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Dairy St r Milk Break
Volume 26, No. 4
First-ever cases of HPAI confirmed in US ruminants
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Farm transition gone right Trust, patience bring dairy ownership to reality By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
Poulsen urges biosecurity to protect herds By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. — Many Americans turned their attention toward March Madness last month. The U.S. dairy industry found itself in the throes of its own version of madness as cows on dairy farms in Texas and Kansas began exhibiting symptoms of an illness later identied as highly pathogenic avian inuenza. Dr. Keith Poulsen, director of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, spoke April 2 during a Professional Dairy Producer “The Dairy Signal.” “The second week of March, farmers were dealing with an unknown morbidity event,” Poulsen said. “It was not acting like anything else we typically see on a dairy.” As of April 9, the virus has been conrmed in 17 herds in six Dr. Keith Poulsen states: Texas, 9; Kansas, 3; New Director, Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Mexico, 2; Idaho, Laboratory 1; Michigan, 1; and Ohio, 1. Farmers in the Texas panhandle began noticing a decrease in feed intake and reduced rumen motility as reported by rumination monitors. Cows suffering these symptoms were found to be second-lactation cows or older that were at least 150 days in milk. The most unusual symptom was in the appearance of the milk of affected cows. While the cows did not Turn to HPIA | Page 8
April 13, 2024 A
“All dairy, all the time”™
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Robert Nosbisch milks cows Feb. 21 at his farm near Holy Cross, Iowa. Nosbisch completed a farm transiƟon aŌer working toward ownership for 12 years.
HOLY CROSS, Iowa — Before the ink dried on the land contract Robert Nosbisch signed with his mentors, Dan and Laurie Clemen, he was back in the barn milking cows as he had been doing for the past 12 years. The only difference was that he was the proud owner of the farm and all the cattle and machinery on it. “I didn’t know them from Adam when I started, and it has worked out well; I have no complaints,” Nosbisch said. “There was a lot of trust involved. You’ve got to have patience.”
Nosbisch milks 160 cows in a double-8 parallel parlor and crops 280 acres. His heifers are raised down the road in facilities of which he also assumed ownership. The trust was established when Nosbisch was a dairy nutritionist for the couple. Fresh out of college, Nosbisch wanted to farm but wanted to try a career in nutrition rst. Dan Clemen was looking for help, so Nosbisch began working part time to help with chores. Eventually, the desire to farm won. He quit his nutrition job to work as a salaried employee for Clemen for ve years. Turn to NOSHBISCH | Page 2
A family of milk haulers Swart passes love of job to next generation By Jan Lefebvre jan.l@star-pub.com
PENNOCK, Minn. — Darren Swart would take his son, Tanner Rohner, and his daughter, Taylor Rohner Swart, on milk routes when they were growing up. Little did he realize those experiences would lead them to follow in his career. “They were both still in car seats when I brought them early on,” Swart said. “They’d go along with me just to get out of the house and to play with the kids on the other farms.” Turn to SWART | Page 6
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Tanner Rohner (from leŌ), Taylor Rohner Swart and Darren Swart gather by Darren’s truck April 2 near Pennock, Minnesota. The three family members are milk haulers.