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2 DAIRY ST 5R C E L E B R A T I N G
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Y E A R S
August 26, 2023
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 25, No. 13
Dairy provides foundation for diversity Next generation joins operation, adds beef enterprise By Abby Wiedmeyer abby.w@dairystar.com
HAZEL GREEN, Wis. — Troy Leibfried grew up helping on his family’s dairy farm and always knew a career in agriculture was in his future. After graduating from Southwest Wisconsin Technical College with a degree in farm operations and management, he joined his dad Aaron and great-uncle Francis on the home farm near Hazel Green. Today, the 21-year-old is planning for more responsibilities on the dairy when Francis retires next year while also running his own beef operation that he purchased in April. “When I was in school, there were a lot of 21-year-
olds who would have loved to be doing what I’m doing, but they didn’t have anyone in the industry,” Troy said. Troy’s farm is a portion of a relative’s farm. His parents purchased the 50 acres of pasture and cropland and buildings until Troy was able to secure nancing, at which point he bought the farm from his parents. Aaron said he is happy to provide the opportunity for his son. “He’s going to have to get some breaks,” Aaron said. “There’s no way a 21-yearold can get into it otherwise.” Plans for the dairy continue to evolve with the times as well. Troy, Aaron and Francis milk approximately 190 cows with a robotic milking Turn to LEIBFRIED | Page 6
ABBY WIEDMEYER/DAIRY STAR
Troy (leŌ) and Aaron Leibfried stand in their dairy barn Aug. 9 at their farm near Hazel Green, Wisconsin. The father-son duo, along with Aaron’s uncle Francis, milk 190 cows. Troy will transiƟon into an ownership role when Francis reƟres.
New state budget gives nod to agriculture
Money assigned to x rural roads, provide rebates for cover crops By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. — On July 5, Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed the 2023-25 state biennial budget into law. With dollars invested in areas including agricultural infrastructure to meat processing, the budget contained a variety of items seen as wins for agriculture and the dairy industry. “A highlight was certainly the Agricultural Road Improvement Program which allocated $150 million to improve agricultural roads throughout the state,” said Chad Zuleger, director of government affairs at Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Coopera-
routes and adding cost to fuel and wait times,” Zuleger said. “It’s a really signicant intive. “The whole ag coalition vestment — maybe the most came together in support of signicant investment in ag this and put together a really infrastructure in a generation.” good plan.” Previously, a The agricultural provision prohibited community also refederal funds from ceived outside supbeing used on bridgport from the Wises less than 20 feet consin Counties long, which Zuleger Association and the saw as a problem. Wisconsin Towns “In a rural comAssociation. The munity, you can be plan is not only to redealing with culpair rural roads used Chad Zuleger by agriculture but to Dairy Business Asso- verts that could be also improve those ciation and Edge Dairy 10 or 15 feet and roads so that they Farmer Cooperative even smaller bridges or easements into can no longer be posted once bridges,” Zuleger said. “The a project is nished. “This plan will improve state program includes those roads that our producers and types of roads, bridges and processors use on a daily ba- culverts under 20 feet. With sis that are subject to weight these funds, we should be able limits during times like spring to do a lot of repairs and rethaw, causing detours and re- ally improve the roads that are
used to generate more economic activity. We are thrilled to have this enacted.” Increased funding for the cover crop insurance rebate program was another big win for agriculture. The program provides a $5 per acre rebate on cover crop insurance to incentivize farmers to plant cover crops. The program’s funding was doubled from $800,000 to $1.6 million. “I’m excited to see that program take off,” Zuleger said. “It’s really changing the landscape as we’re seeing elds go from brown to green with a lot of cover cropping. This is a really good investment.” The Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program through the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection was established last budget cycle and received $2 million in the current budget.
This program provides grants up to $50,000 to individual farmers or groups of farmers to study impacts of nitrogen on cropping and water quality. Done in partnership with the University of Wisconsin, the goal is to use strategies that will minimize the impact of commercial fertilizers on the land. The dairy processor grant program also received increased funding of an additional $500,000. “Our partners in the processing world are critical to our producers’ success, and we are ecstatic about the increased funding put toward technology and utilizing best practices,” Zuleger said. “This bolsters a processor’s ability to do business in Wisconsin and continue to grow.” Turn to BUDGET | Page 10