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DAIRY ST R
Volume 22, No. 2
How to keep up with reproduction trends
“All dairy, all the time”™
March 14, 2020
Growing up a farmer
Fricke nds opportunity in optimizing pregnancy rates By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
NORWOOD YOUNG AMERICA, Minn. – Reproduction in the dairy cattle industry has drastically changed over the last 20 years. For dairy farmers to keep up with such changes, management is ever more important. “I think many of you have forgot how bad reproduction actually was 20 years ago,” Dr. Paul Fricke said. “Now, we’ve gone over our pie-in-the-sky goal for pregnancy rates, … and we have to take into account new management strategies available in the industry.” Fricke, a professor of dairy science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discussed three management strategies and orthodox fertility programs that aid in the industry’s reproductive movement during his presentation, “Management Strategies in an Era of High Pregnancy Rates,” Feb. 17 at the Carver County Dairy Expo in Norwood Young America. In 2019, National Dairy Herd Improvement Association reported an average pregnancy rate of 21.6% for more than 7,000 herds across the United States that accounted for nearly 1.8 million Holsteins. Of those herds, 60% had a pregnancy rate above 20%. A similar trend was seen in Wisconsin. The average pregnancy rate of 464 herds (183,000 Holsteins) on test was 23.2% in 2019, with about 75% of those herds having a pregnancy rate above 20%. These values are substantially greater than in 1998 when the mean pregnancy rate was 14%. “If you could have a 20% annualized pregnancy rate, you were amongst a very elite group of herds. We really didn’t know if we could get pregnancy rates (above 30%) in that point in time,” Fricke said. “Now, we’re seeing higher pregnancy rates than we ever thought we could achieve.” Higher pregnancy rates are the result of two predominant strategies farmers are using that combine heat detection with timed A.I. “I think that’s a really powerful way to get really good fertility in herds,” Fricke said. “This seems to be a way herds are doing really well at getting high 21-day pregnancy rates.” The Dairy Cattle Reproductive Council has orthodox protocols for the industry to follow for best reproductive practices. “These protocols are developed in the ivory tower of academia and then they’re released into the wild,” Fricke said. The rst is a classic presynch-ovsynch protocol where farmers breed to estrus and clean up with timed Turn to REPRODUCTION | Page 5
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The Rieden family – (front, from leŌ) OƩo and Felix; (back, from leŌ) Jim, Joe holding Cora and Susan – milks 600 cows and farms 1,200 acres near Mount Calvary, Wisconsin.
Rieden helps build operation to what it is today By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
MOUNT CALVARY, Wis. – Joe Rieden has had a hand in running Rieden Dairy Farms ever since he was a young boy. Providing more than labor on the 60-cow dairy in Mount Calvary, Rieden took ownership of various aspects from the time he was just a lad. By age 7, he was tagging calves, and by age 14, he was mating and breeding the entire herd. Becoming a decisionmaker long before most, Rieden relished his responsibilities. He took farming seriously from day one and was deeply committed to making it his life’s work. “I always wanted to farm,” Rieden said. “I never had a desire for anything else. Cows have been my passion from
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The farm’s double-8 parallel milking parlor is located inside the original Ɵestall barn. It was built in 2008. little on.” When Rieden was 12 years old, his parents, Jim and Pam, set him up with a checking account, and Rieden began buying his own cattle. By the time he graduated from high school in 2004, Rieden had 40 cows milking. His parents also had 40.
“Ever since I was a kid, I got to treat the farm as my own,” Rieden said. “I had full control over mating and breeding from the time I was just a teenager after taking A.I. training. My dad probably kept an eye on me Turn to RIEDEN | Page 6
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
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 Julie Barnes (SE WI and Northern IL) julie.b@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Ashley Curry (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-539-7268 • ashley.c@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 the other side
Dairy Star likes to provide local stories, which is why we have two versions of the paper. Below are a few highlights from stories you will not nd in this paper, but you can nd online in zone 1. Find full editions on our website, www.dairystar.com, and click on the e-edition tab under the Dairy Star header. Volds retrot facility for robotic milkers The Vold family knew they had to make a drastic change to their dairy in order to have a future for their farm. The Volds run Dorrich Dairy, a 450-cow dairy near Glenwood, Minnesota. In October 2019, they switched from a double-8 herringbone parlor to seven Lely robotic milkers. The upgrade in equipment, technology and facilities enabled the Volds to recreate themselves in the dairy industry as an efcient, cow-focused dairy operation allowing them to maximize milk production. Create a bond over nances The relationship between a farmer and a lender goes deeper than signatures on a credit loan. Dr. David Kohl outlined the ve steps farmers should take before going to the bank, and the dos and don’ts for farmers and lenders to strengthen their relationship during his presentation, “Obtaining Credit in Challenging Times,” Feb. 20 in Willmar, Minnesota. In understanding the perspective of the two parties and being prepared for nancial conversations, Kohl believes dairy businesses can be strengthened. Breaking down greenhouse gas emissions Greenhouse gas emissions have been a hot environmental topic lately. Dan Peerless from Dairy Management Inc. talked about “Dairy and Greenhouse Gas” during the Minnesota Milk Producers Association and the Upper Midwest Dairy Industry Association spring meeting March 4 in Rochester, Minnesota. He said carbon from ruminant animals is often equated to carbon from a fossil fuel source; however, Peerless said the two are not the same. During his presentation, he explained the carbon cycle, different sources for carbon emissions and dairy’s involvement in the process. Fjelstad is a certied life coach Diane Fjelstad felt there was a lack of everyday mental health help in the agricultural community. Because of this, she went through training and is now a certied life coach. She hopes she can help other women in agriculture deal with daily adversities of farm life. Along with this side gig, Fjelstad also dairy farms together with her husband near Zumbro Falls, Minnesota.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
First Section: Pages 15 - 16
Pepin
Buffalo
Come Full Circle
Page 33 First Section
d
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
Richland
go ba Calumet
Waushara
e nn Wi
Green Lake Fond Du Lac
Columbia Dodge
Sauk
Jo Daviess
Darlington
Zone 2
son
hen
p Ste
Carroll
Granny cows have value at Darlington Ridge Farms
Rock
Walworth go
eba
n Win
e
Lafayette Green
Jefferson Waukesha
on
Grant
Page 22 Second Section
Dane
Iowa
Bo
Cr
Country Cooking
Zone 1
Ou
for
Pages 10 - 11 Second Section
Juneau
e mi Brown
a tag
Adams
Monroe
Vernon
Suds are no dud for Tranel Family Farm
Oconto
Shawano
Wood
Jackson
La Crosse
Cuba City
Menominee
Portage Waupaca
aw
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Langlade
Marathon
Clark
Eau Claire
Whiteside
Oshkosh
Oshkosh the place to see latest, greatest in agriculture Second Section: Pages 11 - 13
Racine Kenosha
McHenry
Ogle DeKalb
Second Section: Pages 3 - 5
te
Ke w
Pierce
Page 32 First Section
Chippewa
et
ton S he bo Milwaukee Ozauk M yg ee an anito wo c
First Section: Page 36
Dunn
in
ing
St. Croix
Taylor
ar
Menominee
Wa sh
Women in Dairy: Suzie Benoit
Lincoln
ce
M
Forest
ett e
Stitzer
Rusk
Barron
ren
Oneida
qu
Polk
Price
Delta
Dickinson
Vilas
Flo
Sawyer
Trempealeau
Veterinary Wisdom
First Section: Pages 23, 25
Iron
Ma r
ur Burnett
Page 30 First Section
Making Cents of Dairy
Ashland
n
Ramblings from the Ridge
Emerald Acres named Distinguished Holstein Breeder
First Section: Pages 37 - 38
Bayeld
Douglas
Shirley
Adventures in Dairyland program teaches youth about industry
Do or
First Section: Page 39
Page 27 First Section
Page 31 First Section
Appleton
From Our Side of the Fence
aun ee
Hatley
Dairy Prole: Cheryl Davis
hb
Ask Google
Wisconsin Dells
Wa s
Pages 8-9 First Section
Mount Calvary
Rieden helps build operation to what it is today
Kane
Lee
First Section: Pages 1, 6 - 7
Rock Island
Janesville
Mercer
Hen de
rson
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
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re War
Dairy’s Star Youth: John Osinga Third Section: Page 11
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ConƟnued from REPRODUCTION | Page 1 insemination. The second is a double ovsynch fertility program. Both programs are described in detail on the DCRC’s website. “The most important thing to do on your farm is to put a plan in place and follow the plan,” Fricke said. “Having a plan is better than changing avor of the month every month.” Reasons to improve 21-day pregnancy rates are found in milk production, calves produced, culling decisions and the nancial costs of reproduction management. Models have shown that by increasing the pregnancy rate from 13% to 22%, farmers gain an additional $188 per cow per year. Yet, the gain is not as great when improving from 22% to 30% pregnancy rate as the return is $99 per cow per year. “Statistician George Box once said essentially all models are wrong, but the practical question is, ‘How wrong do they have to be to be useful?’” Fricke said. “My quibble with these models is they don’t take into account what you guys are doing now with repro. If you take away fertility programs and what we know, you’ll be back at a 14% pregnancy rate.” Genomic testing and the use of sexed and beef semen are now popular management strategies in the dairy industry. By breeding for daughter pregnancy rate and using a fertility program, farmers can see their reproduction improve. In adding genomic testing, an animal’s genetic merit is known as early as 4 months old. “Genomics is a technology the geneticists are really happy about because it made genetics important again,” Fricke said. “There are real things about genetics and genetic improvement.” Now, with advances in reproduction management, herd management has also shifted.
“When you have 30%-40% pregnancy rate, you don’t need more heifers,” Fricke said. “Now, it’s all about heifer management strategies.” Both sexed semen and beef semen have helped create more productive herds by retaining high-end genetics and turning a prot on the lower-end genetics through beef sales over dairy. Fricke said dairy farmers should be mindful in how they use sexed semen, remembering that it is not necessarily as effective as conventional semen on the herd as a whole, but with rst-service heifers the benets are evident. “There’s a misconception out there that sexed semen is not as fertile as conventional semen. It should have higher fertility because you’re using it on your rst lactation heifers, the most fertile in your herd,” he said. “Take that into account when looking at 21-day pregnancy rates.” Sexed semen was introduced to the dairy industry in 2006, and every year since it has gained a larger share in the marketplace. Beef semen has seen a similar trend. “How long before conventional semen goes away?” Fricke said. “I think it’s already happening.” Fricke said that in 2019, AgSource released a report that showed nearly 20% of Holsteins were bred to sexed semen, another 20% to beef semen and 60% to conventional semen. The same report showed 40% of Jerseys were bred to sexed semen and 25% to beef. “We see a lot of herds culling animals they don’t want to raise,” Fricke said. “Get your replacements from the top end and breed the rest to beef.” All of these strategies, including fertility protocols, have advanced the dairy industry’s reproductive performance in ways many could not have imagined 20 years ago.
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ConƟnued from RIEDEN | Page 1
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The original dairy barn houses the farm’s rst-lactaƟon animals. Tiestalls in the barn were replaced with freestalls. from the shadows, but he let me do my thing. Tagging calves was also a big deal for me. In fact, to this day I am still the only one who does it. I’m kind of obsessive about it. I want them done a certain way.” When Rieden nished school, he and his parents kept growing their herd within their existing facilities. “While other farms were putting in parlors, we were remodeling our tiestall barn,” Rieden said. “But we had no interest in parlors at the time, so we put in 18 more tie stalls in (2004). At one point, we were milking 180 cows in 34 stalls.” The Riedens continued ramping up cow numbers, and in 2008, Rieden became partners with his dad, forming an LLC as his mom stepped out and started working off the farm so her son could step in. The farm saw a major expansion that year as the Riedens gutted a section of the original barn and put in a double-8 parallel parlor in addition to building a freestall barn. The Riedens were milking 270 cows when they transitioned to the parlor. The Rie-
dens replaced tie stalls with free stalls in the original barn which is now used to house rst-lactation animals. “I loved milking cows,” Rieden said. “I never thought I’d be in a parlor. But we needed it because my dad and I both had bad knees. The parlor would also help us be more sustainable.” Today, the Riedens milk 600 Holsteins and Red and White Holsteins with a rolling herd average of 31,000 pounds of milk, 3.85% butterfat and 3.2% protein on three times per day milking while maintaining a somatic cell count of 100,000. The Riedens also farm 1,200 acres of corn, soybean, alfalfa and wheat. Heifers and dry cows are housed offsite which has allowed the Riedens to milk more cows. “You have to get creative to combat low milk prices,” Rieden said. “Our business model was always to milk 420 cows – that was our sweet spot – while selling 120 replacements each year. It was the greatest gig in the world until Turn to RIEDEN | Page 7
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ConƟnued from RIEDEN | Page 6 prices dropped off.” The farm always carried a surplus of heifers – three times the amount of cows. “Our goal was 400 cows and 1,200 heifers,” Rieden said. “But we stopped doing that a couple years ago. Instead, we increased cow numbers and grew internally.” The Rieden family has farmed at this location for 92 years – ever since Rieden’s great-grandpa started the farm in 1928. Rieden is a fourth-generation farmer who would love nothing more than to pass the farm onto his own children someday. He and his wife, Susan, who feeds calves and does the farm’s
“We want our children to be passionate about the farm but want them to know there’s life outside of agriculture, too.” JOE RIEDEN, DAIRY FARMER
books, have three children – Otto, 5, Felix, 3, and Cora, 1.5. Susan comes from a 230-Jersey-cow farm in Fennimore. Rieden said he strives for a good balance between family and farm life. “We want our children to be passionate about the farm but want them to know there’s life outside of agriculture too,” Rieden said. “When you teach kids to be balanced, they see that you can do something like this. You can farm. It’s not an impossible dream.” Rieden still gets out to the parlor occasionally when time allows.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Joe Rieden along with his sons, OƩo (leŌ) and Felix, talks to his dad, Jim, about a parƟcular cow Feb. 26 at their dairy near Mount Calvary, Wisconsin. “I like to pop in here and there and milk for a couple hours when I can,” he said. The Riedens added a second bulk tank and now have two 4,000-gallon tanks. They added an employee breakroom to help attract and retain highquality workers. “We run pretty lean at 100 cows per employee,” Rieden said. “It’s all about efciency and trying to get more done with less. We have to be efcient with
our time. For example, we just bought a new cattle trailer that allows us to haul 16 cows instead of 10.” Rieden said, after going through their big expansion in 2008, they have taken progressive baby steps since and operate under a tight blueprint. “Every square inch of our farm is used or spoken for,” Rieden said. “We’re set up to go to 1,200 cows someday and have already marked out where the new parlor and second freestall barn
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China takes action on dairy product exports Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
Progress is being made in implementing phase ing, value-added and direct-to-consumer sales and be one of the trade agreement between the U.S. and Chi- designed in a way that any production base does not na. The most recent actions by China include lifting acquire value. a ban on beef imports from animals over 30 months of age and updated facilities approved for exporting NFU elects new president dairy products. In addition, a new tariff The newly elected National FarmAg Insider exclusion process is in place, allowing ers Union President Rob Larew said he Chinese importers to apply for exclusion will focus on building off of the current from retaliatory tariffs. strength of the organization. “Times are tough. There are lots of challenges, not Dairy groups object to Dean Foods/ the least of which is what the weather DFA Deal will be like this spring. When we work toA group of dairy cooperatives have gether, we’re going to be a lot stronger.” led a lawsuit, objecting the proposed Larew said the farm economy continues Dean Foods bankruptcy sale to Dairy to drive a lot of policy priorities for the Farmers of America. The dairy groups organization. “The effects of trade policy, claim this merger would “effectively whether or not we get another Market Faconsolidate DFA’s grip on the national cilitation Program and whether or not we By Don Wick milk market.” The co-ops objecting to need to be looking at changes in the farm Columnist the Dean Foods/DFA deal include Lone safety net. Then, there are challenges of Star Milk Producers, Agri-Mark, Cayuga concentration across the ag space and Marketing, Cobblestone Milk Cooperative and Mary- climate change.” NFU Policy Director Mike Stranz land and Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative Asso- will be lling in for Larew’s former role. Wisconsin ciation. farmer Patty Edelburg was also reelected NFU vicepresident during the convention. DFA postpones annual meeting Dairy Farmers of America has postponed its an- Dairy farmer testies in Congress nual meeting, which was scheduled for March 16-18 Connecticut dairy farmer James Jacquier testiin Kansas City. The decision was made “out of an ed before a House Agriculture subcommittee, proabundance of caution” due to the coronavirus out- viding a dairy industry perspective on trade. “Ameribreak. ca’s dairy farmers applaud the certainty that lowered tariffs and fairly negotiated trade agreements bring NFU supports supply management our industry. However, if we cannot combat outraDuring the National Farmers Union Convention, geous nontariff barriers, such as those the EU is delegates passed six special orders including one manufacturing to block the export of American-made dealing with dairy policy. This special order said the cheeses, these trade wins can ring hollow.” Jacquier Dairy Margin Coverage program does not address the chairs the Agri-Mark cooperative board. issue of oversupply and Congress should establish a mandatory supply management program. NFU said Dairy exports up in January U.S. dairy exports topped 428 million pounds in this program should allow for the entry of beginning farmers, reduce government expenditures, respond to January, up nearly 70 million pounds from January of global market conditions, allow for on-farm process- 2019. According to the USDA report, exports of non-
fat dry milk and skim milk powder was up 41% from last year. Whey protein concentrate sales increased 60%. Cheese exports increased less than 1% and butter exports were down more than 18%.
NMPF lobbies for ag labor solution Dairy farmers from throughout the country spent two days on Capitol Hill earlier this month. The National Milk Producers Federation legislative y-in called for an agricultural labor bill that would provide a stable, secure labor force for U.S. dairy farms. “The situation is dire,” said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO, NMPF. WASDE report revises 2020 milk output gure The March World Supply Demand Estimates from USDA forecast 2020 milk production at 222.3 billion pounds, up 300,000 pounds from last month. The USDA report revised downward the price projections for cheese, butter and NFDM. As a result, the all-milk price forecast declined 60 cents to $18.25 per hundredweight. Alfalfa prices decline In January, U.S. alfalfa prices averaged $171 per ton, down $8 per ton from one year ago. Every state posted price declines, but the biggest drop was in Wisconsin. Wisconsin alfalfa prices were down more than $50 per ton. Evers signs ag bills Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has signed a slate of 60 bills, including provisions impacting agriculture. One of the bills adjusts the formula for tax credits, allowing farmers to claim their full credit after farmers receive federal crop insurance for crop losses. There was also a bill signed into law that creates a system for buying and selling nutrient credits for farmers who hold a water pollution discharge elimination permit. Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 9
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 A merger at UW-Madison The animal sciences and dairy science departments at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will merge July 1. These two departments have already been working as one unit since January 2019, but the merger has now been ofcially approved. Dairy leaders to be honored at World Dairy Expo World Dairy Expo has announced the recipients of the 2020 Expo Recognition Awards. The Dairy Producers of the Year are Jim Ostrom, John Vosters and Todd Willer of Milk Source in Kaukauna, Wisconsin. Steve Eicker of New York and Conner Jameson of California are with Valley Agricultural Software and will be recognized as the Industry People of the Year. Wijnand Pon, who is the URUS Group in the Netherlands is the International Person of the Year. The awards will be presented during World Dairy Expo. Holstein farmers recognized The Wisconsin Holstein Associa-
tion honored Trent and Kelsey Hendrickson of Blanchardville as the Distinguished Young Holstein Breeder. Kevin Jorgensen of Waupun was presented the Distinguished Service Award. Jorgensen worked for nearly 30 years in the A.I. industry and is a former president of the Wisconsin Holstein Association. Trivia challenge Elsie is the name of the cartoon cow mascot for Borden Dairy. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, who is the president and chief executive ofcer for the U.S. Dairy Export Council. 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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Joel Middendorf (front) is in the process of purchasing the dairy farm from his dad, Dan. The Middendorfs have spent the past three years developing and implemenƟng a transiƟon plan for the 120-cow organic dairy in Wadena County near Verndale, Minnesota. Not pictured are Dan’s wife, Rosie, and Joel’s wife, Maureen, who are also a part of the farm transiƟon.
Middendorfs nalize farm transition with third party guidance By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
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VERNDALE, Minn. – The Middendorfs are nearing the end of what has been an overlong journey. In just a few weeks, Dan and Rosie Middendorf will give ownership of their dairy to their son, Joel, and his wife, Maureen. After two years of discussing the business structure and vision for the farm, the family has setup a succession plan; but none of it would have been possible without the assistance of non-family members. “It’s absolutely necessary to have a trusted third party involved with your transition plan,” Joel said. “Unless you have someone looking at the big pictured, unbiased, you don’t really know where you want to go and you’ll never get there.” Joel oversees the day-to-day tasks on his family’s 120-cow organic dairy farm in Wadena County near Verndale. Together with Dan, the father-son duo also runs 400 acres of cropland and 300 acres of grass and pasture land. “Any decision about eldwork is totally up to Joel. He decides what’s planted and where,” Dan said. “Any big decisions for the farm we still make together.” Joel returned to the farm in 2017. After a year of working as an employee for Dan and Rosie, they began discussions on what was the best route to fully transition the farm to Joel and his family. The Middendorfs worked with a nancial planning rm based in Mankato to determine if the transfer would be viable. “It had got to the point that we had to do something because Dad needed to back off from the farm for his health,” Joel said. “In the same sense, though, if things weren’t going to work nancially, we knew this wouldn’t work.” Nearly a decade ago, the Middendorfs tried to transfer the farm. Dan and Joel were working in an informal 50:50 partnership, and they discussed Joel taking on more ownership. Yet, the timing was not right for a farm transition.
“We’ve been almost through this process before,” Joel said. “It came down to seeing what Dad wanted to do and if he wanted to stop farming. That answer was no.” Dan agreed. “At that point, Joel leaving was the best we could do,” he said. “There were no hard feelings and it was an amicable split.” The conversation changed after Dan suffered a brain injury from a car accident in 2014. Joel and his siblings returned to the farm to help their father as he recovered.
“It really became a matter of how we were going to make the nances work so I could come back.” JOEL MIDDENDORF, DAIRY FARMER
For the following three years, Joel managed the eldwork and his sisters dealt with the dairy. “I was never far away,” said Joel who was a welder at the time. “It really became a matter of how we were going to make the nances work so I could come back.” When Joel was able to return full time, the stage was set for the Middendorfs to plan their future. “We each sat down with the planner separately and listed off our goals,” Joel said. “What we found was that this time we had very similar goals which made it easy to move forward.” The Middendorfs carefully reviewed the business structure of the farm and made a plan that would benet both parties when the transition was complete. For the families, it was important there would be money for Dan and Rosie to retire on, they would have the nancial means to pay off existing debt, and Turn to MIDDENDORFS | Page 11
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 11
ConƟnued from MIDDENDORFS | Page 10
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The Middendorfs – (from leŌ) Rosie, Dan and Joel – review farm paperwork at Rosie and Dan’s home near Verndale, Minnesota. the farm would still be able to support Joel’s family. “The most important thing was knowing we could retire, and Joel could make a future to survive on the farm,” Rosie said. “Secondly, we needed to know we had our bases covered and nothing was going to legally backre on us down the road, that Joel is protected.” To meet these objectives, the Middendorfs needed to change the management of their dairy. They were operating under a quota from their cooperative, so rather than increasing cow numbers, Joel focused on crossbreeding to Jerseys to improve components. There were also familial matters to work through. “This process has been slower than we expected, but that’s happened to be a good thing,” Joel said. “Looking back, a lot of things have resolved themselves.” In 2018, Dan and Rosie moved off the farm and into a house 3 miles away. The move allowed the elder Middendorfs to separate themselves from the dairy and for Joel and Maureen to be more engaged in the day-to-day happenings of the farm. Since Dan’s accident, he has continually done less and less of the chores for his own health and safety. He does milk every morning and some evenings, and enjoys completing projects on the farm.
“Before when we tried this, I wasn’t ready to stop farming but now it’s time I step back,” Dan said. “And not living on the farm has helped me take my mind off it.” Rosie agreed. “Moving off the farm has made a big difference,” she said. “Now, Dan maybe doesn’t feel so obligated to do work if he can’t or doesn’t want to.” All in all, the Middendorfs are pleased with the process it took to get them to this point. “My biggest concern, aside from money, was decision making,” Dan said. “I didn’t want to step on Joel’s toes. This is his future and he needs to make those decisions for him.” Joel agreed. “It’s been really helpful that everything’s on paper,” he said. “We know what each other’s expectations are, how we want it to go and what the time frame looks like.” As the details of the transition are nalized and set to paper, the Middendorfs have no regrets about the way in which they have transitioned the farm. And, each one of them is looking forward to their new role in the family dairy. “A lot of things affect dairying that you can’t control, but this, this we’ve been able to keep in harmony,” Dan said. “There’s nothing else to do other than turning the keys over.”
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
2020 a fresh start for dairy
Prepare for more changes going into next decade By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
WILLMAR, Minn. – The industry has seen the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel shaped by the most turbulent markets in recent history. To carry the momentum, there are ve positives that will help shape the dairy community in the next decade, according to Dr. David Kohl. Yet, these positives will certainly be faced with challenges as the industry propels forward. “We’ll see more change in the next 10 years than the past 70,” Kohl said. “We’ve made it through the awkward teenage years, and the 2020s are going to be the fork in the road. It’ll be up to you to decide which fork to take.” Kohl, professor emeritus at Virginia Tech, presented “Getting a Grip on Ag Economics and Your Business” Feb. 20 in Willmar. The event was a part of Ridgewater College’s Farm Business Management Education program. The rst positive Kohl noted are low and stable interest rates due to $18 trillion worth of negative interest rates worldwide. “That’s particularly critical for young farmers or anyone who
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Dr. David Kohl explains the outlook for the agriculture industry during his presentaƟon, “Geƫng a Grip on Ag Economics and Your Business” Feb. 20 in Willmar, Minn.
borrows money,” Kohl said. “It keeps your land values up. In contrast to the 1980s, this is a positive.” Similarly, energy costs are stable. After the terrorist attacks Sept. 11, 2001, the United States made a goal to become energy independent by 2030. The goal was met in 10 years with ethanol, fracking, solar panel and wind turbines to become the globe’s No. 1 energy producer.
“When Iran launched those missiles, if that would’ve been 40 years ago and during harvest, you would’ve seen fuel prices skyrocket,” Kohl said. North America as a whole is a strong energy producer with Canada ranked No. 4 and Mexico No. 8 for global energy production. “We have three of the top 10 teams here,” Kohl said. “Being energy
stable is very good.” One other stable component is land values which are aided with the low interest rates. Baby Boomer farmers are continuing to purchase farm ground either for themselves or a future generation. Kohl thought the industry would see this trend continue for the next 10 years. Market volatility will not go away, but there are tactics farmers can use to weather the sharp downturns. Kohl suggested making small, proactive decisions. “We’re only in the rst inning of market volatility in the extremes. We’re entering the decade of base hits, and base hits give you a round of bases,” Kohl said. “Follow your fundamentals and put logic into emotional issues.” One important decision may be transferring the farm. The industry has seen accelerated intergenerational transfer but not all have been successful. Kohl said there is the 40-20-40 rule the industry is shaped by: 40% of farm transfers are an emotional rollercoaster and 20% will be confusion, neither accomplishing the set goal. Only 40% will be truly successful. “Those who are four to seven generations in will get the younger generations involved early, they will invest in a facilitator to keep it going and keep non-farm children Turn to MARKETS | Page 13
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Forages in short supply Hay auctions see good quantity of product, low inventory of quality feed By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
CALEDONIA, Minn. – Last summer was not a typical season for putting up forage for Cole Hoscheit on his family’s dairy. The challenges from growing good quality forages last year continued through the winter and into the new year. “It was hard to put up good quality haylage,â€? Hoscheit said about the growing season last year. “We just didn’t get any good drying days, and we had some winter kill.â€? This has caused a shift in Hoscheit’s herd’s ration and puts feed in short supply for his family’s 300-cow dairy near Caledonia. “We made the decision (last August) to chop more silage which was probably a good thing,â€? Hoscheit said. “Since my haylage is short, my silage is going to be short too.â€? This means Hoscheit has bought more hay than he has in the past. And he is not the only one. “The real high-quality hay is in high demand and is harder to ďƒžnd,â€? said Al Wessel, from Mid-American Auction Co. in Sauk Centre, Minnesota. “It wasn’t a perfect year for making optimum forage so the folks are digging in their bag of tricks to supple-
ment with poorer quality hay.â€? Wessel said the highest quality hay most sought after by dairy farmers is selling upwards of $300 per ton with the second highest quality hay selling between $220 to $270 per ton during his business’s weekly auctions. Grass hay that has been stored inside and has a good relative feed value will sell close to $200 per ton, Wessel said. Mark Oberholtzer is also seeing a large demand and low supply of the highest quality alfalfa at his business, Oberholtzer Dairy Cattle and Auctions in Loyal, Wisconsin. “Good hay still sells quite well,â€? Oberholtzer said, whose business sells inventory by the bale. He said an 850-pound bale of topquality hay sells between $110 and $130 while the best grass hay in 3-by3-by-8-foot bales sells between $70 to $90 each. “I wouldn’t be surprised throughout March and April if we see it go up a little as people realize their stockpiles won’t quite reach until green grass grows,â€? Oberholtzer said. While the best hay is in short supply, there is not a lack in inventory of lower quality forages. “It seems there’s deďƒžnitely more hay on the market than we were expecting,â€? said Oberholtzer, whose auction sells up to 1,500 bales every
Thursday. Wessel agreed. “The last sale we had (March 5) was the biggest sale we had of the season,� he said. “The hay has been out there. It’s just that a lot of folks will wait until this time of year (to sell) thinking the market might spike a little bit.� Although Hoscheit’s goal every year is to buy as little hay as possible, he bought more and earlier than expected this winter. “We put up as much extra forage as possible, but we still bought hay last fall,� Hoscheit said. During a typical year, Hoscheit buys about one 8-ton load of hay per month starting in January or February for weaned calves. This year, Hoscheit is buying double what he normally does and for a larger number of animals. “Had I not put up more silage last year, I would be close to needing to buy a semi load per month,� Hoscheit said. Purchasing from a local source, Hoscheit is paying about $225 per ton but has heard of others in the area paying at least $25 per ton more. Having to reevaluate the herd’s ration and buy more feed has given the Hoscheits an extra challenge. “Since we put more silage in the ration, we have to buy more bean meal and more hay,� Hoscheit said. “We are doing a combo. It all comes back to the bottom line. It drives up the cost of
production no matter how you look at it.� From now until late spring, Wessel expects inventory of all forms to tighten. “I think the supply will decline,� he said. “I think the demand will stay strong on the real good dairy hay, and I think the intermediate heifer hay will stay decent until we see some of these cattle go to grass.�
“Had I not put up more silage last year, I would be close to needing to buy a semi load per month.� COLE HOSCHEIT, DAIRY FARMER
Hoscheit is looking forward to this summer and hopefully being able to replenish feed supply. “Hopefully God will grant us with a nice year and can give us more hay,â€? Hoscheit said. “We will try to ďƒžnd more acres to harvest our own feed rather than buy it because to me it doesn’t make a lot of sense to buy it when I already have the equipment. It’s kind of silly to pay someone else to run their own equipment. We’re trying to actively look for opportunities to harvest our own forage. We’ll see how it goes. We are just trying to weather it.â€?
ConĆ&#x;nued from MARKETS | Page 12
involved,â€? Kohl said. “They know it’s an on-going process.â€? Plus, having a plan provides conďƒždence in lenders too. “You take the old generation’s equity and the younger generation’s interface to take the business to the next level,â€? Kohl said. Despite the positive outlook of the dairy industry in the upcoming decade, obstacles will remain. While alternative dairy products and consumer demands continue to take center stage on this list of challenges in the dairy industry, Kohl warned about government dependence and its effect on the United States’ place in the global marketplace. “You better have a plan in place for when these payments are rolled back,â€? Kohl said. “Government
payments make for complacent managers, and it sends a signal to consumers and global competitors that we can’t make it without government.� Other countries have been able to compete against the U.S. dollar value, particularly with the tariffs and sanctions issued in the past couple years. “Watch 2020, 2021, 2022; will we get our markets back? That is the major question,� Kohl said. “We need international markets to be successful because it’s $1 out of every $5 of net farm income.� Additionally, as the dairy industry shifts to larger farms and fewer farmers, Kohl said consumers want the opposite. “The United States was built by entrepreneurship not consolidation,� he said. “I see opportunities. Small is going to be the new big.�
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Farmers who were able to maintain a positive net farm income in 2018 are going to be more resilient against the troubles they may face in 2020 and beyond. Those whose balance sheet was negative will have difďƒžculty, Kohl said. “On FINBIN, there’s always a top 20%, median 60% and bottom 20%. If you can be in the top 75%, you’re going to be doing OK,â€? he said. “OK is being proďƒžtable seven out of 10 years.â€? The key to welcoming these positives and dealing with adversity comes down to mindset and smart business management. “You want to align resources and production to the markets,â€? Kohl said. “You don’t need to have a certain number of acres, certain number of livestock to be successful. This is not one size ďƒžts all.â€?
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
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From Our Side Of The Fence
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 15
What are preventative measures you take to keep your SCC low?
Kyle and Brittany Abel Loyal, Wisconsin Clark County 330 cows 2019 average somatic cell count: 68,000 Describe your housing and milking facilities. We milk 330 cows and raise our replacements. Our total cattle numbers are usually right around 700. We milk 190 cows in a double-6 step-up parlor built in 1996 and 130 cows in two DeLaval VMS robots built in the fall of 2016. Around 10 cows, at any given time, are in a special needs area and milked in a tiestall set up built in the ‘70s for individual attention. All cattle on our farm from weaning up are housed in freestalls, and all animals from 1 year of age for the rest of their lives are housed on deep-bedded sand. Our farm, despite having two primary milking systems, is managed as one herd. All dry cows are housed together, all animals are calved in at the same special needs area, and all animals begin their lactation in the parlor to get used to being milked 3X and monitored closely. At roughly 45 days in milk, they are evaluated, and, if ready, graduate to either an established parlor group housing (a three-row sand-bedded freestall group) or one of the two 65-cow robot groups both of which are milk-ďƒžrst guided systems. What are three preventative measures you take to keep your SCC low? Our vaccination protocol is one of our keys to a low SCC. We vaccinate with J5 four times a year. In 2010, we started vaccinating three times a year with much success but noticed some gaps in the coverage. In 2016, with the help of Rebecca Gothem, from Boehringer Ingelheim, we changed or protocol to four times a year to cover gaps. Everything came together to reach the results we have today. Deep-bedded sand bedding is also one of our keys. We maintain stalls at least once a week by either adding sand to beds and/or tilling them with a skid steer. We walk the pens three times a day for milking cows and once a day for dry cows and heifer groups to rake stalls and maintain them. The sand is the consistency of typical beach or volleyball court sand. It is very ďƒžne and light, causing a soft and comfortable bed while being inorganic so not to grow bacteria. Equipment maintenance and employee efforts. We have a good core of people ranging from Bob’s Dairy Supply who supports our robots and parlor equipment to talented people all around in key positions such as my father, Perry Abel, who is still the core of our management team. My brother-inlaw, Trevor Olson, is our herdsmen; my wife, Brittany Abel, manages our home life and our parlor group during the night shift; and our feed and nutrition manager, Ben Nikolai, has been with our farm for over 20 years and has been a cornerstone we have been able to build our farm around. Describe a time when your SCC increased higher than you like. What did you do to readjust it? In February, I noticed an SCC test come back from the plant over 100,000 in the robot group. Being that I normally run between 60,000 and 85,000, this was odd. After some digging through things and watching the equipment work, I realized the water pressure was inconsistent due to a well pump failure. It had caused some screens to become plugged on the wash cup for one of the robots. After replacing a pump and cleaning some screens, the count immediately began to drop to its normal level. What steps do you take to monitor milk quality? We receive notiďƒžcation from Land O’Lakes and Grassland daily on milk quality levels, and the robots watch milk color and conductivity as it’s being harvested. When did SCC levels become a priority on your dairy? Why is it important to you to maintain a low SCC? SCC and milk quality have always been a point of pride on our farm. It became a priority in the early 2000s when the push back against antibiotics became commonplace. The amount of effective treatments available became few and far between so we chose to focus on prevention instead of treatment. Tell us about your farm. The farm was purchased by my grandpa and grandma, Ron and Alice Abel, in 1958. My grandparents were progressive, being one of the ďƒžrst local farms to put in a pipeline and to use the latest in A.I. technology. My parents, Perry and Julie Abel, worked alongside my grandparents for years and purchased the farm in 1994. They expanded the farm from the time of their purchase until today with an emphasis on milk quality and cow comfort. Sadly, we lost my mother at the age of 55 in January 2019 after a hard ďƒžght with cancer. We were left broken and poured ourselves into work to distract from the pain of such a loss. This award has been a ray of sunshine in a dark time for our family. Lord willing, my wife and I are on track to start the purchase of the farm in the spring of 2022.
Ben Kaufman Kaufman Farms LLC Loomis, Wisconsin Marinette County 230 cows 2019 average somatic cell count: 50,000 Describe your housing and milking facilities. We have a four-row, head-to-head sand-bedded freestall barn with three pens for milk cows, a dry cow pen and a maternity pen. All pens have sprinklers, rubber ďƒ&#x;ooring in the feed alleys and a cow brush for cow comfort. We also have six fans over the feed alley. Our milking parlor is a Boumatic double-12 parallel parlor that we built in 2015. It also has rubber ďƒ&#x;ooring, sprinklers and fans. What are three preventative measure you take to keep your SCC low? In 2016, we implemented a whole-herd vaccination program that includes three shots of J-5. They are given at six months and seven months pregnant, and one month post-calving. We have a thorough cow prep procedure. This procedure is set up to ensure teat end cleanliness, and proper timing and stimulation to maximize milk let down which is why we only prep four cows at a time instead of six. The use of good pre-dip and a barrier post-dip with 15% emollients keeps teats in good condition. We have proper free stall management. Manure, urine and milk puddles are removed when getting groups for milking. The sand bedded stalls are also groomed daily with a skid steer attachment. The attachment aerates and dries out the sand as well as saves sand by pulling sand from the back of the stall to the front. Describe a time when your SCC increased higher than you like. What did you do to readjust it? A couple of years ago, we stopped using bleach to wash our towels. We were trying to extend the towel life and cut expenses. However, our SCC started to rise. We went back to using bleach, and our SCC slowly returned to its normal range. What steps do you take to monitor milk quality? I receive daily text messages from our Land O’Lakes milk plant with butterfat and protein percentages, SCC and bacteria counts. Also, monthly milk testing with AgSource helps us identify individual cows with high somatic cell counts. We use Udder Relief on these cows as well as any cow observed during milk prep to have abnormal milk. Lastly, we continually observe milking equipment and the bulk tank to make sure they are working and cleaning properly. When did SCC levels become a priority on your dairy? Why is it important to you to maintain a low SCC? We have always made it a priority to have a low SCC, but we really started to focus on it in the last 10 years. The switch from mattresses to sand bedded stalls and improving milking facilities and routines has helped us reduce our SCC even further. We are responsible for supplying a safe, high quality product to the consumers, and a low SCC is part of that equation. Tell us about your farm. Our farm is a ďƒžfth-generation farm which was started in 1904. We milk about 230 Holstein cows and raise our replacements. We farm 850 acres, growing corn, alfalfa, soybean and wheat. We ship our milk to Land O’Lakes. The members of Kaufman Farms include my parents, Harold and Pat Kaufman, and my wife, Annessa. My dad works with equipment maintenance and planting and harvesting. My mom does the bookwork. I am the herdsman and in charge of the care and feeding of the animals. Annessa works full time at a pharmacy and will eventually take over the bookwork. We have one full-time employee and six part-time employees that milk cows. We also employ several retired men who are friends of the family to help maintain the equipment and help with planting and harvesting. Most of them have a farm background and seem to enjoy getting behind the wheel of a tractor again. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Jill and Steve Nor Peshtigo, Wisconsin Marinette County 250 cows 2019 average somatic cell count: 56,000 Describe your housing and milking facilities. Our cows are housed in a four-row freestall barn that was built in 1996. They are all on sand bedding. In fact, all of our animals after the age of 4 months are transitioned into freestalls with sand bedding. All animals utilize the bedding available to them. We don’t have any animals that lay in the alleys. The barns are bedded weekly, and the curbs are kept clean. The barn is equipped with large fans that are utilized during the summer months. We milk in a double-10 parallel parlor. The parlor oor is lined with black rubber mats for cow comfort. The mats also make it much easier to see abnormal milk when stripping the cow out. What are three preventative measure you take to keep your SCC low? The sand bedding is probably the most important tool we have. Although it is hard on equipment and facilities, it pays off in the end. Any cows that have chronic high cell count are almost always culled out of the herd. The inations and milking equipment are checked regularly to ensure cows are being milked out correctly. We also are extremely fortunate to have good staff. The same few people are milking the cows on a regular basis which helps with familiarity with the cattle. Describe a time when your SCC increased higher than you like. What did you do to readjust it? We had a spike in our somatic cell counts about ve years ago. We ended up changing our teat dip to a product sold by IBA called 4XLA. We have been happy with the performance of this product and have had great cell counts since. We have won top 10% milk quality awards with Land O’Lakes for several consecutive years. What steps do you take to monitor milk quality? We watch our information that is online with Land O’Lakes, which allows us to monitor our milk quality every day. The info is just one day behind so the numbers that we get are pretty close to real-time. When did SCC levels become a priority on your dairy? Why is it important to you to maintain a low SCC? Somatic cell counts have always been a priority to us. Not only is it benecial to the cow to maintain low somatic cell counts, but it also is benecial to our bottom line. Tell us about your farm. Our ancestors immigrated from Denmark and settled here on our home farm in 1883, 12 years after the Peshtigo re. My father, Hans, farmed until he was 89. He was a great teacher and mentor. Our son, John, is the sixth generation of our family involved on the farm. We own 650 acres and rent an additional 200 acres. We grow corn, alfalfa, wheat and some canary grass. We credit a large portion of our success to our dedicated employees. Our herdsman, Bob Olson, has been with the farm since 1980. Many of our employees have been with us for over 20 years. The longevity of our farm is in part due to the fact that we have great employees and great working relationships with our consultants.
Heidi Fischer Hatley, Wisconsin Marathon County 985 cows 2019 average somatic cell count: 78,000 Describe your housing and milking facilities. Our barns are designed with total cow comfort in mind. Deep sand bedding, ample bunk space, recycled water as well as tunnel and naturally ventilated barns with the addition of push fans should additional air ow be needed. We sort our cows based on which lactation they are on and how far along they are in their lactation. Size of the animal is also taken into consideration. Our herdsperson monitors animal counts per pen to make sure we are not overcrowding. Access to feed and water, as well as stall time, are important to the wellness, longevity and productivity of the animal. We milk in a double-20 GEA parallel parlor with a single crossover return lane. What are three preventative measures you take to keep your SCC low? The sand bedding keeps the animals clean and comfortable in all the seasons. We have alley scrapers to add additional cleanliness to the cow pen area. We have routine meetings to review the proper parlor prep procedures. Getting everyone on the same page and explaining why we do certain aspects of the prep procedures helps educate the employees so they understand what they are doing and why. Every load of milk hauled to the milk plant is tested. We monitor the SCC on a daily basis. We also DHIA test on a monthly basis and use both reports to gure out where the jump happened. The DHIA test allows us to review each cow individually. Describe a time when your SCC increased higher than you like. What did you do to readjust it? When we built our new parlor, half of the equipment came from the previous parlor. Yet, our SCC jumped, and we were not able to gure out what happened. In theory, nothing changed. Same cows, same employees, same equipment – just the building was changed. We started holding milker meetings and going over the milking procedure. We posted the procedures in both English and Spanish with visual guides. Once we started explaining the importance of a consistent prep procedure and why stimulation to the cow is so important, the employees started to fall into a more consistent procedure. During this time, we also changed to a different type of sand for bedding. We started to see the SCC count drop back to where it was before we moved to the new parlor. What steps do you take to monitor milk quality? From our monthly DHIA report, our DairyComp305 program has a report built in based on our farm’s parameters to identify cows that have over a 400,000 SCC and those that are chronic, meaning two or more test periods of high SCC count. The report only identies cows that are 40 days or greater in lactation. From there, we lter out the do-not-breeds which are cows that are greater than 180 days carrying calf. Those that have shown a decrease in SCC month over last but are still greater than 400,000 SCC are watched to see if they make the list for the third month. The list of cows is narrowed down to identify those that t these parameters and then we make the list of cows, identify which pens they are in and go to the parlor during the next milking period to begin the protocol. Cows are documented on a spreadsheet to monitor cows, treatments and outcomes. We rst CMT each quarter to identify if there is an infection in any of the quarters. If there is, the quarter is disinfected and a milk sample is taken from that quarter into a milk collection tube where it is dated and labeled with the cow number and quarter. Multiple quarters can be identied and cultured. From there the milk collection tubes are taken to our herdsman’s ofce where we place a small sampling on a tri-plate, invert it and place it in an incubator at 37 degrees Celsius for 48 hours. After the rst 24 hours, we can identify if there is any infection present and what kind. We additionally incubate the plates for 24 hours to identify if there is any yeast growth. Any ndings are conrmed with the herd veterinarian and documented on the sheet. The goal is to identify trends and treatment successes and failures. We want to make sure our treatment protocol is working to treat the animal prior to her getting toxic mastitis. We also don’t want to treat cows for mastitis that are only suspect cows. We want to clearly identify per quarter what she has so we know the most accurate and benecial treatment. When did SCC levels become a priority on your dairy? Why is it important to you to maintain a low SCC? Our SCC count became a priority when we started shipping to our current milk plant. They request a high-quality milk to produce a high-quality cheese product, and they offer an additional premium for that high-quality milk. However, once we started to see our numbers lower and maintained, we knew it was achievable and something that could be maintained through proper housing, high-quality sand bedding and parlor procedure, as well as treatment and culling practices. Tell us about your farm. Our farm was started in 1972 by my father-in-law and mother-in-law with eight cows; growth has been a constant. We went from a tiestall barn to a retro-tted double-8 parlor, to the new double-20 we installed in 2015. We are milking 890 cows. Our cows maintain a rolling herd average of 32,651 pounds of milk, a 4.25% butter fat and a 3.25% protein all while averaging a somatic cell count below 100,000 each month. The facilities have been updated to match the growth of our herd with a focus on efciency. We added a tunnel-ventilated barn to complement the existing naturally-ventilated barn that now both house milking cows. A new heifer facility was constructed in 2012 and expanded on in 2015 in preparation for the latest milking herd growth in 2016. A new calf barn was constructed in 2017, doubling the size of the current one. And a new youngstock heifer facility was built in 2018. Jon (son/partner) started farming with his parents after high school. I (wife of Jon/partner) joined the farm in 2014 to be more available for our two young daughters.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 17
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
Top Performers
Shiloh Dairy keeps cows milking with accurate records, cow comfort
Travis Speirs, Gordon and Cathy Speirs Shiloh Dairy LLC Brillion, Wisconsin Calumet County 2,300 cows
What is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? The herd averages 96 pounds of milk per cow per day with 3.9% butterfat and 3.23% protein. How many times a day do you milk? If you don’t milk 3X a day, have you tried it in the past? We milk three times a day and have been doing so for 20 years. Do you contract your milk? Has it been successful for you? We have contracted milk off and on over the years. At this time, we are mostly staying out of the contracting game and riding the market. Describe your housing and milking facility. All cows are housed in sand-bedded four-row freestall barns with headlocks. We switched to tunnel ventilation seven years ago. What is your herd health program? Herd check is every Tuesday for the cows. We do a double ovsynch program with a 74-day voluntary waiting period. Open cows are resynched. Heifers are tail chalked. We vaccinate our calves with a ve-way vaccine starting at 6 weeks of age and follow that up with a 10-way at 6 months. All pregnant animals are vaccinated with a gram negative, salmonella and clostridium.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Travis Speirs (leŌ) and his parents, Cathy and Gordon, own Shiloh Dairy near Brillion, Wisconsin. They milk 2,300 cows and maintain 96 pounds of milk per cow per day with 3.9% buƩerfat and 3.23% protein.
Turn to SHILOH DAIRY | Page 20
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 19
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“...reduced fetching and improved robot attachment times. That’s huge!”
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LINGEN DAIRY, The Lingen Family BALATON, MINNESOTA 400 cows, 87 lbs/cow/day 5.2F SCC 65 to 70,000 “The Udder Comfort™ pre-fresh groups came in with udders full of milk, but so soft, no edema. We saw an average of 2 pounds more milk from those 2-yr-olds at around 14 DIM. Robot attachments are faster, and robot fetch time on first lactations was cut by 70%. That’s huge! By softening them right into calving, udders went through fewer changes in the first 10 days after calving, and it took out that belly edema, making the robots more efficient,” Josh Lingen reports. At Lingen Dairy, Balaton, Minnesota, 240 cows milk robotically plus 100 through the parlor, making 87 pounds of 5.2 fat milk. They used Udder Comfort routinely after calving for 5 years. Early on, “we saw the results in quality and performance with SCC 100 to 150,000,” Josh explains. But he wanted to see how heifers would respond to pre-fresh applications. “We used the Udder Comfort Backpack Sprayer to do pre-fresh 2-yr-old groups in headlocks 1x/day for a week before calving. Our SCC dropped to 70,000 in both the robot and parlor groups. But the biggest thing is how it reduced fetching and improved robot attachment times. I absolutely love this product and the backpack!”
Quality Udders Make Quality Milk To locate a distributor and learn more about the new Backpack Sprayer, call 1.888.773.7153 uddercomfort.com @uddercomfort For external application to the udder only, after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
ConƟnued from SHILOH DAIRY | Page 18
What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? Cows are dried off at 229 days pregnant. Dry cow therapy is selective, and all cows get a teat sealant. Dry cows are milked once a day for three days before treatment. Cows move to a closeup pen about 25 days before calving. The ration is low energy, high ber for far off dry cows, and the closeup ration is similar with some added ionic salts. When calving starts, cows are moved into individual calving pens. Post fresh, they are in a pen of less than 100 head for 10 to 14 days. What is the composition of your ration? What has been one of your most recent changes that has been successful for you? Lactating ration is corn silage, alfalfa haylage, cotton seed, gluten feeds and canola meal. Pushing cotton seed higher and reducing alfalfa helped with production in a poor year of haylage, and the bigger bump in production was from BMR corn silage. Through the years you have been farming, what change has created the biggest jump in your herd average? The BMR corn silage was a huge help. Also eliminating the use of rBST and cleaning up the herd so we had the right cows milking instead of heavy, old cows being supplemented to stay productive. Level of management also increased in stall condition, bedding condition, maintenance and forage quality. What role does genetics play in your production level and what is your breeding program? We have focused on functional type and production for years. We look at genetics as an investment not a cost to improve our herd.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Cows lie in sand bedded freestalls at Shiloh Dairy near Brillion, Wisconsin. Cow comfort has been a key factor in the dairy’s 96-pound daily tank average. What type of improvements would you like to make that would increase your rolling herd average even higher? We want to have a continued focus on forage production to assist in milk production and cow health. As stated, constantly evaluating the environment and making adjustments to ensure the cows are comfortable all year is important.
List three management strategies that have kept you protable. Keeping accurate nancial records to track progress and see opportunities. Engaging employees to their tasks. Constantly working on cow comfort. Monthly production reports and looking at health trends two to three times a month to see both successes and opportunities to do better.
Tell us about your farm. We are a fourth-generation farm that focuses on cattle health and well-being. We strive to provide the opportunity to express their full potential for both the cows and the people. This is accomplished by being dedicated to our core values and principles and making sure everyone knows what the expectations are that come with them.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 21
ONLINE EQUIPMENT AUCTION Bidding starts March 16th at mmcjdauctions.com
JD 455 25’ Drill, $ 7.5” spacing, 7750 500 ac crees, s, ##160567 1660055567 6677 acres,
44,900
JD 9560R, 2012, 2509 hrs. #166191
JD 8335R, 2011, 4937 hrs. $ #165966
205,000
$
139,000
DB66 Planter, 2012, 36R22” $ #1166629 296 96 #166296
75,900
JD 1775NT, 2018, 16R30” #150736
199,900
WARRANTY JD 6120M, 2018, 169 hrs., #141903
92,900
$
JD 1765, 2018, 12R30” #161082
JD 6175R, 2015, 5043 hrs., $ #156490
98,500
$
169,000
$
Over 1200 items with pictures updated daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com ARTICULATED 4WD TRACTORS
7 JD 8650 1985, partial p. shift, duals, 10000 hrs., #167144 ............................... $23,900 7 JD 9570R 2019, p. shift, duals, big hyd. pump, PTO, guidance display, HD gudgeon, hydracushion axle, 312 hrs., #166629 ......................................... $399,500 6 JD 9360R 2014, p. shift, duals, PTO, 4676 hrs., #167037................................ $143,400 6 JD 9560R 2014, p. shift, duals, HD gudgeon, 2853 hrs., #159510 .................. $199,500 1 JD 9530 2007, p. shift, duals, 4275 hrs., #165656 .......................................... $139,900 15 JD 9620R 2016, p. shift, duals, HD gudgeon, hydracushion axle, 2635 hrs., #161527.............................................................................................. $269,500 15 JD 9560R 2014, p. shift, duals, HD gudgeon, 5142 hrs., #158666 ................. $159,500 5 JD 9620R 2015, e18, duals, guidance display, hydracushion axle, 1415 hrs., #166166.............................................................................................. $315,500 8 JD 9530 2011, p. shift, duals, 3280 hrs., #166213 .......................................... $154,900 14 JD 9420 2007, partial p. shift, triples, 5900 hrs., #166008 ............................... $94,900 14 Ford Versatile 9680 1995, syncro, duals, 6873 hrs., #161602 ...................... $49,400 3 JD 9560R 2012, e18, duals, big hyd. pump, HD gudgeon, 2509 hrs., #166191 ............................................................................................................... $205,000 3 JD 9570R 2019, p. shift, duals, big hyd. pump, PTO, guidance display, HD gudgeon, hydracushion axle, 142 hrs., #166628 ......................................... $409,500
BOX DRILLS
10 1 5 11 11 8
Melroe 202 1985, 12’, 6” spacing, #161328 ......................................................... $1,700 JD 455 1996, folding, 30’, 10” spacing, #166982 ................................................... $8,800 JD 455 2016, folding, 25’, 7.5” spacing, #160567 ............................................... $44,900 JD 9400 no till, 10’, 6” spacing, #164960 .............................................................. $4,750 JD 9400 no till, 10’, 6” spacing, #164959 .............................................................. $4,750 JD 455 2019, folding, 25’, 6” spacing, #164918 .................................................. $61,900
4 10 10 7 16 5 11 14 3
JD 2623 2013, 33’, #149511............................................................................... $39,500 JD 2620 2016, 26’, 3-section folding, 9” spacing, #165298 ............................... $38,500 Krause 4991W 30’, 3-section folding, 9” spacing, #165465 ........................... $14,900 JD 637 2011, 45’, 5-section folding, 9” spacing, #166177 ................................. $42,000 Wishek 862NT 2012, 30 ft., #144471.............................................................. $49,500 JD 2625 2013, 42’, 11” spacing, #151841 ........................................................... $38,500 Sunflower 1830 2012, 30’, 3-section folding, 11” spacing, #161784............. $29,400 Lemken Rubin 12 2017, 23’, 3-section folding, 11” spacing, #165159 ......... $64,900 Wishek 862-NT 2009, 33’, 3-section folding, #163465 ................................... $30,000
10 15 15 15 9 5 11 8 14 14 14 14 14
JD 960 1998, 27’, 3-section folding, C-shank, #159473........................................ $6,900 JD 2210 2008, 65’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #166479 .................................. $45,900 JD 2210 2007, 65’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #166478 .................................. $43,900 Case IH TIGERMATE 200 2014, 60’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #154509 ... $51,900 JD 2230fh 2018, 60.5’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #166421........................... $89,900 JD 2210 2012, 55.5’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #162453 ............................... $51,900 JD 960 1989, 25.5’, 3-section folding, C-shank, #158920 .................................... $4,399 JD 2210 2014, 55.5’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #154394 ............................... $58,500 JD 960 1989, 42’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #165959........................................ $9,900 JD 2200 2002, 47’, 5-section folding, C-shank, #161487 .................................. $25,400 Krause 5635 2009, 28’, 3-section folding, #160777 ........................................ $19,400 JD 980 1998, #156455 ........................................................................................ $14,430 JD 980 38’, 3-section folding, C-shank, #167040 .............................................. $12,900
DISKS
(1) = GLENCOE 4561 Hwy. 212
FIELD CULTIVATORS
2 10 7 1 15 5
PULL-TYPE SPRAYERS
Hardi RANGER 2000 2014, #155294 .............................................................. $20,500 Blum 750 1979, #158936 ..................................................................................... $4,900 Summers ULTIMATE 2001, #159606 .............................................................. $13,400 Hardi 4000 2011, #166560 ............................................................................... $19,500 Hardi RANGER 2000 2014, #163524 .............................................................. $17,900 Top Air TA1200 2008, #155358 ......................................................................... $16,650
SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS
7 Melroe 216 1985, poly tank, 20” nozzle spacing, #165990 ................................ $5,650 7 JD R4038 2017, 120’ boom, boom leveling, stainless tank, hyd. tread adjust, guidance display, traction control, 20” nozzle spacing, 216 hrs., #166646 ....... $336,900 6 JD R4038 2019, 120’ boom, boom leveling, stainless tank, hyd. tread adjust, guidance display, traction control, 20” nozzle spacing, 97 hrs., #165472 ......... $327,900 1 JD R4038 2018, 120’ boom, 20” nozzle spacing, 513 hrs., #150887 .............. $314,900 15 Hagie STS16 2017, 132’, carbon fiber, hyd. tread adjust, guidance display, 20” nozzle spacing, 738 hrs., #165088 ............................................................... $334,900 16 JD R4038 2018, 120’ boom, boom leveling, stainless tank, hyd. tread adjust, traction control, 20” nozzle spacing, ExactApply, 316 hrs., #157823................. $329,500 8 Case IH Patriot 3330 2013, 90’ boom, stainless tank, guidance display, 20” nozzle spacing, 2470 hrs., #167048 ............................................................. $119,900 8 JD 4940 2013, 120’ boom, boom leveling, stainless tank, hyd. tread adjust, guidance display, 20” nozzle spacing, 2741 hrs., #163551 ................................ $132,000 8 RoGator RG1300 2012, 120’ boom, guidance display, 20” nozzle spacing, 2740 hrs., #167047.............................................................................................. $110,000 14 Melroe 220 1985, 60’ boom, 20” nozzle spacing, 1233 hrs., #160062 ............... $8,500 14 Melroe 218 1988, 60’ boom, 20” nozzle spacing, 924 hrs., #160063 ................. $9,900 14 Case IH Patriot 3330 2011, stainless tank, guidance display, 20” nozzle spacing, 680 hrs., #167165 ............................................................... $212,400
UTILITY TRACTORS
4 JD 6105E 2019, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, 43 hrs., #151983 ...... $71,900 4 JD 6130M 2019, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000, 150 hrs., #152367.... $99,500
Visit one of our 17 locations in Central Minnesota! (7) = ALEXANDRIA (9) = PRINCETON (4) = ST. CLOUD 1035 35th Ave. NE
(2) = HOWARD LAKE (5) = GLENWOOD 5845 Keats Ave. SW
1710 N. Franklin
(3) = STEWART
(6) = SAUK CENTRE
78412 Co. Rd. 20
PLANTERS
4 JD 1775NT 2018, 16R30”, flex fold, central fill system, row command, #150736 ..................................................................................... $169,000 4 JD 1760 2013, 12R30”, flex fold, 3.0 bu. hopper, #156200................................ $52,500 10 JD 1750 2000, 6R30”, rigid finger pickup, 1.6 bu. hopper, #166057 ................. $14,500 17 JD 1765 2015, 12R30”, flex fold, 1.6 bu. hopper, row command, #155243...... $54,500 7 JD 1770NT 2010, 12R30”, flex fold, central fill system, #166423 .................... $71,900 7 JD DB66 2018, 36R22”, flex fold, exact emerge, central fill system, row command, elect. drive, #161533 ................................................................. $315,400 1 JD 7200 1993, 12R30”, wing fold, 1.6 bu. hopper, #166682 ............................. $13,900 16 JD 1775NT 2017, 24R30”, wing fold, exact emerge, central fill system, #160204 ............................................................................................................... $262,900 8 JD 1765 2018, 12R30”, flex fold, 3.0 bu. hopper, row command, #161082...... $75,900 8 JD DB66 2005, 36R22”, flex fold, central fill system, row command, #166985 ............................................................................................................... $128,400 14 JD DB66 2012, 36R22”, flex fold, central fill system, row command, #166296 ............................................................................................................... $199,900 14 JD DB66 2018, 36R22”, flex fold, central fill system, row command, elect. drive, #161783 ........................................................................................... $279,500 14 JD 1780 1999, 24R22”, flex fold, 3.0 bu. hopper, #155446 ............................... $33,500
1140 Centre St.
320-763-4220 5005 Co. Rd. 82 SE
3708 Baptist Church Rd.
(8) = PAYNESVILLE
16069 Hwy. 27 E.
725 Lake Ave. S.
4 JD 6110M 2018, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD,540/1000, 450 hrs., #149248..... $89,500 4 JD 6135E 2019, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540 PTO, narrow tires, loader, 154 hrs., #152152.................................................................................................. $82,900 4 JD 6110M 2017, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, loader, 178 hrs., #145468.................................................................................................. $97,900 4 JD 5075M 2018, p. reverser, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, 257 hrs., #163843 .......... $42,900 4 JD 5045E 2018, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, 66 hrs., #163844 ............................. $23,900 4 JD 5115M 2018, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540 PTO, loader, 913 hrs., #143690 $69,500 10 JD 6130R 2017, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, 311 hrs., #144503 ................................................................................................................. $99,500 10 JD 6110R 2017, cab, IVT, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, 271 hrs., #145469 ............. $106,900 10 JD 5055E 2018, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, 7 hrs., #140896 ............................... $32,900 10 JD 5090R 2018, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, 15 hrs., #147006 $71,900 10 JD 6110R 2017, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, wide tires, 196 hrs., #145477.................................................................................................. $98,900 10 JD 5055E 2018, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, 98 hrs., #140787 .............................. $32,900 10 JD 5075E 2018, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, 4 hrs., #140875 ................................ $36,900 10 JD 5065E 2018, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, 37 hrs., #140790 .............................. $33,900 10 JD 6110M 2018, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, narrow tires, 221 hrs., #149246 ........................................................................... $94,900 17 JD 6130R 2017, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, loader, 393 hrs., #147778................................................................................................ $109,500 17 JD 2555 1989, cab, syncro, 2WD, 540 PTO, loader, 4395 hrs., #167197 ........... $19,900 7 JD 3020 1964, 2WD, Power Shift, 540 PTO, singles, 12989 hrs., #165991........... $7,900 7 JD 6110M 2018, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, loader, 146 hrs., #149250.................................................................................................. $89,500 6 JD 6110R 2016, cab, IVT, MFWD 518 hrs., #144500 ......................................... $95,900 6 JD 6135E 2016, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 399 hrs., #142599....................... $71,900 6 JD 6120E 2018, 482 hrs., #143694 .................................................................... $79,500 12 JD 5090E/540M Loader 2019, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540 PTO, 100 hrs., #153019.................................................................................................. $61,900 12 JD 5090E/540M Loader 2019, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540 PTO, 101 hrs., #153273.................................................................................................. $61,900 12 JD 5065E 2018, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, 16 hrs., #147837 ............................. $33,900 12 JD 6110M 2019, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, loader, 102 hrs., #153313................................................................................................ $109,500 12 JD 5065E 2014, syncro, MFWD, 540 PTO, wide tires, loader, 1249 hrs., #167284................................................................................................ $26,900 12 JD 6120R 2019, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, loader, 147 hrs., #153295................................................................................................ $119,500 9 Ford 8N syncro, 2WD, 540 PTO, #165474 ............................................................. $1,700 9 JD 5075E 2018, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540 PTO, 110 hrs., #147838 ............. $41,900 16 JD 6120E 2018, cab, p. reverser, MFWD, 540 PTO, loader, 233 hrs., #143692 . $79,500 5 Case IH Farmall 110C 2015 partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, loader, 704 hrs., #161390.................................................................................................. $49,900 5 JD 6135E 2018, 477 hrs., #143698 .................................................................... $84,900 5 JD 6130R 2016, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, 423 hrs., #142596 $99,500 11 JD 6120M 2018, cab, partial p. shift, MFWD, 540/1000 PTO, 170 hrs., #141903.................................................................................................. $92,900 11 Case IH 585 1985, syncro, 2WD, 540 PTO, wide tires, loader, 3515 hrs., #162344................................................................................................ $12,995 3 JD 6430 2008, cab, p. reverser, 2WD, 540 PTO, 1061 hrs., #161657.................. $49,500
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 14, 2020
DeLaval Parlor P500 milking system
96
”
max ceiling height requirement for DeLaval SynchroArc™
Up to
56
%
reduction in exit cycle time with DeLaval SynchroSweep™
3
cow flow control options
ZERO
obstructions at cow exit
www.delaval.com
Contact one of the following dealers to learn more: IOWA Kramer Bros. Monticello, IA 319-465-5931 Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290 United-Suckow Dairy Supply West Union, IA 563-422-5355 Postville, IA 563-864-7417 WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713
Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Mondovi Dairy Systems Inc. Mondovi, WI 715-926-5777
MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA D&D Ag Supply Pennock, MN 320-599-4466 East Central Dairy Supply Mora, MN 320-679-1029
Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0267
Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Watertown, SD 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD 800-284-0015
Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579
S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288
The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470
Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
West Salem, WI 608-769-2113
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2020 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. All facts and figures are the result of data collected on test farms and pilot farms. Data compared to DeLaval Champion. Results may vary and are not guaranteed. www.delaval.com
What is a fair cropland rent? By Richard Halopka
Clark County Extension Crops & Soil Educator
It is a legitimate question and many people do not always like my rst response, depends. I ask questions; was the rent paid last year? Where are you located in the county? What is the demand for cropland in your area? Are you happy with your current renter? Is your renter a good steward of your cropland? Who will pay for lime, if needed? How many years is the rental agreement? Remember, after I get off the phone the next call usually is the potential cropland renter with the same question. Therefore, my story is generally the same and I have not mentioned a rental price. National Agriculture Statistics Service (NASS) gather cropland rental rates and this is a good source to begin a conversation. Now there will be an on the street rental rate and it may or may not be accurate and what is in that cropland rental rate? Another method is to know your market and then set a price. If you are happy with the relationship with your current renter, is it worth increasing or decreasing rent to continue working with this renter? Can the landowner and/or cropland renter think in a different manner? The landowner has an investment in land and that land has a monetary value. If you had money to invest in a low risk investment, what would you like for a minimum return on your investment? Now look at the cropland as the landowner’s investment and the cropland renter as the nancial company paying on that investment. From NASS; located at; https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_ by_State/Wisconsin/Publications/Annual_ Statistical_Bulletin/2019AgStats-. This provides a value for cropland. Both parties can use the sale price as a range for negotiations for a rental price. If both parties agree that cropland is worth $3,000.00 and the current rate of return is between 2% - 4% this would give a range of $60.00 - $120 per acre rent. Remember there may be other considerations (lime, conservation practices, USDA payments, etc.) These numbers would provide a guideline in which both parties can negotiate a cropland rent price. Understand every situation will be different. So, who pays to apply lime to correct pH? If the landowner is paying for lime then the rental price may be greater versus the cropland renter paying for the lime, which may result in a longer-term contract at a lower rate allowing the renter some reward for their purchased inputs. Next many only want a verbal agreement. Understand verbal agreements are only enforceable for one growing season. It is wise to write things down, even if it is just the renter and landowner writing down their thoughts, dating, and then signing a hand written notebook pa-per. Once written it eliminates any he/she said situations. To summarize, rental details must be written down, dated, and signed. Verbal agreements are enforceable, but can only be in force for one growing season, and many times people forgot what was verbally agreed a year later. Rental rates are negotiations; there is no one price ts all. To determine rental rates knowing current land values is benecial. If you have questions on renting cropland please call 715-743-5121 or email richard.halopka@wisc. edu.
2013 Used Kuhn Knight 8141
1,000 PTO, Very good condition, Call for details
$30,000
W.H. Lien Inc.
N8974 Pole Grove Rd. • Hixton, WI
715-963-4211
Sales & Service of New & Used Farm Machine ry
Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 23
Emerald Acres named Distinguished Holstein Breeder Ossmanns develop generations of great cows By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
SHIRLEY, Wis. – Breeding cows of high type and production backed by deep pedigrees is a longstanding tradition at Emerald Acres of Shirley. The farm is owned by Paul and Debbie Ossmann, Ted and Lana Ossmann, and Don and Joyce Ossmann. The three brothers and their families were awarded for their achievements in the registered Holstein industry when they were named the 2019 Distinguished Holstein Breeder by the Wisconsin Holstein Association during its annual convention Feb. 21-23 in Fond du Lac. “We were surprised,” Paul said. “We work hard at what we do, but there’s an awful lot of people doing the same thing.” The Ossmanns have bred 87 Excellent females including 25 multiple E cows, 10 Excellent males and hundreds of Very Good animals, as well as 49 Dams of Merit, 56 Gold Medal females and 32 Gold Medal males that went into stud, such as Emerald-Acres-SA T Baxter. This legendary bull was inducted into the Wisconsin Holstein Association’s Wall of Fame in 2018 along with his granddam, Ripvalley NA Bell Tammy-ET. Cows are admired for more than their physical beauty at Emerald Acres where type and production rank equally. The Ossmanns milk 480 registered Holsteins with a rolling herd average of 27,518 pounds of milk, 1,263 pounds of butterfat and 882 pounds of protein. The farm has had 304 cows produce over 100,000 pounds of lifetime milk. Breeders of notable cow families and highprole animals, the Ossmanns made strategic purchases in the beginning that helped shape the farm’s future. Selecting the best genetics to build from, they continued developing families with the most desirable traits that would carry generations deep. “Good cow families continue to breed good animals with high components, great type and deep pedigrees,” Paul said. “The cows that go on for us seem to always have a deep cow family behind them – the kind of family that contains Gold Medal Dams and Dams of Merit.” Paul’s daughter and son-in-law, Sarah and Darrel Cappelle, work on the farm along with four fulltime and several part-time employees. In 2006, the Ossmanns built a freestall barn and double-12 herringbone parlor. They continue to milk 70 cows in a tiestall barn which houses the farm’s elite cattle that visitors from all over the world drop in to see. “It’s very rewarding,” Paul said. “We get to meet a lot of people with our same interests and learn what they’re looking for in cattle. It’s really interesting; I enjoy it.” Paul’s parents, Emerald and Luella, purchased the farm in 1942. When Paul was 12 years old, he bought the dairy’s rst registered animal, Milkmaid Clover Monica. The year was 1965. She would go on to score EX-92 and was the granddam of Ossmanns’ rst bull to enter stud, Emerald Acres-V-R Duracell. His dam was Emerald-Acres-V-R Della. Scored Excellent, Della was the rst cow in Brown County to produce more than 1,000 pounds of protein in a single record. “This was a really good cow family,” Paul said. “It’s the family that hooked us on investing in and Turn to OSSMANNS | Page 25
ABRAHAM’S FARM REPAIR r Call us fo & New ts s U ed Par
WE CAN REPAIR YOUR SILOS AND UNLOADERS
Bill Abraham - Over 20 years experience
320-864-6821 Leave message
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Ripvalley NA Bell Tammy-ET, EX-94 GMD DOM, has leŌ an unforgeƩable legacy at Emerald Acres with 1,500 descendants born on the farm owned by the Ossmann family near Shirley, Wisconsin. Tammy was inducted into Wisconsin Holstein AssociaƟon’s Wall of Fame in 2018.
PROTECT IT.
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
Buy Direct From The Manufacturer and Save! LEGEND SOFT BED MAT
The Toughest Freestalls on the Market Guaranteed Not to Bend
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• 10 gauge tubing; 2 3/8” outside diameter, Hi Tensil Galvanized Steel • Heavy 1.9” - 9 gauge top rail with extra heavy 1/4” thick clamp, 6 1/4 lbs • 2 - 40” Extra Heavy galvanized angle iron brackets, drilled for 8 lags or bolts • Variety of lengths & sizes can also be custom made Our stalls are to Àt your stall unmatched in • 30” - 34” wide opening, easy for cows to get quality, durability, up (custom sizes too) and workmanship • Various types of mounting like the Elevated Dual Rail System available • Thousands in use; stronger than poor imitations • Brisket Board Adapter Clamps available, fastens to bottom of Freestall Loop
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• 2-3/8” 10-gauge O.D. Hi-tensile galv. • 2-3/8” curb post reinforced with a 3”x18” 5 gauge steel rust guard • HD 6-1/2 lb. top rail clamp • Easy installation • Weight per stall - 100 lbs.
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Heaviest, Strongest, Custom Cattle Gate on the Market!
l requirem Your cooperation allows us to meet posta e your prompt attention. eciat appr We . down costs keep our mailing I am no longer milking and do YES, I am milking and would like to not wish to receive the Dairy Star. continue to receive the Dairy Star. I am no longer milking, but would like to continue to receive the Dairy Star. I have enclosed a payment of $35
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 25
ConƟnued from OSSMANNS | Page 23 breeding registered cattle.” Committed to breeding the nest registered Holsteins, the Ossmanns began ushing cows in the late 1970s through the help of Dr. Scott Armbrust, who would become instrumental in helping market the farm’s cattle. In 1986, Paul and Armbrust purchased a special cow – Ripvalley NA Bell Tammy-ET. “That’s when everything kind of took off for us, especially with merchandising and foreign interest,” Paul said. Tammy was an impressive cow that left an unforgettable legacy at Emerald Acres, having 1,500 descendants born on the farm. She had numerous sons in stud, offspring in Japan and offspring in Germany whose sons were also in stud. “These bulls did really well,” Paul said. “And so did Tammy’s daughters.
The secret to success is to sell cattle that do well for other people because they come back and buy more.” Scored EX-94, Tammy was a Gold Medal Dam and a Dam of Merit whose genetics were in high demand worldwide. She was ushed often as other farms sought to get in on the high butterfat and high protein she was known for. “It’s amazing how one cow can inuence that much,” Paul said. “She was what we look for in a cow.” Another animal that came to Emerald Acres as a calf and would grow up to leave a lasting impression is Kuipercrest Valiant Ann, EX-91 DOM. Many of her embryos went to Germany, and one of her Blackstar daughters claimed the national 3-year-old title in that country. Fisher-Heights Elton Crown, VG88 GMD DOM, was also loved and treasured by the Ossmann family and Holstein enthusiasts worldwide. She had a multitude of offspring and many bulls in stud, including the No. 2 bull in Japan. Crown produced 100,000 pounds of milk in 1,000 days during her rst lactation, averaging 100 pounds per day. “We had a lot of contracts on Crown, so we kept her milking,” Paul said. “She is a cow we will always remember.” PHOTO SUBMITTED Mayerlane BWM Mayerlane BWM Misty-ET, EX-94 4E GMD DOM, Misty-ET was another has a lifeƟme producƟon of 300,000 pounds of milk prized member of the and over 14,000 pounds of buƩerfat. The Ossmanns Emerald Acres herd purchased Misty as a calf. whose accomplishments are forever imprinted
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Ossmann family – (front, from leŌ) Joyce, Debbie and Lana; (back, from leŌ) Don, Paul and Ted – receive the 2019 DisƟnguished Holstein Breeder award from the Wisconsin Holstein AssociaƟon Feb. 22 in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The Ossmanns dairy farm near Shirley, Wisconsin. on the farm. Purchased as a calf, this 94-point 4E GMD DOM powerhouse produced 300,000 pounds of milk and over 14,000 pounds of butterfat during her life. The daughter of an EX-95 out of the famous Whittier-Farms Lead Mae family, she gave 1,400 pounds of butterfat as a 2-year-old and followed that up with six lactations over 2,000 pounds of butter fat. “Misty was a special cow in our barn who left us with many offspring,” Paul said. “High-fat and high-protein cows are what made our herd what it is today. All of our great cow families excel in those areas. That’s really important because high components are a bonus on the milk check.” Paul’s and Don’s grandchildren
show the farm’s cattle at local and district shows, as well as some national shows. Paul’s hope is that someday the grandchildren will take over the farm and continue what the family has dedicated their lives to – developing high-quality registered cattle that turn a prot. “Our philosophy is to breed really good cattle from deep cow families,” Paul said. “These are the kind of animals that always have good daughters and breed on no matter who you breed them to. That’s what we like to milk. We’re not going to change our philosophy even though the industry is changing. We’re going to keep doing what we’re doing. There will always be a market for really good cattle.”
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Ask Google
I am always amazed with all the things I can do with my phone. Where would I be without it? I love it and hate it at the same time. I have just a few apps that allow me to control what our robots do with cows. If a cow needs to be sorted out of the group, I enter her number or name and then swipe and save. Easy. If I need to treat her, I can enter that into my phone app. Her milk will be dumped and not contaminate the bulk tank. I use the same app to look up the production of a cow, days in milk and even if she has had a fever in her last milking. So much information right in my hand. That cow app is handy when doing herd health. If the vet wants to By Tina Hinchley know something about Farmer & Columnist her, I have it in a few seconds. If the manure scraping robot gets stuck, I can open the app and get it going. Again, swipe and save. Off it goes pushing the manure down into the pit. Same thing with the feed pusher. Swipe and save. If I think a cow or heifer might be calving, I can look at the camera app on the phone and zoom in to see what is happening in the maternity or the pre-fresh pen. We are often looking up what is going on at home when we are out telling others about the robots that have been milking our cows for over 15 months. This is a lifesaver for the calves that are born in the middle of the night or the cows and heifers that are having a difcult calving. This phone app is one we are watching many times a day. I am so used to working with my phone while out in the barn or doing farm related stuff. The power is in my pocket whenever I need it. But there are times when I forget about other things that I can use my y age; g I regress g phone for. I think it has to do with my
I llook kb back k at hi him when h h he iis quoting something and smile. I know it is all because he asked Google first. back to the old fashion way. Just two days ago, while registering calves, I had two new bull codes that were not recorded yet. I was scanning through the Select Sires book looking up the numbers for over 20 minutes, and then it dawned on me. Just ask Google. Wow, what a time saver. Other information, directions, simple facts or
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 27
answers to questions are so easy. I wonder if there will ever be a need for encyclopedias or even the need to go to the library to look through books to nd solutions to problems. I was always challenged to look through the card catalog le and search through the shelves looking for the number to the book that might hold the explanation to what I was questioning. Will anyone need to learn about the Dewey Decimal System in school anymore? I bet it will be a system lost in technology. This weekend, we had friends come to the farm to go through our chicken coop and sort out the hens that are too old and not laying anymore. They have no problem eating our geriatric laying hens. It is too much work for me, and honestly, I simply can’t kill them. That is how they got to be living in the old hens’ pen. How do I know which chickens are laying still? Gosh, I didn’t think to ask Google until the night before when they asked how many chickens I had for them. Dang, how simple. Look at their combs. If it
looks dry and not bright, they might not be laying. Next, look at their vent. If it is not moist, she might not be laying. Then feel her abdomen. If hard, that is the third strike. She isn’t laying. Easy. They have been eating feed all winter, and I wish I would have asked Google this last fall. Duane, my husband, uses Google all the time. He asks questions often, and the answer is replied in a nice, friendly voice. There is no sarcasm or dirty looks when he requests information about something ridiculous. Then he looks very smart because he knows more than I do. I look back at him when he is quoting something and smile. I know it is all because he asked Google rst. Tina Hinchley, her husband, Duane, and their daughters, Anna and Catherine, milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2,300 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wisconsin. They have been hosting farm tours for over 20 years.
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
Growing the family farm Paulus Dairy expands sustainably for future generations By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
FREDONIA, Wis. – Mike and Lori Paulus know a thing or two about building for the future. As newlyweds in 1978, they started out with 33 cows and eventually increased their herd by 45 times that size to welcome in the next generation. Today, Paulus Dairy in Fredonia is home to 3,000 head of cattle – 1,500 milk cows and 1,500 youngstock. Now, fth and sixth generations work side by side on a dairy farm that has grown with the ups and downs of the industry. “We’re a family farm that got big,” Mike said. “But we’re still a family farm.” Andy Paulus, co-owner with his parents, is herdsman and manages the farm’s feeding and breeding programs as well as day-to-day operations, eldwork and upkeep with the various farms where the Pauluses raise their heifers. His sister, Tiffany Schneider, is the farm’s onsite veterinarian. This large-animal vet came back to her family’s farm in 2015 after practicing veterinary medicine for 5.5 years. Focused on herd health and disease prevention, Tiffany leads the farm in protocol implementation, teaching and follow-up. She keeps a close eye on the hospital
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The Paulus family – (from le�) Mike, Lori, Tiffany Schneider and Andy – milks 1,500 cows and farms 2,000 acres near Fredonia, Wisconsin. area, monitoring fresh and sick animals while also overseeing newborn calf care and assisting with emergencies as needed. “Being inhouse is helpful when implementing new protocols as I can do them alongside our employees,” Tiffany said. “I’m also here to reinforce and make sure employees follow through with our protocols.” The dairy is fortunate to have a vet-
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Cows at Paulus Dairy are milked three �mes per day in a double-20 parallel parlor which was built in 2011.
erinarian on staff full time but also continues to work with Dr. Ron Hinze and Dr. Lindley Reilly of Cedar Grove Vet. Cows at Paulus Dairy are milked three times per day in a double-20 parallel parlor which was built in 2011 along with the farm’s rst freestall barn when cow numbers were at 450. The Pauluses built a second freestall barn in 2015 when the herd was at 600 cows, eventually working up to their current size. The farm most recently grew through the acquisitions of ve local herds, buying 550 cows over a two-year timespan. A friend – not a foe – to area farms, the farmers they purchased from were looking to exit the industry and saw the expansion of Paulus Dairy as an opportunity. “It’s frustrating when people don’t know the story,” Andy said. “We’re not eating up small farms. It was a nice arrangement that worked out well for everyone. These farms were spared from doing an auction, and the owners took comfort in knowing all their cows were going to the same place. Also, we were able to add cows to the herd from farms we knew personally. It was the best of
both worlds.” One of the herds belonged to Mike’s brother, John, who farmed the Paulus family homestead. One of the reasons John decided to sell the cows was because of not having a next generation to take over. Mike and Andy converted John’s barn into housing for their young calves that are there until 4 months of age. Calves from Paulus Dairy are raised offsite starting after day one and return to the farm as springing heifers. “Having fewer offsite farms is our goal for the future,” Andy said. “We want to bring everything home eventually.” Andy is the father of 7-year-old twins, Josie and Sully. Tiffany and her husband, Kurt, have four children – Kendall, 5, Kalvin, 3, Harlin, 2, and Mason, 2 months. Mike and Lori also have two daughters that work off the farm. Becky is a nurse and is married to Dave Szyszkiewicz. They have two children – Alivia, 11, and Wyatt, 8. Carla is a teacher and is married to Jon Schommer. The couple has a 2-year-old son, Abraham. Turn to PAULUSES | Page 29
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 29
Con�nued from PAULUSES | Page 28
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STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Tiffany Schneider listens to rumina�on on a fresh cow at her family’s dairy near Fredonia, Wisconsin. Schneider is a large animal veterinarian who returned to her family farm in 2015. Farming near a major body of water has made the Paulus family more conscientious of their farm’s environmental impact. Located just 7 miles from Lake Michigan, Paulus Dairy does everything it can to ensure it treads lightly on the environment. Farming approximately 2,000 acres of corn, hay, pea and oat in the watershed that feeds this lake, Paulus Dairy cares for the earth by planting cover crops and using no-till practices on portions of their land. “Some people don’t think no-till will work along the lake because of the heavy soils, but more and more farmers in the area are trying it,” Mike said. “No-till reduces phosphorous runoff into rivers and streams.” A member of the Milwaukee River Watershed Clean Farm Families group, Paulus Dairy believes in doing right by the environment and their community. Promoting soil health through the use of cover crops, such as rye, these progressive dairy farmers are helping lead initiatives that foster a cleaner watershed. “The Milwaukee River is our main focus,” said Mike, who has been planting cover crops for many years. “The Clean Farm Families group aims to keep this water source as clean as possible.” Focused on water quality and soil
crops that anyone in the watershed can rent. The group will also supply seed for up to so many acres. “Between struggling to get crops in on time and dealing with a late harvest, we’ve had a lack of growing degree days the last couple of years,” Mike said. “Interseeding helps us work around that, allowing us to interseed standing corn at knee height. The interseeder can also convert into a 15-foot no-till drill.” Healthy cows are a priority. The farm has been able to ship lower-producing animals in order to maintain more cows at the top level and build a better herd rather than shipping due to sickness. Cow Manager – a heat detection system that monitors and measures rumination, temperature and activity – has helped Paulus Dairy sharpen herd health. “The system has helped us build a healthier, more productive cow,” Mike said. “We see cows doing better in transition and have noticed an increase in reproduction. Before this, we were doing a poor job of getting heifers pregnant. Tail chalking wasn’t working for us.” After installing their heat detection system, pregnancy rates went up and services per conception dropped by almost one service. “We’re catching heifers in natural heat, which has decreased our use of hormones,” Tiffany said. “Now animals are healthier when they calve.” Fresh and treated cows are milked in the farm’s hospital parlor which is located at the original farm site, down the hill from the main operation. “It’s really nice having a separate facility for non-saleable milk,” Lori said. “It’s handy for collecting colostrum and keeping medicines isolated from the milk we ship. It’s great not having to worry about making a mistake.” Mike and Lori said they feel blessed Andy and Tiffany have come back to the farm. “There’s been so much change in the dairy industry over the last 10 years, and the speed at which we’re changing doesn’t seem to be slowing,” Mike said. “When Andy decided to stay, we started planning for our rst expansion. If there had been no generation to follow, we wouldn’t have invested in this. You’re all in or all out in today’s industry.” Depending on what the future holds, the Paulus family remains open to expansion possibilities. “We don’t strive to be the biggest or the best,” Mike said. “Instead, we try to do lots of things right and be as efcient as possible.”
“If there had been no generation to follow, we wouldn’t have invested in this. You’re all in or all out in today’s industry.” MIKE PAULUS, DAIRY FARMER
health, the group looks for opportunities to apply the latest conservation techniques as well as tried-and-true approaches. Active in sharing ideas that support agricultural conservation, Paulus Dairy holds workshops and eld days in which attendees can see demonstrations and listen to speakers. Drawing up to 100 people, Mike said these educational events have gone over well. “People can see what we’ve done and actually feel and touch the ground,” Mike said. “We dig up roots and look at root health and soil health, comparing till versus no-till. Overall, we host a lot of people here, including folks from (the University of Wisconsin)-Madison and extension agents from different counties.” The Milwaukee River Watershed Clean Farm Families group bought a six-row interseeder for planting cover
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I am a reader
Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
The rst week of March was Read Across America Week, and if you have children in school, this was likely on your radar. In our school we had guest readers from the community, fun dress-up days, cupcakes to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday, and a game night with a dinner that revolved around the author Roald Dahl and his fantastic books. All of the hullabaloo around reading made me pick up my pen and jot down ‘I am a reader.’ Then the following poem came to mind. I am a reader Of lands far away Some I’d like to visit Others perhaps I’d stay
I am a learner Of words that dig deep Those that make me think And test what values I keep
I am a reader Of truth and of ction To see my shelves and stacks You’d dene this an addiction
I am a reader
I am a sharer Of books that I love To spark the desire to read in all ages Is what I make a goal of
The heartbreaking, the uplifting In others’ shoes I’ve read miles I am a language lover Of words so well-written The pictures in my mind so vivid With books I am smitten I am a bookworm Of the highest degree Just talking about books Seems to electrify me
I am a page-turner Of books big and small There simply aren’t enough hours For me to read them all
Ramblings from the Ridge
I am a traveler Of pages past and present The exciting, horric The comforting and pleasant I am a reader By Jacqui Davison This much is true Columnist When push comes to shove There isn’t much I’d rather do Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Her children, Ira (12), Dane (10), Henry (5) and Cora (toddler), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
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Plans are underway for the 22nd Annual Wisconsin Jersey Spring Spectacular May 1-2, in Viroqua, Wisconsin. Registered Jersey cattle from across the Midwest will circle the ring as breeders distinguish themselves in the industry. The annual event at the Vernon County Fairgrounds draws up to 500 attendees with cattle from Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota, Illinois and beyond. Showmanship begins on Friday, May 1. The cattle show will start with winter heifers at 9 a.m. on Saturday, May 4 and milking classes starting at 12:30 p.m. Entries forms will be released shortly. The cost is $10 per animal until April 15. Entries submitted April 16-24 will be $25. Following that deadline, the price will rise to $100. The event will include a silent auction that raises money to help fund scholarships and educational opportunities for the Wisconsin Junior Jersey Breeders Association. Additionally, the committee is accepting sponsors to help cover the cost of the show and fund improvements to the Vernon County Fairgrounds. The Wisconsin Jersey Spring Spectacular is organized solely by volunteers. For more information about donations or entries, contact Karla Peterson by phone/text at 608-606-1818, or email at karlap2008@live.com
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Great expectations It was the day before Christmas, and the family was gathered for a festive dinner when my highlyeducated adult son held up an unshelled almond and said, “Is this a hazelnut?” Veterinary Wisdom Sigh. How is it possible he had never seen an unshelled almond? I explained, exasperated, that no, that was an almond, and that hazelnuts were more round and looked like an acorn. Times have changed. My son has probably never known By Jim Bennett anyone who has lived for any signicant time Columnist without access to enough food. He has lived in a world of plentiful, safe and cheap food, full of a multitude of choices. He and his cohorts expect this. I grew up differently. Our family always had enough food, but we knew others who did not. We had choices, but most of our food was basic. Convenience food was uncommon, and the idea of considering how one’s food was raised was almost unheard of. My son is your current and future customer. I am not. The time of consumers who expect safe, basic food is over. As food producers, we need to face up to this reality. We may think consumers are silly, stupid or similar, but what matters is that they control the purse strings that support all of our families. What can we do? First, we can try to understand. Learn why they ask the questions they ask and what matters to them. Pay attention to consumer surveys. For example, a recent University of Minnesota survey showed that most people prefer group calf housing over individual calf housing. As a veterinarian, I nd that challenging because individual housing is the gold standard when considering calf health. Yet, we need
TRA CK LOAD ERS S
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 31
to understand why people think this way, and we may farms offer a variety of tours today; these can be a have to change our procedures if we cannot properly great opportunity to make connections to your local address their concerns. Ask people what they think. customers. Let people know your values and why Dr. Conrad Spangler, staff veterinarian at Riverview you do what you do. Customers may not agree with Farms, suggests asking someone not connected to the everything you say or do, but almost everyone will dairy industry to visit your farm, walk around and agree with something. How about bringing a calf to respond to the question, “What do you see that you the grocery store parking lot a few times during dairy do not like?” One might do this a couple of times a month next year? Most people have an innate bond year. Be prepared for surprises, and really listen to to newborns of almost any species, so why not take their concerns. Remember that we are all industry advantage? Use the opportunity to listen and talk. insiders, so different things Third, do not greenwash. matter to us, and things that A According to Brett Kaysen, Understanding d di and d matter to consumers might U assistant vice president of never seem important to us. connecting with our sustainability for the Pork For example, how one moves Checkoff, greenwashing is a or temporarily stores a dead customers is more marketing spin where someone cow does not rise to the level important than ever before. falsely claims to embrace ecoof importance of getting the ffriendly practices. False claims cows milked and fed every might also relate to animal m day on a dairy, but a bloated, smelly carcass in plain welfare or employee management, so be careful not sight is offensive to most people not familiar with to promote something you cannot back up with proof livestock farms, so we may need to gure out a better because greenwashing destroys consumer trust. For way to handle dead cows. example, a common question expressed at the Miracle Second, understand that every contact matters, of Birth Center at the Minnesota State Fair is, “Why and more contact is better. This means that every do you take the calf away from the cow?” The answer time someone drives by your farm counts, or sees to this question can be complicated, and it may not a cow at the county fair, or sees a picture of a calf completely satisfy the questioner’s concern, but it is somewhere on the internet matters. Since everyone still the right answer to give. eats, everyone is a potential customer. Every contact Times indeed have changed, and customers have is an opportunity. We will not get it right 100 percent changed. Many things that we take for granted are of the time, but providing more positive contacts not understood by consumers. Likewise, they have will dilute potential negative contacts that someone a vastly different perspective about what we do and may have experienced. Humans are less likely to about the food they buy than we do. Understanding dislike someone once they have made a connection. and connecting with our customers is more important For example, the phrase “large farm” may carry than ever before. negative connotations, but once a consumer has Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at actually met and interacted with the owner of a Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center larger farm, they are more likely to see the farm in in Plainview, Minnesota. He also consults on dairy a positive light. Consider using social media to tell farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four your story. Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and farm children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail. websites may all seem like uff, but companies all com with comments or questions. over the world know how important they are. Many
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Emergency road trip to southwest Kansas
Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
It is a beautiful February Sunday afternoon, and instead of enjoying the day outside playing with the kids, Joe and I are on the road to look at baby calf ranches in southwest Kansas. Our current local calf raisers got burnt out picking up six to 12 newborn calves every day and gave us a month to nd a new home for the calves. They were doing a good job with the calves, and they were very competitive on price. But work burn out was written all over their faces. I was a little upset when they told me, but the more I thought about it, the more I understood. They had the equivalent of a 150-cow dairy run by a husband-wife with some part-time help. Every day, every 12 hours, it was chore time for three to four hours. Ten days ago, we got the news. Joe and I have been networking trying to nd the next best option.
I have not raised my own calves since the days of 12 calf hutches between the tree windbreak and the 80-cow tiestall barn. Joe remembers coming outside during the evening milking, and I would tell him how many partial or full 5 gallon buckets of milk replacer to carry out to the calves to feed them. Then, after milking, I would take a ashlight out there to make sure they all drank and looked healthy before I went in the house. In 1991, we had a terrible Halloween blizzard that lled every calf hutch with snow, and after that I used the hutches in warmer weather and a calf building in the winter. Numerous baby calf ranches have started business in the last ve years in southwest Kansas and the high plains of Texas. Most have acquired bankrupt or empty feedlots and converted them to calf ranches. The warm sun and dry weather is great for baby calves
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in hutches. We saw one ranch with 20,000 hutches and another with 10,000. When visiting with the owner of one calf ranch, he shared the story of how he got into the business of custom raising calves. For many years, his dad had purchased day-old Holstein bull Making Cents of Dairy calves from many large dairies in California. His dad had routes established to pick up these bull calves weekly and deliver them to his calf ranches located in several Southwest states. They made their own milk replacer from semi loads of purchased ingredients, built all By Dave Vander Kooi their own calf hutches Columnist and even poured their own concrete. Things went nancially south for them about six years ago when Holstein bull calves were costing $250 and were worth less than what they had paid for them when sold. That is when they decided custom raising heifer calves was a better business model. Typically, these calf ranches like to pick up the heifers and the crossbred beef calves from the dairies on their route. The dairy retains ownership of all cattle, and obviously the goal is for the dairy to eventually get back their own bred heifers for replacements. The crossbred beef calves can be sold off the calf ranches at different weights depending on the program they are on. For example, the calf ranch might group a pen of 100 Angus-Holstein steers all weighing between 400-450 pounds and sell them directly to a feedlot in that area. The calf ranch then pays the dairy for the number of steers the dairy had in that pen minus the cost of raising them. The beef packers in the Southwest have kind of stood up and taken notice of the extreme uniformity coming from these cattle week after week and are paying a premium for them. Our current calf raiser picks up calves every morning from our dairy. They took our chilled colostrum, pasteurized it and returned it to us in easy 3 quart feeding bags for us to warm up and feed to newborn calves. Now, when we ship calves to Kansas two to three times per week, we need our own pasteurizer along with bottles, nipples and many other things, especially more hot water. It changes our work load from possibly less heifer raising to more baby calf management until they get on the trailer. From a dollars and cents point of view, it is about a wash from what we are doing now to what we are looking at. I have done the math on it six ways to Sunday, and every option runs close to $1,700 to get a springing heifer back at the dairy. This includes no cost for the original baby heifer calf. In theory, we would be smarter to breed everything to beef semen and buy $1,200 springing or fresh heifers from the outside market. We do not, however, see that as a good long-term business plan. This road trip opened my eyes to how fast the dairy industry has changed in the last ve years. I knew it already but to see it in person is totally different. I could also see the high quality of the calves being raised. We walked by thousands of hutches and never heard a coughing calf. The sun is a calf’s friend for sure. Change can bring opportunities, and we hope that is the case here. We have not quite gured out how to handle 4-H show calves for the 16 grandkids when all the calves are in Kansas. Vander Kooi operates a 1,800-cow, 4,500 acre farm with his son, Joe, and daughter-in-law, Rita, near Worthington, Minnesota. Send him feedback at davevkooi@icloud.com. Follow him on Instagram, @ davevanderkooi.
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Holding pattern
March is a month with a lot of waiting involved. The term holding pattern comes to mind. It is a state of inaction with no progress and no change, or when airplanes are circling back and forth waiting to land, according to my online research. But in my livestock mind, I think of it as a group of animals rounded up and waiting to move to the next pasture, pen or perhaps onto a truck. On our farm, we are waiting for snow and ice to melt and then mud to dry up. While we had been able to haul manure onto the elds this past week, we may be waiting for that opportunity again in the Come Full Dairy Circle days to come if the warm up continues. I want that one patch of ice on the sidewalk that I encounter heading down to the barn to melt so I do not have to walk so carefully every time I traverse it. Do not worry, I plan to chip it away as soon as the warm sun melts it enough to let me. Cannot wait. Cows are due to calve later in the month, so right now I am waiting for new babies to take care of. The heifers that have come back from our heifer raiser’s farm are due to calve, too, and so we will be done with our two months of no heifers calving in cold weather. It will be getting busy in the calf By Jean Annexstad barn very soon. If we are wanting a bit more milk Columnist in the tank for the truck to pick up, hopefully that comes along with more fresh cows. I am also waiting for an opportunity for calves that are way too big and have been off of milk for a few weeks now to move out of the barn and to their next pen. They are weaned but are still enjoying my special delivery of their feed, water, bedding and head scratches. The inactivity in the cropping area gets long this time of year, and when the elds will be ready for the next round of tillage, seeds and season-long nurturing is hard to determine this far out. Will there be poor-doing alfalfa elds to till and new plots to prepare and seed? Will we decide to plant soybean this year after a few years of planting none? What type of spring will we have: normal precipitation and temperatures, or something else? My mother-in-law, Lois, is waiting to once again dig in the earth to plant her garden, care for the seedlings and keep the birds away from her fruit trees. She spends the summer months outside with gardening, plant watering, lawn care, and then collecting fruit and vegetables for canning and freezing. I think this time of the year might be the most difcult for her. She can only shine up her garden trowel so many times while the mud dries up. In the big picture, what will the next few months of politics, a possible pandemic, stock market gyrations and many more factors beyond our control m mean for our decisions and l livelihood? Those items are Perhaps P h lik like the h mud, d the h good for thought, discussion unknowns and inaction that and clever memes on social but are not worth results when spring is almost media being kept awake worrying but not quite here will wash about at night. That is best to prayer and our faith away with the rains of a new left that God has our backs. season. Our kids are weighing o options for summer work and i internships while they nish out their last few months of their sophomore and senior years at college. They might need better vehicles to drive depending on which jobs and which locations they decide upon. But so far, I have not convinced anyone that we need to start looking, and that a bank account might need tapping into for this purpose. It will seem like only a short wait before 4-H dairy kids are here to choose their project calves for the summer. We hope older lease kids are willing to help the younger kids to learn the ropes of halter breaking, leading, setting up, washing, clipping and how much fun the fair is. Their hard work will make the summer speed by. For now, there is a lull. I am trying to use this time to organize and clean, perhaps not only my house and my work area but also my mind. My thoughts are cluttered by all of the things thrown at us from factors beyond our control. Perhaps like the mud, the unknowns and inaction that results when spring is almost but not quite here will wash away with the rains of a new season. We will bust out of our holding pattern with renewed activity. With this renewal, let us hope seeds are soon planted and life can move forward. 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 14, 2020
Suds are no dud for Tranel Family Farm
Soap making hobby becomes protable side business By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
CUBA CITY, Wis. – In the last year, Stephanie Tranel found a hobby that combined the joys she found in dairy farming, gardening, cooking and creating. What she may not have expected was that soap making would grow into a successful business for her family’s organic dairy farm.
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Tranel Family Soap is now in 33 retail stores throughout Wisconsin and Iowa, and they parƟcipate in direct sales through their website.
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Tranel and her husband, Travis, are part of Tranel Family Farms, a 550-cow organic dairy located near Cuba City, where there are four generations working together on the family’s sixth-generation farm. Travis is the sixth generation of the family to farm, and their children – Evelyn, 11, Violet, 10, Ossie, 7, Meadow, 5, and Quinn, 3 – comprise the seventh generation of Tranels in farming. “The soap just kind of came out of nowhere,” Tranel said. “But it has been fun; all four of the current generations working on the farm have embraced it and helped out. It has been a fun family hobby that has turned into a business.” Tranel said the inspiration to make soap hit her from her own daily routine. “I have gotten into aromatherapy and essential oils, and I bought some soaps,” Tranel said. “One day, as I was using the soap, I started thinking that I could make soaps using ingredients produced right here on our farm. We produce (United States Department of Agriculture) organic-certied milk; we grow beautiful owers, and I have herbs from my vegetable garden. I had the ingredients; it was just a matter of combining them in a new way to create a new product.” That edgling idea took ight last May. “I told my husband I had an idea, and made my rst batch of soap,” Tranel said. “Threw the kids in the bathtub; Turn to TRANELS | Page 35
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Stephanie Tranel wraps soap at her home near Cuba City, Wisconsin. Tranel launched Tranel Family Farm Soap last year.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 35
ConƟnued from TRANELS | Page 34
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RECALIBRATE WITH RECAL The RECAL line of probioƟcs is NOT just another probioƟc on the market. RECAL is a probioƟc heavily weighted towards beƩer digesƟon and uƟlizaƟon, primarily FIBER DIGESTION. There are a lot of nutrients in your forages that can be uƟlized by improving digesƟon. RECAL is also a probioƟc that produces more B-vitamins in the rumen of that cow, mainly vitamin B12. B-vitamins are well known to aide in sƟmulaƟng appeƟte, stress, immune system, reproducƟon and also very important in rumen digesƟon. PHOTO SUBMITTED
Tranel Family Farm Soap is made from USDA organic-cerƟed milk produced on the Tranel’s 550-cow dairy farm in Grant County near Cuba City, Wisconsin. nobody broke out or reacted. I made some more, and we started gifting it out to family and friends, and people really liked it.” The rst sale of soap was in late August to a local retailer. Now, just six months into the project, Tranel Family Farm Soap is sold in 33 retail stores from Ames, Iowa, to Black River Falls and as far east as Racine. The Tranels have shipped soap to 15 states and two countries. “We haven’t even really advertised at all outside of social media,” Tranel said. “It has been such a wonderful experience, especially the support we have found from fellow farmers and the feeling that we are all in this together.” In the six months of marketing their soap, the Tranels have sold between 2,500 and 3,000 bars of soap. Learning to manage and balance inventory has been a challenge Tranel has faced in light of the rapid growth of Tranel Family Farms Soap. “We had a really nice Christmas for sales,” Tranel said. “I joke about it, but I actually had to go to one of my retailers and buy back some of my soap to ll direct sales orders.” One of the things Tranel enjoys the most about the developing business is the outlet it provides for her to share the story not only of the family dairy but of animal agriculture. “We love to share our story,” she said. “We are a multi-generational family that farms together daily. We have always enjoyed doing farm tours and sharing our farm story.” Tranel makes all of the soap in her kitchen, and cures it in an upstairs ofce and conference area in their barn. It takes Tranel about an hour and 15 minutes to make 100 bars of soap, including her clean-up time. After a batch of soap sets up for about 24 hours, she cuts it by hand into bars. Then the soap has to cure for four to six weeks before being wrapped and packaged. “It’s something Travis and I can do together,” Tranel said. “The kids can help me with the non-dangerous parts of the soap making. The other (family members) … all help wrap, package and deliver soap. In the fall, we had 20 family members out picking wildowers, cutting alfalfa. It’s fun family bonding time, and we are all excited to have a product out there that is ours with our name on it.” The labels are handmade, using recycled paper and a stamp Tranel created with a logo she designed for the soap
making enterprise. Each 4-ounce bar contains approximately 1 ounce of milk. Tranel has four signature bars of soap and also creates seasonal varieties. Her signature bars include First Crop, Honey Vanilla, Pasture Perfect and Purple Bounty Bar. First Crop has organic alfalfa in the soap and is rich in antioxidants and in vitamins A and E, which are good for skin. The alfalfa acts as an exfoliant. The story the Tranels share about the First Crop soap tells the story of erosion prevention and control of run-off and how nutrients are added back into the soil. “Each bar we can tie back to why it’s good, why we farm this way, and why it is benecial to our environment,” Tranel said. The ingredients for the Pasture Perfect soap come straight from the pasture and include organic red and white clover. “The pasture is our cow’s happy place; our cows love to be out on pasture and on grass,” Tranel said. “The pastures help prevent erosion. They are ltering water, helping with carbon sequestration in addition to providing for the cows.” The Purple Bounty Bar is made from purple bounty vetch, which the Tranels grow on their farm as a natural fertilizer. “Organic fertilizer is very expensive to buy, so we grow our own,” Tranel said. “When it gets to the point where it is going to ower, it pulls nitrogen out of the atmosphere and puts it right back into the soil. And we till it under and put the next crop on. Before we till it under, the kids and I go out and pick the owers to dry down for the soap.” As the Tranels’ soap making venture has grown, they have been working to create a brand and have developed a website and Facebook page. Much of their growth has happened through word-ofmouth recommendations. Tranel has her eyesight set toward future growth for the farm’s newest subsidiary and is looking into branching into lotions, lip balms and liquid soaps. “This is the rst time we have had our name on a product we created and are selling it,” Tranel said. “What is neat about our soap is that every bar has a story for our farm as to why those ingredients are important to our family farm, are good for the environment and why it is good for your skin. Telling that story is very important. A lot of people care about the environment, but maybe they don’t understand how we can tie our farm into caring for the environment. We want to bridge that gap.”
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thur’s soft cinnamon roll recipe. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. It will always be watching a calf being born. No matter how many times I watch this miracle it will always make me smile. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I love working with the animals. I love knowing the care today inďƒ&#x;uences their performance in the future. My job off the farm is working for United Cooperative where I focus on feed sales. I love working with farms to help them reach their goals and help solve challenges if they arise. Calves are my passion and area of expertise. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I enjoy attending meetings focused in areas I’m interested in and following a few Facebook groups focused towards women and agriculture. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? Several years back, I started a ladies day for my customers and their employees. Doing this was inspiring. One of the speakers was Kim Bremmer, and wow, she is amazing. Her passion, her message and true down-to-earth personality was perfect for our group and for our industry. I often remind myself to share my story with someone outside of agriculture, learn something new and most importantly to ďƒžnd my voice for agriculture. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? I would love the opportunity to welcome the ďƒžrst lady of the United States of America, Melania Trump. I know that may sound far-fetched, but if I had the chance, I would. It is said she splurges on ice cream, and I am proud of the job we do in producing a high-quality product on our farm. What is the best vacation you have ever taken? Michael and I enjoy going snowmobiling in northern Wisconsin. While we don’t get many days away, it sure is nice to be outside, enjoy the trails and spend time with friends. With the family, visiting my parents in Florida for a long weekend is always fun. The girls love the ocean and warm weather with a visit in the middle of winter. What are some words you like to live by? Work hard and dream big, and live like someone left the gate open.
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Choose wisely.
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Suzie Benoit Stitzer, Wisconsin Grant County 450 cows Family: My husband, Michael, our son, Brooks, 22 months, and daughters, Haidyn, 8, and Ella, 6. Tell us about your farm. Lazy M Farm is home to a mixed herd of Holsteins, Ayrshires, Milking Shorthorns and a few Jerseys and Brown Swiss. In addition to the cows, around 1,200 acres of hay and corn are grown each year. We enjoy marketing genetics and showing. This past year, we had the intermediate champion Milking Shorthorn at World Dairy Expo. Lazy M Greek Leda EXP ET followed in her dam’s footsteps being named intermediate champion and all-American. It is fun to breed and develop cows like her. What is the busiest time of day for you? The mornings are busiest for me most days. I get up each morning around 3:30 a.m. I enjoy working with the cows, and each morning I milk our fresh cows and care for any treated cows. My goal is to be back in the house by the time Michael goes out to mix feed. Once I’m back inside, I work out and get ready for work. Then I start getting the girls ready for school and Brooks ready for daycare by 7:15. When you get a spare moment what do you do? I love to go for a run if I have the chance. I’m excited for spring to be here and to hit the pavement. And while I don’t get the chance very often, I enjoy quilting and making cinnamon rolls for herd check on Tuesdays. If you’re into making cinnamon rolls from scratch, check out King Ar-
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 37
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Adventures in Dairyland program teaches youth about industry By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
APPLETON, Wis. – Helping kids understand where milk and other dairy products come from as well as the nutritional value of those products is more important than ever before. These and other critical facts about the dairy industry are delivered direct to elementary school students through Adventures in Dairyland. The Adventures in Dairyland program is an educational experience unique to Outagamie County. A highlight for many students, the program has been offered to the county’s fourth graders for nearly 40 years. The sixweek program brings the farm to the classroom for ďƒžve weeks and then ďƒžnishes off by bringing the classroom to the farm during the sixth week. The program is taught by 15 volunteers of active and retired dairy farmers and others working in agriculture. One such volunteer is Brenda Vosters who operates K&T Dairy near Appleton with her husband, Keith, and Keith’s brother, Troy. The trio took over the farm in 2006 when Vosters’ in-laws
retired. The Vosters family milks 80 Holstein cows in a stanchion barn and farms 220 acres. “When I walk in the room, the kids are excited that an actual dairy farmer is the one teaching the class,� Vosters said. “At the end of the course, these same students get to visit Brenda Vosters my farm, which they think is so cool.� The program was created in 1982 by dairy farmer and Outagamie County 4-H Agent Jeanne Baum and Winnebago County 4-H Agent Jim Barthel. Sponsored by the Outagamie County Dairy Promotion Board and Outagamie County Farm Bureau, the goal of the program is to educate youth about Wisconsin’s dairy industry. Unlike Vosters, who grew up on a dairy farm, most of the students in the program have never set foot on a farm. For many students, Adventures Turn to VOSTERS | Page 38
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Brenda Vosters teaches fourth graders March 5 at St. Nicholas Catholic School in Freedom, Wisconsin, as part of the Adventures in Dairyland program. The program serves 1,700 youth in 30 Outagamie County schools.
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
ConƟnued from VOSTERS | Page 37 in Dairyland is their rst exposure to dairy farming. “I enjoy teaching these kids about the dairy industry,” said Vosters, who is also an Outagamie County Dairy Promotion board member. “So many kids nowadays don’t know where their food comes from or how much work is involved in getting that endproduct to the store. Kids need to understand the process involved in getting milk from the cow to the factory and nally to the store where they can buy it.” This is Vosters’ fourth year participating in the program which serves 1,700 youth in 30 Outagamie County schools. The 2020 season kicked off PHOTO SUBMITTED during the rst week of March Troy (from leŌ), Brenda and Keith Vosters run K&T Dairy near Appleton, Wisconsin. The trio took and will conclude mid-April. over the farm in 2006 when Brenda’s in-laws reƟred. “It’s a fun course,” Vosters said. “Everyone seems to enjoy it. I love listening to the kids’ Volunteers spend an hour Vosters said. “At the end of The booklet used for questions, and I also like to in the classroom each week the tour, we give them a dairy teaching the program contains for ve weeks. Vari- treat. Last year, it was Culvers information about types of ous host farms wel- ice cream.” dairy farms, describes where come students for a The program provides an milk comes from, explains nutour during the sixth opportunity for instilling in trition facts of dairy products, week of the program, children a respect and grati- explores careers in agriculture, giving kids a hands- tude for the state’s farmers shows the dairy breeds and on dairy farm experi- while encouraging dairy prod- much more. ence. Vosters also in- uct consumption presently and “We talk about the nutrivites her veterinarian into the future. ents in milk, such as calcium and nutritionist to the “The schools feel it’s great and Vitamin D, and tell them event for kids to ask we’re teaching the kids about they should choose chocoquestions of. dairy because many children late milk instead of soda, for “I like seeing don’t have access to farms example,” Vosters said. “We BRENDA VOSTERS, DAIRY FARMER the kids’ excitement anymore,” Vosters said. “If share basic, simple facts they when they come to kids see and hear about it, they can comprehend. My goal is to bring in different things for the tour our farm and see what is might even be interested in have the kids remember a few kids to see and touch such as a done to help make the products pursuing a career in agriculture facts about the dairy industry cow tooth.” they eat and enjoy every day,” one day.” that they can share with their
“The schools feel it’s great we’re teaching the kids about dairy because many children don’t have access to farms anymore.”
families.” Some schools opt to teach the content on their own by using the same booklet that volunteers use. “The booklet contains a lot of good info that keeps kids interested,” Vosters said. “We revise the book yearly if necessary to keep it up-to-date.” Vosters and her husband have three children – Faith, 21, Katelyn, 19, and Ryan, 16. The two oldest are in college, while Vosters’ son is active on the farm. Vosters worked at a paper mill for 12 years and returned to the farm when her kids were small. Her responsibilities include bookwork, taking care of calves and other daily chores. Vosters’ husband is the fourth generation on the farm which was started in 1919. In 2016, the family hosted Outagamie County’s Breakfast on the Farm. Cows are milked twice a day and average 85 pounds of milk per cow daily with a rolling herd average of 27,000 pounds of milk. Vosters said dairy farmers throughout Wisconsin help make Adventures in Dairyland possible as checkoff dollars from the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin are used to supply materials for the program. “Adventures in Dairyland has been well-received by teachers and students throughout Outagamie County,” Vosters said. “It’s been very successful in getting our message across.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020 • Page 39
sponsored by
Cheryl Davis Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Columbia County 200 cows
What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Make sure you have a good nancial background to be able to show a lender you have the ability to repay loans. Unfortunately, it is important for at least one member of the family to have an off-the-farm job to provide for health insurance and extra money to pay bills.
How did you get into farming? My husband-to-be, LaVern Davis, bought an 18-acre farm with about 12 wooden stanchions six months prior to our marriage. We had both grown up on dairy farms, and he bought six Jersey heifers that were due right about the time of our wedding. We both worked off-the-farm jobs for two years and then built a new barn so my husband could farm full time. I have continued working off the farm for the past 43 years and retired March 6. We grew over time to the facilities and added land to be at 420 acres. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? The volatility of the market is a concern. We need to be paid a decent price for our milk. The markets had looked like they might have turned a corner last fall, but in recent months, the downturn does not look encouraging. Bull calves bring very little money. Sometimes the trucking is more than the payment for the calf. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? We added a closed-circuit camera in the maternity pen so that births could be monitored through a cellphone app. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? We have baled corn stalks for bedding for a number of years, but with the purchase of a bale wrapper, we are able to use the corn stalks as feed for the heifers and dry cows, reducing the need to purchase straw.
What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your farm? Through the years we have been farming, the feed mill that used to pick up the ear corn and take to the mill to be made into feed went by the wayside. In order to have more control over what we were feeding the cows and the price of it, a commodity shed was erected. We have fed a number of commodities at times. Cottonseed, hominy, canola and corn gluten are just a few.
What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? Our son, Christopher, who is also the farm manager, was able to nd a market for the extra colostrum we had been throwing away. The company provides the freezer and the pails, picks up the frozen milk, and we are paid $70 per 100 for the milk. It’s something that otherwise would have gone down the drain. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? Employees should be treated as you would like to be treated. We acknowledge their birthdays and take an interest in what is going on in their lives. Showing appreciation for a job well done can go a long way toward employee satisfaction with their job.
Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I have experience with accounting which is important in nancial matters. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? The dairy farm was a wonderful place to raise our children who are now grown. They all learned to have a good work ethic which is hard to nd in many young people. I enjoy being able to show the farm to non-farm people so they can see that real farms are much different than what the animal rights people try to portray.
What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Raising three wonderful children. We have also been recognized for having a low somatic cell count and were named the Columbia County Farm Family of the Year in 2005. Any accomplishments we owe to the blessing of the Lord. What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? Keep the farm at the same size and be able to weather through these difcult times. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? LaVern and I lead singing at an assisted living facility every Sunday after church. LaVern volunteers at church with the Awana program. We love to see our granddaughter. I enjoy gardening, playing piano and sewing when not working.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, March 14, 2020
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