LOOK INSIDE FOR OUR CENTRAL PLAINS DAIRY EXPO PREVIEW EDITION!
DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 23, No. 2
Respect is key at Mill Creek Dairy Gregory keeps employee management simple By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
KIMBALL, Minn. – When it comes to employees, Tom Gregory starts with a basic concept. “One thing we always try to do is treat our employees with respect,” Gregory said. “We get to know them … work with them, listen to them and help them talk through their problems. It has seemed to work well, and they seem to really enjoy working with us.” Gregory, who is a dairy farmer near Kimball, spoke about how his farm manages employees during the Feb. 26 webinar “Finding (and keeping!) Farm Employees,” which was hosted by the University of Minnesota Extension and Minnesota Dairy Initiatives-South Central Region. Phil Durst from Michigan State University also spoke during the webinar. Gregory spoke about how his family’s dairy changed over the years. In 1997, Gregory started Mill Creek Dairy with his family along with his brother, Ed, and his family, and their neighbor, Frank, and his family. Two herds of cattle and adjoining land came together to form the partnership and move into a new facility. Two employees from one of the 80-cow herds came along. “This whole thing was a huge learning curve,” Gregory said. “We went from individual smaller herds to one large herd and made many mistakes along the way.” In 1998, the farm started hiring high school employees, and at the end of that year, their current herdsman joined the farm after leaving his herdsman position at another dairy. “All of us were trying to do the same thing – bringing up cows, taking care of the health of the cows,” Gregory said. “Myron (the herdsman) could see we were running into a problem. He had experience with being a herdsperson so he slowly worked into it and slowly took over the health, breeding the cattle as necessary. The dairy started improvTurn to EMPLOYEES | Page 5
March 13, 2021
Innovation under one roof Rolfs build automated facility for all animals By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
MCINTOSH, Minn. – From a newborn calf to a cow completing her lactation, every animal on Golden Sunrise Dairy Inc. is housed under one roof in a barn equipped with the latest feeding and milking technology. “I didn’t have any hesitation,” said Tim Rolf of the new construction. “I knew I needed the younger generation to help, and Derek studied a lot about what would be JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR best for us.” On Feb. 18, 2020, Derek Rolf, Tim Rolf and Jesse Moan operate Golden Sunrise Dairy Inc. in Polk County near Tim and his son, Der- McIntosh, Minnesota. In 2018, the Rolfs began construcƟon on housing faciliƟes for calves to ek, began milking their cows that incorporates the industry’s latest automated technologies. 140-cow herd with three Lely Astronaut A5 robots on their farm pens. from within. We have 195 head of in Polk County near McIntosh. “We put in three robots with a calves and heifers, and should reach In 2018, the partners began con- planned expansion to four,” Tim said. full capacity around 2022.” struction on their housing facilities, “When we started this, we also started Turn to ROLFS | Page 10 which include an automated calf barn using sexed semen to build our herd attached to a cross-ventilated freestall barn that houses weaned youngstock, dry and lactating cows in addition to a kitchen for the Lely Vector. The barn stands 562 feet long with the width varying from 138 feet for the cow groups and 148 feet for the heifers and the kitchen. To the south of the facility is a short walkway that opens to a 106-by-70 calf barn. Calves are housed in individual pens and bottle fed for the rst three days of life. They then transition to a pen of 20 calves on an automatic feeder until weaned. At 5 months, the heifers are relocated to the far east side of the freestall barn and move throughout a series of pens until three weeks precalving. A section of pens dividing the youngstock and lactating herds is allocated for far-off and close-up dry cows, JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR including a maternity pen. A Lely Vector mixing and feeding robot delivers feed to a group of lactaƟng cows Once in lactation, the cows can be March 4 at Golden Sunrise Dairy Inc. near McIntosh, Minnesota. The Rolfs use moved into one of two pens based on lactation and stall availability in the the automated feeding system for their heifers, dry cows and lactaƟng cows.
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
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 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Krista Kuzma - Editor/Wisconsin (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Andrea Borgerding - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (608) 487-1101 danielle.n@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Staff Writer (262) 442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@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 nal 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 ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
A glance at what’s inside
Steps to a better night’s sleep Dairy farming consumes many hours of each day; however, it is important to leave enough time for a night of quality sleep. Dennis Hoiberg of Lessons Learnt Consulting talked about the affects consistently poor sleep can have on a person body. Plus, he outlined steps to getting a better night’s sleep in his Feb. 25 webinar “Sleep: The Fuel of Your Resilience.” Wika, Prieve share experiences as silvopasture graziers Sue Wika and Tom Prieve have learned a lot about how to graze their sheep and goat herds on their Paradox Farm in Battle Lake, Minnesota. The two shared their experience as silvopasture graziers Feb. 23 during the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service Growing Stronger virtual conference. Silvopasture is the deliberate integration of trees and livestock grazing operations on the same land and plays well the strengths of both animals on their farm. Dairying in the High Plains of Texas In 2005, the De Jong family took the leap into organic dairy farming alongside their conventional dairy businesses. They moved to the Texas panhandle and looked to help ll the need in the growing organic dairy market. Today, their dairy, Natural Prairie Dairy, supplies certied organic milk to three regional grocers from their ve dairy sites – four near Hartley, Texas, and one in Lake Village, Indiana. Gorsts embrace being rst-generation dairy farmers Although Aaron Gorst did not grow up a dairy farm, he spent enough time in his youth working on nearby dairy farms that it gave him an excitement for the industry and how he could be involved. In 2014, he embarked on his own dairying journey in a rented barn near Granton, Wisconsin. Over the years, he has worked to continue his dairying career, and now he and his wife, Ellen, milk 56 cows on their farm they purchased in June 2015 near Marsheld, Wisconsin.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 27, 2021 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists
Bon Yankton Homme
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Clay
Country Cooking
Lyon
Osceola O’Brien
Sioux Plymouth
Page 26 Second Section
Jackson
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Kanabec
Washington
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Worth
Mitchell Howard
Hancock Cerro Gordo
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Greene Guthrie
Floyd
First Section: Pages 18, 20
Houston
Boone
Story
Polk
all
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Ma
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Ch
Bremer
Wright Franklin Butler
Dallas
Black Hawk
Tama
Jasper
Fayette
Clayton
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Bu
Benton
Dela
Jones
Linn
Iowa
Madison Warren Marion Mahaska Keokuk
Adair
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Page
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Grundy un Webster Hamilton Hardin
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Mills
Kossuth
Fillimore
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Crawford Carroll
Harrison Shelby
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Palo Alto
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Dick
Clay
Freeborn
Faribault
Martin
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Turner
Nobles
Winona
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Charles Mix
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Rock
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted
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Gregory
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Murray
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Douglas
Moody
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Todd
Tripp
Lake
Breeding Focus: John and Connie Meyer
Wabasha
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Mellette
Miner
Brown
Rollingstone
Goodhue
Rice
All
Aurora
Brule
Sanborn
Nicollet
Clinton n Cedar
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Jo
Jackson
Muscatine
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Jerauld
Brookings
Taylor
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Lyman
Kingsbury
Redwood
Dakota
Scott
Sibley
Lyon
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Buffalo
Beadle
Carver
Union ld go
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Clarke
Lucas
Decatur Wayne
Monroe Wapello pp
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Davis
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Hamlin
Hand
Hennepin
McLeod
Renville
Yellow Medicine
Wa s
Hyde
Chippewa
Anoka
Wright
Meeker
sh iek
Jones
Hughes
Deuel
Kandiyohi
Isanti
Po we
Stanley
Swift
Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Sherburne
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Sully
Clark
Benton
Stearns
Pope
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
Pine
Mille Lacs
Su
Spink
n
Faulk
Potter
Stevens
Grant
Ziebach
Carlton
Morrison
Douglas
Farmer, milk hauler continue lasting careers in parallel paths
Aitkin
Crow Wing
Todd Grant
Big Stone
Day
Cass
go
Edmunds
Otter Tail
Wilkin
Roberts
Marshall
McPherson
Princeton
isa Ch
Dewey
Jackson
Sargent
Brown Walworth
Pennington
Richland
Lake
Le
Campbell
Corson
Dickey
McIntosh
Becker
Clay
Ransom
LaMoure
Emmons Sioux
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Mah
Cook
Itasca
Hubbard
Cass
men
Wadena
Bames
Tra ver se
Stutsman
Logan
Haakon
Polk
Lincoln
Kidder
Koochiching St. Louis
Red Lake
Trail
Steele
Beltrami
Pennington
Pipestone
Burleigh
Grant
Shannon Pages 10 - 11 Bennett Second Section
Marshall
Grand Forks
Griggs
Lake of the Woods
on
Foster
Morton
Adams
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Fall River
Walsh
Gregory keeps employee management simple
Carlson competes in collegiate wrestling
Roseau
Norman
Oliver
Spring time brings mud
Meade Page 33 First Section
Custer
Wells
Sheridan
Page 31 Hettinger First Section
Kittson
Benson
Mercer
Come Full Dairy Circle
Lawrence
Pembina
Eddy
Perkins
Butte
Cavalier
Towner
Ramsey
McHenry
McLean
Page 35 First Section
Harding
Rolette
io
Bowman
First Section: Pages 1, 5-6
Nelson
Veterinary Wisdom Stark
Slope
First Section: Page 38
Bottineau
Ward
Billings Golden Valley
First Section: Pages 1, 10-11
Un
Dunn
Third Section: Pages 12 - 13
Pierce
Mountrail Dear County Agent Guy
Page 30 First Section
Kimball
Da vi so n
McKenzie
Pennock
Rolfs build automated facility for calves, cows
ub
Renville Page Burke 27 First Section
Williams
McIntosh
Kid’s Corner: The Krohnfeldts
On the Road with Princess Kay Divide
Leaf Valley
Au d
Pages 8-9 First Section
Clearwater
Ag Insider
son
fer
Jef
Van Buren
Louisa
Henry Des
Moines
Lee
Scott
Stanhope
Iowa author writes nine ag-related children’s books Second Section: Page 21
Ireton
Hoogendoorn creates app to project dairy farm prots Second Section: Page 3
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: What is a main concern you have for the dairy industry moving forward? First Section: Pages 15-16
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021 • Page 5
ConƟnued from EMPLOYEES | Page 1 ing very quickly after that.” Changes came over the years. Frank left the partnership in 2000. In 2011, the dairy expanded with a manure separator, adding onto the barn and purchasing an adjoining dairy herd with 250 cows along with leasing the facility the animals occupied. At this time, the dairy hired a Spanish-speaking employee. “That was a big ordeal because Tom Gregory none of us spoke Dairy farmer Spanish, and he didn’t speak English, but somehow we gured it out,” Gregory said. Not long after, the employee’s daughter joined the farm, and the two are employed there today. The farm now has 15 employees with eight of them being full time. When it comes to paying employees, Gregory tries to keep the wages he pays competitive with area fast food restaurants. Plus, Gregory offers other non-monetary benets such as offering food from his family’s garden, cooking meals for holiday dinners and other appreciation gatherings. “Sometimes things like that cost you money, but the payback is 100%,” Gregory said. Durst spoke about what is important for dairy farms to know as their business and workforce grows. “I learned long ago that when it came to whatever recommendations I was given related to health and feeding when I talked to the owner on farms
that were increasing in size, it didn’t translate to the people doing the work,” Durst said. “I had to start dealing with the farmers as employers.” After hearing Gregory’s farm story, Durst said they do things well. “Tom said they don’t do anything special with employees,” Durst said. “I hear that over and over with people who are successful. The reality is they do a lot of things just right and a lot of things well.” Longevity is important, Durst said. “We can’t build a business on short termers,” he said. “We have to build a business on people who stay, who we can count on and we can leverage the knowledge and abilities they have to keep growing.” During a survey Durst did with farms that employed 10 people or more, he found management of people is the biggest factor whether an employee would stay at a farm or not. “It doesn’t account for every employee coming and going because people’s lives have different changes, but the key for most employees is when you respect them, they respect you,” Durst said. “People want to feel valued, appreciated, they want to feel like they’re doing a good job. They want to feel like they’re part of something.” Training takes priority too. “The reality is when we hire people today, it’s a different job market than even 10 years ago,” Durst said. “There are fewer people and maybe their skills are less. Maybe they don’t come from a farm and maybe they don’t look like us.”
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Communication goes hand-in-hand with training. “It’s easy to just assume people should know what we know and do what we think,” Durst said. “The reality is we can’t assume those things. We have to be explicit in talking about those things, whether they are our sons and daughters or whether they are nephews and nieces or total strangers to the operation.” Part of that communication is feedback on how employees are doing. “We need to give positive feedback because that reinforces good behavior and what we want to see happen again and again,” Durst said. For example, people without large animal experience may be afraid of cows that are bigger than them. “Because they’re afraid of the
cows, some people will yell at them or hit them or do things we don’t want to happen,” Durst said. “I think one of the best things we can do as employers is spend time walking the herd of cows with the new employee on their rst day to show them how we treat animals.” The start of respectful treatment needs to start with people. “You can’t care for the farm until you care for one another,” Durst said. “If we want to respect employees, we treat them as equals. We believe in them to have the right kind of intent in what they do. I think sometimes we look for a silver bullet in how to keep employees and we say maybe it’s compensation. It is important but that’s not the most important thing. It’s really the little things we do.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021 • Page 7
AMPI, First District Association form American Dairy Cooperative CMA to create long-term strength in industry By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
LITCHFIELD, Minn. – Two dairy cooperatives have joined forces to optimize benets to their members and customers. Associated Milk Producers Inc. and First District Association announced the formation of American Dairy Cooperative, a Common Marketing Agency that will allow the cooperatives to coordinate value-added services while farmer-members maintain ownership and independence in their own cooperatives. “As we began discussions on the CMA, it was really important to both First District Association and AMPI that we retained our own identities and remained independent cooperatives,” Josh Barka said. “The CMA allows us to do just that while also providing an avenue to work together.” Barka is a dairy farmer from Litcheld and chairman of the American Dairy Cooperative. The CMA is intended to optimize operations within each cooperative and create a more efcient way of meeting dairy demand, both domestically and globally. These objectives may include
improving on-farm services, better use of manufacturing capacities and creating a larger dairy product selection. “The CMA is a natural progression for two like-minded cooperatives to better position themselves for longterm strength,” said Steve Schlangen, a dairy farmer from Albany and vice chair of the newly formed CMA. “It exemplies the cooperative principal of cooperation among cooperatives.” Bob Huffman, FDA president and CEO, agreed. “AMPI and FDA have a complementary portfolio of products that expands offerings to current and prospective customers, for example,” he said. “Providing more options strengthens customer relationships and increases sales opportunities.” Developing CMAs in other sectors of the agriculture industry has been advantageous for all cooperatives involved. For instance, four sugar beet cooperatives in Minnesota, Michigan and North Dakota – Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative, MinnDak Farmers Cooperative, American Crystal Sugar Company and Michigan Sugar Company – joined forces to form Midwest Agri-Commodities Company. That CMA has become a prominent global supplier of sugar beet pulp and other byproducts. Perhaps most familiar to the dairy sector is World Wide Sires Ltd., a CMA
made of the member cooperatives of Select Sires to jointly market cattle genetics. Forming CMAs has been in use since before the Capper-Volstead Act was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1922, which essentially gives cooperatives exemptions from anti-trust laws. “Co-ops have used this to their advantage,” said Michael Boland in a press release announcing the American Dairy Cooperative. “It allows cooperatives to coordinate value-added services with each other, while individual cooperative members retain ownership and independence.” Boland is a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. In forming the American Dairy Cooperative, the two entities worked with an attorney to appropriately establish the CMA. “The rst step was learning more about what a Common Marketing Agency is and how it could work for us,” Schlangen said. “CMAs have not been used much in the dairy industry but have been around for more than 100 years.” The American Dairy Cooperative will be led by a board of directors of both cooperatives to represent the annual production of 7 billion pounds of milk between AMPI and FDA farmer members.
While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic created challenges in organizing the CMA, the group is now in a position to identify specic opportunities, including marketing initiatives. “We anticipate cost savings and the ability to offer a wider array of products to meet the needs of our customers,” said Sheryl Meshke, AMPI co-president and CEO. Barka agreed. “(This) allows us to look into the future and see what synergies our cooperatives have together and how we can capitalize on those opportunities to provide economic returns back to each cooperative,” he said. As the CMA represents two likeminded cooperatives and their strong businesses in an ever-expanding dairy industry, the board members want farmers to understand the core purpose of the American Dairy Cooperative is to reect the ideals of AMPI and FDA as the organizations will now collaboratively benet in the industry’s marketplace. “Our goal is to work together … to protect the time-honored Midwest traditions of family-run dairy farms owning the processing plant while bringing the returns back to the family farm,” Barka said.
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Farmers to Families Food Box Program extended Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
USDA’s Farmers to Families Food Box Minnesota Department of Agriculture budget is not program will continue through April. “We are expected to be an issue. “The ag budget is probably going to do a review of that program to determine the smallest program in the state of Minnesota with how best to coordinate the benets of that a lot of the money being a pass-through to things program as it serves rural and remote areas,” said like the University of Minnesota or AURI.” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Ag Insider This program, which began during the Minnesota House considers changes Trump Administration, is part of the for board of animal health government’s food availability efforts A bill designed to reform the during the pandemic. The review is not Minnesota Board of Animal Health complete, however, “it does make sense was laid over by the House Agriculture if we can preserve what works with Committee for inclusion in an omnibus the program and does make sense to bill. South St. Paul Representative gure out how to use a highly efcient Rick Hansen authored the bill to distribution system that works today.” expand the board from ve members to nine. It also calls for gender balance. Addressing workforce crisis “That diversity is strength,” Hansen The Farm Workforce Modernization said. Starbuck representative Paul By Don Wick Act has been reintroduced in Congress. Anderson is opposed to this proposal, Columnist This proposal attempts to address saying “change for just change’s sake, labor issues. “This bipartisan bill takes I’m not sure is the best way to go on a signicant step toward ultimately addressing this.” through legislation the workforce crisis plaguing American agriculture (and) NMPF urges the House Milk production rises to swiftly pass this bipartisan measure,” said Jim Milk production in the 24 major dairy states Mulhern, president/CEO, National Milk Producers totaled more than 18 billion pounds in January. Federation. NMPF said the dairy industry needs a That is up 1.8% from one year ago. South Dakota stable, legal workforce and called on the Senate to was one of the states seeing the biggest increase in address ag labor reform. production, up 10%. Minnesota milk production rose nearly 6%. South Dakota added 13,000 cows Ag credit survey offers positive news to its state herd in the past year. In Minnesota, cow A dramatic improvement in fourth quarter crop numbers increased by 12,000 head. prices has resulted in the quickest turnaround in agricultural lending in more than a decade. That is Land O’Lakes reports 29% year-over-year the nding from the latest Federal Reserve Bank’s increase in earnings ag credit study. Farm loan repayments increased for Land O’Lakes reports net income of $266 the rst time since 2013. Loan demand is down. million for the scal year, an increase from $207 million in 2019. The dairy foods business enjoyed MDA budget bill not expected to be an issue strong retail sales, offsetting the losses in the With the state economic forecast out, lawmakers foodservice area. For WinField United, the margins can now go to work on budget bills. House for crop protection products were squeezed as basic Agriculture Committee Chair Mike Sundin said the manufacturers lowered prices. Earnings for the
fertilizer business and the Purina animal nutrition segment were up. Made in America Crystal Farms will be able to use AMPI’s ‘Coop Crafted’ logo. This logo guarantees the cheese was produced and sourced from American dairy farmers. The announcement was made during the AMPI virtual annual meeting.
Harden named U.S. Dairy Export Council CEO U.S. Dairy Export Council Chief Operating Ofcer Krysta Harden has been promoted and is now serving as its president and CEO. Harden succeeds Tom Vilsack who led the USDEC after serving as agriculture secretary in the Obama administration and has returned to USDA. Harden previously served as Vilsack’s deputy agriculture secretary. U of M regent candidates have ag experience Three of the eight nalists for the University of Minnesota Board of Regents have an agricultural connection. In the Seventh Congressional District, the nalists are Doug Huebsch of Perham and Mike Yost of Murdock. Huebsch is a farmer and past president of the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association. Yost also farms and is a past president of the American Soybean Association and served as the administrator of USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service. In the First District, Minnesota FFA Foundation Executive Director Val Aarsvold is a nalist. The legislature will vote on the four open seats on the Board of Regents. MN FFA Hall of Fame announces ‘21 honorees The inductees are Appleton ag teacher Wes Anderson, University of Minnesota Career Development Event Coordinator Dennis Bjorklund, Minnesota Agricultural Education Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021 • Page 9
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8
Leadership Council Executive Director Sarah Dornink, New Ulm attorney and Minnesota FFA Foundation Past Chair Michael Dove, Sleepy Eye ag instructor Mary Hoffmann, communications specialist and Minnesota FFA Foundation past chair Donna Moenning, AgCentric Director Keith Olander, West Central ag instructor Eric Sawatzke and Dekalb/Asgrow agronomist and Minnesota FFA Alumni Past President Harmon Wilts. Trivia challenge House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott represents a
district in the state of Georgia. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, what former world leader is credited with helping to perfect soft serve ice cream? 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.
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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
Con�nued from ROLFS | Page 1
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Tim Rolf describes how the augers deliver feedstuffs to the mixing and feeding robot March 4 at his farm near McIntosh, Minnesota. The Rolfs use two robots to feed their youngstock and cows. With the exception of the calves, all animals at Golden Sunrise Dairy are fed using the automated feeding system which is equipped with two mixing and feeding robots. Every hour, the robots scan the feed bunks throughout the barn and make rations based on feed availability at the pens. “No matter if we move cows, it always delivers feed whenever the bunks reach a certain level that the robot scans and reads with a laser,” Tim said. “We have it set to run our dry cows and heifers pretty tight, and also prioritize milk cows. This means if heifers and cows both need feed, it’ll mix a ration for the milk cows rst.” The kitchen – which includes 72 blocks for feedstuffs to be stored – is designed for three days of feed storage. Currently, the Rolfs have it occupied with dry hay, haylage, corn silage and straw. They also use an auger system to deliver corn, soybean meal, minerals and water to the ration. “Once one robot goes to the barn, the other comes into the kitchen to mix another ration,” Derek said. “So far it’s been great. We continue to be amazed at technology and how it works.” The Rolfs did not always imagine their facility upgrades to include so much automation. Yet, in developing plans for the future of the dairy, automation
made sense. Tim and Derek have been dairying in partnership since 2016 when Golden Sunrise Dairy Inc. was formed. Prior to that, Tim’s brother, David, was also involved in the dairy operation which the Rolf brothers purchased from their parents in 1987. The brothers replaced a 4-stall parlor with a double-8 herringbone parlor in 1991 and grew the herd from 70 to 100 cows over the course of 13 years. “We started looking at robots as we knew our facility was getting to its end of life,” Tim said. “Robots were out long enough that we thought it was pretty interesting and knew the technology was working for people.” Derek agreed. “Something had to be done,” he said. “It was either tear down and build new or quit. I’ve always been here and always liked farming.” While a new barn and milking robots seemed to be the plan, incorporating the automated feeding system came after the Rolfs toured dairies that used both technologies. “The plan was to keep the heifers in the old barn,” Derek said. “Then, we thought why ll silos at one Turn to ROLFS | Page 11
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Heifers are housed in a freestall pen on the east end of the 562-foot long freestall barn at Golden Sunrise Dairy Inc. near McIntosh, Minnesota. All the animals are housed under one roof.
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021 • Page 11
ConƟnued from ROLFS | Page 10 location and make piles here? The Vector can feed everything, so we might as well put it all under one roof.” The Rolfs also hoped to improve cow comfort with the facility design. Previously, the cows were milked twice a day, but before and after each milking shift, the cows spent a lengthy amount of time in a holding area. Not only this, but with the growing herd, air quality and stall capacity were limited. Soon after moving into the new facility, the Rolfs noticed
a signicant increase in production. Their tank average went up nearly 20 pounds per cow. “It’s amazing to see how we held back in the old barn,” Derek said. “Now, we have 40 cows over 100 pounds. Before, we only ever had a couple cows over that.” The Rolfs attribute the increase to improved cow comfort through stall design, ventilation and housing youngstock in free stalls prior to lactation which has allowed for a smooth transition into the robots.
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Feed ingredients are mixed in the mixing and feeding robot of the Rolfs’ Lely Vector feeding system March 4 at their farm near McIntosh, Minnesota. The family uses a kitchen to store three days’ worth of forages.
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Calves wear an ID buƩon aƩached to their eartag while they are fed using the automated calf feeder at Golden Sunrise Dairy Inc. near McIntosh, Minnesota. The Rolfs began using the automated feeding system in 2018.
“Cows milk, eat and lay down,” Tim said. “Part of that is also trusting in the Lord to take care of things and help us as we go along.” Tim and Derek work together to understand the technology and how it can best be suited for their dairy operation. They also work with Tim’s son-in-law, Jesse Moan, who became an employee of the dairy in May 2020. “I get here in the morning
and help catch fetch cows,” Moan said. “I’m in charge of feeding the calves, and then we all work together to scrape the stalls, feed and do other work on the farm.” It has been just over a year since the Rolf family began using all aspects of their automated dairy facility, and farming has never been more efcient. “With technology and cow comfort, hopefully we can
improve all the way around,” Derek said. “We have the genetics, but we weren’t able to get the production out of the old barn. It makes you start to wonder where the limit is.” Tim agreed. “Just thinking of my grandparents and parents, and all this change in technology, … 20 years ago you wouldn’t have thought this was possible,” he said. “And we’re still learning what it can all do for us.”
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Hynek has unique perspective on life Eleva man happy to be alive 20 years after freezing to death By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
ELEVA, Wis. – The frigid weather residents of Wisconsin encountered in February might have brought back a few tough memories for the Hynek family in Eleva. Twenty years ago, on Feb. 27, 2001, on the coldest night of the year, 2-year-old Paulie Hynek managed to get the door to his family’s farmhouse open and wandered outside. By the time his father walked out the door for morning chores and saw Hynek lying in the snowbank, the doctors estimated Hynek had been outside for several hours. His core body temperature dropped down to under 70 degrees, and his heart had stopped beating. His father called 911. A helicopter landed at the farm and transported Hynek to a hospital in nearby Eau Claire. He was then sent to a hospital in Rochester, Minnesota. “I guess when they hooked me all up, apparently I still had some brain activity, so they started trying to save me,” Hynek said. Today, Hynek is 22 years old and enjoying every bit of life. He does not have any memories of the experience,
but ingrained in his personality is the idea of how precious life is. “If I try to compare myself to normal, my life is normal,” Hynek said. “It’s the way it’s been the whole time for me.” The only effect Hynek deals with now is a smaller left hand, which suffered frostbite, and his left foot is a bit smaller. His left leg is a bit shorter than his right, but fortunately he suffered no ill health effects and learning issues. “I remember distinctly in pre-school, the teacher forced me to use my left hand to write with,” Hynek said. “It was a way to keep that hand useful and make it work.” The outcome was a miracle. “They said at best I would either be in a vegetative state in a wheelchair,” said Hynek, telling the story as he bedded calf pens. “They didn’t know, for the amount of time I was dead, how much brain damage there would be. A lot of them said the only reason I recovered was because I was so young.” While Hynek has a deep appreciation for life, he does not consider his experience to be a life-changing one. “Maybe if older people,
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Paulie Hynek works on this family’s dairy farm where they milk about 70 cows near Eleva, Wisconsin. Twenty years ago, at the age of 2, Hynek wandered outside one frigid February night and froze to death, before being brought back to life. who have something happen, like a car crash or something, might feel like their life has changed, but for me I don’t remember it, so nothing has really changed,” Hynek said. “I sometimes think more about what I would be like if it never happened, but then I think
maybe I might be a jerk or something like that if it hadn’t happened. People tell me I talk a lot, but I guess I just have a lot to talk about it.” Hynek has never wanted anyone to think about him differently because of what he lived through 20 years ago.
“Since the story has been out there again, being 20 years ago, a lot of people who might not have known that happened to me have said, ‘Oh, you’re kind of famous,’ but for me, Turn to HYNEK | Page 13
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Paulie Hynek cleans mangers while the herd of Holstein cows are outside at his family’s dairy near Eleva, Wisconsin. it’s just an old story, something that happened,” Hynek said. Hynek has spent his life helping on his family’s dairy farm, where they milk about 70 cows. He came to the family farm after graduating from high school in 2017, but he does not plan to spend his entire life on the farm. “I don’t want to be a farmer my whole life, though,” Hynek said. “I’m not sure what exactly I want to do, but I just want nancial freedom someday.” Entrepreneurship appeals to Hynek, and he thinks that growing up on a farm has helped plant that seed in his mind. “I think it would be great to be an
employer of some sort,” Hynek said. “I’ve talked to my brother and told him I feel like we could go out and run a business of some sort.” Hynek enjoys reading, especially books that encourage him to look at things from different perspectives. Reading has helped him continue to learn, grow and shape his viewpoints and future goals. “I just want to go out in the real world, experience things and maybe mess up a little bit, so that I can learn from my mistakes,” Hynek said. “My dad tells me never to let fear or common sense stop me.”
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What legislation do you want the new administration to consider? Paul Wright Hutchinson, Minnesota McLeod County 45 cows What legislation do you want the new administration to consider? The areas I see effecting agriculture are: environmental policy, minimum wage, immigration reform, nutrition guidelines and potential tax changes. Of these, agriculture will be impacted the most by an obvious focus of the Biden Administration toward environmental issues. We may see a shift toward incentives related to environmental stewardship (greenhouse gases, carbon banking, erosion) as we look at new programs offered from the United States Department of Agriculture. I assume all programs related to conservation to be expanded. Many will see this as a threat to our way of raising crops and livestock. However, this is a time to tell of the many things we are already doing to protect the environment and the many practices already used to conserve our land and water for generations to come. We also need to keep in mind consumers are asking that this issue be addressed. What is a main concern you have for the dairy industry moving forward? The economics and protability for the industry will continue to be an issue. 2020 saw a great deal of federal funds that helped close the gap of break-even for many. Hopefully the changes in the Dairy Margin Coverage Program will safe guard mailbox prices better than before. With all the challenges of dealing with the pandemic and trade concerns, we have instability ahead of us. I am concerned about the effect of real milk and meat substitutes on our consumer demand. We need to advocate for our natural products very hard toward our consumers. The effects of policies denitely has an impact of our farms, but nothing compares to the market inuence of the power of the consumer. What are ways the dairy industry could benet from the new administration’s focus on climate change? I am hoping our alfalfa acres used by our industry will get some attention in future carbon banking incentives. We have been shorted for decades compared to program per acre payments for corn, soybeans and grains. It seems as though we are penalized to grow alfalfa, yet it is the best crop to grow in terms of conservation. Perhaps manure management needs to be highlighted as a way to manage a recycled nutrient. How do you feel Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s experience in this role previously and leading the U.S. Dairy Export Council will help the industry? From what I have been reading, Vilsack has been given mixed reviews in our industry with his prior public positions. I am not sure if I favor re-using old cabinet members in a fast-changing industry, but at least we know what we get. We also need to understand how vast the responsibilities are of the USDA. Will he even get a chance to focus on product exports? I would hope his time working with our industry has an impact; however, it looks like his main marching orders are climate, nutrition and food availability for all Americans. What is a former or current policy you feel helped the industry? The Dairy Margin Coverage Program gets my vote as having an impact on our industry. From high commodity prices to unstable markets, we needed a respectable oor protection. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Heather, and I have four kids: Cody, Breanna, Allison and McKenna. We milk 45 cows, raise beef steers and direct market much of our beef production. We grow corn, soybeans, alfalfa and small grains on 500 acres. We sell small square bales of hay and straw in 21 bale bundles. We also have a large orchard of aronia berries and market fall decorating items to lawn and garden centers. We are active in our community and strong supporters of 4-H and FFA programs. We believe producers need to do our part to be strong advocates for agriculture to tell our story to consumers. I have started my fourth term (13 years) as a McLeod County commissioner, and Heather is employed with Ridgewater College in admissions.
Pat Lunemann Twin Eagle Dairy Clarissa, Minnesota Todd County 850 cows What legislation do you want the new administration to consider? We need to make rural America a place our children want to move back to. We need to start with broadband, and then focus on other infrastructure that is not keeping up to today’s standards. We also need to nally take on comprehensive immigration reform. I have listened to enough demographer statistics to know this is not about cheap labor. We will not have enough workers for a fully functioning economy. This is about who is going to do the work to put food on our tables, and who is going to care for us in the nursing home someday. What is a main concern you have for the dairy industry moving forward? The impressive advances we are having in cow genetics via genomics and other breakthroughs combined with other simple technologies such as activity monitors, advances in cow comfort, etc., are giving us impressive gains in productivity far beyond what I witnessed early in my career. We must nd and expand markets beyond our shores, or we will accelerate the culling of farms and cows. What are ways the dairy industry could benet from the new administration’s focus on climate change? I believe dairy is in a much better position to benet than most types of farms. Much of the new focus will be on keeping the landscape green with an emphasis on carbon sequestering crops. Alfalfa, grasses and winter cover crops such as rye that we grow for our cattle will likely get more attention in the form of payments from government and for carbon credits from private industry than we ever imagined. I hope, with science, manure will be given more credit and cows will be applauded for the incredible job they do in turning crops people cannot eat into real food. Many of our dairy farms are diverse with woodlots and pastureland that, with improvements, will also be eligible for upcoming programs. How do you feel Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s experience in this role previously and leading the U.S. Dairy Export Council will help the industry? President Biden was looking for an experienced leader with connections who could make a difference on day one. U.S. agriculture generally does better when we are in full export mode. Secretary Vilsack should be able to capitalize on the relationships he has made around the world to facilitate expanded trade. My hope is that we can build on the trade agreements that were renegotiated and mend some of the ties that were severed, especially regarding the countries involved with the Trans-Pacic Partnership agreement that the U.S. withdrew from after years of negotiations. After that withdrawal occurred, multiple trade agreements were signed in the Pacic Rim without the U. S. being included. What is a former or current policy you feel helped the industry? The 2018 Farm Bill set up a support net for the smaller end of dairy farms that is far better than I ever expected. That was a direct x to the previous farm bill from 2014 that was based on high grain prices in the support formula and turned out to be a disaster as a safety net for dairy farms of any kind. I nd it ironic and unfortunate that Collin Peterson, the key person involved in xing the dairy portion of the farm bill, was voted out of ofce. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Jody, and I raised ve sons and one daughter here on the farm. My immigrant grandparents bought the home farm in 1939. My parents took over in 1951, and Jody and I took our turn starting out with 50 cows in 1983 and through time grew to 800-plus cows in our freestall and compost barn system. We farm 1,600 acres with custom planting and harvest help from Shawn, Ricky and Josh Rowe just down the road from here. Jerry and Diane Gjerstad assist with heifer growing. Our youngest son, Alex, is on the farm with us. We couldn’t do what we have done without a number of key long-term employees. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
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ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Tim Stender Young America, Minnesota Carver County 130 cows What legislation do you want the new administration to consider? For me, the biggest hurdle right now would be reform the PPP program to allow incorporated family farms to qualify for funds. Under the current SBA guidelines, anyone ling a Schedule K is ineligible for the max benet that the sole proprietors received. Jim Haggedorn and Tom Emmer are well aware of it, but Washington DC is playing politics per usual. What is a main concern you have for the dairy industry moving forward? My main concern for the dairy industry right now is the escalated cheap food push. We just jumped back into bed with China, insuring instability and a lack of domestic control of our markets. We have great margin protection policies in place, but becoming dependent on them erodes the pride in our work. Farmers value the character and pride in their work much more than just watching their net worth rise and fall. As we shift to a community reliant on federal assistance, we lose the content of our character. It might be a necessary evil right now, but it will corrode and destroy the fabric of the rural landscape if we continue to give in to China. What are ways the dairy industry could benet from the new administration’s focus on climate change? I believe farmers are the original conservationists. When we are good stewards of the land, it grows healthier and more productive by the year. The climate change policies are just a way to monetize our efforts for others to prot from. The conservation of my land is not something to be speculated on, nor should it be mandated by superior whose plow is a pencil, and is thousands of miles from a corn eld. How do you feel Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s experience in this role previously and leading the U.S. Dairy Export Council will help the industry? I was once told that it’s not what you know, but who you know. That couldn’t be more clear than with the placement of Secretary Vilsack. I won’t say that he’s bad for us when you look at the other options we would’ve had. I will say that his circle back style empty rhetoric on Tuesday was the kind of empty, talking in circles, no meat or potatoes spin that we had in the last administration that he directly worked for. It’s a sad state of affairs that were subscribed to for the next four years, but we’ll have to pray for the best. What is a former or current policy you feel helped the industry? Standing strong against damaging trade agendas of the past came with some hardships, but we nd strength in facing hardships as a united front. The Chinese commit terrible atrocities against humanity, and we should not surrender our standards to insure cheap material goods from them. Trade decits and
Scott and Yvonne Hoese Mayer, Minnesota Carver County 125 cows What legislation do you want the new administration to consider? No legislation comes to mind right now, just to continue getting dairy products into the Food Box Program. What is a main concern you have for the dairy industry moving forward? The oversupply of milk and getting the products to the consumers. Another concern is the products that are using the name milk, such as soy milk and almond milk. These products don’t have milk in them but call themselves milk. What are ways the dairy industry could benet from the new administration’s focus on climate change? To get the information out that dairy is not the cause of climate change. How do you feel Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s experience in this role previously and leading the U.S. Dairy Export Council will help the industry? His experience on the U.S. Dairy Export Council and eight years of being the Secretary of Agriculture will help in getting more of our product out into the world market. What is a former or current policy you feel helped the industry? Opening the door for more foreign trade for our agricultural products. An example would be China purchasing more of the whey products to feed their growing hog industry. Tell us about your farm. We have three grown children and eight grandchildren. We farm with our oldest son, Eric, and his family. We milk 125 cows and grow our replacement heifers. We run about 1,200 acres of alfalfa, corn and soybeans. foreign aid should not be constitutional without a humanitarian need or worldwide impact. America rst is the best policy to grow self worth, and to grow pride in ourselves. Tell us about your farm. Tim owns and operates Stender Dairy Farms in partnership with his brother, Daniel. It’s the family’s original homestead dating back to 1863. The real driving force at the farm is his 5 year old daughter, Cassie. She’s a energetic, driven and very talkative PR person for the farm, insuring that if Red, the border collie, didn’t greet the visitors yet, she has. She can always be found either helping Daddy mix feed, driving Grandpa crazy with their competitive nature, putting puzzles together with Grandma, or making a dessert with Uncle Daniel.
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Dave Schwartz Slayton, Minnesota Murray County 115 cows What legislation do you want the new administration to consider? Why? I would like to see the administration address energy efciency. The rising cost of energy drives up the cost of everything, from farm equipment to fertilizer to the prices that we are charged for hauling our milk. What is a main concern you have for the dairy industry moving forward? I want to see continued good relationships with our international export partners. The U.S. dairy industry produces too much milk, so it is imperative that we maintain good relations with our trading partners. What are ways the dairy industry could benet from the new administration’s focus on climate change? The dairy industry is already close to net zero for carbon dioxide emissions. It will just take some good science to prove it. How do you feel Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s experience in this role previously and leading the U.S. Dairy Export Council will help the industry? They could not have chosen a better person for Secretary of Agriculture than Tom Vilsack. I served on the boards of Midwest Dairy Association and Dairy Management Inc. The experiences I had with Tom when he was on the United State Dairy Export Council were all very positive. What is a former or current policy you feel helped the industry? We are bringing back the Real Seal, which I think is important for conveying the dairy message to our consumers. The pandemic has raised the awareness among consumers that dairy products have a high nutritional value. More and more people are recognizing that dairy products are highly nutritious and a good buy. Tell us about your farm. We farm 1,000 acres and have a total of 200 head on our place. We feed our cows a TMR indoors with forages that are stored in our upright silos. All of our cows have electronic IDs and all of our free stalls have mattresses. We have a great team of employees who keep the farm running smoothly; we wouldn’t be able to do it without them. I took over from my dad in 1961, so this is my 60th year of dairy farming. We don’t have anyone in our family who wants to milk cows, so I’m concerned about nding someone to take over our dairy. My wife, Kathryn, is a retired school teacher. My hobby is winning tractor pulls with my IH 1066.
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Tyler Otte Randolph, Minnesota Dakota County 560 cows What legislation do you want the new administration to consider? With programs like DRP and DMC in place it seems to be a nice safety net for farms during the inconsistent times of dairy farming. As dairy farmers we need to keep in mind that we are providing a product that needs to be in demand by the consumer, with this climate change seems to be a large issue of concern in our business. We need to continue to be proactive in making changes. What is a main concern you have for the dairy industry moving forward? Being part of the DEAL program through Midwest Dairy, I have been fortunate enough to learn more about the buying and purchasing habits of the consumer. Marketing also tends to be tough when it comes to marketing milk versus milk alternatives. That being said we need to provide products that are wanted by the consumer and provide these products with the best practices on and off the farm to keep a good relationship with the consumer. What are ways the dairy industry could benet from the new administration’s focus on climate change? Every year we put carbon into the ground between planting alfalfa and applying manure to the soil. These are great benets to the earth as well as the farmer. In addition, we can focus on being more proactive with change, especially when we may be able to get paid for change instead of being forced to change our practices in the future. How do you feel Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s experience in this role previously and leading the U.S. Dairy Export Council will help the industry? The new Secretary of Ag brings a lot of excitement for the dairy world as we haven’t had a person with this much dairy experience in a long time. His experience should certainly help nd more favorable solutions. He has good knowledge and experience with NMPF and our processors. What is a former or current policy you feel helped the industry? The change to Dairy Revenue Protection which provides protection like crop insurance to our industry. Collin Peterson being replaced in Congress is a huge loss for the dairy world as he understood the industry very well and was a great advocate for the industry in Congress. Tell us about your farm. Square Deal Dairy was built by my parents, Blake and Chicky Otte, in 1997. Today, we milk 560 cows, raise all of our youngstock and run about 1,500 acres of corn, alfalfa and vegetable crops. My brothers and I, along with our families, are the sixth generation to farm this land.
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Breeding Focus
Genetics moves herd forward faster at Quarry Hill Dairy John and Connie Meyer Quarry Hill Dairy Rollingstone, Minnesota Winona County 900 cows Describe your facilities and list your breeding management team. We have two farmsites. Both have sand-bedded freestall barns. The main site has a double-8 herringbone parlor. The cows give birth here and are milked while trying to get them bred. At 150 days
in milk, they go to our other farmsite about 2 miles away, which has a double-6 herringbone parlor. Cows are milked three times a day. Our breeding management team includes three people from Select Sires: Jennifer Bonner, who does the mating; Brandon Thesing, who helps us track heifer inventory; and Jordan Pahl, our A.I. technician. Employees, Alejandro Castanon, who gives synchronization shots, and Andrew Plumski, herd manager, are
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
John Meyer and his wife, Connie, own and manage their 900-cow herd at Quarry Hill Dairy near Rollingstone, Minnesota.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Young calves at Quarry Hill Dairy are housed in pairs before moving to larger groups.
also part of the team. Our veterinarian, Jim Bennett, is key in the process as is Nate Doehling, who breed the heifers for our custom heifer raisers, Dan and Ryan Olson.
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
ConƟnued from MEYER | Page 18 Describe your breeding philosophy. We want medium sized cows with good feet and legs, and udders. We want them to last awhile and milk well with high components. We only want to have enough heifers on our farm for what is needed to replace cows leaving the herd. What guidelines do you follow to reach the goals for your breeding program? Bulls need to be positive on udders, feet and legs, and foot angle. We also don’t want cows with too much set to the leg. They do not last long. We have slowly implemented more beef and sexed semen into our reproduction program. We rst started using beef semen on hard breeders 10 years ago and have used more in the last ve years. We have used sexed semen for the past ve years. We have not used conventional semen in the past year. What are the top traits you look for in breeding your dairy herd and how has this changed since you started farming? We used to breed for more size, but we have realized over time that mediumsized cows are more efcient. We also put more emphasis on components where in the past we only looked at milk. What are certain traits you try to avoid? We try to avoid
large cows or ones with too much set to the leg. Describe the ideal cow for your herd. She is medium in size with excellent feet and legs along with a well-attached udder. Our ideal cow would produce 35,000 pounds of milk in one lactation with 4% butterfat and 3.3% protein. She would breed back within two services and have minimal health issues. What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? Breeding is important for health traits and components. We can move forward in our herd faster when using the right genetics. We can also constantly try to correct traits on good production cows that don’t last long because of not being put together right. What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? Right now, 20% of the milking herd is bred using sexed semen while the rest is breed to beef. For heifers, about 95% are breed using sexed semen and the rest are bred to beef. Heifers are bred with sexed semen for three breedings before given beef. What is your conception rate? How does this differ with different types of semen? The conception rate on
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Quarry Hill Dairy owner, John Meyer (right), looks over cows with employee Alejandro Castanon, who takes care of the synchronicaƟon program for the 900-cow herd. cows bred with sexed semen is 50% and 51% for beef semen with a pregnancy rate of 37%. The voluntary waiting period for our cows is 68 days in milk. For heifers, the conception rate is 58% with a 47% pregnancy rate. What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? It is important to have goals for our herd. About 30 years ago, we randomly picked out bulls. Now we are more consistent in
the type of matings we choose. What is the age of your heifers at rst service? 410 days of age. How does your heifer inventory affect your breeding program? We work with our genetics company to make sure we have enough heifers on hand or don’t have too many. The hardest part about going into this program was worrying we would not have enough heifers for replace-
ments; however, that has never been a problem. Even if it had been, fresh heifers are relatively inexpensive so we could buy them if needed. Tell us about your farm. Quarry Hill Dairy has two dairy sites and raises 1,200 acres of corn and alfalfa for our herd. Our heifers are custom raised. Twenty employees help us keep our dairy running. We have two daughters, Megan and Kate.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021 • Page 21
Financing subject to pre-approval through JD Financial. Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details.
0.75% Ànancing for up to 60 months on 2010 or newer pre-owned round balers
JD 450 M, 2019, ##177758 177 7775 758 58
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JD 560M, 2019, #179000
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JD 460M, 2018, #164359
$
45,500
JD 569 2013, #172972
$
JD 569, 2013, #177245
43,900
30,900
21,500
$
NH Rollbelt 460, $ 2015 #178211
33,500
JD 469, 2015, #175511
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Equipment and pictures added daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com Air Drills and Seeders 6 Case IH SDX 40/adx2230, 2007, Width: 40, Spacing: 7.5”, Shoot: Double Shoot, #180891 ......................................................................................................$53,900 Box Drills 14 JD 9350, 1988, Width: 40, Spacing: 6”, #180679..........................................$10,900 Disks 10 JD 2620, 2016, Size: 26 ft, 3-Section Folding, Spacing: 9”, #175512 ............$34,500 7 JD 637, 2011, Size: 45 ft, 5-Section Folding, Spacing: 9”, #166177 ..............$34,900 15 Krause 6200-45, 2014, Size: 45 ft, Spacing: 9”, #180001...........................$45,900 3 Wishek 862-NT, 2009, Size: 33 ft, Kind: 3-Section Folding, #163465 ........$21,900 Field Cultivators 4 JD 980, 1996, Size: 44 ft, Kind: 5-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #169542 ......................................................................................................$13,900 2 JD 2210, 2012, Size: 32 ft, 3-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #173629 .......................................................................................................$35,900 10 Sunflower 5035, 2016, Size: 24 ft, 3-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #177191 ......................................................................................................$28,900 7 Case IH 200, 2012, Size: 55 ft, 5-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #178072 .......................................................................................................$47,900 9 JD 960, 1989, Size: 38 ft, 3-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #180045 ...$5,500 5 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2011, 5-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #180766 .......................................................................................................$40,900 5 JD 960, 1990, Size: 23 ft, 3-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #180621 ...$3,200 14 JD 960, 1989, Size: 42 ft, 5-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #165959..$6,900 14 Elmers 6400, 1991, Size: 41 ft, 3-Section Folding, Standards: S-Tine, #178092 .......................................................................................................$14,900 Mower Conditioners 10 NH H7230, 2015, #176984 ..........................................................................$22,400 10 JD 956, 2010, #172718 ................................................................................$24,900 10 JD 635, 2017, #166698 ................................................................................$22,900 17 Hesston 1372, 2010, #178648 ...................................................................$17,400 7 New Idea 5212, 1992, #177618 ...................................................................$5,650 7 JD 635, 2009, #173285 ................................................................................$16,500 6 JD 946, 2010, #179286 ................................................................................$18,500 11 JD 1219, 1985, #180677................................................................................$3,400 8 NH H7550, 2014, #167351 ..........................................................................$19,900 Mulch Finishers 2 JD 724, 1990, Size: 20 ft, Kind: 3-Section Folding, #174088 ..........................$8,500 6 Sunflower 6331, Size: 25 ft, Kind: 3-Section Folding, #174316....................$5,900 Planters: Drawn 4 JD 1750, 1997, 6 Row 30, Frame: Rigid, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 1.6 Bushel, #176829........................................................................$13,900 2 JD 1775NT, 2019, 16 Row 30, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Plate,
Hopper: Central Fill System, Row Command, Electric Drive, #174754 ........ $149,500 10 JD 1750, 1996, 6 Row 30, Frame: Rigid, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 1.6 Bushel, #179650........................................................................$13,000 6 JD 1750, 2001, 6 Row 30 in, Frame: Rigid, Metering System: Finger Pickup, Hopper: 1.6 Bushel, Row Command: No, #180767........................................$16,500 6 JD 7200, 1988, 8 Row 36, Frame: Wing Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 1.6 Bushel, #180622..........................................................................$8,400 9 JD 1770, 1997, 16 Row 30, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 3.0 Bushel, #180078........................................................................$19,500 16 JD DB66, 2017, 36 Row 22, Frame: Wing Fold, Metering System: Exact Emerge, Hopper: Central Fill System, Row Command, Electric Drive, #175194 ........ $349,500 5 JD DB44, 2013, 24 Row 22, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, Row Command, #179347 .............................. $159,900 8 JD 1770NT, 2013, 16 Row 30, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 3.0 Bushel, Row Command, #177779 ..............................................$75,900 14 Wil-Rich PT2200, 2005, 24, Row 22, Frame: Wing Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 3.0 Bushel, #177551.............................$39,900 Planters: Integral 15 JD 1710, 24 Row 22, Frame: Wing Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 3.0 Bushel, #168140........................................................................$19,900 3 JD 7300, 1992, 12 Row 30, Frame: Wing Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 1.6 Bushel, #175563.......................................................................$11,900 Pull-Type Sprayers 10 Hardi NAVIGATOR 1000, 2007, #169543 ...................................................$15,000 7 Fast 9508, 2008, #169075 ..........................................................................$23,900 1 Hardi NAV550, 2005, #179504 ...................................................................$10,400 15 Top Air TA1600, 2015, #177863 .................................................................$38,400 16 Hardi Navigator 4000, #180889 ...............................................................$15,000 14 Redball 132’ walking tandems, #176938................................................$14,900 3 Top Air TA2400, 2011, #179435 .................................................................$44,900 3 Hardi Navigator 4000, 2013, #179001 .....................................................$24,000 Round Balers 4 JD 459, 2014Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, 3600 Bale Count, #177752.........................................$29,400 4 NH Rollbelt 450, 2011, Pickup: Regular, Wrapping: Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, 1200 Bale Count, #173712 .........................................$17,000 4 JD 560M, 2019, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, 2100 Bale Count, #179000 ........................$45,500 2 NH BR7060, 2011, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Surface Wrap Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, Precut Knives, 7300 Bale Count, #169262 ..................$23,900 2 JD 569, 2012, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, 3300 Bale Count, #173254.................................$38,400 2 NH 664, 1998, Pickup: Regular, Wrapping: Twine Only, PTO: 540,
Visit one of our 17 locations in Central Minnesota! (1) = GLENCOE 4561 Hwy. 212
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Width of Bale: 5 Feet, Bale Count, #171161 ....................................................$4,950 2 JD 569, 2015, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, 7222 Bale Count, #179148 ........................$37,500 10 JD 569 Silage Special, 2015, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, 3300 Bale Count, #178210 ...$41,500 10 NH Rollbelt 460, 2015, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, Precut Knives, 4553 Bale Count, #178211.$33,500 10 JD 569, 2013, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, 19368 Bale Count, #177245 .....................................$21,500 10 JD 535, 1990, Pickup: Regular, Wrapping: Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #180802 .........................................................................................................$7,200 17 JD 569, 2014, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, 15560 Bale Count, #179194 ......................$25,900 6 JD 460M, 2018, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, Precut Knives, 5985 Bale Count, #164359 .$43,900 6 JD 459 Silage Special, 2017, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Surface Wrap Only, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, 3800 Bale Count, #177855.........................................$35,900 6 JD 569 Silage Special, 2013, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Surface Wrap Only, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, 9540 Bale Count, #177861 .......................$29,400 6 NH Rollbelt 460, 2015, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet,9000 Bale Count, #178946 ....$20,900 6 JD 560M, 2019, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Surface Wrap Only, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, 7200 Bale Count, #179188 .........................................$42,400 6 Claas 480RC, 2017, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Surface Wrap Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, Precut Knives, 5165 Bale Count, #179187 ..................$31,500 6 JD 567, 2002, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, 8312 Bale Count, #179041 .........................................$13,400 12 JD 469, 2015, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, 8060 Bale Count, #175511 .........................................$23,900 15 Vermeer 605H, Pickup: Regular, Wrapping: Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #172413.......................................................................$1,600 9 JD 450M, 2019, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, 1045 Bale Count, #177758 ..........................$34,500 9 JD 510, 1983, Pickup: Regular, Wrapping: Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #172166.......................................................................$1,400 5 JD 568, 2008, Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, 13500 Bale Count, #176786 ......................$23,900 5 JD 569, 2013.............. Pickup: Mega Wide, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, 8000 Bale Count, #172972 ........................$30,900 11 NH BR780, 2003, Pickup: Regular, Wrapping: Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #169873.......................................................................$9,900 3 Vermeer 605F, 1980, Pickup: Regular, Wrapping: Twine Only, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #168368.......................................................................$3,250
CALL TODAY! (320)365-1653
(12) = AITKIN 1120 2nd St. NW
(10) = LITTLE FALLS (13) = BAXTER (11) = WADENA 62505 US Hwy. 10
7045 Foley Rd.
(14) = ELBOW LAKE
(16) = BENSON
(15) = MORRIS
(17) = MADISON
110 2nd St. NE
23604 State Hwy. 9
380 Atlantic Ave. 516 1st St. E
SEE OUR COMPLETE INVENTORY WITH PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS AT: www.mmcjd.com
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
Tell the advertisers you saw their ad Making in the Dairy Star! money from manure Renewable natural gas market offers alternative revenue streams for digesters
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Contact one of the following dealers to learn more: IOWA Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290 United Dairy Systems, Inc. West Union, IA 563-422-5355 WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713 DeLaval Dairy Service Kaukauna, WI 866-335-2825
Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0267 Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579 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 East Central Dairy Supply Mora, MN 320-679-1029 Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Watertown, SD 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD 800-284-0015 S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288 Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2021 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. Data collected at test and pilot farms. Results will vary from dairy to dairy. Nothing in this document shall constitute a warranty or guaranty of performance. www.delaval.com
MADISON, Wis. – In their early days, manure digesters were mainly used for odor mitigation and power generation. Now, digesters are becoming a sought-after means of producing renewable natural gas – a lucrative market that rewards digester use to a greater extent than does the electrical market, offering new opportunities to dairy farmers. “To be part of a digester now is a great opportunity for the farm community,” said Jessica Niekrasz, president of Jessica Niekrasz Fuel Clean Fuel Partners, during the Clean Partners virtual Dairy Strong conference held Jan. 19-21. “RNG systems take a lot of investment but also pay pretty well because of the markets that are out there.” In a panel entitled, “Money from manure: Strategies for alternative revenue streams,” panelists discussed the ins and outs of manure processing and potential revenue options. Hosted by Greg Steele from Compeer Financial, the panel included Niekrasz, Josh Meissner from Norm-E-Lane Farm; Brian Dolski, CFO of Pagel Family Businesses including Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy; and attorney, Jordan Hemaidan, from Michael Best. “There’s a big demand for dairy digesters within the renewable natural gas marketplace,” said Dolski, who has experience in the compressed natural gas business. “Dairy digesters generate more credits per unit of energy than any other type of fuel out there and will displace a landll project or food waste digester project.” Renewable natural gas can be used as vehicle fuel in the form of compressed natural gas. According to the panel, the largest RNG market is in California, created by the state’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard program. This program mandates greenhouse gas emission reductions for the fuel industry in the state of California, resulting in a niche market worth 200 million gallons. Niekrasz said Oregon and California have LCFS markets, and seven other states are considering such a market. To generate credits and monetize manure, a farm must demonstrate both a physical and contractual pathway after making the gas. “If you’re within 5 miles of an interstate pipeline, consider yourself very lucky,” Dolski said. “You need to get the gas into a pipeline that’s connected to other interstate pipelines and could theoretically end up in California to be sold as transportation fuel. If you’re not near a pipeline, you have to pump gas and truck it to the nearest pipeline.” To obtain the environmental attributes of renewable natural gas, the title must be transferred from the project producer to the CNG end user who will use it as transportation fuel. There are many ways this can be done, Dolski said, but typically involves the producer selling it to a gas marketer who takes title of the gas when on the interstate pipeline. The gas then gets sold to a CNG company who owns the stations where it is dispensed and sold as vehicle fuel. Credit brokers match up buyers and sellers of RNG credits. Dolski is not worried about dairy farms surpassing California’s demand for renewable Turn to MANURE | Page 23
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021 • Page 23
ConƟnued from MANURE | Page 22 natural gas. approximately 20 MMBtus. “If a milking cow Dolski said the physical or generates 150 gallons of fuel natural gas is worth about and the market is 200 million $3 per MMBtu which equals gallons, you’re talking enough $60 per cow capacity to hold 10%-15% of per year. the U.S. dairy herd,” Dolski The federal said. “RNG presents a massive credit is market opportunity for the $1.50 which dairy industry.” translates Under the federal to $17 in renewable natural gas M M B t u s program, the CNG market has totaling $340 a 400 million gallon demand. per cow A farm can participate in both Brian Dolski per year. In CFO, Pagel programs but will only get Family California’s LCFS credits for gas sold into Businesses L C F S California. program, “There’s tremendous Dolski said incentive to get into the state every project is unique and of California,” Dolski said. gets its own Carbon Intensity One cow produces score. Generally, it is four
PHOTO SUBMITTED
This pile of separated digested manure solids has about 65% moisture and smells like earth. After spending approximately 25 days in heated tanks, a good porƟon of the pathogens have been killed throughout the slurry.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Meissner family – (leŌ to right) – Sheri, Josh, Dawson, Diane, Jerry, Jordana and EmmeƩ – operate Norm-E-Lane Farm in central Wisconsin where they milk 2,600 cows. The Meissners are in their 13th year of operaƟng a digester from which they produce bedding for their cows and electricity to sell to their uƟlity company.
metric tons or four credits per cow valued at $200 per credit amounting to $800 per cow per year. As a result, the total potential value per cow is estimated at $1,200 annually. “About ve years ago, this was under $500 a cow per year,” Dolski said. “I remember selling LCFS credits for $20 per ton and now they’re $200 per ton. We’ve seen a lot of volatility to the upside of these markets over the last couple years.” Revenue has to be shared
among all players – the credit broker, gas marketer, CNG company, etc., but the RNG project owner gets the lion’s share. Norm-E-Lane milks 2,600 cows in central Wisconsin and is in its 13th year of operating a digester. Capturing gas to make electricity, the farm entered into a ve-year power purchase agreement with their utility, Dairyland Power, in 2008. In addition to generating power, the digester also produces bedding.
“Bedding is a big benet for us and our initial goal for the digester,” Meissner said. “We went from mattresses and sawdust to deep-bedded stalls, which has saved us $200,000 to $250,000 per year.” On the operational side, the farm is at a breakeven point with utility sales equaling engine company contract costs and operations costs. “Our utility has continued to nd value in green energy, Turn to MANURE | Page 25
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021 • Page 25
ConƟnued from MANURE | Page 23
and we’ve been in a position to capture it,” Meissner said. “Our power purchase agreement will come to an end in the next 1.5 to two years, and we plan to look at some of the new CNG opportunities available. I feel we’re in a position to play in that category in the near future.” When getting involved with a digester in the RNG market, a farm may choose to sell its manure to an offsite digester or share ownership with a developer. When working with a developer, farms need to consider certain risks. Who carries the risk of manure that does not meet the developer’s expectations Jordan coming into the Hemaiden digester? How Michael Best much is the farm going to commit to certain chemical constituent levels? How much is the farm willing to divert waste streams away from the digester? Who will pay for any capital expansion or alternation to make manure compliant with California rules? “In order for developers to justify this kind of investment, they enter into 20-year agreements with ve or 10year extensions,” Hemaidan said. “It is a generation’s worth of a relationship. Farms have to be very careful about what that looks like and how risks are allocated.” Another option when producing RNG is for the farm to own the digester.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
This digester produces renewable natural gas from the manure of ve area farms near Waunakee, Wisconsin.
“I know of one farm that’s on a pipeline versus trucking it affects successfully done this in Wisconsin,” the number of cows needed to justify the investment. Hemaidan said. “You Clean Fuel need to think about Partners has a history the risks. What’s of owning and going to happen to operating digesters the LCFS price? It’s and purchased not a guarantee. You a digester near must go into this Waunakee in 2015, relationship with which they sold to eyes wide open.” Brightmark in 2019. H e m a i d a n Clean Fuel Partners said the minimum continues to manage herd size to justify and operate the a digester when digester, which now selling into an LCFS produces renewable market is nothing less than 1,500 cows JORDAN HEMAIDEN, MICHAEL BEST natural gas from the manure of ve area but typically 2,000farms. plus, while some A farm selling its manure will developers want 3,000. The number is site-specic, Dolski added, and sitting need a person to analyze the value
“It is a generation’s worth of a relationship. Farms have to be very careful about what that looks like and how risks are allocated.”
of the manure/gas independently of the developer. The farm also needs good legal counsel to allocate risks appropriately and make sure the project is done in a way that would be enforceable in court if things went badly. When a farm and developer own and operate the project together, more technical and economic expertise is required of the farm. If the farm plans to own the digester, a more expansive team is needed – complete with experts and consultants for every step of where the gas is made and dispensed. Manure is much more than waste. It can be a moneymaker for dairy farmers. By offering a new revenue stream for digesters, the renewable natural gas market is putting money in farmers’ pockets.
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
How to make your old machinery disappear...
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DBIA spring grant program opened March 1
The Dairy Business Innovation Alliance (DBIA), a partnership between the Center for Dairy Research (CDR) and Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association (WCMA), will open the application period for its next grant cycle on March 1. During this next grant cycle, DBIA will be distributing $1 million in grants. Grant applications will be available for download on the DBIA website starting March 1, 2021 and are due April 30, 2021. Applications will be scored and selected by June 1, 2021 and awardees will be notied by June 10, 2021. The grant application will be posted on this page: https:// www.cdr.wisc.edu/grant-program. Dairy enterprises (farmers, entrepreneurs, processors, etc.) in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin are eligible to apply. Grants of up to $50,000 will be awarded through a competitive process. Eligible project categories are: • Dairy farm diversication through dairy product development, specialization, packaging and/or marketing strategies. • Creation of value-added dairy products (use milk to manufacture cheese, yogurt, beverages, etc.). • Enhance the value of a dairy commodity or byproduct through product development or alternate use (e.g., converting liquid whey permeate for animal feed into a product for human consumption). • Creation or expansion of a program for exporting dairy products. Interested applicants are encouraged to join DBIA staff for a free webinar on March 9. This webinar will provide more information on the DBIA grant program, give tips about the grant application process and answer any questions. Watch the DBIA website for more information.
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Spring will be here soon When we look outside our windows, we see melting snow and sunshine. These are our rst signs that winter is coming to an end, and spring is right around the corner. Spring is one of my favorite times of the year. I love the warmer weather, the abundance of sunshine and all of On the Road with the plants coming to life. My favorite part Princess Kay is owering trees that brighten up our whole world with their beauty. In just a few short weeks, our landscape will be green again. Spring also marks the beginning of planting season and the joys of being in the eld again. I hope you enjoy spring as much as I do, and By Brenna Connelly 67th Princess Kay of the take the time to spend extra time outside. Now Milky Way is the perfect time to take a walk and enjoy the wonderful weather. This past month, I had the awesome opportunity to read a book for Minnesota Agriculture in the Classroom’s Farm and Food Book Week. I read the story, “Chuck’s Ice Cream Wish: Tales of the Dairy Godmother.” I read the book via Zoom to over 25 classrooms from across the state. Following the book reading, there was a short question and answer session with all of the students. They asked questions such as, “How do you become Princess Kay of the Milky Way?” “What are your favorite chores on the farm?” “What do cows do when it is cold outside?” They were lled with excitement and were eager to learn more about my role. We had so much fun talking about dairy and what a dairy farmer’s day looks like.
T k the Take h time i to appreciate i this fresh start after winter. In the next few months, I will be sharing a series of social media posts called “Dairy Takes a Team.” During this social media campaign, I will share the team it takes to produce dairy foods and how milk gets from a farm to the table. I will highlight dairy farmers, veterinarians, nutritionists, agronomists, milk haulers, milk testers and processors. I am so excited to show people the dedicated team and all of the work this team does. To follow along, make sure you follow Princess Kay on Facebook and Instagram. Spring is also the time when counties are in search of new dairy princesses and dairy ambassadors. The dairy princess program is an amazing opportunity for high school and college-aged girls to be a part of. I have made incredible friendships and memories by being a dairy princess. I loved traveling to events in my home county and sharing my love for dairy. If you or someone you know has someone in your life that would make a great dairy princess, have them connect with their local county dairy princess coordinator. I hope you enjoy the warm weather we are experiencing and nd the beauty as spring makes its appearance in just a few short weeks. Take the time to appreciate this fresh start after winter. As
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The Douglas County Dairy Association is accepting applications for 2021 Dairy princesses and Junior Dairy Princess. To apply or ask questions, contact Jessica at 320-766-0999 as soon as possible.
you prepare for eldwork, remember the gift of a new planting season and all of the abundances it can bring. Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Brenna Connelly serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Throughout the year, Princess Kay helps people understand the dedication of dairy farmers to wholesome and nutritious food, and the way milk is produced. Princess Kay does many school presentations, represents dairy farmers at the Fuel Up To Play 60 events that are held in conjunction with the Minnesota Vikings, and is very active during June Dairy Month sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods. Brenna grew up in Byron, Minnesota working on her cousin’s dairy farm. She is a sophomore at the University of MinnesotaTwin Cities, studying agricultural education and animal science. When she is not showing cattle or participating in dairy judging, she loves to read and travel.
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021 • Page 27
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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021 Dana Adams, adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968 Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610 Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391 Sandra Godden godde002@umn.edu 612-625-8177 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711 Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Characteristics of successful farms
My work experiences have allowed me to interact with many farmers throughout the Upper Midwest. There seems to be a common thread between the most successful farmers. Below are some of the common characteristics I have observed. – Successful farmers have an attitude of gratitude. For most of us, our relationship with our families and friends are more important than nancial success. These farmers are gracious and thankful for the consumers who buy their products, the agribusiness personnel who work with them and their employees, and family members who help them succeed. By Jim Salfer – Successful farmers have a passion U of M Extension for their work and a positive attitude toward the future. Even though they may not know what the future holds, they understand prices and costs are cyclical. They believe farming can be a good business, and the right business strategy will allow them the lifestyle they enjoy. – Top dairy farmers have exible business plans with longand short-range goals. Business plans can be simple. A good business plan will help identify your competitive advantage. Research has found that having a plan is less about accurately predicting the future and more about setting regular goals, tracking your progress toward those goals and adjusting your business as conditions change. Successful farmers are constantly scanning the environment looking for trends and opportunities to leverage their advantages. They ponder about how their business ts in that changing future. If anything, 2020 taught us the future is unpredictable and constantly changing. Successful farmers of the future will be nimble and constantly looking for new opportunities while minimizing risk. In the short term, they plan and take advantages of opportunities as they arise. I encourage farms to annually have a meeting with trusted advisors to share their vision for the future and get input on trends they might be missing. – Top dairy farmers are organized and the work gets done on time. These farmers plan ahead and anticipate the work that needs to be done. This proactive approach helps minimize the number of crises that occur. – Top farmers have excellent cow skills. Dairy farmers have excellent cow sense. They have a unique ability to spot a sick cow before she gets too sick. They can observe a cow in estrus just by her behavior. On large farms, owner/managers
realize they need to hire and/or train people to develop these skills. – Top dairy producers consistently procure or produce a lot of high-quality forage. High-quality forage is the foundation for good production and good cow health. In addition, they do an excellent job of managing forage inventory. They anticipate low inventories of forage and make adjustments to the diet or procure forage well in advance of running out. – Top producers keep good records. Top producers realize production and nancial records are crucial to make management decisions. Records are used in conjunction with setting goals and developing an action plan to set a course for profitability. Records are also used to moniMost producers M d can tor progress implement these practices, against the In adand many of these practices goals. dition, on an do not require high amounts annual basis, these records of capital outlay. are used to benchmark their farm against past performance and other dairies. – Top dairy producers have healthy comfortable cows. Top producers realize clean, dry and comfortable healthy cows will be higher producing cows. They keep all animals on the farm clean and well bedded. Buildings are well ventilated. Water and mangers are clean. – Top dairy managers have excellent dry cow programs and take special care of special needs animals. The top producers realize dry cow management is the key to a protable subsequent lactation. Transition cows are special cows with special needs. Most health problems occur during this period. Good dairy producers observe these cows closely and intervene at the rst sign of trouble before cows are extremely ill. These are some of my observations of the common characteristics of the top dairy producers. Many of these are not easy to do on a consistent basis. However, the good news is there are no magic feeds, pills, shots or other secrets the top producers have in their management toolbox. Most producers can implement these practices, and many of these practices do not require high amounts of capital outlay. We offer a business planning class, “Planning your dairy farm future,” that can help you reach your goals. If you are interested, contact me for more details.
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Creating conditions for dairy calves to thrive By Dana Adams
University of MN Extension
At their core, dairy calves need several things to thrive. Appropriate quality and quantity of food and water, as well as a good environment. A good environment can mean anything. In this article we will delve into this vague term and what it means for producers, especially during the winter. What is the current ventilation in the barn at calf level (when the calf is standing or laying down)? Does ventilation vary throughout the barn? By establishing this baseline, we can gauge improvements. All animals naturally produce heat, moisture and gases. Without an outlet, these can stay close to our animals creating a perfect environment for pathogen growth. For calves that are in the process of building their immune system, this increased pathogen load can pose a challenge to their health. The goal of ventilation is to bring outside air in and evenly distribute it throughout the barn. This ow will take outside air and mix it with the in-barn air that contains moisture, dust, pathogens, gases and heat. Appropriate ventilation will also provide an outlet, allowing old air to escape while pulling in new air. During winter, a six-room volume exchange per hour is recommended for calf barns. Naturally, this recommendation will change based on the time of year or the temperature outside. This rate allows old air to leave the barn but is not so high
as to create a draft for our dairy calves. In our calf barns, having appropriate humidity will assist in keeping our animals warm and dry during the cold winter months. Providing deep, dry bedding will provide a warm environment for animals to nestle down into. After building that supportive micro-environment, the goal should be to keep the building’s humidity lower than outside levels. Keep in mind that controlling air ow will also assist in monitoring humidity. I have been in a few calf barns where humidity has produced condensation that accumulated on the roof and rained down on calves, resulting in a less than optimal situation. Barn ventilation, regardless of an animal’s size, is never a one-and-done situation. It changes based on the size of the animal, immune status, time of year, or even time of day. It is a valuable piece of your overall management plan and warrents continual evaluation. Now is the time to take a look at your existing ventilation and how it can be utilized to improve your farm and animals’ overall success. The information for this article was from the extension.org, a part of the Cooperative Extension System, linked below. If you would like more information about dairy calf ventilation, visit: https:// dairy-cattle.extension.org/role-of-facility-design-and-ventilation-on-calf-health/. Please direct questions either to my email at adam1744@umn.edu or call the Stearns County Ofce at (320) 255-6169 x 3.
Farm Resource Guide available
The Farm Resource Guide for 2021 is now available at many University of Minnesota Extension County ofces across the state. This resource guide includes a wide variety of useful farm business management information including the following items: – Custom rates: What to charge for planting etc. – Average farmland rental rates by county: From two sources with projections for 2021. – Flexible Rental Agreements: Examples of how they work and how they have worked in past. – Lease forms for Cash Rent and Share Rent arrangements: Which you can ll in the blanks. – Farmland sales information for all counties in Minnesota: Lists current average ag sales. – Information on charges for custom feeding, commodity storage, leasing buildings and various bin rental rates: List various costs like leasing a dairy barn and machine storage. – Current information on pasture rental rates, tree timber values: List pasture rates and timber sales. – Marketing information along with recent cost trends for Minnesota: Many charts are included. – Commodity price probabilities for corn, soybeans, alfalfa hay, straw, grass hay, hogs and cattle: Puts odds to getting break even prices and tables show historic patterns. – Corn and soybean yields by county: USDA county yields used for calculating the farm bill payments – Feedlot Rule Highlights: Information on Manure Agreement and Easements – Manure Spreading Lease examples and Land Application Agreement: Forms included. If you would like your own copy of the Farm Resource Guide, please e-mail me at bauxx003@umn.edu or give me a call at 507-372-3900 ext. 3906 and let me know what format you would like. I will send out the materials and an invoice as soon as possible. I hope you nd the Resource Guide useful and would welcome your feedback on what you would like to see included in next year’s Guide. For more farm business information, please see the University of Minnesota Extension website: https://extension.umn.edu/managing-farm
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Abandoned farmsteads Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
I get to see a good deal of the countryside these paused during an evening milking to watch ocks days. Whenever I pass an abandoned farmstead, I feel of geese ying southward in the chill autumn air. I a twinge of sadness. wonder if they, as I did when I was young, wished I will gaze at the old barn – a sagging pile of they could join the geese on their journey to the exotic rotting lumber, its exposed southlands. rafters looking like the ribs A crumbling Seeing i an abandoned b d d ffarmstead d farmhouse sits in a patch of of a dinosaur – and think S of all the animals it had always reminds me of a nearweeds, its empty windows sheltered. like the eye sockets of a I imagine all the calves calamity that happened to Dad. weathered skull. Children’s and foals and kittens that laughter had rung through were born in the barn. I try this ramshackle structure to guess where the footpaths ran – from the barn to the that a family had once called home. Babies were born windmill, from the granary to the barn, from the house in its humble bedrooms; wakes for the departed were to the barn – as grain and water and milk were hand- held in its parlor. carried during countless treks across the farmstead. The elds surrounding the farmstead are farmed I wonder about the children who grew to adulthood with ruthless, high-tech efciency. Once upon a time, as they worked that farm. I wonder if they, like me, what is now a single large eld that grows a single
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crop was divided into several smaller tracts. Each spring, its former owner pondered upon what should be planted in these elds. Was the bottomland too wet for alfalfa? Would it be a good year for wheat? Maybe that eld north of the trees should be planted Dear County Agent Guy to silage corn. This has been replaced by a single swipe of a colossal farm implement that sows the seeds and applies a variety of ingredients that will all but guarantee a good yield while allowing the farmer to pay scant attention to the land. By Jerry Nelson Seeing an Columnist abandoned farmstead always reminds me of a near-calamity that happened to Dad when he was a schoolboy. One March when Dad was a kid, a erce blizzard swept across the prairie. Dad and his schoolmates huddled in their small, one-room schoolhouse as the storm screeched like the horsemen of the apocalypse. They were in the middle of nowhere and coal and other supplies were short. The roar of the blizzard was abruptly interrupted by a clatter at the schoolhouse door. It was Grandpa Nelson, who announced he had come to take the children to safety. Grandpa herded the kids into a wagon box that was mounted on a bobsled. Dad said he was surprised when, after he had secured a tarp over his human cargo, Grandpa joined them in the wagon box. Grandpa then lifted a front corner of the tarp and barked “Giddup!” at his team of giant Belgian workhorses. Dad said it was eerie. The only sounds in the wagon box were the howl of the wind and jangle of the harnesses. After some time, the bobsled came to a halt. Grandpa clambered out and cut the barbed wire fence that had stopped the team. Grandpa then resumed his spot in the wagon box and again barked at the horses to “Giddup!” Dad related that he peeked out from under the tarp. Visibility was zero; the air so thick with snow it seemed as if God were shaking out the contents of a cosmic featherbed. The snowdrifts were belly deep for the Belgians, forcing them to make great bounding leaps. The powerful animals lunged in perfect unison, the hallmark of a well-trained team. Dad said Grandpa had to get out and cut the fence a second time, but that when the team stopped for the third time, they were standing beside their barn. The kids joined hands and made their way through the swirling snow to the farmhouse. Dad said he glanced back and saw Grandpa pressing his forehead against the forehead of one of the Belgians, giving the mighty beast a silent thanks for the safe delivery of this dearest of all cargoes. Technology has brought us many advances. It has freed farmers from the daily drudgery of backbreaking labor and has allowed them to achieve unprecedented levels of productivity. But at what cost? Have we become so productive that we no longer have time to search the barn for a new litter of kittens? Let’s all pause for a moment this spring, cast our gaze skyward and watch the geese. Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. 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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Should you extend the VWP in your herd?
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021 • Page 31
In a December 2016 Dairy Star article, we discussed economics of changing the voluntary waiting period comparing a 60-day voluntary waiting period to an 88-day VWP for rst lactation and for second and more lactation cows. Extending the VWP often recommended Veterinary Wisdom is to improve reproductive performance on rst breeding, improve pregnancy rates and to increase protability by extending lactations. Cows with extended lactations would be expected to have higher milk production per day of productive life (including dry periods) By Jim Bennett because of relatively Columnist lower days spent dry compared to lactating. Two papers in the Journal of Dairy Science by Stangaferro in 2018 looked at effects of 60- versus 88-day VWPs for double ovsynch protocols in three commercial New York herds during 2014-16. Results of the comparison showed improvement in rst service conception rates for rst lactation cows with the longer VWP, but no change in conception rates for older cows with a longer VWP. The main message from those studies was that extending the VWP from 60 to 88 days using a double ovsynch protocol resulted in a net gain of $68 per cow for lactation one and a net loss of $85 per cow for lactation two or more over 18 months. The main reason for the loss in older cows was increased culling and replacement of an older cow with a heifer. The take home message is that a longer VWP may make sense for rst lactation animals but does not make sense for older cows. More recently, the same group looked at three options: double ovsynch with a 60-day VWP (DOVS60), double ovsynch with an 88-day VWP (DOVS88), and presynch ovsynch with cherry picking cows in heat and a 50-day VWP (PSOv50).
Once again they compared rst lactation cows to cows are DOVS88 and PSOv50. However, the older cows. The study was based on one herd and a economic gain versus the DOVS60 is fairly small. modeling program. The herd was using BST during For older cows, DOV60 and PSOv50 would be better the trial. Cows became pregnant sooner after calving than DOVS88, and the difference between the low with the DOVS60 and PSOv50 than with DOVS88 VWP protocols and the 88-day VWP is signicantly for both younger and older cows. At 350 DIM, the greater than the difference for younger cows. Thus, proportion of nonpregnant cows was no different for a blanket recommendation to increase the VWP each of the three protocols for lactation one animals, beyond 60 days in all lactation groups is not likely to but for older cows more be protable. Increasing the animals were open at 350 VWP in lactation one may Ask k questions i when h someone DIM for DOVS88 than the A be slightly protable. The other two protocols. tells you to increase your herd’s main reason longer VWPs For culling, all protocols were not more protable in had similar outcomes for voluntary waiting period. older cows was increased lactation one animals, but culling. culling was signicantly There are three other increased for older cows in the DOVS88 protocol. points to consider. First, these studies were all done on Regarding milk income, rst lactation animals showed cows injected with BST. It is likely that not using BST more income for the total lactation with the DOVS88 might result in better protability with shorter VWPs, compared to DOVS60 and PSOv50, but there was no because the rate of decline in milk production in later difference between protocols for older cows. lactation is greater in animals not supplemented. Cash ow per available milking slot was modeled Second, the performance of a PSOv protocol is, to for the 18-month period after calving with various some degree, dependent on heat detection for rst pricing scenarios. On average, cash ow for rst insemination, and this may vary signicantly between lactation cows was $16.70 greater per available herds. Third, in today’s world of high pregnancy milking slot with the DOVS88 versus the DOVS60. rates and farms needing fewer replacements, cows Over the entire range of variables, the return was get fewer breedings, and thus chances to get pregnant negative $38 per slot to positive $75 per slot. The before being coded do not breed. Extending the VWP average difference for DOVS88 versus PSOv50 lowers the number of available days for a cow to in rst lactation animals was only $1.20, in favor get pregnant. As a result these studies may actually of DOVS88. The difference for DOVS60 versus underestimate the negative effects of increasing PSOv50 was negative $15.50 for DOVS60 for rst VWPs in older cows today. lactation cows. Thus, ask questions when someone tells you to For second lactation and older animals, the mean increase your herd’s voluntary waiting period. Talk to return of the DOVS60 versus DOVS88 was negative your veterinarian and ask him or her to help evaluate $87 per slot. Over the range of input costs, the return any potential changes. was negative over 99% of the time for the DOVS88 Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at versus DOVS60. For DOVS88 versus PSOv50, the Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center average return was negative $83 per slot. The average in Plainview, Minnesota. He also consults on dairy difference between DOVS88 and PSOv50 was about farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four $4 per slot over 18 months. children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail. The bottom line from these studies is that the com with comments or questions. most likely of the three different VWPs and protocols that are likely to be most protable for rst lactation
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Spring time brings mud Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
I have never been in a hurricane. I have watched a tornado throw a trampoline into a tree and a straightline wind distort a hoop barn into a shape I didn’t know was possible without it breaking. But, never a hurricane. I imagine a hurricane to be similar to the time I was taking the cows to the pasture and a 4-inch downpour occurred in the time it took me to get back to the barn from the far side of the farm except with more wind. Everywhere we travel, I can’t help but participate in a bit of agricultural tourism. Even a trip to the next town down the road from ours requires careful observation of all the elds and animals passed along the way. It’s what comes of being in an occupation your whole life. It is not possible to drive around without checking on things whether your own or other’s. There are stories about my grandfather’s issues with driving relating to his inability to continue
in a straight line if he turned his head to check out a eld or cows in a pasture. Thankfully, I seem to be generally capable of staying in my lane while looking at all the farms we pass, or Emily would probably not let me drive us anywhere. On our trip in Puerto Rico, we did a fair amount of driving around the island in our little rental SUV mostly on winding mountain roads. That sort of driving required considerable attention to driving as the roads were closer to one lane than two, and the local custom appears to be to drive them as if it were a race. Fun driving but not the best kind for observing all the farming going on within view of the road. Nonetheless, I found plenty of moments to look away from the road to see groves of avocados, banana trees, and lots of Holsteins, Holstein crossbreds and beef cattle grazing happily on some tall rather coarse looking species of grass.
Being spring in Minnesota, naturally my thoughts constantly turn to mud. It’s hard not to think of mud this time of year. It’s on your boots when you From the Zweber Farm step out of the barn or tractor. It’s on your pants when you accidentally walk too close to a tire. It’s everywhere. Farms who have cattle on pasture year round like us or who daily haul manure, also us, have a close relationship with soil in its liquid form. Thinking on our trip By Tim Zweber while feeding the other Famer Columnist day, I got to thinking about those dairy farms in Puerto Rico. It doesn’t just rain there, they have hurricanes there. How does one deal with the kind of mud that must result from 12-plus hours of sideways buckets of rain? Like I said at the beginning of this article, I don’t know as I’ve never had the experience, but I bet we’ll all get a little taste of it soon. Warm weather is here, and rain is in the forecast. The frost will soon be gone, and soon there will be phone calls made requesting a bigger tractor and some chains. Here’s hoping this is a quick spring and you get a minimum number of things stuck in the mud. Until next month, keep living the dream and be careful where you step. Sometimes the mud is deeper than it looks. Tim Zweber farms with his wife Emily, their three children and his parents Jon and Lisa by Elko, Minnesota.
DCRC opens Herd Reproduction Award nominations
Nominate an outstanding dairy herd for the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council’s (DCRC) 2021 Excellence in Dairy Reproduction Awards program. Dairy industry professionals, including veterinarians, extension agents, articial insemination and pharmaceutical company representatives, dairy processor and co-op eld staff, and consultants, may nominate dairy herds with reproduction excellence. This awards program recognizes outstanding dairy operations for reproductive efciency and wellimplemented procedures. Nominations are due April 30. To nominate a herd, go to: www.dcrcouncil.org/ awards/nominate-a-herd and complete the required information. From the nominations, judges evaluate reproductive performance criteria and narrow down the nominations to a group of nalists. Dairies named as nalists submit herd management data and judges rank the nalists as Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze. To learn more about past winners, go to: www. dcrcouncil.org/awards/past-reproduction-awardwinners. Herds earning Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze are invited to attend the DCRC Annual Meeting, which is scheduled for Nov. 10-11, in Kansas City, Mo. Watch the DCRC website – www.dcrcouncil.org – for program updates.
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Reections on extension
“Is University of Minnesota Extension something we still need?” ask friends and family occasionally. To answer, it takes some reection. Extension has a deep history with agricultural progress in this country and around the world. What began in 1909 in Minnesota to help farmers become more productive and protable has made several pivots. You can easily learn about Extension’s history online. It is quite amazing to see how it has changed through decades as detailed with many examples. Come Full Dairy Circle the What I remember while growing up on our farm is that Extension agents were held in high regard. When my father began his farming career he took a U of M Extension short-course on operating a diversied farm. The aid of Extension was needed to take the knowledge from the university’s research and teaching arms and apply it to what was actually needed to help the farmers throughout the state learn new methods to aid in farming success. The Extension agent communicated, reached out and made farm visits to impart the knowledge. Now this is the job of the By Jean Annexstad Extension educator and means of communication have transformed. Columnist A quick Google search for “University of Minnesota Extension” today yields a variety of diverse online courses you can take that range from “The Successful Beekeeper” to “The Science of Manure Management.” Information on master gardening, human nutrition, community development and household nances are topics any family could use. You can nd answers to any garden or food-related questions you have through a query on the website answered by Master Gardeners and educators. So today, “Extension provides practical education and research you can trust to help people, businesses and communities solve problems, develop skills and build a better future,” states the website www.extension.umn.edu. When you visit the website, for example, you can discover that the week of March 8-12 has six events scheduled. One of them is the Winter Dairy Series webinar of “Best Practices for Productive Farm Meetings” which is part of a several-week series that can be accessed by registering for the webinars. Another way I believe Extension is viable today is the youth programs it offers. Most of them revolve around 4-H in both rural and urban settings. I can think of many examples of youth who have used the skills and leadership learned through 4-H to pursue their lifelong goals and careers. Spending time with their project areas of interest sparked their career direction. My nephew spent three years carefully detailing the landscaping plans around his family’s home in his 4-H project. He is now an established landscape architect. Many youth who spent their summers involved in livestock projects have careers as veterinarians, livestock farmers or advisors in livestock and crop production. People who excelled in the small engine projects went on to be mechanics; those who perfected leadership skills are teachers; clothing construction experts have sewing businesses, and the list goes on. Youth projects today have evolved into STEAM, robotics, the 4-H Science of Agriculture Challenge, environmental and community-related topics. Now Extension reaches into every aspect of life in Minnesota. This happened in 1990 when the law expanded Extension’s reach. This evolved into ve capacity areas today. One example is food security and how Extension directs people to resources. A person helping in this key effort is Kathryn Draeger, statewide director, U of M Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships. She explains how Extension is relevant in 2021. “For example, because Extension works with food access, we were able to pivot quickly and provide support to communities around the state when COVID-19 hit last year. We hit the ground running to help communities and rural grocery stores in a number of ways. Hearing that people who were exposed or sick with COVID-19 needed to quarantine for two weeks, we developed a fact sheet for a 14-day emergency meal kit that could be created at a small town grocery store. The kit contained food that was available, affordable and easy to prepare in case someone was sick. That fact sheet has been downloaded over 7,500 times and was used by community groups to help people who were quarantined. Knowing that grocery stores are critical to keeping food access throughout our state, we created a curbside pickup and delivery plan and fact sheet based on the experiences of actual small town grocers who were doing their best to protect customers and their front line staff. And then we distributed it to over 250 stores and were able to support dozens of stores in planning in case they need to switch to curbside pickup.” Draeger and her Extension co-workers also developed “The Farm to Grocery Toolkit” which helps farmers who are growing and producing farm products to sell them directly to grocery stores. You can probably tell I am an Extension/4-H volunteer. My opinion is that Extension’s reach is different in today’s world than in past times but is very much needed. Jean dairy farms with her husband, Rolf, and brother-in-law, Mike, and children Emily, Matthias and Leif. They farm near St. Peter, Minnesota, in Norseland, where she is still trying to t in with the Norwegians and Swedes. They milk 200 cows and farm 650 acres. She can be reached at jeanannexstad@gmail.com.
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
Friendship founded on dairy
Farmer, milk hauler continue lasting careers in parallel paths By Andrea Borgerding andrea.b@dairystar.com
PRINCETON, Minn. – They say if you love what you do, you do not work a day in your life. That can be said for two men who have worked within the dairy industry for most of their lifetimes. Not the same career but aligned career paths brought dairyman Richard Reiman and milk truck driver Jim Skogquist together in a working relationship – and eventual friendship – that has held steadfast through the years. “Richard was on my rst milk route of 18 dairy farms when I started hauling milk in March 1980,” Skogquist said. “He is the only one left on my original route.” Reiman took over the family farm near Princeton in 1978. The dairy includes a 50-cow tiestall barn and cropland. Reiman previously milked in a step-up parlor for a few years when his cow numbers grew to 75. Today, Reiman’s daughter, Kristen, and her husband, Thomas Duden, own the farm as the fourth generation. Reiman continues to work on the farm, milking 40 cows and completing daily chores. In 1980, Skogquist was just steps away from beginning his own career as
ANDREA BORGERDING/DAIRY STAR
Jim Skogquist (leŌ) and Richard Reiman stand together at the Reiman family’s dairy March 4 near Princeton, Minnesota. Reiman was on Skogquist’s original milk route when he began hauling milk 41 years ago. a dairy farmer. Skogquist later withdrew his farm loan application. Weeks later he found himself with his own milk route, hauling milk for Cloverleaf in
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ANDREA BORGERDING/DAIRY STAR
Jim Skogquist marks down the amount of milk on a pick up at the Reiman family’s dairy March 4 near Princeton, Minnesota. began his every other day milk pick up at the Reiman dairy farm. With common interests in dairying and farming, Skogquist and Reiman quickly developed a lasting relationship. “It’s like when you meet someone and you nd out what type of person he is, I knew Jim was the type of person you want to be around,” Reiman said. Skogquist was surprised one day shortly after starting hauling Reiman’s milk that they shared a connection. Skogquist attended the same 4-H group as Reiman’s wife, Margaret. He had not seen her since they were 14 years old. “I saw her at the farm one day and I was kind of shocked to see her,” Skogquist said. “I stopped and reminisced with her.” In 1995, Skogquist moved to the Princeton area where he purchased cropland and raises corn and soybeans. Farming in the same area brought him and Reiman even closer through sharing equipment and helping each other with farming tasks. “The relationship worked,” Reiman
said. “We found something in common, and we often worked together.” In 2001, Skogquist sold his milk milk truck and began a construction company. At the same time, Reiman transitioned to producing organic milk requiring a different milk hauler. But in 2012, Skogquist found himself lling in for the local milk hauler and once again began visiting the Reiman farm every other day. “I went back to selling conventional milk and Jim happened to be hauling milk in the area for First District,” Reiman said. Skogquist was pleased to once again be stopping at the Reimans’ farm. “It just happened that I was hauling for First District and Richard’s neighbor was selling to First District too,” Skogquist said. “Richard is my rst stop in the morning.” At 8:30 a.m., Skogquist backs his semi-trailer into the quarter-mile long driveway. While the milk is loaded onto
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
Women In Dairy Becky Haag Watkins, Minnesota Stearns County 215 cows Family: I am pretty close to both of my immediate families. I am married to Rob and have two teenagers: Alex and Carmen. I farm with my siblings, Perry, Rhonda and Brenda, and my parents, Art and Margie Kuechle, also help every day. Tell us about your farm. The farm transitioned to us, the second generation, in 2009 under the name Kuechle Dairy LLC. We milk about 215 cows, raise the youngstock and nish out the dairy steers. The heifers go to my brother Perry’s farm at about 6 months of age until they are conrmed pregnant. What is the busiest time of day for you? Between 2-4 p.m. is the busiest. I intend to make supper, but I get quite distracted as I see other little things that will just take a minute, and then I nd myself scrambling to keep up with life. When you get a spare moment what do you do? I like to play the organ most, but I also like reading the paper or magazines, especially the jokes and the crossword puzzles. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Breakfast on the Farm in 2017 was memorable because of the fun atmosphere and the incredible support from others in the industry. There were so many people. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I enjoy being outside and being able to see the cycles of life. I love to see a baby calf being born and crops being harvested. Honestly, I like all the parts of dairy farming. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I read a lot. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? I watched the movie about Temple Grandin and recommend it to anyone. I admired how she saw a problem in the industry, knew the solution and then persisted despite being ridiculed. I want to do things in a better way as she desired to do.
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ANDREA BORGERDING/DAIRY STAR
Richard Reiman (leŌ) and Jim Skogquist visit in the milkhouse March 4 at the Reiman family’s dairy near Princeton, Minnesota. Reiman milks 40 cows now owned by his daughter, Kristen, and her husband, Thomas Duden. the truck, the two men catch up for a few minutes in the milkhouse. “I’ve enjoyed a lot of different conversations with farmers over the years,” Skogquist said. “All different subjects. I have an interest in farming so it’s easy for me to talk with them.” At 63, Skogquist continues lling in for drivers three days a week. The schedule works well for him to enjoy time off but also continue doing something he enjoys. “I’m going to keep doing it for a while yet,” Skogquist said. “I don’t know how long but as long as my health is good. I would miss it if I didn’t.” At 67, Reiman, too, intends to
continue farming for as long as he is able. “They say don’t do anything different when you retire,” Reiman said. “It’s easy for me to say as I have something I can keep doing as long as my daughter needs me to milk cows and my knees keep working.” Long, enjoyable careers have carried both Reiman and Skogquist through many ups and downs in life – all while building a lasting friendship with each other. Although neither Reiman nor Skogquist plan to retire soon, they both know they will keep in touch even without the visit in the milkhouse.
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
Carlson competes in collegiate wrestling
U of M athlete credits farming for mental, physical strength By Logan Sass
U of M Athletic Department
PENNOCK, Minn. – While wrestling has been an instrumental part of Cael Carlson’s family over the years, there is still one thing that runs deeper in the Carlson blood: the family farm. About two hours west of the Twin Cities is where you will nd the Carlson dairy farm in Pennock, a farm that consists of over 1,800 Holstein dairy cows and was founded by Carlson’s great-, great-grandfather in 1891. Since then, the farm has been maintained by Cael’s grandfather, who wrestled in high school, as well as his dad and uncle, Chad and Carl, who combined for three Minnesota state titles and both competed for the University of Minnesota Gophers in the 1990s. Now, Carlson, who has two state titles in his own right for Willmar High School, has every intention of following in his family’s footsteps and becoming a fth-generation dairy farmer. Before that, he hopes to build on an impressive debut as a true freshman in 2019-20. Competing unattached, Carlson compiled a 17-5 record with nine pins and an individual title at the Don Parker Open. A double major in agricultural business management and animal science with an emphasis in dairy production, the redshirt freshman is taking advan-
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Cael Carlson is an athlete on the University of Minnesota’s wrestling team. He is studying agriculture business management and animal science with plans to return to his family’s dairy farm near Pennock, Minnesota. tage of his athletic and academic pursuits in hopes of using his newfound knowledge back home on the farm, fullling a passion that has been instilled in him ever since he was a little kid. “I couldn’t imagine doing anything else in my life,” Carlson stated. Carlson’s tasks on the farm varied as he was growing up. It started by shadowing his father, helping with miscellaneous tasks such as daily maintenance or feeding the cows. As he grew older, his role shifted into learning
more about the business side of dairy farming. However, maybe even more important as a student-athlete are the values learned that translate into the sport of wrestling. For Carlson, it would be rare for him to nd a lesson that he hasn’t already learned on the family farm. “I think farming has helped me in having the physical and mental strength that is needed to compete at the highestlevel of the sport,” Carlson said. The responsibility of doing his
chores on the farm goes hand-in-hand with his obligations to be successful in the classroom. The grit that he shows after a long day in the practice room is that same attitude he carries working outside during those cold winter months. The adversity that Carlson may have faced in the sport of wrestling does not even compare to the adversity of when a tornado hit his farm three summers ago. Yet, in both aspects of life, Carlson knows how to overcome those obstacles. If you could summarize everything he has learned on the farm though, it would be hard work. “The great thing about farming is that it teaches kids about life in the real world and that no matter how you were feeling at times, some things just need to be done” Carlson added, or as he bluntly puts it, “You can’t just take a holiday or a sick day from the cows.” At the end of the day, what brings him back to the farm every year is his family. “I remember looking around one day and seeing my dad, brothers, grandma, uncle, and cousins all working in the eld together. It wasn’t about working for the cows, it was us working for our family and our traditions. I don’t know many occupations where you can work with your family every day and that is so special to me,” Carlson recalls. So, once his wrestling days at the University of Minnesota are over, it will be back to the farm for Carlson. It may seem like a simple life, but he wouldn’t want it any other way.
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a lifestyle that always has more to offer. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Don’t be afraid of different. Some of the best decisions I have made as a farmer were the ones that everyone said would never work.
How did you get into farming? I am the fth generation on my family farm. After moving away and working construction out of high school for a few years, I came back because I realized there was no better place to raise a family.
What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your farm? My baleage equipment. Being able to put up high-quality feed under varying conditions, on my schedule, has made all the difference.
What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? I worry that once the government funds stop coming, the oversupply of milk will create another crash in pricing for most farmers. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? I installed a Val Metal Alfred round bale feeder in my stanchion barn. I can now unroll and feed full round bales in my barn without having to process them. This allows me to make baleage instead of putting up all small square dry hay. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? I cut back on the amount of row crops I plant. As an organic farmer, this has saved me a ton of time and maintenance costs. The extra time I get to spend with my family is priceless. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? Being a member of Westby
What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Learning to balance farm life with family life. There will always be more work that needs to be done. But there’s only one moment to raise a family.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Darren and Nicole Eichelkraut and their daughter, Aria, 5, and son, Merik, 3, milk 52 cows in Belleville, Wisconsin.
Cooperative, I have been fortunate in not having to take any drastic cuts in price. But doing most of the repairs myself and making our heifer and calf feed from our own grain has always helped keep costs down. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? Treat them like family. My only fulltime employee is my dad. As for parttime help, I do my best to make sure
they know how much I appreciate and value their time and effort. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I love to learn new skills, be a Jack of all trades, and I am not afraid to fail in the process. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? Knowing every day will be different from the last. This is
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? I hope to spend the next few years maintaining what I have and paying down debt. If I’m lucky, there will be a no-till drill in my shed within ve years. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We like to go to dairy events like breakfasts on the farm, county fairs and World Dairy Expo. With most of that being put on hold, we love to spend time playing in the woods and going on UTV rides.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 13, 2021
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“This past October we began using the Kickstart Weaning tubs on our 2-5 week old pen calves to help boost their immune systems. The calves loved it and we quickly noticed them having more energy and less health issues. We were so impressed with the results that we added the Kickstart Weaning tubs to our other pens of calves up to 12 weeks of age.” - Brian and Eileen Hoefler, Hoefler Dairy, New Vienna, IA
CONTACT US TO LEARN MORE TODAY! Shelby Cornelius 319-229-6238 (Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin ) • Ed Weber 701-516-3252 (North Dakota, South Dakota)