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“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 25, No. 7
Y E A R S
May 27, 2023
Picking the A double dose of bad luck Clark County next Alice in Two farms suffer damage Dairyland in spring snowstorm By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
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Ashley Hagenow (leŌ) is crowned the 76th Alice in Dairyland by the 75th Alice in Dairyland, Taylor Schaefer, May 13 at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Hagenow is the daughter of Bob and Lisa Hagenow of PoyneƩe, Wisconsin.
Finals held in Walworth County include visit to Loudenbeck goat farm By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
LAKE GENEVA, Wis. – Before the 76th Alice in Dairyland was crowned May 13, the top six candidates spent time touring farms and businesses as part of the three-day Alice in Dairyland Finals held in Walworth County. On May 12, nalists Ashley Hagenow, Shannon Lamb, Lydia Luebke, Jackie Rosenbush, Charitee Seebecker and Jodie Weyland, along with the current Alice in Dairyland, Taylor Schaefer, visited Loudenbeck Farm – a dairy goat operation near Lake Geneva that milks about 400 goats. Siblings Seth and Hannah Loudenbeck, who farm with their dad, Steve, and their uncle, Matt, welcomed the nalists while sharing details of their dairy. The Loudenbecks’ mom, Chris, and younger brother, Ryan, also help on the farm. Turn to ALICE | Page 6
THORP, Wis. – Two Clark County dairy farm families are hoping the old wives’ tale that bad things happen in threes does not hold true. Both have twice faced major structural troubles and tragedy on their farms and do not wish to do so again. A spring snow storm April 1617 dumped over 2 feet of wet, heavy snow across a narrow band of Clark County. Sander and Amy Penterman’s 850-cow Dutch Dairy and Brandon and Meredith Maier’s 200cow Maier’s Acres, located just over 2 miles apart from each other near Thorp, both fell victim to the storm, losing signicant portions of the freestall barns housing their respective milking herds. Unfortunately for both farm families, this is not the rst time adversity and misfortune have affected their farms. The Pentermans have dealt with a roof collapse before, in the aftermath of a February 2019 snowstorm. In February 2022, the Maiers suffered a re that destroyed their calf barn, claiming the lives of the calves housed inside. “We were just fortunate and grateful that all our people and all our cattle were safe,” Meredith Maier said. “I truly believe that God works in mysterious ways. In February (2022), we had just started milking three times a day. If we hadn’t made that change, there is a good chance no one would have been in the barn at that time, and things could have ended a lot differently.” Maier said at approximately 11:30 a.m. on the second day of the snowstorm April 17, an employee was in the freestall barn moving cows toward the parlor for the midday milking shift when he heard the beams in the barn cracking and creaking. The employee immediately called Brandon, and the cows Turn to BARN COLLAPSE | Page 8
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Half the roof of the freestall barn housing the milking herd collapsed during a snowstorm April 16-17 at Maier’s Acres near Thorp, Wisconsin. Because an employee reported hearing creaking in the barn, cows were moved before the collapse.
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Over 2 feet of wet, heavy snow collapsed three secƟons of the roof of a freestall barn April 17 at Dutch Dairy near Thorp, Wisconsin. No cows were lost in the event, but 180 were temporarily relocated.