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2 DAIRY ST 5R C E L E B R A T I N G
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Y E A R S
February 25, 2023
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 25, No. 1
Learn the Maximizing parlor time latest in Rotary technology reproductive the dairy boosts performance for industry Zieglers PDPW Business Conference offers something for everyone By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – Dairy farmers looking to deepen their arsenal of knowledge, and network with peers from near and far, will not want to miss the 2023 PDPW Business Conference. The two-day event will take place March 15-16 at the Kalahari Resort in Wisconsin Dells. “If you have a stake in the conversation of the dairy industry, you need to be there,” said Cassandra Strupp, program manager at Professional Dairy Producers. “This is a chance to invest in yourself. The conference offers tools and information you can use to be better in your business and community.” Forty-seven speakers will light up this year’s 30th annual business conference, the theme of which is “Empowering Success.” The conference promises to bring together the brightest minds in dairy to produce a premier educational event. “What kind of tools and motivation do you need to be successful today, tomorrow or a year from now?” Strupp said. “The PDPW Business Conference offers the skillsets, awareness and education you can embody to be successful. Presenters come from both inside and outside of agriculture, which makes this event even more dynamic.” This year’s conference will include sessions on water quality, carbon credits, business acuity, cover crops, udder health and much more. The conference caters to all types of learning styles – from longer listening sessions to hand-on hubs for those wanting to physically dive into a subject and learn a certain skillset. The Nexus stage highlights product innovation, while the
Turn to PDPW | Page 6
By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
MIDDLETON, Wis. – The Zieglers are better utilizing cows’ time in the parlor to complete tasks that previously kept the herd on their feet in the freestall barn. Instead of spending hours trying to nd cows that need reproductive shots, they now give shots on the rotary after having installed the ParlorBoss system in April 2021. By giving shots in a more efcient manner, compliance improved by nearly 8% and the farm’s pregnancy rate climbed 9% all while reducing the amount of time cows spend in headlocks. “It’s an awesome system,” Steve Ziegler said. “Anything we need to do with the cows,
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The Ziegler family – Andrew (from le�), Steve, Greg, Jon, Ma� and Dan – milks 1,070 cows and farms 3,500 acres near Middleton, Wisconsin. The farm’s pregnancy rate climbed from 25% to 34% a�er installing parlor technology that makes it easy to give reproduc�ve shots while cows ride the rotary parlor. Not pictured is Greg’s wife, Cheryl, and his parents, Leo and Carol Ziegler. we can now do while they’re milking.” The Ziegler family milks 1,070 cows and farms 3,500 acres near Middleton. Three generations work side by side on Ziegler Dairy Farm, which was founded in 1862. Ziegler
and his four brothers – Andrew, Matt, Dan and Jon – are the fth generation on the farm they operate with their parents, Greg and Cheryl, and grandparents, Leo and Carol Ziegler. Cows are milked three times a day in the farm’s
48-stall rotary parlor that was installed in 2000. A 70-inch TV screen hangs on the wall near the exit of the parlor, clearly showing which cows need shots or need to be Turn to ZIEGLERS | Page 8
Unexpected invita�on Molitor attends State of the Union By Jan Lefebvre jan.l@star-pub.com
ROCKVILLE, Minn. – Before Hannah Molitor could accept an invitation to attend the State of the Union Feb. 7 in Washington, D.C., she needed to reschedule with area farmers. “I had to do some checking around,” Molitor said. “I had some herds that I was already scheduled to test. I had to call all those guys.” Molitor is a eld representative for Dairy Herd Improvement Association. She also helps at her family’s dairy farm, owned by her dad, Joe Molitor, and uncle, Tom Molitor. They milk 300 Holsteins near Rockville. On the morning of Feb. 2, Molitor was in her coveralls and barn boots, doing some milk testing in a tiestall barn, when her cell phone rang.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Hannah Molitor stands with U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer Feb. 7 at Emmer’s office in Washington, D.C. Molitor was there as one of Emmer’s guests for the State of the Union and helps on her family’s dairy farm near Rockville, Minnesota. “I received a call from U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer’s ofce, invit-
ing me to the State of the Union,” Molitor said.
Molitor was expected to depart at 7 a.m. the following Tuesday. She said all of her clients were willing to reschedule their milk tests when they heard about Molitor’s unexpected invitation. Emmer sponsored the Agriculture Skills Preparation for Industry Recruitment Efforts Act with Sen. Tina Smith, which was introduced this summer. The act would support workforce development in the agricultural sector by establishing a work-based agricultural training program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program to fund apprenticeship and internship programs with local farms and agricultural businesses. Molitor said the bill may be one of the reasons Emmer invited a young person in agriculture to attend the president’s speech. In a press release introducing his State of the Union guests, Emmer mentioned the bill. He also
Turn to MOLITOR | Page 7