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March 23, 2024 M
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 26, No. 3
Robots allow cows to be cows
Heegs prepare to share robotic system at open house By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
COLBY, Wis. — A project that began several years ago and has encompassed hundreds of hours of careful planning and consideration became a reality at Heeg Brothers Dairy when the family entered the world of robotic milking. Three generations of the Heeg family work together on the farm. Brothers Mark, Gary and Jay are partners in the operation. Their father, August, remains active on the farm, hauling tankers of milk from the farm to Mullins Cheese four days a week. The farm was established in 1999 when the herds owned by August and Mark were combined at one facility.
Mark’s son, Nathan, and Gary’s son, Cory, work on the farm full time and are in the process of transitioning into ownership. Jay’s daughter, Jazmyn, helps on the farm and will be attending the University of Wisconsin-River Falls in the fall to major in dairy science. The Heegs farm 3,300 acres, growing all the forages needed to feed their milking herd and youngstock. On Dec. 5, 2023, eight DeLaval VMS-300 robotic milking units in two pens were turned on for the rst time. The Heegs are milking 450 cows in the robotic facility and an additional 1,000 cows in their existing double-14 parallel parlor. Turn to HEEGS | Page 2
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Heeg family — Cory (from leŌ), Gary, Mark, August, Jay and Nathan — stand in front of their parlor at Heeg Brothers Dairy near Colby, Wisconsin. The Heegs are hosƟng an open house for their roboƟc milking facility April 12.
A diversied dairy turns out products Henschels’ sawmill, syrup businesses boost farm income By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
STURGEON BAY, Wis. — In early March, a visitor to Cherryland Dairy Farm is greeted by the buzz of a saw cutting wood and maple syrup cooking to perfection. In addition to dairy farming, for the last 38 years, the Henschel family has operated a sawmill and collected sap from their trees to make syrup. At the helm of Henschel Sawmill is Jamie Henschel, wood cutter extraordinaire. “Jamie is the only female sawyer of a circular sawmill STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR that we know of,” said her Jamie Henschel (leŌ) uses a circular sawmill with 48-inch blade to saw logs into lumber March 7 husband, Mike Henschel. while her son, Brian, stacks boards at their family’s sawmill near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The The Henschels milk 50 Henschels supply a variety of dimensional lumber and sell 250,000-300,000 board feet of wood cows and farm 600 acres per year.
near Sturgeon Bay. Mike and Jamie farm with their sons, Mark, Brian and Kevin, the fth generation on the farm started by Mike’s greatgrandfather in 1902. The dairy barn built in 1908 is preserved in pristine red and white as the Henschels ensure their farm’s curb appeal with meticulous care and attention to detail. Cherryland Dairy Farm is a family affair. Even Mike’s 83-year-old mom, Helen, helps with milking and eldwork. Mark’s wife, Kylie, helps milk cows and pick rock. Turn to HENSCHELS | Page 8