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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 21, No. 4
Hopeful for higher prices Sharp outlines predictions in the dairy market By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Sarina Sharp gave dairy farmers a glimmer of hope during her presentation, “Better Times Ahead?” March 27 at the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls, S.D. “I am as optimistic about prices as I have been in years. I think we are through the worst of it and will see much better times ahead,” said Sharp, dairy market analyst for Daily Dairy Report. During her presentation, Sharp addressed international and domestic dairy markets along with feed markets. On the domestic market side, Sharp said she needed to look back before looking ahead. “It’s been a pretty rough four years,” she said. “You are not alone, and we’re setting the stage for a recovery.” Within the last year, there has been a reduction in the country’s dairy herd by about 79,000 head, Sharp said. “Dairy cow slaughter is at unprecedented highs. We are setting new records every week,” Sharp said. Despite the shrinking dairy herd in the United States, milk production has not decreased yet. “I think we will start to see those numbers change a little bit. Culling is going to remain high even as milk and springer prices start to recover,” Sharp said. Dairies across the country are shutting their doors, she said. The most trouble is in areas with extremely hot weather conditions and where producers are losing their premiums. “The pain is widespread. It is not limited to one area,” Sharp said.
Turn to SHARP | Page 6
April 13, 2019
A healthy kidney for Koehler Ups, downs of a decade-long organ transplant journey By Danna Sabolik
danna.s@dairystar.com
NEW YORK MILLS, Minn. – April is National Donate Life Month, something that is near and dear to the Koehlers. This June, Justin Koehler will be celebrating a decade of a successful kidney transplant. Justin operates a 400-cow dairy with his parents, Roy and Ronda, and brother, Matt, near New York Mills, Minn. In 2008, Justin was gearing up for his rst kidney transplant after being diagnosed with Membranoproliferative Glomerunlonephritits (MPGN). “I knew something was wrong,” Ronda said. “He Turn to KOEHLERS | Page 5
DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR
Roy, Jus�n and Ronda Koehler are celebra�ng 10 years of Jus�n’s successful kidney transplant this June. The Koehlers dairy farm together, along with Jus�n’s brother, Ma�, near New York Mills, Minn.
AGRI gives $51,000 to schools
Grant funding places milk in hands of students By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Students grab cartons of chocolate milk during lunch at Kimball High School in Kimball, Minn. The school district used grant funding from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to purchase new, more efficient milk coolers for the elementary and high schools.
KIMBALL, Minn. – For the rst time, students within the Kimball School District have quality milk available for them during food service hours. The district installed two milk coolers – one at the elementary and one at the high school – with funding from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Growth Research and Innovation Program’s Milk Cooler Grant. “Students have complained about the quality of milk they have available to them,” Sherry Hanson said. “In previous years, the milk cartons would freeze or be too warm because of temperature uctuations of the coolers. Now, even with the high usage, we don’t see the quality of milk change.” Hanson is the food service director with Taher Inc., a food serTurn to AGRI | Page 7
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
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 (ofďƒžce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Amanda Thooft 320-352-6303 amanda.t@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Andrea Borgerding - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Krista Kuzma - Assistant Editor (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Danielle Nauman (608) 487-1101 danielle.n@dairystar.com Danna Sabolik - Staff Writer (320) 352-6303 • danna.s@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofďƒžce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Jeff Weyer (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-8505 (cell) jeff.w@dairystar.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofďƒžce) 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 Hoeďƒ&#x;er (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Amos Denman (Southern WI) 563-608-6477 • amos.d@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@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 ďƒžnal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Dairy Star, LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofďƒžces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
North America dealers. A glance at what’s inside
Dairy Proďƒžle brought to you by your
After coming off a three-week break from publishing, our ďƒžrst April issue is packed with stories, photos and information for every reader. Carrying on with our “Dairying in Tough Timesâ€? feature, we spoke with Tim Looney. The 28-year-old dairies in a 50:50 partnership with his uncle near Princeton, Minn. In the midst of the current dairy market, Looney has put a renewed focus on milk components and milking efďƒžciency to remain viable. Read more about Looney’s business on pages 12-13 in ďƒžrst section. In a recent report published by the University of Minnesota, dairy farms reported a record low net farm income of less than $15,000. This value is a testament to the crisis dairy By Mark Klaphake farmers are living through. We spoke with Nate Converse, who helped collect the data, and he Editor explained what is causing the economic turmoil and how farmers are coping with operating at a loss. The story can be found on page 11 in ďƒžrst section. Spring is here, whether it seems that way or not, and Dairy Star is eager to start up our annual feature on crop and weather. In second section on pages 22-23, you can read about the 12 dairy farmers across our coverage area – from eastern South Dakota, northern Iowa, Minnesota and western Wisconsin – as they introduce themselves and their farming operations. Throughout the planting, growing and harvesting seasons, we’ll stay in touch with these farmers to see how the weather and crops are holding up in their area. This year, Udder Tech Inc. is celebrating 25 years in the dairy industry. Cheryl Mohn’s business developed with the need to make milking more efďƒžcient on her family’s farm near Lakeville, Minn. Over the years, the company has continued providing items that make dairy farming easier, and is now relocating to accommodate the growing business. Mohn’s story is found on pages 3-4 in second section. One of our favorite features highlights the youngest generation of dairy farmers. In this issue’s “Kids Corner,â€? we learn more about the Middendorf family and their six children. Whether it is feeding calves or pushing up feed, each child has a responsibility on the family’s dairy farm near Verndale, Minn. Check out the kids’ responses on pages 9-11 in third section. While many farmers in our coverage area are eager to get in the ďƒželds, dairy farmers in Nebraska will have to wait awhile. After the horriďƒžc ďƒ&#x;ooding earlier this month, ďƒželds have been destroyed and roads are impassable. On pages 6-7 in third section, milk truck drivers share their experience working through the heart of the storm. It has been a busy three weeks for Dairy Star, and the rest of the month is sure to be the same as we catch up with all of you this spring.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Pages 8-9 First Section
Verndale
Cold Spring
First Section: Pages 1, 5
First Section: Page 38
Third Section: Pages 9 - 10
Third Section: Page 8
Hulke named to all hockey hair team
Marshall
nso n
Moody
McCook Minnehaha
Meeker
Wright
McLeod
Renville
Yellow Medicine
Hennepin Carver Scott
Sibley
Lyon
Murray
Rock
Nobles
Anoka
Redwood Brown
Nicollet
First Section: Pages 18, 20
Dakota
Rice
Goodhue Wabasha
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted Jackson
Martin
Faribault
Freeborn
Fillimore
Mower
Lewiston
Winona
Olson stands up to cancer with help from community
Houston
Third Section: Pages 3 - 4
Hutchinson
Turner
Bon Yankton Homme
Lincoln Clay
Union
Lyon
Osceola Dickinson Emmet
Sioux
O’Brien
Clay
Palo Alto
Kossuth
Winnebago
Worth
Hancock
Cerro Gordo
Mitchell
Floyd
Howard
aw
as
ick
Ch
Bremer
Plymouth
Black Hawk
Zone 1
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Allamakee
Charles Mix
Lake
Kandiyohi
Isanti
Winneshiek
Douglas
Miner
Brookings
Sherburne
Plainview
Genetics, housing drive production at Zabel Borgschatz Dairy LLC
Ha
Da
vis
on
Sa
nb or
n
Kingsbury
Deuel
Lincoln
Hamlin
Pipestone
Pages 10 - 11 Second Section
Benton
Stearns
Chippewa
Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Clark
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Pope
Swift
Grant
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Pine
Douglas
Stevens
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
sey
Wilkin
Grant
Big Sto Stone
Roberts
Day
Carlton
Crow Wing
go
First Section: Page 23
Aitkin
isa
Page 33 First Section
Central Plains Dairy Expo showcases Marshall technology, education, fun
Cass
Steinhagens receive 2018 Scott County award
Ch
Come Full Circle
Sioux Falls
Belle Plaine
Todd
rse
Page 32 First Section
Otter Tail
Tra ve
Making Cents of Dairy
Becker
Clay
Page 31 First Section
en
nom
Mah
Washington
Norman
Second Section: Pages 20 - 21
First Section: Pages 12 - 13
Itasca
Kanabec
Polk
r
Veterinary Wisdom
Andringa crowned South Dakota Dairy Princess
Looney bears markets, anticipates better futures
St. Louis
Red Lake
eu
Page 30 First Section
Pennington
Clear Lake
First Section: Pages 1, 7
Princeton
Koochiching
Hubbard
Dear County Agent Guy
Beltrami
Su
Page 27 First Section
AGRI gives $51,000 to schools
Lake of the Woods
Le
On the Road with Princess Kay
Roseau
Kimball
Star Youth: Jennifer Schreifels
Ra m
Kittson
Kids Corner: The Middendorfs
Wadena
Page 26 First Section
New Ulm
A healthy kidney for Koehler
Clearwater
FSA News & Notes
New York Mills
Fayette
an
ch
Bu
an
Oelwein
Clayton
law
are
De
Linn
Dubuque
Jones
Dairy Prole: Diane and Matt Stewart
First Section: Page 39
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 5
ConƟnued from KOEHLERS | Page 1 wasn’t acting like himself.” MPGN is a disease that affects the lters of the kidneys. The lters become plugged and could no longer lter waste from the blood. When Justin went in for the diagnosis, he had 19% kidney function. Without a transplant, he would lose both his kidneys and need dialysis. Soon after his diagnosis, Ronda was quick to volunteer as a donor. After multiple tests, she was informed she only had one functioning kidney, due to a childhood infection, and was not able to donate to her son. That is when Roy decided to be tested. “We had to start all over with the testing, and I ended up passing it all,” Roy said. With all the boxes checked, Roy and Justin went into surgery. “That was a big day,” Ronda said. “It was very emotional.” Typically the transplant surgery is more difcult on the donor. “I was out for the count,” Roy said. “I couldn’t eat for three days. Everything tasted like battery acid, and I couldn’t sleep comfortably.” After three days, Roy felt better. He and his family waited for Justin to be cleared so they could go home. Justin was doing well after the sur-
“We’ve been through a lot and couldn’t have made it without blood donations and other efforts from the hospital.” RONDA KOEHLER, DAIRY FARMER
gery, eating and drinking normally. Then, ve days post-op, Justin lost the kidney. “There was a blood clot in a vessel,” Justin said. “They had to bring me back to surgery and remove it so I wouldn’t build up antibodies and the next transplant would work.” It was a tough day for everyone involved. “The hospital staff all felt really bad, too,” Ronda said. “Even the surgeon. He was very emotional; he had
never had a rejection happen before.” Family at home was concerned and shared in the Koehlers’ anguish over the failed procedure. “I called home crying to my sister and right away she said, ‘Doug’s right here, and he said he’s next,’” Ronda said. Doug Harthan is Justin’s uncle, and a local paramedic. He already knew he was the same blood type and was up for the responsibility. Justin, Ronda and Roy went home defeated, and Justin started dialysis three months later. But the family rallied together, joining Justin on his strict renal diet. “It wasn’t just his disease,” he said. “All of us were in this together. Every time there was an appointment, all three of us were there.” The mutual support within the family and the community helped them all stay focused on healing. In the spring of 2008, Matt and neighbors pitched in to help get the Koehlers’ crop in the ground because both Justin and Roy were laid up. The community also organized a fundraiser and benet for Justin before the rst transplant. The remainder of 2008, and half of 2009, Justin was on dialysis and went through more tests to nd why his blood had clotted and how to move forward. “It was a big year,” Roy said. “We drove to Rochester and back 37 times that year. It’s 275 miles and three-quarters a tank of gas each way.” On June 25, 2009, Justin underwent his second transplant surgery. This one was successful. Since then, Justin has been mostly healthy. He had a scare in 2013 when he needed to be treated for signs of the disease coming back. That was easily managed at the hospital in Fargo, N.D. Since then, he has lived a normal life. “We’ve been through a lot and couldn’t have made it without blood donations and other efforts from the hospital,” Ronda said. Justin still travels to Rochester twice a year for blood work and a check up and will take anti-rejection medication for the rest of his life. Often people are not aware of the impact organ donation can have on their community, whether that is local or industrial. Simply by checking a box on a driver’s license renewal could save a life.
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
ConƟnued from SHARP | Page 1
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There are still people trying to make it through this downturn, especially in places like Texas, Sharp said. “A lot of producers are in a bear hug with their lender – nobody can let go without somebody getting hurt. They are waiting. It is coming. I think we’ll start to see dairies leave there as well,” she said. Recent blizzards and bouts of cold weather and ooding will also bring milk yields down. “Growth in milk production is likely to be slow and non-existent throughout the year, and, as a reminder, at growth is a victory because demand continues to grow,” Sharp said. As milk and cow prices rebound, there will be another wave of herd dispersals, Sharp said. “People [were] looking to retire but didn’t want to when springer values were the lowest they’ve ever been. As the price and assets come back to healthy levels, we’ll see people who are exible and will sell out given the opportunity,” she said. Sharp expects expansions in the next few years as well. Dairy processing will shift as milk output goes down. “We have more processing capacity, slower amount of milk production, regional decits that’s adding up to less milk powder and nally it is adding up to very slow growth in cheese,” Sharp said. Cheese production continues to grow year after year but so does demand. Processors have been making more cheese barrels to move excess milk quickly during the last few years. “If you are in an oversupply milk market, your processor is doing you a favor by making barrels so they don’t have to dump milk. Barrels can be cheap but have a thin margin so they’re not ideal choice for processors to make,” Sharp said. As milk output slows and processing capacity increases, cheesemakers are able to move away from making barrels. Milk powder stores are down from a year ago, another good sign for a potential rebound in the milk price. Demand for butter is excellent, Sharp said. “Butter is healthy again. That’s helpful,” Sharp said. Sharp anticipates better milk prices over the next 18 months, but she is also cautious. “Markets don’t ever go straight up for very long so I’m not saying we’re straight up from here, no worries, close your eyes and make as much milk as you can. It can get rocky and there are some unknown concerns, particularly the global economy,” she said. Internationally, Europe’s milk production is down from one year ago. In January, Europe’s milk supply saw a 1.2% decrease in January, which equates to about 355 million pounds of milk, Sharp said. “You can start to see that impacting global milk prices and especially can see
it in global milk powder production,” she said. There have also been decits in New Zealand and Australia. South America also saw milk production drop, especially in Argentina, which was down 8%-9%. China is also most likely lower in milk production. “It’s hard to know exactly what is going on with milk production in China, but if you look at their import volumes it seems likely they have a milk production decit,” Sharp said. “Overall Chinese demand for imported dairy products is on the rise and that is good for everyone.” However, Sharp is nervous about China’s decrease of whey imports from the United States. “We are losing ground there as well, and there are other suppliers who are really ready to pick up that business. Europe is taking that market right now,” she said. Europe could also impact the U.S. market in another way. “Europe is also trying to win protection for geographical indications for common cheese names. It’s going to cost us a lot of effort and consumer rebranding. … We will lose sales if they manage to get this in their favor,” Sharp said. “This is one part of their free trade strategy.” Another concern is Mexico raising tariffs on U.S. cheese. “There are rumors Mexico could enact a tariff on milk powder as well to get people’s attention. That would be devastating. We are still growing our cheese market in Mexico, but not nearly the amount we were before these tariffs were put into effect. The longer these tariffs, the longer we lose. Now new suppliers [from other countries] are reaching out to Mexico,” Sharp said. In the feed markets, Sharp does not think there will be a lot of change in the number of corn versus soybean acres planted. “With $4 corn and $9 beans, it doesn’t make anyone super excited to plant one crop over the other. I think farmers will generally stick with their crop rotations,” she said. Sharp called trade a wild card. “If China starts to import corn, which historically they have not done, that could really put a big tailwind in the corn market. That’s a big if. There are rumors they will. They have a lot of corn to chew through before they start moving ours,” she said. Soybean stock is large and exports are down because China has not bought as much as promised. “Every day that goes by that we don’t have a trade deal we get one day closer to the South American harvest. So, China will be turning its attention there, and we won’t get this back,” Sharp said. “No matter what happens with the trade deal I think there are plenty of beans in the United States, and it will stay that way for awhile.”
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ConƟnued from AGRI | Page 1 vice management company that provide lunches for students in grades kindergarten through 12 in the Kimball School District in Kimball, Minn. The district applied for the AGRI grant last fall and was notied of their acceptance Jan. 11. A month later, Hanson was able to purchase two coolers, with $3,000 of the total cost covered through grant funding. The elementary and secondary schools in Kimball were two of 38 schools and early education programs who received funding to encourage youth to consume more dairy with the installation of milk coolers. “There’s talk at the legislator about how we can increase the demand for dairy,” Whitney Place said. “We know this isn’t a silver bullet for the dairy industry, but it all matters. If we can help include dairy in the diets at an earlier age in a way that is positive and in a school setting, that is important.” Place is the Minnesota Department of Agriculture assistant commissioner. One of AGRI’s missions is to facilitate farm to school programs, connecting children with local farmers and foods. After speaking with the program’s staff and area schools, a more specic purpose was established for the rst round of the grant – to help fund the purchase of new equipment that would encourage more dairy consumption of local products. “We asked the applicants if they were to receive funding, would they be able to use Minnesota grown milk in their coolers,” Place said. “It’s important the children have a source of dairy with all its nutrients, but also that we’re supporting local dairy farmers.” Many of the applicants and recipients of the milk cooler grant were smaller schools with perhaps tighter budgets. “If they’re sticking their hands into an old, crusty cooler for milk, it doesn’t
matter if the milk is good for children; they already have a negative experience with it,” Place said. “Now, we’ve created a more positive way to display [milk].” Previously, the Kimball School District was renting a milk cooler from their dairy contractor, Kemps. When Hanson and her district manager learned of the grant opportunity, they worked with the schools’ business manager and superintendent to apply. “The grant was a great opportunity to help receive funding,” Hanson said. “With a grant, it is more affordable to come up with a portion of the cost rather than all of it for a new, efcient milk cooler.” The coolers allowed the schools to meet the sanitation guidelines of the health inspector, as well as meet the satisfaction of their customers and provide a healthy option for the students. Each cooler stores 16 cases of milk, which is about 50 cartons per case, and allows for a smooth meal delivery service in a timely fashion, Hanson said. “It’s a healthier option during meal time, and by offering milk to the students, we can help support our local farms and farm to school project,” she said. Interest from Minnesota schools and childcare centers was overwhelming, so the department re-opened the funding opportunity this spring. The application closed April 5 with more than 125 proposals submitted for the $50,000 available. “We were surprised the applicants were twice as many before,” Place said. “We’ve surpassed our target with really good proposals. Now, we have to nd funding for those that are accepted.” Within AGRI, about $13 million is available each year for grants. As needs emerge within the program, funds may be redistributed. While the recipients of round two
PHOTO SUBMITTED
A new milk cooler is in the cafeteria at Kimball High School in Kimball, Minn. The cooler can hold up to 16 cases of milk for students to drink with their meals. have not been chosen yet, the applications are diverse, said MDA’s ag marketing and development grant specialist Lisa Sawyer. “The rst round applications addressed replacing old, rusty or dented coolers where milk was either too warm or frozen,” she said. “The second round includes expanding their ability to offer dairy products.” For example, more applicants requested milk coolers for their sports teams or coolers that do not require electricity and can provide milk, cheese and
yogurt near the schools’ entrances and student lockers for breakfast or snack time options. In other instances, Place and her co-workers at MDA have visited early education centers and schools that have improved their farm to school programs with AGRI funding, and they look forward to seeing how schools increase dairy consumption with the milk cooler grant. “It’s always fun to connect with staff and students on the ground and see those success stories,” Place said.
Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
Peterson seeks action on dairy title House Agriculture Committee Chairman Collin until the June sign-up to get bankers on board and there Peterson said he is concerned about the time frame to are several dairy farmers who don’t yet have loans to get implement the new Dairy Margin Coverage program. seed in the ground.” Listening to farmer feedback, Peterson said the June New DMC planning tool timeline is too long. Sign-up for the Ag Insider The Farm Service Agency is producing program begins mid-June. “If they wait an online decision tool for dairy farmers until June, there could be farmers giving up considering the new Dairy Margin their ghosts by then, even if the program Coverage program. This is part of an is retroactive.” Peterson said USDA can’t awareness campaign that will be launched speed up the implementation, they have to later this month. go through a process. Peterson does not want this confusing farmers. “I’m afraid farmers Farm credit leaders address will look at this, not sign up for the highest appropriations subcommittee level and then, they’ll end up spending The nancial challenges in agriculture money and not getting anything out of it.” A were highlighted in a recent House letter has been sent to Agriculture Secretary subcommittee hearing. Compeer Financial Sonny Perdue urging USDA to prioritize the implementation of the dairy provisions President and CEO Rod Hebrink offered By Don Wick in the new farm bill. More than 70 House his perspective on the farm economy. “The Columnist Democrats and Republicans signed off on crop and livestock sectors we serve are best this letter. described as ‘struggling,’ impacting farmers of all ages, experience levels and sizes.” Hebrink said Lawmakers promote dairy policy economic downturn has been particularly hard on dairy Farm bill implementation was the focus at a farmers. Farm Credit Services of American President/ meeting with House Agriculture Committee Chairman CEO Mark Jensen also highlighted the tight margins Collin Peterson and Minnesota Senator Tina Smith within agriculture. Lawmakers asked the panel of farm in Litcheld. “Local lenders nodded their heads and credit leaders about a variety of topics, ranging from said they thought this (Dairy Margin Coverage) would hemp production to rural development. No action was be benecial,” Smith said. “They said they would be taken. taking it into consideration as they are working on loans for customers.” The DMC program will be retroactive to Dairy Together Roadshow January 2019. The Wisconsin Farmers Union, National Farmers Organization and Holstein USA are making stops across Financing hampered by a lack of understanding the country to promote a viable dairy economy. The Dairy Minnesota Milk Producers Association Executive Together Roadshow has made stops in Wisconsin, New Director Lucas Sjostrom said dairy farmers are getting York and Vermont. Central Minnesota will be a stop on more comfortable with the new Dairy Margin Coverage this tour, April 16 in Greenwald. A supply management program, but not all agricultural lenders understand the program is one of the ideas being promoted. changes for the dairy safety net. “Some bankers are going as far as to tell their farmers not to sign up for Road trip to promote USMCA the program when it comes out and they won’t lend the Farmers for Free Trade is planning a 3,500 mile RV money to do so,” Sjostrom said. “There are two months tour across 11 states to drum up support for the U.S.-
Mexico-Canada Agreement. This road trip begins in Pennsylvania April 12 and will continue during the twoweek congressional recess. Organization co-founder Brian Kuehl said the tour will highlight the importance of U.S. agricultural trade with both countries. “Canada is the largest export destination for U.S. food and ag products, and Mexico is our number three trading partner,” Kuehl said. “We’re really worried about the ability for Congress to pass the USMCA. Farmers are stuck in the middle, urging to get the bill through.” Kuehl goes on to say the whistle-stop tour is designed to include a variety of events and attract a wide scope of people. On Thursday, April 25, the tour will make a stop in the Mankato and Moorhead, Minnesota areas. Dairy groups join USMCA coalition The Pass USMCA Coalition has added eight new organizations to its ranks, including the National Milk Producers Federation and U.S. Dairy Export Council. This coalition is urging Congress to support the U.S.Mexico-Canada Agreement. Dairy farmer recognized in State of the State address During his rst State of the State address, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz focused on education, the gas tax and infrastructure. The importance of healthcare was also highlighted. Walz shared stories of Minnesotans, including Lake City, Minn. farmer Debra Mills. “Even playing by the rules, she doesn’t have access to healthcare so she has the stress of going without healthcare; couple that with historically low milk prices and catastrophic weather events. This is a proud family who works hard and prides themselves on being tough. A day came where she had to make a tough decision. The decision she made took courage beyond what you could imagine. She picked up the phone and called a mental health counselor. Mills said I’m at wits end, what do I do? The good news is there was someone to pick up the phone and a plan to put in place. Mills started to come back from that.”
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ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 Dairy provisions included in state budget bills The omnibus agriculture nance bill is moving in both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature. A provision sought by the Minnesota Milk Producers Association that would provide a one-time payment for dairy farmers who implement certain conservation measures did not survive the process in the Minnesota House. House Agriculture Committee Chair Jeanne Poppe was able to insert a $10 million provision in a House economic development budget bill that would supplement premium payments made by Minnesota dairy farmers for the new federal Dairy Margin Coverage program. The provision would be limited to dairy farms with 750 or less cows. U of M, SDSU partner on veterinary program South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem has signed off on a partnership between South Dakota State University and the University of Minnesota to address the shortage of large animal veterinarians. The program would allow students to complete two years of study in Brookings and another two years in St. Paul. With this new agreement, SDSU’s current arrangement with Iowa State University will expire in August 2021. Organic Valley CEO resigns George Siemon has stepped down as
chief executive ofcer of Organic Valley. Siemon was one of seven founders of the company that started in 1988. Chief Business Ofcer Bob Kirchoff has been appointed the interim CEO. Herrick joins IDFA staff Matt Herrick has joined the International Dairy Foods Association as its senior vice president, executive and strategic communications. This is a newly created position. Most recently, Herrick was the communications director for the Rockefeller Foundation. During the Obama Administration, Herrick served as the communications director at USDA and press director for the U.S. Agency for International Development. Trivia challenge USDA Undersecretary Bill Northey previously served as Iowa’s agriculture secretary. That answers our last trivia question. What country leads the world in per capita milk consumption? We’ll have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
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I came across an article titled, “Dairy Producer’s Don’t Need A Wall,” written by Mike Opperman of Farm Journal Milk magazine. Opperman asks, “What do you think about immigration reform? Let me know.” So, I did Feb. 21. I wrote a letter to the editor, but they never ran it. I sent two e-mails asking if they would run my letter, “Victims of a Crime.” I received no response. I even mentioned I didn’t know why they wouldn’t, because I agreed with Opperman 100 percent; dairy farmers don’t need a wall. The mission of Farm Journal Milk is to connect with large dairy producers – those with 500 or more cows – and provide them with the information and resources they need to run their operation and continue to expand. I have no problem with that as long as, when dairy farmers expand, they don’t break immigration laws. They say there’s no such thing as a victimless crime. It seemed like Opperman thinks employers who hire illegal immigrants and the illegal immigrants are victims. Opperman said every dairy farmer he’s talked to in the last two-plus years wants to have an accurate way to identify immigrants. There is; it’s called EVerify. In 2012, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services retained the services of Westat, a social science research rm to evaluate the E-Verify program. The report said E-Verify is an accurate and robust tool and provides recommendations for how USCIS could improve the program’s already strong accuracy rate.
Opperman mentioned the E-Verify system then said there’s no existing system that will identify a person as fraudulent. I think Mike is misleading people by saying that, and that is wrong. These dairy farmers could use E-Verify. They simply choose not to. They are not the victims. The dairy farmers who are honest and choose to obey the law are the victims. In order to compete against dairy farmers who break immigration laws, I’m having to work 100 hours a week. I cannot afford to hire help because of the overproduction caused by dairy farmers hiring illegal immigrants. They are overproducing and driving the price of milk down. Opperman illegal immigrants are good people who are longing for a better way of life. I don’t think they are the victims. Americans who would like to have a good job are the victims. Many Americans who work two or three jobs and still have to get on government welfare in order to pay rent. They will never realize the American dream of home ownership. There’s not much of a middle class left because of illegal immigration. The exploitation of foreign workers has wrecked havoc on middle class Americans. What about the Americans who are longing for a better way of life and the American dream? They too are the victims. We don’t need a wall. The only way to x this problem is to put employers who are committing a crime by breaking immigration laws in jail and seize their assets. Joseph Schindler Dairy farmer Red Lake Falls, Minn.
Minnesota Milk looking at root of problem On behalf of the Minnesota Milk board, I’d like to thank the Dairy Star for their coverage of Dairy Day at the Capitol March 13, including Sadie Frericks’ “Dairy Good Life” column. We had over 60 attendees, which is normal, but a big feat after the terrible winter and prices we’ve all been experiencing. As Sadie noted, you’d be surprised how a little effort and a 15-minute meeting can change votes for the benet of dairy farmers. We hope you come next year. I serve on the Minnesota Milk Policy Committee, where we talk about both state and federal issues. After an hour discussion, we directed our contract economist Dr. Marin Bozic, our cooperative staff and Minnesota Milk staff to research and promote information about the block-barrel spread. While complicated, Bozic brought this to our attention at both the Feb. 14 policy and Feb. 28 board meeting as something disproportionately hurting Minnesota and surrounding states. Even with the new farm bill, Minnesota has suddenly gone from a leading milk price state to falling way behind. We believe this has a lot to do with 40 percent of our cheese being Italian, yet 0 percent of that being gured into our Class III price. It seems like each time a barrel of cheese hits the CME, our milk price goes down. For more background information on the block-barrel spread, read or listen to this podcast by T.C. Jacoby & Co, https://www.bit. ly/2JE2zYJ. I would kindly ask the editor of this paper to
give more attention to the issue. According to Bozic, it is less than $0.50/cwt. of impact, but we all lived through a time where $0.10/cwt. to $0.30/cwt. more in every milk check would mean the difference in a lot of neighbors staying in business or not, and bills getting paid. We ask you to ask your cooperative about what we can collectively do about the situation. Proposed solutions include adding Italian style cheeses into the price formula, taking barrels out or nding some other mechanism for Class III. Lastly, we cannot encourage you enough to call your legislators, especially now. Call your representative and senator and say, “I’m ___, a dairy farmer from ___, and I want you to support HF 1418 and HF 1419 (for the representative) or SF 1698 and SF 1699 (for the senators).” This conversation could represent millions of dollars re-entering our Minnesota dairy industry. As written (subject to change), either bill would provide about a $0.30/cwt. one-time payment for the most recent 12 months of production. One is linked to participation in the Dairy Margin Coverage program and the other to conservation programs. You can nd your representatives’ information here: https://www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts/. Rick Smith Adams, Minn. Minnesota Milk treasurer
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Dairy Star Newspaper welcomes letters to the editor. Every letter for publication must be 500 words or less, contain the author’s signature, address and telephone number. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and brevity. Letters can be mailed to Dairy Star, Letter to Editor, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378 or e-mail: mark.k@dairystar.com.
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Net farm income hits historic low Minnesota dairy community not surprised by data By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
For the rst time in decades, Minnesota’s agriculture economy hit a historic low with a median net farm income of $26,000 reported in 2018, according to a study published by the University of Minnesota Extension and Minnesota State Centers of Excellence for agriculture. Of the farms surveyed, those both organic and conventional dairy farms reported a median net farm income of $14,697 – a negative 65% change since last year. The median net farm income of solely convention dairy farms was a mere $11,722. The report blatantly depicts the disastrous situation the dairy industry is going through. “It’s no big surprise income was low and everyone is short on cash,” Nathan Converse said. Converse is a farm business management instructor with Central Lakes College in Morrison County. He and his colleagues compiled the data from dairy farms across the state in a comprehensive analysis published by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Farm Financial Management. The data was then used in the most recent report by Extension and Minnesota State. Every year, farmers use the data to benchmark how their dairy farming operations compare to their peers’ farms of similar size. It also allows farmers to see how their dairy ranks with a percentage of farms represented in Minnesota Department of Agriculture reports. In the 2018 report, about 13% of all dairy farms in Minnesota were represented with 30% of the state’s larger herds – greater than 100 cows – depicted in the data set. “This type of data helps us look at areas we’re doing really well with on farms and also areas of opportunity,” Converse said. “It’s a way for say a 150-cow dairy to compare with another 150-cow dairy. And, it provides important data about the dairy economy.” Last year’s data reects the fourth consecutive year dairy farmers dealt with low or negative margins and the crisis families are facing. “In our minds, we know family living costs … you can’t live off $15,000,” Converse said. “The report accurately portrays what is happening right now.” On average, every dairy cow was raised and milked on a loss of $208.70 for the farmer. At the same time, feed costs rose $0.33 per hundredweight from the three-year average, but the milk price was down 7% from the year prior at $16.44 per cwt. “The trend we’ve seen is feed costs continue to rise as milk margins remain the same, that includes grown feed like silage and forage and also purchased proteins,” said Converse, referring to the $8.06 per cwt. feed cost in 2018. “We knew feed costs were higher, but to see those values on paper was a surprise.” The ripple effect of the poor margins has been staggering. “The economy is putting a strain on
all of the industry – vendors and farmers,” Converse said. Dairy farmers spent $0.89 for every dollar earned on operating expenses, which was the highest operating expense ratio since 2009, Converse said. “After bills are paid, that doesn’t leave much for debt or the cost of living,” he said. This led to a capital debt repayment margin of negative $47,179, meaning farmers were short more than $47,000 in paying all bills and servicing debt. “We know government programs will help slow the bleeding, but it’s going to take more to heal the balance sheets,” Converse said. “There has been a huge loss of working capital, and we need a decent income to x that.” Of the 55 dairy farmers Converse works with, he sees many making management changes on their dairy operation to facilitate small prots. The same is true for other farm business management instructors across the state. “The biggest thing we’re looking at are ways we can improve,” Converse said. “Cost control is a big part of that.” Many are reevaluating on-farm expenses, such as feed costs, and nding ways they can eliminate unnecessary overhead without sacricing health and production of the herd. Converse has seen dairy farmers optimize their rations by putting up high quality forages and purchasing minimal additives. Other areas of cost control on the farm include prepaying on bulk delivery if it is an option for the farm, replacement heifers and labor. “Everyone’s looking at what they need and what they can afford for hired help,” Converse said. The dairy economy has also forced farmers to limit or defer capital purchases. “Others are trying to restructure their debt and get a lower monthly payment,” Converse said. While these options reduce costs on the farm, opportunity remains to turn a prot through better management and diversication. In terms of herd management, for example, dairy farmers are improving their breeding efciency so cows are bred back at lower days in milk. “There are also a lot of people raising crops and steers, custom harvesting or trucking,” Converse said. “These are all ways to create a revenue stream without adding capital expense.” The overarching trend reected in the data set is farmers are becoming more efcient and rening their cost structures to weather the low milk prices through diversication, technology and small management changes. While this trend will only continue to grow, the prosperity of the dairy industry will rely heavily on the markets, Converse said. “Milk price is the greatest inuence of what the future of dairy will be,” he said, emphasizing the importance of an export market. Until market prices improve, dairy farmers will continue to be faced with a double-edged sword – one that hinders the industry but provides stability for families. “We’ve seen consolidation of the industry, and I think that pace will only intensify in the long run,” Converse said. “Farmers need more cows to raise their net farm income.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 11
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
DAIRYING IN TOUGH TIMES
Looney bears markets, anticipates better futures By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
PRINCETON, Minn. – Tim Looney’s grandpa has never seen market conditions last as long what his grandson is going through, but the advice he gives holds true for the young dairy farmer. “I was around when Grandpa and my uncle were making it through 2009,” Looney said. “I wondered how they made it on $9 milk, and Grandpa says we have to keep ghting because if we give up, we’ll never make it.” Looney, 28, farms with his uncle, Dale Shelley, in a 50:50 partnership on their 120-cow dairy in Mille Lacs County near Princeton, Minn. When Looney graduated high school in 2008, he began his dairying career on the family farm and took full ownership of his grandfather, Ron Shelley’s, share two years ago. To weather the poor milk prices, Looney has worked with his uncle to eliminate unnecessary costs on the farm, such as labor, feed and time. He has also placed a renewed focus on milk components over production to turn a better prot on the milk check. For many years, Looney and his uncle milked in a tiestall barn. Last year, they purchased a neighboring farm’s double-6 parallel parlor and remodeled the milking barn with the updated equipment. Cows enter from the east end into a holding area, which once held a majority of the 60 tiestalls. Once they make
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Tim Looney milks 120 cows in an equal partnership with his uncle, Dale Shelley, on their farm near Princeton, Minn. Looney and his uncle have eliminated unneccessary costs on the farm, such as labor, feed and Ɵme, to withstand the low milk prices. it through the parlor, cows exit to the north and retreat to one of two bedded pack barns. With the parlor, Looney and his
uncle are able to milk twice as many cows in the same time it took in the tiestall barn. They are also able to complete milking without much additional help.
“We talked about putting in a parlor for a while,” Looney said. “We were Turn to LOONEY| Page 13
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 13
ConƟnued from LOONEY | Page 12 approved for nancing, but then decided to wait.” By holding off the investment until 2018, Looney and his uncle could purchase the used parlor without any nancing for the purchase and made investments to get it operational. They also and then put up two 40- by-70-foot bedded packs. “Our lender was all for it; he was behind us,” Looney said. “Dale has kids still at home who might be interested in farming one day, but with the tiestall barn, no one was interested in milking. Now, it’s easier to milk.” With more time available, Looney has put a renewed focus on nutrition. Previously, Looney bred and fed for production, but when his cooperative altered the way in which the milk check is comprised, Looney worked with his nutritionist to improve butterfat content. “To get more, you have to make more, but we’ve found that’s not always true,” Looney said. Within a year, the Holstein herd went from a 3.8% butterfat test to 4.2%. “For a while it didn’t matter what we did, nothing moved. We were sticking all this money into the feed, but then, with the snap of a nger everything changed,” Looney said. “We nally found the perfect ration.” The dairy farmer also makes sure feed is always available for the cows by remaining on a strict feeding schedule. Last year, Looney worked with his stepfather, Mike Anderson, to harvest baleage and purchase bedding. This collaboration gave Looney quality feed to put up, as well as provided a nancial cushion. “He set a price, but I didn’t have to put money up front,” Looney said. “If I had to let a payment slide to pay for something else, he stood behind me. And I know he could’ve asked for almost two times as much at the hay auctions.” As Looney prepares for spring eldwork, he plans to work with his stepfather again this year. He also hopes to sell corn, soybeans, oats and hay as a way to diversify his income. “I’ll take what we need for the herd, but sell the rest,” said Looney of his cropland. “Financially, this gives us a little extra spending money as a backup.” Looney and his uncle remain steadfast in certain management practices to help the farm stay viable in the ever-changing industry. They perform routine maintenance on milking equipment, make their own repairs on machinery, and make sure they optimize cow comfort with clean, dry bedding. While Looney is candid of the struggles he encounters, he is hopeful of a better future in dairy farming. “It’s tough and sometimes, as a young guy, you get pushed into the corner,” Looney said. “It’ll come
full circle. We might not see $25 milk again, but we’ll get at least $20.” At the end of the day, Looney still nds joy in dairy farming and continuing in these tough times is more than a decision for himself. Like many young farmers, he has a family legacy he would like to uphold. “I’ve been on the farm since I was 18 months old and Grandma would bring me out to the barn while I was at daycare,” he said. “I’ve got my grandparents who would be disappointed if I quit ghting. I can’t give up.” JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Tim Looney explains how cows enter the milking barn and then retreat to the bedded pack barns aŌer milking April 8 on his dairy farm near Princeton, Minn.
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Tim Looney examines his DHIA records on his dairy farm April 8 near Princeton, Minn. Looney has improved his buƩerfat content to capitalize on the premiums for milk components.
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 15
From Our Side Of The Fence How has your manure management plan changed?
Maydra and Bruce Maas Walnut Grove, Minn. Redwood County 300 cows Describe your farm. Our dairy consists of two three-row freestall barns and double-8 parallel parlor. Our heifers are all custom raised. We farm 1,200 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa. Describe your manure storage. Our manure is stored in a lagoon that has a 3 million gallon capacity. It has a 2-foot packed clay liner, plus a 50 milliliter plastic liner. A perimeter tile and check well allow for groundwater testing. It was built in 1998. How do you clean your dairy barns and explain your manure ďƒ&#x;ow system. Both freestall barns are scraped during each milking (twice a day) with a skidsteer and rubber squeegee bucket. The manure is collected in a 30,000 gallon pit. It is either pumped to the lagoon or run through our manure separator. The dry solids are reused for bedding, and the liquid is pumped to the lagoon. Describe the process of emptying your manure storage and application. Five Star Pumping pumps our lagoon in the spring and in the fall, even though our lagoon has capacity for a full year. They use a drag hose system with a 20-foot toolbar applicator which incorporates the manure as it is applied. The manure is applied at 8,000 to 10,000 gallons per acre into bean stubble for corn fertilizer. The manure is tested for nutrient content. The 8,000 to 10,000 rate will satisfy corn nutrient needs, plus extra phosphorous and potassium. Records are kept on which ďƒželd receives manure each year and are submitted to the county environmental ofďƒžce. Field soil tests are performed to monitor soil nutrient contents. About 200 to 250 acres are covered with manure each year. How has your manure management plan changed through the years? Our manure management plan has not changed in the last 20 years, other than switching from hauling with large tankers to the drag hose system. This reduces soil compaction and is much quicker. How do you manage manure application with the challenges of a late or wet spring? By pumping in both the spring and in the fall, we try to avoid bad weather conditions.
Josh Roos Amery, Wis. Polk County 140 cows Describe your farm. Our farm started in 1884 when my ancestors came over from Sweden. Today, it’s a seventhgeneration farm. In 2005, we built a compost barn. After building that, we expanded from 40 to 120 cows. We continued to milk in our 42-cow stanchion barn until 2012 when we built our parlor, a double-9 swing. Describe your manure storage. We pile the compost right outside the barn on a gravel pad. The only daily manure we have is the lane along the feed alley so we spread that every morning. How do you clean your dairy barn and explain your manure ďƒ&#x;ow system. We clean out our compost barn twice a year, in the spring before planting and in the fall after harvest. We use our payloader and skidsteer. The compost area is 50- by 250-feet and is 4- to 5-feet deep when we clean it out. It usually comes out to about 2,500 yards of manure at cleanout time, and weighs about 1 ton per yard. Describe the process of emptying your manure storage and application. When it’s time to haul it to the ďƒželd, we use the manure spreader if the ďƒželd is within 1 mile from the farm, or we use the truck to haul it and pile in the ďƒželd if over 1 mile. The compost is fairly low in nitrogen, but high in phosphorus and potassium. We try to cover the ďƒželds that are being seeded down into alfalfa or ďƒželds that are alfalfa being switched over to corn with the compost to best utilize it according to its N, P and K values. We typically spread at a rate of 20 ton per acre, sometimes heavier if necessary. How has your manure management plan changed through the years? In the last 14 years, we’ve learned a lot about compost barns, mostly through trial and error. After a few years and some mastitis issues, we changed the way we till the pen and clean out the barn. When we clean, we leave a foot or so around the walls, and spread that out after the barn is cleaned. This helps establish a base and start the composting process. We also modiďƒžed our tiller from Danish teeth to bigger shanks from an old digger. This helps us get down about 12-18 inches into the pack, adding air and helping to compost better. Another important thing we’ve learned is to not add sawdust too early. Having the right sawdust to manure ratio is important to generate heat and break down. If the compost is managed well in the barn, it will have a better value after it’s in the ďƒželd. How do you manage manure application with the challenges of a late or wet spring? We try to get our manure spread in the fall or trucked to the ďƒželd after the ground is frozen in the winter. Last year, we didn’t get time to haul it out, so this spring we have about 5,000 ton to spread. My dad and I bought a bigger manure spreader this spring, a Kuhn PS 160. That has helped us get the pile down and get us caught
Nathan Holtegaard Rochester, Minn. Olmsted County 600 cows Describe your farm. I farm together with my dad Roger. Our cows and older heifers are housed at one site and our other youngstock and steers are on another site. Our herd is milked three times a day. We run 1,100 acres. Cows are milked three times a day in our double-10 parallel parlor we updated in 2013, replacing a double-6 herringbone parlor. Describe your manure storage. We built a 6-million gallon pit at the same time we redid our parlor. It is a two-stage pit. The ďƒžrst stage is concrete and where the sand and solids stays. Liquid ďƒ&#x;ows over a wall in the middle of the pit and into the second stage, which has a plastic liner and only catches liquid. How do you clean your dairy barns and explain your manure ďƒ&#x;ow system. It is a ďƒ&#x;ume system that runs through each of the three freestall barns. Every time we milk, we use a skidloader with a tire scraper to clean out the alleys of the freestall barn and push manure through a grate and into the ďƒ&#x;ume. There is a ďƒ&#x;ush pump that ďƒ&#x;ushes when we scrape the barns. It is ďƒ&#x;ushed out to the pit. When we built the pit, we had to cut concrete and put the ďƒ&#x;ume line in the existing barn. We had everything set up for our third barn we built after the pit. Describe the process of emptying your manure storage and application. We pump it out every spring and fall. We use a drag line custom pumping crew that injects the manure. We spend one day hauling sand out of the ďƒžrst stage of the pit with four slinger spreaders and work it in within 24 hours. Most of our ďƒželds are within 2 miles of our farm, so the custom crew starts farthest away and works their way back towards the farm. In the fall, we put manure on corn silage and earlage ground. In the spring, we put it on corn silage ground. How has your manure management plan changed through the years? Before our pit, we used a slurry store, which we emptied and injected ourselves. After a while, we didn’t have enough storage so we were using the slurry store and daily hauling until we were able to get our pit built. How do you manage manure application with the challenges of a late or wet spring? It doesn’t happen often, but, if we need to, we wait to haul all our manure until all our corn acres are planted. up. We also started getting separator solids from a bigger farm 6 miles away for our ďƒželds, so we have another 4,000 ton of that to spread. Another thing we have done to help efďƒžciency and save time is work with our neighbor. He helps us haul our piles with his two spreaders, and we help him with our spreader and load with the payloader. This helps us both get the work done on the nice days instead of making ruts in the ďƒželds on the wet days.
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Mike Carlson Welch, Minn. Goodhue County 80 cows Describe your farm. I farm in partnership with my brother Dave. We milk our cows in a tiestall barn. We also raise our own crops – corn, alfalfa and oats – on 300 acres. The land is about 70% rolling hills with the rest being at ground. In addition to our dairy herd and land, we sell seed. Describe your manure storage. We have a 500,000-gallon lagoon we built in 2009. It is sloped on one end and also has a ramp on it. It has a cement bottom and the big wall on one end is cement. The other end is a liner on top of dirt. How do you clean your dairy barn and explain your manure ow system. Manure is moved out of the tiestall barn by a barn cleaner. It is then pumped underground to the lagoon. I really liked that this winter. Describe the process of emptying your manure storage and application. We empty it every fall (weather permitting), and then empty a portion of it every spring. We have it custom hauled with tankers and knifed into the soil. We haul it on elds that will have corn on it. We also put a light coating on elds that have oats with alfalfa seeded into it. How has your manure management plan changed through the years? Before our lagoon, we had a small pit under the barn we would empty and haul every three days. Before that, we hauled manure daily. We have been able to get more use of our manure on the elds as natural fertilizer. We have not had to purchase as much commercial fertilizer as we used to. There is also not as much run off now since it gets knifed in right away. How do you manage manure application with the challenges of a late or wet spring? We have to deal with it. It gets done when we are able to get out in the eld. We work with the custom hauler to nd a time for them to come out and get it done. Last spring got late for us.
Andy and Lyn (not pictured) Buttles Lancaster, Wis. Grant County 1,200 cows
Josh Engelmann Waverly, Minn. Wright County 1,200 cows Describe your farm. I farm with my brother, Chris. We milk 1,200 cows, raise our own replacements and farm 2,000 acres of cropland. Describe your manure storage. We have two earthen lagoons for the manure from the dairy barns that hold 15 million gallons. We also have a manure separator to generate solids for bedding the milk cows and the replacement heifers. We have stacking pads for storing the solid manure from the heifers until it is hauled to the eld. We also have a 3-million gallon earthen runoff basin to collect the runoff from the open heifer lots. How do you clean your dairy barns and explain your manure ow system. The dairy barns are scraped three times per day. The manure is run through the manure separator before it goes to the lagoon. The heifer lots are scraped once per week, and the manure is stacked until we can haul it on the eld. Describe the process of emptying your manure storage and application. Manure is pumped from the lagoons two times a year. The majority of the manure is removed after fall harvest, with a small portion removed in spring. The lagoons are agitated using an agitation boat. The manure is injected in the elds utilizing a drag hose application system. Liquid manure is applied to the elds closest to the dairy, and the solids are applied to the elds further away from the dairy. How has your manure management plan changed through the years? We utilize certied advisors to determine manure application elds and rates. All manure is tested for nutrient content, and all elds are tested for nutrient needs. This allows us to use the nutrients as efciently as possible. How do you manage manure application with the challenges of a late or wet spring? We wait until the elds are dry to apply manure. If needed, we will plant an earlier variety of corn if it gets too late.
Describe your farm. Our farm is located in the beautiful rolling hills of the Driftless region in the southwest corner of Wisconsin. Together with our outstanding group of employees, we milk about 1,120 registered Holsteins, 60 registered Jerseys and about a dozen registered Brown Swiss. We farm about 1,800 tillable acres and utilize another 600 acres of pasture for young stock. Describe your manure storage. We built our main manure pit two years ago. It is cement lined and holds approximately 11 million gallons. How do you clean your dairy barns and explain your manure ow system. We clean our barns by scraping with a skidsteer three times a day. In our old barn, the manure is scraped into slats over a 3- by 3-foot cement channel with a box scraper in it. In our new barn, the manure is scraped into slats over a round bottom channel with a manure auger. The manure then enters reception pits. From the reception pits the manure is pumped with piston pumps to the manure pit. Describe the process of emptying your manure storage and application. We try to empty our pit in fall when possible. We hire outstanding custom manure applicators to do the bulk of our manure application. We follow our nutrient management plan to determine manure application rates. For the closer elds, we have the manure applied with a low-disturbance manure injector attached to a drag hose. For the farther away elds, we either utilize tankers with injectors or some other combination of equipment depending on the distance from the farm. A manure boat is the best way to agitate our pit. How has your manure management plan changed through the years? Our new pit has really helped us to do a much better job of managing our manure. It has allowed us to do a better job of applying manure when eld conditions are appropriate. We are also in the process of trying to reduce tillage and add more cover crops in our cropping systems. We are trying several ways of balancing manure with less tillage. We also want to do more
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Jim Johnson Grey Eagle, Minn. Todd County 60 cows Describe your farm. We run 600 acres of ground where we plant corn, soybeans and alfalfa. We also milk 60 cows in a tiestall barn. Describe your manure storage. Eight years ago I put in a slurry store that holds 1 million gallons of manure. We empty it in the fall. How do you clean your dairy barns and explain your manure ow system. We have a regular barn cleaner that pushes manure out of the barn, which then gets pumped into the pit. Describe the process of emptying your manure storage and application. I hire it done. When we put the pit in we started working with Prairie Lakes Coop. They analyze the manure nutrients and we also provide soil samples so we can match which elds need how much of everything. We put it on the eld ourselves – on our land and on our rented land. How has your manure management plan changed through the years? We daily hauled before we put in the pit. It hasn’t changed much since I put in the pit. How do you manage manure application with the challenges of a late or wet spring? We only pump the pit once a year in the fall. It’s a pretty simple system.
composting with some of our solid pack manure. How do you manage manure application with the challenges of a late or wet spring? Unfortunately, last fall the weather was pretty tough. Because of all the rain, our pits were fuller than normal plus we did not get as much manure out as we would have liked to. Because of this we will be pumping more manure this spring than we like to.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 17
Is whole milk perfect for calves? Maybe not. WHOLE TRUTH MILK
THE
According to the National Research Council (NRC)1 and the U.S. Department of Agriculture,2 whole milk is deficient in many vitamins and minerals needed for proper calf growth and development. PERCENTAGE OF NRC-RECOMMENDED1 TRACE MINERALS AND VITAMINS IN WHOLE MILK
66%
6%
3%
4%
30%
MANGANESE
ZINC
COPPER
IRON
COBALT
IODINE
Whole milk has been the gold standard in calf feeding for many generations. When it comes to whole milk feeding, it can be hard to distinguish facts from fiction. But one fact holds true – you expect your calves to perform. Whole milk can lack thee al necessary vitamins, minerals and optimal eet protein-to-fat ratio your calves need to meet modern-day performance demands. Calves are expected to achieve weaning growth goals sooner, have faster rumen development ment and grow more efficiently. These expectations tions are beyond what whole milk alone can provide. ovide. Incorporating new technologies into the lactating actating total mixed ration is commonplace – it’s time ime to look at whole milk through the same lens ns to help your calves get the right nutrition at the right time, every time.
Myth: Whole milk contains all of the nutrients calves need
0.7%
MODERN CALVES NEED MODERN MILK
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16%
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VITAMIN A
VITAMIN E
VITAMIN D3
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A quality calf starter can help offset these nutritional gaps, but most calves will not consume enough starter in their early days of life.
Myth: Whole milk provides a consistent meal every time
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Whole milk used for calf diets is often sourced from cows whose milk is not able to be sold to consumers. This milk is often lower in quality and has an inconsistent nutrient profile.
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To calculate the protein-to-fat ratio, divide the percent of protein by percent of fat. For example, whole milk with 28 percent protein and 28 percent fat would have a protein-to-fat ratio of 1.0. National Research Council. 2001. Nutrient Requirements of Dairy Cattle. 7th ed. Natl. Acad. Press, Washington, DC. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2008. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 21. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/ndl.
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
Top Performers
Genetics, housing drive production at Zabel Borgschatz Dairy LLC Zabel Borgschatz Dairy LLC Don and Anne Borgschatz and family Plainview, Minn. Wabasha County 160 cows What is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? Our rolling herd average is 28,682 pounds of milk with 4.03% butterfat and 3.2% protein. How many times a day do you milk? If you do not milk 3X a day, have you tried it
in the past? We have always milked two times a day. Do you contract your milk? Has it been successful for you? We have used StewartPeterson’s Market 360 program for the past eight years. We feel we have at least broken even with it. Describe your housing and milking facility. Our milk cows are housed in a threerow sand-bedded freestall barn originally built in 2006. This includes a three-pen maternity
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Anne and Don Borgschatz milk 160 cows on their farm, Zabel Borgschatz Dairy LLC, near Plainview, Minn. The herd averages 28,682 pounds of milk with 4.03% buƩerfat and 3.2% protein. area. We doubled it in 2015. We milk in a double-9 herringbone parlor. We use the old barn attached to the parlor as the holding pen for milking and a hospital pen. KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
The raƟon at Zabel Borgshatz Dairy consists of haylage, dry hay, a base mineral mix, powdered corn, coƩonseed and corn silage.
What is your herd health program? We do herd health
checks every other week with Dr. Jim Bennett of Northern Valley Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minn. We also use Northern Valley’s vet technician to maintain herd vaccination programs. The hoof trimmer comes at least once a quarter.
What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? We dry treat all cows and use a teat sealant. Our cows are dry 50-60 days. When cows are close to calving, they are Turn to TOP PERFORMERS | Page 20
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 19
New Construction or Remodeling Stray voltage can develop at any time on any dairy. Have you noticed the following symptoms in your herd? • Increased somatic cell count • Poor reproductive performance • Decreased milk production
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12,000 cows, 160,000 SCC, 7 years with Udder Comfort
“It’s a simple preventive routine.” — Jake Benson
D&J DAIRY, HEREFORD, TEXAS Doug and Jake Benson 12,000 crossbred cows (2x) 65 lbs/cow/day 4.5F 3.5P 160,000 average SCC Dairy Quality Center Sustainability Certification “From the ice cream kids eat, to the milk they drink, we take pride in producing a quality product. Udder Comfort™ is a good tool for quality management: Easy to use, no milk withdrawal, and the best for edema reduction. It’s a simple preventive routine. Our employees like how Udder Comfort makes fresh cows easier to milk,” says Jake Benson. He and his father Doug are partners in D&J Dairy, Hereford, Texas. For 7 years they’ve been using Udder Comfort to start every lactation, spraying all fresh udders for the first 6 to 8 milkings. The 12,000 cows in 3 units together make 4.5F 3.5P 160,000 SCC milk to earn quality premiums and certifications. “We like Udder Comfort. It works. Fresh cows milk better, faster, with higher quality milk ready to go in the tank sooner. And we see fewer back in the hospital,” adds Gustavo, managing the transition unit’s parlor and fresh cows where 1000 calve monthly and begin their lactations with Udder Comfort.
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Keep the milk in the system 1.888.773.7153 1.613.652.9086 uddercomfort.com Call to locate a distributor near you. For external application to the udder only after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
ConƟnued from TOP PERFORMERS | Page 18
put into a straw bedded maternity pen that also has one individual pen with a headlock if needed. What is the composition of your ration? What has been one of your most recent changes that has been successful for you? Right now we are feeding a TMR consisting of haylage, dry hay, a base mineral mix, powdered corn, cottonseed and corn silage. At times, we also feed rye. The introduction of low lignin hay and BMR corn silage have been the most successful feed changes for us. In the last few years, we have also been feeding early harvested rye, which has been great feed for our cattle. The amount of dry hay we put into the ration is always exible. Our haylage isn’t as high of quality as we would
like it to be so we have been adding in more hay. Through the years you have been farming, what change has created the biggest jump in your herd average? Moving our cows out of the old barn that had stalls bedded with sawdust and into the new facility has really improved our production and overall milk quality. The new facility has sprinklers and fans on thermostats along with longer stalls with sand bedding. What role does genetics play in your production level, and what is your breeding program? We were fortunate to take over a farm that has stressed the importance of top quality genetics for the past 50 years. We continue to breed to improve our herd genet-
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
This group of cows exemplies the type of animals the Borgschatzes want in their herd on their 160-cow dairy near Plainview, Minn. ics. We are 100% A.I., and we have started a double ov-synch program. We breed for components and cows that have longevity, which means strong feet and legs, and udders. A testament to our production is that our daughter’s cow won reserve champion production last year at the 4-H dairy show at the Minnesota State Fair.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
A cows rests in sand bedding in the freestall barn at Zabel Borgschatz Dairy.
What type of improvements would you like to make that would increase your rolling herd average even higher? The next big step to improve our rolling herd average would be to go to three milkings.
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List three management strategies that has kept you profitable. I am not sure there are three strategies. We are always looking for ways to save money while not taking away from the health and productivity of our animals. Protability has been hard to come by lately. What would you say are the three most important factors for you that helped you attain your current herd average? Great genetics, good housing and a fantastic, longstanding support team of employees, veterinarians, breeders, nutritionists and custom feed harvesters.
Tell us about your farm. We are a fth-generation family farm, having been stewards of this land since 1878. In addition to milking 160 cows, we run about 500 acres of cropland on which we grow our feed. We also raise our own replacement heifers. We are partowners in Zabel Seeds, a small grains seed company based north of Elgin, Minn. We also own Easy B-Z Manufacturing Company, a dairy tools design and manufacturing company. We are the “Portable Calf Restraint” people.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 21
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JD 2210, 2014, 55.5 Äeld cultivator, $ #154394
BOX DRILLS 6 JD 8300, #157102 .............................................................................$4,995 5 JD 455, 1999, Width: 30, Spacing: 10”, #150258............................. $18,900 11 JD 455, 2018, Configuration: Folding, Width: 30, Spacing: 7.5”, #143110 .......................................................................................... $63,900 14 JD 455, 2010, Configuration: Folding, Width: 25, Spacing: 7.5”, #156454 .......................................................................................... $29,900 14 Great Plains 2000-3275, 2015, #157104 ..................................... $22,000 FIELD CULTIVATORS 4 JD 960, 1994, 36 ft, Kind: 3-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #148486 .............................................................................................$7,500 2 JD 980, 2004, 44 ft, Kind: 3-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #157566 .......................................................................................... $19,900 10 JD 1010, 25.5 ft, Kind: 3-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #151724 .............................................................................................$3,495 10 JD 1010, 31 ft, #150876 ....................................................................$2,825 10 JD 960, 1994, 26 ft, #148845 ............................................................$5,500 10 JD 960, 1989, 27 ft, Kind: 3-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #157465 .............................................................................................$5,900 7 JD 960, 1988, 44 ft, Standards: C-Shank, #150157 ............................$7,215 1 Glencoe 3500, 25 ft, Kind: 3-Section Folding, #157470....................$4,900 1 JD 2210, 2011, #155650 ................................................................ $29,900 1 Case IH 690, 2014, #155651 .......................................................... $18,900 12 JD 1000, 1978, #156035 ...................................................................$3,950 15 Case IH 4800, #155715 ....................................................................$5,100 16 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2014, 60 ft, #155901............................ $59,400 16 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2014, 60 ft, Kind: 5-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #154509 ......................................................... $59,400 16 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2014, 60 ft, Kind: 5-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #154511 ......................................................... $59,400 16 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2014, 60 ft, Kind: 5-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #154510 ......................................................... $59,400 16 Case IH TIGERMATE 200, 2014, 60 ft, Kind: 5-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #154507 ......................................................... $59,400 16 Case IH TIGRMATE 200, 2014, 60 ft, Kind: 5-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #154508 ......................................................... $59,400 8 JD 2210, 2009, 53 ft, Kind: 5-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #154393 .......................................................................................... $48,000 8 JD 2210, 2014, 55.5 ft, Kind: 5-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #154394 .......................................................................................... $58,500 8 JD 2210, 2009, 50.5 ft, Kind: 5-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #154537 .......................................................................................... $43,500 14 JD 980, 1997, 26 ft, Kind: 3-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #153320 .............................................................................................$9,900 14 JD 980, 1998, #156455................................................................... $14,430 3 JD 980, 1994, 33 ft, Kind: 3-Section Folding, Standards: C-Shank, #151027 .......................................................................................... $12,000 PLANTERS: DRAWN 4 JD 1775NT, 2018, Rows: 16, Row Spacing: 30 in, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, Row Command, #150736 ....................................................................................... $169,000 4 JD 1760, 2013, #156200 ................................................................ $52,500 10 JD 1770NT, 2014, #156928 ............................................................ $89,900 17 JD 1750, 1997, #156043 ................................................................ $12,500 17 JD 1765, 2015, #155243 ................................................................ $54,500 7 White 6322, #156848 ................................................................... $18,900 6 Great Plains YP2425, 2007, 24R30 in, Frame: Flex Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, #152236 ... $65,000
58,500
Case IH Tigermate 200, 2014, 60’ Äeld cultivator, $ 6” spacing, #154511
15 JD 1760, 2001, 12R30, Frame: Wing Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 3.0 Bushel, #157463 .......................................................... $20,500 15 JD DB66, 2008, #155284 .............................................................. $139,900 9 JD DB60, 2014, #156907 .............................................................. $159,000 16 JD DB99, 2014, #156313 .............................................................. $310,000 16 JD DB66, 2008, #156834 .............................................................. $132,500 11 JD 1775NT, 2018, 16R30, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, Row Command, #140328 ..................$149,500 8 Wil-Rich 24-22, 2009, 24R22, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 1.6 Bushel, Row Command, #139224................................. $44,900 14 JD 1780, 1999, #155446 ................................................................ $33,500 PLANTERS: INTEGRAL 17 JD 7300, 1990, 12R30, Frame: Wing Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 3.0 Bushel, #157581 .............................................................$8,500 6 White 5100, #155511 ......................................................................$6,700 16 White 6722, 16R22, Frame: Wing Fold, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: 1.6 Bushel, #157535 .......................................................... $11,900 8 JD DR24, 2018, 24R22, Metering System: Vacuum, Hopper: Central Fill System, Row Command, #150773 ..................$179,500 PULL-TYPE SPRAYERS 2 Hardi RANGER 2000, 2014, #155294............................................ $20,500 10 Redball 580, 2006, #151074 ......................................................... $18,900 1 Fast 9613, 2016, #157612 ............................................................. $29,900 15 Wil-Rich Blumha, #148336 .............................................................$5,500 15 Top Air TA1200, 2008, #155358 .................................................... $16,650 5 Hardi Commander 1200, 2002, #150043 .................................... $14,900 5 Wil-Rich 500 GAL, #150604 .............................................................$6,000 3 Top Air TA2400, 2014, #156122 .................................................... $49,500 SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS 4 JD R4038, 2017, Boom Width: 120-Foot, Boom Leveling, Tank: Stainless, Nozzle Spacing: 20 in, 289 hrs., #141223 ......................................$329,500 1 JD 4830, 2013, Tank: Stainless, Tire Width: Mid, Hydraulic Tread Adjust, Traction Control: Yes, Nozzle Spacing: 15 in, 1977 hrs., #155970 ... $149,000 15 JD 4940, 2014, 1763 hrs., #155452 .............................................. $199,500 16 JD 4830, 2013, Boom Leveling, Tank: Stainless, Guidance-ready, Traction Control, 2400 hrs., #157473 ............................................. $139,000 16 Case IH 4430, 2013, Boom Leveling, Tank: Stainless, Tire Width: Narrow, Guidance-ready, 2655 hrs., #154198 ............................................. $209,500 8 JD R4038, 2018, Boom Width: 120-Foot, Nozzle Spacing: 20 in, 495 hrs., #150887 ........................................................................................ $339,000 14 JD R4038, 2017, Hydraulic Tread Adjust, Guidance-ready, 508 hrs., #143961 ........................................................................................ $346,500 14 JD R4038, 2018, 100 hrs., #155379.............................................. $340,200 SKID STEER LOADERS 4 JD 330G, 2017, Cab w/ AC, EH Controls, Joystick, Ride Control, 2 Speed, Self-Leveling, Aux Hydraulics, 84” Bucket, Reversing Fan, 741 hrs., #152399 .......................................................................................... $49,900 4 JD 326E, 2016 . Cab w/ AC, EH Controls, Air Ride Seat, Ride Control, 2 Speed, 72” Bucket, Reversing Fan, 335 hrs., #142477 ................................. $46,000 4 Bobcat S530, 2016, Cab Enclosure, Foot Controls, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 920 hrs., #157477 ........................................................................... $26,900 4 JD 326D, 2011, 1503 hrs., #156532 ................................................ $25,500 4 JD 316GR, 2016, 171 hrs., #156291 ............................................... $33,000 4 Bobcat S510, 2016, Cab Enclosure, Foot Controls, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 995 hrs., #157476 ........................................................................... $24,900 4 JD 320E, 2016, Cab w/ AC, EH Controls, Air Ride Seat, Joystick, Ride Control, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 76” Bucket, Reversing Fan, 290 hrs., #153678 .......................................................................................... $40,900
59,400
189,000
CIH QT500, 2011, $ 2950 hrs., #155272
4 JD 326E, 2016, Cab w/ AC, Cab w/ AC, EH Controls, EH Controls, EH Controls, Air Ride Seat, Joystick, Ride Control, Ride Control, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 84” Bucket, Reversing Fan, Reversing Fan, 341 hrs., #128723 .......... $42,900 4 Bobcat S650, 2013, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 750 hrs., #155406 ........................................................................... $37,900 4 JD 318E, 2016, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 72” Bucket, 100 hrs., #125482 ......................................................... $37,100 2 JD 326E, 2016, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, Air Ride Seat, 2 Speed, Self-Leveling, 78” Bucket, Reversing Fan, 497 hrs., #148317 ........... $41,900 10 JD 326E, 2015, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, 2 Speed, Self-Leveling, Aux Hydraulics, 84” Bucket, Reversing Fan, 1313 hrs., #152238....... $35,000 10 New Holland L230, 2013, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, Air Ride Seat, 2 Speed, Self-Leveling, 84” Bucket, 291 hrs., #146693 ................................... $35,900 10 New Holland L220, 2012, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, 2 Speed, 72” Bucket, 1308 hrs., #157537 ......................................................................... $28,600 10 JD 317, 2008, 1612 hrs., #156831 .................................................. $16,900 10 JD 320E, 2016, 2510 hrs., #156901 ................................................ $27,500 10 JD 320E, 2016, 885 hrs., #155727 .................................................. $35,900 10 New Holland L190, 2010, Cab Enclosure, Foot Controls, 84” Bucket, 912 hrs., #157458 ........................................................................... $27,500 10 JD 332E, 2014, 1000 hrs., #155014 ................................................ $42,500 17 JD 318E, 2015, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, Air Ride Seat, 2 Speed, 72” Bucket, Reversing Fan, 140 hrs., #148061 .................................................... $37,900 17 Bobcat 742B, 1991 hrs., #154553 ....................................................$8,500 7 JD 326E, 2015, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, Air Ride Seat, 2 Speed, Self-Leveling, Aux Hydraulics, 84” Bucket, Reversing Fan, 780 hrs., #153617 .......................................................................................... $39,900 7 JD 324E, 2018, 42 hrs., #156471 .................................................... $47,900 6 JD 320D, 2013, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, Reversing Fan, 1426 hrs., #153614 .................................................. $24,900 6 JD 326E, 2016, Cab w/ AC, EH Controls, Air Ride Seat, Joystick, Ride Control, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 78” Bucket, Reversing Fan, 280 hrs., #153677 .......................................................................................... $45,900 1 JD 320E, 2016, Cab w/ AC, EH Controls, EH Controls, Joystick, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 76” Bucket, 645 hrs., #151636 ................................ $42,900 12 JD 326E, 2016, Cab w/ AC, EH Controls, Air Ride Seat, 2 Speed, Self-Leveling, 84” Bucket, Reversing Fan, 54 hrs., #126370 ................................... $45,900 15 JD 320E, 2017, Cab w/ AC, EH Controls, Joystick, 2 Speed, 72” Bucket, 153 hrs., #144216 ........................................................................... $43,900 15 JD 320E, 2017, Cab w/ AC, EH Controls, Joystick, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 2245 hrs., #151633 ......................................................................... $29,500 9 JD 318D, 2013, ROPS, Foot Controls, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 72” Bucket, 986 hrs., #153615 ......................................................... $15,900 9 JD 320E, 2015, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 72” Bucket, 370 hrs., #151072 ......................................................... $37,500 16 JD 320E, 2017, Cab w/ AC, EH Controls, Joystick, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, Less Bucket, 2657 hrs., #148971...................................................... $27,750 5 JD 320E, 2014, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 72” Bucket, 678 hrs., #152334 ......................................................... $35,900 11 JD 320E, 2015, Cab w/ AC, EH Controls, Air Ride Seat, Joystick, Ride Control, 2 Speed, 78” Bucket, Reversing Fan, 524 hrs., #143386 ................... $42,900 11 JD 320D, 2011, 5817 hrs., #157105 ................................................ $15,500 8 JD 332G, 2016, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, EH Controls, Air Ride Seat, Joystick, Ride Control, 2 Speed, Self-Leveling, Aux Hydraulics, Weights, Weights, 84” Bucket, Reversing Fan, 572 hrs., #153227 ................................. $52,900 8 JD 328D, 2012, 1405 hrs., #155370 ................................................ $34,500 14 JD 320E, 2014, Cab w/ AC, Foot Controls, 2 Speed, Aux Hydraulics, 72” Bucket, Reversing Fan, 3442 hrs., #153675 ............................... $24,900
JD DR24, 2018, 24R22 CCS planter, $ seedstar, #150773
179,500
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
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Contact one of the following dealers to learn more: IOWA Kramer Bros. Monticello, IA 319-465-5931 Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290 United-Suckow Dairy Supply West Union, IA 563-422-5355 Postville, IA 563-864-7417
WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713 Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Professional Dairy Services Waunakee, WI 608-849-5043
Mondovi Dairy Systems Inc. Mondovi, WI 715-926-5777 West Salem, WI 608-769-2113 The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470 MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA D&D Ag Supply Pennock, MN 320-599-4466
East Central Dairy Supply Mora, MN 320-679-1029 Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Watertown, MN 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD 800-284-0015 S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288 Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2019 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. www.delaval.com
carts reaching 200 schools
Five million pounds of milk will be served annually to 70,000 students daily GENYOUth, an organization founded through the dairy checkoff to help create healthier schools, is providing Grab-n-Go breakfast carts to Fuel Up to Play 60 schools across the country that will serve more than 5 million pounds of milk annually. GENYOUth – with nancial contributions from private businesses – is supporting the installation of Grab-n-Go carts in more than 200 schools over the 2017-18 and 2018-19 school years. The carts will provide breakfast to about 70,000 students daily, serving an estimated 5.8 million pounds of milk annually as a part of the schools’ breakfast program. All schools that receive the carts participate in Fuel Up to Play 60, a youth wellness program founded by dairy farmers through National Dairy Council and the NFL, in collaboration with USDA. Fuel Up to Play 60 is the agship program of GENYOUth. The carts feature a Fuel Up to Play 60 logo and offer a serving of milk, fruit, whole grain and a meat alternative option (which could be smoothies, yogurt parfaits or cheese) with each breakfast. Each cart features a cooler to keep the dairy foods cold. Foods served from the carts are provided as part of USDA’s School Breakfast Program and meet the federal nutrition guidelines. “Breakfast carts are an important asset because they’re making a nutritious morning meal, including dairy, more accessible to kids in a very convenient way,” said Pennsylvania dairy farmer Marilyn Hershey, who serves as chair of Dairy Management Inc., which manages the national dairy checkoff. “We wouldn’t have the resources to provide these carts without partners, which is why it is so important to have GENYOUth and Fuel Up to Play 60 as our vehicles to bring these companies to the table.” According to research conducted by the Food Research and Action Center (FRAC), innovative practices of serving food at school are critical for students who are prone to skipping breakfast. Concepts such as breakfast after the bell and Grab-n-Go carts are proven as most effective in growing participation by helping schools overcome barriers associated with the traditional cafeteria breakfast, including timing, convenience and stigma. Ann Marie Krautheim, RD, President and Chief Wellness Ofcer for GENYOUth, said the carts are reaching schools where many students come from food-insecure households. “This Grab-n-Go initiative is impacting schools and communities that need it the most,” Krautheim said. “We’ve had schools tell us these carts are gamechangers as they are helping feed hungry kids who may not have access to a meal at home. We know that students who are well-nourished with foods such as dairy have a better chance of being successful in the classroom. This is a win for students and a win for dairy.” Forty-one carts are being unveiled at schools throughout March – National Nutrition Month – with support from state and regional Dairy Council staff. The funding for the carts delivered this month was generated by 19,000 PepsiCo North America employees who took more than 5 billion steps last year as part of the company’s Ready, Set, Move …Give! Healthy Living program. The goal is to turn steps into dollars provided by Pepsico Foundation to support serving nutritious breakfast to students across the country. Other third-party support for the cart program came from GENYOUth’s partners, including the General Mills Foundation, Georgia Power Foundation, Arby’s Foundation, Delta Airlines, the Home Depot Foundation, WellCare Community Foundation and UnitedHealthcare.
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 23
Central Plains Dairy Expo showcases technology, education, fun
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Nolan Temperli keeps himself occupied with a clean calf boƩle while his parents, Maggie and MarƟn Temperli, talk with Myron Bleyenberg (right) from Tri State Calf Products March 27 during the Central Plains Dairy Expo. The Temperlis milk 1,500 cows near Elkton, S.D.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Mark (right) and Jon Qual (second from right) talk with (from leŌ) Jason Boers, of Consumer Physics, along with Tyler ScoƩ and Will Schreoder, of Boys Supply, March 27 during the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Quals dairy near Lisbon, N.D.
DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR
Sarina Sharp presents her analysis of the current dairy market to a room full of dairy producers March 27 at the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls, S.D.
JEFF WEYER/DAIRY STAR
Country music singer Travis TriƩ performs March 26 during the Central Plains Dairy Expo welcome concert in Sioux Falls, S.D.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Josh Rogers (right) from Clean Sweep Industries explains his products to Loren Sellner March 27 during the trade show at the Central Plains Dairy Expo. Sellner milks 180 cows near Sleepy Eye, Minn.
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
Grand Prize Winner will be announced May 6 on KASM 1150 AM at 1:35 p.m.
19th Annual
Central Minnesota Credit Union And The Dairy Star Present
ROCK PICKERS FOR A DAY
One Finalist From Each Location!
Meet the Central Minnesota Credit Union and Dairy Star Rock Pickers...
Finalist Drawing To Be Held In April At Branch OfÀces
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 25
The future herd begins with calves Optimizing youngstock health through feeding practices By Danna Sabolik
danna.s@dairystar.com
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Scours and sick calves are an unfortunately common ailment on dairy farms. This is a problem that can be easily remedied through management of feeding practices. Dr. R. M. Thornsberry, DVM presented research on ensuring cows get off to a healthy start March 28 at the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls, S.D. Thornsberry spoke about calf nutrition, energy, the calf’s unique anatomy and the affects of poor versus proper nutrition during his seminar, “Importance of Energy and Osmolality For Reducing Scores and Sick Calves”. “Nutritionists look at energy in a pretty complicated manner,” Thornsberry said. “Today, I want you to remember fat has 2.25 times more energy per given weight than sugar does.” Sugar is quick energy, but not sustaining. If a calf needs quick energy, glucose and lactose are a good solution, but to sustain energy in a young calf, fat is necessary. While protein has some energy value, it should not be used it for that. The amount of energy in a calf depends on what they eat. Of what they eat, not everything gets digested, and of what is digested, not everything is metabolized. An accurate analysis of feed energy is the net energy of metabolized
feed. This is similar to how a lactating cow’s diet is analyzed. Nutritionists often look at the amount of feed consumed, and how much of the feed can be used as energy to make milk. The model translates to calves, but in the sense of putting on weight rather than making milk. Carbohydrates serve as a quick source of energy, fats are a sustaining energy and protein should never be used for energy. “We want to balance out protein in these diets for good growth and good gain, but not for energy,” Thornsberry said. “Excess protein in the diet is seen a lot today. We tend to think, ‘If 18% protein is good, 24% must be better.’” This is not the case, and excess protein in a calf’s diet will cause diarrhea, which is why the fat in the diet is so important for sustenance. “A Holstein calf is born with enough fat in his body to live for 48 hours,” Thornsberry said. “This is why it’s so signicant for the calf to get colostrum immediately; for not only the transference of antibodies, but also for the high fat content the calf needs to stay alive.” In a newborn calf, the rumen is the size of a clenched st. For a weaned calf eating starter feed, the maximum their rumen will be is the size of a soccer ball, which is why it is important not to feed hay to these young animals. The calf is not yet a ruminant animal and cannot use the hay in their diet. “A calf may munch on their bedding to add ber to their diet, but he cannot live off hay,” Thornsberry said. “Even nice, dairy hay like alfalfa will go straight through them. The protein
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concentration is too high at 24%.” Understanding the esophageal or reticular groove is key to understanding the function of the calf’s stomachs. After feed is swallowed, it moves down the esophagus toward the stomach. Since the esophagus joins the stomach in the area of the rumen and reticulum, ingested feed rst enters this section of the stomach. However, prior to weaning, milk and milk replacer take a different route to the stomach. A combination of factors such as suckling, the presence of milk proteins and anticipation result in neural responses that cause muscular folds in the reticulorumen to form a groove that extends from the esophagus to the abomasum. The esophageal groove allows milk and milk replacer to bypass the rumen, reticulum and omasum and to ow directly into the abomasum. “If we tube feed a calf, we bypass all those nerves and everything we feed the calf goes straight into the rumen,” Thornsberry said. “If we bucket feed a calf, the calf will drink the milk faster than she can swallow it and when it gets to the U tube, it’ll try to get through in great volume and push it open a little bit, resulting in overow in the rumen.” According to Thornsberry, this is why most veterinarians suggest bottle-feeding for a few weeks until the calf’s physiology is mature enough to regulate the intake of milk. Milk should never sit in the rumen, he said. If milk gets into the rumen, rumen bacteria try to break down the sugars and turn it into D-lactic acid. This acid
is absorbed in the blood stream and signals the brain to shut off of the suckling reex. “The farmer will think the calf won’t drink and will tube feed the calf, which just causes more spillage into the rumen, producing more acid and we’re stuck in a cycle,” Thornsberry said. Tubing colostrum is different; because when it is administered, the calf is a newborn with a sterile rumen. A short time later, the rumen is full of bacteria from licking themselves, their mother and the ground, making it unsafe to tube feed. Another aspect of a calf’s anatomy is a valve in the back of the neck, to prevent inhaling food or drink. “The natural suckling of a calf is
“We want to balance out protein in these diets for good growth and good gain, but not for energy.” DR. R. M. THORNSBERRY, DVM
with its head down, below the level of its eyes,” Thornsberry said. “Calves that are forced to drink from too high can get milk into their lungs and develop pneumonia.” Understanding the proper functions of a calf’s anatomy can help farmers produce a healthier herd and, in turn, healthier productions down the road. Better analysis of energy and how the calf can use said energy; farmers can grow a healthy population into the future. The future of the industry begins with calves.
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
Marketing Assistance Loan reminders, nancing opportunities This fall was a popular time for producers to utilize the Marketing Assistance Loan Program at FSA to take a loan on their corn or soybeans. Producers are responsible for notifying their local ofce prior to feeding or selling their FSA News & Notes grain that is under loan. If loan grain has been disposed of through feeding, selling or any other form of disposal without prior written authorization from the county ofce staff, it is considered unauthorized disposition. The nancial penalties for unauthorized dispositions are severe, and a producer’s name will be By Ryan Brunn placed on a loan violation Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. list for a two-year period. Always call before you haul or feed any grain under loan. Producers who take out marketing assistance loans and use the farmstored grain as collateral should remember they are responsible for maintaining the quality of the grain through the term of the loan. If interested in taking out a loan on your 2018 stored corn or soybeans there is still time. The deadline is May 31. If you still have need for nancing for 2019, your local farm loan team is busy working on operating loans so it is important that potential borrowers submit their requests early so they can be timely processed. The farm loan team can help determine which loan programs are best for applicants. FSA offers a wide range of low-interest loans that can meet the nancial needs of any farm operation for just about any purpose. The traditional farm operating and farm ownership loans can help large and small farm operations take advantage of early purchasing discounts for spring inputs as well expenses throughout the year. Microloans are a simplied loan program that will provide up to $50,000 to eligible applicants. These loans, targeted for smaller operations and non-traditional operations, can be used for operating expenses, starting a new agricultural enterprise, purchasing equipment and other needs associated with a farming operation. The staff at your local FSA ofce can provide more details on farm operating and microloans and provide loan applications. Loans to beginning farmers and members of underserved groups are a priority. Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 27
Live to leave a legacy
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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. Rebekka grew up in Browerville, Minn., working on several dairy farms including her uncle’s farms. Rebekka nds joy in sharing the story and future of dairy with others through community outreach and media platforms. She is a junior at South Dakota State University studying Agricultural Education with minors in Animal Science and Social Media.
p le
day in and day out, the amount of love and effort we pour into our livelihood, and the persistence and pride we exemplify regardless of the world around us. Our legacy is what today’s youth will think about dairy farming in the future, and what dairy farmers will associate with for years to come. Taking away every ounce of economics, worries and tough decisions, you are making a difference. You are leaving a legacy. As the dairy cows left the ring at Little International, a smile came over my face. Belonging to the dairy community has always been a blessing, but living the dairy legacy is truly an honor. Each of us has the opportunity and responsibility to leave a legacy. Day in and day out, thank you for taking the challenge to positively inuence the dairy legacy. Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Rebekka Paskewitz, serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s
G e nt
Over the course of the past week, South Dakota State University was in full swing as we held the 96th Little International. This year’s theme for the honored campus tradition was “Live to Leave a Legacy.” As I sat in the bleachers watching the dairy show, I could not help but think about the legacy I am On the Road with a part of in the dairy Princess Kay community, and how it has positively challenged and encouraged each of us over the years. From a young age, my grandpa was my view of the dairy legacy. He was the hardest working man, with enough heart and humility to fully represent the Minnesota farmers. My grandpa By Rebekka Paskewitz made a true difference in 65th Princess Kay of the the lives of his animals, Milky Way on his land and in his community. These impacts and his drive established his legacy, and is one that has rooted my own interest in leaving one. Before being crowned as Princess Kay, I was determined that if I was given the chance to serve you, I would do my best to make a true difference, possibly large enough to leave a legacy. With every goal I set and with each event I attend, this vision of leaving a legacy remains in the back of my mind. I attended the Todd County dairy princess coronation. My heart was full as I watched eight young ladies share their excitement for dairy throughout the day. In and outside of interviews, it was evident that the dairy community has played a signicant role in their life thus far. While some of us handed off our county crown for the nal time that evening, these newly crowned advocates were surrounded by Todd County dairy farmers who will support and encourage their fresh journey. Though new names ll the places of where mine used to be as a county princess, the role remains the same and just as important. This newness excites me, and leads me to think about the reason we have been able to serve in this capacity for so many years. Our local princess program was established decades ago and has always been guided by our dairy farmers. But in 1965, Todd County had their rst Princess Kay of the Milky Way. Mary Ann Titrud experienced many rsts for Todd County and the Princess Kay program. To say the least, she has always been and continues to be a legacy in
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our community. For years, I have admired the legacy from Titrud’s reign in 1965. Being crowned as the 65th Princess Kay of the Milky Way, I was motivated to continue the legacy of Princess Kay throughout my year, and hold a special place in my heart for the Todd County legacy that Mary Ann established many years ago. The overarching legacy we all live by lies within the dairy community. As I joined West Central Elementary School students for “Two Milk Tuesday,” the legacy of the dairy community was evident. I asked each class what dairy farmers do. My most frequent answers were, “They make our milk,” and “They take care of cows.” Though not every elementary student would respond with the same knowledge, we can be proud of the legacy that exists and that we work to promote. Legacies are known to live on, but that does not let us off easy. As current dairy producers and eaters, we are in charge of how our legacy continues. As individuals and teammates in dairy, we have the power to change what we are known for. Over the course of my reign, I have noticed how easy it could be to negatively change the legacy I set out to leave. While we all want to leave a positive legacy for ourselves and the dairy community, we must be willing to take on the challenge. Legacies are not built on surviving tough times or calling it quits. They are about how we do our job
. Co m p a
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130
Disbudding calves with alternative pain management
Hugh Chester-Jones chest001@umn.edu 507-835-3622 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391
By Brad Heins & Hannah Phillips University of Minnesota
Sandra Godden godde002@umn.edu 612-625-8177
Disbudding is a common practice in the dairy industry. This procedure is the preferred horn removal method – as opposed to dehorning mature cows. Disbudding ensures cow and handler safety once heifers reach adulthood. However, this procedure inicts acute pain and stress in calves and is a welfare concern among consumers. According to a survey in Minnesota, all organic and conventional dairy farms disbudded their heifer calves. This implies that disbudding is a welfare concern for all dairy producers. There are several methods to disbud calves, but hot iron cauterization is the most popular process (70% of dairy operations) of horn removal. Although pain and stress during and after hot iron disbudding is well documented, only 28% of producers use analgesics or anesthetics. The most popular pain management method is lidocaine injected as a cornual nerve block. Although lidocaine reduces pain and stress, it may be an obstacle for some producers. Lidocaine must be injected into the cornual nerve, which is very close to the eye. The injection itself causes pain, and calves feel pain once the numbing effect dissipates. There has been recent consumer and producer interest in natural, noninvasive pain mitigation options, leading producers to consider using herbal medicine. However, there is little research on the effectiveness of herbal-based options. In the Midwest, Dull It (Dr. Paul’s Lab, LLC) is a popular herbal medicine used for pain and stress mitigation caused by disbudding. Dull It is a noninvasive herbal tincture which is administered orally to relieve pain and stress in calves caused by disbudding. It contains white willow bark, St. John’s wort, chamomile, arnica, fennel, alcohol and apple cider vinegar. We assessed Dull It’s effect on acute pain and stress of heifer dairy calves disbudded by hot iron compared to a lidocaine treatment and a control. Pain and stress were assessed by measuring blood serum cortisol and calf behaviors. We conducted the study at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center dairy in Morris, Minn. We used 54 female Holstein and crossbred calves for the study and seven days prior to the study, calves were acclimated to handling and restraint before disbudding. Calves were randomly assigned to one
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 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435 Kota Minegishi kota@umn.edu 612-624-7455 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205 M. Scott Wells mswells@umn.edu 612-625-3747 Emily Wilmes krek0033@umn.edu 320-255-6169
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of three treatment groups: Dull It (2 mL) under the tongue before disbudding with a second dose immediately following; lidocaine (5 mL/ bud) cornual nerve block before disbudding; or, sham disbudded with a cold hot iron to simulate disbudding and stress of handling. Calves were video recorded for frequencies of ears icks, head jerks and tail icks during disbudding and for six hours after disbudding. The accompanying gure shows the blood cortisol levels at various times relative to disbudding for the three groups. At 30 and 90 minutes after disbudding, the Dull It (28.2 and 8.4 ng/mL, respectively) calves had greater cortisol than sham (9.3 and 3.3 ng/mL, respectively) calves. The Dull It and lidocaine calves had similar cortisol across all time points after disbudding. The lidocaine (11.1) calves had greater number of head jerks one to two hours after disbudding compared with Dull It (2.8) calves. Handling alone caused physiological and behavioral responses in calves. Neither Dull It nor lidocaine eliminated pain and stress completely in calves. Dairy farmers may use a higher dose of Dull It and more frequently, or use Dull It and lidocaine together. In summary, Dull It may be an effective alternative (or a complement) to lidocaine to mitigate pain and stress during and after hot iron disbudding in dairy calves.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 29
Dairy risk management strategies Over the next few months, dairy farmers will have to make decisions on new dairy programs available for revenue protection. In order for dairy farmers to make informed decisions, they need to understand how these programs work and connect to their current farm finances. The new farm bill has a program called Dairy Margin Coverage that helps protect the milk price to feed margin. Dairy Revenue Protection is available through the Risk Management Agency and is a new tool that is like crop insurance for milk. It is recommended farmers know their farm’s cost of production when making revenue protection decisions. Cost of production is the minimum price a farmer needs to breakeven or rather make $0 of profit. One can calculate this on a per cow or a per hundredweight basis. First, a farmer needs to compile all of their dairy production costs, which include both operating costs and ownership costs. Second, add up all By Nathan Hulinsky of these costs and divide by the preferred unit of measurement, per cow or cwt. This is the cost of production on a per University of MN unit basis and should be the foundation for risk management decisions. Cost of production will vary by farm and by size of the farm. If you do not know your farm costs, you can visit https://www.finbin. umn.edu/ to retrieve cost estimates. There is a helpful spreadsheet to help with the calculation at https://www.extension.umn.edu/business/farm-bill. DMC is the replacement for the Margin Protection Program. The DMC uses a nation-wide formula for feed cost and subtracts this from the U.S. all milk price. This is the national milk price to feed margin and is calculated monthly. The premiums for DMC are substantially reduced from MPP. Tier I is under 5 million pounds. Tier II is 5 million pounds and up. DMC premiums are listed in Table 1. Discounted premiums are available for tier I if a farm Table 1 signs up for five consecutive Margin Discounted years of DMC in 2019, which Covered Tier I Tier II Tier I is a 25% reduction in the pre- 4.00 $/cwt $/cwt $/cwt mium cost. If a dairy farm 4.50 0.0025 0.0025 0.0019 participated in MPP-Dairy 5.00 0.005 0.005 0.0038 during 2014-17, the farm can 5.50 0.03 0.1 0.0225 get 75% of premiums paid as 0.05 0.31 0.0375 a credit towards future DMC 6.00 0.07 0.65 0.0525 premiums. The amount of 6.50 coverage is 5%-95% of the 7.00 0.08 1.107 0.06 dairies’ largest production in 7.50 0.09 1.413 0.0675 2011, 2012 or 2013. 8.00 0.1 1.813 0.075 Changes from MPP- 8.50 0.105 -0.0788 Dairy to new DMC: reduced 9.00 0.11 -0.0825 premiums; tier I increased 9.50 0.15 -0.1125 from up to 4 million pounds
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to up to 5 million pounds; expanded coverage from 25%-90% to 5%-95% of production; and increased margin coverage from a max of $8 to a max of $9.50. The 2019 yearly average margin is predicted at $8.91. The United States Department of Agriculture announced the January margin to be $7.99. This means if a dairy farmer had 200,000 pounds (2,000 cwt.) of January milk produced at the $9.50 coverage level at 95%, coverage would be a $2,869 indemnity. Table 2 shows the predicted margin and payment at the $9.50 coverage level. The star for January notes that is the final DMC margin and payment level. Sign up starts Table 2 Payment June 17 at USDA Farm Service Agency offices. If you sign up, the coverage is ret- 2019 Margin @$9.50 roactive until Jan. 1. January* $7.99 $1.51 A dairy farmer can use other pro- February $8.51 $0.99 grams while using DMC such as forward March $8.85 $0.65 contracting, LGM-Dairy or Dairy Rev- April $8.75 $0.75 enue Protection. Dairy RP is a new tool May $8.69 $0.81 that provides protection against an unexJune $8.77 $0.73 pected decline in revenue (price and/or July $8.98 $0.52 yield) on the milk produced from dairy August $9.20 $0.30 cows on a quarterly basis. There are five $0.06 choices a farmer must decide on when September $9.44 $9.58 -$0.08 enrolling in Dairy RP: method to value October milk (class or component), amount of November $9.61 -$0.11 milk, coverage level for revenue guaran- December $9.61 -$0.11 tee, protection factor and which quarterly contracts to purchase. There are two pricing methods for Dairy RP; the first one is a combination of Class III and Class IV prices. One can choose any blend or mix from 100% Class III to 100% Class IV. The other option is component pricing which requires the farmer to select expected butterfat and protein production levels. A dairy farmer can choose any amount of expected production to cover. There will be validation checks to make sure a minimum of 85% of total milk production and 90% of components covered are actually produced. The coverage levels range from 70% to 95%. Dairy farmers can also elect a protection factor level from 1 to 1.5 in 0.05 increments. The last decision is what quarter to buy coverage for. A quarter is a three-month period starting with quarter one. The prices for these premiums change daily. Talk with your crop insurance sales person about this program and coverage levels if it fits into your risk management plan for 2019 and into the future. There are new tools available to help dairy farmers maintain or improve their revenue stream. Ask questions and be informed before you make your final decision.
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
My Obi-Wan
There has been an incredible amount of hullabaloo the coming of age theme. An untested young man. An over the years regarding the Star Wars saga. older guy (not the boy’s father) who senses the youth’s Star Wars has been a hugely popular lm series hidden potential. Toss them both into some sort of about folks from another planet who zip around the dire predicament, shake well, and ta-da. You’ve got cosmos and battle the computer-generated forces yourself a blockbuster. of evil all while laying the groundwork for their For me, such an older guy – my personal Obinext sequel. It is like a Wan, if you will – was my documentary about the lives dad’s uncle, Stanley. of politicians. Stanley was You could ld not h have ffound da I think that Star Wars Y Norwegian bachelor owes its success to one better role model for an farmer, a man who was essential ingredient: a solid unencumbered by such storyline. Think about it. impressionable young farm boy. falderal as a wife and You have got your good children. You could not versus evil, your boy meets have found a better role girl and your “That popcorn is way too salty. Give me model for an impressionable young farm boy. a sip of your soda or you can kiss these Milk Duds For example, Stanley showed me the proper way to goodbye.” comport oneself in the face of embarrassing digestive Perhaps my favorite Star Wars storyline involves issues. When I was about 11 years old, Stanley was
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at our place to help out on our neighborhood baling crew. We would always shut down at noon for dinner. Afterwards, the baling crew would lounge for a spell in the shade of the trees to let the meal settle. We were taking such an after-dinner recess Dear County Agent Guy when the distinctive sound of wind being broken came from Stanley’s direction. “I think we’re in for a rain,” Stanley said calmly as he peered at the cloudless sky. “I just heard thunder.” The lesson was clear: never say excuse me or oops if you can By Jerry Nelson change the subject Columnist instead. As the baling crew continued to chat, the topic of age came up. I asked Stanley who among his 13 siblings was the oldest. Stanley said he was. “That isn’t true,” Dad retorted. “You’re the youngest.” “That may be so,” replied Stanley without batting an eye. “But, I’ve lived so much faster than the others.” Aha. Another metaphorical nugget to tuck into my pocket: nd an age you like and stick to it. Perhaps the most signicant effect Stanley had upon me happened at the end of that day. We had nished baling at our farm and Stanley told Dad he needed someone to help him get his tractor and his pickup back to his farm. Stanley said he sure wished there was a man available for such an important mission. And as he said that, he looked right at me. I did not have to be asked twice or even once, for that matter. “I’ll do it,” I exclaimed as I jumped up and down. “I’ll drive your tractor home for you Stanley.” Dad expressed some reservations as I had little experience with driving a tractor in road gear. He nally relented after I promised I would be extra careful and take it slow. I felt extremely manly as I piloted Stanley’s “H” Farmall out our driveway and onto the gravel road. I hoped my seven siblings were watching so they could see how important I had become. Stanley lived 5 miles from our farm. Fourth gear on an “H” is ... well, it is OK out in the eld but seems awfully slow on the road. I became so bored that I took to counting pebbles on the shoulder of the road. I began to mentally debate the denition of slow. Maybe it meant fth gear throttled way down. As I crested the rst hill, I slipped the “H” into fth and dumped the clutch. The little tractor shot ahead like a goosed jackrabbit. “Whoa,” I thought, suddenly realizing I had neglected to throttle down. As the “H” ew down the road, an incredible feeling began to well up inside me. When Stanley’s farm hove into sight, I shifted the tractor back into fourth gear. I slowly and casually putted onto Stanley’s farmstead and parked the “H” near his machine shed. Stanley sauntered over and casually inquired if I had enjoyed driving in fth gear. I felt transformed, suddenly much older and very Jedi-like. “I think you’re right,” I said, glancing at the sky. “I think it might rain. I certainly experienced a lot of thunder on my way over here.” Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, S.D. 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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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 31
A bovine rst aid kit
In the old days, veterinarians dealt with a lot of content. emergencies on dairy farms. Today this is much less A clean IV simplex and some unopened 2-inch or the case. It is not that cows and calves do not have longer 14 gauge needles. There is no reason to subject emergencies, but that today’s farmers handle most cows to injections with dull, reusable IV needles. themselves. Farmers need the proper Discard the needles after use. The tools, so let us talk about what should go Veterinary Wisdom simplex can be reused and is best kept into a proper bovine emergency rst aid clean and dry, and can be submerged in a and emergency kit. disinfectant solution before use. A small Large animal epinephrine. Large supply of other syringes and needles animal epinephrine has a concentration should be stored in the rst aid kit as of 1 mg per ml. The label might instead well. say 1:1,000. Small animal or human A large hemostatic forceps. Get a epinephrine has a concentration of large one; preferably 8 inches or longer. 0.1 mg per ml or might say 1:10,000. Most likely your veterinarian can nd Epinephrine must be protected from one. These are useful to clamp on light to prevent deterioration, so store bleeding vessels. The large size is best for it in the dark. Epinephrine is useful for clamping vaginal bleeders that may occur anaphylactic reactions, most typically after dystocia. These are also useful for By Jim Bennett seen after injection of a vaccine or clamping bleeding milk veins. There are Columnist antibiotic, for example. It can also be a variety of other clamps that can work helpful for relaxation of the uterus for for milk veins, clipboard clamps, hobby dystocia to gain more room within the uterus to and woodworking clamps, but they do not work well correct fetal malposition or malpresentation. for vaginal bleeders. Flunixin. This is also useful for reactions, A 15 mg package of Celox, or similar, hemostatic especially the anaphylactoid type. These often show granules. One package applied to a bleeding fore up after a vaccination but may occur up to 24 hours udder sore with pressure and a bandage can sometimes later instead of within minutes after an injection. be the difference between life and death. Note that Steroid hormones. Dexamethasone and this is not the same as the old hemostatic powder that isoupredone (PreDef) are the typical versions Dr. Herriot may have applied when dehorning large used in bovine practice. They can also be given for beasts. This stuff is much more effective. anaphylactic and anaphylactoid reactions. A roll of cotton, or similar large bandage, or some Calcium borogluconate. Even with all our new clean towels that can be fashioned into a pressure approaches to controlling milk fever we still expect bandage to be applied to a limb. 1-2 percent of fresh cows to succumb to this condition. Sterile gauze pads. These can be individually Calcium borogluconate is the preferred rst treatment. wrapped or purchased in bulk. If using bulk, be sure Combination products with dextrose, phosphorous, to close the bag after opening and put inside a bigger, potassium and magnesium will also work, but they sealable plastic bag. usually contain less calcium, woefully inadequate Four-inch VetWrap or Elasticon (four rolls) tape amounts of potassium, a type of phosphorous that is or similar. This is for bandaging, usually with gauze mostly impossible for the cow to absorb, and dextrose, pads and either cotton or towels underneath. which most cows already have very high levels of in One roll of 1-inch medical tape. This is often used their blood if down with milk fever. These types of over VetWrap. products may be better used as a repeat treatment A topical antibacterial solution, paste or spray. for down cows, mostly because of their magnesium This is useful for cuts and abrasions.
Liquid soap. A surgical scrub like Betadyne is preferred, but any liquid soap will work to clean a wound or prolapsed uterus in a pinch. Topical y spray. During warm months ies can be relentless and can cause signicant pain when attacking wounds. Cow hobbles. Unfortunately dairy cows are prone to injury, and doing the splits is not uncommon. Velcro backed hobbles are inexpensive and simple to use. They can also be useful to keep from getting kicked by an ornery cow when working around the back end or udder. Calf leg splints. These are helpful for correcting contracted tendons in newborns but also can be used to splint a broken leg along with a bandage in a new born calf. OB equipment. A functional fetal extractor, OB chains and handles and at least a gallon of lube should be on hand at all times. And, of course: Duct tape just because. There are other things some might consider to be included, but this is most of the really important items. As always, consult your herd veterinarian for usage instructions and other input. Farmers really can
I iis not that It h cows and d calves l do not have emergencies, but that today’s farmers handle most themselves. be the mother of invention when necessary; however, having the right tools at hand makes the job easier and may produce better results. Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minn. He also consults on dairy farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail.com with comments or questions.
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
My dream job Last Saturday night, I went to work for the accountant assistant. I have run a cash register second time at my new dream job of assistant cashier before (40 years ago) at the county fair in the FFA at our local convenience store. I am so bad at this job food stand where I knew the prices of all eight that the manager of the store will not even put me menu items, added the food purchased in my head, on the payroll but instead tolerates me coming for pulled the big lever with my right hand and made the a few hours every Saturday correct change of $2 from a night to help during a $5 bill. Cha-ching. What b better way to get to really busy time. As some Wh The new cash of you may recall from know this business than to registers at the gas station a previous article, I am a look easy with bar code minority investor in the work behind the cash register? readers, pictures of pizza, new convenience store. coffee, sodas and bakery What better way to get items right on the lighted to know this business than to work behind the cash screen in front of you. I watched the head cashier, register? How hard can that be? Well, for a 60-plus- Austin, for a while, and he made it look so easy. I told year-old who has never worked retail in his life, it is Austin I could do this, so I did about 10 sales while challenging. The only jobs I ever had beside farming he watched me, and it went quite well. Then Austin for myself were hired farm hand and part-time farm said he would really like to clean the bathrooms
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before closing if I could watch the till. Easy can turn difďƒžcult with one push of a wrong icon or key. The screen has a cancel button and a delete button. What is the difference? Some guy walked in, spoke a language I never heard in my life, handed Making Cents of Dairy me $100 and wanted me to code pump No. 4 to pump gas. He said he would come in and get the change later. I turned on prepay for pump No. 4, put the $100 in my pocket until Austin came out of the ladies bathroom and could tell me how to straighten out my By Dave Vander Kooi big mess. Thankfully Columnist Austin came quickly, solved all my problems, and we soon dispersed the long line of people waiting to pay for their pizza. When we had a break in the action, I thanked Austin and told him I could artiďƒžcially inseminate a cow easier than I could ring up a bag of potato chips. He looked at me like I came from another planet. Next, Austin wanted to mop the ďƒ&#x;oors and vacuum the rubber mats. I told him that is a job I can do and not screw up. So, I got out the mop and bucket of water, and started mopping. Suddenly the main manager lady walked by me and asked me where my yellow wet ďƒ&#x;oor caution signs were. I immediately knew she was right, and found and placed the signs so people would be aware of the wet slippery ďƒ&#x;oors, but my mind thought this is not how we do it on the farm. Our ofďƒžce, break room and bathroom ďƒ&#x;oors have been mopped twice a week for 18 years at the dairy, and we do not even own a wet ďƒ&#x;oor sign. The best story of the night happened about 8:30 p.m. when I was standing behind the cash register. In walked my four-man night milking crew to buy some snacks on their way to work. The jaw dropping look on their faces to see me cleaned up and working there was priceless. They laughed and asked if the snacks were free. I told them no, but go get a lot of milk from the cows. I have a new appreciation for anyone who tackles a new job and does it well. Skill sets do not always come from parents or a college education. The manager of our convenience store came from another convenience store and agreed to help us for one month to get going before she went back to her hometown and her own store. She hired good people to assist her in our store and picked the best one to become our new store manager. Our new store manager was previously a rural route mail carrier for six years, but I am conďƒždent she will be great in her new position because she works hard, is smart and is great with people. As for me and my new dream job, I plan on going to help every Saturday night that it works for me. I enjoy greeting the customers and working with the other employees. If I put more time and effort into it, maybe after three to six months I could almost run the cash register ďƒ&#x;awlessly. For now, I will stick with cows and farming which was my dream job since I was 5 years old. Vander Kooi operates a 1,800-cow, 4,500 acre farm with his son, Joe, and daughter-in-law, Rita, near Worthington, Minn. Send him feedback at davevkooi@icloud.com. Follow him on Instagram, @davevanderkooi.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 33
Better safe than sorry
I have one more blizzard story before moving on to spring. It was the last of the weekend snowstorms in March. Employees stayed home since another storm was ensuing, so Mike, Rolf and I were doing the Saturday evening milking. We had weaned a half dozen calves that morning and moved them to their group pen in the heifer barn on the hill. We were almost done milking when someone driving by in the storm stopped in the parlor to say cattle were running down Highway 22, which is right alongside our farm. Rolf and I ran out, and sure enough those six calves we had relocated had somehow opened the gate to their pen, had run down the hill and out Come Full Dairy Circle of the driveway, made two more turns and were headed towards town. Rolf hopped into the Blazer and drove down the highway after the calves. I ran on foot through several inches of snowy slush that had accumulated with more snow falling in big, wet akes. No plows had been by since the snow started and there was virtually no trafc on the roads. With Rolf positioned behind the calves shining the Blazer’s lights, I ran in front enticing the calves to follow me back home by calling them. They knew me well since I had fed them the past 12 weeks and followed along willingly. They were lost, wet and cold and had no By Jean Annexstad clue what else to do. In a few minutes, they had run all of the way back up to the pen following me and we secured Columnist the gate behind them. This time I tied it with the twine besides chaining it shut, recalling how I had meant to do this earlier when we had moved them but had overlooked it. This is one example of how better safe than sorry works on a dairy farm. We use this philosophy in many of the things we do. What may look like a slow and deliberate work pace to others, I have come to realize, is mostly taking the time to be safe, and it often will save time, more effort and frustration in the long run. I thought a lot about safety when our kids were younger and how the daily running of the farm could put them in danger. We sought to implement ways to keep them safe, and maybe one of the best ways to do it is to attend a farm or rural safety camp in your community. These camps were offered in the summer in our area when the kids were growing up, and I know we all learned a lot about many aspects of safety that pertained to farm equipment, animal handling, ATV safety, as well as getting exposed to medical emergency procedures, re safety and ambulance. The events sometimes lasted all day and were organized by Farm Bureau, extension, or a school and many volunteers. Attending is time well spent. But if you cannot go, Google is also helpful. I looked to see what is available for farm safety resources. There are a lot. Here are some places to look in particular for keeping children and youth safe on the farm. - http://www.umash.umn.edu: According to the website, UMASH embraces a one health philosophy that recognizes the connections between human, animal and environmental health when addressing occupational health and safety issues in agriculture. Clicking around on their website yielded many useful ideas, such as a farm safety checklist for keeping kids safe, comics to download on animal handling, many materials in Spanish, a ve-part video series on dairy animal handling, and much more. - http://www.cultivatesafety.org: The website has some great resources, including safety checklists and colorful graphic work guidelines broken down by age of the youth that youth and adults can use interactively online to determine if the tasks are ageappropriate. There are specic guides, for example, of feeding milk to calves, cleaning cow alleys, feeding hay to cattle and defacing silage for older youth. - https://www.about.extension.org: This website has much research-based information from America’s land grant universities. It is easy to navigate. Just clicking on animal safety in this website yielded fact sheets on these topics: zoonotic disease and agriculture, animal safety publications, livestock trailer safety, and enhancing biosecurity at fairs and shows. - https://www.extension.org/say: Safety in Agriculture for Youth is funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a sustainable and accessible national clearinghouse for agricultural safety and health curriculum for youth geared for teachers. The SAY materials focus on an aspect of youth farm safety. Please remember to be safe as spring work kicks into full gear. Another snow storm of wet heavy snow and high wind is predicted, so there might still be time to explore safety resources. Jean dairy farms with her husband, Rolf, and brother-in-law, Mike, and children Emily, Matthias and Leif. They farm near St. Peter, in Norseland, where she is still trying to t in with the Norwegians and Swedes. They milk 200 cows and farm 650 acres. She can be reached at jeanannexstad@gmail.com.
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
Family is core of ďƒžrst-generation farm
Steinhagens receive 2018 Scott County award By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
BELLE PLAINE, Minn. – In recent years, people who attend the Belle Plaine BBQ Days parade might have a cheese stick thrown their way in addition to the usual candy along the route. Gary Steinhagen and his family are a few to thank for the tasty treat. “In our county there are so few dairy farm families left so everyone takes a town festival or parade and gets the cheese to give away. We have been in charge of the BBQ Days parade ďƒ&#x;oat the last few years,â€? Steinhagen said. This additional promotion of dairy and hard work on their farm are reasons for the Steinhagens to be named the 2018 Scott County Farm Family of the Year. Gary, along with his wife, Lori, and their children, David, 18, Greta, 16, and Martha, 14, milk 115 cows on their dairy near Belle Plaine, Minn. “We do a lot of stuff off the farm and volunteer work. It’s nice to be recognized,â€? Steinhagen said. Steinhagen does the majority of the day-to-day work with the help of one part-time employee for milking. Lori helps when not at her off-farm job. The kids also do chores when not participating in several school sports or 4-H and FFA events. They also each have their own project areas outside of dairy – David has Dorset sheep, Greta has Boer
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Steinhagen family – (from leĹŒ) Gary, Lori, Greta, David and Martha – are the 2018 ScoĆŠ County Farm Family of the Year. The Steinhagens milk 115 cows on their dairy near Belle Plaine, Minn. goats and Martha has La Mancha goats. “We know where they are all the time,â€? Steinhagen said about what he likes about having his family with him on the farm. “They’re always busy with something.â€? In addition to helping promote dairy in parades, the Steinhagens invite people to their farm for tours and have previously hosted the Scott County City to Country tour.
However, learning the agricultural life has not been passed down from family. Steinhagen grew up in town in Waconia, Minn. “Since I could walk I wanted to be a farmer, and I don’t really even know why. I had cows in the sandbox. I’ve never wanted to do anything else,� he said. While in high school, Steinhagen sought employment on a farm and
learned the ropes of the career by working on a local dairy. Two years after high school graduation, Steinhagen bought a herd of cows and started renting a farm to begin his dairying journey in 1984. The transition proved to be a big learning curve for the city-turned-farm boy. “I knew how to manage cows, but I didn’t know how to manage money Turn to STEINHAGENS | Page 35
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 35
ConƟnued from STEINHAGENS | Page 34
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Gary Steinhagen bought his dairy farm near Belle Plaine, Minn., in 1997. Although he did not grow up on a dairy, he always had an interest in farming. or any of that. The money management and business management is the hardest thing to learn,” Steinhagen said. He would rent two other farms before nding and buying his own – his current farm with 200 acres of land – in 1997. “It was a relief,” Steinhagen said about buying his own farm. Although the barn had not housed cows for 20 years, Steinhagen worked to get the facility into working condition. He converted a heifer building into 65 free stalls and used double-3 side opener Surge parlor until the next year when he was able to retrot a 17-unit parabone parlor. He still uses the milking facility, which has the ability to milk eight cows
“Since I could walk I wanted to be a farmer, and I don’t really even know why.” GARY STEINHAGEN, DAIRY FARMER
on one side and nine cows on the other. In 1999, the same year he got married, Steinhagen put up a building for hay storage. In 2001, he added a monoslope heifer building to his farm. In February 2008, Steinhagen’s barn collapsed under the weight of the snow. “That summer we tore down the old barn and built a new one on top of the cows,” he said. “It was a nightmare. It
was so much work.” The heated shop is the most recent addition to Steinhagen’s farm. “I’m proud of the farm we’ve built. It was all trial and error, but it was steady growth for the most part,” he said. “We try to maintain it and make it look nice for when people drive up.” Over the years, the biggest challenge of dairy farming has been the years of low milk price. Having eldwork custom done is one way Steinhagen cuts cost to try to stay protable. “We hire the big-ticket items out because we only have 200 acres. So we don’t have to buy the big equipment,” he said. “It’s been a good thing for us.” The Steinhagens also try to be frugal about their purchases. “We buy used vehicles and used equipment. We make them last,” Steinhagen said. “And, we do a lot of repair and maintenance ourselves.” Even with the current downturn in the industry, Steinhagen tries to stay focused on his end goal. “I have a lot invested in my building. I want a return on them. Ten years isn’t much of a return. I want 20 years out of my buildings,” he said. Plus, he likes the independence of dairy farming – being able to set his own schedule and do things when he wants. But one of the best things about dairy farming for Steinhagen is having his family involved, whether helping with chores or promoting in parades. The ve are already planning for Belle Plaine’s oat this year.
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
Women In Dairy Brenda Elsinger Lomira, Wis. Dodge County Family: I farm with my husband, Jeff, and two grown children, Mike and Jenny. Tell us about your farm. We both grew up on dairy farms in the area. Jeff farmed with his parents until they retired. They milked around 40 cows and carried the milk to the bulk tank. We purchased the neighbor’s farm, put a pipeline in and started a new venture on our own. Mike was 4 years old and Jenny was 6 months old. We purchased cattle to ďƒžll the barn, which had 51 stalls in it and built up cow numbers to eventually build a freestall barn. We kept milking in the old barn. The ďƒžnal step was putting up a double-14 parallel milking parlor and adding on to the freestall barn. We also cash crop besides milking cows. Our herd has an energy corrected milk of 98.5 pounds per cow and has averaged under 100,000 for somatic cell count for two years. What is the busiest time of day for you? Mornings are the busiest time of the day because I am a morning person. There are scheduled tasks every day of the week. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I like to garden in the summer and do canning in the fall. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. I have two that come to mind. Our two children both staying on the farm with us, and being able to work together as a family and building the dairy facility from the ground up. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I truly enjoy the cows and farm life in general. I knew from young on this is what I wanted to do. I also enjoy the employees that are part of our team. Without them we would not keep the day-to-day work complete. They are my extended family. There are a lot of friendships built leaning over a gate or standing in manure, and I still keep in touch with employees who have passed through our doors and moved on.
How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I’m not big on attending meetings so a lot of the connections are people I work with in the industry. Social media is also a way of connecting with people. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? My parents. I watched them struggle through tough years dairying and pull themselves through with hard work and determination. My dad passed away from cancer, and through the treatments and up until the week before his death, he managed to get himself in the tractor to mix feed because farming is what he truly loved. That was very inspirational to me. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? Melania Trump. I want her to see for herself the day-to-day struggles and triumphs we endure to feed the world. I want her to understand what our farm means to us, and that we have the consumer’s best interest at heart. We need her to be an advocate for the dairy industry. What is the best vacation you have ever taken? We are fortunate to be able to vacation quite a bit because of the children and a good staff of employees. Hawaii’s Maui island is one of our favorite places to travel. But, every vacation is amazing because I get to spend quality time with Jeff away from the farm, and it’s a good time to look at the farm from a distance and maybe see something that is not seen when at the farm every day.
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What are some words you like to live by? The lyrics to the song, “Humble and Kind,â€? by Tim McGraw. “Don’t take for granted the love this life gives you. When you get where you’re going, don’t forget turn back around. Help the next one in line. Always stay humble and kind.â€? In my journey through farming, there were people who sent me in the right direction and sometimes in the wrong direction, but every situation taught me something. If someone has a question, I will answer it as best and honestly as I can. And, I will always remember the people along the way who taught me how to ďƒžght through whatever life deals me. I was put on this earth for a reason.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 37
Midwest Dairy elects leadership
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Midwest Dairy Corporate Board oďŹƒcers for 2019 include – (from leďż˝) Barb Liebenstein, Charles Krause, Allen Merrill, Dan Hotvedt and Lowell Mueller. Allen Merrill, a dairy farmer from Parker, South Dakota, was re-elected chairman of Midwest Dairy during the organization’s annual meeting held in conjunction with the Western Dairy Forum in Phoenix, Arizona. Elections for the Corporate board ofďƒžcer team also were held. Charles Krause, Buffalo, Minnesota, was reelected ďƒžrst vice chairman; Dan Hotvedt, Decorah, Iowa, was re-elected second vice chairman; Lowell Mueller, Hooper, Nebraska, was re-elected secretary and Barb Liebenstein, Dundas, Minnesota, was re-elected treasurer. New members elected by their Divisions to the Midwest Dairy Corporate board include: Sheri Atteberry, Conway, Missouri; Kelly Cunningham, Atlantic, Iowa; Margaret Johnson, Fountain, Minnesota; Brent Mueller, Garden Prairie, Illinois; and Joyce Racicky, Mason City, Nebraska. Division board ofďƒžcers and new members are as follows: Illinois Division: Chairman – Bill Deutsch, Sycamore; Vice Chairman – David Jarden, Staunton; Secretary – Amy Hildebrandt, South Beloit; and Treasurer – Glen Meier, Ridott. Iowa Division: Chairman – Dan Hotvedt, Decorah; Vice Chairman – Bruce Brockshus, Ocheyedan; Secretary – Jonna Schutte, Monona; and Treasurer – Larry Shover, Delhi. Patrick Jones, Spencer, was seated as a new member of the Iowa Division board. Minnesota Division: Chairwoman – Barb Liebenstein, Dundas; Vice Chairman – Charles Krause, Buffalo; Secretary – Rita Young, Plainview; and Treasurer – Suzanne Vold, Glenwood. Megan Herberg, St. Peter; Kate McAndrews, Sauk Centre; and Erik Sonnek, Foreston, were seated as new members of the Minnesota Division board. The Minnesota Dairy Promotion Council, a quasi-governmental group with the same board members, elected
the following: Chairwoman – Kathy Skiba, North Branch; Vice Chairwoman – Chris Sukalski, Leroy; Secretary – Kristine Spadgenske, Menahga; Treasurer – Karen Kasper, Owatonna; and Executive member at-large – Margaret Johnson, Fountain. Mo-Kan Division: Chairman – Byron Lehman, Newton, Kansas; Vice Chairman – Alex Peterson, Trenton, Missouri; Secretary – Donna Telle, Uniontown, Missouri; and Treasurer – Curtis Steenbock, Longford, Kansas. Brian Haverkamp, Seneca, Kansas; was seated as a new member of the Mo-Kan Division board. Nebraska Division: Chairwoman – Joyce Racicky; Mason City; and Vice Chairwoman – Mary Temme, Wayne; and Secretary/Treasurer – Jodi Cast, Beaver Crossing. Mike Henn, Norfolk, was seated as a new member of the Nebraska Division board. North Dakota Division: Chairman – Kenton Holle, Mandan; Vice Chairman – Terry Entzminger, Jamestown; Secretary – Rita Mosset, Linton; and Treasurer – Lilah Krebs, Gladstone. Dwane Wanzek, Cleveland, was seated as a new member of the North Dakota Division board. Ozarks Division: Chairman – Nathan Roth, Mountain Grove, Missouri; Vice Chairwoman – Marilyn Calvin, Mt. Vernon, Missouri; Secretary – Brittany Groves, Billings Missouri; and Treasurer – Mark Fellwock, Monett, Missouri. Jack Dill, Conway, Missouri; was seated as a new member of the Ozarks Division board. South Dakota Division: Chairman – Jim Neugebauer, Dimock; Vice Chairwoman – Annelies Seffrood, Summit; Secretary – Chris Fieber, Goodwin; and Treasurer – Gary Jarding, Alexandria. Jogchum Andringa, Brandt, was seated as a new member of the South Dakota Division board.
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
Hulke named to all hockey hair team
Dairy farmer famed for bleached, shaved ow By Jennifer Coyne Staff Writer
NEW ULM, Minn. – Minnesota state high school hockey tournaments bring together great athleticism, friendly rivals and wild hairstyles. Hunter Hulke is proud to be a hockey player, and even more proud to have made the 2019 Minnesota State High School All Hockey Hair Team. “I was hoping to make the top 10,” Hulke said. “Everyone thought I was crazy, but I always say you never know if you’ll get that chance at state again, so you might as well make the most out of it.” Hulke, who plays left wing on the New Ulm Eagles, was selected as the fourth athlete in GameOn!’s
satirical video clip that features hairstyles debuted at the boys hockey tournament March 7-9 at the Excel Energy Center and Mariucci Arena in the Twin Cities. The high school junior grew up on his family’s dairy farm near New Ulm, Minn., where he works for his dad, Nathan Hulke, and uncle, Kevin Hulke. A mullet formed with racing stripes and embellished with bleach color gave Hulke the edge over other state tournament participants. Video producer John King coined Hulke’s hairstyle as the “Inboard Motor.” “Big wake in back so you can surf without a rope,” said King in the YouTube bit. For Hulke, his hockey hair has been years in the making. He started skating when he was 3 years old and has almost always sported a mullet. In eighth grade, Hulke added the racing stripes. “Growing up as a kid, I always dreamed of going to the state tournament,” Hulke said. “I saw how much fun they had in front of all the fans, and some had cool haircuts … bleach, mullets and all that.”
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Hunter Hulke is named one of 10 boys hockey players in the 2019 Minnesota State High School All Hockey Hair Team. Hulke’s family dairy farms near New Ulm, Minn.
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Once Hulke’s team was destined for the state tournament, he made plans for his eccentric hairstyle. “My dad agreed because he said we might not make it to state next year, so why not make memories,” Hulke said. “When [Dad] went to state in football and basketball, they always had crazy hairdos.” He spent nearly an hour at the hair salon, soaking in two coats of bleach. “I wanted to get it as light as possible,” Hulke said. “That was the longest I’ve ever sat at a barbershop.” At the state tournament, Hulke presented his yellow-tinged locks in the quarternals’ game against Mahtomedi. Hulke, his teammates and opponents all sported mullets and similar styles. “Even Mahtomedi’s section was loud, and it kept getting louder,” said Hulke of the cheers they received for their hair. “Everyone was saying there were about four of us from New Ulm who were supposed to do well with our hair.” Hulke’s dedication to his looks on the ice comes as no surprise given his work ethic and dependability on his family’s dairy. Every morning, Hulke feeds calves before going in to school to lift weights. On the weekends, when he is not a part of a sports tournament, Hulke helps as much as possible. During the fall, Hulke enjoys combining, hauling and ripping. “From living on the farm, I’ve learned how to care for cattle and work with cattle,” Hulke said. “You give yourself 110% and hard work pays off. On the ice, it’s the same; you don’t cheat yourself.” The high school student believes his upbringing on the farm prepared him for the state hockey tournament and memories that were created. “Playing at the state tournament was unreal and something I’ll never forget,” Hulke said. “No words can describe what it’s like playing under the lights and in front of thousands (of fans).” While Hulke hopes to one day follow in his father’s footsteps and be a part of the family dairy, right now he is still celebrating his skating career and famed hockey hair.
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Dairy prole Diane and Matt Stewart Oelwein, Iowa Fayette County 150 cows How did you get into farming? Matt: The interesting thing is that I had no intention of dairy farming. I had a summer job during college traveling and saw all these families, and I decided I wanted to raise kids on the farm. It shocked everybody. So, dairying had everything to do with raising a family. Diana: I was from a general livestock and crop farm near Sibley, Iowa, and met Matt at Iowa State. I was in veterinary school but left to farm with him. What are your thoughts and concerns for the dairy industry for the next year? The dairy industry has been on the short end of federal legislation, starting with the RFS in 2007. If we really wanted a mandate that would help our country, we would legislate that the school lunch program would serve only whole milk, as whole milk has been proven to reduce childhood obesity. Government programs since MILC have been ill-conceived. We can only hope that Collin Peterson’s new program is an improvement. I am concerned that dairy co-ops are no longer able to be competitive in dairy markets. What is the latest technology you implemented on the farm and purpose for it? Baleage of oat hay for dry cows and close-up heifers. Cows and heifers are calving in well and calves are healthy. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that beneted you? We’ve moderated what we spend on feed. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? We have returned to milking twice a day. Tell us about an attribute you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. Perseverance.
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019 • Page 39
with Diane and Matt Stewart, Oelwein, Iowa
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? Diana: I love animals. It’s a great way to raise a family. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Look beyond the dollars. Dairy farming offers a unique way to develop children into responsible, well-grounded adults. What has been the best purchase you ever made on the farm? Our purchase of the Maytag herd in 1992 spurred our interest in successful breeding programs of the past. After dabbling in genetics of the Tenneson brothers in Washington and Bill Stoltzfus in Idaho, we discovered Harry Weir and his DunDid herd near Madison, Wis. We purchased three cows at his dispersal in 2001 and numerous bulls from him since. Most of our cows trace back to cows and bulls he developed. Harry Weir has bred an Ex97 bull, and bred and exhibited the reserve champion Holstein at the World Dairy Expo. Those who follow him know he has been a true master breeder of the Holstein breed. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Our ve children. One Iowa FFA vice president, three National Holstein Distinguished Junior Member semi-nalists, one National Holstein DJM nalist, one Iowa Dairy Princess, one Alternate Iowa Dairy Princess, three Iowa FFA prociency
awards, two Iowa FFA Star Finalists, ve Iowa Holstein Distinguished Junior Members and ve collegeeducated adults. What are your plans for your dairy farm in the next ve years? Given our age, the next ve years will probably be our nal ones in dairy. How do you and your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We do a lot of grandkid stuff. They love to come out to the farm. We also have season tickets to Iowa State mens basketball. Matt has enjoyed Holstein history, and Diana is involved with Catholic Daughters of the Americas.
Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 13, 2019
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Your Local GEA Milking Equipment Dealers Centre Dairy Equipment Sauk Centre, MN 320-352-5762 • 800-342-2697 Central Ag Supply, Inc. Baraboo, WI • 608-356-8384 Juneau, WI • 920-386-2611 Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems, Inc. Epworth, IA • 563-876-3087 Fitzgerald, Inc. Elkader, IA • 563-245-2560
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