Count the logos (including this ad) for your chance to win butter or cheese! See page 24 of the first section for details.
DAIRY ST R
Volume 20, No. 8
How is your 15 cents being spent?
“All dairy, all the time”™
June 9, 2018
“It’s a big learning curve and a huge learning experience.” – Bryton Miller
Having the time of his life
Checkoff program promotes dairy year round By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
Today’s farm economy has dairy farmers carefully deciding how to best invest in the future. Amongst the many options for farmers to plan for the years ahead, perhaps the greatest investment comes as 15 cents for every hundredweight put towards local and national dairy promotion. “Measuring success [of the program] is a challenge, but we know per capita consumption of dairy products has risen by 13 percent in the last 35 years,” Patrick Geoghegan said. “We take some of that credit, but not all.” Geoghegan is the senior vice president of communications with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. Local and national dairy checkoff programs were rst developed in the 1980s to increase demand of dairy products by farmers contributing 10 cents to the local program and 5 cents to national initiatives. Over the years, the purpose of the program has remained the same, but how the program reaches consumers and drives demand is ever changing. “It’s continually evolved, but the concept is the same,” Alan Merrill said about the checkoff program. “We’re trying to promote dairy products. We’re still working with consumers, but with a different approach. We also know how our consumers get their information and have to adapt to that, also.” Merrill is a dairy farmer in Parker, S.D., and also serves as the chairman for Midwest Dairy. Nowadays, dairy farmers’ checkoff dollars are allocated towards research, education and promotion. “We’re constantly developing programs that educate consumers about what’s happening on the farm because we want consumers to have condence in our dairy products,” Geoghegan said. In Wisconsin, the Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin were an instrumental part in establishing the Center for Dairy Research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Checkoff dollars provided 40 percent of
Turn to CHECKOFF | Page 5
KRISTA KUZMA/ DAIRY STAR
Bryton Miller looks over the cows in his herd, which he rotaƟonally grazes on his dairy near Kellogg, Minn.
Miller buys dairy from McMillins to start dairying career By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
KELLOGG, Minn. – When Bonnie McMillin looks out her kitchen window and sees Bryton Miller on the farm he bought from her family, she knows they made the right decision. “He’s always grinning,” Bonnie said. “It looks like he’s having the time of his life.” And Miller is having the time of his life, fullling his dream of being a dairy farmer. It’s one he has had since his younger days when he would dress as a dairy farmer for career day at school. In 2017, Miller bought his 160acre, 50-cow dairy farm on contract for deed from Bonnie and Bill McMillin. They also happened to be his neighbors while he grew up on his parents’ dairy near Kellogg, Minn. Turn to MILLER | Page 6
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Bryton Miller bought his farm from reƟred dairy farmers, Bonnie and Bill McMillin. The 22-year-old has been milking his 50-cow herd for over a year on his dairy near Kellogg, Minn.
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com 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 Ron Johnson (608) 874-4243 ron.j@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Brittany Olson (320) 352-6303 brittany.o@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (715) 245-6848 danielle.n@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Jeff Weyer (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-8505 (cell) jeff.w@dairystar.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Lori Menke (Eastern Iowa, Southern WI) 563-608-6477 • lori.m@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 nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Dairy Star, LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
North America dealers. From the editorial team
Dairy Prole brought to you by your
Time to celebrate June Dairy Month The dairy industry’s most anticipated time of the year began a week ago with people around the globe toasting World Milk Day. As we continue celebrating June Dairy Month, there are many ways to participate and show appreciation for every hardworking dairy farmer out there. Throughout the month, communities are hosting breakfasts and dinners on dairy farms. This is a great opportunity for those not familiar with the industry to learn something new about where their food comes from and who produces it. It is also a chance for those in the industry to catch up with one another. In this issue, we’ve provided a list of festivities near you. Be sure to check out the list on page 37 in rst section. Also, continue sending in your submissions for your #FavoriteDairyFarmer to us, either on social media via Facebook or Instagram, or by email. Remember, we want to know who is your #FavoriteDairyFarmer. What makes them great? Why is this farmer your favorite? Please try to keep your responses under 100 words. We’ve enjoyed the stories that have come in so far, and are eager to share them with all of you. As June Dairy Month continues, we know there are many other ways dairy is being celebrated. If you or your community is planning a unique promotion, please let us know!
– The Dairy Star Editorial Team
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Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Melrose
Freeport
Eden Valley
First Section: Page 33
First Section: Pages 10 - 13 Kittson
First Section: Pages 36
First Section: Pages 23, 25
Sons return to Middendorf dairies
Marshall
Marshall
or n
n nso
McCook Minnehaha
Hutchinson
First Section: Pages 15 - 16
Rock
Nobles
Scott
Sibley
Dakota
Redwood
Nicollet
Brown
Rice
First Section: Pages 1, 6 - 7
Goodhue Wabasha
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted Jackson
Martin
Faribault
Freeborn
Turner
Bon Yankton Homme
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
How have robotic milkers changed the way you manage your dairy?
Murray
Carver
Kellogg
Miller buys dairy from McMillins to start dairying career
Winona
Fillimore
Mower
Houston
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
Fayette
an
an
ch
Bu
West Concord
Allamakee
Charles Mix
Moody
Hennepin
Winneshiek
Douglas
Lake
Anoka
Wright
McLeod
Renville
Yellow Medicine Lyon
Meeker
Third Section: Page 15
Ha
Da
vis
on
Sa nb
Miner
Brookings
Kandiyohi
Isanti
go
Kingsbury
Sherburne
Kenyon
Dairy’s Star Youth: Kira Quam isa
Hamlin
Deuel
Benton
Stearns
Chippewa
Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Clark
Pages 10 -11 Second Section
Page 37 Second Section
Swift
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Pope
Second Section: Pages 31 - 32
Pine
Douglas
Stevens
Grant
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Country Cooking
Grant
Big Sto Stone
Roberts
Day
Page 32 First Section
Carlton
Crow Wing
Ch
Making Cents of Dairy
Aitkin
Todd
rse
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
Bloomer continues family’s fourgeneration career
ey
Dairy Fest draws crowd, celebrates dairy
Cass
ms
Brookings
Tra ve
Page 31 First Section
Otter Tail
Wilkin
Page 30 First Section
Veterinary Wisdom
Becker
Clay
Morristown
r
Dear County Agent Guy
en
nom
Mah
Itasca
Washington
Norman
Third Section: Pages 2 - 3
Second Section: Pages 3 - 5
Kanabec
Polk
Hubbard
Turcks celebrate farm’s sesquicentennial anniversary
Miron family nds balance with next generation
St. Louis
Wadena
Page 27 First Section
Litcheld
First Section: Page 39
Second Section: Pages 21 - 22
Koochiching
Clearwater
The Transition Pen
Beltrami
Pennington Red Lake
Dairy Prole: Derek Abel
Hugo
Ra
Page 26 First Section
Buffalo
Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship hosts spring ing pasture walk
Lake of the Woods
eu
FSA News & Notes
Roseau
St. Cloud
Lux-ury Holsteins to host new promotional event
Su
Page 22 First Section
Women in Jeans: Tanya Christenson
Le
Rain could not dampen spirits at dairy breakfast
Lincoln
On the Road with Princess Kay
Sauk Centre
Pipestone
Pages 8-9 First Section
Ronningen has hobby of acquiring antique road graders Second Section: Pages 26 - 27, 29
Clayton
are
law
De
Linn
Dubuque
Jones
Jackson
Maynard
Organic, grazing good t for Wedemeiers
Third Section: Pages 6 - 7
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Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
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Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 5
ConƟnued from CHECKOFF | Page 1 the funding needed to build the center, said Geoghegan. At local and national research institutions, dairy products are evaluated and promotions are developed to better encourage consumption. Oftentimes, these promotions are a part of a joint effort between dairy organizations, such as the National Dairy Council, and food industry partners. Research to prove the nutritional value of food products incorporated with dairy, as well as developing foods with appealing tastes, has led to further education and promotion of dairy products; although those efforts are not as easily recognizable as they once were. This approach is a part of a changing business model that directly affects consumers, Merrill said. “Before, when we saw dairy-specic commercials on TV, we knew that was our investment,” he said. “But when you have partners like Domino’s and McDonald’s, the direct impact they have on sales may not be as easily recognized.” The leading pizza chain puts extra cheese on all of their dishes, as well as publicly promotes the dairy industry on their boxes, napkins and in their own advertisements. Likewise, McDonald’s incorporated the use of butter in all of their food items, rather than margarine. This spring, the fast food restaurant and Dairy Management Inc. launched a promotion that includes a new use of dairy products, such as sharp cheddar on sandwiches and a dairy-rich lineup of beverages. In the past three years, alone, McDonald’s has seen a 5 percent average annual dairy volume growth. “Look at our partner Taco Bell, who has dairy ingredients in 90 percent of their menu,” Merrill said. “You wouldn’t think of that when you walk in [the restaurant], because it’s not advertising milk and cheese, specically.” While Midwest Dairy states have capitalized on these different avenues for dairy promotion, Wisconsin has focused on their signature product – cheese. “We’re the rst program in the dairy space with regional marketing systems in place all across the nation for promotion,” Geoghegan said. “All of our cheese carries the Wisconsin Cheese logo for consumers to easily identify our products.” The logo signies that through internationally acclaimed competitions, Wisconsin has developed a reputation for producing a high quality dairy product that can be enjoyed by all. “Consumers are now aware of
where their cheese is coming from and knowing it’s the best in the United States,” Geoghegan said. “We’ve carried that story across the country, from the northeast to southwest. That’s a big plus for farmers and processors.” Arguably the greatest promotion is
Thank you Dairy Producers!
More information on the dairy checkoff programs can be found at: midwestdairy.com and wisconsindairy.org. Fuel Up to Play 60, which incorporates dairy as part of an active, healthy lifestyle for young children who are in the midst of forming lifelong habits. “Fuel Up to Play 60 has been a huge change for us and how we do our school programs,” Merrill said. “We’re still talking about nutrition, but we’re taking advantage of the opportunity to bring farmers in to share what they do day in and day out with kids who have never been on a farm.” Geoghegan agreed. “It’s been a tremendous program that has impacted 3 million kids just in Wisconsin,” he said. Initiatives within the nation’s borders are continually adapting to the wants of consumers and putting a greater interest on non-uid milk dairy products. There is renewed interest in similar efforts being used in the export market, too. “One of our next big initiatives is to provide services for companies for dairy exports,” Geoghegan said. Merrill agreed. “I don’t think we realized the value of foreign markets at the time because there are so many moving parts; but there has to be enthusiasm from those people who want to consume dairy products,” he said. “The ability to produce the products that will t that export market is a huge opportunity.” With international communities’ economies growing, an increased demand for protein-based diets is evident. “What better diet than a diet with dairy products in it?” Merrill said. As was true in the past, vast opportunities continue to exist in the industry because of dairy farmers’ contributions to the dairy checkoff programs. “It’s a bigger world out there than we ever imagined,” Merrill said. “There’s a lot of opportunity out there, and we’re going to move forward and take advantage of it.”
We salute the dedicated farmers who produce the quality dairy products we enjoy.
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
ConƟnued from MILLER | Page 1
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Cows graze in a pasture near the farmsite on Bryton Miller’s dairy, which he bought from reƟred dairy farmers, Bill and Bonnie McMillin. “It’s a big learning curve and a huge learning experience,” 22-year-old Miller said about his rst year dairy farming on his own. “It was a lot of trial and error.” Although difcult, Miller has enjoyed the challenges. He is also thankful to have the McMillins as mentors. As part of their contract, the McMillins still live on the farmsite. Bill also helps with morning milking. “If I want to try something, I talk about it with Bill in the morning during milking,” Miller said. “But I still get to make the decision if I want to do it or not.” While seeing a young dairy farmer take over their farm gives them lots of pride, the McMillins confessed it’s not easy to see someone else make the decisions for the farm they once owned. “It’s a huge transition,” Bonnie said. “We’re still trying to gure it out, but we’re not trying to put pressure on Bryton.” As two of the founders of the Farm Beginnings program through the Land Stewardship Project (LSP), the McMillins have always been conscious of the hardships young farmers face to get into the industry. “I was well aware of the challenges of young farmers having access to land,” Bill said. “Older farmers have to give someone else the opportunity to farm. When Bonnie and I had health problems in 2013, it was staring me in the face.” At the time, the McMillins were raising grass-fed beef cattle after selling their dairy herd in 2005. Their only child had no interest in making farming a career. Through LSP, the couple took a farm transition course and created a set of goals and guidelines for helping them sell their farm. The No. 1 goal on their list was to nd someone who would continue the conservation practices they started and care for the land. They thought their highest chance of that happening would be to sell to someone who wanted to dairy farm. Their second goal was to give a young farmer the opportunity to farm. “We hoped our 160 acres would turn into someone’s dream farm instead of just another 160 acres to plant into corn or beans,” Bill said. Bonnie agreed. “It could be a place for them to raise their family and hopefully earn an income,” she said. In the fall of 2013, Bill reached out to Miller’s parents to tell them know they were considering selling their farm in a few years. At the time, Miller was
in his senior year in high school. “They are our neighbors,” Bill said. “We knew the family, and we knew they really loved farming. We weren’t thinking of selling immediately. It was more long term.” Over the next few years, the McMillins had other people make them offers. “We had some tough decisions to make, but we always went back to our goals. That helped clarify things for us,” Bill said. In the meantime, Miller took jobs for Wabasha County, a construction business, another dairy farm and as a rst responder. “I knew [dairy farming] would take a lot of money so my goal was to build my bank account,” he said. Although Miller would search
“Older farmers have to give someone else the opportunity to farm.” BILL MCMILLIN, RETIRED DAIRY FARMER
for dairy farms online, he always had the McMillins’ farm in the back of his mind. In November 2016, the two parties came together and realized it seemed to be a good t. Going forward, they had the farmsite evaluated to make sure it would still be suitable for a dairy. “It’s not the ideal location,” Bill said. “The stall barn is built on the side of a hill with bedrock not far down.” With everything in the clear, they also converted the tiestall barn into a 20-stall at parlor and holding pen and remodeled an area for the herd to be housed in loose housing. During the summer, the cows are rotationally grazed, the same way the McMillins managed their cows. “It’s a lot more fencing,” said Miller, who has learned a lot about grazing in the last year. “But it ts the lay of the land.” To build his herd, Miller traded out dairy steers he owned for cows from his dad. On March 11, 2017, Miller milked cows in the barn and on his farm for the rst time. “When I put the second milker on the second cow, all the pulsation quit,” Turn to MILLER | Page 7
Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 7
ConƟnued from MILLER | Page 6 he said. But they got it back up and running after xing the breaker. “I was overwhelmed,” Miller said about his rst night. “The pressure was on. I feel pressure all the time.” Figuring out the business side of dairy farming has been a challenge, especially with the current dairy economy. “It gets stressful thinking about it,” Miller said. “I was never aware of what it was going to be like.” One advantage Miller has is his
“He has a strong work ethic. His family lives and breathes dairy. It oozes out of his pores.” BONNIE MCMILLIN, RETIRED DAIRY FARMER
proximity to his family, who still dairy farm next door. “I relied on them for a lot of things,” Miller said. This included borrowing equipment. At the beginning, Miller owned two tractors and a manure spreader, but has since accumulated more. Having family members who are willing to help and handy at xing things also has made the jump into a dairying career less stressful for Miller. “I can call them about anything at any time and they would be here,” Miller said.
Bryton Miller milks his herd in a 20-stall at parlor on his dairy near Kellogg, Minn. The McMillins said another advantage for Miller is the drive to succeed as a dairyman. “He has a strong work ethic,” Bonnie said. “His family lives and breathes dairy. It oozes out of his pores.” Although difcult at times, Miller has enjoyed his journey so far. The cows are his favorite part of being a
dairy farmer. “They’re my pets,” he said. Miller has plans for the future of his dairy. While he will continue rotationally grazing his herd, he would like to build a freestall barn and parlor with a manure pit. “That’s the 10-year plan,” Miller said. A short-term goal is to get the land
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
back into a better corn and hay rotation. “The winter kill in 2013 kind of messed it up,” he said. But he plans to take on projects slowly. “I just take things one day at a time,” he said. Regardless of the timeline, Miller has made his dream a reality and is having the time of his life.
Dairy farming is the foundation of our community and CMCU has been a proud supporter of family farms since 1939. June Dairy Month is a time to promote, celebrate and honor all those who work so tirelessly to provide us with the nutrition we need and deliciousness we love. Especially the cheese. Thank you for the cheese. Proud supporter of Minnesota dairy farmers. 888.330.8482 | mycmcu.org |
Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
Thief River Falls dairy plant to close The Dean Foods/Land O’Lakes plant in Thief plant in Thief River Falls is disappointing news River Falls will close later this year. Production and for Minnesota dairy farmers. “It is quite a small cooler manager Larry Amundson conrms the plant. We’d love more processing capacity (in the closing date will be between Sept. 1 and state), but immediately besides one less Ag Insider Oct. 15. This will affect about 45 of the uid market for our milk in Minnesota, 110 employees. The distribution center we’re not seeing or hearing about any will remain open. Amundson said the immediate impact besides a little higher company is striving to improve plant hauling costs for people to reroute this efciency. Instead of operating three milk to other places.” Sjostrom said the plants at less than full capacity, the milk milk will mostly be rerouted through the volume now going to Thief River Falls Bismarck and Woodbury plants. Dean will be transferred to Bismarck and Foods is closing seven plants across the Woodbury, N.D. country. “I believe Land O’Lakes has a contract with Dean Foods, so they will Northwest MN dairy farmers lose a work on nding their members’ milk market a home.” In April, USDA’s National By Don Wick Minnesota Milk Producers Agricultural Statistics Service said Association Executive Director Minnesota’s milk production was 813 Columnist Lucas Sjostrom said the closing of million pounds, a 2 percent decline the Dean Foods/Land O’ Lakes milk processing from last year.
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A fair deal or no deal President Donald Trump has a message for Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the United States will accept a fair deal on NAFTA or no deal at all. That statement was made after Trudeau said the U.S. tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum imports are unacceptable. “These tariffs are an affront to the longstanding security relationship between Canada and the United States.” Trudeau canceled a planned trip to Washington, D.C. to nalize a renegotiated North American Free Trade Agreement. Conaway seeks immediate farm bill vote after immigration In the recent farm bill debate in Congress, all of the Democrats and about 30 conservative Republicans voted against the legislation. The drama ended with a motion to reconsider. House Agriculture Committee Chairman Michael Conaway said that means the very same bill will come up for another vote. “It is all about immigration and the efforts leadership is going through to satisfy this group within the Republican caucus and get them to yes. Once we get that immigration vote, I’m going to ask leadership for the very next vote to be H.R. 2 so there is no gap between satisfying their demands on immigration and delivering their yes votes on the farm bill.” It will likely be late June before the farm bill gets back on the congressional calendar.
Thin margin of error for ’18 farm bill Negotiations are happening within the Republican caucus on how to address immigration. Russell Group President Randy Russell said they will likely need one vote, if not a series of votes, on immigration prior to the farm bill being brought up again in the House. Farm bill action in the Upper Chamber is also being monitored. “Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts has already talked to Majority Leader McConnell about getting it up on the oor fairly quickly so there’s a chance both bills could pass before the August recess and potentially conference in August, but there is a very thin margin of error right now for the House and Senate to get a bill done and sent to the president before the November election.” MN senator sees urgency for farm bill debate Minnesota Senator Tina Smith said there’s urgency to get a farm bill completed on time. “The bill’s failure in the House is a real disappointment for Minnesota farmers who have a lot of issues they’re struggling with. Having the certainty of getting this bill done would be incredibly helpful,” she said. “I was encouraged when Senator Roberts and Senator Stabenow put out a joint statement committing themselves to passing and putting together a bipartisan bill right after the House bill failed. And I think what they are doing is looking at the issue and especially the important nutrition programs, where things kind of fell apart.” Dairy lawsuit given class action status A lawsuit that involves the dairy industry has been granted class action status. The lawsuit claims the National Milk Producers Federation, Cooperatives Working Together and dairy coops conspired to manage milk supplies through a herd retirement program, which ultimately drove Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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up prices for cheese and butter. The court has not determined who is right or wrong, but determined the class action case includes anyone who purchased cheese or butter from the entities involved in CWT between December 2006 to July 2013. H-2A visa improvements proposed USDA, the State Department, Labor Department and the Department of Homeland Security are proposing changes to the H-2A Agricultural Worker Visa program. The goal is to modernize and simplify the program. There will also be incentives for farmers to use the E-Verify system to determine if employees are authorized to work in this country. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue has listed the farm labor shortage as one of the biggest issues facing agriculture. Prepare now for ’19 operating line of credit Most farmers were able to secure operating loans for the 2018 growing season. However, Minnesota Farm Service Agency Administrator Joe Martin said there was strong interest in the FSA guaranteed and direct loans. A proactive approach is recommended. “If things aren’t looking so rosy, procrastination is not a good strategy. The best strategy always is to be communicating with your banker and us if you think
you might have issues making loan payments.” Land O’Lakes searching for new CEO Land O’Lakes President and CEO Chris Policinski will retire at the end of June. Policinski has been in the role since 2005. A search committee is being formed to identify a permanent CEO. In the meantime, Peter Janzen is appointed interim CEO. Janzen, who is the Land O’Lakes general counsel and chief administrative ofcer, is postponing his planned retirement to take the interim CEO position. Trivia challenge The Normande breed of cattle originated in Normandy region of northwest France. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, we know vanilla and chocolate are the two most popular ice cream avors. What is ranked third? 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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MELROSE, Minn. – All across the nation, dairy farms are the staple of family careers that span over many generations. In central Minnesota, not only have the Middendorf brothers carried on their father’s work on the dairy farm, but also now their sons have decided to do the same. Ron, Paul, Glen and Jeff Middendorf all grew up dairy farming with their parents, Joe and Lou, near Melrose, Minn. During the 1980s, as the brothers became old enough to dairy on their own, they each established dairy farms and are now welcoming home their children to the family business. “Dairy farming is a career that our dad instilled in us,â€? Jeff said. “It’s pretty cool to have all of us brothers have sons who are following in our footsteps.â€? Ownership passes from one generation to another As the oldest of the four brothers, Ron had the ďƒžrst opportunity to dairy farm at the Middendorfs’
home property. At age 14, Ron started milking at the family’s original farm site while his dad went to milk at a second location – where Jeff and his son now dairy. “I was a senior in high school when I started doing all of the chores by myself,â€? said Ron, whose parents relocated to a different farm site in 1977. Now, 40 years later, Ron’s son, Cory, is doing the same. “I’ve been farming forever. ‌ I was out in the barn at 2 years old,â€? said Cory, 36. Ron agreed. “At 5 years old, he would sit in the barn and watch the cows eat,â€? he said. “He had all of the names of the cows memorized.â€? Cory came to work with his dad in 2001, after graduating high school. For the 17 years that followed, Ron and Cory worked together and slowly made plans for a farm transition. At the start of the new year, Ron and his wife, Cindy, turned over ownership of the dairy to their son. Turn to MIDDENDORFS | Page 11
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The Middendorfs – (from leĹŒ) Daniel, Glen, Nathan and Michael – milk about 150 cows on two farm sites near Long Prairie, Minn.
Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 11
ConƟnued from MIDDENDORFS | Page 10 “I liked farming back then and I like it now,” Cory said. “I’m so appreciative to have this chance at farming, especially when it’s so hard to get into it right now.” Cory milks 60 cows on his 120-acre farm site, which he purchased from the 400 acres that Ron and him farm together. Ron continues to work with his son, doing chores every morning and eldwork. “We really work well together,” Ron said. “We know what work has to get done and when, and just get it done. That’s what you have to do when you’re farming.” As Cory has transitioned into his new role, he has often found himself relying on the values Ron taught him about dairy farming. “They say if you farm like Grandpa, you’ll go broke, but never forget how Dad did things,” Cory said. “Dad built up a herd of good cows that I’m proud of and work hard to maintain.” Ron agreed. “Dad’s philosophy always was to take good care of the cows and make good hay,” he said. “Cory’s doing that.” Cows call son home from construction Paul was always hopeful his son, Jeremy, would join him as a partner on his dairy farm, although the inclusion came only a few years ago. In May 2015, Jeremy, 31, joined his father on their 70-cow, 280-acre dairy near Browerville, Minn., after working 13 years in the construction business. “I always knew I’d come back,” Jeremy said.
“It’s nice to have the boys around, and seeing the next generation here is pretty fun.” GLEN MIDDENDORF, DAIRY FARMER
“I really started to miss it, so I thought I better do it before I can’t.” Paul agreed. “We knew this would be the scenario eventually,” he said. “It was getting hard to get it all done by myself. When the spring came that year, I knew I couldn’t do it forever.” With Jeremy’s return, Paul and his wife, Bonnie, moved off the farm and Bonnie found a job in town, while Jeremy and his family moved into the farmhouse. “The rst few days were hard to leave [the farm] at the end of the day,” Paul said. “Now, I realize what would’ve happened … the cows go and then the barn goes, and things go the other way.” Jeremy agreed. “Before, he never took a milking off,” he said. “Dad can now be away and he trusts me that things are going OK. I’m proud to take over where he left off.” Paul and Jeremy work closely day in and day out, beginning every morning in the barn. “We always milk together,” Jeremy said. “The barn is our ofce where we get to interact and talk about this and that.” Paul agreed. “It’s fun working together and doesn’t feel like work,” he said. As Jeremy gradually takes on more ownership of the dairy, he is bringing skills he learned in his
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Jeremy and Paul Middendorf milk 70 cows near Browerville, Minn. Jeremy returned to the farm after spending 13 years in the construcƟon business.
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Grand Cherokee Laredo, Granite, 100,487 miles, US2023, retail $21,400 ................................ $16,914 ‘17 JEEP Patriot Latitude, Mojave Sand, 22,104 miles, US2032, retail $19,800.......................................... $16,914 ‘10 CHEVROLET 1500 Crew Cab 4x4, Silver, 139,701 miles, UT3600, retail $18,990................................ $16,914 ‘15 JEEP Cherokee Latitude, Deep Cherry, 24,998 miles, US2090, retail $21,100..................................... $17,914 ‘15 JEEP Compass Altitude, Maroon, 25,841 miles, US2104, retail $21,000................................................ $17,914 ‘15 Chrysler 200 S AWD, Granite, 35,761 miles, UC3857, retail $22,200 ....................................................... $18,614 ‘16 GMC Terrain, Red, 71,247 miles, UX1475, retail $20,800 .............................................................................. $18,714 ‘16 Chrysler 200 S, White, 29,890 miles, UC3862, retail $21,100 ..................................................................... $18,914 ‘09 Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4x4, Deep Cherry Red, 110,884 miles, UT3665, retail $21,400 ...................... $18,914 ‘14 Dodge Journey Crossroad, 30,320 miles, UX1454, retail $22,320........................................................... $18,914 ‘13 Ram 1500 Quad Cab 4x4, Silver, 76,779 miles, UT3664, retail $22,400 ................................................. $19,614 ‘17 DODGE Grand Caravan SXT, Blue, 38,126 miles, UV2501, retail $21,300 ............................................. $19,714 ‘15 Chrysler 200 C AWD, Lunar, 29,423 miles, UC3866, retail $23,700........................................................... $19,914 ‘16 Chrysler Town & Country Touring, Granite, 38,686 miles, UV2479, retail $22,100 ........................... $19,914 ‘17 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT, Black, 33,110 miles, UV2484, retail $21,700 ............................................. $19,914 ‘17 DODGE Grand Caravan SXT, White, 31,966 miles, UV2485, retail $21,900 .......................................... $19,914 ‘13 Dodge Challenger, Flame Red, 8,146 miles, UC3861, retail $24,700 ....................................................... $20,914 ‘16 Jeep Cherokee Limited, Black, 9,022 miles, US1984, retail $25,400 ....................................................... $20,914 ‘16 Jeep Cherokee Altitude, White, 12,245 miles, US2084, retail $23,300................................................... $20,914 ‘16 Chrysler Town & Country Touring, Black, 35,822 miles, UV2466, retail $24,400 ............................... $20,914 ‘17 DODGE Grand Caravan GT, Billet, 37,950 miles, UV2500, retail $24,300 .............................................. $20,914 ‘15 Chrysler Town & Country Touring L, Granite, 28,889 miles, UV2482, retail $25,500 ....................... $21,314 ‘16 Chrysler 300 Limited, Velvet Red, 27,202 miles, UC3856, retail $24,400 .............................................. $21,714 ‘15 CHEVROLET Traverse LT, Black, 43,199 miles, US1991, retail $25,800.................................................... $21,914 ‘14 Jeep Cherokee Laredo, Gray, 41,991 miles, US2026, retail $26,600 ........................................................ $21,914 ‘15 JEEP Cherokee Limited, Jeep Green, 30,803 miles, US2113, retail $24,300 ......................................... $21,914 ‘15 CHEVROLET Traverse 2LT, Blue, 35,927 miles, UX1443, retail $27,500 .................................................. $21,914
and seeing the next generation here is pretty fun,” Glen said.
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milk.” Glen agreed. “As they got older, I gave them more responsibilities.” Farming as a family is not all about work for Glen and his sons. When they nd a free moment, the men are often found shing together or participating in tractor pulls. “It’s nice to have the boys around,
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MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Aus�n and Jeff Middendorf milk 56 cows near Sauk Centre, Minn. Aus�n graduated from high school in 2017, and immediately began farming full �me with his dad.
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few miles away from the home farm in Long Prairie, Minn. “My sons always showed interest in dairy farming,” said Glen about purchasing the other farm site in 2000. “It felt pretty good when they all wanted to come back to the farm.” As Nathan and Matthew, 22, manage the second farm location, Glen and Daniel, 27, are often found at home milking the remaining 100 cows. While the farms are separated by distance, Glen and his sons work together to accomplish daily chores and eldwork on the 450-acre farm. “When it’s time to make hay, it’s all hands on deck,” Glen said. “It takes a good crew to make it all go.” Matthew agreed. “I really like helping in the eld, harvesting in the fall and hauling loads of silage,” he said. In a partnership where Glen, Nathan, Daniel and Matthew all collect a percentage of the milk check, the Middendorfs decide collectively what improvements should be made on the farm and how investments are made. “We each own some of our own equipment, but when it’s something for the farm, we always discuss it before making a decision,” Nathan said. Glen agreed. “More eyes and more ears are always benecial,” he said. Over the years, the boys have stepped into roles best suited for their skills and abilities on the farm. Daniel takes care of animal health and checking for heats, while Nathan helps with breeding, and Matthew drives tractor and serves as a relief milker when his brothers and dad are away. “Dad always gave us jobs we could do and handle when we were younger,” Daniel said. “We all volunteered to help
Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 13
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Cooperative policies make us ďƒžght each other How can small farms survive when they are being forced by their own cooperatives to help pay the way for large farms? For the last two months, our co-op has had a negative $1.32 Producer Price Differential (PPD). A letter sent out to its members said it was needed to cover costs including premiums for SCC, hauling, volume and pickup. Currently, Family Dairies USA, a division of FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative, pays up to $.80 per hundredweight in volume and pickup premiums. It also only charges $.10 per hundredweight for hauling. So a farm with one tanker load a day only pays $50 for hauling but gets $400 in volume and pick up premiums. While
we are awash with milk, our own co-op still promotes overproduction and are making their smaller farms help pay for it by taking $1.32 off their milk checks. Currently, a stop charge is charged to smaller farms and last month it cost me $.30 per hundredweight for hauling. I keep hearing how all farms are supposed to work together to cure the problem of too much milk, but how can we work together when our own cooperatives keep policies in place to make us ďƒžght each other?
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
DALE’S FARM REPAIR INC.
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.
ON-FARM TIRE SERVICE Dale Saehr - Owner Hwy. 25 between Pierz & Genola
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ConĆ&#x;nued from MIDDENDORFS | Page 12 “I like the aspect of being home and running our own business and watching the animals grow,â€? Austin said. Jeff agreed. “It’s humbling to have my son here. He’s been in the barn since he was a baby and I would push him around in a stroller as I milked,â€? he said. “In the end, it’s most rewarding to see the end product of our hard work and knowing it’s still fun for me with Austin. If it wasn’t for him, I don’t know if I would be doing it much longer.â€? As Jeff continues to milk, Austin now feeds. Together, they complete ďƒželdwork on their 275 acres of land. With Austin’s full-time involvement on the dairy, Jeff has been able to retreat from the farm every so often – something he has not been able to do for 30 years.
“It’s a lot easier if I have to get away,� Jeff said. “There’s a weight lifted. If I’m gone, I don’t have to worry that it won’t get done. It’ll probably get done better than I would have done it.� Although it has only been one year since Austin has been able to focus entirely on the farm, there are many values Jeff has instilled in him to become a better dairyman – values that have carried through the entire Middendorf family. “Everything I know I learned from my dad,� Austin said. “If you work hard for what you want, it will pay off in the end.� Jeff agreed. “Grandpa always said you can’t be scared of work if you want to farm, and if we take care of the cows, the cows will consistently take care of us,� Jeff said. “We all take pride in what we do and it’s rewarding work.�
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FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Wayne Meyer, Riley Demmer, Chris Brehm, Al Klostermann, Don Ahmann, Karen Hosch, Jim Siegert.
Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems Inc. has been in business since 1988. When three service techs, Jim Siegert, Wayne Meyer, and Mike Brehm pooled their money and bought out their employer Soppe Surge. After our 1st year in business we purchased and moved into our current facility in Epworth Iowa. In the beginning we were strictly a “Surge� dairy equipment dealer, however like other industries the Dairy industry evolved through acquisitions. Today we are a “GEA Farm Technologies� dealer. In 2011, looking to expand into Dairy robotics, we acquired a “Lely Robotic Milking� dealership, with a service area that covers the southeast one fourth of the state of Iowa. 1st picture taken at current location in Epworth, IA.
In an effort to completely cover all of our customers needs, we added other companies over the years, including Mueller milk cooling, MEDA/Ecolab hygiene products, DCC Cow Waterbeds, Merrill barn equipment, Mirafont waterers, Schaefer Ventilation and Agro Chem. Today, two owners remain in the business, Jim Siegert and Wayne Meyer, who employ Ûve full time employees and one part time employee. Our staff consists of licensed electricians, licensed plumbers and licensed refrigeration techs. We are also certiÛed milking equipment installers. We provide service and installation of high quality dairy equipment as well as an extensive hygiene route program for our dairy customers.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 15
From Our Side Of The Fence
How have robotic milkers changed the way you manage your dairy? Paul Swenson Nicollet, Minn. Nicollet County 275 cows
shift.
When did you install robots? In 2013 to get three milkings without the night labor
Describe the changes you made to your facility. We added 50 feet to the end of our freestall barn and sold our double-9 parlor, replacing it with four Lely robots. What information is most helpful that the robots provide? Rumination is most valuable. It really helps nd cows that need attention. Also conductivity is accurate in tracking mastitis, and the activity monitor detects heat. We breed the milking herd almost exclusively from this information. What changes did you have to make to your ration because of the robots? We moved about half the grain from TMR to the pellets in the robot. What advice would you have for producers contemplating installing robots on their farm? Do your research and make sure you know what you’re getting into, nancially. This is an expensive way to milk cows, and you need to be able to get through a downturn like we are in. You should weigh other options as an investment, like buying more land or investing in high genomic genetics, because robots depreciate. What are two things you like and dislike about having the robots? The best thing about the robots is that the cows like them. I like the extra milking the cows get. What I dislike is that the repair and maintenance is extremely frustrating and expensive. It never ends. I also dislike that we are never done with chores. I feel like we’ve been babysitting these for ve years and it’s never going to end. How has having robots changed the way you manage your dairy? We spend more time managing equipment instead of cows. We don’t need to catch cows or lock them up often. We pregnancy check on DHIA and don’t have a vet in the barn very often, which keeps the stress off the cows. Tell us about your farm. I farm with my wife Cindy, daughter, Ashley, and her husband, David. We farm 800 acres of corn, alfalfa and soybeans.
Jeff Bremer Lake City, Minn. Wabasha County 210 cows When did you install robots? We installed the robots in August 2010. We liked the new technology, including all the reports the software offers and the exibility of our schedule. I am able to go to school activities and family functions. Describe the changes you made to your facility. We retrotted our barn, turning a sick pen that was in the middle of the barn into the robot room. It houses our three Lely robots. We also remodeled part of the barn to put in 50 more stalls. What information is most helpful that the robots provide? Heat detection is helpful to have. Milk quality on each quarter is detected and when one quarter is done milking it automatically comes off. What changes did you have to make to your ration because of the robots? We didn’t change a lot. We took some corn and protein out of the bunk. What advice would you have for farmers contemplating installing robots on their farm? Don’t think you can put them in and not spend anytime in your barn. Although it makes your schedule more exible and your cows are more relaxed in a robot barn than any other, you still have to spend time in the barn. You don’t have to be the one milking the cows. What are two things you like and dislike about having the robots? I like the exibility in time. I also like that the herd health is better and each cow is fed according to her production. What I don’t like is when you have to shut them down for a couple hours for maintenance and making sure they stay in operation on cold winter nights. How has having robots changed the way you manage your dairy? You do not have to spend your time managing employees. You can spend it managing your cows. Tell us about your farm. Bremer’s Pine Ridge Farm, LLC is run by Keith Bremer, myself and my three sons, Travis, Jordan and Easton. Along with caring for our milking herd, we raise our own heifers and crop farm 2,400 acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and peas.
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Jeremy Mursu New York Mills, Minn. Otter Tail County 170 cows
Brian and Mary Kollman (photo not available) Brooten, Minn. Stearns County 260 cows
When did you install robots and why? We started milking with two Lely A4 robots June 2013. Our 36-stall, tiestall barn was too small and we knew we needed to be able to expand in order to house more cows. We chose the robots over a parlor so we could expand without hired labor. We also liked some of the features that the robot environment offered.
When did you install robots? In 2013. We were switching cows four times in our old dairy barn.
Describe the changes you made to your facility. We built a brand new 100by 160-foot ve row freestall barn with sand bedding and alley scrapers. It is insulated, cross ventilated, with drive thru feeding and a Juno feed pusher. Every day of the year it is nice in the barn, it never freezes in the winter and it stays cool in the summer. With enough air moving from the fans, cows are not even bothered by ies. The cows love the barn and we do too. What information is most helpful that the robots provide? I personally really like the heat monitoring system. Without even visually seeing a cow that is in heat, I can choose the correct hour of the day to breed a cow based on her heat stage. My services per conception are minimal. What changes did you have to make to your ration because of the robots? Our nutritionist, Jos Melse, made this transition very easy. In the old barn we top dressed cows protein and grain. In the new barn we put the base protein mix in the PMR and also reduced the amount of high moisture corn in the PMR to balance energy levels. Therefore, we could feed a high starch pellet in the robot to get the cows to visit the robot and get milked at the same time. What advice would you have for producers contemplating installing robots on their farm? Proper preparation prevents poor performance. Do your homework, go look at many different facilities and don’t be afraid to ask questions. Life is too short to make mistakes other farmers have made. Learn from other people’s successes and failures. Transitioning to a new barn and robotic milking system is a big investment, choose a lender that is willing to work with you and understands dairy farming and the dairy industry. If you are going to choose the robotic milking system, you are lucky. To have a supportive dealer and service provider is great. The staff knows what it takes to maximize your robot time to harvest as much milk as possible. Without their knowledge and service we would not be able to achieve the level of milk production we have attained. What are two things you like and dislike about having the robots? Being able to milk your high producing cows more than two times a day really helps maximize each cow’s potential. We had to purchase about 40 cows when we expanded and that was more fun than I thought it would be. We were able to add some really nice cows to our herd. I really enjoy sleeping, so robot calls during the middle of the night are not fun.
Describe the changes you made to your facility. We added four DeLaval robots onto the front of the freestall barn. What information is most helpful that the robots provide? The robots show how much the cow milks every milking. We can also see their somatic cell count on every milking. What changes did you have to make to your ration because of the robots? Instead of a TMR, we have to make a PMR and pull energy and protein out of the PMR and feed that portion in the robot to lure the cows into the robot. What advice would you have for farmers contemplating installing robots on their farm? We rst started out as a guided barn, where the cows had to go through the robot to get back to the feed bunk. Feed intakes dropped, so we switched to a free-ow barn. What are two things you like and dislike about having the robots? It is easier on your body. The condition of cows at dry-off time is better because they get fed pellets based on milk production. So, if there is a problem breeder, it won’t get fat at dry-off time. I don’t like getting up at night to x robots or watching the energy in the PMR. If you get too much energy in the PMR, your fetch list increases. How has having robots changed the way you manage your dairy? You have a lot of information on the computer on every cow. The activity collars have made nding cows in heat easier. Tell us about your farm. We have 260 cows. We raise our heifers and feed out our Holstein steers. Also, my patience is short when the robot struggles to attach the milking unit to a cow. Dairy farming is a capital intense business, the investment of dairy farming is stressful. How has having robots changed the way you manage your dairy? The biggest thing is efciency, from feeding to breeding, to milking, manure handling, eld work and personal life, we have to be efcient with our time and money. We have a limited labor force and a lot of animals, equipment and land to take care of. The exibility of the automated milking system is great but it is still dairy farming and there is plenty of work to do if you want to do a good job. Tell us about your farm. I farm with my parents, Tom and Tammy, as well as my grandpa, Martin Mursu. We have 170 black and white Holstein cows. We raise all our heifers and a few bull calves. We raise 400 acres of corn and alfalfa and use oats and peas as a cover crop to establish new alfalfa. We are thankful for every day we are part of the dairy industry, we are blessed.
Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Michael Redalen Fountain, Minn. Fillmore County 215 cows When did you install robots? October 2013. The tiestall barn was wearing out, and I thought it was limiting cow production. Robots were a way to milk more cows without adding more labor. Describe the changes you made to your facility. I built a new four-row freestall barn with three Delaval VMS milking robots. It is a guided-ow barn with smart selection gates and one-way gates. The milking herd is in one group and all cows have access to all three robots. Other automation includes alley scrapers and thermostat controlled air curtains. A feed pushing robot was added in 2015. Liquid feeders for the robot feeding stations were added in 2017. We also have activity monitors to aid in heat detection. What information is most helpful that the robots provide? Yield deviations from one day to the next help us nd sick cows. Conductivity aids in mastitis detection. I use the milking queue report for fetching to identify cows either late for milking or incompletely milked at their previous milking. What changes did you have to make to your ration because of the robots? The pellets fed through the robot feeding stations. Each cow averages 9 pounds of pellets consumed per day. The feeding station computer software is set up to reward the higher producers and earlier lactation cows with more pellet than lower yielding, later lactation cows. The quality of homegrown forages of haylage and corn silage has improved since the new barn was built. What advice would you have for farmers contemplating installing robots on their farm? To take full advantage of the benets of automatic milking, a dairy must do everything well. Cows will be more willing to milk themselves if the ration contains high quality ingredients and forage dry matters on paper match what is at the bunk. Transition cow health is important. Hoof health must be monitored. A lame cow is a fetch cow. Focus on breeding. Keep days in milk low. Late lactation cows get lazy and turn into fetch cows. What are two things you like and dislike about having the robots? The herd has been able to double without adding as much hired labor as if I had installed a parlor. I like that robots allow for more milkings per day for early lactation and higher producers. Something I don’t like is that to maximize efciency, the robots have to be operating 24 hours a day. If there is a breakdown or other problem, it needs to be dealt with immediately. The cost of continued maintenance is much higher than initially anticipated. How has having robots changed the way you manage your dairy? The investment in robots drives me to improve the dairy in order to get the benet of the automation, and to get the milk production to pay for the investment. Healthy, content cows will milk themselves and make the investment worthwhile. Tell us about your farm. I am the fourth generation. My parents still manage the crops and help with chores. I have one full-time employee, Paul Lacey, and two part-time employees. The herd is Holsteins with a few Red and White Holsteins and some Brown Swiss owned by Paul. My 9-year-old son, Lucas, is awaiting the summer cow show season. In addition to milking cows, we farm 600 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa.
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Josh and Andrea Lingen Balaton, Minn. Murray County 325 cows
Joshua Carpenter Menahga, Minn. Wadena county 160 cows When did you install robots? December 2013. It was hard to nd good help. Quality of life for the cow in the fact that she denes her day.
When did you install robots? We installed our rst pair of Lely Astronaut robots in January 2013 and put in our second pair in December 2017. We went to robots because we wanted to increase our herd and milk three times a day. We also wanted to be able to do custom work and know that our cows were being cared for. We needed reliable labor and the robots provide that.
Describe the changes you made to your facility. We retrotted our existing freestall barn and a bedded pack barn. Due to the Galaxy 20.20 milks two units we have our barn split freestall and bedded pack. The cows generally start on the bedded pack when they freshen and the transition to the freestall side later in Describe the changes you made to your facility. lactation. We moved dry cows into the bedded pack We built a new facility that enabled us to get away area that used to house milking cows. from bedding with sand. The new barn has gel beds, headlocks and automatic alley scrapers, all of which What information is most helpful that the robots have made life easier for us. Getting away from sand provide? All the information is great. The problem bedding has made it possible for us to haul our own is there is too much. The key is guring out a way to make use of it and make it work for you and your manure. operation. Try to start slow and gradually increase as What information is most helpful that the robots time goes on. provide? The robots provide us with 125 data points on each cow, including such things as fat, protein and What changes did you have to make to your ration SCC. We never have to guess if a cow is making us because of the robots? The robot pellet and feeding money or not. I am better able to make an economic a PMR were the biggest changes. We have changed decision based on the data that the robots give to me feed consultants. We’ve been able to bring feed costs down and maintain and increase productivity. on a daily basis. What changes did you have to make to your ration because of the robots? It was a challenge to switch from a TMR to PMR. Ration management is a constant challenge and an ongoing process. We are tweaking our ration due to changes in the forages that we have available. You don’t want to go over the ne line of feeding too much energy at the bunk as that can reduce the number of visits to the robots. What advice would you have for farmers contemplating installing robots on their farm? Make sure it’s something you really want to do. It’s a great way to dairy farm, but you will likely have to change your mindset. It’s a different way to milk and manage cows.
What advice would you have for producers contemplating installing robots on their farm? Do your research. Make sure you are working with a dealership you trust will look out for your interests. There’s more to it than putting in a robot and letting it work. We put more time into the robot than we did before, but it is more exible. But the robot doesn’t solve tough times in the dairy industry when prices aren’t good. What are two things you like and dislike about having the robots? I like the exibility of being able to attend events by not having the set milking times, but the work still needs to get done. I like giving the cows their freedom to do as they please. Some cows excel while others op. I don’t like being married to my phone. The expense is another on the top of my list. It’s not cheap to install to start with and that trickles through to getting milk production to pay for it.
What are two things you like and dislike about having the robots? All the data they provide and the freedom that they have given us. What I don’t like are the 2 a.m. phone calls when something goes wrong with a robot. It’s difcult to adjust to being on call 24 hours a day. We often have to hire a technician to conduct How has having robots changed the way you manrepairs. This can be expensive, which is especially dif- age your dairy? We manage the cow much more closely if she’s not doing well. We try to know when cult with low milk prices. to shut down. Being a farmer, we work hard and have How has having robots changed the way you man- the option to do some of the barn chores on our own age your dairy? We added cows and were able to af- time. It can create a vacuum of working all the time. ford a full-time hired man to run our milking parlor and do the robot chores. The wealth of data has helped Tell us about your farm. Our farm was started by make us more progressive in making culling decisions. my great grandfather. My dad, his brother and myself farm together, along with my mom taking care of We can now make those decisions on a timely basis. calves. Our farm has seen farming by hand to milkTell us about your farm. I farm with my parents, ing machines, tiestalls, freestalls, a parlor and now an Randy and Denise. We farm 650 acres and operate a automated milking system. It’s amazing the change custom silage chopping and silage bagging business. that has happened. My brother-in-law, Reed Stepp, joined the operation on a full-time basis. My wife, Andrea, took an off-farm job to make a little money and get new experiences, although she still helps with the baby calves. We started Tell the advertisers to use sexed semen on our heifers and began to breed our cows to beef bulls. Our plan is to sell the crossbred you saw their ad in the calves shortly after birth. This should reduce the calf Dairy Star! care workload for Mom and Andrea.
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Phone: (319) 634-3849 • Toll Free: (800) 426-0261 web: www.ifamill.com • email: ifamill@netins.net
Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 17
FARM DRAINAGE
FA R M D R A I N AG E & B O R I N G
Since 1972
DIRECTIONAL BORING • Geothermal • Waterline • Electric line • Boring roads • Boring hdpe pipe • On grade specializing • Bore from 4” and up • Anywhere you don’t want to dig!
• Water management • Tiling fields • Roads & parking lots • 3”–24” boots • Dig up to 60” • Plowing hdpe pipe • Lagoons • Best equipment to do the best job! • Repair crew
CALL US TODAY!
WE WORK 7 DAYS A WEEK WHEN YOU NEED US! 13201 195th St. SE, Lake Lillian, MN 56253
320-905-8645 • 320-894-3374
Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
Top Performers
Rahm Dairy focuses on forage quality, cow comfort for high production barn with fans. Located near the main freestall barn, calves are raised in hutches. Weaned calves through pregnant heifers are raised off site on my son, Josh’s, farm.
Rahm Dairy, LLC Colby, Wis. Marathon County 680 cows What is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? We have a 29,557 Rolling Herd Average, a 3.6 percent butterfat and 2.9 percent protein.
What is your herd health program? Cows are dried up every Tuesday. Cows are dried up between 54-60 days. The rst lactation animals are dried off at 64-70 days before calving. All animals on the day of dry-off receive a series of shots for both the mom and calf to be healthy. At dry off, all dries are housed the in the three-sided open shed. They are also joined by all heifers due to calve in the next 60 days.
How many times a day do you milk? If you don’t milk 3X a day, have you tried it in the past? We have been milking three times a day since 1998. Do you contract your milk? Has it been successful for you? We have done some milk contracting in the past. We are planning on doing more contracting in the future. We meet four times a year with a consultant, so we always know where our cost of production is, which is a must if you are going to lock in a price. We lock in commodities and fuel. So, why not milk? As long as it is above production costs. Describe your housing and milking facility. Our milking facility is a double-12 paral-
CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Keith and Josh Rahm milk 680 cows on their farm near Colby, Wis. The Rahms have a 29,557 rolling herd average. lel parlor. Our milking cows, pre-fresh cows and heifers (30 days and less) are housed in a 600-stall sand-bedded tunnelventilated six-row freestall
barn with alley scrapers and headlocks, along with two maternity pens for calving. We also have two larger bedding pack pens for additional
calving room or if a cow needs a little more pampering. Faroff dry cows are housed in a three-sided open shed to the south of the bedding pack
What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? We have herd health checks every week. One week before a cow is due for a scheduled pregnancy check she is given a GnRH shot. We check cows for pregnancies at as early as 28 days using ultra-sound. If pregnant, we re-check them two weeks later. Cows that are open usually receive a prostaglandin shot to breed a couple Turn to RAHM | Page 20
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Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 19
Reddy Ag Service & Ross Soil Service Knowlegeable Professionals for each unique operation • Mineral and Protein Mixes • Nutrition and Management Services • Robot herd consulting and pellets
Dan Hentrich 608-642-7334
Mark Brown 608-330-1331
• In-house Grain Merchandiser to locate and price bulk commodities
Sam Enloe 608-778-8589
Dan Welch 608-426-1819
www.reddyagservice.com
SAVE MONEY AND ENERGY WHILE ENHANCING YOUR MILK QUALITY! • Save money on energy costs by using Mueller® tap or well water to precool milk. Accu-Therm® plate • Durable Type 304 stainless steel end frames heat exchangers are available for any and stainless steel compression bolts. size dairy - large • Type 316 stainless steel plate material or small! for sanitary milk contact surface. • Clean-in-place system helps keep maintenance low. • Cool milk down to 37°F (2.8°C) in less time. • Use a multi-duty Accu-therm for chiller applications. Now That’s Cool!
Russ Pierson
SALES & SERVICE
MUELLER SALES & SERVICE
Glencoe, MN • 320-864-3556 OR 888-205-0974
“... more milk, fewer problems, lower SCC.” — Chad Fredd
GRAPEVIEW DAIRY, Robotic milking Chad Fredd, WESTFIELD, NEW YORK 220 cows, 80 lbs, SCC 120,000 “I am a big fan of Udder Comfort™. I have always loved this product. It’s a tool that helps us achieve better milk. We have not had to use intramammary treatments on lactating cows since 2002,” says Chad Fredd. He has been using Udder Comfort for over 15 years and has been milking his 220 cows robotically now for 6 years at Grapeview Dairy, Westfield, New York. “In addition to using Udder Comfort on most fresh animals, we use the robot’s conductivity reading to identify a cow with subclinical mastitis, then locate her in the stalls and spray the udder daily until the reading goes down. It’s important to get on it early. “We find the optimum for most fresh cows is to apply it for 3 days. We’ll go 5 to 7 days for high SCC and heifers. “This reduces edema, so we have less caking, more milk, fewer problems and lower SCC.”
Quality Udders Make Quality Milk
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, June 9, 2018
ConƟnued from RAHM | Page 18
days later. All cows are also checked three weeks before dry-off. If we have a cow that needs help that the herdsman or I can’t answer, the vet will address the issue and a corrective measure at herd health checks. What is the composition of your ration? What has been one of your most recent changes that has been successful for you? Our ration is a concentrated protein/mineral mix purchased through our nutritionist, Jim Weber, along with our own high moisture shell corn, haylage and BMR corn silage. We are a high forage diet thanks to the highquality forage we are able to grow and harvest ourselves. Our dry cows get straw, corn silage and mineral. We buy semi loads of straw and chop it as ne as we can through our
chopper. This has been a key for us to help get the dry cows to calve in with minimum problems. Through the years you’ve been farming what change has created the biggest jump in your herd average? Our new barn expansion and retrot of the old 216-stall barn when we added onto it in 2016. The stalls are bigger for cow comfort and with the installation of tunnel ventilation, it’s awesome. What role does genetics play in your production level and what is your breeding program? Genetics are important to us, as it is in all dairies. But, we do not use top of the line bulls. We do use good quality A.I. bulls. We are on an ovsynch program and have semen in all eligible cows by 70
CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR
A reliable workforce adds to the farm’s producƟon.
CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR
The constant airow from the barn’s venƟlaƟon and sand bedding help keep cows comfortable and producƟve. days in milk. The fth service we use a beef bull if we want to keep the cow. We use sexed semen on all the heifers. What type of improvements would you like to make that would increase your rolling herd average even higher? To have all of our far-off dry cows into a tunnel-ventilated freestall barn. We have seen studies that show how important heat abatement is to a dry cow and how it affects their calving issues, production level and breeding percentage in their immediate lactation following calving. Not to mention the effect it has on the heifer calf that is born. In our current facility we struggle with that.
JUNE IS
List three management strategies that has kept you protable. Have a good team. Cows come rst. Work hard and smart. What would you say are the three most important factors for you that helped you attain your current herd average? Cow comfort. Forage quality. Attention to detail. Tell us about your farm. My farm is home to my wife, Lynn, and our daughter, Chelsea, 24, and son, Joshua, 22. Lynn is a RN, and Chelsea lives in New Berlin, Wis., and is nishing up college to also become a RN. Our farm is a rst-generation farm. I started farming at the age of 19 in 1987, renting and
living with my grandparents on their farm 25 miles away from our current location. I bought 30 cows and was hooked. In 1998, we moved to our current location and bought 200 acres of land and built a new house, milking parlor and a 216-stall freestall barn. I farm with Josh, who graduated from college in 2015. In 2016, we expanded our dairy from 350 milking to 680 milking. We raise our youngstock and are starting to raise some beef on the side. Heifers are raised on Josh’s farm that he purchased in 2017. We own 550 acres and rent another 1,500. We do all our own cropping with the exception of emptying our lagoon. We have 13 employees that we feel are family.
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507-932-4288
Emergency Service 507-208-9465
“I didn’t even think we had stray voltage!” Roger Lange milks 100 head on his family dairy at Crofton, Nebraska. Until recently he was often forced to sell his fresh heifers because they wouldn t let down their milk. “We called Stray Voltage Consulting, and Jerry found the problem within half an hour.” Roger said. “I was very impressed with Jerry. He’s a former REA guy, so he understands both the farmer and the electric company. Being able to work with both sides is a key component to his success.” “I haven’t had a single problem with our fresh heifers since Jerry corrected our stray voltage problem. I would highly recommend Stray Voltage Consulting to anyone who thinks they might have stray voltage!”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 21
LOW RATE FINANCING AVAILABLE. See our complete inventory with pictures and descriptions at:
www.mmcjd.com
Visit one of our 17 locations in Central Minnesota! (1) = GLENCOE
L
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320-864-5571 4561 Hwy. 212
(2) = HOWARD LAKE 320-543-2170 5845 Keats Ave. SW
(3) = STEWART 320-562-2630 78412 Co. Rd. 20
(5) = GLENWOOD 320-634-5151 1710 N. Franklin
(6) = SAUK CENTRE 320-352-6511 1140 Centre St.
(7) = ALEXANDRIA 320-763-4220 5005 Co. Rd. 82 SE
(8) = PAYNESVILLE 320-243-7474 725 Lake Ave. S.
(9) = PRINCETON
763-389-3453 3708 Baptist Church Rd.
(10) = LITTLE FALLS 320-632-5469 16069 Hwy. 27 E.
(11) = WADENA 218-631-2311 62505 US Hwy. 10
(12) = AITKIN 218-927-2140 1120 2nd St. NW
(13) = BAXTER 218-829-5356 7045 Foley Rd.
(14) = ELBOW LAKE 218-685-4438 110 2nd St. NE
(15) = MORRIS 320-589-2011 23604 State Hwy. 9
(16) = BENSON 320-843-2610 380 Atlantic Ave.
(17) = MADISON 320-598-7575 516 1st St. E
MOWER CONDITIONERS 17 NH H7460, 2013, #144344 ...........................................$25,900 7 Massey Ferguson 1372, 2013, #141262 .....................$21,450 8 JD 946, 2009, #132018..................................................$23,500 6 JD 946, 2014, #126629..................................................$22,900 5 JD 946, 2016, #143740..................................................$30,900 7 JD 535, 2005, #139187..................................................$14,000 10 JD 630, 2015, #140003..................................................$19,900 9 JD 630, 2015, #141908..................................................$19,900 5 Vicon KM321, 2005, #140571 ........................................$3,500 10 JD 935, 2000, #145273..................................................$12,800 10 JD 635, 2013, #140618..................................................$19,900 11 JD 1600A, 1996, #131826 ...............................................$5,500 PULL-TYPE SPRAYERS 4 Hardi NAV 1100, #137543 ...........................................$14,000 5 Top Air TA750, #145625 .................................................$3,500 11 Top Air TA1600, 2017, #134335 ...................................$48,500 16 Top Air TA2400, 2012, #145319 ...................................$52,500 14 Willmar 765HT, 1994, #147782 ...................................$28,000 10 Top Air 60, #140416 .......................................................$5,000 14 Summers 500, 1996, #145350 .......................................$4,500 5 Hardi COMMANDER 1200, 2004, #148536 ..................$19,900 10 Fast 7400, #130185 ......................................................$21,500 5 Hardi NAVIGATOR 4000, 2014, #106506 .....................$55,000 15 Wil-Rich Blumha, #148336 ...........................................$5,500 RAKES 10 H&S AR2108, 2016, #134838 .........................................$5,900 10 H&S AR1061, 2013, #148614 .........................................$4,500 10 H&S AR2112, 2016, #134837 .........................................$6,900 4 Tonutti TCR10, 2013, #105693 ......................................$4,700 ROUND BALERS 9 NH BR7090, 2008, Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #143259 ......................................$19,900 10 JD 466, 1997, Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #148779 ........................................................................$11,900 10 NH BR7090, 2012, Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #133944 ......................................$17,900 8 JD 569 Silage Special, 2016, Pickup: Mega Wide, Surface Wrap Only, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #148333 ...........$40,900 14 JD 467, 2005, Pickup: Regular, Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #144341 ......................................$14,500 4 JD 530, 2006, Twine Only, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #149194 ...........................................................................$5,900 8 JD 569, 2014, Pickup: Mega Wide, Surface Wrap Only, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #148334 .....................$35,500 6 JD 569, 2017, Pickup: Mega Wide, Surface Wrap Only, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #143801 ............$38,000 6 JD 457, 2005, Pickup: Mega Wide, Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #148076 .......................$12,900 10 Claas 380 Variant, 2011, Surface Wrap Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #140005 .......................$19,800 7 JD 530, 1984, Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #143656 ...........................................................................$4,200 11 JD 430, 1984, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #140203 ..$5,900 6 JD 468, 2012, Pickup: Mega Wide, Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #148136 .......................$28,000
E LD
JD 6175R, 2015, $ 309 hrs., #144526
ST
149,500
STEEL DEALS
ARTICULATED 4WD TRACTORS 7 New Holland T9020, 2009, 335 hp., 2905 hrs., #142873 .......................................................................$115,000 CORN AND ROW CROP HEADERS 14 JD 612C, 2010, #144255................................................$39,500 6 JD 893, 1998, #133187..................................................$13,900 1 Geringhoff RD830B, 2004, #132061 ...........................$13,900 14 Case IH 3412, 2012, #144248.......................................$32,900 COMBINES 6 JD S660, 2012, 1900 hrs., 1457 sep., #133738 ............$149,500 16 JD S680, 2012, 2950 hrs., 1865 sep., #144321 ............$139,500 15 JD 9550, 2001, 4165 hrs., 2914 sep., #144235 ..............$44,900 16 JD 9770 STS, 2010, 3863 hrs., 2596 sep., #144241 .......$79,500 DISKS 1 Krause 8200, 2013, #131061 .......................................$24,000 11 Summers 9K4727, 2015, #129015 ..............................$65,000 3 Case IH 370, 2014, #137899 .........................................$29,500 FIELD CULTIVATORS 2 Wil-Rich QUAD X2, 2011, #138552 ..............................$29,500 GRAIN CARTS 3 Brent 1594, 2011, #125547 .........................................$54,900 MOWER CONDITIONERS 6 JD 946, 2014, #126629..................................................$22,900 11 JD 1600A, 1996, #131826 ...............................................$5,500 RIPPERS 11 JD 2700, 2009, #118932 ...............................................$19,900 17 JD 2720, 2013, #144468 ...............................................$39,500 8 Case IH 730C, 2011, #135148 .......................................$21,900 ROUND BALERS 10 New Holland BR7090, 2012, #133944 ........................$17,900 14 JD 6155R, 2016, 155 hp., 192 hrs., #144519 ...............$122,000 16 JD 6155R, 2016, 155 hp., 222 hrs., #144517 ...............$128,000 16 JD 6175R, 2015, 175 hp., 309 hrs., #144526 ...............$129,000 9 JD 6175R, 2017, 175 hp., 88 hrs., #134664 .................$147,000 6 JD 8235R, 2013, 235 hp., 2882 hrs., #144532 .............$109,000 SELF-PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTER HEADS: ROTARY 6 JD 676, 1995, #108982..................................................$17,900 6 JD 710, 2007, #115310..................................................$33,000 SELF-PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTERS 4 JD 5730, 1986, 4980 hrs., #124367 ...............................$25,000 6 JD 6810, 1997, 3614 hrs., #142671 ...............................$25,000 6 JD 7400, 2004, 4287 hrs., #122051 ...............................$99,000 SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS 2 JD 4720, 2006, 1673 hrs., #130054 .............................$109,000 TRACK TRACTORS 16 JD9560RT, 2014, 560 hp., 1006 hrs., #144560 ............$265,000 7 JD9620T, 2005, 500 hp., 6191 hrs., #145278.................$79,500
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JD S660, 2012, $ 1900 hrs., #133738
129,000
$
8 JD 569 Premium, 2014, Surface Wrap Only, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #148146 ......................................$26,900 4 NH BR7090, 2008, Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #143390 .......................$19,800 8 NH BR780, 2005, Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #140575 ......................................$17,500 4 NH BR7070, 2010, Surface Wrap Only, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #139987 .........................................................................$15,900 6 NH BR740, 2003, Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #149301 ...........................................................................$8,900 5 JD 569 Silage Special, 2015, Pickup: Mega Wide, Surface Wrap Only, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #134962 ............$41,900 4 MF 2946, 2015, Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #143367 ......................................$29,700 6 NH 678, 2001, Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #145697 ...........................................................................$7,500 11 NH BR7060, 2008, Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #143774 ........................................................................$15,000 5 NH BR7080, 2008, Twine Only, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #140282 ........................................................................$12,900 7 JD 567, 2004, Pickup: Mega Wide, Both Twine and Surface Wrap, PTO: 540, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #149073 .......................$16,900 4 JD 569, 2014, Pickup: Mega Wide, Surface Wrap Only, PTO: 1000, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #135360 ......................................$37,000 SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS 8 Case IH Patriot 4440, 2015, Boom Width: 120-Foot, Tank: Stainless, 643 hrs., #145199 ...............................$279,500 6 Miller Nitro 4240HT, 2011, Boom Width: 120-Foot, Tank: Stainless, 1060 hrs., #148139..............................$175,000 16 JD 4830, 2014, Tank: Stainless, Hydraulic Tread Adjust, Traction Control, 309 hrs., #145739 ..............................$244,900 15 JD R4038, 2017, Hydraulic Tread Adjust, Guidance-ready, 445 hrs., #143961 ........................................................$346,500 15 JD R4030, 2014, Boom Width: 90-Foot, Tank: Stainless, Tire Width: Mid, Nozzle Spacing: 20 in, 303 hrs., #144439 .......................................................................$219,500 16 Case IH 4260, 1998, Boom Width: 90-Foot, Tank: Stainless, 4093 hrs., #148930................................$44,500 7 JD 4730, 2013, Boom Width: 80-Foot, Tank: Stainless, Hydraulic Tread Adjust, Traction Control, 937 hrs., #145736 ........$169,000 4 JD R4038, 2017, Boom Width: 120-Foot, Boom Leveling, Tank: Stainless, Nozzle Spacing: 20 in, 186 hrs., #141223 .....$329,500 2 JD 4720, 2006, Boom Width: 90-Foot, Tank: Stainless, Nozzle Spacing: 20 in, 1673 hrs., #130054...................$109,000 6 JD W260, 2015, Conditioner: Rubber/Urethane, 443 hrs., #132464 .......................................................................$162,000 5 JD W235, 2014, Conditioner: Rubber/Urethane, 598 hrs., #134973 .......................................................................$134,900 6 JD W235, 2014, 921 hrs., #140754 ..............................$129,500 6 JD W235, 2014, Conditioner: Steel, 653 hrs., #135622 .......................................................................$142,500 WINDROWERS 6 JD W260, 2014, Conditioner: Rubber/Urethane, 570 hrs., #140978 ......................................................................$166,000 6 JD 994, 2005, Conditioner: Steel, #145340 ....................$16,500 6 JD 2280, Platform Size: 12, #149274...............................$3,750
AL
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109,000
JD 4720, 2006, 90’ boom, 20” spacing, 1673 hrs., #130054
Over 1200 items with pictures updated daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com
(4) = ST. CLOUD 320-252-2010 1035 35th Ave. NE
265,000
$
JD 9560RT, 2014, 1006 hrs., #144560
AL
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139,500
JD S680, 2012, $ 2950 hrs., #144321
E LD
EE
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115,000
New Holland T9020, $ 2009, 2905 hrs., #142873
JD 612C, 2010, #144255
39,500
$
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
Auger Flighting for Ag or Industry Feeder Wagons Mixer Wagons Augers Grain/Transfer Fertilizer Salt Spreaders Food Handling
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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
1 0% interest for 30 months, DeLaval equipment only, on approved credit. 21.90% interest for 46 months, zero down. DeLaval equipment only, on approved credit and minimum deal amount of $30,000 is required to qualify for these rates. Subject to special conditions’ and cannot be combined with other promotional offers. 3Estimate monthly charges in connection with the financing of one VMS to a qualified buyer on approved credit on a 7 year term. Offer good until June 30, 2018.
Financial Pacific Leasing, Inc., doing business as Umpqua Bank Vendor Finance, is a subsidiary of Umpqua Bank. Products offered by Financial Pacific Leasing, Inc., are not FDIC insured. is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2018 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. www.delaval.com
From the parlor to the parade route
I do some of my best thinking when I am in the parlor milking cows. In high school, I memorized answers for my history tests, gured out what to write for that English paper and recited speeches. Since coming home from college for the summer, I have had the chance to do quite a bit of milking, and therefore, quite a bit of On the Road with thinking. Most recently, I Princess Kay have been reecting on my year as Princess Kay, while looking ahead to June Dairy Month. In May, I spent a couple of days welcoming hundreds of grade school students to the Urban Ag Day held at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. I spoke to them about the steps of milk from the cow By Emily Annexstad to the store, and dairy’s nutritional value before 64th Princess Kay of the Milky Way sending them on their way to explore many different aspects of agriculture. I also spent a weekend at the Dairy Princess Promotion and Leadership Event where I had the chance to meet almost 70 dairy princesses from all over Minnesota, and enjoy valuable sessions focused on leadership and dairy-related topics ranging from nutrition messaging for dairy to classroom visits. I nished the month by attending a Fuel Up to Play 60 Smoothie Night for middle school students to celebrate the end of the school year and learn a little bit about farming and refueling with dairy. I am looking forward to a busy summer attending many breakfast on the farms, county fairs, dairy days, nursing homes, community events and parades. I hope that you have the chance to visit some of these activities, too. June Dairy Month provides us all with added opportunities to start the conversation about dairy. I have ve tips for promoting dairy this summer. Share your story. Every farm has a different history, and every person has a different set of experiences. Consumers want to be able to make a personal connection with where their food comes from. They want to know what your farm is like, or what your connection to dairy is. Consumers want to see that you are authentic, real and transparent. This can be done by nding a shared value and sharing your personal experiences. This will help to build trust and consumer condence in dairy. Seize every opportunity presented. You don’t have to be giving a tour of your farm or attending an event such as a breakfast on the farm to share your story. While these are both great opportunities to do so, don’t limit your conversations about dairy to only these occasions. The grocery store aisle, the county fair, a baseball game or a backyard BBQ can all be occasions to talk about dairy. Be approachable. The more approachable you seem, the more likely someone will be to ask their question. For example, if you see someone watching as you milk your cow at the county fair, take time to explain what you are doing, and ask if they have any questions. Greet people with a smile and make it obvious that you are willing to have a conversation with them or answer their questions. Ask questions and work in key messages. It can sometimes be challenging to know what aspect of dairy to talk about. During your conversations, try to gure out what aspect of dairy might be important to the consumer by asking questions. As the conversation continues, work in key messages such as “Dairy farmers care for their cows and the land,” or “Dairy foods are wholesome, safe and nutritious.” You should try to focus on including at least one key message in each conversation you have. The wording of key messages can vary, depending on who you are having the conversation with. Use your resources. If you are thinking about having a farm tour, bringing chocolate milk for your kid’s sports team or sampling dairy foods in your local grocery store, don’t forget to use your resources. Invite your county dairy princesses to be a part of your event. Midwestdairy.com also has resources to enhance your event. Dairy-related coloring books, stickers, recipe cards and posters are just a few of the items that dairy farmers can use. I hope you all have a safe and productive June Dairy Month. Have fun sharing your dairy story throughout the summer, and don’t forget to enjoy plenty of ice cream along the way.
Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 23
Luxes invite community to dinner
Meeker County ADA launches new promotional event By Abby Hopp Staff Intern
EDEN VALLEY, Minn. – Mike and Bridget Lux were up for a challenge when the Meeker County American Dairy Association (ADA) had proposed a new dairy promotional event. “We are hosting to promote our agricultural community,” Bridget said. Mike and Bridget own Lux-ury Holsteins, where they milk 115 cows near Eden Valley, Minn. Lux-ury Holsteins will host the rst annual Meeker County Dinner at the Dairy June 22. “The ADA is looking for an event with a different time frame and something new, an event for families to bring kids and for people of all ages,” Bridget said. The Lux family is not new to dairy promotions, although it has been a while since they have opened their farm to the public. They hosted a dairy breakfast 20 years ago. “We have always enjoyed going to other farms for events like these, and we feel that it’s our turn again,” Mike said. The family looks forward to working with the Meeker County ADA as they bring in vendors and activities on the farm, including a hay bale maze, sele station, Ag Centric trailer, corn and tractor toys and many other activities for all ages.
T S E B ES
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Bridget and Mike Lux are hosƟng the rst annual Meeker County Dinner at the Dairy June 22 on their 115-cow dairy farm near Eden Valley, Minn. The dinner will begin at 5:30 p.m. and run until 8 p.m. Grilled cheese sandwiches, milk, cookies and root beer oats will be available for a free-will donation during the event.
Over the next several weeks, the Luxes will be preparing their farm for a slew of people eager to learn about dairy farming. The Lux family has been busy
cleaning the farm and completing chores, like ordering new gravel and scheduling a power washer to get ready Turn to MEEKER | Page 25
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
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Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 25
ConƟnued from MEEKER | Page 23 for the big event. The Meeker County ADA is planning for the event; the Luxes only have to prepare their property. “We don’t have a lot of obligation to create activities for the event,” Bridget said. “The ADA board has been great. They are doing it. They are all busy people too, so I don’t take the work they are doing lightly.” Along with the help of the ADA, many friends in the area will be present at the event to assist the family. Eden Valley Watkins FFA members and Ridgewater College dairy students will be on hand to guide tours. The family hopes to station someone in each area of the farm to answer questions and keep the visitors safe. “Greg is hoping to make it home and help on the farm,” said Bridget of their 19-year-old son who is spending the summer in Aberdeen, S.D. The Luxes other son, Tim, 21, will be unable to attend the event as he is stationed in North Carolina in the army. The family is looking into handicapped parking and offering rides for those who park far away, but their biggest goal is to limit trafc in the yard. “We would like to keep the yard safe for kids,” Bridget said. “There will be parking available on the road and in the pasture; if it is dry enough.” The Lux family is excited to open up their farm, especially to those who come from an urban area. “Some friends of ours are excited to bring grandkids from the urban area,” Bridget said. “We have to start somewhere in teaching people about dairy.” Above all, the family hopes the event will be fun for kids. “Sometimes you can teach a kid
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ABBY HOPP/DAIRY STAR
Farm faciliƟes, such as this calf barn, will be available for dinner aƩendees to tour during the rst annual Meeker County Dinner at the Dairy June 22 at Lux-ury Holsteins near Eden Valley, Minn. more than you can teach an adult,” Mike said. Bridget agreed. “Parents who wouldn’t otherwise be there end up at events because of kids,” she said. As rst-generation farmers, the Luxes are eager to host this event. “I would like to show people that we take good care of our animals,” Mike said. Bridget agreed. “We take care of our animals because they take care of us,” Bridget said. Mark and Bridget bought 40 cows in 1990 and rented two farms for ve
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“I just hope it is successful,” Bridget said. “I would like people to come away thinking milk is a great product to drink and farmers take great care of their animals.” Taking on a large event is an undertaking and not necessarily for all dairy farmers. However, the Luxes encourage everyone to get involved in promotion in some way. “Everyone’s opportunity is different,” Bridget said. “Not all can host a tour, be good at public speaking or write a blog. But whatever your thing is, it can be different. Even the small things can make a difference.”
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years, until they purchased their current dairy farm in 1995. Over the years, the family has upgraded their parlor from a double-4 to a double-6 parlor and added tunnel ventilation to the facility. As they plan for the Dinner on the Dairy, their biggest obstacle is letting the cows adjust to a change in the milking routine. “We are working to push back our milking schedule so people can tour the parlor,” Mike said. With family, friends and part-time employees, the Luxes are condent days leading up to the event will run smoothly.
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JOIN US IN CELEBRATING 55 YEARS OF TEND-R-LEEN! Wednesday June 20 - Balaton Community Center, Balaton, MN Thursday, June 21 - Waite Park Pavilion, Waite Park, MN In recognition of 55 years of Tend-R-Leen, Form-A-Feed is hosting celebration events featuring a hot beef meal and a chance to relax with fellow producers! The events are free and open to any dairy or beef producer interested in the Tend-R-Leen program. All events begin at noon.
RSVP online at www.formafeed.com/tend-r-leen55th or contact your Form-A-Feed representative!
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
2018 acreage reporting dates In order to comply with FSA program eligibility requirements, all producers are encouraged to visit their county FSA ofce to le an accurate crop certication report by the applicable deadline. It is also strongly encouraged to call the FSA ofce to make an appointment to FSA News & Notes complete this task. The following acreage reporting dates are applicable for Minnesota counties: - July 16: corn, soybeans, spring-seeded wheat, barley, oats, etc. - Nov. 15: fall-seeded crops and perennial forage crops (for 2019 year). By Ryan Brunn The following Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. exceptions apply to the above acreage reporting dates: - If the crop has not been planted by the above acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 15 calendar days after planting is completed. - If a producer acquires additional acreage after the above acreage reporting date, then the acreage must be reported no later than 30 calendar days after purchase or acquiring the lease. Appropriate documentation must be provided to the county ofce. - If a perennial forage crop is reported with the intended use of cover only, green manure, left standing or seed, then the acreage must be reported by July 16. Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) policy holders should note the acreage reporting date for NAP covered crops is the earlier of the dates listed above or 15 calendar days before grazing or harvesting of the crop begins. For questions regarding crop certication and crop loss reports and to set up an appointment to certify, contact your county ofce. 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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We have all been there. As if our days are not busy enough, something unexpected happens. Due to the weather, we have to cram into one day what should take at least two. We barely start cutting hay and the forecast changes from sunshine to thunderstorms. We thought we had all the equipment ready, help organized and were ready for action. We have a few more acres than normal this year so an early start was important. Memorial Day arrived, chores moved along without interruption, and by 8 a.m. I was making windrows. Temperatures were in the mid 90s so plenty of uids were a must. Laura gave me a break around 11 a.m. so I could breed a few heifers, have a small lunch and get in my 10-minute power nap. We all were invited to an employee’s graduation reception. The plan was for all the kids to go from 1 to 3 p.m., while Patty and I went from 3 to 5 p.m. Great plan. Everyone was able to go, and the haybine never stopped moving. What we didn’t plan for was the 10-minute downpour that surprised us all. Luckily, a small breakdown on the sickle chased me home minutes before the shower, so I stayed dry while listening to the rain pound against the tin roof of our shed. I could have been upset over the minor breakdown, but I chose to feel lucky that I wasn’t drenched. To make a long story short, our entire rst crop of alfalfa took four days, not the normal two days to cut. Rain had been the major factor, but when you see two sunny days ahead on your phone, you keep going and hope for the best. Following the two sunny days were thunderstorms, so waiting was not an option. The chopper made it to the eld but decided to temporarily go on strike. It took the John Deere repairman two hours to nd the electrical problem, just in time for a rain shower to appear and call it a day. Thursday we started harvesting just before the evening milking. Things had gone so well that we reached our goal of completing the rst eld in nearly record time. Just as I was thinking about and thanking God for all we had overcome, my cell phone rang. It was Laura and she mentioned that a vet was on the way to operate on a left DA. “Do you have time to help the vet?” she asked. Not really, but I will make time were my thoughts. He came quickly, surgery went fast and our conversation was very timely. I always enjoy meaningful discussions with our vets and he assured me that DAs were very common lately and Laura had caught this one early so a very good recovery was expected – and did. The silver lining here was that we had nally gured out what was slowing this cow down xed it, and did not have to deal with her in the morning. On my way to the parlor, I wanted to report to Laura that surgery had gone well. “Good,” was her reply, but with an unusual bit of hesitation. She then proceeded to ask me if I had been in the calf barn lately. “No” was my reply fearing that a calf had gotten very sick or even died. She assured me that all calves were ne but a little too wet. We both agreed that the older calves would do better if they had a water fountain so I installed one a week ago. It was an extra cow waterer and with a quick x of an old garden hose, we had temporarily solved this problem and could measure its benets before getting too permanent. The old garden hose proved to be the weak spot and water had run freely for hours in the calf pens, to the point that each calf appeared to have its own personal foot bath. Certainly this was not on my radar to deal with, with another 60-plus acres of hay staring us in the face. Thank God for big square bales of straw, which we generously bedded the calves with to attempt to offset the water logged oor on which the calves had to deal with. Those big slices of straw came in very handy and it was time for the Bounty Tissue test: which slices could soak up the most moisture? By morning none of the slices could compete with those TV commercials so more straw was added to again try to create a drier environment.
the chances of any future watery surprises. I anticipated this trenching job would take place after fall harvest, just days before frost would set in and then have to be done. So after a quick dinner I ran to town for some underground plastic water line, ttings, and a trenching machine. The temperatures in upper 80s created a lot of sweat and doubt over my decision, but I had a goal in mind and nishing was the only option. Halfway through the trenching and spading in the dirt, I had two thoughts. I could have focused on how much I had left and feel overwhelmed; or I could look back on what I had accomplished and let that fuel me to nish the project. I chose the latter and now I have my water line buried, done and not have to worry about freezing. You know, none of this wouldn’t have happened yet, if that garden hose hadn’t burst. Looking back, I am glad that it did, and so are the calves! John Rosenhammer farms with his daughter, Laura Scholtz, and brother Greg, on Roseview Dairy near Sleepy Eye, Minn. They milk 200 Holsteins and run 580 acres of cropland.
tel y ™
By Laura Scholtz & John Rosenhammer Father/Daughter Farming Duo
In the meantime, harvest proceeded, not without interruption, but was nally completed an hour past midnight. Lightning displays in the dark sky seemed to entertain us, if not also causing concern as to when the actual rain would indeed put another halt to harvesting. For us the overnight inch of rain was very welcome but a day or so too early for others who hadn’t quite nished. Waking up with less than the normal amount of sleep, sluggish because rain had again changed our plans, Saturday seemed a bit blurry and any extra plans, thoughts or projects were going to have to wait until Monday. The adrenaline rush of the past few days had taken its toll and today everyone was in the survival mode and nothing more. I again checked the baby calves and bedded them heavily for the third day in a row. Sunday came and with it another graduation, anniversary and a wake. Monday arrived and a dry calf barn was on top of my agenda. As I ran the skid steer, cleaning out all the pens, I contemplated if we should just bite the bullet and bury the water line underground like it should have been. This would eliminate the garden hose and certainly diminish
p le
The Transition Pen
. Co m p a
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
Betty Berning bberning@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130 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 Sandra Godden godde002@umn.edu 612-625-8177 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711 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 Randy Pepin pepin019@umn.edu 320-333-1369 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 M. Scott Wells mswells@umn.edu 612-625-3747 Emily Wilmes krek0033@umn.edu 320-255-6169
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Crossbreeding for the future protability of dairying By Glenda Pereira & Brad Heins The ideal dairy cow should produce high fat and protein, have a calf without any trouble and produce a calf regularly, maintain superior fertility, have a functional udder and good feet and legs while being resistant to health problems and mastitis. If a cow has these traits, she should have a long productive life. Trouble-free cows are often unrecognized by producers because they are never in the sick pen. Crossbreeding has been applied in other species such as swine and poultry to introduce hybrid vigor. In these species, improvements have been made to decrease mortality, and increase gain to feed efciency and meat and carcass quality traits, improving overall protability. To benet from crossbreeding, sires of higher genetic merit must be utilized to retain the best traits of the parent breeds. In dairy cattle, breeding Holstein heifers and cows to Jersey bulls has been a popular method of crossbreeding in the United States as this makes up a high percentage of the current population of lactating crossbreds. However, crossbreeding with Montbéliarde, Normande and Viking Red sires became a trend in the early 2000s as these breeds can provide characteristics which might be benecial to high producing dairy herds. Geneticists at the University of Minnesota have also been utilizing crossbreeding with Montbéliarde and Viking Red sires (ProCROSS) at the University of Minnesota’s two dairy research herds since the early 2000s. The rst dairy herd is located in the middle of the city of St. Paul on the University of Minnesota campus where 110 milking cows are maintained in a tie-stall barn and compost bedded pack barn year-round. This herd consists of purebred Holsteins and ProCROSS crossbreds. The second dairy is located in Morris, Minn., at the West Central Research and Outreach Center. There are 150 organic cows and 150 low-input conventional cows, and both herds include purebred Holsteins, ProCROSS crossbreds and a three-breed cross of Normande x Jersey x Viking Red. During the summer grazing season (May to October), organic cows are on pasture and supplemented daily with six pounds of corn per cow, and low-input cows are fed a total mixed ration in an outdoor connement dry-lot. During the winter season (November to April), all cows were fed a total mixed ration consisting of corn silage, alfalfa haylage, corn, soybean meal and minerals in an outwintering lot and a compost barn. Because cattle in this herd consume pasture, Normande and Jersey breeds are utilized in this herd, but not in the St. Paul herd. Normande and Jersey cattle can consume forages and still produce adequate amounts of milk with high fat and protein. As mentioned previously, in addition to purebred Holsteins and ProCROSS crossbreds, there is another three-breed rotation, using Normande, Viking Red and Jersey breeds (no Holstein) at the dairy in Morris. As the number of cows in the crossbreeding systems continue to grow, both crossbred groups will be compared to Holstein herd mates in the future. Rumination and activity monitors have gained interest by producers who want to manage their dairy cattle more closely; however, most research
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Figure 1. A Normande x Jersey x Viking Red rst lactaƟon crossbred cow. has been done with purebred Holstein cattle in conned systems. As the number of crossbred dairy cattle increases in the United States, research on the activity and rumination time for crossbreds could be benecial to producers. For this study, 114 purebred Holstein cows, 248 ProCross crossbreds and 167 Normande x Jersey x Viking Red crossbreds from the Morris herd were evaluated for total average rumination time. HR-LD Tags (SCR Engineers Ltd., Netanya, Israel) were used to record rumination time in total minutes per day. Similar rumination time was reported for all breed groups evaluated: purebred Holsteins, 521 min/d; MVH, 513 min/d; NJV, 513 min/d. The University of Minnesota will continue to pursue studies with crossbred cattle of the breed rotations mentioned throughout the article. Future projects to keep an eye out for include creating genomic predictions for crossbreds, determining the most protable crossbred for grazing in the Midwest and lactation curves of purebred Holsteins compared to crossbreds. Much of the dairy genetics research at the University of Minnesota has pertained to crossbreeding in dairy cattle and exploring alternative ways for producers to improve calving ease, fertility, health and survival of cows. When compared to purebred Holsteins, crossbreds are superior for fertility, survival and productive life. However, we must not forget that we need high quality purebreds to have high quality crossbreds. Of course, the use of a specic breed depends on each producer’s management system, but regardless of breeds, the ideal dairy cow should have a good productive life if she has high fat and protein, excellent fertility and the ability to produce a calf regularly, functional udder and feet and legs, and low prevalence of health problems. As we think ahead where sustainability and protability will need to be highly considered, the ideal dairy cow will also need to have a smaller body size and efcient conversion of feed to milk.
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Improve feed management for more prot Feed cost is usually greater than 50 percent of the total cost of milk production and the highest cost on dairy farms. Therefore, nutrition and feeding management practices are key drivers of prot in dairies. Surprisingly, almost all farms have standard operating procedures and monitors for milking protocols and milk quality, but these are often lacking for By Jim Salfer feeding programs. U of M Extension Below are some key factors for improving the effectiveness of feeding programs. Test and adjust for moisture changes. Bill Weiss, Ohio State University, evaluated forage moisture on eight farms during approximately two weeks. The corn silage moisture varied 7.3 percentage units and haylage varied an average of 11.8 percentage units over that time. Test silages for moisture on a regular basis and adjust rations accordingly. In heavy rain events it might be best to use volume instead of weight when lling mixers. The consequence of not adjusting moisture is that diets fed are not the same as the nutritionist formulated. Just as important is that the amount of weigh-backs can vary greatly. Without testing for moisture, herd managers might incorrectly conclude that intakes have changed with weigh-back uctuations. Take care to load ingredients accurately. California researchers tracked feeding accuracy on 26 dairies for a year using feeding management software data. Figure 1 shows the deviation from the target rations and ingredients among the 26 dairies. Only 2.5 percent of the total ingredients were under loaded. Ration cost in-
creased at least $2.72 per ton from 5 to 20 percent of the time on 15 dairies and more than 20 percent of the time on two dairies. Errors are likely greater on farms without feeding management software. Excellent feeding programs are able to achieve ingredient deviations from upright bins of less than 15 pounds, from commodity sheds of less than 25 pounds, and for silages and wet by-products of less than 50 pounds. Consistent feeding times. Many nutritionists recommend feeding for only 2 to 3 percent weigh-backs for lactating cows. Managing for low feed refusals without routine ingredient dry matter adjustments and consistent feeding times can be a challenge. One percent of a day is 15 minutes. If feeding varies by 30 minutes, you would expect refusals to be 2 percent different than the previous day. Feed delivered will likely be adjusted incorrectly based on inconsistent feeding times. A goal should be to have a daily feeding time variation of less than 15 minutes. Pre-mixing commodities can help minimize the variation in feeding time. Because animal numbers and intakes vary in the close-up and fresh pens, target 10 percent weigh-backs for those groups. Focus on improved bunk management. Bunks need to have enough feed in them so cows do not have to work hard to eat. Nebraska research showed cows in pens with adequate feed compared to cows in pens without feed for six hours (overnight) produced 7.9 pounds more milk. It is also important to deliver feed so there is feed access across the entire bunk. Cows prefer certain eating locations along the bunk. Prevent sorting behavior. Cows like to sort against long particles. University of Guelph showed that sorting did not affect milk production, but for each 10 percent sorting against long particles,
GRAPHIC PROVIDED
Figure 1. Ingredient deviaƟon from target for feed ingredients in 26 California dairies. Trillo et al. J. Dairy Sci, 2016. milk fat decreased 0.10 percent and protein 0.40 percent. The main factors allowing cows to sort include dry matter of the diet, particle size of forage (dry hay), frequency of feeding and frequency of feed push-ups. Most of our Midwest diets should be around 50 percent dry matter. Pre-processing hay or harvesting with a baler containing a pre-cutting system will decrease the risk of excess particle size. Check, maintain and replace TMR mixer knives as needed. Push up and redistribute feed often to ensure that cows have feed access and the diet is re-mixed. Environment affects eating and chewing behavior. Do not forget about how the cow’s environment may affect milk production. Spanish research showed that 56 percent of the variation in milk
production in herds with similar genetics and identical diets was due to non-dietary factors. Herds that had more weigh-backs, pushed up feed more frequently and had less overcrowding produced more milk per cow. Rumination is important for good production and cow health. Rumination is reduced with heat stress (10 to 22 percent), excessive time in headlocks (14 percent) and with excessive overcrowding (10 to 20 percent). Cows perform at their best when housed in an environment that maximizes their comfort. During periods of low margins, it is important to make the most of your feed dollars. Items listed above often cost little to implement but will pay big dividends in cow health and performance.
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
The hammock
Spring is the time of year when the world rouses thought it would be about as practical as yet another from its long winter slumber and renews itself. The necktie that I wouldn’t wear. At my sons’ insistence, we immediately hung the birds are nesting, schoolchildren are looking forward to long, lazy summer afternoons and farmers lose hammock. We found that it t perfectly between the themselves in the urgent business of tilling and pair of towering cottonwood trees that stand guard beside our driveway. planting. I was elected to be Spring is also the season the rst to try the hammock. when the hammock began B Before f I took k the h h hammock k I dutifully climbed aboard to taunt me. the swaying concoction of Some years ago, our two down, I decided to try it once nylon netting. I reclined in it sons gave me a hammock again. for a moment and declared for Father’s Day. I smiled it magnicent. I thanked the an indulgent, fatherly smile boys for their gift, adding when I opened the package. The boys looked on anxiously, awaiting my approval. that I had to go as there was a eld of alfalfa that “How nice,” I said, trying to sound convincing. needed to be cut. I saw the shadow of disappointment “A hammock. Just what I always wanted.” In truth, I darken their faces but thought they needed to learn
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that these things had to be done, that time and sunshine wait for no man. And so, the hammock went unused, except by our sons during the course of that entire summer. Many an evening I would return home after yet another Dear County Agent Guy long day of dairy farming and pass the hammock on my weary trek to our farmhouse. The hammock seemed to chide me, asking how much of my soul I’d sold that day and how many crumbs the world had offered in return. There nally came the day when I couldn’t By Jerry Nelson stand to look at the Columnist hammock any longer. Its leisurely slouch had become a painful reminder of my total lack of leisure. Besides, I told myself, winter was coming and it wouldn’t do the hammock any good to hang around outdoors during the long cold. But before I took the hammock down, I decided to try it once again. After all, I had a few spare moments and nobody was looking. I clambered into the hammock and allowed my back to be molded by its forgiving netting. In the warm sunshine, suspended between heaven and earth, I began to truly relax for the rst time in eons. The cottonwood leaves murmured in a gentle breeze as I swayed pleasantly in my nylon cocoon. Suddenly I was no longer a harried dairyman who had to run at breakneck speeds from before dawn until after dark. I no longer had any worries about loan schedules, and I forgot about all the trouble I was having with my worn-out machinery. I was Tom Sawyer, drifting upon the placid Mississippi on a wooden raft with my pal Huckleberry Finn. Huck and I had decided to become pirates and were scouting the riverbank for Spanish galleons to plunder. We were close to the bank now, slipping through the shade of these giant cottonwoods, silent, stealthy, very pirate-like ... I awoke with a start. Sitting up, I glanced around, sheepishly wondering if anyone had seen me and half thinking that Huck was still nearby. I was quite alone. I pondered upon that experience. I thought about the astonishing speed at which our boys were growing up and wondered if, 100 years from now, anyone would care how much land I had farmed or how many cows I had milked. I wondered if anyone had ever carved on a dairyman’s headstone: He was always in the barn by 5:00. And if they did, I wondered who might care. I concluded that the only true legacy we leave behind is our children and in the end, family is all that counts. And in the end, a pauper winds up with the same amount of land as a billionaire. I made a resolution: I vowed to expend more energy on our sons and less on worry. We would go to the lake more often and skip more stones and catch more water bugs and chase more reies than we had in the past. And I also resolved that whenever I heard Huck calling, I would answer. 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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Negative energy balance
Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 31
Bad things often happen to cows during or normally considered pathogens, e.g. Giardia, may development as grains. Development does not happen following periods of negative energy balance. They be diagnosed. Attempts to improve the environment overnight either, which is why experts suggest calves may develop ketosis or a fatty liver; they may get by better ventilation or bedding management are need access to grain at least one month before weaning lame; retained placenta and metritis made. New or different vaccines are is started. Early weaning is another risk factor, since are more common; mastitis is more Veterinary Wisdom introduced into the protocols. Calves are early (40- to 50-day-old) calves may have poor rumen likely, as is endometritis. They do not treated with antibiotics, coccidiostats or development even if eating sufcient amounts of breed back as fast. They are at greater dewormers. In a few more weeks calves grain. risk for certain infectious diseases, look pretty good, and we might think our Most producers now wean calves in a step-wise such as Salmonellosis. The underlying interventions have xed the problem. In fashion to encourage grain intake prior to weaning. connection between negative energy most cases, the real problem is plain old Weaning over a one- to three-week period while balance and all of these problems is negative energy balance, and the calves stepping down milk feeding no more than 30 percent complex, but the bottom line is negative mostly corrected it on their own. The bad at one time can be helpful to maintain grain intake. energy balance is bad for cows. news is in the meantime, calves may have Recommendations vary, but calves should be eating at Considering this fact, it should not be lost the gains in growth produced by the least 2.2 to 4.5 pounds of grain daily for at least three surprising that negative energy balance is accelerated milk feeding program; some days prior to weaning. Time of moving and grouping not good for dairy calves either. Years have permanent damage, and we wasted is also important, since mixing calves causes stress ago, veterinarians used to see this in a bunch of time and money. and may cause cross-suckling. If possible, calves By Jim Bennett baby calves fed the old standard of two The weaning process is important in should not be weaned and moved or weaned and Columnist quarts of 20/20 milk replacer twice a calves on accelerated milk or milk replacer grouped concurrently. Group size is important, too. day, especially in the winter. The most programs, and it is more important than Generally smaller is better, but pens with fewer than common complaint was diarrhea, but in reality the for calves on the old 20/20 restricted programs. 10 calves seem to go through the transition better. poor things did not have enough energy to mount Weaning is more difcult for the accelerated calves Another potential pitfall is providing a total mixed a sufcient immune response to normal day to day because they either refuse to eat enough grain, or they ration, or signicant amounts of forage to calves challenges. We seldom see that scenario today. lack sufcient rumen development to properly digest that are too young or have incompletely developed Farmers have been quick to adopt what we used to grains, whereas the 20/20 calves had to eat grain to rumens. TMR systems are great, but most young call accelerated feeding programs, which of course survive to weaning. Eating calves cannot digest enough we now know are normal feeding programs. Many grain results in development nutrients from TMR or high Negative i energy b balance l iis studies have shown feeding more milk results in of the lining of the rumen. N forage diets to meet energy better weight gains and better weight gains result in In adult cows, the rumen not only bad for cows but for requirements, and thus need more milk production in rst and greater lactations. and reticulum account for to be fed grain for some Wonderful. more than 70 percent of the calves, too. time after weaning. However, we now see the effects of negative total digestive tract volume Negative energy energy balance post weaning. The typical picture looks by weight. Newborn calves balance is not only bad for like this: burly, beautiful, energetic hutch calves often have a small and poorly developed rumen. Milk cows but for calves, too. If your calves struggle with gain around 100 pounds or more prior to weaning; feeding causes closure of the esophageal groove, post weaning slump, it might be time to reevaluate then a week after weaning or grouping a pen of which shunts milk to the abomasum, thereby avoiding the weaning and post weaning periods on your farm weaned calves start to have rough hair coats, diarrhea the rumen entirely. As calves eat solid feed, the rumen because negative energy balance may be the real and coughing. By two weeks, some calves look better changes in size (gets much larger), in morphology problem. but others struggle and may be treated for diarrhea (growth of the papillae on the lining), and in function Jim Bennett is a dairy veterinarian at Northern or pneumonia. Fecal samples might be taken where (becomes metabolically active). It is not only the grain Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in various pathogens including coccidia, Salmonella itself that is important; volatile fatty acids produced by Plainview, Minn. He and his wife, Pam, have four or coronavirus, are found. Deep pharyngeal swabs rumen fermentation of feeds, especially butyrate, are children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail. might be submitted to nd Pasteurella, Mannheimia, needed to develop rumen papillae. This may explain com with comments or questions. Mycoplasma or coronavirus. Other organisms not why forages are not as effective in promoting rumen
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Dairy stress month
Some days I wonder about the wisdom of crazy busy workload that leaves little time to actually declaring June as dairy month. A Google search promote and enjoy our products. How many of us told me that June Dairy Month began in 1937 as have spare time in June to stand in the dairy aisle at a way for dairy farmers to our supermarkets and tell promote the sale of extra our story to the consumer? dairy products produced M At our dairy, we haven’t My problem bl with i h JJune as because the cows gave even mowed the grass out more milk from being dairy month is the crazy busy front yet (mostly because on fresh pasture. Those workload that leaves little it was almost under water) fresh pasture days are let alone invited our urban pretty much a bygone time to actually promote and friends out for a June Dairy era, especially for the enjoy our products. Month tour. milking herds. Granted, What is so stressful June is probably one of my about this time of year? favorite weather months in Minnesota, along with If you are a dairy and crop farmer, I don’t need to October. explain it to you, but for the rest of you I will give My problem with June as dairy month is the it my best shot.
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Are your ventilation fans in tip top shape for the imminent hot weather? Do the sprinklers in the holding area and freestall pens work? Has the plate cooler that cools the milk been back ushed and checked for top efciency? Are the milk Making Cents of Dairy cooling compressors clean and ready? These are just a few of the things needing attention early in the summer, and each item on that list can easily burn up a day. Some of those things can be done in April before eldwork hits, and then By Dave Vander Kooi a nal fresh up can be Columnist done now. The problem this year was we were still moving snowdrifts in late April. Early May around here was cold and wet. Our crop planting was compressed into a few half days here and there and then all-out blitz from May 21 to June 1. The stress was actually worse worrying about getting it done when we couldn’t go than the actual planting. Granted the days were long. We had our share of planter stuck pictures and some untimely breakdowns. One of our major breakdowns was on a beautiful planting day when the walking tandem wheels broke off one of our two eld cultivators. Trying to stay ahead of a 66-foot corn planter and a 40-foot air seeder for soybeans with one eld cultivator is not easy. Also, we had to send Bry on a parts run, and I had to get out of the sprayer and replace Corey in the air seeder so he could tear apart the broken eld cultivator. In that 10-day period, we also air seeded 270 acres of direct-seeded alfalfa for our dairy, and 320 acres for other dairies. We cut, merged, chopped and packed 420 acres of rst cutting alfalfa, and that went well considering some of our silage trucks still need a little TLC from last fall’s late harvest. We have been out of haylage for two months, so it is a huge stress relief on our protein bill to have it back in the ration. In the 45 years I have farmed, I have never seen such a beautiful consistent rst cutting alfalfa crop as this year. Joe nished planting the accessible mud holes the other night, and I need to start post spraying corn tomorrow. We need to sidedress urea on half our corn acres yet, and we have a week of catch up xing to do. But, the worst stress is over. The grass in front of the dairy will lose its all-natural look this week as I’m sure Vince and Joe will get it looking like a golf course. I got the camper out of storage today, and Danika, Tae and Lincoln cleaned it. We may even make it to a campground this summer. I’m not sure I’ll be standing in the grocery store promoting dairy, but I am sure I will be consuming my share while enjoying the rest of June Dairy Month. Oh yeah, and The pasture fence needs to be xed before we let the heifers out. 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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Rain did not dampen spirits at dairy breakfast
Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 33
“High-end system at an affordable price.” Nate and Jenny Landon LANCASTER, WI INSTALLED J&D HEADLOCKS, STALLS, FANS AND CURTAINS
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Tom Brinkman, of Leedstone, explains how a milking unit works to tour aƩendees at the Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm June 4 at Vogt Dairy in Sauk Centre, Minn.
More than 1,500 attend annual Stearns County event By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
SAUK CENTRE, Minn. – The rst weekend in June was welcomed with many events celebrating June Dairy Month. While the weather in central Minnesota brought about bouts of heavy rain showers throughout the day, the spirits were high at the 2018 Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm June 2 at Vogt Dairy in Sauk Centre, Minn. Buses hauled an estimated 2,000 visitors to the dairy farm for breakfast, tours and an assortment of educational
activities for all ages. Attendees had the opportunity to speak with the Vogt family, learn about healthy dairy-rich recipes from Stearns County dairy princesses and Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Emily Annexstad, and the Kimball Lions also served visitors a meal of pancakes, French toast, eggs and sausage. The Stearns County Breakfast on the Farm Committee recorded 1,500 attendees who went through the breakfast line. “We’re pretty pleased with the turnout since the weather wasn’t the best,” said committee member Tara Meyer. With the help of several sponsors and volunteers, the committee is able to host a breakfast on the farm and highlight the dairy industry in Stearns County. The 2019 breakfast’s host farm and date have not been released.
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Dairy Fest draws crowd, celebrates industry
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South Dakota Dairy Princess Morgan Kohl hands out coloring books to children during the 2018 Dairy Fest June 2 in Brookings, S.D. The free event featured numerous kid-friendly acƟviƟes that helped explain how a modern dairy farm operates. JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
Turn to DAIRY FEST | Page 35
Sonja Verpaalen, owner of Old Tree Farms, explains the operaƟon of their double-20 milking parlor to a tour group June 2 in Volga, S.D. Old Tree Farms conducted tours and held an open house as part of the 2018 Dairy Fest.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 35
ConƟnued from DAIRY FEST | Page 34
JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
Rhonda Quezada, of Watertown, S.D., pets a Holstein cow during the 2018 Dairy Fest in Brookings, S.D.. Quezada aƩended the Dairy Fest as a way to reconnect with her farming roots and spend Ɵme with her family.
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Community members tour Old Tree Farms during the 2018 Dairy Fest. Old Tree Farms is owned by Frido and Sonja Verpaalen and their family and is home to some 1,600 dairy cows near Volga, S.D.
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JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
Picowsa of the Dairy Fest entries line a table during the annual event’s art contest. Larissa Neugebauer, Dairy Fest coordinator, said that all but two of the arƟsts chose to sell their entries during the Got Milk Gala, which was held on the evening of May 31.
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
Women In Dairy Tanya Christenson, pictured with daughter Jacilyn Freeport, Minn. Stearns County 60 cows Family: My husband, Jason, and I built our house on the family farm in 2013. We have four girls, Madison, 16, Addison, 10, Jacilyn, 5, Kaylin, 4, and baby due July 2. Tell us about your farm. My great grandfather started our farm in 1916. I farm with my dad. We have Holsteins and Jerseys. We farm 210 acres. We also have four horses. What’s the busiest time of day for you? Around 3:30 p.m. when the kids are getting home from school and early chores and feedings need to be done. I also need to get supper made by 4:30 p.m. so we can start milking on time to get the kids in bed on time on school nights. When you get a spare moment what do you do? I like to garden and can salsa, fruits and vegetables. I enjoy bowling on league at Melrose Bowl. I also like to ride our horses. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. I looked up to my grandpa and enjoyed every moment I spent with him. I learned values and things from him. I am fortunate my kids get these kids are in. I love the values my kids are learning from farming. There same experiences with their grandfather. is never a dull moment, and it is such a rewarding career. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I enjoy animals and love being able to work with How do you stay connected with others in the industry? We are in them every day. I also enjoy being outside all summer long. I enjoy the 4-H, and my girls show cattle at the dairy show and the Stearns County ďƒ&#x;exibility I have during slower days to be able to attend events that my Fair. We also attend various dairy events and shows. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? Sarah Roerick from Upsala, Minn. She is such a hardworking farmer, wife and mother along with her full-time job. She never complains and manages to get everything taken care of. She is knowledgeable in the dairy industry and is willing to share everything she knows with me. She has become a great friend over the past few years. What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken? Last summer my husband and I drove to the Grand Tetons to watch the solar eclipse in totality Aug. 21. It was such an amazing experience to witness. We also visited Yellowstone. On our way home, we stopped in Medora, N.D., and went to the Medora Musical and rode horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
FARM INFORMATION STATION Joe Gill • Farm Director
What are some words you like to live by? God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.
SERVING CENTRAL MINNESOTA FOR OVER 50 YEARS Catch the Dairy Star’s Mark Klaphake with Joe Gill at 6:45 a.m. the 2nd & 4th Fridays of the month on KASM!
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Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 37
Dairy festivities during June Waseca County Dinner on the Farm, June 12 Waseca County Dinner on the Farm will be from 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at Farmamerica, 7367 360th Ave, Waseca, Minn. The event is free of charge. The menu includes burgers, chips, milk and root beer ďƒ&#x; oats. Activities include tours, machinery exhibits and a variety of kids’ activities. Parking is available onsite. Please contact Ashley Harguth at 507-461-2098 or ashley.harguth@hotmail.com with any questions. This event is sponsored by Waseca County Farm Bureau.
A STRONG HEART for TyLER BeneĂ€t for Tyler Holst June 30th, 2018 • Mazeppa Community Center Tyler is a 9 year old Zumbrota- Mazeppa student that lives and works on his family dairy farm. Tyler was born with a congenital heart defect. After multiple surgeries Tyler’s heart continues to deteriorate and as of November 2016 has been put on the heart transplant list. The proceeds raised by the beneďŹ t will go to Tyler’s past and future medical bills. A BeneďŹ t account is also set up at Bank of Zumbrota in Tyler’s name.
Pipestone County Dinner on the Dairy, June 14 Pipestone County ADA invites all to a complimentary meal at Randy and Priscilla Paters’ Dairy at 451st 80th Ave., Pipestone, Minn. The meal will be serving from 5 to 8 p.m. Tours will also be available during that time. Dodge County Dinner with a Farmer, June 14 Dodge County Dinner with a Farmer is held from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. at the Veterans Memorial Park in Kasson, Minn. Memorial Park is close to the Kasson Aquatic Center. Cost is $5. The menu includes burgers, chips, water, cookie and ice cream. A petting zoo and a free movie will be available. Contact Mary Jo Schonfeld, 507-455-0745 or maryjo.schonfeld@ fbmn.org with questions. The event is sponsored by Dodge County Farm Bureau. 11th Annual Breakfast on the Farm, June 16 Visit Royalwood Dairy in Brandon, S.D. from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Meet a dairy farmer, watch cows being milked, make free ‘Hood Magazine Make-N-Take crafts. Performances by Phil Baker at 10:30 and 11:30. Top off your morning with pancakes and ice cream. A free-will donation will be collected for the food and will be donated to Feeding South Dakota. The farm is located just ďƒž ve minutes east of Sioux Falls. Fillmore County Dairy Night on the Farm, June 16 Fillmore County Dairy Night on the Farm will take place from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at Roadside Dairy - Todd and Sue Hendrickson, 14163 241st Ave, Preston, Minn. From Harmony, 8 miles west on County Road 44. Turn north at 241st Ave (Bristol) and go one mile. Cost is a free will donation. The event will include a farm tour, dairy displays, inďƒ&#x; atables, prize giveaways and dairy royalty. Cheese burgers, baked beans, cheese curds, milk and malts will be served. Contact Trinity Johnson - 507-273-7550 with any questions. This event is sponsored by the Fillmore County American Dairy Association. Mower County Breakfast on the Farm, June 16 Mower County Breakfast on the Farm will take place from 7:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. with Children’s Activities from 9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. The event will take place at Brian and Aimee Klouse Farms, 56633 150th St. Austin, Minn. Go south on Hwy 218, turn left on 150th St. Cost of the event is $3 for adults, children 6 and under free, family $12. Menu is pancakes, sausage, milk, coffee and orange drink. Activities include a scavenger hunt, bouncy house, petting zoo, horse drawn wagon rides and machinery exhibits. Parking is available onsite. Please contact Virginia Bissen - vmbissen@gmail.com or 507-582-3158 with any questions. This event is sponsored by Mower County Farm Bureau.
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Motorcycle Run: 10 a.m. Josh Jackson is sponsoring a Motorcycle Run on June 30th, 2018. Contact him @ 507-259-6571 for details including a shirt for the ride. Carnival Fun: (games, food, bounce house, petting zoo, wagon rides, face painting, crazy hair and more!) 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Silent Auction: bidding starts at 1pm • Auctions @ 5pm, 6pm, 7 p.m. Meat Rafe: 6 p.m. Live Auction Baked Items & Larger Items: 8 p.m. Rafe Ticket ($10) Drawing: 9 p.m.
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Food and Live Music: by Briana Darcy, Dave Carpenter & Friends from 7-11 p.m.
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Kids Outdoor Movie: at 9 p.m. at the Historical Center $2 admission includes popcorn
Tractor Rafe Sponsored by Dean Jackson
Olmsted County Breakfast on the Farm, June 16 Olmsted County Breakfast on the Farm will take place from 6:30 am - 11:30 a.m. at Behounek Dairy, Inc., 21042 710th St., Hayďƒž eld, Minn. West of Rochester on Hwy 14 to Dodge County 15 (between Byron and Kasson) then south to 710th St., west to the farm. Cost is Adults - $7, Children - $4, Kids under 5 - free. Menu includes pancakes, sausage, cheese, milk, juice and coffee. Come enjoy a petting zoo, tractor drawn wagon rides, milking in a parlor, educational displays and exhibits. Free bus rides from Autumn Ridge Church in SW Rochester or parking at the farm. Contact Ken Levos - 507-696-4013 with questions. Sponsored by Olmsted County Farm Bureau and Rochester Area Agriculture Committee. Wright Carver Breakfast on the Farm, June 16 Wright Carver Breakfast on the Farm will take place from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. at Poppler Dairy, Waverly, Minn. Transportation will be available. Park at the Howard Lake WaverlyWinsted High School. Adults - $5 and Children 5 and under are free. All you can eat pancakes, sausage, coffee and milk will be served. Activities include a farm tour, petting zoo, wagon rides and a machinery row. Contact Pat Bakeberg - 763-242-4520, wrightbotf@gmail. com or breakfastonthefarm.org. Learn more on Facebook at Wright Carver Breakfast on the Farm. This event is sponsored by American Food Group, Centra Sota Cooperative, Feed Stuff Bagging Inc., Kemps, Munson Lakes Nutrition, Wright County American Dairy Association, Wright County Pork Producers and Wright County Farm Bureau. Cottonwood County Agriculture Appreciation Night, June 17 Cottonwood County Agriculture Appreciation Night will take place from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. at the Windom Arena on the Cottonwood County Fairgrounds. This is 1 block north of the corner of 13th St. and 8th Avenue in Windom, Minn. Cost of the event is fee. Grilled beef burgers and cheeseburgers, beans, chips, drinks and cookies will be served. Activities for both adults and children include bounce houses, petting zoo and POET corn box. Contact Matt Adrian - 507-301-4098 with any questions. Event is sponsored by Cottonwood County Farm Bureau, Cottonwood County Beef Producers, Cottonwood County Corn Growers, Cottonwood County Soybean Growers, Windom Convention and Visitors Bureau, Citizen Publishing and KDOM Radio. Winona Chamber Family Night on the Farm, June 20 Winona Chamber Family Night on the Farm will take place from 4 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Sobeck Brothers Farm. Parking will be available off-site. The event is free and open to the public. A family style picnic will be available for $7 for adults, $4 for children under 10, and a family for $25 (2 adults, up to 4 children). Activiites include farm machinery displays, games, petting zoo, children’s train ride, bounce house, tractor drawn hay wagon rides and live entertainment. Contact the Winona Chamber at info@winonachamber.com or call at 507-452-2272. This event is sponsored by a Legacy Sponsor, Bremer Bank and Main Event Sponsor, Sugarloaf Ford. Meeker County Dinner on the Dairy, June 22 Meeker County Dinner on the Dairy will take place from 5:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Luxury Holsteins - Mike and Bridget Lux Family Dairy. Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation Breakfast on the Farm, June 23 Northeast Iowa Dairy Foundation Breakfast on the Farm will take place 8:30 a.m. - noon at Iowa’s Dairy Center, south of Calmar, Iowa. Dad’s Belgian Wafďƒ&#x; es, sausage, milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream will be served. Activities include guided farm tours, hand milking a cow, petting calves at the petting zoo, story time with the Dairy Princess, cow inďƒ&#x; atables, corn pools, robotic milkers and several educational exhibits. Donations are accepted and parking is available onsite. For more information, visit our website at www.iowadairycenter. com and follow along with the Breakfast on the Farm Facebook event. Please contact Mariah Schmitt, Iowa’s Dairy Center Coordinator with questions at (563) 534-9957, ext. 107, or email at info@iowadairycenter.com.
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8600, 2016, 785 Hrs, RWA, Warranty ......$359,000 8600, 2015, 436 Hrs, RWA, Warranty ......$349,000 8500, 2016, 665 Hrs, RWA, Warranty ......$329,000 8500, 2016, 248 Hrs, RWA, Warranty ......$335,000 7780, 2014, 1301 Hrs, RWA .....................$239,000 7750, 2011, 2020 Hrs, RWA .....................$175,000 7580, 2013, 610 Hrs, RWA .......................$259,500 7950, 2012, 694 Hrs, RWA .......................$274,900 7850, 2008, 1600 Hrs, RWA .....................$179,500 7550, 2012, 1825 Hrs, RWA .....................$205,000 7550, 2008, 1359 Hrs, RWA .....................$189,500 7450, 2009, 1550 Hrs, RWA .....................$189,500 7450, 2010, 2985 Hrs, RWA .....................$139,000 7350, 2008, 2950 Hrs, RWA .....................$149,000 7800, 2007, 1885 Hrs, RWA .....................$159,500 7700, 2007, 1570 Hrs, RWA .....................$169,500 7500, 2005, 2423 Hrs, RWA .....................$135,000 7500, 2003, 3100 Hrs, RWA .....................$128,000 7450, 2009, 1748 Hrs, RWA .....................$167,000 Steel Deal 7400, 2004, 2918 Hrs, RWA .......................$99,000 Pricing 7300, 2003,3637 Hrs, RWA ........................$79,000 6850, 1999, 3120 Hrs, RWA .......................$79,500 6850, 1998, 3100 Hrs, 2WD .......................$74,500 6810, 1997, 2520 Hrs, 2wd ........................$25,000
6750, 1999, 2839 Hrs, RWA .......................$74,000 6710, 1995, 2908 Hrs, RWA .......................$68,500 6710, 1993, 2116 Hrs, 2WD .......................$49,000 5830, 1991, 3700 Hrs, RWA .......................$39,900 Steel Deal 5730, 1986, 4980 Hrs, RWA .......................$25,000 Pricing Claas 970, 2008, 3000 Hrs, RWA ............$175,000 Claas 900, 2005, 2848 Hrs ...................... $115,000 Claas 890, 2002, 2290 Hrs, RWA ............$129,000 All hours listed are “cutter hours�.
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
Advanced Dairy Solutions - Richland Center, WI
J Gile Dairy Equipment - Cuba City, WI
Centre Dairy Equipment - Sauk Centre, MN
Koehn Inc (Monroe Westfalia Surge) - Monroe, WI
Coulee Ridge Robotics - Sparta, WI
Leedstone - Melrose, MN, Glencoe, MN
Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems - Epworth, IA
Midwest Livestock Systems - Pine Island, MN, Owen, WI,
Ederer’s Dairy Supply - Plain, WI , Blanchardville, WI, Dodgeville, WI
Menomonie, WI, Sioux Falls, SD, Beatrice, NE Professional Dairy Services - Madison, WI
Fullers Milker Center - Lancaster, WI
S&S Dairy Systems - St. Charles, MN
Glencoe Co-Op Assn. - Glencoe, MN
Sioux Dairy Equipment - Rock Valley, IA, Colton, SD
Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equipment - Pipestone, MN
Tri-County Dairy Supply - Janesville, WI United Suckow Dairy - Postville, IA, West Union, IA
Dairy prole
Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018 • Page 39
sponsored by
Derek Abel Buffalo, Minn. Wright County 90 cows How did you get into farming? I grew up on a dairy farm. I am a third-generation dairy farmer on the farm my grandpa purchased. I bought the farm from my dad four years ago. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? I am concerned about the milk prices. I hope they get better; something needs to change. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? Two years ago, I purchased a heat sensory system for breeding cows. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? The heat sensory system detects heats faster and sooner. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? I have tried to use less machinery and save on costs that way. However, I purchased the farm the year the prices dropped, so I just keep milking. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employee(s)? I have two parttime employees I hire during the busy time. I pay them well. I hope I have good luck keeping employees around and working hard if I pay good employees more. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I have gained a work ethic from being on the farm. I had responsibility growing up, and my parents played a role in gaining a work ethic. What
do
you
enjoy
about dairy farming? I like the years? I hope to stay aoat and exibility. It goes both ways, but alive. In the future, I hope to I can choose when I want to do upgrade machinery. things between milkings. How do you or your family What advice would you give like to spend time when you other dairy farmers? Stick it out, are not doing chores? I like to times will get better.
hunt. Since I was 13, I went hunting in North Dakota. Now, I like to hunt with my friends in Colorado or Montana. I took a trip to Colorado this past year, and this fall I plan to take three trips out to Montana.
What has been the best purchase you’ve ever made on your farm? I bought eight automatic takeoff milkers. It used to take two people, but now I can milk alone and it takes the same amount of time. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? The changes I implemented, things I upgraded, and how I have become more modernized and computerized are accomplishments of mine.
What are your plans for your most dairy in the next year and ve
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, June 9, 2018
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Leedstone, Inc. Monroe WestfaliaSurge Midwest Livestock Systems Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. MN Monroe, WI •Rock 608-325-2772 Lancaster, WIMelrose, • 800-887-4634 Menomonie, WI • 715-235-5144 Valley, IA Owen, WI • 715-229-4740 712-476-5608 • 800-962-4346 320-256-3303 • 800-996-3303 Sioux Dairy Colton, Equipment, Inc. SD J. Gile DairyGlencoe, Equipment, Inc. Pine Island, MN • 800-233-8937 MN Centre Iowa Dairy Dairy Equipment andInc. Supply Inc.City, WI • 608-744-2661 Rock Valley, IA Eastern Systems, Cuba Sioux Falls, MN • 800-705-1447 Service 800-944-1217 320-864-5575 • 877-864-5575 Sauk Centre, 712-476-5608 • 800-962-4346 Epworth, IA • MN 563-876-3087 Beatrice, NE • 800-742-5748 Edgerton, MN Koehn, Inc. Chemical Sales 507-920-8626 320-352-5762 • 800-342-2697 Midwest Livestock Systems, Inc. Colton, SD Fitzgerald, Inc. Monroe, WI Menomonie, • 608-325-2772 Monroe WestfaliaSurge WI • 715-235-5144 Service 800-944-1217 Fitzgerald, Inc. Monroe, WI • 608-325-2772 Tri County Dairy Supply, Inc. Elkader, IA • 563-245-2560 Owen, WI • 715-229-4740 Edgerton, MNJanesville, WI • 800-822-7662 Elkader, IA • 563-245-2560 Leedstone, Inc. Pine Island, MN • 800-233-8937 Melrose, MN Preston Dairy Equipment Chemical Sales 507-920-8626 Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. Sioux Falls, MN • 800-705-1447 320-256-3303 • 800-996-3303 Sparta, WI Lancaster, WI • 800-887-4634 Glencoe, MNBeatrice, NE • 800-742-5748 608-269-3830 • 1-888-863-0227 320-864-5575 • 877-864-5575