CVT, 2012, 760 hrs., #121468 ...................................$159,000
JD 6140D, 2013, $ 140 hp., 378 hrs., #131138
62,500
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
Wood
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For February, we asked dairy producers who have been milking cows for over 30 years what they love about dairying.
HEART
Put the PLUS+ in your farm
DAIRY
™
Irv Raak
™
Dairy Farming for
59 Years
Irv Raak milks 400 cows near Jasper, Minn.
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WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713 Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Professional Dairy Services Waunakee, WI 608-849-5043
Mondovi Dairy Systems Inc. Mondovi, WI 715-926-5777 West Salem, WI 608-769-2113 The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470 MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA D&D Ag Supply Pennock, MN 320-599-4466
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How many years have you been dairy farming? Dad milked 80 cows when I was a kid, and I milked my rst cow by hand when I was 4 years old. Dad’s brother had a grocery store in Sioux Center, Iowa and we provided all the milk for his store. Dad got Parkinson’s when I was in my early teens so I took over for him at that time. I never attended high school. I began farming on my own when I was 20. Tell us about your farm. We moved here from Sioux Center in 1969. I farm with my son, Philip, and his family. Our son, Gene, who farms by Edgerton, comes here every day and does all the feeding, scraping and helps feed baby calves. Philip and his wife, Theresa, have ve sons who all help around the farm. We have 1,800 hogs on feed and sell our steers at 700800 pounds. My job is to help manage the dairy herd. What has been the key to the longevity of your dairy career? For the most part, dairying has been a continuously protable enterprise. It certainly keeps you busy. You have to love it and you have to enjoy what you’re doing. I have been blessed with a family who loves dairy farming. What has been your most memorable dairy farming experience? Some years ago, we were trying to load a bull when he smashed my leg against a feed bunk. My leg wasn’t broken, but it hurt like the devil for a while. I was hobbling around on it for quite a few days. What do you love about dairy farming? Seeing the rewards of your efforts. You breed a cow, raise her calf and know that it’s all your input. You get to see what you can achieve. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? President Reagan’s policies caused interest rates to soar during the 1980s, and we ended up paying anywhere from 18 to 22 percent interest on our loans. The banks foreclosed on us, and we had to get an emergency loan from the FHA. After a couple of years, we were able to get back on our feet and renance our loans. That was a rough time, but we got through it with God’s grace and with the unwavering support of our family. What advice do you have for people considering dairy farming as their career? Marry a person who has your same interests at heart. My wife, Trudy, and I will have been married for 59 years in June. She is always there helping, cleaning the milk room, feeding calves and doing the farm’s bookkeeping. She always has supper ready for me and waits up for me, no matter how late I get in. What is your favorite dairy product or prepared dish with a dairy product in it? Homemade ice cream made with real cream. When we were newlyweds and had people over, we would always make ice cream for them.
Turn to HEART | Page 23
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 23
ConƟnued from HEART | Page 22
HEART
HEART
DAIRY
DAIRY
Lee & Nancy West
Roger Altendorf
Dairy Farming for
Lee and Nancy West milk 35 cows near Lewiston, Minn.
How many years have you been dairy farming? 36 years Tell us about your farm. Our farm is Lee’s family’s farm. He is the second generation to dairy here. We both grew up on dairy farms and were involved in 4-H. We met at the state fair – Lee worked on the rst oor of the 4-H building among the exhibits and Nancy worked as dorm staff. We both attended the University of Minnesota. We graduated in the early ‘80s, and returned to farm with Lee’s dad and older brother. In 1990, his brother left and we farmed together with Lee’s dad until he passed away ve years ago. Nancy does calf chores every day, along with working off the farm as the secretary for Lewiston-Altura Elementary School. We have two adult daughters who grew up on the farm and now have their own careers. What has been the key to the longevity of your dairy career? Dairy farming is part of who we are. It’s our identity. We didn’t want to do anything else. But, having an off-the-farm job helps give us stability. It gives us insurance and allows us to better ride out the ups and downs of dairy farming. What has been your most memorable dairy farming experience? Running over the bulk tank. It was a about 25 years ago. We were milking a lot of cows and they were making a lot of milk. That was a goal. We took pictures. What do you love about dairy farming? We love the independence of dairy farming, and we like managing cows, not people. That’s why we’ve stayed small. Dairy farming also has a variety of jobs. There’s always something different every day. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in your dairying career and how did you overcome it? In the early 1990s, we had Johnes in our herd, but it was before people really knew what it was. We knew about as much as the vet did. At one point, we had a 30 percent infection rate. We started getting things turned around and we had a barn re in 1996. Those two things forced us to cut down our herd size. But we got through the re, and started learning about Johnes and how to prevent it. What advice do you have for people considering dairy farming as their career? You have to be dedicated and willing to work hard. It’s not a 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. job, so if that’s what you want, this is not for you. What is your favorite dairy product or prepared dish with a dairy product in it? We like cheese, especially sharp cheddar. I (Nancy) use it a lot in cooking. We like grilled cheese sandwiches.
HEART
DAIRY Kevin Schweer Dairy Farming for
Dairy Farming for
36 Years
42 Years
Kevin Schweer milks 40 cows near Milbank, S.D.
How many years have you been dairy farming? I have been dairy farming since I was 14 years old. I am 56 now, so it’s been 42 years. Tell us about your farm. I operate our dairy with my brother, Richard. We milk our 40 registered Holsteins in a tiestall barn and farm 300 acres. We raise corn, alfalfa, soybeans and wheat and have some pasture land. What has been the key to the longevity of your dairy career? Staying diversied by having both a dairy herd and raising crops to sell. And we have always done our best to work with good quality cows. What has been your most memorable dairy farming experience? About 25 years ago, I had my rst cow get classied as an EX. Her name was Abigail and she scored 90 points. What do you love about dairy farming? Nurturing a calf from a newborn into adulthood and seeing her mature into a good cow. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in your dairying career and how did you overcome it? I faced my biggest obstacle four years ago when I had knee replacement operation. I couldn’t milk for a while, so Richard took over for me and I did other things around the farm. I stuck to my physical therapy routine and am back to milking cows again. What advice do you have for people considering dairy farming as their career? My philosophy has always been that you should be good at what you are doing before you get big. What is your favorite dairy product or prepared dish with a dairy product in it? I like vanilla ice cream with butterscotch topping. Turn to HEART | Page 25
Roger Altendorf milks 57 cows near Belgrade, Minn.
37 Years
Tell us about your farm. I own a 23-acre dairy farm and I rent another 132 acres. I grow alfalfa and corn. I also do some double cropping with rye, peas and triticale. My girlfriend, Kathy, and son, Matt, help me as well. What has been the key to the longevity of your dairy career? I am hard headed and determined. Since I was 12 years old, I always have wanted to milk. What has been the most memorable dairy farming experience? In the fall of 2014, the tractor on the blower started on re when I was lling silo. What do you love about dairy farming? I like milking cows with full udders. My favorite thing to do is milk cows. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? When I started, I had nothing for equipment. I bought equipment that was pretty much worn out, then I xed it up and got by until I could slowly start replacing it. What advice do you have for people considering dairy farming as their career? It’s all about the cows. They are paying the bills. They need to me milked and fed on time. That needs to be your top priority. If I am making hay and it’s time to milk, I stop and milk; the hay will be there after milking. What is your favorite dairy product or prepared dish with a dairy product in it? Chocolate milk.
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 25
ConƟnued from HEART | Page 23
HEART
HEART
DAIRY
DAIRY
Terry Schwichtenberg Dairy Farming for
Terry Schwichtenberg milks 35 cows near Waterville, Minn.
Leo Kiefer
Dairy Farming for
Leo Kiefer milks 51 cows near Hague, N.D.
32 Years
How many years have you been dairy farming? I took over my family’s dairy farm in 1985. Tell us about your farm. Our farm has been in our family for over 100 years. My wife, Cindy, and I are the fth generation. Along with our cows, we also have 160 acres with 120 tillable. We grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa. What has been the key to the longevity of your dairy career? I think keys to longevity are hard work, help and support from family, and smart business decisions. What has been your most memorable dairy farming experience? I think every day is memorable. There are new and different experiences all the time. Since they are all memorable, I can’t hang my hat on just one. What do you love about dairy farming? I love the daily challenges and the rewards that come with it. Some days are better than others. It feels good at night when you’re done for the day and can go to sleep knowing you did your best that day. We feel our kids have had a huge advantage in life being raised on the farm. They know the value of a good work ethic and the expression, “You’re not done until the job at hand is done.” They know what pride in a job well done feels like. It’s a reward knowing they’ve learned these life skills. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in your dairying career, and how did you overcome it? Low milk prices. I’ve learned to get through the hard times by making sure the cows get the best of care and the best of feed. Personally, some expenses that aren’t needed have to be cut back. It also helps to have a second income. Cindy is a registered dental hygienist. That has made a big difference. What advice do you have for people considering dairy farming as their career? Work hard, be careful and don’t get in over your head. What is your favorite dairy product or prepared dish with a dairy product in it? Cold milk from the bulk tank, buttered popcorn, ice cream with strawberries, peanuts and chocolate, and rice pudding.
56 Years
How many years have you been dairy farming? Most of my life. I started milking cows by hand at the age of 6 and have milked ever since; a total of 56 years. Tell us about your farm. I own an 840-acre dairy farm. I raise all my own feed, alfalfa, corn and oats. I also have a red Angus cow/calf herd which consists of 70 cows. I milk in a double-5 herringbone parlor, which was built new 20 years ago. I A.I. all my cows. I keep all the heifer calves for replacements. I sell my milk to Land O’Lakes in Bismarck, N.D. I also had my herd on DHIA test for a number of years. What has been the key to the longevity of your dairy career? My biggest dream since I was a little boy was to have my own dairy. That’s all I have ever wanted to do. Good health and enjoying the work of dairy is what has kept me going. What has been your most memorable dairy farming experience? My most memorable experience was being named Emmons County Dairy Farmer of the Year. What do you love about dairy farming? I love the animals. Every day is a new day, but always an exciting day. I like being my own boss and making my own decisions. I also like working with my employee, Cole Schaff, who is a very respectable young man. What was the biggest obstacle you faced in your dairying career and how did you overcome it? The biggest obstacle was my freestall roof collapsing on Thanksgiving Day. I had good insurance coverage and it was replaced and all was good again. What advice do you have for people considering dairy farming as their career? My advice would be to go for it – it’s such a rewarding career and a good life. What is your favorite dairy product or prepared dish with a dairy product in it? My favorite dairy product is ice cream. I never miss stopping at a Dairy Queen if passing by one.
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Jack Stamschror
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Winscher Seeds Mike Winscher 320-282-6748 Shawn Winscher Royalton, MN (320) 420-4516
Timberline Dairy Service Joe Graber Kalona, IA (319) 656-3527
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Mervin Beachy St. Ansgar, IA (641) 381-0054
Big Stone City S.D. (651) 331-8865
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Chad Tesch Canton S.D. (605) 759-5622 Dan (Boone) Uphoff, Sioux Falls S.D. (605) 321-1862
Natures Best Roger TeSlaa
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Look to FSA to help mitigate risk for crops
Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
“I didn’t even think we had stray voltage!� Roger Lange milks 100 head on his family dairy at Crofton, Nebraska. Until recently he was often forced to sell his fresh heifers because they wouldn t let down their milk. “We called Stray Voltage Consulting, and Jerry found the problem within half an hour.� Roger said. “I was very impressed with Jerry. He’s a former REA guy, so he understands both the farmer and the electric company. Being able to work with both sides is a key component to his success.� “I haven’t had a single problem with our fresh heifers since Jerry corrected our stray voltage problem. I would highly recommend Stray Voltage Consulting to anyone who thinks they might have stray voltage!�
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The next issue of the Dairy Star is published March 11th.
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As a friendly reminder, we are asking that you please inform our ofďƒžce of any changes to your farming operation as soon as you can as we are preparing for the 2017 crop year. This can be a change of address, business name or type (corporation, LLC, partnership, etc.) or adding land to your operation whether by lease or purchase. For the ofďƒžce to make a land change, we re- FSA News & Notes quire the producer to provide a signed lease agreement or a recorded deed for proof of purchase. The ARC/PLC signup is also underway, so stop in the ofďƒžce and take care of this before ďƒželd work begins. We can email or fax ďƒžles for a signature as well if that is more convenient. As I attend a number of crop insurance meetings and give updates on FSA’s programs, I am reminded that not every crop farmer’s grow is eligible for regular crop insurance coverage. I feel it is a good time to remind those farmers that FSA does offer a program to By Ryan Brunn help mitigate risk for those crops. Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. At FSA, we have NAP coverage for losses from natural disasters on crops for which no permanent federal crop insurance program is available. These include perennial grass forage and grazing crops, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, ďƒ&#x;oriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture, turf grass, ginseng, honey, syrup, bioenergy and industrial crops. Spring-seeded annual crops, both grain crops and vegetables, have a NAP application deadline of March 15, 2017. NAP basic coverage is available at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production. Higher levels of coverage are available, up to 65 percent of their expected production, at 100 percent of the average market price available, including coverage for organics and crops marketed directly to consumers. Crops intended for grazing are not eligible for additional NAP coverage. For more information on NAP, service fees, premiums and sale deadlines, contact your FSA ofďƒžce. 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.
Learning to compromise
to be bred on Thursday and mark those cows with tail her one chance. If we disagree on a sire to use, I show paint so he can easily locate them in the groups. Every him records as evidence, but he still gets the nal say. morning I check our CowScout Activity Monitoring At times, it’s difcult when he doesn’t follow my mating list or breeds a cow that system for heat attentions has been bred far too many and review each cow on the times, but I have learned list. Then, I notify my dad of I respect hi his authority h i as an it’s not worth ghting every which ones need to be bred battle. I respect his authorand how many times they owner and trust in his ability ity as an owner and trust have been bred so he can to make good decisions. in his ability to make good choose a higher conception decisions. Once you have Holstein sire or Angus bull established trust and respect if needed. Altogether, we have learned to compromise in between you and your coworker/dad/boss, you can order to reach our goals. I’ve learned he isn’t as com- reach any goal you put your minds to. Laura Rosenhammer farms with her father, John, puter savvy so I take care of entering and analyzing data in PCDart. I’ve learned he is a very good breeder and uncle, Greg, on Roseview Dairy near Sleepy Eye, so I don’t ask questions if he says a cow is not in heat Minn. They milk 200 Holsteins and run 580 acres of or needs to wait a few hours. When we disagree on cropland. whether or not to mark a cow as do not breed, we give
The Transition Pen
By John & Laura Rosenhammer Father/Daughter Farming Duo Molding two generations together on the farm can have its challenges. There’s one big question I am always asked about this generational difference: How do I get my dad to work with me and my ideas? First, we identify our priorities. Reproduction is a top priority on our farm. No one enjoys when we have to sell a cow that has been a top producer but won’t settle or when we can’t take a cow to the county fair because she hasn’t freshened since the previous fair. We agree it is a goal to get each cow pregnant as quickly and efciently as possible. In order to achieve this, we work together, and together we are the dream team. The gopher grad enrolls each cow in the appropriate synchronization protocol and takes care of giving all the shots. The jackrabbit grad does all the breeding. However, lots of effort goes into this strategy. My dad loves reading semen company magazines over and over again, and searching for the perfect bull to mate with his favorite cow, Allison. With Allison, he has to be rm in his decision because she usually gets pregnant on the rst service and always calves in April. She is our ‘Thomas,’ like the Sheehans’ prize cow. He likes seeing herd records written down, as well as seeing the dam and sire written in each calf’s ear tag so he can know their genetics just by looking at them. I, on the other hand, have no desire to look at sire catalogs or listen to sales pitches. I prefer to work with a Select Sires mating specialist to create a list of traits I want in a sire. The specialist then generates a list of qualifying sires I can pick from to purchase and use on my herd. Once I pick which bulls to use, we mate the entire herd. I use PCDart to keep track of our herd’s records, entering the data from our DHIA yellow sheet (Dad’s hand-written copy) into the computer so both my dad and I are up to speed. Utilizing PCDart has given me the ability to stay organized while using multiple synchronizations programs; rst lactation are on ovsynch, second lactation are on presynch-ovsynch, and mature cows are on a double ovsynch. When I get a letter in the mail stating my Select Sires rep is coming soon, I run a report of each sire’s conception rate on heifers and cows, as well as other reproductive measures, such as conception rate by days in milk. Taking time to analyze this data monthly has aided dramatically in making changes quickly, such as eliminating a poor conception sire from our line-up, or backing up our waiting period from 65 to 70 days because of more successful services. Each Monday I write down a list of cows that need
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 27
tfn
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
Betty Berning bberning@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Rafael Bisinotto rbisinot@umn.edu 612-625-3130 Hugh Chester-Jones chest001@umn.edu (507) 835-3622 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu (612) 624-5391 Sandra Godden godde002@umn.edu 612-625-8177 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu (320) 589-1711 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu (612) 625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu (320) 732-4435 Kota Minegishi kota@umn.edu 612-624-7455 Randy Pepin pepin019@umn.edu (320) 333-1369 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu (320) 203-6093 M. Scott Wells mswells@umn.edu 612-625-3747 Emily Wilmes krek0033@umn.edu (320) 255-6169
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
What do dairy farmers in Minnesota, Nicaragua have in common? On a recent volunteer trip for Partners of the America’s USAID Farmer-to-Farmer program, I had the opportunity to see what dairy farmers in Nicaragua and Minnesota have in common – very little. The Nicaraguan dairy industry is different, relying primarily on dual purpose cattle breeds (i.e., Brahman crossed with Jersey, Holstein or Brown Swiss), tropical forages (i.e., high ber, low energy) and hand-milking. Many farmers do not have access to what we would consider minimum requirements – clean water, sanitation products and affordable electricity. My task in Nicaragua was to identify opportunities for improving milk quality and By Erin Royster train extension agents and farmers how to U of M Extension identify and manage mastitis. Given the limitations, I was hard pressed to come up with any practical recommendations. But after a few days, I started to see that the basics are really the same, no matter where you are. In fact, with increasing pressure to reduce antibiotic use in U.S. food animals, while maintaining and even improving milk quality and animal welfare, it might be useful to review the basic strategies I recommended in Nicaragua. It turns out what U.S. and Nicaraguan dairy farmers have in common is the need to focus on prevention. Healthy cows: In Nicaragua, herds with good body condition and adequate parasite control are less likely to struggle with mastitis. Cows need enough energy in their diet, as well as vitamins and minerals, for their immune systems to function at optimal levels, allowing them to ght off mastitis and other infections. In the United States, the same principle is true. Key areas for ensuring a healthy, immune competent herd are transition and feeding management, and vaccination. Clean environment: While most dairies in the United States don’t milk cows standing in a dirt paddock, plenty of dairies struggle with maintaining a clean cow environment in at least one area of the dairy. What area on your dairy could be improved to reduce the risk of environmental mastitis? Proper milking practices: One thing I was surprised to learn was that every Nicaraguan farmer could describe best milking practices: fore-stripping, pre- and post-dipping, single use towels, wearing gloves and clean equipment. However, few of these practices were adopted on the dairies I visited. On any dairy, there are usually simple modications that can make a milker’s job easier, and more importantly, easier to do correctly. In Nicaragua, that included a hand washing station placed next to the milk collection cans, so milkers could disinfect their hands often. What could you do on your dairy to make it easier for milkers to do things correctly? Keep cows standing after milking: Although most U.S. dair-
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ies follow this basic principle, it’s a good idea to periodically verify that the timing of feed delivery and push-up coincides with cows returning from the parlor. We want cows to remain standing for at least 20 minutes to give the teat canal time to close to prevent bacteria from gaining entry to the mammary gland during this susceptible period. This may be an especially good reminder for dairies that bed on organic material that has a higher bacterial load. Identify cows with mastitis: In Nicaragua, it’s a common practice to allow the calf to prime the cow before milking. In addition to stimulating milk let-down, you also have a nice layer of saliva on the teat to lubricate hand milking. The milk then goes right into the bucket and the only indication that a cow has mastitis is if she kicks or has no milk in one quarter. With a high probability of contagious mastitis, one of the most important recommendations for Nicaraguan dairies was to check for clinical mastitis at every milking and periodically check for subclinical mastitis using the California Mastitis Test. Cows with mastitis could then be marked and milked last in the milking order to reduce the risk of spreading the infection to other cows. In addition, milkers should disinfect their hands after milking an infected cow. These same recommendations hold true in the United States. In fact, this is a major opportunity for improvement in many U.S. herds, and the logistics of IIt turns out what h U U.S. S and d implementation are even Nicaraguan dairy farmers have easier than in in common is the need to Nicaragua. Train milk- focus on prevention. ers to check for signs of clinical mastitis in the foremilk of every quarter at every milking, and monitor employees to ensure it is being done consistently. Cows that have clinical mastitis should be marked and treated or managed according to farm protocols. After milking a cow with clinical mastitis, milkers should disinfect or change gloves. In addition to identifying clinical mastitis, dairies need a strategy for identifying and managing cows with chronic, subclinical mastitis. Luckily, many dairies have the data to do this at their ngertips in monthly DHIA SCC test results. In the United States, we are lucky to be part of an advanced dairy industry. We have access to a vast array of products and services that help us keep cows healthy and make top quality milk. But my trip to Nicaragua conrmed one thing – great dairies are great not because they use the newest milking liner, teat dip, feed additive, udder cream or antibiotic tube, but because they do the basics 99 percent of the time.
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Finding your values, mission, vision and goals
Whether you like to admit it or not, you are a leader on your farm. There has always been debate about the differences between leaders and managers, or perhaps bosses is a better word. In my mind, every dairy farmer is both – a leader and a boss. You have many jobs on the farm, but those two jobs can’t be forgotten. One way to not forget them is to integrate them into your daily work. How to accomplish this is what you’re probably thinking now. The answer: by knowing your values, mission, vision and goals. Values Google the word values or the phrase core values and millions of hits will show up. Lists of values, worksheets about values, research on values – anything and everything you’d ever need to know. Values are the traits or attributes which are important to you. Values are your highest priorities and are By Emily Wilmes closely tied to your belief system. You demonstrate them in your actions and use them in your decision-making process. U of M Extension Values are an important part of who we are as people, so knowing what our values are and understanding them is crucial. Values could include such items as family, faith, community and wisdom. Get started by taking time to think about and identify your values. Try to narrow your values into a top 5 list – something you can refer to. If you want to take it a step further, you can write your values into value statements. These are short sentences that express your core values and may be a good way to express the values of your farm business to others. Mission and vision Many people use mission and vision interchangeably, as if they mean the same thing. However, they are two distinct things. Knowing both the mission and vision for your farm are important. Like your values, they drive decision making and communicate the culture of your farm business. Let’s start with mission, as we are all familiar with the phrase mission statement. A mission is tied to your core ideology, or your core values and purposes. Your mission is to live out those core values or, to put it another way, to live your purpose. The mission of a business or organization focuses on the present – it is all about what you are doing now to uphold your values. A vision focuses on the future; it outlines not where you are, but where you want to be. Your vision for your business is about the future and its possibilities. Vision can be used as a motivator and a tool to keep you and your business moving forward toward your future. Like your mission, your vision is tied to the foundation of your business – it is a core part the business. Unlike your mission, however, it is possible that your vision may change over time. Perhaps your vision was once to double cow numbers and now it has evolved into creating a business that is sustainable to support multiple families. Both mission and vision are an important part of your farm business as they look at your present and future. Goals The importance of goals to your farm business cannot be understated. I have talked about SMART (specic, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely) goals in the past, so I will take a different route to discuss goals. Goals help give your business direction. They dene what you are working for or towards. Coming up with goals and discussing them with others on your farm may seem like a mundane task. However, it should be an exciting thing for you to do; you are looking into your farm’s future after all. If you are having trouble thinking about what your goals should be, take a step back and ask yourself some key questions. First, what do you want to have happen? Write down all of the things you want for your farm business. Think about what goals can help you get what you want. Next, what do you need to have happen? Write down all of the things you need for your farm business. It is possible some of your wants are actually needs. It is also possible that there are needs not being addressed because of your wants. Consider how your goals could help address these needs. After that, what do you expect will happen? You know your business and the people you work with better than anyone. Thinking about the expectations you have for your farm may better help you dene your wants and needs, and set goals. Lastly, what do you fear will happen? Think about what you fear could happen on your farm, and how certain goals could address those fears. Your values, mission, vision and goals are important aspects of your farm business. Knowing these key pieces can help you be an effective leader and manager on your farm. Providing quality building materials and friendly service since 1971
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 29
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Girlfriend grief Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
I was beset with innumerable challenges when I began dairy farming. Sure, there were ho-hum things like balancing my precarious nances and putting in the crops with my rickety old farm equipment. But, there were also some extremely important issues such as formulating the precise mixture of junk to haul around in the box of my pickup. All of that pales in the face of the biggest challenge I confronted as a young farmer, namely, nding a steady girlfriend. I had a system that involved sauntering up to Possible Future Girlfriend candidates and dazzling them with my smooth banter. “Hi,” I would say. “Hi,” the Possible Future Girlfriend might reply and resume talking to her friend. I would choose to interpret this feigned disinterest as an encouraging sign. “So. How’s it going?” I would ask the back of the Possible Future Girlfriend’s head.
“OK,” she might reply over her shoulder. “I’m a dairy farmer. That means I milk cows.” “Yeah,” she would say, wrinkling up her nose, “I can tell.” I didn’t believe in beating around the bush, so I might say something like, “So. You want to go out Friday night?” “Sorry, but I’m washing my hair.” “I see. How about Saturday night?” “I’m washing my hair that night, too.” “Well, how about Sunday night? Or the night after that?” “Don’t you get it? I’m washing my hair every night for the rest of my life.” “I see. What are you doing after that?” I met with a very long streak of disappointment using this system. Then, out of the blue, the mailman brought a ray of hope in the form of a dividend check
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from the co-op. “Whoa,” I thought as I examined the check, thinking that it might be a cruel joke. “Two hundred bucks. What should I do with all this dough?” I weighed my options carefully. There was the fuel bill, the feed bill, and of course, the bank would always welcome an early loan payment. Dear County Agent Guy But, after due consideration, I did the only logical thing: I used the money to buy an old pool table. Owning a pool table lent my banter a modicum of suaveness. My pitch to Possible Future Girlfriends began to sound like a realtor describing a new By Jerry Nelson listing. “The walk-in ranch Columnist home is nestled in a secluded country setting and is surrounded by a grove of mature shade trees. The house features all the usual amenities, including a full-sized billiards table.” In truth, the pool table was about the only piece of furniture I owned at the time. It would be several years before I could afford a TV. This caused me to miss out on the many intellectual opportunities of the era. To this day, I feel out of the loop whenever the talk turns to “The Dukes of Hazzard” or “Charlie’s Angels.” Thanks to the cachet of owning a pool table, I was able to successfully lure – I mean, invite – several members of the female persuasion out to my little farm. Most left in a snit of disillusionment as soon as they learned that secluded meant clear out in the boonies and rustic little hideaway translated into rundown old farmhouse. Years later, our eldest son, Paul, topped me in the girlfriend sales department while he was yet in kindergarten. One winter’s afternoon as the school bus pulled away, I saw two small gures tottering down our driveway. We had only one child attending school at that time. Paul and his little friend, Sarah, strolled out to the north side of our granary. I followed them and eavesdropped. They soon stopped beside an enormous snowdrift. “There it is,” said Paul as he pointed at the snowdrift. Sarah nodded appreciatively. I invited the kids into the house and my wife whipped up an orange juice and Ritz crackers tea party. We then tried to determine where Sarah actually belonged. Sarah wasn’t quite sure herself, nor did she seem overly concerned, so we sat and enjoyed orange juice and crackers while we waited for the inevitable frantic phone call from her parents. Sarah’s mom soon came to collect her. My wife then informed me that I had best have a talk with my son. It seems that Paul had lured Sarah off the school bus with promises of a close-up view of a volcano. I took the lad to his room and, in a voice loud enough for his mother to hear, scolded, “You told her that the drift was a volcano? You should be ashamed of yourself. No more National Geographic specials for you, young man.” Then I pulled him close and whispered “A volcano? Atta boy, son.” Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, S.D. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@dairystar.com.
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Gloomy winter days emphasize need for sun’s rays
“You are my sunshine…” “Sunshine on my shoulders…” Rural Roots “Keep on the sunny side…” Yes, it seems that sunshine has been on the minds of song writers and other wordsmiths for quite some time. Sunshine – or the lack of it – has been on my mind, too. And rightly so. I’ve read that most of January – and part of February – was lled with gray skies instead of blue. My own observations bear that out. True, January here in Crawford County waltzed in with a clear, blue sky. But after that, the rst month took a moody turn for the worse. Jan. 2 brought fog and light rain. As a consequence, Jan. 3 dawned with a layer of ice. Then the cold set in. Jan. 7 brought a frigid temperaBy Ron Johnson ture of 0.2 degree below zero. Three days later, we were Staff Writer socked by rain and freezing rain. Then it was, for the most part, more clouds and more snow. Here’s a journal entry from Jan. 17: “Got up to 38 degrees today. The ice is off the mulberry tree in front of the house.” Now, that’s worth writing about: The ice has nally melted from the mulberry bush. Come Jan. 19, the fog kicked in, big time. Melting snow from the warmer air generated fog that did not lift until noon or later. I wasn’t able to see my mailbox, just 0.15 mile up the driveway, until noon or later. Jan. 20 and 21 repeated the foggy refrain. When the fog nally ed, we were still blessed with more overcast skies, making the days as gray as a banker’s soul. Add to the mix more snow, more ice – and the fact that the main blower on our gas furnace went on the fritz – and January was most assuredly not a cheery month. We made keeping our pair of wood stoves fed and blazing, and hauling ashes and lugging chunks of oak and elm part of our early morning and evening chores. Groundhog Day, Feb. 2, did nally deliver a snippet of sunshine. But, that wascally woodchuck spied his fat shadow, portending six more weeks of winter. What Jessica and I – and probably many of you, too – really needed was a heavy, regular dose of blue sky and sunshine. Well, I am pleased to announce that we now have instant sunshine at our command – as long as the electric grid survives. My articial sunlight machine perches on a table just to the left of my desk. The device is white, plastic (of course), and emits brilliant light that is said to duplicate that from a bright, brilliant, blue sky day. We’d heard and read for years about a dreaded condition called SAD. That acronym is short for seasonal affective disorder. According to the venerable Mayo Clinic, SAD is a temporary depression. It’s linked to the ebb and ow of the seasons. As such, SAD‘s symptoms usually start to show up in the autumn. They linger into the winter, making a person feel less energetic and more moody. One antidote for SAD is to simply get more sunlight. Of course, that’s sometimes easier said than done. This past January set records for the number of cloudy days, in some places. I don’t have an exact count for where I live, but Chicagoans, for example, suffered through eight days in a row when the cloud cover averaged 100 percent, according to the National Weather Service. Anyway, Jessica might have solved our SAD situation by buying our electric sun machine. It’s touted as giving off 17,000 Kelvins of light that does not contain any ultraviolet rays. Yes, I did have to look up the denition of Kelvin, since it’s not a term I bandy about every day – or every decade, for that matter. I won’t bore you with the details, but zero Kelvin is the same as 459.67 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, or 273.15 degrees below zero Celsius. Either way, that’s mighty cold, and I suspect that was the temperature my toes reached during one November deer hunt in Clark County, when my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches froze into bricks. Does the sun machine work? I don’t know. But I do know that having it shining on my face for 15 to 30 minutes in the morning hasn’t done me any harm. Of course, the best remedy for lack of sunlight is – sunlight. We’ve gotten several blue sky days lately. The knowledge that the days are lengthening and that spring slips ever nearer also helps my mood. According to my calculations, we have approximately three weeks to go until the Vernal Equinox arrives and spring is ofcially here. Already, the sap is circulating in my maple trees. I’ve seen and heard more than one red-winged blackbird, heard a robin cackle, and watched as a turkey vulture soared overhead. On some mornings, the geese honk nonstop as they ply the sky over my house, while on their way between the Wisconsin and Mississippi Rivers. If things continue at this pace, I’ll soon be able to unplug the sunlight machine and stow it under the bed until November.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 31
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Social season Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017
No one knows exactly when or who invented the nation and a southern belle coming out in a debutante compass, but it has been giving direction to travelers ball. This is the time of year when we normally would since ancient times. The four main points (cardinal be crawling out from under piles of snow and winter directions) of the compass are North, East, South and gear to meet up with neighbors and friends at various West. The four half-points (ordinal directions) origi- ag meetings, appreciation dinners and farm shows benated between these major directions (NE, SE, SW, fore we get swept up in the spring rush. NW). Later, more points of directions were develOur social season began with a cattle sale just oped to gain more precise bearing until, nally, 32 west of us. Whoever picked the date of Feb. 17 for an points were used to create outdoor cattle sale in Minthe compass rose. nesota should have bought This iis the h time i off year when h I imagine the four sea- Thi a lottery ticket. It could sons of a year can also be we normally would be crawling have been a blustery day, at divided to develop more best, or a blizzard, at worst. precise bearing on our jour- out from under piles of snow It could have been a day of ney through another year of and winter gear to meet up sub-zero temperatures or farming. Even though the a winter heat wave of 20 calendar says we are still in with neighbors and friends... above. It turned out to be a the winter season, I feel like perfect day for the sale. we’re past the half-point Farmers from a and leaning more towards spring. Think of it as WSS, wide area showed up for the sale. We all looked like winter spring direction. It can still feel like a cold a bunch of bears stretching as we woke up from our winter day with a biting northwest wind, yet there is a winter hibernation. Stocking hats were replaced by smell of spring in the air, which brings a sense of re- seed caps. Insulated coveralls were passed up for a lief. We’re on the backside of winter. Any storms that warm jacket and maybe long johns. Insulated winter hit us now won’t last long, and the deep cold nights boots were replaced with tingly rubber boots to slosh are but a memory. through the mud and melting snow. A friend had his So what is the season between winter and spring? wife wash up his insulated coveralls the night before Looking at my calendar, I would have to call it the so- and didn’t even need to wear them. Everyone was cial season. It is between a bear coming out of hiber- chatting to catch up on the latest news of winter sur-
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vival and plans for the coming year. The sale was a great kick-off to the social season. The next event on the calendar was the annual Gopher Dairy Club banquet. We’ve been going to the banquet since Jonathon started college. It has become a reunion of sorts, as Just Thinking Out Loud we reconnect with family dairy farmer friends from across the state. We look forward to catching up on what the kids are doing and where they’ve moved. We talk about the latest additions to our families and changes being made to our farms. Since we all speak the same language, By Natalie Schmitt we nod our heads in agreeColumnist ment as we completely understand the struggles and joys we share. It is so encouraging to meet up with these families to see how others have navigated through these changing times and developed a precise destination for their business. As we were driving southeast to the cities for the banquet, I was expecting to see tulips and crocuses blooming or catch a faint green haze in the tree line. The bright sunshine and rising thermometer indicated we were in a growing season, but the compass point isn’t quite there yet. The only color appears to be painted on the elds as Jon Hackett cleans out the manure pit. He says he is making the neighborhood smell fresh? I don’t know if they would agree with that description. The warm weather has pushed many farmers to clean out their sheds and lots before the ground gets too soft. It also looks like road restrictions are going on this week because of the early warm weather. It won’t be long before the frost is gone and the lakes in the eld start to recede. Of course, there are the annual creamery meetings, customer appreciation dinners, all-breed convention and farm shows coming up on the social calendar for the next month. What a great chance to reconnect with friends and neighbors. I have noticed one thing in common with all of these events – food. It is like everyone wants to fatten us up before we hit the elds, so we can survive a long spring. I look at it as a mini vacation from cooking during the week. Everyone wins during social season. Hope to see you out and about as we celebrate the social season of farming. Natalie, Mark and his brother, Al, Schmitt farm together near Rice, Minn. They milk 100 registered Holsteins under the RALMA prex. 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.
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In almost every discussion of low milk prices, somebody blames sexed semen. Indirectly, what they’re contending is that more heifer calves mean more milk cows which means more milk produced than the market has demand for. Lately, the issue has been producing more milk than processors have capacity for. Likewise, sexed semen gets blamed for the decline in replacement heifer prices. Recently, I received an email from a gentleman blaming sexed semen for higher dairy cow cull rates and lower age at culling. I don’t agree with him, because I don’t believe higher cull rates or lower age at culling are bad. When Dairy Good Life you take a closer look at the issue, we’re not culling dairy cows at younger ages because they’re no longer productive cows. We’re culling dairy cows at younger ages because we have enough heifers calving in to replace them. Sending younger cows to market (usually) means higher prices and, ultimately, higher quality beef for consumers. Whatever the issue, blaming sexed semen is short sighted. Is there a connection between the national herd size and milk prices? Absolutely. Does having more heifer calves reduce the demand, and thus the price, for springing heifers? Yes. Is there a connection between number of replacement By Sadie Frericks heifers and mature cow cull rate? Without a doubt. Columnist Is sexed semen the reason for our increased national herd size and increased number of replacement heifers? No. Sexed semen might contribute to these increases, but it cannot be held solely responsible. Several other signiďƒžcant advances in dairy farming in the past 20 years have contributed to increased cow and heifer numbers. First, we’ve made considerable strides in calf and heifer rearing. More calves get adequate colostrum. That colostrum comes from cows vaccinated with diarrhea-prevention vaccines. We’re feeding calves more milk, which leads to better growth and better immune system function. We have better housing with more space and better ventilation. If calves do get sick, we have better protocols for helping them recover, including one-dose antibiotic treatments, which improve cure rates. Second, we’re growing and harvesting higher quality forages. When used in properly balanced rations, higher quality forages contribute to better heifer growth and health. More heifers are entering the breeding group and calving in at younger ages. Those higher quality forages also mean better nutrition for our milking cows, which leads to improved fertility and higher pregnancy rates. When I was a teen, I didn’t know any dairy farmers with a 25 or 30 percent pregnancy rate. Now, I know of countless farms where this is the norm. Better reproduction is also the result of better heat detection systems, reproductive programs, the ability to select bulls with higher fertility, better transition cow care, improved cow comfort, and a number of other factors. Quite frankly, I don’t believe sexed semen would be effective or make economic sense without improved dairy calf health and dairy cow fertility. Nor do I believe sexed semen results in as many extra heifer calves as some tend to think. We use sexed semen selectively on cows and heifers with superior genetics. Most farms follow a similar selection strategy and many take it one step further by using sexed beef semen on cows and heifers with lower genetic potential. We also have to factor in the lower conception rates associated with sexed semen use and the fact that sexing technology doesn’t guarantee a heifer calf – it only increases the likelihood. Our last cow to calve in with a sexed semen calf delivered a bull calf. I calculated the effect sexed semen had on the number of heifer calves born on our farm in 2016. Of the 107 calves born, 52 were heifer calves, giving us a heifer calf rate of 48.5 percent. Six of those heifer calves were the result of sexed semen. Using a 50 percent heifer calf rate to adjust for the sexed semen use, we would have had a heifer calf rate of 45.7 percent if we had not used any sexed semen. Seven of those heifer calves were either DOA or born twin to a bull, so that leaves us with 45 heifer calves for replacements – 42 percent of all calves born. Whether we had 65 percent heifer calves born or 45 percent, it wouldn’t matter if we didn’t get those calves off to a good start. The bottom line is that we have healthier cows delivering more calves overall and we’re doing a better job caring for those calves. The impact of sexed semen is highly debatable. Our primary job as dairy farmers is to do the best we can and strive for continual improvement. It’s unfortunate our improvement has led to unfavorable market conditions, but that doesn’t mean we should vilify one technology while ignoring the contributions of the rest. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 75 cows near Melrose, Minn. They have three children – Dan, 10, Monika, 7, and Daphne, 4. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife. com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 33
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Nutritional impacts of overcrowding
The number of cows a facility can hold is a common discussion point on farms. While not all cows are housed in loose housing, hopefully you can pull out a few concepts that relate. First, let’s consider optimal stocking density Something to Ruminate On from an economic perspective. A recent paper by Dr. Albert De Vries from the University of Florida in the Journal of Dairy Science assessed the economics of variable stall stocking density. Researchers calculated the effect of stall and bunk stocking density on lying and feeding behavior by evaluating prot per stall using multiple performance indicators. A stall stocking density of 120 percent showed the maximum economic return across all model inputs. But that number may have further negative implications to cow health and performance. By Barry Visser I recently participated in a roundtable discusNutritionist sion with Dr. Rick Grant from the Miner Institute in Chazy, N.Y. The team at the Miner Institute has done extensive research over the years looking at time budget requirements for a cow and studying the negative inuencers to these tasks. Lactating dairy cows should spend 12 hours lying down during the day. Research has shown a linear reduction in lying time for any level of stall stocking density above 100 percent. Past work at the Miner Institute has shown that cows will sacrice eating time to compensate for lost resting time. Grant shared that, for every 3.5 minutes of lost rest, cows will sacrice one minute of eating time. Overstocking also diminishes a cow’s ability to exercise her natural behavior. Previous research at the Miner Institute has shown higher stocking density reduces feeding time and increases aggressive behavior at the bunk. Overstocking can also increase meal size and the rate at which feed is consumed. The nutritional implications of overcrowding go beyond feed bunk behavior. Grant shared the Miner Institute’s most recent research looking at stocking density at 100 percent versus 142 percent for both stalls and headlocks. The study also included two different dietary treatments with a high and low rate of physically effective ber and undigested NDF (uNDF). Higher stocking density increased the time rumen pH was below 5.8 and tended to increase the severity of sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA). Although researchers observed a dietary impact on rumen pH, greater stocking density had a larger effect on ruminal pH than diet. By far the greatest risk for SARA was the treatment with lower ber and higher stocking density. Manipulation of the feeding environment can help mitigate the negative effects of stocking density. So, what is the ideal stocking density for your freestall facility? While 120 percent is used as a general guideline, the optimal number is different on every farm. Cow comfort, group dynamics, nutrition programs, feeding strategies and bunk management are just a short list of factors that explain why the target stocking density is not a static number. The next time you think about how many cows to cull, keep in mind that overcrowding in any environment has negative consequences. While mild overcrowding may provide some economic incentive, recognize the implication may go beyond what we see in the bulk tank. These changes may impact the rumen dynamics and animal health. Barry Viser is a dairy specialist for Vita Plus. To contact Visser, email bvisser@ vitaplus.com.
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Classes, cows and camaraderie Bond forged in college continues for Ridgewater group By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
NEW LONDON, Minn. – For seven dairy management graduates of Ridgewater College in Willmar, Minn., the college friendships have continued well beyond the classroom doors. Over President’s Day weekend, 2003 graduates – Shane Deters, Curt Heard, Justin Heim, Trinity Johnson, Marshall Korn, Daryl Rylaarsdam, Dan Uilk and Adam Yorek, and their families – gathered in New London, Minn., for a retreat from the barns; a tradition the families began in 2010. In total, the weekend get-together included 14 adults and 25 children – ages 4 weeks to 10 years old – with one on the way. “After we all got married, there was a stint where we didn’t see each other very often,â€? Heim said. “The girls were actually the ďƒžrst ones to put this together, and we’ve done it every year since.â€? The weekend getaway was designed for the families to see each other amidst everyone’s busy dairy farming schedules. Deters and his wife, Amanda, milk 575 cows near Sauk Centre,
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
A group of 2003 Ridgewater College graduates – (from leĹŒ) Trinity Johnson, Marshall Korn, Daryl Rylaarsdam, Shane Deters, Adam Yorek, JusĆ&#x;n Heim and Curt Heard – and their instructor, Brant Groen (back), gather for a weekend getaway near New London, Minn. This is an annual trip for the families to catch up and talk about their farming operaĆ&#x;ons.
Minn., in partnership with his parents. Heard and his wife, Cheryl, dairy near Lake Wilson, Minn., milking 65 cows and have a 2,000head hog barn. Heim and his wife, Kellie, are in a partnership with his family, milking 300 cows near St. Charles, Minn. Johnson and his
wife, Emily, milk 1,050 cows near Rushford, Minn., with Johnson’s cousins and uncles; they also have a 10,000-pig operation. Korn milks 50 Guernseys and Milking Shorthorns with his wife, Melanie, near Atwater, Minn. Rylaarsdam is a herdsman on a 135-cow robotic dairy near
Chandler, Minn.; he and his wife, Bethany, also raise dairy steers. Yorek and his wife, Jackie, are in a partnership with his dad, brother, uncle and cousins milking 670 cows, near Little Falls, Minn. Turn to RIDGEWATER | Page 37
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Women In Jeans Jade Proksch Genoa, Wis. Vernon County 400 dairy goats
Family: My family consists of my husband, Ethan Proksch, Brantley, our 2-year-old son, and Ray Hass, Ethan’s grandpa, who owns the farm. Tell us about your farm. The farm is Hass and Proksch Dairy Goats. The farm was rst in Ethan’s family in 1905. It was a mix of dairy cows and pigs until Ethan took over in 2011. We have been milking goats commercially for six years and milk year-round. We have registered and mixed Alpines, Saanens, Nubians, Oberhasli, Lamanchas and a few Toggenburgs. We are different from other goat dairies because we rotationally graze. We also have a small beef herd. What’s the busiest time of day for you? My busiest time is early morning and early evening. I play hockey Wednesday nights, but when I’m home the only spare time is when Brantley takes a nap. When you get a spare moment what do you do? It depends on what’s in season, but I love to go deer and duck hunting and shing. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. One time Ethan left to go to the sales barn, and I had 10 does kid within two hours. It was crazy. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Of course, I enjoy the animals, but also the people How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I mostly I meet. Having dairy goats, you become close friends with other goat stay connected through Facebook. people. We are always willing to help each other out. In your opinion, what’s the importance of women in today’s dairy industry and how have you seen that change over the years? Women are very important. We do the housework (when we can), make the food, take care of the children, and most of us do almost the same (if not the same) amount of farm work as our husbands. Women still face the issue of not being taken as seriously as men in this industry. But it is getting better with more women having their own farms. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be and why? Michelle Obama, since she had the White House garden to teach children where veggies come from. If she toured the farm, she could learn what goes into getting milk and meat to market for consumption.
FARM INFORMATION STATION Joe Gill • Farm Director
What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken? When I went to Hawaii a few years ago. It was a family trip with my mom, sister and brother. I have not gone on a trip since I have had my own family.
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Ridgewater graduates and their wives – (from leĹŒ) Marshall and Melanie Korn, Adam and Jackie Yorek, Trinity and Emily Johnson, Shane and Amanda Deters, Curt and Cheryl Heard, Daryl and Bethany Rylaarsdam, and JusĆ&#x;n and Kellie Heim – enjoy each other’s company during an annual get-together Feb. 17-20 in New London, Minn.
While the farms vary in location, size and livestock emphasis, the men use the annual get-together as an opportunity to share on-farm experiences and trade ideas for bettering their operations. “I have a lot of respect for the big farms, because I know I wouldn’t be able to do that,â€? said Marshall, drawing grins from everyone in the room. “We bounce ideas off of each other and learn from each other.â€? Johnson agreed. “I couldn’t do what Marshall does – 100 percent on his own – the respect is reciprocated,â€? he said. “The coolest thing is that we’re all involved in dairy and that’s awesome.â€? Although a few of the graduates knew each other before attending college, it was through the classes and ďƒželd trips under the advisement of former dairy management instructor Brant Groen that really established the unwavering friendships.
than just dairy. I was able to rebuild my grandpa’s H tractor because of courses I took.â€? The graduates are also continually looking to avenues for improvement, based on the topics discussed in class. “There’s always a lot of texts and Snapchats ďƒ&#x;ying around,â€? Heard said. “Sometimes it’s just for a good laugh, but more often it’s talking about sick calves, vaccinations, feed, whatever. We’re always asking questions.â€? But when the families arrive for the weekend getaway, they try to keep conversation focused on the people surrounding them. “It’s fun to get to hear what everyone’s doing. We have so much in common,â€? Yorek said. “Even when we haven’t seen each other in a year, we pick right back up where we left it.â€? Rylaarsdam’s wife agreed. “Us ladies have fun, too. We’re all friends now and really look to it,â€? she said. “The “The coolest thing is that forward kids love it, too.â€? we’re all involved in dairy The weekend allows the crew to reďƒ&#x;ect on the past, and that’s awesome.â€? from trips to World Dairy Expo to discussions in Groen’s class, TRINITY JOHNSON, DAIRY PRODUCER to envisioning where the future of dairying might lie. “I remember thinking robots The class traveled across Minwill never work, and now look where nesota, through Colorado during the we are,â€? Deters said. “Technology is National Western Stock Show, and here.â€? even to Tulare, Calif., for the World Korn agreed, laughing. Ag Expo, touring dairies and learn“I remember stopping at a gas ing about different farm managestation in California and gas was ment practices. $2.25. I thought we’d never see that Each student’s farm was also visprice in Minnesota,â€? he said. ited at some point throughout their The reunions have varied in lotime in school. cation across the state, once includ“We had fun; they made me ing a weekend stay in the Twin Cityounger,â€? Groen said. “And I hope ies and visiting the Mall of America. they learned a little bit over the Last year, a few couples traveled to years, too.â€? Mexico for a short trip. Upon graduation, each dairyman With each reunion, the friendknew he wanted to return to his famship between the seven classmates ily farm or start-up on his own. and their families continues to deNow, they take the information velop. they gathered during their years in “From an instructor’s perspecWillmar and apply it to their own tive, we wanted them to build a famdairy operations. ily network and we tried,â€? Groen “I took a lot away from the said. “Seeing this group, this is abclasses,â€? Rylaarsdam said. “Espesolutely awesome and almost gives cially the importance of knowing me tears. The seed was planted in the your numbers when it comes to cash ground and they let it grow.â€? ďƒ&#x;ow.â€? Johnson added, “It was also more
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HURKES IMPLEMENT COMPANY Sales: 605-886-3817 • Parts: 605-882-3420 North Hwy. 20, Watertown, SD
BEST PRICES FOR 2017
*Two-Speed Electric Shift System Shift quickly and easily right from the seat of your tractor. New belt incline is super quiet!! Truck mounts available.
Full 7’ 5” wide • Wider 24” conveyor • Front to Rear Switching with no coupler or pin swap • New stronger gear drive gear boxes • Tubular steel up rights and floor supports
*These features only apply to the RTX
Dorchester, WI 54425 •715-654-5132 • 1-800-325-9103 email: sales@meyermfg.com home page: www.meyermfg.com Call or see your local dealer for complete details! MINNESOTA A & C Farm Service, Inc. (TMR Mixer Dealer) Paynesville, MN Fluegge’s Ag, Inc. Mora, MN Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equip. Pipestone, MN
Hammell Equipment Inc. ChatÀeld, MN Eitzen, MN Harmony, MN Rushford, MN Jungclaus Implement, Inc. Glencoe, MN
Midwest Machinery Co. (Forage Boxes Only) Alexandria, MN Sauk Centre, MN Midwest Machinery Co. (Full Line) Glencoe, MN Glenwood, MN Howard Lake, MN Princeton, MN
Northland Dairy Supply Inc. Eagle Bend, MN United Farmers Coop Lafayette, MN Waconia, MN Winthrop, MN Werner Implement Co., Inc. Vermillion, MN
Wingert Sales & Service WISCONSIN Plainview, MN Price Equipment Sales, Inc. IOWA Bloomington, WI Engel Agri Sales Ruf’s Farm Service Inc. Sac City, IA Darlington, WI Huss Implement Co. Tractor Central Lamotte, IA www.tractorcentral.com
SOUTH DAKOTA Pfeifer Implement Co. Sioux Falls, SD Puthhoff Repair Sales & Service, Inc. Salem, SD NORTH DAKOTA Haugen Sales & Service Wyndmere, ND
Dairy prole
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 25, 2017 • Page 39
sponsored by
Paul Schriever Harmony, Minn. Fillmore County 200 cows How did you get into farming? Through my family; I’m the fourth generation. After I graduated from Ridgewater College in 1998, I returned to the dairy full-time. It’s what I’ve always known and what I grew up doing. I farm with my dad, Brit. When I returned we were milking 60 cows. Five years later, we expanded. We milk three times a day at 4 a.m., noon and 8 p.m. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? Employees are a concern. There seems to be fewer people looking for farming jobs so nding quality employees when we need them is difcult. We have three full-time employees. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I like watching the kids grow up and learn things on the farm which they wouldn’t learn in town. My wife, Nicki, and I have four kids, Faith, 10, Sarah, 8, Landon, 8, and Brennah, 5.
the fresh cows and mixing feed. What is your favorite dairy product? Chocolate milk. What is your favorite tool? Anything cordless.
How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? Our kids are just starting to get into sports so we What has been the best purchase like going to their sporting events. you’ve ever made on your farm? They play basketball and volleyOur activity monitoring sys- ball. tem. We’ve had it for four years. It helps with our breeding and What is your favorite technology? keeping the pregnancy rate more The automatic takeoffs are helpful with employees. We’ve had them consistent. for a long time, and they work reWhat has been your biggest ac- ally well. complishment while dairy farming? How did you achieve this? Tell us about a skill you possess Being able to get started in dairy that makes dairy farming easfarming. This was made possi- ier for you. I’m exible. On the ble by having my family already farm, things don’t always go as a planned. I don’t mind changing dairying and able to help me. what I was going to do for the day. What are your plans for your dairy in the next ve years? We If you could have a celebrity help you with chores for a day who don’t plan to make any changes. would it be? Donald Trump, so What is your favorite thing to do he can see what our agriculture on the farm? I like taking care of needs are. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Keep working at it and do the best you can.
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 25, 2017
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Salesmen: Tony Steinhart (608) 778-3491 or Joe Ryan (608) 778-2900
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4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI