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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 23, No. 4
Hanging on for his life
April 10, 2021
DeRosier survives 45 minutes in under-barn manure pit By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
OSCEOLA, Wis. – Troy DeRosier woke up the morning of Saturday, March 20, thinking about the nice weather and the farm work he hoped to accomplish that day. He went to bed that evening with a very different outlook and a renewed appreciation for the gift of life. Troy with his wife, Barbara, and their son, Jordan, a high school senior, operate Crystal Ball Dairy where they milk 200 cows and operate an on-farm processing plant near Osceola. The cows are housed in a freestall barn built two years ago after the DeRosiers suffered a barn re. The barn has slatted oors and is built above a 2-million-gallon manure pit. The pit is about 12 feet deep, and on that Saturday, Troy estimated the manure was about 9 feet deep. Troy said he was looking forward to weather that would allow them to begin the process of spring manure spreading. On Saturday afternoon, Troy started the tractor Turn to DEROSIER | Page 6
JASON SCHULTE FOR DAIRY STAR
Troy DeRosier (middle) pictured with his son, Jordan DeRosier, (leŌ) and employee Alex Williams, fell into the 2 million gallon manure pit underneath the freestall barn March 20 on his farm Crystal Ball Dairy Farm in Osceola, Wisconsin. DeRosier was parƟally submerged in 9 feet of manure for 45 minutes before being rescued by Jordan and Williams.
USDA program expands COVID-19 assistance Farmers to receive payments beginning in April By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Dairy farmers should anticipate additional assistance from the federal government because of market disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 24, the United States Department of Agriculture announced the initiative – USDA Pandemic Assistance for Producers – that will provide more than $6 billion to farmers, ranchers and producers through existing and new programs. “This is timely,” Steve Frericks said. “With the assistance, farmers could utilize funds to meet business obligations and ultimately help their bottom line because of what COVID-19 has done.” Frericks is the county executive director for Stearns County’s USDA
Farm Service Agency. The pandemic assistance will come in four parts: invest $6 billion to expand help and assistance to more producers; add $500 million of new funding to existing programs; carry out formula payments under the developed Coronavirus Food Assistance Program; and reopen enrollment for CFAP 2 to improve access to underserved producers. At the time of this printing, details of the rst part of the assistance were unclear. The USDA has committed to providing dairy farmers with compensation through a dairy donation program, as well as for euthanized livestock, specialty crops and the cost of organic certication, among other means. “The biggest impact there is for dairy farmers is assistance through the dairy donation program,” Frericks said. In previous COVID-19 assistance packages, dairy farmers received direct payments on the pounds of milk produced in their herd. “Those were substantial,” Frericks said. “This is being handled differently. We’ll have to see what this program
does.” Additional assistance dairy farmers will receive will be in the form of the restructured CFAP payments. The formula for payment rates for beef cattle has been adjusted for CFAP 1 payments with the USDA increasing
“With the assistance, farmers could utilize funds to meet business obligations and ultimately help their bottom line because of what COVID-19 has done.” STEVE FRERICKS, USDA FARM SERVICE AGENCY
that rate based on on-farm inventory April 16, 2020, to May 14, 2020. The new rates include $7 per head for feeder cattle less than 600 pounds, $25.50 per head for feeder cattle 600 pounds or more, $63 per head for slaughtered fed
cattle, $14.75 per head for slaughtered mature cattle and $17.25 per head for all other cattle in inventory. The USDA has estimated payments will exceed $1.1 billion to more than 410,000 farmers under the mandated formula. Cattle producers already enrolled in CFAP 1 will receive these payments. “Producers don’t have to provide additional information or signatures,” Frericks said. “There is no need for an additional application as we can process the payments from previously approved CFAP 1 applications.” Under CFAP 2 revisions, farmers will receive $20 per acre for eligible crops identied as CFAP 2 at-rate or price-trigger crops. “With alfalfa now included, that’s a very large deal for Minnesota,” Frericks said. The payments are expected to provide over $4.5 billion to more than 560,000 farmers under the mandated formula, according to the USDA. “Under the provisions, most farmers will get payments around Turn to USDA | Page 5
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Krista Kuzma - Editor/Wisconsin (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Andrea Borgerding - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (608) 487-1101 danielle.n@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Staff Writer (262) 442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@dairystar.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $35.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters.
This issue at a glance
Spring weather brings back a feature Spring eldwork has kicked into gear in for some of those in the Dairy Star coverage area. Farmers have reported they did some small grain planting while others are trying to get the piles and pits of manure empty before starting spring eldwork. The commencement of spring eldwork coincides with our weather and crop watcher pages in the Dairy Star. This is the rst issue of reports from our coverage area. We will have 14 dairy farmers from across the region update us on the amount of rain they have received in the past two weeks along with information about how their crops are progressing along with an area crop update. Six of the farmers are from Wisconsin: Steve Case of Janesville, John Sager of Jackson, Evan Jones of Ridgeway, Bruce Gumz of Dorchester, Craig Fietzer of Manawa and Brian Friske of Kendall. There are also ve weather and crop reporters from Minnesota. They include Paul Bitzan Jr. of Millerville, Matt Zabel of Plainview, Mike Peterson of Willow River, Mike Schneider of Sacred Heart and Chad Weineke of Adrian. There are two reporters from Iowa, Richard Blough from Waterloo and Joe Wilcox of Marcus; and one from South Dakota, Russell Jungemann of Wolsey. Their information will appear in each Dairy Star for the next seven to eight months, or until fall harvest is complete. The rst reports are on pages 18-19 of second section. We hope all our farmers throughout the Dairy Star coverage area have bountiful and safe planting and harvest seasons.
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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.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists
Country Cooking
Bon Yankton Homme
Clay
Lyon
O’Brien
Sioux Plymouth
Page 26 Second Section
Sioux Falls
Tube feeding correctly should be priority
Ida
Monona
n inso Emmet
Clay
Palo Alto
e Buena Vista
Kossuth
n
lh Ca
Crawford Carroll
Pottawattamie Cass ry ome
Mills nt
mo
Fre
tg Mon
Page
n Win
t
Kanabec
Fillimore
Mower
Worth
Mitchell Howard
Hancock Cerro Gordo
old
mb
Hu
Floyd
Greene Guthrie
Bremer
Wright Franklin Butler
Boone
Dallas
Houston
Story
Polk
all
Black Hawk
Tama
rsh
Ma
aw
as
ick
Ch
Webster Hamilton Hardin Grundy
ou
Sac
Harrison Shelby
s
ta
on
ah
c Po
go
eba
Dick
ke
ero
Ch
Woodbury
Third Section: Pages 4 - 5
Zone 1
Hubbard
Osceola
Freeborn
Faribault
Martin
Jasper
e
ln
co
Lin
Jackson
First Section: Page 39
Winona
iek
Turner
Nobles
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted
ake
Hutchinson
Rock
Dairy Prole: Ben and Andy Larson
Wabasha
sh
Charles Mix
McCook Minnehaha
Murray
Rice
ne
Douglas
Gregory
Moody
Nicollet
Brown
am
Tripp
on
ns
Ha
Lake
Redwood
All
Todd
Miner
Lyon
Goodhue
Fayette an
e war Dubuque
an
ch
Bu
Clayton
Benton
Dela
Jones
Linn
Clinton on Cedar
s hn
Iowa
Jackson
Jo
Scott
Muscatine
n
Aurora
Mellette
Sanborn
Brookings
Beresford
Dakota
Scott
Sibley
Madison Warren Marion Mahaska Keokuk
Adair
Adams Taylor
Union ld
go
g Rin
Clarke
Lucas
Decatur Wayne
Monroe Wapello se
noo
pa Ap
Davis
gto
Jerauld
Kingsbury
Carver
W in
Brule
Beadle
Hennepin
McLeod
Renville
Yellow Medicine
hin
Buffalo
Deuel
Hamlin
Hand
Lyman
Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Clark
Anoka
Wright
Meeker
Wa s
Jones
Hughes
Spink
Kandiyohi
Chippewa
Isanti
iek
Pages 10 - 11 Bennett Second Section
Stanley
Hyde
Grant
Sherburne
sh
Sully
Swift
Benton
Stearns
Pope
Washington
Ziebach
Stevens
Pine
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Douglas
First Section: Pages 23, 25
ms ey
Faulk
Potter
Carlton
Todd Grant
Big Stone
Day
Aitkin
Crow Wing
Ra
Edmunds
Otter Tail
Mehrkens balances dairy farming, coaching trapshooting
Po we
Fall River
Roberts
Marshall
McPherson
Cass
go
Dewey
The “Mielke” Jackson Market Weekly Shannon
Sargent
Brown Walworth
Haakon
Richland
Zumbrota
eu r
Campbell
Corson
Dickey
McIntosh
Sioux
Becker
Clay
Ransom
LaMoure
Emmons
Pennington Custer
Cass
Mah
isa Ch
Page 33 First Section
Lawrence
Bames
Lake
Su
Grant
Adams
Come Full Dairy Circle Meade
Stutsman
Logan
Perkins
Butte
Kidder
Morton
Page 32 First Section
Harding
Burleigh
Cook
Itasca
Wadena
Oliver
From the Zweber Farm
en nom
Norman
n
Page 31 First Section Hettinger
Polk
Trail
Steele
Koochiching
Au
Veterinary Wisdom Stark
Griggs
Wilkin
Bowman
Foster
Tra ver se
Slope
Sheridan Mercer
Lincoln
Golden Valley
Wells
First Section: Pages 10 - 11
St. Louis
Red Lake
Eddy
McLean
Beltrami
Pennington
Grand Forks
MDI team is sounding board for Kuballs’ big picture ideas
Lake of the Woods
Pipestone
Billings
Nelson
Roseau
Marshall
Benson
n
Dunn
Kittson
Walsh
Ramsey
McHenry
Ward
Pembina
io
Dear County Agent Guy Mountrail
Page 30 First Section
Cavalier
Towner
Pierce
Second Section: Pages 3 - 4
Un
McKenzie
Rolette
Da vi so n
Williams
Bottineau
Third Section: Pages 3, 6 - 7
Waterville
Jansens’ milking facility destroyed in March 26 re
bo
Renville Page Burke 27 First Section
Divide
Danube
du
First Section: Page 36
On the Road with Princess Kay
Callaway
Schouvillers incorporate fourth generation on dairy
Women in Dairy: Becky Moorse
Le
Minneota
Pages 8-9 First Section
Clearwater
Ag Insider
on
ers
f Jef
Van Buren
Louisa
Marcus
Weather and Crop Reports Second Section: Pages 18- 19
Henry Des
Moines
Lee
Zone 2
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
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Dairy market analyst sees lingering COVID-19 impacts
How has alternative energy beneted your dairy farm? First Section: Pages 15-16
Third Section: Pages 3 - 4
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 5
ConƟnued from USDA | Page 1 $20 per acre, this includes alfalfa, corn, hemp, sorghum, soybeans, sugar beets and wheat, among other crops, and some will get additional beef payments,” Frericks said. “This will be substantial.”
“Nearly all producers have signed up for (CFAP). So, the big thing is that for most producers, they won’t have to sign a new application to receive funding.” STEVE FRERICKS, USDA FARM SERVICE AGENCY
Minor adjustments to the CFAP formulas will also include a correction for row crop applications that allows farmers to use 100% of the 2019 Agriculture Risk Coverage-County Option benchmark yield if the farmer has a non-actual production history insurance policy. On April 5, the USDA reopened signup for CFAP 2 for a new enrollment period for new and modied applications that will last at least 60 days to ensure all farmers have the opportunity to take advantage of this program. “Nearly all producers have signed
up for (CFAP),” Frericks said. “So, the big thing is that for most producers, they won’t have to sign a new application to receive funding. But, if someone didn’t timely le for CFAP 2, they now can.” Across the United States, more than 870,000 applications have been approved for CFAP 2 payments totaling over $13 billion as of March 28, according to the USDA. The dairy sector, specically, includes 23,308 applicants across the nation receiving a total $1.19 billion; this equates to a little over 9% of the sum of CFAP 2 funds distributed. In the Upper Midwest, Wisconsin leads with dairy payments at $219 million for 5,933 applicants. Others include Minnesota at $66 million for 2,420 applicants; Michigan at $64 million for 872 applicants; Iowa at $35 million for 956 applicants; Illinois at $14 million for 533 applicants; South Dakota at $13 million for 170 applicants; and North Dakota at $2 million for 70 applicants. Previous rounds of COVID-19 assistance gave an economic boost to the agriculture industry, and Frericks expects this next round to do the same. “It’s all coming at a good time as most are actively preparing to put crops in the ground,” he said. “This shot of revenue will help support what (farmers) are doing and allow them opportunity to get additional assistance for their crops and livestock that have been affected by COVID-19.”
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
ConƟnued from DEROSIER | Page 1
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that ran the pump to agitate the manure. While farm safety has always been in the back of his mind, Troy admitted he did some things that saved him a few steps or a couple of minutes. One of those things was having a wooden plank behind the tractor that served as a footbridge across the pit opening, allowing him easier access without having to walk around the front end of the tractor. As Troy walked across the plank, it snapped in half, plummeting him into the rolling waves of manure agitating beneath his feet at a rate of 9,000 gallons per minute. “The agitator output hit me as I was falling into the manure,” Troy said. “It was a massive amount of force. It threw me about 40 feet in under the barn. I was tumbling through the manure. I was about to drown. I couldn’t get air. I was being somersaulted and tossed around in the manure.” As he was being thrown through the thick swirling mass, Troy hit a couple of support columns before nally grabbing ahold of one. “I was nally able to orient myself which way was up and was able to get up above the manure so I could nally try to get some air,” Troy said. “It was tough just trying to hold onto the column because you have this river of manure that is still trying to knock you off the column. I didn’t even have any breath to holler for help. It was all I could do to hold on.” As he clutched the column gasping for air, Troy knew he was in great peril, clinging to the ne line between life and death in his own personal subterranean hell, beneath the very structure where he made his living. “I started wondering when the gas was going to overcome me,” Troy said.
“I thought for sure I was dead. You just don’t survive these things.” After an estimated 30 minutes spent treading the cold liquid manure, Troy witnessed what seemed a miracle to him. “The pump, the agitation, actually changed direction,” Troy said. “It moved away from me on its own. It’s never done that without someone physically moving it. When it did that, it calmed the river of manure down so I could catch my breath. Then I was able to start hollering for help.” Because of the noise of the tractor roaring at the pit opening, no one could hear Troy’s cries for help. “No one would have thought to check anything, because it is normal for that tractor to be running the agitator with no one around,” Troy said, recalling the feeling of questioning how he possibly could be found. “It happened to be chore time, and Alex Williams, a high school employee, nally heard me when he came to bring cows up to the parlor for milking.” When he rst heard Troy yelling, Williams said he did not think much of it. “I wasn’t sure where he was, but I just thought he was doing something with a cow somewhere,” Williams said. “Then I thought I heard him yell, ‘Help!’ I had no idea what was wrong or where he was.” Williams said he went outside and throttled down the tractor to better hear the cries. “When I realized where Troy was, it certainly was not what I was expecting,” he said. Troy called for Williams to get Jordan and a ladder. When the boy Turn to DEROSIER | Page 7
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ConƟnued from DEROSIER | Page 6 turned the tractor off, the agitating manure began to still, allowing Troy some time to gather back strength for the arduous rescue that lie ahead. When Jordan received the call for help from Williams, he said he was not certain he heard Williams correctly. “It took me a second to comprehend what he was saying, that my dad was in the pit,” Jordan said. “That is the fastest I’ve ever run.” The boys found a ladder in the shop and raced to the back of the barn, ready to extricate Troy from the pit. “I remember getting there and hearing his voice and thinking, ‘Thank God he’s still alive,’” Jordan said. “There were a few moments I was denitely afraid we were going to lose him.” By the time the boys arrived with the ladder, Troy estimates he had been in the pit for at least 45 minutes. The boys put the ladder into the hole. Troy needed to make his way back across the pit toward the hole, a distance he estimated to be about 40 feet. “I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to swim,” Troy said. “It was hard to let go of that column, fearing I would sink back down into the manure. When I reached that ladder, it was such a feeling of relief and joy.” In typical farmer-fashion, Troy shook off the incident and did not seek medical treatment until Monday. He said he drank lots of hot chocolate and took several hot showers to warm himself up after spending nearly an hour in 50-degree liquid manure. When he nally went to the clinic, the doctors were astounded to hear his story, especially when his lungs scanned clear of any damage. The only battle scar
JASON SCHULTE FOR DAIRY STAR
Troy DeRosier installed a metal grate over the agitator opening to the manure pit under his freestall barn, ensuring that there will not be a repeat experience of someone falling into the pit. Troy retained from his ordeal was the aftermath of a virus he picked up from ingesting some manure. Troy credits the design of their barn for keeping him from being overtaken by toxic gasses while in the pit. “Our barn is tunnel-ventilated,” Troy said. “If it had been a naturallyventilated or a cross-ventilated barn, I
think the gas would have overcome me. The way our ventilation is designed, the cold air sinks down into the pit. The fans keep it down there, and it is always moving. Thank God for that design.” When he looks back on the ordeal, Troy realizes how lucky he is to be alive. He has gained a new outlook on farm safety. A metal grate has been
installed over the pit entrance to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. “I certainly think God was involved,” Troy said. “There is no reason I survived being thrown in initially, and then when the agitation changed direction. … There is no other explanation besides God just wasn’t quite ready for me yet.”
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USDA unveils new plan for COVID-19 relief Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
After reviewing existing COVID-19 relief, the Harden said. United States Department of Agriculture will take a new approach for distributing additional assistance DFA spins off two plants to farmers and ranchers called Pandemic Assistance Dairy Farmers of America has completed the for Producers. USDA will rewrite rules for this relief, sale of the two former Dean Foods milk processing placing a larger emphasis on small and plants located in De Pere, Wisconsin, and Ag Insider socially disadvantaged farm operations, Harvard, Illinois. A partnership made up specialty crop and organic producers, of New Dairy Opco, which had acquired and support for the food supply chain the assets from the bankrupt Borden and renewable fuels. The existing Dairy, and Select Milk Producers is the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program buyer. The two plants had to spun off as will fall within this new initiative, and part of an antitrust enforcement action parts of CFAP may be rened to address sought by the Department of Justice farmer needs. The dairy industry is and the attorney generals of Wisconsin waiting for the implementation of the and Massachusetts. DFA acquired the supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage two plants in 2019 after the Dean Foods program which was enacted in December bankruptcy. Terms of the deal were not 2020. disclosed.
By Don Wick Dairy trade concerns with Canada DFA income moves higher in 2020 Columnist According to a new report from the Dairy Farmers of America reported United States Trade Representative’s 2020 net income of $170.6 million. That Ofce, Canadian dairy quota commitments are is up from $83.2 million in 2019. Due the acquisition hurting United States dairy farmers. The report said of a large share of Dean Foods’ assets through the United States “remains concerned about potential bankruptcy, DFA saw its income and sales increase. Canadian actions that would further limit U.S. exports DFA President and CEO Rick Smith praised the to the Canadian dairy market.” resiliency of its farmer-owners and employees during the COVID-19 crisis. “Despite the challenges, we Dairy exports to China are recovering made solid progress on our strategic goals,” he said. The recent trade war between the United States and China took a toll on the American dairy industry. Bongards report year-end nancials However, Krysta Harden, president and CEO, Bongards Creameries is reporting 2020 earnings United States Dairy Export Council, said dairy of $14.6 million on sales of $815 million. Patronage exports to China are bouncing back. “China is a earnings of $13.4 million resulted in a 20% cash very, very key market for U.S. dairy; No. 3,” Harden payment to members of 19 cents per hundredweight. said. “It’s a market that has been growing, a market Company ofcials indicate this past year featured that is important to us, and one that we would like many challenges and opportunities. The dairy to see improve over time.” Harden said the USDEC processor was able to make signicant investments in has been building partnerships in China to develop facilities this past year. products that Chinese consumers want. The demand for health-conscious products is an area of growth. Raising taxes for infrastructure can have “We’re working with the Chinese Institute of Food unintended consequences Science and Technology on different products and President Biden wants to raise the corporate prototypes that might meet that growing demand,” tax rate to 28% to help pay for his infrastructure bill.
American Farm Bureau Federation Executive Vice President Dale Moore said there can be unintended consequences when tax rates are increased. “When tax increases begin, it’s easy for someone to say we’re still several thousand dollars short and then, take another grab,” Moore said. Infrastructure is a priority for farm groups like the American Farm Bureau Federation, and they want to move forward in a bipartisan way to fund infrastructure improvements responsibly. Moore said the devil is in the details. “If taxes are what’s going to pay for this, one of the issues we’ve been hearing about lately is the elimination of stepped-up basis,” he said. “That’s not something we’d consider a win. It could put farmers out of business.” COVID-19 relief included in Minnesota budget plan For the Minnesota legislature, budget work is now the priority. Ag lobbyist Bruce Kleven said the agriculture budget is straight forward. “There are a few new initiatives the ag department put forward on international trade and meat processing,” Kleven said. “We expect the House to include those in their budget, and we’ll see what the Senate does.” Another component of the budget will be pandemic relief. Minnesota will receive federal aid, about $4.8 billion, shared between local and state governments. “The question to be resolved this session is who gets to allocate that?” Kleven said. “The federal stimulus money issued before was done by the Walz Administration, but lawmakers will want a say. It’s a fairly sizeable amount of money.” Co-op day concentrates on rural development, economic stability Minnesota farm cooperative leaders recently met virtually with ofcials from the state agriculture department and the legislature. Cooperative Network outlined legislative priorities, including tax conformity and broadband infrastructure. Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen addressed the group, saying mental health issues are still a concern. “You Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 have to remember that before prices were good this year, we went through ve or six years of down prices and farmers ate into their equity,” Petersen said. “We have over 1,000 farmers in mediation and that leads to quite a bit of stress.” Cheese, butter production rises USDA’s February Dairy Products Report said American cheese production increased more than 5% from one year earlier. Butter production rose 2.2%. The production of non-fat dry milk increased more than 21%. Skim milk powder declined over 20%. World Dairy Expo comes to terms with Dane County World Dairy Expo will remain in Madison, Wisconsin. Due to COVID-19 protocols, Expo ofcials were considering other venues. The dates for the 2021 show are Sept. 28Oct. 2. Holz-Clause to temporarily lead Morris campus University of Minnesota-Crookston
Chancellor Mary Holz-Clause will be the acting executive chancellor for the campuses at Crookston and Morris for a two-year term. This news comes as Morris Chancellor Michell Behr plans to retire this summer. The search for the Morris campus’ next leader will begin in spring 2022. Trivia challenge Harry Truman is the last United States president that grew up on a farm milking cows. That answers our last trivia question. Jewel Bronaugh is the current United States Deputy Secretary of Agriculture. For this week’s trivia, what is Bronaugh’s home state? We will 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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We have used PCR DNA, Milk Elisa Preg, Johnes Elisa, and of course the usual fat, protein, SCC and MUN.
Why did you decide to use PCDart and how long have you been using it on your dairy? I switched to PCDart in November of 2020. I wanted something user-friendly that could interface with Delpro, had remote usage options, was quick and easy to make new reports, and something that I could note long comments in if I needed. What do you like about the PCDart Program? Switching to PC DART for my herd was a no-brainer because of cost savings, ease of use and the wonderful educational component that has gone with it!
Tell us about your farm. Our farm, Little Valley Dairy is a sixth & seventh generation farm. Our children: Nick (23), Katie (22), and Clara (18) all participate in the operation. Nick works full time off the farm, but helps out when he is available, especially with cropping and trucking, as he owns his own semi as well. Katie recently graduated from the U of M, works remotely, and milks cows morning and night. She also works hard with our registered cattle in and out of the show ring. She keeps us on our toes and makes sure things are getting done. Clara is a senior at Plainview-Elgin-Millville, the president of both her 4-H and FFA, is active in several other school organizations and is an Olmsted County Dairy Princess. She feeds, on average, 30 gallons worth of pasteurized milk to bottle calves morning and night. Evenings before calf feeding you can Ànd her helping in the barn or parlor. We have a fairly diversiÀed operation consisting of the dairy, nearly 1,000 acres of crops and our custom forage harvesting operation. Our heifers are raised Donny & Holly Thompson at our grower (Mark and David Lehnertz) Little Valley Dairy from around 9 months of age until three to Àve months prior to calving. 190 cows • Plainview, MN
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WHO WILL YOU FIND IN OUR
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KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
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Nate and Shannon Kuball stand in their heifer barn they recently expanded on their 240-cow dairy near Waterville, Minnesota. The Kuballs work with a Minnesota Dairy IniƟaƟves team to get input on projects like this among other recommendaƟons.
MDI team is sounding board for Kuballs’ big picture ideas By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
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WATERVILLE, Minn. – Nate Kuball has always had a lot of ideas of how to move forward with his family’s dairy farm. “Nate’s always a big picture person, and in his mind, he has what he’s planning next on the dairy,” said Shannon Kuball, Nate’s wife. “He just didn’t always have a spot to verbalize it though.” That was until the Kuballs started working with the Minnesota Dairy Initiative. Their MDI team has now become a sounding board about protability and success for many of the projects the family has completed along with future goals of their dairy where they milk 240 cows near Waterville. “It gets everyone who’s involved on the farm on the same page and to throw out ideas,” Nate said about MDI. The Kuballs started working with their MDI team when they were starting the transition process for the farm. Nate returned to the dairy after college in 1998 – the same year he and Shannon were married – and worked as an employee until he and Shannon created a partnership with his parents, Bob and Deb, in 2003. “When working with my dad, I had ideas and he did too, but we didn’t talk much about it,” Nate said about his dad who passed away in 2016. About 15 years ago, their farm business
management instructor encouraged them to look into MDI as the family started talks of transitioning the farm. “MDI meetings helped us put everything on the table,” Nate said. “I don’t know if we would have done that very well without MDI. We never really had family meetings. This got us started.” Shannon agreed. “We were able to say what our goals were, what we individually wanted and what that looked like for the farm,” she said. Three or four times a year, their team gathers around the Kuballs’ kitchen table and gives feedback on the direction of the farm. Since the beginning, the Kuballs’ team has consisted of their FBM instructor, banker, veterinarian, two nutritionists and breeding specialist. The Kuballs like to make their meetings comfortable for everyone. “We like to share a meal together after the meeting,” Shannon said. “That’s the social part of it. It makes it feel more like we’re a team.” The team has also become good friends. While a few knew each other outside of the MDI team, they have all gotten to know each other better for the past several years. “The team genuinely likes each other,” Nate said. “We all give each other a hard time and joke around. Our MDI coordinator makes comments that our group has a lot of fun.” Meetings are conducted during the team members’ free time. “It seems like everyone looks forward to coming even though it’s not on paid time,” Nate said. “They take time out of their schedules to do this. When our vet is doing herd check, I’m paying him per hour, but when he’s sitting here, it’s on his own time. But everyone realizes the farm being successful pays their bills too.” No team member is left out of any meetings. “I really nd it valuable having (our KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Nate Kuball points out the farm’s two-stage manure storage system, which the Kuballs nished construcƟng in December of 2020.
Turn to KUBALLS | Page 11
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 11
ConƟnued from KUBALLS | Page
banker) here even though he usually doesn’t have a lot of input,” Nate said. “He’s able to get a good handle on what we have going on. They can tell, without me having to explain it as much, what’s going on with the dairy and see how successful we are nancially.” It is also helpful when the Kuballs are planning a project. The banker can hear feedback and recommendations from all team members. Over the years, the Kuballs have gathered recommendations and feedback from their team about many projects, both small and large. Along with constantly working through
their farm transition plan, the Kuballs built a dry cow barn in 2015 and started breeding more animals to beef in 2019. “We talked with the team about how many replacement animals we actually needed and which animals we might try to breed to Angus,” Shannon said. “Things like that aren’t huge projects, but they do change the way you operate.” In December 2020, they completed their largest project yet. The Kuballs switched to sand bedding, put a ume system in the freestall barn that houses milking cows, added additional manure storage and built a 40-foot by 120-foot
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
This dry cow barn was added to the farm in 2015 and involved input from the Kuballs’ Minnesota Dairy IniƟaƟves team.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Cows rest on sand bedding in the freestall barn on the Kuballs’ farm near Waterville, Minnesota. The Kuballs switched to sand bedding during their most recent farm project.
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addition on their heifer barn. The 1.7 million-gallon concrete lined lagoon they added is the rst pit in a two-stage system. It collects all waste and is where the sand settles. Liquid then ows into the Kuballs’ old 1.2 million-gallon pit, which is stage two of the system. “It was probably a ve- to six-year process from when I started to think about it until we nished it,” Nate said. He has other big picture ideas for the farm including adding another freestall barn and a few robotic milkers to
replace the parlor. “We’re waiting to see where the next generation is going to be at before we make that investment,” Nate said. The Kuballs have three children – Kelsey, 19, Emma, 17, and Keegan, 14. “We want them to love agriculture, but we don’t have an expectation that they have to take on this role,” Shannon said. “We want them to go wherever their passions and gifts lead them.” Doing these projects on the farm helps the Kuballs
achieve their overall farming philosophy. “This is a job and occupation, but we also feel like we are stewarding things we were given – the land and the animals,” Shannon said. “It’s not all just about making money. It’s about being responsible with all those things.” But the information gathered and camaraderie from their team has served the Kuballs well to bring the big picture of their dairy to life.
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
No two animals are the same PDPW panel discusses ideal cows of the future By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – No two dairy farmers have the same criteria for the perfect dairy cow. The idea of what might make the perfect cow of the future was the topic of discussion during the breakout session, “My Perfect Cow,” that took place at the Professional Dairy Producers Annual Business Conference March 17 in Wisconsin Dells. The discussion was moderated by Sauk City dairy farmer Mitch Breunig and included Steve Berland, cofounder of GenElite LLC, and Jon Schefers, with PEAK Genetics, as well as Dr. Juan Tricarico, of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, who appeared virtually. “There are many different perfect cows,” said Tricarico, referring to the session’s name. “There are probably as many perfect cows as there are business models. And, there are probably as many business models as there are dairy farms. The perfect cow
potential in the Holstein cow compared to the Jersey. The Holstein cow isn’t even at the apex of where she can be.” Additionally, Schefers looks for his perfect cow to be a healthy animal that is an efcient converter of feed. He also looks for those cows to grow more rapidly, being ready to enter the milking population earlier in life. In 20 years, Schefers thinks the average Holstein herd will carry a 4.1% butterfat and 3.3% protein average with over 28,000 pounds of milk compared to 2019 averages of 3.8% DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR butterfat and 3.1% protein Jon Schefers (le�) and Steve Berland discusses the differences and similari�es in what dairy with over 25,500 pounds of producers might consider the perfect cow, and what she might look like in the future during a milk. He believes genomics will help expedite the seminar March 17 at the Professional Dairy Producers’ annual business conference. progress for both production and components as well as for is very subjective. Everybody is one of the components that that produces a lot of milk so health and longevity. will have a particular has contributed historically to that the same amount of milk “I get really passionate perspective on that, but there the U.S. milk yield increase is produced from a smaller about production because that are some commonalities.” and also to the improvement overall population. is what drives efciency,” Tricarico emphasized of natural resources and the “My perfect cow of the Schefers said. “We’re making the importance of genetic reductions in environmental future is high production with a lot of progress, particularly selection and the role it plays impacts. Another benet high components,” Schefers in the United States dairy is that the effects and said. “I have a dream that the due to genomics, but we industry as dairy farmers gains are cumulative. The Holstein cow of the future still have a lot of work to have been breeding with improvements we make today has a 5% fat test with a 3.5% do, especially in terms of specic selection in mind to may not have an immediate protein; she will have the fertility.” Berland echoed the create the next generation of impact but will build on each components of a Jersey. When sentiments of both Tricarico dairy animals. other and have impact as time we look at all of the snips in “Characteristics that goes by.” the Holstein population and and Schefers. He said Turn to we desire become more Schefers said he views all the genetic markers in the prevalent,” Tricarico said. “It efciency as being a cow Jersey, there is actually more PERFECT COW | Page 13
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Con�nued from PERFECT COW | Page 12
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Gene�c selec�on allows for dairy farmers to strive to create gene�c improvement, leading to a more efficient, produc�ve and environmentally friendly cow.
despite the differences in everyone’s idea of their perfect cow, certain commonalities keep breeders headed in the same general direction. “If you think about your own herd, your perfect cow would be your highest producing cow, which can be dened as whatever cow produces the most dollar value of product given your milk market,” Berland said. “Add to that, she is at least 6 years of age, has never been in the sick pen,
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has never been on a cull list, and she has never been sworn at by you or your employees. You maybe have a cow like that in mind. If everyone came here with a picture of that cow from their herd, none of those cows would look exactly alike.” Berland expanded on those ideas, saying those cows produce a quality product that keeps dairy farmers in business. The cows that last in herds are the ones who have sound
functional type with good mobility and sound udders. They are the healthy cows that are reproductively sound and have good dispositions, making them easy to work with. He said all of these things are dependent on both genetics and management. “We need to let the cow tell us what she needs to be a perfect a cow,” Berland said. Berland said in recent years more emphasis is being placed on health traits, globally, becoming equal to the emphasis placed on production in most countries. “It takes a substantial amount of work to develop and work toward these new targets and genetic traits,” Tricarico said. “Selecting for complex traits, such as the new feed saved trait, requires a lot of talent, research, data, technology and communication for it to be successfully developed and applied.” Tricarico said not only does the cow of the future need to t productivity ideals but also meet the ideals of consumers as well, such as selecting for cows that naturally produce less methane gas as part of their digestive process. “There is a need to increase the focus on traits valued by processors, marketers and consumers,” Tricarico said. “We certainly can’t ignore farm-level protability; however, our customers are asking for new attributes in the milk they buy. We need to listen and gure out what ones we can respond to.”
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How has alternative energy benefited your dairy farm?
Chad Lubben Edgerton, Minnesota Rock County 350 cows Describe the type of alternative energy you have on your farm. We have an 80 kilowatt solar system on our barn roof. When did you install it? We installed it in 2012. We were looking at renewables and chose solar over wind because the solar panels would be out of sight and out of mind. We were adding onto the barn anyway and had the roof engineered to accommodate the solar panels. How has alternative energy beneted your dairy farm? The three-year payback of the solar panels almost made it a no-brainer. During the cooler months, we use solar power to run our hammer mill. When it’s hot in the summertime, solar power provides the energy we need to run the cooling fans in our loang barns. What are the greatest challenges you have had with your energy system? We were only allowed to have up to 40 kW, so it was a challenge to jump through the hoops that enabled us to install an 80 kW system. We were able to do this because we have separate meters for the house and the barn. At one time, we had the largest private solar installation in Minnesota. Describe the maintenance of your alternative energy system. We have had zero maintenance issues. Some years ago, we had a devastating hailstorm that totally wiped out our crops. All of our buildings needed new steel, but the solar panels were just ne. What advice would you give to other farmers who are thinking about putting in an alternative energy source? Government grants made our system affordable. Make sure you look into all the programs available to you. The grants reduced the payback time from 10 years to three years. Describe your experience working with your energy company and electrician in installing and maintaining your energy source. In the beginning, we had problems being able to use the entire 80 kW system. We worked with our electric cooperative to clear those hurdles. Other than that, we have had no issues with our solar power system. Tell us about your farm. I farm with my parents, Cal and Char. My wife, Morgan, and I have a 2-yearold daughter and are expecting our second child in May. Morgan was a Princess Kay nalist in 2015. We use genomic testing on all of our animals. We think a dairy herd that is more efcient is better than going to a larger herd. Dad and I nish out 10,000 hogs per year. Last spring, when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many slaughterhouses, we ended up with some hogs that did not have any place to go. CNN came out to our farm and interviewed me about the situation. They did a really good job. When my segment aired, we began to get phone calls from people who wanted to buy hogs. We sent hogs all over the nation, from Vermont to Washington.
Tom Gavin Lansing, Iowa Allamakee County 450 cows Describe the type of alternative energy you have on your farm. We installed a 40 kilowatt solar panel eld on the roof of one of our freestall barns. When did you install it? We installed it the summer of 2017. We felt it was time to look at alternate energy sources. We felt solar would be most cost efcient for our farm and take up the least amount of space. How has alternative energy beneted your dairy farm? Our solar eld produces about onequarter of the energy consumed by our dairy. Someday we would like to add additional panels, but with current laws and regulations, a 40 kW system is as big as someone can build and still put energy back on the grid and get paid for it. Most days in winter, spring and fall when fans are not running in the middle of the day, our power goes back on grid; we consume the most electricity in the morning and evening. What are the greatest challenges you have had with your energy system? Snow in the wintertime. When there is snow on them, they don’t produce. Being they are on our barn roof, it is too dangerous to attempt to remove the snow, so they don’t produce until the snow melts. Describe the maintenance of your alternative energy system. There is very little maintenance. Once a year we try to clean the panels off with soap and water to make sure they stay clean and producing at 100%. What advice would you give to other farmers who are thinking about putting in an alternative energy source? Look at your options. If you’re going to do solar, make sure you get good sun. Our original plan was to put the solar eld on a barn closer to our power service to save money on running wires. Luckily, we noticed it before it was too late, but two silos were blocking the summer sun after 5 p.m. every day. That would have been nearly four less hours of power produced in the long summer days. Describe your experience working with your energy company and electrician in installing and maintaining your energy source. Our energy company has been great to work with. They helped point us in the right direction when we started this project. Our installer did a great job installing and has been great to work with. Tell us about your farm. Together with my dad, Pat, and uncle, Mike, we operate Gav-N-View Farms. Our farm has been in our family for nearly 150 years. My kids will be the sixth generation of dairy producers. We raise our own crops to feed the dairy and raise our replacement heifers. We also nish nearly 1,000 Angus cattle yearly.
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Nathan and B r i d g e t Gibbs Rollingstone, Minnesota W i n o n a County 200 cows Describe the type of alternative energy you have on your farm. We have 40 kilowatt solar panels mounted on our heifer shed. It has 166 solar panels with a micro inverter on each one. When did you install it? We installed them in the spring of 2012. We were looking at ways to reduce our electricity costs. How has alternative energy beneted your dairy farm? It has reduced our energy bill by 40%. Payback when we installed our system was four years due to the incentives available then. What are the greatest challenges you have had with your energy system? When we were looking into installing a solar array in 2011, our greatest challenge was nding a company locally to do it. Describe the maintenance of your alternative energy system. We get monthly energy reports by email. If there is a problem with array, an email will be sent to us. We have had three inverters quit working out of 166. The system simply produces electricity out of sight on top of the roof. What advice would you give to other farmers who are thinking about putting in an alternative energy source? Talk to people who have a similar system you are looking at. There are grants and tax credits available to help offset the cost of the system. Describe your experience working with your energy company and electrician in installing and maintaining your energy source. We chose to go with Winona Renewable Energy. They were helpful and provided the electrician. If something needs to be replaced, they are easy to get a hold of. Tell us about your farm. We milk 175 cows in a double-8 parallel parlor. Cows are housed in a 4-row freestall barn. Stalls have waterbeds and are bedded with sawdust. We crop 500 acres of hay, corn and soybeans.
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Doug and Jane Popp, pictured with children, Emily and Nicholas Royalton, Minnesota Benton County 42 cows Describe the type of alternative energy you have on your farm. We have one 20 Kilowatts Jacobs wind turbine made in Prior Lake and went online Dec. 7, 2006. It sits on a 140-foot tower. We also have a 10 kW solar system which is manually tilted to the sun every season. We put that up in August 2012. It sits not far from the turbine. Our systems are on a hill where it is extremely windy. We saw that as another cash crop sitting in the sky and decided to capitalize on it. We are doing our part for environment in a small way. How has alternative energy beneted your dairy farm? There is a savings of 30-40% on the electrical bill, depending on the year. The last couple of days have been windy and the turbine has done very well. Many people ask which system is better. The solar system out performs the turbine as far as kilowatts. It yields more year in and out. But we love them both. They are both trouble free. What are the greatest challenges you have had with your energy system? Initially for the turbine, we had to go get a conditional use permit. It was a concern that we would be doing damage to the birds and surrounding environment. We also did a study to make sure it would be productive and something we should invest in it. Dancing through those hoops and applying for the grants was a lot of work, just like getting any other project started. The grants paid for about two-thirds of the projects. Describe the maintenance of your alternative energy system. The wind turbine is oiled and greased once a year by Joe Straley of Avon. You make the phone call and get on his list. He will come when there is no chance for a storm and on a wind-free day. He’s been a very good guy to work with. There is little maintenance on solar panels. When we get a freezing rain event, usually that rst snowfall of the year, then it will freeze on solar panels and acts like insulation. After the storm passes, I’ll go out with a broom and brush off the snow and the rest melts away. Everything is really trouble free. What advice would you give to other farmers who are thinking about putting in an alternative energy source? Do your research and go to a farm. We went to a farm that had the wind turbine. We never did research online. If you are interested in something, talk to someone who has it and get their opinions to know what might work and might not work for you. It is just like starting a business or planning a trip. You have to talk to people. Describe your experience working with your energy company and electrician in installing and maintaining your energy source. At the time we installed the wind turbine, we had to make sure we had liability insurance for if a lineman was working and something happened. That was no big deal because we carry liability insurance anyways. We work with Minnesota Power. The guy we worked with was down to earth and really helpful. With solar, we had to nd a solar-approved electrician. All the people we have worked with were fantastic and have become like friends of the family. Tell us about your farm. We have two kids. Emily, 20, attends the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and is majoring in agriculture communications and marketing with a minor in business. Nicholas, 16, is a junior in Little Falls High School. Doug’s parents bought this farm in 1975, and Jane and I took over in 1993 when we got married. We own 240 acres and rent 60 acres. Of that 240, there is about 90 acres in pasture with a creek that runs through it. We grow corn, soybeans and alfalfa. The kids sell sweet corn, pumpkins and gourds in a roadside stand. We work very hard together as a family and have fun together.
Dave Allen Oshkosh, Wis. Winnebago County 125-130 cows Describe the type of alternative energy you have on your farm. We have an anaerobic biodigester on our farm that is owned and operated by the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. We’re not a big farm, and this was the rst small-scale biogas system in Wisconsin. It uses scaled technology involving wet digestion and a 64kW engine that uses plug ow system technology. We supply all the solids, sending all the manure from our animals through the digester. The university has a contract with Wisconsin Public Service, and all the electricity goes on the grid. We get the leftover heat for our shop and our house. When did you install it and why? The digester was installed in 2012. We had a connection with the university because they were using some of our bedding pack for their dry digester. They asked if we were interested in this project, and after a little bit of research, I said let’s give it a try. The digester is a win-win-win. It takes methane out of the manure, makes electricity, provides heat for our house and shop, and when it’s all done, leaves us with outstanding fertilizer. How has alternative energy beneted your dairy farm? The digester offers better manure management and odor reduction. Our shop and our home are heated exclusively by the digester, and there’s still leftover heat. The other byproduct we get is great fertilizer. The manure is broken down and digested and readily available – it seems to hook to the soil really well. What are the greatest challenges you have had with your energy system? The greatest challenge was getting it started. It was a prototype when we put it in – there were none like it in North or South America, and there were not a lot of experts in the eld. It took 2 years before it was running at a steady rate, and now it operates really well. It’s been an educational tool for UW-Oshkosh and its students, and they’ve learned how to run it really efciently. There are several students that help manage the system, and it’s been a good experience for them to learn about digesters. Describe the maintenance of your alternative energy system. Many components of the system are maintained and watched continually. The university does daily checks, and every piece of equipment has a maintenance schedule – from valves, pumps, the combined heat and power unit, etc. They maintain and provide 24/7/365 digester operations to ensure things are running properly and safely. What advice would you give to other farmers who are thinking about putting in an alternative energy source? You’ll need somebody who knows the system and knows how to run it. It requires regular maintenance and has parts that wear. You need to be able to understand the system. It’s great from a green energy standpoint because you’re taking manure and making something out of it. When all is said and done, you still have manure you can use as fertilizer. Describe your experience working with your energy company and electrician in installing and maintaining your energy source. It’s not like it came with an electrician, and anything mechanical can have a problem at any time. But the people at UW-Oshkosh have been very good to work with. They keep getting better and better at dealing with all the technical aspects. The digester is German-engineered and probably has more bells and whistles than it really needs. It’s a very precise system. Tell us about your farm. I farm with my two sons, Cody and Rush. We milk between 125 and 130 cows with two robots that were installed in 2015. Robots were a great decision for us. We also farm 700 acres and keep all of our bull calves, raising them as steers to market weight. We sell milk, beef, corn, beans, and wheat, and it’s all working well for us. Life is good. MIDWEST ALKOTA
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Dennis Haubenschild Princeton, Minnesota Isanti County 1,500 cows Describe the type of alternative energy you have on your farm. We have an anaerobic digester that captures methane. When did you install it and why? We started using it in 1999. I have been PHOTO COURTESY PRINCETON studying this alternative UNIONͳTIMES energy source since the early 1970s. I call it a history class gone wild. I found out digesters were used in World War II, and it fascinated me. I wanted to know more about them. After learning more, I then realized agriculture could be supplying energy along with food. My wife, Marsha, and I went across the country in the 1970s to look at all the digesters that failed to learn why. From all this information, I designed the digestor for our farm. I kept it simple. It is a pre-World War II design. At the time, it cost about $300,000 to build. How has alternative energy benetted your dairy farm? It puts out about 120 kilowatts per hour and runs about 98% of the time. It was up to this capacity by the summer of 2000 and it started paying back in about seven years. It has eliminated about 90% of the odor from manure and the manure that goes through the digester has a higher pH level, which makes is more available on the elds. This has made all inputs – chemicals, commercial fertilizers, etc. – work better, and we have been able to cut down the use of them by 20%. We use the solids that are separated as bedding for the cows. Because of its higher pH, there is less bacteria in the separated manure solids than sawdust. What are the greatest challenges you have had with your energy system? Getting the permits at the beginning was a challenge because there were not many, if any, other digesters in Minnesota at the time. Another challenge is needing to take care of it. It needs to be treated like a baby calf. Most people who failed, built it, turned on the switch and expected it to go. It needs to be tended to and gured out the rst year. Funding right now is also a challenge. Our digester was built for 800 cows. We looked into building another one last year, but the cost would be over $4 million. That is not cost effective. Describe the maintenance of your alternative energy system. We shut it down once a month to do regular maintenance – change oil, switch lters, etc. It is the same type of maintenance as on any internal combustion engine. What advice would you give to other farmers who are thinking about putting in an alternative energy source? Don’t ask for net metering. That’s why companies and energy cooperatives shy away from people putting in alternative energy sources. It’s giving away money. If you have an alternative energy system, treat it like a baby calf. Be consistent and work with it, especially the rst year. Describe your experience working with your energy company and electrician in installing and maintaining your energy source. East Central Energy has bent over backwards for us to make this work. All our electricity is sold to our power company. Then we buy all our electrical needs back. I think that is the simplest way. I am against net metering because I do not want to be subsidized for my energy. Tell us about your farm. Marsha and I farm together with our two sons, Tom and Bryan. My dad bought this farm in 1952 and had two cows. Our soil is very sandy and my dad wasn’t used to it. He had to learn how to work the ground and use manure correctly to grow a good crop. He used no till before it was widely used and was very particular in where manure was spread. I remember growing up, that part of farming was stressful at times, but that stuck with me. I joined the partnership in the mid 1970s, milking 80 cows. Bryan and Tom joined the farm in the 1990s and we increased to 400 cows and then 800 cows. In recent years, we made another expansion to our current herd size. Expansion has all been to keep the family together on the farm. ATTENTION:
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
Breeding Focus
Rademacher-Meier Dairy breeds for functional cows Alan and Fran Rademacher, Stuart and Heidi Meier Rademacher-Meier Dairy Sun Prairie, Wisconsin 250 cows Describe your facilities and list your breeding management team. Cows are housed in sand-bedded free stalls in 6-row barns. We have a lactating barn with separate pens for 2-year-olds and mature cows with access to outdoor feeding. In 2016, we built a transition barn
for dry and post-fresh cows. We shoot for a dry period of 45 days. Both barns have sprinklers, which we started using in 2012. Sprinklers help with conception. We used to see a huge dropoff from July through September, but when we put sprinklers in, it made a big difference immediately. Cows are milked twice a day in a double-12 parallel parlor. Heifers are housed on bedded packs from weaning to 1 year of age. They are then transferred to sand-bedded free
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The breeding management team at Rademacher-Meier Dairy includes – (from leŌ) Brian Kelroy, Dan Davis, Fran Rademacher, Heidi and Stuart Meier and their children, Kayla and Kellen, Alan Rademacher, Dr. Kent Pohlman and Mohammed Touir. The Rademacher and Meier families have maintained a 35% pregnancy rate for the last 12 months on their 250-cow dairy near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Cows at Rademacher-Meier Dairy are housed in sand-bedded free stalls. As part of their reproducƟon program, the farm does daily tail chalking in addiƟon to a regular ovsynch program.
stalls from 1 year old to fresh. The breeding management team includes the four owners, our veterinarian, nutritionist and A.I. technician. What is your reproduction program? Do you use a
synchronization program? natural heat is not detected, we How do you get animals give Lutalyse shots. We also do pregnant? We have a 63- daily tail chalking of cows and day voluntary waiting period heifers. for cows and use a regular ovcynch program with a double Lutalyse. Heifers are mostly bred to natural heat. If a Turn to RADEMACHER-MEIER | Page 20
FARM INFORMATION STATION Joe Gill • Farm Director
SERVING CENTRAL MINNESOTA FOR OVER 50 YEARS Catch the Dairy Star’s Mark Klaphake with Joe Gill at 6:45 a.m. the 2nd & 4th Fridays of the month on KASM!
PO Box 160, Albany, MN • (320) 845-2184 • Fax (320) 845-2187
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505 West Main Street Marshall, MN 56258
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Both research and practical on-farm application demonstrate the consistent results producers see when feeding ANION BOOSTER™ and GLUCOSE BOOSTER™ in the pre-fresh and the early fresh cows. The Stuhr Transition- Nutrition Solution is proven at the University and on the dairy to provide a palatable source of anions and an effective source of glucose precursors to help prevent Hypocalcemia and Ketosis.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 19
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Preparing for transition to milking is important in any system and critical for voluntary milking. Changes in udder and teat VKDSH DQG VL]H GXULQJ WKH À UVW WZR ZHHNV DIWHU FDOYLQJ FDQ DIIHFW XQLW DWWDFKPHQW WLPH Á RZ UDWH PLONLQJ HIÀ FLHQF\ completeness and interval. The NEW Udder ComfortTM Battery-operated Backpack Sprayer makes this ‘robot-ready’ routine possible: 7 to 14 pre- and/or post-fresh Udder Comfort DSSOLFDWLRQV WR WKH ERWWRP RI WKH XGGHU DQG XS D IHZ LQFKHV “When you’ve got the data, it’s easy to see little things add up to make the big picture better. I can’t believe anyone’s not doing this. We do it GDLO\ LQ WKH FORVHXS SHQ D ZHHN EHIRUH FDOYLQJ WR SUHSDUH FRZV HVSHFLDOO\ \HDU ROGV µ VD\V -RVK /LQJHQ %DODWRQ 0LQQHVRWD ZLWK URERWV PLONLQJ FRZV PDNLQJ OEV energy-corrected milk and SCC of 100,000. “ They come in full of milk, but so soft. Attachments are faster. 7KH\ PLON IDVWHU DQG DGDSW IDVWHU ZLWK IHZHU FKDQJHV WR WKH XGGHU LQ WKH À UVW GD\V UHGXFLQJ IHWFK GD\V E\ RYHU RQ À UVW ODFWDWLRQV 7KDW·V KXJH ´ 'R , VWLOO UXQ LQWR D KLJK FRQGXFWLYLW\ FRZ" <HV EXW QRW QHDU OLNH EHIRUH 7KLV DEVROXWHO\ SD\V µ -RVK H[SODLQV &KDG )UHGG :HVWÀ HOG 1 < DJUHHV +H KDV URERWV PLONLQJ FRZV PDNLQJ RYHU OEV ZLWK 6&& EHORZ
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
ConƟnued from RADEMACHER-MEIER | Page 18
Describe your breeding philosophy. We breed for solid, functional cows that last.
What guidelines do you follow to reach the goals for your breeding program? We believe in overall management of cows – paying attention to cow comfort and close attention to nutritional needs and watching for irregularities in the lactating group. If something is wrong nutritionally, it usually rears its head with lactating cows. Also, a regular hoof trimming program helps. All heifers are trimmed at 60-90 days in milk, and everyone is trimmed at dryoff. We have a trimmer here monthly and have snubbed lameness on the farm. We don’t even have a need to run
a footbath anymore. What are the top traits you look for in breeding your dairy herd and how has this changed since you started farming? Health traits, feet and legs, and udder composition. Fertility gures in as well, but if other things fall in line, fertility tends to follow suit. We push for the best animal we can get and raise them the best way, and we nd that milk production also falls in line. The traits we breed for have not changed a whole lot over the years except perhaps we focus more on health traits now than we did in the past. Whereas before, stature and capacity may have ranked higher than longevity.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The lactaƟng barn contains separate pens for 2-year-olds and mature cows with access to outdoor feeding. This barn and the transiƟon barn both feature sprinkler systems to keep cows cool during the summer – an investment that reaped immediate rewards for concepƟon rates. What are certain traits you try to avoid? Large, typey cows. We don’t want inefcient animals.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The farm’s stanchion barn was converted into sand-bedded freestall housing for heifers. Heifers are bred at 13 months of age.
Describe the ideal cow for your herd. She is middle of the road mature weight and size and is the kind of cow that will give you 5 to 6 years or three-plus lactations. Our ideal cow is a well put together animal that holds up. She is not one that is extreme on any one thing. I don’t need a recordbreaking cow. I’d rather get four to ve lactations out of a good cow than two lactations
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out of a gangbuster cow. What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? Genetics plays a big role in helping us reach our goals. You’re not going to get there if cows are not capable of doing it. Genetics dictate what you’re going to get, and you have to do everything you can to maximize the potential of the genetics you have. As we get daughters out of better bulls, we can be more selective with our culling.
What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? For heifers, 80% are bred to sexed and/or conventional semen. The rst service is sexed semen, and the second and third services are conventional. We usually don’t go past a third breeding. We sort heifers by net merit, and the bottom 20% are bred to beef semen. Cows in their rst and second lactations are bred to conventional semen, while animals in their third lactation Turn to RADEMACHER-MEIER | Page 22
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› Drive the skid steer carefully please. Maneje el montacargas (skid steer) con cuidado por favor. Mah-neh-heh ehl mohn-tah-kahr-gahs (skid steer) kohn kwee-dah-doh pohr-fah-bohr.
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Revise el aceite y la gasolina en el tractor por favor. Rreh-bee-seh ehl ah-sey-the ee lah Gah-soh-lee-nah ehn ehl Trahk-duhr pohr-fah-bohr.
› Wear the seat belt please. Use el cinturón de seguridad por favor. Yus-eh ehl seen-too-rohn deh seh-goo-ree-dahd pohr-fah-bohr.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 21
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Equipment and pictures added daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com 4 7 6 3 4 2 2 10 17 17 6 15 9 5 14 14 3 10 1 15 3 2 1 10 17 7 6 6 8 2 6 15 4 17 6 6 9
DISKS C-IH RMX340 2009, 35’, 3-Section Folding, 9” Spacing, #181151 ......................... $29,400 JD 637 2011, 45’, 5-Section Folding, 9” Spacing, #166177 .................................... $34,900 JD 220 18’, #181622 ................................................................................................$4,900 Wishek 862-NT 2009, 33’, 3-Section Folding, #163465 ....................................... $19,900 FIELD CULTIVATORS JD 1010 24’, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #181016..................................................$3,950 C-IH Tigermate 255 2018, 55’ 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #181416 ................. $94,900 JD 2210 2012, 32’, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #173629 ..................................... $35,900 Sunflower 5035 2016, 24’, 3-Section Folding; C-Shank, #177191....................... $28,900 C-IH 4300 30’, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #181148 ..............................................$8,500 JD 960 26’, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #181586 ....................................................$6,000 JD 2210 2013, 50.5’, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #181334 .................................. $46,900 JD 2210 2013, 50.5’, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #181660 .................................. $47,500 JD 960 1989, 38’, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #180045 ..........................................$4,000 JD 980 1994, 35.5’, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #181327 .......................................$9,500 JD 960 1989, 42’, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #165959 ..........................................$5,900 Elmers 6400 1991, 41’, 3-Section Folding, S-Tine, #178092 ................................ $10,900 JD 980 2004, 37’, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #181236 ....................................... $17,900 INTEGRAL SPRAYERS CENTURY 300 1979, #171243.................................................................................$2,900 Demco RM600 2014, #181336 ............................................................................ $17,900 Marfle 2008, #177651 ............................................................................................$6,900 Fast 973PT 2012, #148479 .................................................................................. $48,500 LARGE SQUARE BALERS JD L330 2016, 7000 Bale Count, #179376 ............................................................ $89,900 C-IH LBX331 2002, 53000 Bale Count, #181560 .................................................. $20,900 MOWER CONDITIONERS NH H7230 2015, #176984 ................................................................................... $22,400 Hesston 1372 2010, #178648 ............................................................................. $17,400 JD 635 2009, #173285.......................................................................................... $14,900 JD 956 2015, #180948.......................................................................................... $35,900 JD 946 2010, #179286.......................................................................................... $18,500 NH H7550 2014, #167351 ................................................................................... $19,900 MULCH FINISHERS JD 724 1990, 20’, 3-Section Folding, #174088 .........................................................$5,900 Sunflower 6331 25’, 3-Section Folding, #174316 ..................................................$4,900 Kuhn Krause 6200-45 2014, 45’, 9” Spacing, #180001$45,900 DRAWN PLANTERS JD 1750 1997, 6 Row, 30”, Rigid, Vacuum, 1.6 Bu. Hopper, #176829 .................... $13,900 JD 1790 2003, 16/32 Row, 15/30” Spacing, Flex Fold, Vacuum, Central Fill System, #181335 ................................................................................. $62,900 JD 7200 1988, 8 Row, 36” Spacing, Wing Fold, Vacuum, 1.6 Bu. Hopper, #180622 ..$8,400 White 6100 1995, 6 Row, 30’ Spacing, Rigid Frame, Plate Metering System, #181144 .............................................................................$7,900 JD 1770 1997, 16 Row, 30” Spacing, Flex Fold, Vacuum, 3.0 Bu. Hopper, #180078$19,500
9 JD 1760NT 2014, 8 Row, 30” Spacing, Wing Fold, Vacuum, 3.0 Bu. Hopper, #181228....................................................................................... $37,500 16 JD DB66 2017, 36 Row, 22” Spacing, Wing Fold, Exact Emerge, Central Fill System, Row Command, Elect. Drive, #175194................................................................. $349,500 5 JD DB44 2013, 24 Row, 22” Spacing, Flex Fold, Vacuum, Central Fill System, Row Command, #179347 .................................................................................... $159,900 5 JD 1775NT 2021, 16 Row, 30” Spacing, Flex Fold, Exact Emerge, Central Fill System, Row Command, Elect. Drive, #174940 .................................. $199,500 5 JD DB66 2013, 36 Row, 22” Spacing, Flex Fold, Vacuum, Central Fill System, Row Command, #181324 ..................................................... $219,500 11 JD 1770 1997, 16 Row, 30” Spacing, Flex Fold, Vacuum, 1.6 Bu. Hopper, #181280....................................................................................... $22,400 8 JD 1770NT 2013, 16 Row, 30” Spacing, Flex Fold, Vacuum, 3.0 Bu. Hopper, Row Command, #177779 ...................................................................................... $75,900 14 Wil-Rich PT2200 2005, 24 Row, 22” Spacing, Wing Fold, Vacuum, 3.0 Bu. Hopper, #177551....................................................................................... $33,900 INTEGRAL PLANTERS 6 JD 1720 2006, 16 Row, 30” Spacing, Wing Fold, Vacuum, 3.0 Bu. Hopper, #181587....................................................................................... $24,400 15 JD 1710 24 Row, 22’ Spacing, Wing Fold, Vacuum, 3.0 Bu. Hopper, #168140........ $14,900 5 JD 7300 1989, 12 Row, 30” Spacing, Wing Fold, Vacuum, 1.6 Bu. Hopper, #180958..........................................................................................$9,000 3 JD 7300 1992, 12 Row, 30” Spacing, Wing Fold, Vacuum, 1.6 Bu. Hopper, #175563..........................................................................................$9,900 3 JD 7300 2003, 22” Spacing, Wing Fold, Vacuum, 1.6 Bu. Hopper, #181589........... $15,000 PULL-TYPE SPRAYERS 4 Hardi NP1100 2003, #180960................................................................................$8,500 10 Hardi NAVIGATOR 1000 2007, #169543 ............................................................. $11,900 17 Top Air TA1200 2005, #180618 ........................................................................... $12,500 1 Hardi NAV550 2005, #179504................................................................................$9,500 16 Hardi Navigator 4000 #180889 ......................................................................... $15,000 5 Hardi Commander Plus 1200 2002 #181150.................................................... $17,500 14 Redball 132’ walking tandems #176938 ......................................................... $12,900 3 Top Air TA2400 2011, #179435 ........................................................................... $44,900 3 Hardi Navigator 4000 2013, #179001 ............................................................... $24,000 3 Hardi Commander 1500 gallon, 2005, #181238 ................................................ $19,500 ROUND BALERS 4 JD 459 2014, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrap, 540 PTO, 4’ Bale, 3600 Bale Count, #177752 ........................................................................ $29,400 4 JD 560M 2019, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrap, 1000 PTO, 5’ Bale, 2100 Bale Count, #179000 ........................................................................ $45,500 2 NH BR7060 2011, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrap, 540 PTO, 4’ Bale, Precut Knives, 7300 Bale Count, #169262 ............................................................. $23,900 2 NH 664 1998, Pickup: Regular; Wrapping: Twine Only; 540 PTO, 5’ Bale, #171161.......................................................................................................$3,950
2 JD 569 2012, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrap, 1000 PTO, 5’ Bale, 3300 Bale Count, #173254 ........................................................................ $38,400 10 JD 569 Silage Special 2015, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrap, 540 PTO, 5’ Bale, 3300 Bale Count, #178210.......................................................... $41,500 10 JD 560M 2018, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrap, 1000 PTO, 5’ Bale, 7600 Bale Count, #181057 .................................................................................... $41,500 10 JD 854 Silage Special 2013, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrap, 1000 PTO, 5’ Bale, Precut Knives, 6000 Bale Count, #181465 ................................. $27,900 10 JD 569 2016, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrap, 1000 PTO, 5’ Bale, 9800 Bale Count, #181002 .................................................................................... $31,400 17 JD 569 2014, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrap, 1000 PTO, 5’ Bale, 15560 Bale Count, #179194 .................................................................................. $25,900 6 JD 460M 2018, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrap, 1000 PTO, 4’ Bale, Precut Knives, 6400 Bale Count, #164359 ................................................. $43,900 6 JD 560M 2019, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrap, 1000 PTO, 5’ Bale, 7200 Bale Count, #179188 ........................................................................ $42,400 6 Claas 480RC 2017, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrap, 540 PTO, 4’ Bale, Precut Knives, 5165 Bale Count, #179187 ................................................. $31,500 6 JD 459 Silage Special 2017, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrap, 4’ Bale, 3800 Bale Count, #177855 ........................................................................ $35,900 6 JD 569 Silage Special 2013, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrap, 1000 PTO, 5’ Bale, 9540 Bale Count, #177861 ........................................................................ $29,400 6 NH Rollbelt 460 2015, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrap, 540 PTO, 4’ Bale, 9000 Bale Count, #178946.......................................................... $20,900 6 JD 569 2016, Mega Wide Pickup, Surface Wrap, 1000 PTO, 5’ Bale, 5085 Bale Count, #180947 .................................................................................... $42,400 6 JD 567 2002, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine Only, 540 PTO, 5’ Bale, 8312 Bale Count, #179041 .................................................................................... $11,900 6 JD 566 1998, Regular Pickup, 540 PTO, 5’ Bale, 14000 Bale Count, #181621............$9,400 12 JD 469 2015, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine Only, 540 PTO, 4’ Bale, 8060 Bale Count, #175511 .................................................................................... $23,900 5 JD 569 2013, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrap, 1000 PTO, 5’ Bale, 18000 Bale Count, #172972 ...................................................................... $30,900 5 JD 568 2008, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine & Surface Wrap, 1000 PTO, 5’ Bale, 13500 Bale Count, #176786 ...................................................................... $21,900 11 NH BR780 2003, Regular Pickup, Twine Only, 540 PTO, 5’ Bale, #169873.......................................................................................................$6,900 11 JD 468 Silage Special 2011, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine Only, 540 PTO, 4’ Bale, 15000 Bale Count, #180946........................................................ $16,900 11 JD 468 Silage Special 2008, Mega Wide Pickup, Twine Only, 540 PTO, 4’ Bale, 12000 Bale Count, #181574........................................................ $15,900 3 Vermeer 605F 1980, Regular Pickup, Twine Only, 1000 PTO, 5’ Bale, #168368.......................................................................................................$2,400 WINDROWERS 8 JD W260 2019, Platform Size: 16, Rubber/Urethane Conditioner, 175 hrs., #175592 ........................................................................... $174,900
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Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
ConƟnued from RADEMACHER-MEIER | Page 20
Start planning for tomorrow, today. 0
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STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
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Cows in their third lactaƟon or higher and 20% of the farm’s heifers are bred to beef semen at Rademacher-Meier Dairy. The family likes the Angus calf’s aggressive eaƟng habits and overall healthiness. and above are bred to beef. If cows get past 145 days in milk, we start to evaluate whether or not to put any more effort into them. We’ll give heavy producers another round of ovsynch and start a CIDR. We stop working with poor producers who are not pregnant after two services and have reached 145-160 days in milk. About 43% of the herd are rst-calf heifers, 30% are second lactation, and 27% are third lactation and higher. What is your conception rate? How does this differ with different types of semen? We have maintained a 35% pregnancy rate for the last 12 months. Our services per conception rate is 1.6. Pregnancy rates are broken down as follows: 65% for conventional, 25% for beef and 10% for sexed.
SCAN ME
What is the age of your heifers at rst service? Thirteen months.
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How does your heifer inventory affect your breeding program? We make adjustments to maintain a certain level of inventory. If our pregnancy rates are high and we’re going to be ooded with heifers, we’ll ramp up the percentage of animals bred to beef. If pregnancy rates are low and inventory is going down, we’ll back off breeding to beef and ramp up conventional and/ or sorted semen in both cows and heifers. It’s easier to uctuate our breeding program with heifers than it is with cows. We’ve been impressed with the Angus calves. They are aggressive eaters. They take off and never stop. They handle the weaning/transition phase much better than our Holsteins, and they’re always healthy. They’re just a good, solid animal.
Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Watertown, SD 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD 800-284-0015
Tell us about your farm. Alan’s parents bought this farm in 1956. Heidi started in partnership with her parents, Alan and Fran, in 2006. In 2011, Stuart also joined the partnership. We milk 250 cows and nish our beef calves. We farm 900 acres of corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa, and some sorghum sudangrass, and do the majority of the eld work ourselves.
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 Dairy Systems, Inc. West Union, IA 563-422-5355 WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713
DeLaval Dairy Service Kaukauna, WI 866-335-2825 Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0267 Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579 The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470
What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? From the day a calf hits the ground until she leaves the farm, everything you do makes a difference – it all adds up. If you neglect something, cows tell you where you are lacking. The same is true for milk production.
MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA D&D Ag Supply Pennock, MN 320-599-4466
S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288 Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 23
Giving kids a shot Mehrkens balances dairy farming, coaching trapshooting By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ZUMBROTA, Minn. – When it comes to coaching, Kyle Mehrkens likes to give all kids a shot. “When the kids are out here for the trapshooting team, they’re involved and they like it,” Mehrkens said. “They’re not on the bench. I’ve had kids in softball and basketball, and they ride the bench. It’s defeating to a kid. Here they don’t have that. They all get to play.” Mehrkens is starting his sixth year as a coach for the Zumbrota-Mazeppa trapshooting team. He ts this role in while also farming with his family, milking 160 cows on their dairy near Mazeppa. Every week, Mehrkens has an afternoon and evening off from the farm. He has arranged for Wednesdays to be his weekly vacation in order to coincide with trapshooting practice; however, he does not get much downtime. “Wednesdays are a long day,” he said. After morning chores nish around 10, Mehrkens prepares for practice to start at noon at the Zumbro Valley Rie Club in Zumbrota. There, he meets head coach Sam Michels to help the 50 team members in rotating shifts get through their rounds. The practice lasts until 7:30 p.m. or later.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Kyle Mehrkens (third from right), a coach for the Zumbrota-Mazeppa trapshooƟng team, stands with fellow coach, Sam Michels (third from leŌ) along with team members (from leŌ) Alex Gerdes, Erin Ganrud, Cooper Staab, Tanner Finsten and Joe Hadler, at the Zumbro Valley Rie Club in Zumbrota, Minnesota. Mehrkens milks 160 cows with his family near Mazeppa, Minnesota. “With 50 kids, we have to run three squads an hour or more,” Mehrkens said. A group of ve team members can shoot at a time. Each of them takes a position at a station, taking turns to shout “pull” into the voice activated
microphone which deploys the clay pigeon they try to shoot. They shoot ve times at each of the ve stations, resulting in 25 shots per round. Team members each get to shoot two rounds, for a total of 50 shots per week. “They’re shooting against
themselves every week,” Michels said. “It’s like bowling. You try to get better each time. Some of them take it really seriously and some of them are out Turn to MEHRKENS | Page 25
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 25
ConƟnued from MEHRKENS | Page 23 here just for fun. If they get a good score, they’re happy, and if it’s not so good, they’re still happy.” Team members include those in seventh grade up to seniors. Mehrkens and Michels said as team members get older and better, they like to stick together. “A lot of the shooters like to be with someone who is as good as they are and has done it enough so when they go down the line it’s just, ‘Pull, pull, pull,’” Michels said. “As soon as there’s a bang, there’s another, ‘Pull.’ They like to get a rhythm.” During practices, Mehrkens and Michels record scores, and assist or give pointers to any team members who need help. “We try not to over coach them,” Michels said. “It’s one of those things where we’ll get them the basics – stance and mounting the shot gun. After that, we kind of let them feel their way through it, but if we see something, we’ll suggest how to correct it. But there’s no hollering or yelling.” Team members improve throughout the season. “A lot of times by later in the season, we don’t do a whole lot other than supervise,” Mehrkens said. Mehrkens’ wife, Amber, enters the scores every week to submit to the state-wide
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Kyle Mehrkens records scores of ve team members during a pracƟce for the Zumbrota-Mazeppa trapshooƟng team March 31 in Zumbrota, Minnesota. database. All team members are entered and ranked in the state as an individual and as a team. There are no qualifying markers for the state tournament. Any trapshooting participant may enter the tournament in June. In addition to the two trapshooting seasons – one in the fall and the other in the spring – Mehrkens and Michels teach rearm safety. All students who participate
on the trapshooting team must take the course. “I think that’s a class that should be taught in every class in this country,” Michels said. “Some kids say their parents said they have to be there. That’s not a bad thing. If they are going to do any babysitting, they might want to tell the parents they have taken the rearm safety course. That way if Johnny comes dragging dad’s shotgun out from the bedroom,
they’re not going to freak out. They’re going to know what to do, calmly pick up the gun and put it somewhere Johnny can’t get it.” Those taking the class has expanded in recent years. “It’s more diverse than it used to be,” Mehrkens said. “Now it’s a wide variety of things. Only half of them are in the rearm safety class to hunt. Now it’s gone from the hunting aspect to the trapshooting
aspect.” Mehrkens became interested in trapshooting in his younger years with a few of his buddies. They joined the FFA team, coached by Michels, in the late 1990s. “Hunting and working on the farm is all I did then,” Mehrkens said. “I didn’t really do any sports in high school. Some of our kids are that way too. Hunting and work, so they might as well trap shoot too.” In 2008, the Minnesota State High School Clay Target League started, and by 2012, Zumbrota-Mazeppa high school had its rst team. Michels, who helped start the school’s inaugural season, had 23 students on the team. Since then, its popularity has grown. “We might have the most student participation (of all sports) at (ZumbrotaMazeppa) school. If not rst, we are really close,” Michels said. “A lot of kids really like it. A lot of our kids are multiple sport athletes.” Regardless of their status on other sports teams or knowledge of shooting, students are welcome on the trapshooting team. “Nobody sits on our bench,” Michels said. “Everyone here is part of the team. Out here, everybody shoots.”
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
New FARM Animal Care Guide will help dairies prepare
SDSU Extension and the University of NebraskaLincoln Extension have partnered to create a resource binder for dairy producers to prepare for the National Dairy FARM (Farmers Assuring Responsible Management) Animal Care Program Version 4. Created by the National Milk Producers Federation in partnership with Dairy Management Inc., the National Dairy FARM Program works with all U.S. dairy farmers, co-ops and processors to demonstrate to dairy customers and consumers that the dairy industry is taking the very best care of cows and the environment, producing safe, wholesome milk and adhering to the highest standards of workforce development. The purpose of the FARM Animal Care resource guide is to help dairy farms of all sizes prepare for the FARM Animal Care evaluation. “We knew there was a need for this resource binder. Dairy producers have reached out to us asking how they can prepare for the FARM Animal Care Program evaluation,” says Kim Clark, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Dairy Educator. “We wanted to help producers better prepare for and feel condent with the evaluation.” The resource guide includes resources, tools and standard operating procedures, which can be used to meet each animal care standard set by the National Dairy FARM Program. The binder is divided into sections by topic. Each topic includes a summary sheet
“We want to meet the needs of dairy producers and provide them with the resources to make continuous improvement.” HEIDI CARROLL, SDSU EXTENSION
to meet that specic standard. A standard operating procedure template also accompanies each topic with the intent that it can be completed with each dairy farm’s step-by-step processes to meet that standard, or the dairy can develop their own document to meet each standard. Clark says completing the information in the resource binder does not guarantee each standard is met; it’s only the rst step. The FARM Animal Care Evaluator will determine if each standard is met by reviewing documentation and making observations. However, the dairy will be prepared with all the necessary documentation for each standard when the binder is complete. “Dairy farms of all sizes will benet from this resource binder,” says Heidi Carroll, SDSU Extension Livestock Stewardship Field Specialist and South Dakota Beef Quality Assurance Coordinator. “We want to meet the needs of dairy producers and provide them with the resources to make continuous improvement. This binder is a comprehensive package that processors and eld representatives can offer to dairy farms, and it improves communication and clarity about the animal care standards.” Resource binders can be purchased for $45 plus shipping. Binders can be purchased at the SDSU Bookstore and will be shipped within one to two weeks of ordering. Producers are encouraged to purchase binders now, as FARM Animal Care Evaluators are beginning to return to farms to conduct evaluations and follow-up on any prior evaluation’s corrective actions. Before placing an order for your dairy, farms are encouraged to reach out to their cooperative or FARM evaluator to ensure a copy has not already been purchased for them. For questions about this resource binder, contact Heidi Carroll at Heidi.Carroll@sdstate.edu or Kim Clark at KimClark@unl.edu.
Springtime: Sunshine, planting, dairy leaders Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 27
Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Brenna Connelly serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill ambassador. Throughout the year, Princess Kay helps people understand the dedication of dairy farmers to wholesome and nutritious food, and the way milk is produced. Princess Kay does many school presentations, represents dairy farmers at the Fuel Up To Play 60 events that are held in conjunction with the Minnesota Vikings, and is very active during June Dairy Month sharing the importance of dairy farming and dairy foods. Brenna grew up in Byron, Minnesota, working on her cousin’s dairy farm. She is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities, studying Agricultural Communication and Marketing. When she is not showing cattle or participating in dairy judging, she loves to read and travel.
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forward to a month lled with festivals and breakfast on the farm days. I encourage each of you to nd fun ways to celebrate June Dairy Month in your home communities, and share your love and passion for dairy with your friends, family and those you meet. With the upcoming spring and summer months, I would love to do more visits across our great state. If you or someone you know want Princess Kay of the Milky Way to attend your next event, classroom, festival or parade, you can request a visit. To do so, visit Midwest Dairy’s website and complete the Request a Princess form. It can be found at www. midwestdairy.com/sustainability/farm-life/request-avisit-by-a-dairy-princess/. I look forward to the next few months of sharing my love for dairy with the people I meet. Wishing you all a safe and successful planting season.
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When I was a kid, I absolutely loved spring. The weather is warmer, the sun is shining, the grass is turning green, and owers are beginning to bloom. My great aunt would show me how to pick tulips and Lily of the Valley owers to bring inside On the Road with for the table. I remember Princess Kay the times I would be greeted by my dad when I got off the school bus. We would go on four-wheeler rides, set gopher traps, plant trees and start our garden. I loved the adventures spring brought. I am sure many of you have your own fun spring memories from growing By Brenna Connelly up, especially from 67th Princess Kay of the adventures on the farm. Milky Way Spring also marks the time we celebrate Easter, one of my favorite holidays to celebrate surrounded by my family. Growing up, I loved dying Easter eggs with my cousins, going on Easter egg hunts and eating delicious food. My favorite food served at our Easter meal is cheesy potatoes, and these and many other dishes would not be possible without the dairy we know and love. I hope no matter what your holiday looks like this year, you get to enjoy delicious food, take advantage of the warm weather, and spend some time with your closest family and friends. I love going on social media during this time to see girls from across our state become county dairy princesses. I am reminded of my own excitement when I became a dairy princess in my home county.
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and C
om
I llook k fforward d to the h next ffew months of sharing my love for dairy with the people I meet. Without the support of my county and the incredible experiences I had, I would not be serving as the 67th Princess Kay of the Milky Way. I am wishing each of these new dairy princesses the best as they share their own dairy stories, attend events, meet incredible people, build connections and make the greatest memories. I am forever grateful for the opportunities being a dairy princess has brought me, and I am excited to watch these new dairy princesses take on this role representing Minnesota dairy farmers. In May, we will get to meet the 10 nalists for the next Princess Kay of the Milky Way. I cannot wait to meet these young ladies and watch them experience their own nalist journey. If you are a young woman serving as a dairy princess, I highly encourage you to compete in the May Leadership and Promotion Event. It is an amazing opportunity to grow your skills and meet new people who share the same passion for dairy as you. As we look forward to the future, I am excited for what the summer will bring. In June, we will celebrate National Dairy Month. This month will be lled with fun events, sharing our dairy stories and celebrating delicious dairy foods. I am looking
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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 Dana Adams, adam1744@umn.edu 320-204-2968 Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610 Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711 Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Isaac Salfer ijsalfer@umn.edu 320-296-1357 Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205 Melissa Wison mlw@umn.edu 612-625-4276
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Comparing health traits for conventional, organic cows By Brad Heins, Lydia Hardie, Isaac Haagen, Chad Dechow University of Minnesota
Increased selection for milk production has resulted in a decline in cow health which can decrease farm protability. However, the selection for improved health of heifers and cows is of increasing importance to dairy farmers. Health disorders are difcult to evaluate in the United States because uniform recording systems for health data are not utilized and the data is often incomplete. National genetic evaluations in the United States may lead to improved health in cows on conventional farms, but there is uncertainty in the improvement offered to organic dairy farmers. Organic cows only comprise approximately 3% of the United States’ dairy cow population. In August 2018, the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding released evaluations for disease resistance traits and these were incorporated into the Net Merit index. The evaluations are from Dairy Herd Improvement Association herds across the United States and include displaced abomasum, milk fever, ketosis, mastitis, metritis and retained placenta health traits. The health evaluations are dened as resistance to a disease and presented as percentage points of resistance above or below the breed average. Favorable values for resistance to the health disorder will receive positive values. The Jersey breed has had health evaluations since April 2020. There is an economic impact of the health traits on the dairy farm; health costs range from $28 for a ketosis case to $197 for a displaced abomasum (see table). Rates of disease incidence for
Holstein and Jersey cows in the United States are in shown in the table. Mastitis has the highest incidence in Holstein and Jersey cows, and for other diseases, incidence is slightly lower for Jerseys compared to Holsteins. The Penn State University and the University of Minnesota collaborated on a research project to evaluate health traits of organic dairy cattle. The objectives were to characterize the genetics of health traits and determine the presence of genotype by environment interaction for health traits in United States organic dairy cows. We collected cow health data from 16 certied organic dairy farms from across the United States for the following traits: lameness, mastitis, metabolic diseases (displaced abomasum, ketosis and milk fever), and reproductive diseases (abortion, metritis and retained placenta). Because we did not use a random sample of herds, our reported incidence of disease cannot be assumed as representative of the United States organic dairy industry. The incidence rates of organic cows were generally comparable to what has been reported nationally for the United States dairy industry, based primarily on conventional cows. The mastitis incidence (13.8%) was similar to that of national evaluations and was the highest incidence of all health traits. We combined incidences of metabolic (1.3%; ketosis, DA and milk fever) and reproductive (7.6%; metritis and retained placenta) because of the low occurrence of any one trait. The national genetics evaluations for health do offer genetic improvement for cow health to organic farmers with greatest improvements for mastitis resistance. Albeit small, there is a heritable component to health traits which should foster their genetic improvement.
Health trait direct cost and incidence rates for Holstein, Jersey and organic Holsteins cows Estimated cost Holstein incidence Jersey incidence Organic Holstein Health trait ($ per case) (%) (%) incidence (%) Milk fever 34 1.3 1.2 Displaced abomasum 197 2.1 1.3 Ketosis 28 3.9 2.6 Mastitis 75 10.2 10.4 13.8 Metritis 112 6.2 5.0 Retained placenta 68 3.6 1.9 Lameness 8.6 Reproductive 7.4 Metabolic 1.3
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Tips for spring manure application
Spring is here. While we all hope it sticks around, it probably has some people thinking about getting manure applied before planting. While you may already have a plan for where and how you want to apply the manure, here are some other tips to consider before getting started. Prepare your equipment and monitor it through the application season Whether you are pumping liquid manure or loading solid manure, going through your equipment now is important for avoiding spills or downtime when it is go time. For liquid systems, how did your hoses hold up over the winter? Are the pumps ready to go? For solid By Melissa Wilson spreaders, are the beaters worn down? Is there slack in the apron chain that should be adjusted? For any system UMN Extension that needs to travel on the road, are your signals and break lights working? During heavy use, keep monitoring these things to watch for wear and tear that can be xed before it becomes a problem. Collect a manure sample and send it for a nutrient analysis Manure is a valuable nutrient source for crops. Knowing the nutrient content can help you maximize its use and get the best bang for your buck. Collecting a manure sample when the manure is well mixed is ideal. This could be after liquid manure has been agitated or during the loading of solid manure. Either way, collecting several smaller samples during the loading process and mixing them well before sending to a lab is the preferred method. Choose a clean, plastic bottle with a wide opening and tight lid to ship the manure to the lab; do not use glass. It turns out the mail service is not happy when manure sample bottles break in transit. What tests should you choose? At a minimum, we suggest total nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, though ammonium content can also help understand the rst-year nitrogen fertilizer value of the manure. If you are interested in getting secondary and micronutrients tested in the manure, too, many laboratories offer these services. Look for laboratories that participate in the Manure Analysis Prociency Program or the Certied Manure Testing Program. Both programs are coordinated by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and help laboratories rene their manure analysis techniques to provide more reliable results. Consider options for reducing soil compaction Soil compaction during spring manure application is a concern. The rst and main thing you can do to reduce this issue is stay off wet elds if at all possible. The second thing to consider is tire size on your equipment. For example, say you have a 6,000-gallon tanker that weighs 55,000 pounds when full. Tires that are 20-by-20 on two axles on this tanker will likely have to be inated to 32 PSI, while 28.1-by-26 tires on two axles will be able to be inated at 16.5 PSI. To minimize compaction, you want to ideally be around 10 PSI when in the eld. Speaking of tires, making sure they are properly inated is another tip. Road ination is usually at a much higher PSI than is needed in a eld and is sometimes overlooked when entering a eld. Another consideration is controlling trafc patterns in the eld as much as possible. The rst pass of a heavy implement usually causes 80% of the compaction, so limiting equipment to the same areas can minimize the overall compaction in the eld. Finally, a healthy soil with good structure can resist compaction. Consider using cover crops and minimizing tillage to build up soil structure. Check out the Minnesota Ofce of Soil Health website for tips on getting started at https://mosh.umn. edu/management.
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 29
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Unfair advertising Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
Advertisers often do not play fair. come with a legal disclaimer which said: “Warning! For instance, I recently saw a television ad wherein Consuming this level of calories multiple times a pizza was being peddled. The featured pizza was day every day will make you look like the Pillsbury piled high with all of my favorite toppings and was Doughboy.” baptized with a copious amount of mouth-watering Another example of advertisers not playing fair cheese. There was so much can be seen these days luscious melted cheese at our local farm supply being portrayed that I could Th The main i problem bl Ih had d with i h store. This time of the year feel my waistline beginning – with spring in the air and to expand simply from that ad was that it did not tell new life appearing in some watching the commercial. shockingly bizarre nooks the whole story. After the ad ended, I and crannies – your typical suddenly noticed an odd farm supply store plays dampness in my lap. Only unfairly by placing water then did I realize I had forgotten to close my mouth tanks full of baby chicks in full view of the public. and drool had pooled on my thighs. Let me clarify that a bit. The water tanks are those The main problem I had with that ad was that it did galvanized oval affairs and do not have any actual not tell the whole story. That particular ad should have water in them. And as for the chicks, it is not like they
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are stacked up to the brim. There are generally just enough chicks in the tank to partially cover its wood chip-bestrewn bottom. The reason this is so unfair is due to the fact that baby chicks are so darn cute. People cannot help Dear County Agent Guy but pause to watch those cute little fuzz balls as they scoot around the bottom of the water tank, cheep-cheeping cutely, eating cutely and yes, even pooping cutely. You are not normal if you are not seized by the urge to take several dozen – oh heck, let’s make it an even 100 – of By Jerry Nelson those adorable little fuzz Columnist balls home with you. The trouble is, those cute little fuzz balls remain neither cute nor fuzzy for very long. In a matter of weeks, they will transform into ugly, half-fuzz, half-feathered creatures that bear scant resemblance to the darling hatchlings you brought home. Which is why I feel that putting baby chicks on public display constitutes unfair advertising. I have rst-hand knowledge of this due to a persistently cold and damp spring we experienced when I was a kid. Dad, as was his custom back then, had brought 100 or so baby chicks home from our local hatchery. Because of the enduring cold and damp weather, Dad opted to temporarily house the baby chicks in an empty upstairs bedroom of our farmhouse. This delighted my siblings and me as it was thus very convenient for us to visit the cute little critters. But the weather remained chilly and miserable for quite some time, well after the chicks had lost much of their cuteness. Dad knew it was time to move the chicks out to the coop when our pastor paid a visit and was startled by the sound of adolescent crowing drifting down from upstairs. When I was growing up, chicken care was the traditional bailiwick of farm wives. Grandma Nelson was an inveterate poultrywoman, even though Grandpa tended to scoff at her picayune farm animals. Grandpa was a fan of horses and cows, which partially explained his attitude toward Grandma’s puny, two-legged feathered livestock. Never mind that Ma’s egg money (as Grandpa called Grandma’s poultry prots) probably paid for some of his clothes along with a few niceties for the house. None of that did a thing to change Grandpa’s opinion of Grandma’s chickens. Indeed, I recall one moonlit night when I was deputized to help Grandpa and Grandma catch their chickens who, despite having brains the size of peas, had somehow hatched a successful plan to y the coop. It was a challenge to catch the wayward birds by ashlight and put the squawking, apping creatures back into their rightful place. As he nabbed yet another loudly protesting hen from a low-hanging branch, Grandpa muttered to me, “The best way to get a Leghorn out of a tree is with a shotgun.” And, I bet Grandpa was hoping Grandma would never again lay eyes on one of those unfair newspaper ads for baby chicks. Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, South Dakota. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@ dairystar.com.
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Antibodies and antibiotics The words sound almost the same, but they are completely different things. “Anti” comes from Greek, meaning against. Both antibodies and antibiotics act against pathogens, but they are very different. Antibodies are Y-shaped Veterinary Wisdom proteins produced by specialized white blood cells. Antibiotics are antibacterial compounds that are, at least originally, produced by microbes. There are at least ve types of antibodies: IgG, IgM, IgA, IgD and IgE. IgG and IgM circulate in the blood steam, while IgA is secreted into mucus and other body By Jim Bennett uids. IgE is involved Columnist in allergic reactions, and IgD helps activate cells to produce antibodies. They all have a Y shape with variations. The upper part of the Y binds to an antigen which can be the pathogen or part of the pathogen. The lower part of the Y binds to other components of the immune system. Antibodies have a variety of roles. Some will directly kill the target organism; others will wrap the invaders in a mucus coating; others will bind to the antigen to tag it for killing by other immune cells. Antibodies circulate throughout the body or are directly attached to the surface of a B lymphocyte, which is a type of white blood cell. B lymphocytes have specialized IgM antibodies on their cell surface. Each B cell has an antibody that responds to a very specic antigen. If a B cell nds its specic antigen, the antigen binds to the IgM on the cell surface. This causes the B cell to reproduce and become a plasma cell. Plasma cells are the body’s antibody factories; each cell can produce massive amounts of antibodies. These antibodies circulate throughout the bloodstream and lymphatic system. After antibodies bind antigens, other white blood cells that have the ability to destroy
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 31
the pathogen interact with the bound antigen and may, for all practical purposes, act just as quickly as destroy pathogens though a variety of methods. Some a bactericidal drug. For any antibiotic to be effective, activated B cells do not become plasma cells, but its concentration in the target tissues must exceed instead become memory cells that survive in the body the minimum inhibitory concentration, or MIC, and allow the immune system to respond to the same required to kill the target organism. This is why some pathogen more quickly in the future. antibiotics are more effective for disease in certain Antibiotics are substances originally produced body areas. Some drugs achieve high concentrations by one type of microbe that in the lungs and others in destroy other microbes. the gut, for example. The words d sound d almost l the h An antibacterial drug is Th Technically, both anything that kills bacteria, same, but they are completely antibiotics and antibodies are including antibiotics, produced by an organism to synthetic antibacterials and different things. ght pathogens. Antibodies, antiseptics. For example, though, are produced by the sulfonamide drugs are host body to ght invading technically not antibiotics but are antibacterials, organisms. Antibiotics, while originally produced by because they are not produced by microbes but are an organism to ght invaders, are substances given effective in killing bacteria. However, the term to other, more complex organisms, like humans and antibiotic is often commonly used to include other cows, to ght pathogens. Thus, they are entirely antibacterials such as sulfonamide drugs that did not different things that at least in some ways accomplish originate by microbial production. An antimicrobial the same thing. is anything that kills any type of microbe; thus, this Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at would include antibacterial, antiviral and other drugs. Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center Antibiotics are a specialized type of antibacterial in Plainview, Minnesota. He also consults on dairy drugs. Antibiotics are typically effective only against farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four bacteria, though some antibiotics can have effects on children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail. certain protozoal, parasitic organisms. Antibiotics com with comments or questions. have no activity against viruses. On the other hand, antiseptics typically kill a wide variety of organisms that may include bacteria, viruses and parasitic protozoans, such as cryptosporidium. However, I antiseptics differ widely in their effects on various F More milk pathogens. Some may be antibacterial and antiviral, A less feed with for example, while others may be only antibacterial. uniform Àne-grind Antiseptics, like iodine in teat dips, are typically used Solid cast rolls All belt-electric drive topically and not ingested. Single or double mills USA & International sales Antibiotics can kill bacteria, which is called Replacement rolls available for most mills bactericidal, or inhibit bacteria, which is called Used mills and tumble mixers on hand bacteriostatic. Just because an antibiotic is Hammer Mills bacteriostatic does not mean it is less effective than Phone: (319) 634-3849 • Toll Free: (800) 426-0261 a bactericidal one because the life of a bacterium is web: www.ifamill.com • email: ifamill@netins.net very short. If a drug inhibits bacterial reproduction, it
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Planting season Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
Planting season seems to sneak up on a person outside with a foot of snow on it unnecessarily. If I or maybe just on me. One week there’s 6 inches of wait too long, valuable planting days are lost getting snow and it’s 15 degrees, the next week it’s beautiful equipment out and ready to go. I always seem to and I’ve removed three layers of clothes by the end of wait too long due to a bit too much optimism. I’m the day. I start to look to the optimistic that I have at elds for signs it’s getting least a few more days of a dry enough out there to get Th somewhat relaxed chore There’s ’ always l the h h hope off excited about putting some schedule before the eld an early planting year when seed in the ground. work season starts. I had There’s always the hope small grains and hay are looked over the equipment of an early planting year before packing it away. It’ll when small grains and hay seeded before the last snow. be no problem to just pull it are seeded before the last out and go. snow. Nothing makes for an Reality tends to even alfalfa germination like a pile of snow shoving show up as a warm wind blows up from the south and it into contact with the soil and soaking it thoroughly the elds are suddenly ready to go when they were as it melts. I can’t get too excited and pull everything still quite wet just a couple days before. This tends out of its tightly packed winter storage conguration to be a surprise to me when after weeks of checking, in the shed or a bunch of equipment nds itself parked I walk out to the wettest spot in a eld and nd it
only slightly soggy wet but the rest of the eld ready to go. It’s at this point I generally discover a missing bolt on the soil nisher that I didn’t notice in the fall. No worries, we’re just getting going, there’s plenty of time for a little repair. Better now than a big one later. Oops, there seems to be a wing missing on From the Zweber Farm this disk scraper. How did I not see that last summer? At least I have all the pallets of seed here. Wait, I ordered 12 bags of graze and chop mix but I only see ve now that I look closer even though the receipt says 300 pounds. The second dose By Tim Zweber of reality comes when the weather forecast Famer Columnist suddenly switches from a week of sunshine to three days of sun and then three days of thunderstorms. While a little rain isn’t a big deal, a lot of rain might end planting for quite awhile. Wouldn’t it be so nice to just get it all done and enjoy the rain days rather than be waiting around for it to dry up so we can go again? This tends to lead to a couple very late nights working ground and planting. That cheap GPS unit I bought years ago is worth its weight in gold at about 10 p.m. in the middle of a eld when the soil texture changes and suddenly the wheel track of the planters last pass seems to completely disappear. In the end I never seem to get everything I want to do done. The rain shows up just a bit too early and the planter gets pulled in the shed to wait with a couple pallets of seed for the sun to work its magic. Oh well. As they say, April showers bring May grazing or something like that. Hopefully you all got at least a start on your elds or gardens. Until next time my dairy good friends, keep living the dream. Tim Zweber farms with his wife Emily, their 3 children and his parents Jon and Lisa by Elko, Minnesota.
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Wednesday of this past week was a very tough day. Just as I was feeding a new calf, a neighbor called with bad news. She told me of a terrible accident that happened early that morning involving a tractor and a semi that had collided. The driver of a tractor was killed. He was the 58-year-old husband of a dear friend. The rest of the day was a blur. It included planning with other friends to provide support for the family. We brought food they might need, gave hugs and comfort. I made some very challenging phone calls to our own children who had grown up playing sports, going to school, socializing and showing at the county fair with the children of our farmer friend who had lost his life in the accident. This was the second accident in our FFA/4-H family in just a few weeks’ time. Another father of friends died Come Full Dairy Circle in an accident involving a large round bale while feeding his beef cattle. His boys were in FFA and high school ag classes with our kids. Both men were people who contributed to the county fair, many of their children’s activities and were always helping with anything and everything that needed a volunteer. They are, of course, irreplaceable to their families, friends and to their communities. They had meaningful lives and many who love them. I write about this topic not to dwell on tragedies, but because we can often overlook the need to pay attention By Jean Annexstad to farm safety. It hits very close to home when the people Columnist involved in the accidents are neighbors and friends. With spring planting coming and a busy summer of putting up forages and all kinds of additional crop work, safety will be on my mind. I hope it will be on everyone’s mind. As I am sure many of you do on your farms during busy times, I mention being safe and careful fairly often. I am sure it is not often enough. As my father always told me when I drove anywhere, “Slow down.” That advice is good for any kind of farm task, whether it involves operating a vehicle with a motor or not. Slowing down and really thinking about the task at hand is no doubt a good way to put safety at the forefront. I try to be aware of who is doing what during the day and to be on alert for anything that might be going wrong. But I admit there are a lot of things that can and do cause unsafe work hazards on a farm. People often work by themselves, and there are sometimes unsafe situations. A review of safety procedures on every farm is probably overdue and necessary on a routine basis. There are plenty of farm safety resources online. Printing some of the safety procedures and placing them where people see them could help boost awareness. A simple thing like making sure re extinguishers are placed where needed and available is something to think about. What about making sure the PTOs on unloaders are covered? How about reviewing safety procedures that should be used during storms or other weather-related events? Do employees and family members need a short course in animal behavior and cattlemoving techniques? Machinery is one of the top causes of fatal ag injuries according to the Farm Bureau Rural Insurance website. Here is their list of 10 equipment safety tips: – Read and comply with the manual. – Follow and keep up with federal and state laws. – Always keep your slow-moving-emblem clean, visible and properly mounted. – Dress appropriately. – Ensure you are well rested. – Avoid alcohol. – Maintain awareness. – Adjust equipment accordingly. – Keep children and animals away from equipment. – Read up about planter equipment safety. The list is a quick starting point, and there is much more detail on every aspect of farm safety on the internet. Why not take a few minutes this spring to review safety ideas? Maybe your farm needs a point person for safety. Maybe a young person on your farm needs a project for 4-H or FFA and safety could be the emphasis. I suppose it goes without saying that we should all strive to be safe in our work at all times. It is another thing to make sure it happens. Please be safe in the busy days ahead. We need everyone in this resurgence of spring as we continue to do the work we love with those we love. 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.
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 33
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Solar energy a bright spot for agriculture Wehling shares benets, incentives at PDPW conference By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
WISCONSIN DELLS, Wis. – Good stewardship of the land and natural resources, and increased use of conservation farming practices have become normal practices for many farmers. And, many are looking for ways to use alternative energy in their operations. “There are so many opportunities when it comes to renewable energy,” said Adam Wehling, dean of Agriculture, Energy and Transportation at Chippewa Valley Technical College. “People might not have considered it because most probably are not aware of the feasibility in terms of price. In the ag sector, there are so many programs and incentives available that it is mind blowing. Then when you start looking at the numbers and the dollars, it does make sense.” Wehling talked about how dairy farmers can use alternative energy on their farms and the benets they can reap during a Learning Lounge presentation March 17 at the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin Annual Business Conference in Wisconsin Dells. The biggest barrier to farmers using alternative energy, in Wehling’s opinion, is fronting the funding of the project while waiting for the return from grants and tax incentives. Tax credits of 26% through 2023 and 22% for 2024 are in place for farmers looking to add
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Adam Wehling, the Dean of Agriculture, Energy and Technology at Chippewa Valley Technical College, explains how solar panels work to provide an alternaƟve source of energy. Wehling shared his knowledge at the Professional Dairy Producers’ annual business conference March 17. renewable energy production to their farms. “The timeline on some of these government grants takes a little bit of time, and you have to be patient with it,” Wehling said. “But if they are going to cover the cost, it certainly makes sense.” While Wehling oversees the alternative energy training program at CVTC, he has also implemented a solar system to generate energy on his own beef operation. He uses his personal experiences to help offer advice and ideas to those seeking information. Besides CVTC, other technical colleges in the state are investing time and money in working with renewable energy
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The Chippewa Valley Technical School has a demonstraƟon lab with a variety of alternaƟve energy sources including decoraƟve, ground and roof-mounted solar panels as well as two sizes of windmills. The rst step to bringing solar energy production to a farm is to speak to a solar contractor. Wehling recommends asking the farm’s energy company for referrals for reputable solar contractors and to be sure to check recommendations and speak with past customers about their level of satisfaction with the project. “A good solar contractor will know your local energy company guidelines, and they will be able to tell you exactly what the opportunities and challenges are,” Wehling said. The two most common placements of solar panels on farms are groundmounted systems and roof-mounted systems. Wehling said there are advantages and disadvantages to each. Roof-mounted systems will last a long time, especially if placed on newer roofs or steel roofs that have a long life left in them. “It is basically a set it and forget it kind of system,” Wehling said of the roof-mounted panels. “If it is on a steel roof, the snow will slide off, and you really don’t have to worry about it. It is basically a maintenance-free option.” The drawbacks to a roof-mounted system are the limitations of having a monofacial panel and that the angle of roof is typically not as steep as what can be done on a ground-mount. Both of those factors will limit the production of each panel, particularly in the winter months.
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Ground-mounted systems require a location on a farm where they are out of the way of farm equipment trafc and not in a location that might be developed in the future. The benet to ground-mounted systems comes in the use of bifacial panels and the ability to adjust the angle of the panels throughout the year, extending the production curve. Wehling compares solar energy production to a bell curve. A roofmounted system maintains the traditional curve, while a ground-mounted system allows you to extend the width of the curve. “With bifacial panels and adjustable racks, you can produce more energy with the same footprint of infrastructure and make yourself more energy with less initial investment,” Wehling said. “If I could have used the adjustable racks with bifacial panels that are available now, … I could have probably cut the size of my system by about 30%.” Increased technology has made the solar panels sturdier than what has been seen in the past, Wehling said, explaining that panels are made to withstand 1-inch hail. He said the panels typically come with a 20-year warranty and have a 30-year life expectancy. These improvements have made solar production the most efcient means of creating alternative energy for on-farm use, Wehling said.
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Women In Dairy Becky Moorse Minneota, Minnesota Lyon County 100 cows
of farmers. I can always pick out the dairy farmers, both current and former. They seem to have a different work ethic than the other farmers. I have always enjoyed new calves being born. God gives us a miracle every time one is born, even if it’s not born alive which seldom happens.
Family: Husband, Greg, children Brittany, Grant and his wife, Denaca, Garrett, Gared, Grady and Brooke. Tell us about your farm. We farm and milk cows with Greg’s brother, Bernie. We also raise corn, oats, wheat, alfalfa and soybeans. Garrett has started to farm with us. He has a registered herd of dairy goats also. Brittany feeds the calves at the dairy. We keep all of our calves. We raise our heifers for replacements and the steers to nish. Grady attends classes at Lake Area Technical Institute in Watertown but is home every weekend to help. What is the busiest time of day for you? Our busiest time of the day is right away in the morning. Everyone gets going to feed, milk and get ready for school. I work at Runnings in Canby, so I have to be to work early so I am also up and moving. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? When I get a spare moment, I like to go to that boutique where I help. I also have an investment of Hey Dude shoes that I sell there. I also help Garrett with the goats. Gared lives in Brookings, South Dakota, so sometimes I run over after work and visit him. Gared works for Genex and has certain dairies he services. He puts in long hours, so he doesn’t get home very often. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. My favorite memories of working on the farm are when we had all the 4-H kids over. We would lease animals to 15 kids every year. At one point, all of them were over and we would have mock 4-H shows. It was always fun to have them compete against each other. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I enjoy visiting with other dairy farmers and keeping up with what is going on with them and their farms. With my job, I get to visit with a lot
How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I enjoy reading about other dairies. And as I stated before, I visit with the customers at our store. We have dairy farmers and heifer raisers and calf raisers that all come in, and I try to help them as much as possible. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? I guess I have to start with where I was raised. My stepdad was Willie Fredllund. He was very involved in the Minnesota Holstein Association. He had many friends who are still involved. Many of them I still see or talk to on occasion. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? I’m not really sure who to give a tour to. It seems like most people have forgotten about the farmer. We have given tours to many people who aren’t famous, and it seems to have a bigger impact on them than it does on anyone else. What is the best vacation you have ever taken? The best vacation I’ve ever taken was to Washington with my husband two years ago. We stayed with our best friends. They took us to many different places, and we were able to see Gary Farms. We also saw the ocean and toured Seattle. We never went on a honeymoon, so after 27 years of marriage, that was our honeymoon. What are some words you like to live by? Judge animals, not people.
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Alfalfa harvest alert program By Nathan Drewitz U of M Extension
Although it seemed like a long winter at times, spring seems to have nally come. Alfalfa elds seem to be coming out of dormancy and so far, winter injury is only a minor concern. There may be some frost risks later this month but at this point we are coming into the middle part of April on a good note. This of course can change in a hurry as the weather in the Midwest sometimes doesn’t like to cooperate. With the Alfalfa Harvest Alert project, we monitor alfalfa conditions throughout the Minnesota to help farmers stay on top of their alfalfa elds related to their feed needs, personal experience, and current alfalfa conditions. This project is a cooperation between the Central Minnesota Forage Council and University of Minnesota Extension in conjunction with various agribusinesses, and farmers. This project kicks off when alfalfa reaches between 14 to 16 inches tall. Project cooperators will sample elds Monday and Thursday mornings. Generally, when alfalfa gets around 24 inches tall, we can expect to start seeing buds. With alfalfa, the bud stage is usually when forage quality is in the range for better quality dairy hay and harvest takes place. Last year alfalfa sample collection started on May 4 and ended on June 1. Clipped samples are tested to determine Relative Feed Quality (RFQ), Relative Feed Value (RFV), Neutral Detergent
Fiber (NDF), and other alfalfa quality factors related to harvest decisions. Quality and maturity will also be estimated through an equation called the “Predictive Equation for Alfalfa Quality” (PEAQ) RFV. This process uses the stage of maturity and height of the tallest stems to estimate RFV and NDF. There is also a new tool for this year that puts the past 10 years of scissor cut information at your disposal. This tool will allow you to select and sort data by year, county, and grower to look back and compare RFV, RFQ, and PEAQ RFV. As the 2021 season progresses this will be the home for all collected information and will remain active throughout the entire year. Go to z.umn.edu/AlfalfaHarvestAlert and check it out. The Alfalfa Harvest Alert Project information will be shared with KASM 1150 AM, WJON 1240 AM, WVAL 800 AM, and KTLF 960 AM radio in the Stearns, Benton, and Morrison county area. Internet users can search for “Minnesota Crop News” for posted information. The results can be directly emailed to you by going to z.umn.edu/ tricountysignup and subscribing to the email list. Finally, you can also call me at 608-515-4414 to get the latest updated results from the project or if you have any questions. Other counties will be working with other radio stations and information access points. We appreciate the hard work by all the farm and agribusiness cooperators and sponsors for this project.
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 37
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021
Dairy on display
Checkoff dollars used to support future exhibit at science museum By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ST. PAUL, Minn. – In an effort to reach even more people, Midwest Dairy has recently become a Premier Partner with the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. “For us, it’s partnering with them to weave dairy’s story into the work they are doing with their programs to have more agricultural-based science information there,” said Alex Larson, marketing communications manager at Midwest Dairy. The Science Museum of Minnesota has over 370,000 square feet of space in its downtown St. Paul location with one temporary exhibit gallery, ve permanent galleries, several acres of outdoor space and an Imax Omnitheater. Before the novel coronavirus pandemic, the museum had an annual attendance of 700,000 people and reached all 87 counties in the state with its science, technology, engineering and mathematics programming. “The Science Museum of Minnesota’s partnership with Midwest Dairy is an opportunity for us to explore the question, ‘How can science be used to create an increasingly sustainable, equitable and locally sourced food supply?’” said Karilyn Robinson from the Science Museum of Minnesota. “Farmers use
science every single day in their work, and we are excited to share more about the science in agriculture and to help our visitors and online audiences learn more about and feel more connected to where our food comes from.” This partnership with Midwest Dairy will mean dairy being part of an upcoming Food Experience exhibit that will launch in the next couple years. There will be online content and in-person exhibits. “It’s about a two-year planning process for those large-scale exhibits so they’re just starting that this year,” Larson said. “Part of that partnership is us having a seat at the table to help them with planning that – the conceptional process and what the end exhibit is going to look like and us being able to weave dairy into that exhibit. … We’re just going to be helping them with that planning process and helping connect them with the right people when it comes to talking about food and dairy.” For example, this could mean talking to experts from the University of Minnesota about dairy nutrition or someone at the Headwaters of Agricultural Sustainability Partnership about dairy’s sustainability, said Larson. Dairy farmers will also be involved in the discussion about what they do on a day-to-day basis. “That’s always the forefront in our mind – how can we connect our dairy farmers with our partners and making sure the farmers share their story,” Larson said. Within the exhibit, Larson said Midwest Dairy wants to share how dairy is good for the body and communities and is made with care for
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the planet. “With the food experience exhibit, it will be a couple years before it’s launched. But those resident exhibits’ lifespan is anywhere from ve to 10 years,” Larson said. During that time, the exhibits that include dairy will give science-based information to Midwest Dairy’s top
“There are so many things about dairy and agriculture that kids love like tractors and cows and food. For me, I’m excited because we’re going to be able to reach so many people and share dairy’s great message.” ALEX LARSON, MIDWEST DAIRY
two target audiences – youth and the conicted health seeker. “The science museum really hits the mark in reaching that audience,” Larson said. “When you think of parents bringing their kids there, they’re a captive audience. The kids play and explore. I think parents enjoy their time at the science museum just as much as kids do. It makes a lot
of sense to partner with the science museum to reach that audience and because they are such a highly respected and reputable organization.” Another advantage of the partnership is being able to measure the exhibit’s impact. “The other thing I love about the Science Museum of Minnesota is they have an entire data and analytics department, so as we work with them, we’re going to get a lot of information back in terms of impact – how many people did we reach, what kind of impact did we make,” Larson said. “That’s valuable knowledge to have a good understanding of how people are perceiving these exhibits and what they are getting from it.” Being a part of exhibits at science and children’s museums is mostly new territory for Midwest Dairy. “The more we’ve been exploring the idea, the more we’ve said, ‘Yes, this makes a lot of sense,’” Larson said. “There are so many things about dairy and agriculture that kids love like tractors and cows and food. For me, I’m excited because we’re going to be able to reach so many people and share dairy’s great message.” Larson also hopes it will be memorable. “I can still to this day remember going on a eld trip as a kid to the science museum, and that was over 20 years ago,” Larson said. “I’m excited to make that impression on kids as we continue this planning and the work we’re doing with the science museum.”
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Dairy profile
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 10, 2021 • Page 39
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Ben and Andy Larson Beresford, South Dakota Lincoln County 190 cows
it. Andy: Keeping what our family started and leaving the land better than when we found it. Improving the land is a legacy that will last for centuries.
How did you get into farming? We were both born into it. Andy’s father, Tim, and Ben’s father, Dale, are brothers. Our dairy’s history began when our great-grandfather, Orville Jensen, gave our grandparents, Milford and Mary Larson, a small herd of Holsteins. Milford and Mary moved onto this farm in 1969. Our dads took over from them in 1989, and built the freestall and parlor facilities we are currently using.
What advice would you give other dairy farmers? We need to communicate with one another and promote dairy as one body. Go to meetings and let your voice be heard. There are a lot of unrealized opportunities for smaller dairies in our area.
What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? A large concern is the failure of the structure of our milk buying cooperative. Another concern is the uncertainty of our dairy’s size and being able to market our milk. It’s hard to compete with the large, verticallyintegrated dairy farms. What is the latest technology you have implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? We recently xed up our old Harvestore silos and began using them again. This has resulted in less feed spoilage and reduced labor. We have also began using sexed semen and breeding some of our cows to beef bulls. What is a management practice you have changed in the past year that has benetted you? Knowing our limits. We used to trim hooves ourselves, but there just isn’t enough time in the
What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your farm? The automatic takeoffs. They track milk production in real time and help us manage the herd. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Being able to do so much with so little for so many. day to do a good job of it. We hired a professional trimmer and have seen a marked reduction in hoof problems.
important to lead by example. A couple of our employees have been with us for 15 years.
What cost saving steps have you implemented during the low milk prices? Tim has been vigilant about contracting feed commodities and has even contracted a little milk. We are also looking at different seed varieties that will increase forage quality and yields.
Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. Ben: I know the cows and am vigilant about what’s happening with them. I can tell right away if a cow is in heat or isn’t feeling well. Andy: I’m detailoriented. I see everything as a holistic enterprise. One decimal point can make a huge difference for the operation.
How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? Good communication is key. We don’t overwork them and give them time off when they want it. We feel that it’s
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and the next ve years? For the next year, we just hope to survive. Longer term, we would like to go to robotic milkers. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? Andy: I like to spend time with my wife, Jenna, and our 2-year-old daughter, and simply be present with them. Our dads worked all the time, so we only got to see them when we did chores with them. Ben: I enjoy taking in all sorts of sporting events. I am a big fan of the Twins and the Vikings and the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits.
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? Ben: It’s hard work but very satisfying. Dairy farming is very rewarding when you see benets from
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