LOOK INSIDE FOR OUR WORLD DAIRY EDITION!
DAIRY ST R
Volume 22, No. 14
September 12, 2020
“All dairy, all the time”™
Blenkes living the American dream Netherlands natives build thriving U.S. dairy By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
WATERTOWN, Wis. – When Matthew and Irena Blenke were looking for a new place in the world to farm, they chose the United States. Several things led them to America, including the country’s sound agricultural practices and products, freemarket ideology and lower start-up costs. The couple was drawn to Wisconsin specically, seeing the state as the perfect place to make a fresh start. “Wisconsin is the heart of the world’s dairy industry,” Matthew said. “Everything is well developed here, and good service is close by.” The Blenkes moved from
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Irena and Ma�hew Blenke milk 180 cows near Watertown, Wisconsin. They moved from the Netherlands to the United States in 2011 and built their dairy.
Saasveld, Netherlands, to Watertown in December 2011. They left behind the family farm where Matthew grew up – a farm that has been in the Blenke family for close to 500 years. Matthew’s nephew was taking over the farm, prompting the Blenkes to look for a new opportunity. The 160-acre farm in Watertown came with a stanchion barn the Blenkes replaced with a facility in 2012. Working with Fox Cities Builders, they built a four-row freestall barn for milk cows, dry cows and heifers. A second building houses calves and includes close-up and maternity pens, the milking parlor and selfcleaning holding area. “This place is similar to our farm in the Netherlands, only better,” Matthew said. “We built a copy of that farm here but with larger dimensions. The barn is spacious, Turn to BLENKE | Page 5
Northcrest Dairy adopts robotic technology Healthier, happier cows result in higher milk production By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Spoke and Topel families and full-�me employees – (front, from le�) Marissa Spoke, Finn Spoke, Malcolm Spoke and Ian Spoke; Chris Topel, Jenny Spoke and Jake Heiman; (back, from le�) Bob Topel, Jeff Spoke and Kari Steindorf – operate Northcrest Dairy near Waterloo, Wisconsin. The group milks 500 cows and farms 600 acres.
WATERLOO, Wis. – New robots have come to Waterloo. Using DeLaval’s robotic milking technology – the VMS V300 – Jeff and Jenny Spoke, who farm with Jenny’s parents, Bob and Chris Topel, are more than satised with the new technology. The family installed the latest in robotics to automate the milking of their 500cow herd last summer, retrotting eight robots into current facilities. “We had an old parlor that needed updating, but we didn’t want to build a new one,” Jeff said. “Bob had talked robots for a long time, so we decided to go that route.” The startup date for the rst four robots was Aug. 22, 2019. “We focused on getting one barn up and running rst,” Jeff said. “It was a lot of animals to train so we transitioned
one building at a time. We switched everyone in the rst barn to robots all at once, something we wouldn’t recommend in hindsight. In the second barn, we trained smaller groups, which worked much better.” By Oct. 1, 2019, the farm’s singleexit double-8 herringbone parlor was retired. “Our parlor was not very cowfriendly, and we pushed it pretty hard,” Jeff said. “It was tough to get a group through in less than an hour. We milked three times a day and were milking almost around the clock. Since switching to robots, injuries have pretty much disappeared. Cows don’t hurt themselves, and foot health is way better. We rarely pick up a foot now. Cows aren’t standing in the holding area which has been really benecial.” Jeff and Jenny teamed up with Jenny’s parents 20 years ago. But the 100-cow farm in Lake Mills was not big enough to support the two couples. Landlocked and on the edge of city limits, expansion at that location was not an option. In 2001, they purchased Turn to NORTHCREST | Page 7
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
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 Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Krista Kuzma - Editor/Wisconsin (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Andrea Borgerding - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (608) 487-1101 danielle.n@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Staff Writer (262) 442-6666 • stacey.s@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 - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.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 Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Julie Barnes (SE WI and Northern IL) julie.b@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Ashley Curry (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-539-7268 • ashley.c@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.
A glance at the other side
Dairy Star likes to provide local stories, which is why we have two versions of the paper. Below are a few highlights from stories you will not nd in this paper, but you can nd online in zone 1. Find full editions on our website, www.dairystar.com, and click on the e-edition tab under the Dairy Star header. Will selective dry cow therapy work for your dairy? In this issue’s University of Minnesota Dairy Connection column, Dr. Joe Armstrong talks about selective dry cow therapy. In certain cases, herds may not need to treat every cow with antibiotics at dry off. This not only reduces antibiotic use on farms, it can also help producers save money. To determine if a farm could make the switch from blanket treating, Armstrong lists criteria of herds that can take advantage of the practice. He also stresses the importance of working with the farm’s veterinarian to monitor this practice and make changes if necessary. A note from the newest Princess Kay The 67th Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Brenna Connelly, has her debut column in this issue where she talks about her feelings of being crowned as the new royalty role. Connelly highlights her goal for her year-long reign, which includes how she plans to adapt with the changes due to the pandemic. Regardless of how she does it, she is ready to promote dairy. Molitor clinches top spot of dairy showcase Maggie Molitor has shown dairy cattle since she was 4 years old, and while the COVID-19 pandemic limited her participation in the 4-H project this year, she was named the winner of the 2020 Minnesota 4-H Dairy Showcase Aug. 28. Molitor was among 25 youth across the state who were recognized for their accomplishments in the 4-H dairy project. Princess Kay and nalists: What does it mean to have your likeness carved in butter? This year’s Princess Kay and fellow nalists had their likenesses carved in butter Aug. 13-22. Dairy Star caught up with the women to learn about their experience in the butter booth at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul, Minnesota. Read the questionnaires to see how each person plans to use their butterhead.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Buffalo
Arena
Jones family celebrates 155 years of Wisconsin dairying
Pages 8 - 9 Second Section
Country Cooking
Jackson
Juneau
Vernon
Waushara
Richland
Green Lake Fond Du Lac
Columbia Dodge
Sauk
Dane
Jo Daviess
on
ens
h tep
S
Carroll
Walworth go
eba
n Win
e
First Section: Pages 1, 5 - 6
Rock
on
Lafayette Green
Jefferson Waukesha
Bo
Iowa
Grant
Kenosha
Orangeville
Ogle
Whiteside
Racine
McHenry
DeKalb
Zone 2
Do or
o ag Calumet
eb
nn Wi
for
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Adams
Monroe La Crosse
ie am Brown
g uta
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Blenkes living the American dream
Zone 1
Shawano
Wood
Cr
Watertown
Oconto
Portage Waupaca
Section: Page 28
Page 22 Second Section
Menominee
aun ee
Pepin
te
Ke w
First Section: Pages 1, 7
et
Langlade
Marathon
Clark
Eau Claire
in
ton S he bo Milwaukee Ozauk M yg ee an anito wo c
Pierce
ar
Menominee
ing
Northcrest Dairy adopts robotic technology
ce
M
Forest
Lincoln
Taylor
Chippewa
ren
Oneida
Rusk
Barron
Dunn
Price
Delta
Dickinson
Vilas
Wa sh
St. Croix
Waterloo
Iron
ett e
Page 31 First Section
First Section: Page 25
Flo
Sawyer
Trempealeau
Polk
Veterinary Wisdom
Page 33 First Section
Ashland
n
Page 30 First Section
Come Full Circle
First Section: Pages 18, 20, 22
First Section: Page 34
Burnett
Busch wins breeder award 11 consecutive years
qu
Brown continues dairying after re
Cecil
Bayeld
Douglas
Strum
ur
Ramblings from the Ridge
Second Section: Pages 3 - 4
hb
Page 27 First Section
Top Performers: Jeff, Connie and Ryan Horsens
Wolfs volunteer as reghters, emergency medical personnel
Wa s
An amazing celebration
Cecil
Allentown
Pages 8-9 First Section
Ma r
Ag Insider
Women In Dairy: Kristi Dinderman
Kane
First Section: Page 36
Lee
Rock Island
First Section: Pages 35, 37
Mercer on
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Schultz continues grandfather’s Mil-R-Mor legacy
Hen ders
Orangeville
n
re War
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: Tell us about your corn silage harvest. First Section: Pages 15 - 16
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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 5
ConƟnued from BLENKES | Page 1
• Bunker Wall Restoration • Silo Restoration • Barn and house foundation restoration STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Netherlands naƟves MaƩhew and Irena Blenke built this dairy operaƟon in 2012 in Watertown, Wisconsin. The facility replaces a previous stanchion barn. and there’s no crowding of animals. We have an even number of headlocks to stalls to give cows more access to feed.” Before deciding to settle in the United States, the Blenkes looked at farms in Germany, Poland and Canada, but did not like those countries’ quota systems. Cost was another inhibitor. “It’s expensive to build a dairy farm in Canada,” Matthew said. “It would’ve cost us $3 million and 400 cows to start. Canada also has strict immigration rules. It was easier to come here.” The Blenkes bought cows from local farms and started with milking 120 head – the same amount they had in the Netherlands. They have since grown their milking herd to 180. Cows are milked twice a day in a double-10 parlor. One side of the freestall barn is dedicated to milk cows, and the other side is home to dry cows and heifers grouped in pens by age. Heifers move down the line as they grow, starting out in an 18-stall pen, then moving to a 30-stall pen before landing in a 50-stall pen for bred heifers. The barn includes convenience features like gates that meet precisely, enabling one person to safely move animals, and a built-in refrigerator in the maternity pen for quick and easy administering of medications. Wide alleys and large stalls are other elements the Blenkes enjoy. “I wouldn’t change anything about
this barn,” Matthew said. “I would build it exactly the same way again. Everything was perfect down to the last nail.” Bedding with sand was a new concept for the Blenkes. Cows relax in deep sand beds with no concrete underneath the stalls. For the oors, Matthew and Irena chose solid versus slatted – another difference between their current farm and their farm in the Netherlands. “We have 30% of the hoof problems we had in the Netherlands where we used rubber mats and sawdust,” Matthew said. “We have almost no crippled cows, whereas in the Netherlands, we had one a week. Cows are under less stress and trauma, and we also have better milk production. Nothing compares to sand.” The facility was designed with efciency in mind. Matthew and Irena provide all the labor at MattRena Holsteins with the help of one employee who assists with milking. The farm’s rolling herd average is 26,412 pounds of milk with 4.09% butterfat (1,079 pounds) and 3.07% protein (812 pounds). “Our philosophy is to provide nutritious food for the nation, and we are very focused on producing excellent-quality milk,” Irena said. “Our milk is a safe, healthy product that is made in the USA, and we’re proud of
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
ConƟnued from BLENKE | Page 5
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Close-up dry cows stay in this pen unƟl they are ready to freshen, at which point they are moved to a nearby maternity pen to calve on a straw pack at the Blenkes dairy farm near Watertown, Wisconsin. that. We’re also big on components and strive to produce milk high in butterfat and protein.” Improving families and building deep generations is the backbone of the Blenkes’ breeding strategy. The Blenkes like balanced cows and use only proven bulls, choosing sires that transmit high components. Heifers receive sexed semen. Conventional semen is used on 40% of the lactating herd, while the other 60% are bred to beef. “We select for the best heifers and like to breed for healthy cows with good feet and legs and nice udders,” Matthew said. “We breed for tness traits like longevity, pregnancy rate and cell count. Productive life is key. We want to keep cows around as long as possible. If you can keep a cow one year longer, you can save a lot of money, which also means we don’t need as many replacements.” Irena agreed. “We’re focused on the cow not just the result of her work,” Irena said. “We don’t want to exploit them. It’s all about efciency. We want a strong, long-lived animal.” Sick cows on the farm are rare. Animals transition easily after calving, which Matthew attributes to the dry cow diet. “We feed our dry cows well,” he said. “Our secret is to provide excellentquality dry hay during the last 14 days of the dry period. Tasty hay that’s a little stemmy produces good rumen
activity.” After freshening, cows are moved directly to the milking group where the ration consists of 30% concentrate and 70% roughage – the majority of which is corn silage. “Because we feed a ration lower in concentrates, it’s an easier transition for fresh cows,” Matthew said. The Blenkes experienced a dramatic difference in climates and landscapes when moving from the Netherlands to the United States. “The Netherlands is as at as a pancake, and most of the country is below sea level, so the climate is wet,” Matthew said. “We had to pump water a lot, and our manure pit was built above ground. Here, we have a lagoon.” The hefty price tag on land in the Netherlands and the country’s dense population are things the Blenkes do not miss. “Farmland in the Netherlands is the highest priced in the world at $26,000 per acre,” Matthew said. “There are also more restrictions in the Netherlands.” When relocating to new soil, the Blenkes chose a location where they could prosper. Leaving their homeland to begin anew, Matthew and Irena love the place they have called home for the last eight years and are certain their decision to come to the United States was the right one. “The U.S. is a good place for a dairy business,” Matthew said.
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ConƟnued from NORTHCREST | Page 1 their current farm in Waterloo and have been in growth mode ever since, hitting their sweet spot at 500 cows. The Spokes and Topels also farm 600 acres. When preparing for robots, the family turned a barn used for heifer housing into a robot barn, adding on a new half to get all buildings lined up evenly. They then ipopped heifers and dry cows into a barn previously used for milk cows. Each barn has four robots with two robots per pen. “The updated robotics allow us to put cows and heifers into the milking string without needing to train teat positions,” Jeff said. A 3D camera helps locate teats, making it easy for the robot to learn a cow’s udder and teat placement. This results in faster attachment regardless of udder and teat style. Milking speed is also increased as the robot automatically adjusts pulsation setting so cows are milked according to individual needs and capacity. When it comes to prepping, a separate transparent cup individually cleans and stimulates each teat. Independent arms for each teat cup allow quarters to be milked individually and the machine to be removed one quarter at a time. The Spokes like that the robot can be sized to each cow and features ve settings for body length to restrict movement during milking.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Spokes and Topels milk their 500-cow herd with eight robots on the dairy near Waterloo, Wisconsin. “Cows are happier and healthier, and we feel there’s a lot of potential in the herd for increased milk production,” Jeff said. “Old cows are going to last in this setup. They pick a stall close to the robot, get up when it’s time to milk, eat, then lay back down. Nobody is bothering them.” Milk has already climbed several pounds per cow, going from 80 pounds in the parlor to between 82-88 pounds in the robot. Cows are averaging 2.6 milkings per day – a number the Spokes are hoping to push higher as time goes on. Fresh cows are encouraged to visit
the robot more often in the rst ve days to make sure none of them fall off the wagon at the start of their lactation. Much to the surprise of Jeff and Jenny, this summer’s sweltering heat did not cause a drop in milk. “Cows didn’t have to stand together in the holding area which I’m sure helped,” Jenny said. “In the past, we would lose 4 or more pounds per cow during long stretches of heat.” Labor savings for the dairy are immense, and the Spokes cite this as one of the biggest benets of switching to robots. “We used to have 10-
12 part-time and full-time employees,” Jenny said. “Since installing robots, we’ve reduced labor by almost 300 paid hours per week.” Jeff agreed. “We didn’t see (labor) getting better,” he said. “Not many people want to milk cows full time, so we were always nding and training new people. We needed to upgrade so it was a matter of what system to choose. Money saved on labor will eventually pay for the robots.” Northcrest Dairy retained two full-time people. A former milker for 12 years, Kari Steindorf now feeds and beds cows and helps with eldwork. Jake Heiman, who used to be the farm’s feeder, oversees the robots. He does the morning fetch and robot maintenance along with other areas of maintenance on the farm. Heiman also owns 40 Jersey cows in the primarily Holstein herd. Jeff and Jenny’s kids – Ian, 14, Marissa, 12, Malcolm, 9, and Finn, 6 – also help on the farm. In addition to adding onto one of the freestall barns, the robot renovation included a new ofce area, milkhouse and crossway between barns for moving cattle. The farm also added an automatic feed pusher and alley scrapers. Unlike many robotic barns, the cows at Northcrest Dairy
do not wear activity monitors. Relying on synchronization reproduction protocols was something the family did not want to change. Transitioning to robots was an adjustment in management style as the Spokes learned to rely on information the robots provide about each milking. “We get a tremendous amount of data from the reports,” Jeff said. “Daily milk weights, milking speed, conductivity, how many times she’s going to the robot – it’s all there for us to look at for each individual cow.” At 65 cows per robot, Jeff said there is a lot of idle time. Therefore, the farm has exibility and room to grow to fulll the robot’s 70-cow capacity. “The farm is so quiet now,” Jeff said. “There was always commotion before with people coming and going. Robots are almost like going back to the traditional way of doing things when you just had morning and night chores and the farm shut down in between.” The Spokes are also loving the exibility robots provide. “We can go to our kids’ sporting events or even help coach because we don’t have to milk at 5 p.m.,” Jeff said. “We can also make hay when we want. The robots have made life better for us and the cows.”
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No riders will be attached to stopgap spending bill United States Secretary of the Treasury Steven Food box program gets additional funding The United States Department of Agriculture Mnuchin and Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi have a tentative Farmers to Families Food Box Program has agreement to avoid a government shutdown. A distributed more than 75 million food boxes. This program began in May to help feed continuing resolution is needed to fund families and support farmers. “The the government after Sept. 30. Mnuchin Ag Insider delivery of 75 million food boxes and Pelosi agreed to a clean stopgap has helped an incredible number of spending bill, which means a new Americans,� said United States Secretary coronavirus assistance package will of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. The food need to be addressed separately. box program has also been credited for boosting dairy prices. President Trump Milk production edges higher has added an additional $1 billion to Milk production in the 24 major the food box program as the economy states totaled 17.8 billion pounds in July. continues to reopen. That was up 1.5% from one year ago. Wisconsin milk production rose 0.5%. Reducing the size of the dairy herd Year-to-date, 1.9 million dairy cows Records broken during pandemic By Don Wick have been culled. The report from USDA The latest Dairy Market Report from Columnist said that is down 98,200 head, or 4.8%, the National Milk Producers Federation from the same period last year. and Dairy Management Inc. highlights the roller coaster ride in milk prices. When coronavirus began, U.S. milk prices experienced the DATCP reviews dairy farm number decline The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, largest one-month downturn. June had the biggestever one-month increase. The July all-milk price Trade and Consumer Protection reports 266 dairy will be one of the highest recorded prices since 2014. farms have gone out of business this year, down Prices are expected to decline for the balance of the 3.8% from last year. During this same time period in 2019, more than 550 dairy farms left the industry. year with the second wave of the pandemic. That is a decline of 6.8%. For the full year, 818 dairy farms exited the industry, down 10%. Supply chain adjusts to COVID-19 The food supply chain has adapted effectively to the coronavirus pandemic. Clay Detlefsen, chief Ranking the largest dairy companies Rabobank has published its annual report on counsel, National Milk Producers Federation, made that point in a NMPF podcast. “We’ve got our the world’s top 20 dairy companies. Nestle, which challenges ahead for sure,� Detlefsen said. “There’s is based in Switzerland, retained its No. 1 spot on no reason to celebrate, but there’s no reason to the list with sales of $22.1 billion. The highestbe pessimistic either. We will get through this.� ranking U.S. company on the list is Dairy Farmers Detlefsen said food companies have redesigned of America at $20.1 billion. DFA is the only U.S. workplaces to keep employees safe. Work needs to company on the list, moving up from sixth largest be done to understand how the virus is spread and one year ago to No. 3 in the 2020 rankings. The jump is credited to the acquisition of Dean Foods. how to prevent it.
Chinese dairy export forecast The Chinese economy is strengthening, but that does not mean dairy exports will see a big bump. Rabobank said the food service business is soft in China and domestic dairy supplies are rising. China traditionally buys dairy products from the United States, the European Union, Australia and New Zealand. Disaster on East China Sea A typhoon brought down a ship carrying 5,800 dairy cows and 43 crew members. This export vessel was traveling from New Zealand to China. Live animal exports from New Zealand and Australia are fairly common, but the New Zealand Ministry for Primary Industries temporarily suspended cattle export applications due to this maritime disaster. DFA announces plan to reduce emissions Dairy Farmers of America plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030 from a base year of 2018. Using a science-based approach, the dairy co-op is supporting nutritional adjustments to reduce emissions. The use of manure digesters, solar panels and wind power is also part of DFA’s strategy.
Dairy Strong Conference goes virtual The Dairy Business Association’s Dairy Strong Conference will be conducted virtually Jan. 1921, 2021. While the format will be different, DBA Director Tim Trotter said the goal of the program will remain the same. That goal is “to provide an experience where ideas are shared, connections are made and people are inspired.� Dairy Innovation Hub funds short-term research projects The University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Dairy Innovation Hub Initiative has announced the funding of seven projects. The issues addressed Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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include studies about the dairy supply chain, manure management and the transmission of pathogenic bacteria to dairy cows. Organic Valley promotes Rakobitsch Nicole Rakobitsch is the new director of sustainability for Organic Valley. Rakobitsch will be tasked with developing climate-smart farming practices for Organic Valley members. Leopold nalists named The nalists for the Wisconsin Leopold Conservation Award have been named. They are Mike Berg of Lafayette County, John and Melissa Eron of Portage County, Charlie Hammer and Nancy Kavazanijan of Dodge County, Brian Maliszewski of Trempealeau County and John and Dorothy Priske of Columbia County. The Leopold winner will receive a $10,000 award.
Trivia challenge Cheez Whiz was the Kraft Foods cheese sauce product that was introduced in 1953. That answers our last trivia question. There is a yogurt product for children in Canada that is known as Yoplait Tubes. It is Frubes in England. For this week, what is the name of this product in the United States? We will 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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treatment for his cancer, but his condition continued to deteriorate. We milked our rst cows in the middle of October, and he passed away Nov. 18. Dad gave us a start, but we boys had to gure things out. Abe was still living here at the time, and I was just out of high school.” The Vander Waal family began with a herd of 400 cows. They have added facilities in phases and By Jerry Nelson gradually expanded their herd to its current size. The jerry.n@dairystar.com 700 acres they farm are planted to silage corn. “My brother John and I bought out Abe in 2003,” HULL, Iowa – It is the nature of most business- Vander Waal said. “A couple of years ago, John es to grow and evolve. This is especially true of the decided to go out on his own, so he and his family 1,200-cow dairy farm operated by James Vander Waal built a new robotic milking facility on an acreage and his family near Hull. south of Sioux Center. My brother Hank and I are “My father, Aart, moved around quite a bit before currently 50/ 50 owners of this dairy farm.” he settled here on this farm,” Vander Waal said. After 22 years of continuous operation, the Vander Waal is one of 14 children born to Aart venerable rotary parlor is still going strong. and Elizabeth Vander Waal. “We just replaced the parlor’s carriage wheels for “Dad milked cows on this farm until 1985 when the rst time this past summer,” Vander Waal said. he decided to get out of the dairy business,” Vander “We have upgraded the pulsator and takeoff system Waal said. “Some of my brothers and I wanted to three times over the years. The new system that we dairy farm, so in 1998 Dad decided to help us build a put in two years ago uses Wi-Fi instead of wires. new dairy facility.” This eliminates a lot of physical connections, plus it At the core of this new facility was a 40-cow enables us to check on milking parlor performance rotary parlor. with a smartphone.” “Rotary parlors were still somewhat rare back It takes three employees to operate the milking then,” Vander Waal said. “Westfalia-Surge ew my parlor plus one employee to push cows. The twice-abrother Abe to Australia so that he could see a rotary day milkings take six hours. parlor in operation.” “We had been milking three times until a little The Vander Waal family began construction on over a year ago, but milk prices were low, and I got their new dairy facility in early 1998. Sadly, Aart tired of the rat race,” Vander Waal said. “Our milk would succumb to cancer before the year was out. production is now on the upswing, so we are thinking “Dad helped us plan things and got the ball about going back to three times milkings.” rolling,” Vander Waal said. “He was receiving Reusable cloth towels are used to dry the cows’ udders. Vander Waal is considering adding a Future Cow teat prep system as a way to make his parlor more efcient. “The Future Cow would eliminate the cloth towels and all the time that it takes to wash and dry them,” Vander Waal said. “It would also make it easier for our employees to be more consistent with udder prep procedures. I think that this parlor will continue to serve us for the foreseeable future. You can keep an old facility going for a long time before you can justify the cost of buildJERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR ing a new one.” The Vander Waal family is puƫng the nishing touches on this new 32- by-364foot calf barn. This new barn will enable the Vander Waals to begin raising their Turn to VANDER WAALS newborn heifer calves themselves. | Page 11
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 11
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The 40-cow rotary milking parlor at the Vander Waal dairy farm has been in conƟnual use since 1998. It takes six hours for four employees to milk 1,200 cows. The Vander Waals bed their cows with recycled manure solids. They are considering switching to sand bedding as a way to give their cows better traction and bring down their herd’s SCC. The Vander Waal family is working on expanding and improving their operation in areas outside the milking barn. “We currently send our newborn
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A new 21-by-30-foot pasteurizer room is currently under construcĆ&#x;on on the Vander Waal dairy farm. The Vander Waal family will soon begin raising their own calves with pasteurized milk from their bulk tank. 12, Ross, 11, Kayleen, 9, Lydia, 7, Arlan, 5, and Thomas, 3. The Vander Waals have started construction on a 21-by-30-foot room that will house a pasteurizer. The pasteurizer room, which will feature a pair of drive-thru doors, is adjacent to the milk room. “We have a certain amount of waste milk that we are now throwing away, so pasteurizing it and feeding it to our calves will enable us to make better use of it,â€? Vander Waal said. “We will draw milk from the bulk tank to supply most of the milk for our calves. My understanding is that baby calves perform best when they are fed whole milk.â€? The Vander Waals are also putting the ďƒžnishing touches on a new 32-by364 calf barn. This new calf facility will have room for 130 individual calf pens.
“We looked at a lot of calf barns before we settled on this design,� Vander Waal said. “In the end, we decided to build something similar to the baby calf facility that’s being used on Maassen Dairy, located near Maurice, Iowa.� Serviceable age heifers on the Vander Waal farm are bred twice with sexed Holstein semen. If a heifer does not settle after two services, she is switched to Angus semen. The Vander Waals’ top cows are bred with sexed semen, while the rest of the milk herd is bred with Angus semen. All bull calves and crossbred calves are sold at birth. “If this new calf barn works out, we hope to build another one just like it for our crossbred calves and start feeding them out,� Vander Waal said. “We just want to give our kids the same type of opportunities that Dad gave us.�
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Moynihan is a friend of agriculture
Dairy farmer, rural stress help advocate earns annual award By Krista Kuzma
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BELLE PLAINE, Minn. – Meg Moynihan has described the work she does advocating for help with rural stress in her role as senior advisor at the Minnesota Department of Agriculture as both difcult and easy. “It’s hard work because these are hard topics and these are sometimes life changing topics, but it’s easy to do this work because we have the type of (agricultural) community we do in Minnesota,” Moynihan said. “I’m out there waving the ag for this, but everybody else is too. So, it’s been easy to nd partners and collaborators and do things together. Many hands make light work.” The work Moynihan has done has not gone unnoticed. Moynihan was recently given the Friend of Agriculture award by the Minnesota Association of Extension Ag Professionals. “I’m so profoundly honored to get the award this year,” Moynihan said. The award honors individuals or groups who go above and beyond to serve agriculture and farmers in Minnesota. “Meg’s work has had a lasting impact across topic areas; however, there is no denying the driving force she has been to opening up the conversation about farmer mental health in Minnesota,” said Emily Krekelberg, MAEAP past president and University of Minnesota farm safety and health
Extension educator. “Her willingness to share her own story makes what she does unique, meaningful and helpful.” Since 2016, Moynihan has been helping farmers and others in agriculture learn how to recognize stress on the farm, and know where to go to nd resources and support. “I just happened to get engaged in this as the wave was beginMeg Moynihan ning to crest,” she said. “I was at the right place at the right time.” Moynihan has been able to use her own experience as a farmer to connect with others. She and her husband, Kevin Stuedemann, milk 60 cows and direct market meat on their certied organic farm near Belle Plaine. However, she also likes to shine the spotlight on other farmers who are willing to speak out about their own struggles. This includes dairy farmer Debbie Mills from Lake City and soybean producer Theresia Gillie, from Hallock. “Helping voices like those be heard by other people is some of the best work I’ve done,” Moynihan said. “It’s not what I’ve done, but it’s meeting other people who are examples of bravery, courage, resilience and fortitude, and helping other people see those stories because that’s what I think people relate to.” Moynihan also nds resources, and provides learning and training opportunities about rural stress for people who work with farmers – anyone from veterinarians and state agency employees to clergy members.
She has also been part of the team to develop and implement the Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline and website www.minnesotafarmstress.com. While the hotline has a steady but small number of calls, Moynihan said the website has seen a large increase in trafc. In the rst six months of 2020, more people visited the website than all of 2019. “That tells me two things – either we’re doing a better job telling people it’s there and/or more people are saying I need to look around to see if there are some resources for this, or information or connections I could make,” Moynihan said. It is also why the department has now added text messaging and email for people to gather information or nd support. “It could be mental health support, stress support, counseling, nancial information or whatever,” Moynihan said. “It looks different depending on who you are and what your situation is. People need different things.” While farming in a normal year brings on enough stress, being in agriculture during a pandemic has brought about many additional challenges. “It comes in layers,” Moynihan said. “If you were in a nancial hardship or had relationship stresses, the pandemic is on top of that. It really magnies some of the stress on some of the operations and families more than others.” Regardless of the circumstances, farming is challenging, Moynihan said. “The nature of agriculture is it is a stressful business,” she said. “Some of those stresses are rewarding and challenging. It’s when they become overwhelming that it becomes a
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If you or someone you know is in a stressful situation and needs help, please reach out to the Minnesota Farm & Rural Helpline. Phone: 833-600-2670 Text: FARMSTRESS to 898211 Email: farmstress@state.mn.us Website: www. minnesotafarmstress.com problem.” That is why Moynihan feels the programs she has worked on for the past four years are so important. “We have to support each other in agriculture in perpetuity,” Moynihan said. “I think we always need to keep in mind that we all need to keep doing this work, and we all need to be mutually supporting the people in the agricultural community together. The adverse situation a farmer experiences has a ripple effect on main street – the grocers, the bankers, the feed delivery people, the eldmen. We’re all touched by this.” And Moynihan is happy to help those who need it. “It makes me feel honored I am in a place, state, agricultural community and working for an organization that is so supportive and aware for the need for this kind of work,” Moynihan said. “Being in a position to offer support to people – it’s not a matter of xing other people’s problems, but it’s a matter of nding something they can lean on while they gure out how to x their own problems. That’s a really powerful feeling.”
Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 15
Tell us about your corn silage harvest.
Cody and Arlisa Clements Coon Valley, Wisconsin Vernon County 80 cows Tell us about your corn silage harvest for this year. We planted Federal corn for the ďƒžrst year. We have been happy; the yields have been good. We started planting April 27. Our goal for moisture this year is to get at that 67%-68% range, and right now we’re at the 69%-70% point, so we are letting it dry down a bit more and then we’ll start. How did/does your corn look at or near harvest time and what were/are the ďƒželd conditions? Our corn looks good except for some late season weeds that started to come about a month ago. Next year, we’ll have to look at our spraying program. The biggest thing will be ďƒžguring out how to keep the weeds down. They are the worst at the outsides of the ďƒželds. This year, we knifed anhydrous ammonia into everything, and that is why the corn is not drying down as quickly as some of the corn around us. I know we are putting up better silage than last year. The ďƒželd conditions are better than the last couple of years. We aren’t battling mud and wet spots. If anything, it is on the dry side. It rained a half inch yesterday morning, and we could have been chopping again in the afternoon. When do you plan to start chopping or when did you start chopping? What are your predictions for this year’s yield, both quantity and quality? We chopped about 35 acres, and we have another 35 to go. We are hoping to be anywhere from 1,000 to 1,200 tons by the time we are done. At the rate we are going now, it should be closer to 1,200 tons. Tell us about your corn silage harvest process. We have a full-time chopper with a processor. We have a couple wagons and a neighbor has a couple wagons. We help each other out. We have our own bagger, and we’ll ďƒžll four to ďƒžve bags. We have two silos to ďƒžll. We haven’t used any inoculants in the last three or four years. It is an added cost, and it is difďƒžcult to apply at the bags. I don’t have an applicator on the chopper. I see the beneďƒžts, but right now we aren’t set up for it. What is a management practice you changed in the past that has improved your corn silage? We have been milking more cows, so we are getting more manure down per acre. It is showing in our crops, both hay and corn. Manure does the crops good, much better than chemical fertilizers. What is your favorite aspect of chopping corn silage? It is that time of year when all our hard work and effort throughout the spring and summer are showing results going through the chopper. I get the adrenaline rush of working hard with the long hours. Tell us about your farm. I run the farm with my wife and my father. We milk about 80 cows in a freestall/parlor. We raise our youngstock. The farm is 130 acres, and we rent another 150. We also do custom baling and planting.
Bronson and Maddie Schmidt Tomah, Wisconsin Monroe County 40 cows Tell us about your corn silage harvest for this year. We planted 40 acres of Cropland 409955 corn this year. We have 100% of our corn dedicated to corn silage and buy back our grain corn from a local grain farmer. We try to shoot for 65% moisture. How did/does your corn look at or near harvest time, and what were/are the ďƒželd conditions? This year we are happy with how the corn looks, especially with the drought stages that happened this summer. I would say our corn took a yield loss with that, but we are extremely fortunate it was not more. When do you plan to start chopping or when did you start chopping? What are your predictions for this year’s yield, both quantity and quality? We started chopping on Sept. 7 and should ďƒžnish up Sept. 10. We put up two 16-by-60 silos and a 200-foot bag. The quality looked good, but we are waiting on the test results now. We averaged about 20 tons to an acre. I’m happy with that for now but always am striving for better. Tell us about your corn silage harvest process. We have a retired dairy farmer, Dave Prielipp, come and chop our corn. Bronson unloads and I run wagons back and forth and do barn chores. We use all old International tractors to ďƒžll our two silos and bag. Everything is inoculated with IBA-SILE MAX. What is a management practice you changed in the past that has improved your corn silage? We started dairy farming ďƒžve years ago and bought all of our feed the ďƒžrst three years. Going to producing our own feed has been the biggest and most beneďƒžcial change we have made to date. We have much higher quality and a lower cost. Overall our biggest goal is to take care of the land with rotation, fertilizer and keeping the weeds down. What is your favorite aspect of chopping corn silage? The relief that we have the feed in the bag or silo. That all of our hard work paid off, and the cows are going to have what they need until the next year. You have a sigh of relief for sure. Tell us about your farm. I operate Wil-Ridge Swiss and Holsteins, and Bronson has How-Law Holsteins. Bronson and I are ďƒžrst-generation dairy farmers that started out ďƒžve years ago but had herds of our own before that housed in other peoples’ barns. Now we milk 40 cows, own 55 acres and rent another 85. We are fortunate to have support from some amazing people to get all of our crops done as we both work full-time off-the-farm jobs.
John Ehlen Ehlen Dairy Farm LLC Burlington, Wisconsin Walworth County 120 cows Tell us about your corn silage harvest for this year. We plant approximately 180 acres of corn and about 80 acres is used for corn silage. The balance is used for high moisture corn. We plant Pioneer and MidWest seed products with the longer-day Pioneer brand usually being used for corn silage. When making the silage, it is usually 65%-67% moisture. This year, with the dry weather, we will have to go with the total plant moisture versus the ear stage. When do you plan to start chopping or when did you start chopping? What are your predictions for this year’s yield, both quantity and quality? We harvested about two-thirds of our silage acres Sept. 2-3, and this year’s yield is running at about 20 tons per acre. We are hoping to ďƒžnish by Sept. 15. How did/does your corn look at or near harvest time, and what were/are the ďƒželd conditions? We were a little ahead of schedule because of the dry conditions. I am happy with the yield considering the way the weather was in the spring. The conditions in the spring had poor emergence which hurt the population. Tell us about your corn silage harvest process. We have a custom operator harvest our corn silage so when we get going, we have extra friends and family who help pitch in. We get it done fairly swiftly with the extra help. We run a 9-foot Ag-Bagger. In total, we harvest about 1,400 feet of silage with inoculant applied at the bagger. The inoculant helps the fermentation and extends bunk life of the silage. What is a management practice you changed in the past that has improved your corn silage? When we ďƒžrst started bagging, we put the bags on the dirt and quickly found in certain weather that this wasn’t ideal. So now we added an asphalt screening pad which works better. What is your favorite aspect of chopping corn silage? My favorite aspect of corn silage harvest is ďƒžlling the bags and knowing you have feed for the year for the cows. Tell us about your farm. Ehlen Dairy Farm is run by my wife, Jennifer, son, Matthew, daughter-inlaw, Britte, and myself. This farm wouldn’t function without all of us, and our family and friends who help. Our three other children also come home whenever needed to lend a hand. We milk approximately 120 cows. We have a few steers, a small beef cow/calf operation and run about 300 acres. The majority of the acres include corn and alfalfa which makes up the majority of the feed. Turn to OUR SIDE | Page 16
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Derek Van Santen Blue Mound Dairy Luverne, Minnesota Rock County 1,100 cows Tell us about your corn silage harvest for this year. About half of our corn acres are dedicated to silage. We planted our 1,050 acres of silage corn to a Pioneer BMR hybrid. This is the rst time we have used a BMR hybrid, so it will be exciting to see how it turns out. We aim for a moisture level of 68%. How did/does your corn look at or near harvest time and what were/are the eld conditions? The elds varied a lot. There were some areas that were too wet and other areas that suffered from drought stress. We have also seen some wind damage. For the most part, though, the crop looked good. The elds are nice and dry, which helped make silage harvest go smoothly. The growing season started out with too much moisture but then the spigot shut off and it seemed like all of the rains went around us. When do you plan to start chopping or when did you start chopping? What are your predictions for this year’s yield, both quantity and quality? We started chopping corn Aug. 26 and nished Sept. 4. It looks like the yields were fairly good at about the mid-20 tons per acre. The quality also looked decent. Tell us about your corn silage harvest process. We have our own chopper and trucks, and do all the silage harvesting ourselves with the help of temporary employees. Our silage is piled and packed on a concrete slab near the dairy barn. We have used the Nutretain forage inoculant made by Britam Nutritional Concepts for several years and have had very good luck with it. What is a management practice you changed in the past that has improved your corn silage? A couple years ago we started spraying fungicide on our silage acres to help reduce disease levels in our corn plants. We feel this also helps reduce mold formation in the silage pile. For the past 10 years or so, we have made shredlage using the shredder rolls that are manufactured by Scherer. We were one of the rst customers to have the shredder rolls installed in our silage chopper. What is your favorite aspect of chopping corn silage? It’s a rush with everybody on the move all day long. I push silage with a four-wheel-drive dozer tractor and it’s fun to watch the pile grow. It’s crazy to think all that silage went through a 3 millimeter gap between the silage chopper’s shredder rolls. Tell us about your farm. This is a family farm. My parents, Rick and Carrie, and my three brothers, Brad, Austin and Jake, all work here. We each have our jobs, but we are all also involved in every aspect of the dairy farm. During the spring planting and fall silage harvest seasons, everybody pitches in wherever they are needed. We are always trying to improve our operation, make it more efcient and keep it growing.
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Brian Friske Kendall, Wisconsin Monroe County 70 cows Tell us about your corn silage harvest for this year. I have about 160 acres of corn, onethird of which is for silage. I have about 25 acres of Pioneer BMR and about 25 acres of standard silage corn. I usually aim for about 60% moisture. How did/does your corn look at or near harvest time and what were/are the eld conditions? The corn looks really good for the most part, but there is some in places that is burnt up a bit. The eld conditions were really good until we got all the rain yesterday (Sept. 8). We have one silo full and started on the second before we had to quit because of the weather. When do you plan to start chopping or when did you start chopping? What are your predictions for this year’s yield, both quantity and quality? We started chopping last Friday (Sept. 4), took Saturday off and chopped again Sunday and Monday. I would guess it will yield in the 23 to 24 tons to the acre range. It has been a completely different year than the last couple. Tell us about your corn silage harvest process. I apply inoculant right at the chopper. We ll three upright silos and this year we will ll one bag. I have a full sized New Holland chopper with a processor. I chop, Jeannie Jones unloads and Garrett Nielsen unloads. What is a management practice you changed in the past that has improved your corn silage? One of the best things was when I bought my rst chopper with a processor several years ago. Another was starting to use some BMR corn about ve years ago. What is your favorite aspect of chopping corn silage? I like when it doesn’t take too long to get a load. We were doing a custom job by Wonewoc last week, and we did 52 loads in a day. I also love the smell of corn silage. Nothing beats it. They should make a corn silage scented candle. Tell us about your farm. We milk 70 cows and have about 30 dry cows. I work with Jeannie Jones and then Garrett Nielsen houses his herd here. I have about 300 tillable acres I am running. Esgate Rd., Anamosa Silo 8827 Maquoketa, IA 563-652-5125 Repair, LLC
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Scott Jeanquart Forestville, Wisconsin Door County 150 cows Tell us about your corn silage harvest for this year. We plant Mycogen BMR inner seeded with Mycogen conventional. Planting every other row works wonders for getting the two varieties mixed in the bunker, silo and bags. We start by planting 105-day corn and end with 90day in order to hit the right moisture. We plant around 230 acres. About 90% of our corn is for silage. My ideal moisture for our bunker is 68% to 70%; it packs the tightest and has no issues with molds. I like my silo and bags to be right around 60%, so I have no leachate and still will pack tight. How did/does your corn look at or near harvest time, and what were/are the eld conditions? We started with perfect conditions at planting with no wet spots and were able to get in our rst 130 acres. However, we were bombarded with 6 inches of rain a week later, causing huge drown outs. We took some forage winter wheat off and were able to get our remaining 100 acres planted. This 100 acres had a great start and favorable weather throughout summer. The corn looks phenomenal. The ground is rm which will hopefully prevent us from using dump carts. Our 35 acres of no-tilled corn experienced serious army worm problems. We sprayed for army worms, and then we applied a fungicide to all of our corn as we feel anything we can do before the fermentation process helps later on. We had ideal growing conditions, with the large amount of heat units, causing us to see three cobs on most plants; it’s been a few years since we’ve experienced this. When do you plan to start chopping or when did you start chopping? What are your predictions for this year’s yield, both quantity and quality? We will begin chopping the week of Sept. 7. We hire a local operation that can chop all our corn in less than two days. They have the largest New Holland chopper on the market and come with a eet of semitrucks, dump carts and straight trucks to unload into silos and bags. They predict the yields to be in the mid to upper 20 tons per acre and the quality very good. The BMR seems to add a lot of quality to our silage. Tell us about your corn silage harvest process. We have someone watching the blower at the silo, one person watching the tractor at the bagger, and myself and one other person pushing and packing the bunker. We have been using Silo Guard and found that nothing compares to the ability of this product to produce silage free of mold and mycotoxins. However, it is a dangerous product to deal with, so we attached a homemade sprayer on a skidloader attachment. This allows us to directly apply it as the silage is being put in the bunker. What is a management practice you changed in the past that has improved your corn silage? Planting every other row of BMR and conventional mixed the two varieties together, whereas before there were pockets in our silage. We also started chopping on the wetter side, leading to fewer problems with mold and mycotoxins. We wrap our bunker walls and actually triple cover after we apply a topcoat of Silo Guard and a layer of vapor barrier. What is your favorite aspect of chopping corn silage? I can have over a year’s worth of silage chopped in less than two days. The accomplishment of getting it covered and having all those months of waiting and dodging any major storms is rewarding. Tell us about your farm. My father, Edward, and I own Bryersquart Farm in partnership. We milk 150 registered Holsteins and Jerseys. Our herd average on the Holsteins is 32,000 pounds of milk with a 4% butterfat and 3% protein with somatic cell count under 130,000. Our Jerseys average 23,000 pounds of milk with a 5.1% butterfat and 3.6% protein and 40,000 SCC. I contribute our high production to not only superior genetics from embryo transfer (for nearly 43 years) but also our introduction of BMR corn silage. We also have over 500 head of livestock on the farm with 600 acres.
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 17
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
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Breeding, quality forages, consistent routines propels production at Horsens Homestead Farms LLC Jeff, Connie and Ryan Horsens Horsens Homestead Farms LLC Cecil, Wisconsin Shawano County 1,300 cows What is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? 33,041 pounds of milk, 3.9% butterfat and 3.15% protein. How many times a day do you milk? If you do not milk 3X a day, have you tried it in the past? If you do milk 3X, how long have you done it? We have milked three times per day since 1996. Do you contract your milk? Has it been successful for you? We use Dairy Revenue Protection on 90% of our milk. It has been successful for us because it gives us a sense of security that all of our costs are covered with extra money to spare. Describe your housing and milking facility. We have two types of barns. We have two natural-ventilation barns that are sand-bedded. The dry cows are housed here as well as part of our milking herd. The cows in this barn are milked in a double-8 parallel parlor. We also have an 18-row cross-ventilated barn that is sand-bedded. The cows in this barn are milked by 12 Lely robots
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The Horsens family – (from le�) Ryan, Connie and Jeff – stand in their new 18-row freestall barn where they began milking with robots in January. The Horsens currently milk 1,170 cows on their dairy near Cecil, Wisconsin. More than half of the herd is milked with 12 robots while the rest is milked in a double-8 parallel parlor. Cows average 33,041 pounds of milk, 3.9% bu�erfat and 3.15% protein. set up in an L formation. What is your herd health program? Our herd health program consists of weekly pregnancy checks with
our veterinarian. Our vaccination program we follow is according to the recommendations of our veterinarian.
transition program consist of? The length of the dry period is 54 days. Dry cows are housed in a natural ventilation
What does your dry cow and
Turn to HORSENS | Page 20
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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 19
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BEER CATTLE CO, BERNE, INDIANA, Max and Karen and sons Keith (right) and Craig Beer 2020 Indiana Master Farmers Calving 200 to 250 two-year-olds monthly, milking only fresh heifers, SCC 150,000 “Getting udders softer, faster for more milk is why we use Udder Comfort™ for our 2-year-olds over the past 5 years. The proof is in our comparisons. We see softer, more pliable udders with better flow and a 3- to 4-pound production increase by 14 days in milk, along with a lower collaborative SCC. This gets 2-yr-olds ready to reach their potential,” says Keith Beer. He and Craig and parents Max and Karen raise and sell fresh heifers, calving 200-250 heifers monthly at Beer Cattle Co., Berne, Ind. They were announced as 2020 Master Farmers in June. “We continue to find ways to supply dairies with quality heifers that make milk. Udder Comfort is part of that, and the tools make it easy to do groups. “We like the Udder Comfort Backpack Sprayer for pre-fresh heifer groups in the barn and the Spray Gun for post-fresh in the parlor. For us, a combination is ideal. “We apply Udder Comfort 1x/day for 2 days before and 2x/day for 3 to 5 days after calving. Our guys are proud to use it. One pass delivers the spray to the bottom of the udder and up a few inches, the critical area to overcome edema around teats and suspensory ligament, getting udders ready to accept volumes of milk. We find 5 gallons covers 200 heifers for all 12 to 14 applications.” https://wp.me/pb1wH7-aS
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
ConƟnued from HORSENS | Page 18
barn with sand beds. They are fed a low energy straw-based ration. For calving, we use the just-in-time calving method. We have two maternity pens where they calve. We have a post-fresh cow pen where cows stay for 9-12 days before being placed in with the regular herd. What is the composition of your ration? What has been one of your most recent changes that has been successful for you? Our ration consists of BMR corn silage, low legume haylage, soybean meal, minerals, canola, cotton seed, fat, whey and steamed ake corn. Our most recent change is adding whey which has been an economical source of energy. Through the years you have been farming, what change has created the
biggest jump in your herd average? Good cow comfort and a low cull rate allows us to milk a more mature herd which has helped our herd average in the past. Milking three times a day has also been benecial. We’ve also seen an increase by using BMR corn silage that has been run through a kernel processing unit and low legume alfalfa. Striving to put up high-quality forages and using elite genetics throughout the years have also boosted our herd average. What role does genetics play in your production level, and what is your breeding program? Our breeding program consists of a rst service double ovsynch program with no cherry Turn to HORSENS | Page 22
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
To obtain maximum comfort, cows at Horsens Homestead Farms rest on sand beds.
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• Pioneer Dairy Club 37th Annual Consignment Sale – student run sale held October 19th • Opportunities for networking through Midwest ADSA and the PDPW Mentor program • Memorial scholarship fundraising over $12,500. We also design ice cream flavors every year for local businesses.
HANDS ON LEARNING IN CLASS CAMPUS DAIRY FARM
Reduce Time & Labor by Half,
REACHES UP TO
23’ Plus LOADER REACH
while covering piles and bunkers Plus 17 other clubs/ organizations and 6 other competitive teams in the School of Agriculture!
The Dairy Innovation Hub is bringing almost $2 million per year to UW-Platteville
Visit us at World Dairy Expo in MC35tt!
https://campus.uwplatt.edu/agriculture
• • • • • • •
Self unloading Skidsteer models –16 length Wheel Loader – 23 length Custom Ût to any skid or wheel loader Easier to load Haul up to 110 sidewalls Can be used with full tires
715-613-5051
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 21
Reduced Pricing PLUS 1.75% Financing for up to 72 months on combines and heads
2015 JD S660, 807 hrs., 545 $ sepp hhrs, se rs, s,, # 1157075 5 07 57 0755
2014 JD S670, 1675 hrs., 1265 $ sep hrs., #155388
2018 JD S760, 586 hrs., 500 $ sep hrs., #163861
2019 JD S780, 699 hrs., 533 $ sep hrs., #171103
209,500
289,500
199,500
404,400
2014 JD S680, 1672 hrs., 1157 $ sep hrs., #170663
Financing subject to pre-approval through JD Financial. Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details.
179,500
2014 JD S690, 1946 hrs., 1317 $ sep hrs., #145222
101,900
2011 JD 9770 STS, 3640 hrs., 2848 $ sep hrs., # 165662
2008 JD 9870 STS, 3295 hrs., $ #160885
169,500
74,900
Over 1000 items with pictures updated daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com 6 16 15 4 9 5 11 3 1 14 5 7 14 17 8 1 14 3 17 5 3 7 10 16 15 14 15 17 7 8 14 16 14 15 16 16 3 5 10 15 8
CORN AND ROW CROP HEADERS JD 693, 1997, 6R30”, #173064 ....................................................................$12,700 JD 612C, 2009, 12R30”, #144257 ..............................................................$19,500 JD 608C, 2009, 8R30”, #171974.................................................................$22,400 JD 612C StalkMaster, 2009, 12R20”, #171993 .....................................$29,900 Geringhoff RD1200/FB, 2009, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #172222.............$30,500 JD 612C StalkMaster, 2010,12R22”, #162069 .......................................$32,900 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2011, 8R30”, #173016 ........................................$33,900 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2011, 8R30”, #169171 .......................................$37,500 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2011, 8R30”, #165470 ........................................$38,900 JD 612C StalkMaster, 2008, 12R22”, #169953 ......................................$39,900 JD 612C StalkMaster, 2009, 12R30”, #162072 ......................................$41,900 Geringhoff RD1222, 2011, 12R22”, #169974 ........................................$44,900 JD 606C, 2012, 6R30”, #172726 .................................................................$44,900 JD 608C, 2012, 8R3” ,StalkMaster, #165929 ..............................................$49,900 JD 608C, 2013, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #166864.............................................$51,900 JD 612C, 2013, 12R30”30, StalkMaster, #151998 .....................................$52,800 JD 608C, 2013, 8R30”30; StalkMaster, #167925 .......................................$53,900 JD 608C, 2014, 8R30”30; StalkMaster, #153953 .......................................$54,900 JD 608C, 2014, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #165095 ............................................$55,000 JD 608C, 2015, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #172077 ............................................$56,900 JD 612C, 2012, 12R22”, StalkMaster, #170726 ..........................................$58,000 JD 612C, 2013, 12R22”, StalkMaster, #171982 ..........................................$58,900 JD 706C, 2018, 6R30”, StalkMaster, #165801.............................................$65,500 JD 608C, 2016, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #166466 ............................................$68,400 JD 612C, 2014, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #151308 ..........................................$69,500 JD 612C, 2013, 12R22”, StalkMaster, #166362 ..........................................$69,900 JD 608C, 2017, 8R30”, StalkMaster, #171979.............................................$70,400 JD 708C, 2018, 8R30”30, StalkMaster, #165086 .......................................$83,900 JD 612C, 2014, 12R22”, StalkMaster, #153843 ..........................................$87,500 JD 708C, 2019, 8R30”30, StalkMaster, #172882 .......................................$87,900 JD 612C, 2016, 12R22”, StalkMaster, #172216 ..........................................$88,000 JD 618C, 2013, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #161699 ..........................................$94,500 JD 618C, 2014, 8R22”, StalkMaster, #162383 ............................................$98,900 JD 712C, 2019, 12R30”, StalkMaster, #165087 .......................................$125,900 JD 718C, 2019, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #170949 .......................................$166,400 JD 718C, 2019, 18R22”, StalkMaster, #170951 ......................................$166,400 COMBINES JD 9500, 1995, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, Chopper, Yield Monitor, 5392 hrs., 3503 sep hrs., #171987 ................................................................$23,900 JD 9400, 1989, 2WD, Singles, 4595 hrs., 2986 sep hrs., #171530 ............$23,900 JD 9500, 1989, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 3241 hrs., 2086 sep hrs., #172986 ......$29,900 JD 9650 STS, 2002, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 3743 hrs., 2615 sep hrs., #171973 .................................................................................$33,400 JD 9750 STS, 2002, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Dual , 3800 hrs., 2575 sep hrs.,
#171897 ........................................................................................................... $50,400 3 JD 9650 STS, 2001, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 3210 hrs., 2053 sep hrs., #171989 .................................................................................$52,000 16 JD 9860 STS, 2007, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 3763 hrs., 2268 sep hrs., #172083 .................................................................................$69,500 5 JD 9770 STS, 2011, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 3640 hrs., 2848 sep hrs., #165662 ................................................................................$74,900 4 JD 9770 STS, 2009, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 2604 hrs., 1878 sep hrs., #162933 .................................................................................$79,900 14 JD 9770 STS, 2009, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 2250 hrs., 1700 sep hrs., #171960 .................................................................................$85,400 4 JD 9870 STS, 2008, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 3295 hrs., #160885 ......$101,900 11 JD S670, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 3567 hrs., 2 557 sep hrs., #172954 ................................................................................$114,900 14 JD S670, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2250 hrs., 1481 sep hrs., #172751 .$139,500 3 JD S680, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2375 hrs., 1739 sep hrs., #154637 ..............................................................................$149,500 10 JD S680, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2256 hrs., 1587 sep hrs., #171381 ......................................................................................................$159,400 15 JD S680, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2612 hrs., 1958 sep hrs., #163765 $159,400 7 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 2036 hrs., 1658 sep hrs., #172017 ...$159,500 5 JD S680, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2854 hrs., 1904 sep hrs., #161858 ..............................................................................$159,500 14 JD S690, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2159 hrs., 1700 sep hrs., #171382 .$164,400 6 JD S680, 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2155 hrs., #169577 ..............$169,500 3 JD S690, 2014, PRWD, Duals, 1946 hrs., 1317 sep hrs., #145222..........$169,500 3 JD S690, 2012, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1802 hrs., 1395 sep hrs., #171923 .$179,000 9 JD S670, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1906 hrs., 1260 sep hrs., #153514 .$179,500 16 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2436 hrs., 1781 sep hrs., #159,509 . $179500 16 JD S670, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1584 hrs., 1190 sep hrs., #161854 .$179,500 16 JD S680, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1672 hrs., 1157 sep hrs., #170663 .$179,500 14 JD S690, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2148 hrs., 1563 sep hrs., #153332 .$179,500 7 JD S680, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2120 hrs., 1391 sep hrs., #162070 .$184,900 9 JD S660, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1488 hrs., 945 sep hrs., #172434 ...$185,000 14 JD S680, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2042 hrs., 1638 sep hrs., #166363 .$185,900 10 JD S660, 2014, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 1062 hrs., 702 sep hrs., #155345 .....$189,500 14 JD S690, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 2225 hrs., 1638 sep hrs., #161532 .$189,500 8 JD S670, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1675 hrs., 1265 sep hrs., #155388 .$199,500 3 JD S690, 2013, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1631 hrs., 1161 sep hrs., #167773 .$199,900 17 JD S660, 2015, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 807 hrs., 545 sep hrs., #157075 ................................................................................$209,500 5 JD S660, 2014, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1079 hrs., 810 sep hrs., #155826 ...$209,500 3 JD S680, 2015, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1771 hrs., 1233 sep hrs., #167207 .$250,900 4 JD S760, 2018, Corn/Bean, 2WD, 586 hrs., 500 sep hrs., #163861.......$289,500 3 JD S680, 2016, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1366 hrs., 929 sep hrs., #172496 ...$295,000
Visit one of our 17 locations in Central Minnesota! (1) = GLENCOE 4561 Hwy. 212
(4) = ST. CLOUD 1035 35th Ave. NE
(2) = HOWARD LAKE (5) = GLENWOOD 5845 Keats Ave. SW
1710 N. Franklin
(3) = STEWART
(6) = SAUK CENTRE
78412 Co. Rd. 20
1140 Centre St.
(7) = ALEXANDRIA (9) = PRINCETON 320-763-4220 5005 Co. Rd. 82 SE
3708 Baptist Church Rd.
(8) = PAYNESVILLE
16069 Hwy. 27 E.
725 Lake Ave. S.
16 5 15 8 14 1 11 14 16 16 16 16 14 14 6 11 14 4 15 1 17 7 14 5 5 7 6 3 5 9 16 14 14 11 14 14 16
CALL TODAY! (320)365-1653 (12) = AITKIN 1120 2nd St. NW
(10) = LITTLE FALLS (13) = BAXTER (11) = WADENA 62505 US Hwy. 10
JD S680, 2017, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 1086 hrs., 800 sep hrs., #173249 ...$299,000 JD S680, 2017, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 931 hrs., 701 sep hrs., #168849 .....$349,900 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 547 hrs., 383 sep hrs., #171851 .....$394,900 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 725 hrs., 550 sep hrs., #171563 .....$399,000 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 745 hrs., 524 sep hrs., #171380 .....$399,400 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 582 hrs., 324 sep hrs., #157910 .....$399,500 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 459 hrs., 324 sep hrs., #154461 .....$399,500 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 699 hrs., 533 sep hrs., #171103 ......................................................................................................$404,400 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 468 hrs., 307 sep hrs., #169507 ......................................................................................................$429,500 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 439 hrs., 300 sep hrs., #169508 ......................................................................................................$429,500 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 417 hrs., 294 sep hrs., #169509 ......................................................................................................$429,500 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 350 hrs., 234 sep hrs., #171003 ......................................................................................................$429,500 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 542 hrs., 388 sep hrs., #171379 ......................................................................................................$435,900 JD S790, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 651 hrs., 405 sep hrs., #171378 ......................................................................................................$441,400 JD S780, 2019, Corn/Bean, PRWD, 268 hrs., 199 sep hrs., #169550 .....$443,400 COMBINE PLATFORMS JD 930F, 2002, 30’ platform, #173015.......................................................$11,400 JD 635F, 2008, 35’ platform, #162473........................................................$12,400 JD 620F, 2009, 20’ platform Feet, #162055 ...............................................$14,900 JD 635F, 2008, 35’ platform, #162546.......................................................$14,900 JD 635F, 2009, 35’ platform, #168276........................................................$16,900 JD 635F, 2010, 35’platform, #157461 ........................................................$17,900 JD 630F, 2012, 30’ , #163426 ......................................................................$18,900 JD 635F, 2009, 35’ platform, #161084.......................................................$18,900 JD 635F, 2011, 35’ platform, #152874.......................................................$21,900 JD 630F, 2014, 30’ platform, #154411........................................................$24,900 JD 630F, 2015, 30’ platform, #161556........................................................$27,900 JD 640FD, 2013, 40’ platform #162071 .....................................................$49,500 JD 640FD, 2014, 40’ platform, Flex/Draper, #171928................................$58,400 JD 640FD, 2016, 40’ platform, #172504 ....................................................$62,000 JD 640FD, 2013, 40’ platform, #167744 ....................................................$63,500 JD 645FD, 2017, 45’ platform, Flex/Draper, #162936................................$79,500 JD 645FD, 2017, 45’ platform, Flex/Draper, #154190................................$79,500 JD 640FD, 2018, 40’ platform, Flex/Draper, #172556................................$81,400 JD 740FD, 2019, 40’ platform, Flex/Draper, #165091................................$92,900 JD 745FD, 2019, 45’ platform, Flex/Draper, #172441................................$94,000 JD 745FD, 2019, 45’ platfom, Flex/Draper, #172443 .................................$94,000 JD 745FD, 2019, 45’ platform, Flex/Draper, #169235................................$94,500
7045 Foley Rd.
(14) = ELBOW LAKE
(16) = BENSON
(15) = MORRIS
(17) = MADISON
110 2nd St. NE
23604 State Hwy. 9
380 Atlantic Ave. 516 1st St. E
SEE OUR COMPLETE INVENTORY WITH PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS AT: www.mmcjd.com
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
ConƟnued from HORSENS | Page 20
Start planning for tomorrow, today. 0
% FINANCING FOR UP
72 MONTHS*
TO
3 MONTH DEFERRAL ON CONTRACTS UP TO 60 MONTHS*
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Consistency with daily rouƟnes and protocols is a key management strategy in helping the Horsens attain a high herd average. picking. When it comes to genetics, we are focused on functional type and high milk bulls. What type of improvements would you like to make that would increase your rolling herd average even higher? With our recent expansion in January of this year, our herd consists of 68% rst-lactation heifers. We are looking forward to them calving in for their second, third and beyond lactations to increase our rolling herd average. We would also like to tunnel ventilate our natural ventilation barns to reduce summer crowding.
SCAN ME
www.delaval.com
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 Mondovi Dairy Systems Inc. Mondovi, WI 715-926-5777
MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA D&D Ag Supply Pennock, MN 320-599-4466 East Central Dairy Supply Mora, MN 320-679-1029
Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0267
Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Watertown, SD 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD 800-284-0015
Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579
S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288
The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470
Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
West Salem, WI 608-769-2113
*0% interest for up to 72 months, DeLaval equipment only and restrictions may apply, on approved credit and minimum deal amount of $25,000 is required to qualify. Lease option may include a residual to be paid in order to obtain full ownership at the end of the term. Subject to special conditions’ that may cease at any time. is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2020 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. www.delaval.com
List three management strategies that have helped you attain your production and component level. Breeding cows back in a timely manner. Putting up quality forages. Consistency with daily routines and protocols. Also, our employees are vital to our success. They are a great group of people who love working with animals. We have been blessed with such a wonderful team of people. Tell us about your farm. Our farm was homesteaded in 1879 by James and Sophie Horsens who had arrived from Denmark. The following Horsens have owned/ operated the farm: George and Alma, Marshall and Edith, and Jeff and Connie who with our son, Ryan, operate it today. Ryan is the fth generation to own/ operate the farm. In 1996, we went from a stanchion barn milking 60 cows to a double-8 parallel parlor with a sand-bedded natural ventilation freestall barn milking 150 cows. By 2012, an additional sand-bedded natural ventilation freestall barn had been added with the herd growing to 500 cows. In the spring of 2019, after two years of researching and touring both within the United States and several other countries, we decided to expand our herd again by building an 18-row cross-ventilated barn to accommodate Ryan’s return to the farm. We decided this type of barn was best for achieving our goals. We also decided on 12 Lely A-5 robots to milk our cows. We placed those in an L formation, which we believe will help us reach our goal of 6,500 pounds of milk per robot per day. We have been in the new setup since January and could not be happier with our decision. Cows never missed a beat and are currently milking 3 pounds more per cow in the robot than in the parlor.
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DairySt r Milk Break Email andrea.b@dairystar.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 23
MEETS HIGH YIELD. Standard Pioneer® brand corn silage products are built with both silage and starch yield in mind to handle whatever the growing season brings. Ask your local Pioneer sales representative about using Pioneer brand inoculants to maximize performance. Pioneer.com/silage
Pioneer® brand products are provided subject to the terms and conditions of purchase which are part of the labeling and purchase documents. TM ® SM Trademarks and service marks of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. © 2020 Corteva. PION0FORG052
Warn Wa arniing: ng: g: Pol Po aris ar off-road ari oad ve oa oad veh hicle i sc ic ca an be hazardo haz azza ardo r ous to rd to operat atte a and arre n no ot in intend tend te nd ded for on n-ro r ad d use se. e Driv D ver e must be be at leas st 16 years s s old o wit i h a va va al d d ali drriiver iver’s ’s licen cense c se to op o erat ra a e. Passe se eng nger gers, if if permit rmitted, mit itted, te mus m t be at leas e st 12 yea y ars s old. old d. A d Alll rid rride ders d rs shoul ou d al always w w r he wea elmet met m me ets, s, eye prote ectio ction, n, and d prot rrote ote tectiv cti e c clothi othing. ng. Always s use e seat ea belt be elts an and d ca cab bn nets o orr d doors (as equi equipped pped). pped ). N Never ever err eng engage a in age i stu tun ttunt u dr dri d riiv ving ing ng, and an nd d avo avoi a voi o d ex e cess cessive i spe ive spee s sp peeds s and d shar ha arp tur a tu urns. n Rid Ridi id d ng and a da alcoh lcoh lco co coh ohol/d dru rugs gs g sd don do on’tt mix. i A Alll rid rride ri id rs should s take a saf affety y tra trai rra ning i co ourse. Call 80 o 8 0-34 0 2-37 2-3 764 64 fo orr addi ddit itiona ion l iinformatio form orm rmati a n. Check eck ck loc o all laws befo oc before re ridin ridin di g on tra r ils. ls. ©20 ©2020 2 Polar o ris ola s Inc. nc c.
Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
No matter the job, you can be sure that the world leader in utility side-by-
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V I S I T » R A N G E R. P O L A R I S.C O M
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 25
At the top of Ayrshire genetics Busch wins breeder award 11 consecutive years By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
CECIL, Wis. – With a reputation for developing top-quality cattle that excel in the areas of type, production and longevity, Tim Busch is the guy many people turn to when searching for an Ayrshire that can deliver in both the show ring and in the barn. Specializing in breeding the nest registered Ayrshires, Busch was once again a recipient of the constructive breeder award presented by the United States Ayrshire Breeders’ Association – an honor he has claimed for the 11th year in a row. Growing up with Ayrshires, Busch took over the family farm near Cecil – Grand-View Ayrshires – in the mid1990s. His wife, Katie, works off the farm full time for Baycom in Green Bay. The D cow family at Grand-View was the rst in the breed to achieve nine generations of Excellent cows. In recent years, the family added a 10th generation to its Excellent roster – another rst for the breed. Busch’s breeding enters the family at the
“When your farm is small like mine, you have to do something else. You can’t just rely on the milk check.” TIM BUSCH, DAIRY FARMER
sixth generation with a cow named Diva, whose dam, Chapel-Hill-Ayr’s Heligo Delet EX-91, he purchased at a dispersal. “It wasn’t my plan to breed that many Excellent (cows),” Busch said. “It just happened.” Diva and her daughter scored Excellent on the same day, taking the number of generations from ve to seven in one leap. “We started (in-vitro fertilization) and ushing, and everything blew up
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Tim Busch poses with Grand-View Dreamer Davy-ET at his 40-cow dairy farm near Cecil, Wisconsin. Busch recently won a construcƟve breeder award from the U.S. Ayrshire Breeders’ AssociaƟon for the 11th year in a row. from there,” Busch said. “People kept coming back for more animals. It was a whirlwind.” Busch’s herd consists of 20 Excellent cows, 13 of which are scored 91 points or higher, as well as 25 Very Good animals and several Good Plus 2-year-olds. When it comes to musthaves for breeding, pedigree and type top Busch’s list. Long-legged, deepbodied cows are what he likes. Good components and longevity are other traits important to Busch. “I want the all-around good cow,” he said. Animals carrying the GrandView prex can be found all over the world, topping sales and winning shows. Busch has bred numerous allAmericans, and a wall in his ofce is lled with all-Wisconsin accolades. Busch has accelerated his best bloodlines using IVF and embryo transfer technology and has sold embryos to multiple countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Finland and Canada. Offspring from an embryo Busch previously sold was the second high seller at International Dairy Week in Australia in January going for 10,000 Australian dollars. From show to production to classication, Ayrshires from GrandView are known for performing well.
Grand-View BBBK Dreamer EX-94-5E is one of Busch’s all-time favorite cows. A two-time nominated all-American and World Dairy Expo Ayrshire Futurity winner, she was named Wisconsin Cow of the Year in 2016. Dreamer has more than 50 daughters in six countries and about a dozen are scored Excellent. She is the dam of a reserve all-American junior 2-year-old and all-American junior 3-year-old. Dreamer’s granddaughter was honorable mention grand
CIH 7130 Magnum
3200 hrs., new paint, 540/1000 pto - $68,000
CIH 530C
less than 200 acres - $34,000
Various Sizes of Rakes On Hand
USED TRACTORS
CIH 7140 Magnum, 3600 hrs., 2WD .. $42,000 CIH 7130 Magnum, FWA, 3200 hrs ... $62,000 CIH 7220, FWA, 3600 hrs .................. $69,000 IH 966 ................................................ $11,000 IH 986, 3600 original hrs., 1-owner ... $24,000 IH 1586 .............................................. $21,000
TILLAGE
CIH RMX 370, 25’ disc....................... $28,000 CIH 5140, 4400 hrs............................ $27,000 CIH Tigermate II, 30’ .......................... $21,000 CIH 530C ripper w/lead ...................... $23,500 CIH 7500, 4-bottom plow..................... $5,000 DMI Tigermate, 26’ .............................. $9,500 DMI 2500 ............................................. $6,500 White 445, 12 shank ............................ $9,500 JD 714, 9-shank disc chisel ................. $9,500
NEW MANDAKO LAND ROLLERS - IN STOCK
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Grand-View Calimero Dane-ET is scored EX-94 – the highest score an Ayrshire can receive. The Grand-View herd consists of 20 Excellent cows, 13 of which are scored 91 points or higher, as well as 25 Very Good animals and several Good Plus 2-year-olds.
champion at World Dairy Expo two years ago. Just shy of 14 years of age, the ninth-generation Excellent cow was recently laid to rest at GrandView. The D family has branched off in ve directions that also go nine generations deep into Excellent. In 2018, a cow from Busch’s ‘Blue’ family was named supreme champion of the Hoard’s Dairyman judging contest, which was the rst time an Ayrshire was selected. Busch milks 40 cows in a tiestall barn and rotationally grazes his herd while also feeding a total mixed ration nine months of the year. He ships his milk to Red Barn Family Farms where it is used to make artisan cheese in northeast Wisconsin. Busch grows corn and hay on his 40-acre farm. “I’d rather deal with cattle than crops,” said Busch, who buys the majority of his feed from a neighbor. Ayrshire enthusiasts are in for a treat May 1, 2021, when Busch will offer 55 show heifers and more at a sale event – Genetic Dreams at GrandView. Six daughters from Dreamer will be in the lineup, and one-third of the animals being auctioned off will trace back to this Ayrshire. Currently at 130 head, the farm is overowing with cattle, and Busch said it is time to downsize a bit. “When your farm is small like mine, you have to do something else. You can’t just rely on the milk check,” Busch said. “Some people enjoy milking cows, but I enjoy breeding cows. For me, it’s all about genetics.”
CIH 3950
non-cushion, 33’ - $12,000
We have a large supply of twine, net wrap and bale Àlm ON HAND HAYING & FORAGE EQUIP.
Sitrex QR12, QR10, QRS rakes ................ New Many sizes of rakes available
GRAVITY BOXES
VARIOUS SIZES OF GRAVITY BOXES ON HAND Brent 644, green & black w/tarps..........$13,900 Demco 650 ...........................................$12,500 (3) Demco 450 ...........................$7,000-8,500 Brent 644 .................................$9,500-12,900 All sizes of used Demco gravity boxes avail.
MISCELLANEOUS
Midsota 5510 & F610 rock trailers.... In Stock Midsota F8216 rock trailer ........................ Call Badger Roller Mill ..................................... Call All Sizes of Sitrex Rakes.....................On Hand
New Midsota Rock Wagons On Hand FARM OYL PRODUCTS AVAILABLE
GREENWALD FARM CENTER Greenwald, MN • 320-987-3177
WWW.GREENWALDFARMCENTER.COM
Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
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The United States Department of Agriculture announced an annual survey of farmers, ranchers and private forestland owners. The survey will help USDA understand what it is doing well and where improvements are needed, FSA News & Notes speciďƒžcally at the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Risk Management Agency. A selection of 28,000 producers will receive the survey over the next few weeks, but all farmers are encouraged to take the survey at farmers.gov/ By Ryan Brunn survey. Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. This survey is part of the President’s Management Agenda. It requires High Impact Service Provider agencies across the federal government, including FSA and NRCS, to conduct annual surveys to measure and respond to areas needing improvement. The survey consists of 20 questions and takes approximately 10 minutes to complete. Responses are conďƒždential, and individual responses will be aggregated. The survey will be open for at least six weeks and will be closed once USDA receives a 30% response rate. Learn more and take the survey at www. farmers.gov/survey. 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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An amazing celebration Two weeks have passed since our daughter, Anna, married Kevin Skadahl. Thinking back on the wedding, I am hoping to remember the images and sounds. But I know as time goes on, I will lose track of the little things and have to resort to photos or refer to this column to recollect. I will forget the rushing and panic to get everything completed on a list that was started the rst week of August. On the top of the crazy to-do list was cleaning the hay mow. Catherine and I took on the job by hauling loads of loose straw from the top of the barn. Both of us pitched By Tina Hinchley it into the tractor and hauled Farmer & Columnist it into the weaned calves in the loang shed. We were so happy to be done with that itchy, dirty job. I did not realize the next job would be worse. I used the leaf blower on our tallest ladder to blow down the cobwebs from the top of the rafters in the barn. After the second or third time up and down the ladder, I felt more comfortable and not so shaky. I could not tell if I was sweating from the high humidity or my nerves, and with the dust sticking to me, I looked like a giant lint ball from the dryer. Anna and Kevin hung the tulle over the rafters and lifted a beam that had tiny lights cascading down to light the altar. Next, they put a layer of straw bales and covered it with plywood. That is where they would say their vows. They put the straw bales back in the mow later the next day, measuring 6 feet apart to comply with the social distancing rules. The bales were covered with burlap, and in the middle aisle, they put birch stumps that Kevin carefully cut level to hold lanterns. At the outside end of every third row, a pitchfork was shoved into the bale and the tulle was pulled back and tied into a bow. Finally, we got the look Anna had dreamt of for her wedding. As I watched the whole barn transform, I realized we created a place where Anna and Kevin’s family and closest friend would witness them start their life together. Duane was in charge of getting the machinery out of the shed where the reception would be, and I was told all of my promotion items in the tour shed were going to be removed for the wedding. Dinner was served in the tour shed, and everyone sat in their own family groups in the machinery shed. We all assisted to help move and organize wagons, tires and tractors into other buildings. Tables and three huge spools were covered and placed around the building. One for the wedding cake along with cheese cakes and cupcakes. The second one held the cheese tower that had four wheels of cheese and all of the nuts, fruit and chocolate that goes on a cheese board, and the third was for lemonade, sweet tea and water. Catherine had the job of doing photo displays of Anna and Kevin and also the family history. She used dried owers with old windows and doors to create unique arrangements. We had to have an area for the DJ, a bar, and tubs of soda, beer and water to avoid anyone lifting up cooler lids. Anna and Catherine worked together to line up all of that. At the wedding rehearsal, Doug Hinchley, Anna’s uncle, was in charge of ofciating the wedding. Doug said a few words that would be said the following afternoon, made corrections and repeated himself a few times. The bridesmaids and groomsmen practiced. Anna and Duane
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did a few walk downs, and got all the moves situated so everyone was ready. We ate pizza together and went off to get a good night sleep before the next morning’s makeup and hair appointments. I could not sleep. It was hard to believe that in a few hours our little girl was going to be married and become Anna Hinchley Skadahl. All the things that a mother does to help get her ready, did I do them all? Was I missing something? What could I be forgetting? When the day nally arrived, we came back to the farm to see the orist put huge oral arrangements on the altar. She gave the barn a few last-minute oral touches and then brought the bouquets to Anna and her bridesmaids. They all looked so lovely and were getting nervous. Catherine helped Anna get into her gown, and the bridesmaids were slipping into their dresses and boots in the bathroom. I came in and was told to get ready. Oh, I was so nervous. Is everything ready? The wedding party left the house and went through the barn to wait in the feed room. The groomsmen joined the bridesmaids, and everything seemed to stand still. I was down there only for a moment to make sure Anna was ready. She looked so beautiful. I had to breathe slowly to not cry. Duane looked so proud and handsome. He was a set and ready. Family and friends gathered in front of the barn door
and began to enter. They were wearing masks, but it was clear they were smiling as they took their seats on the bales. I am hoping to never forget how beautiful the barn looked. As Kevin escorted me to the front, I noticed the smell of straw and burlap, and could hear the crowd talking quietly knowing it was getting close to the start of the ceremony. As the song, “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” began to play, I knew that it was time. I saw Catherine and Ande walk in. I could hear the tap of their boots as they walked over the old wood oor. I searched inside myself to hold it together and watched the others walk by. When the song changed to “Canon in D,” I lost it. I told myself to breathe and was so proud to see Anna and Duane. I knew at that moment, I did everything I could. I have a wonderful daughter who is kind and caring, and will be a loving wife. I did not lose my daughter. We will always be close. I have gained another son. He will become a big part of our lives, and we will cherish the times we spend together. What an amazing celebration, and it was so lovely to be able to share it with so many. Tina Hinchley, her husband, Duane, and their daughters, Anna and Catherine, milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2,300 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wisconsin. They have been hosting farm tours for over 20 years.
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
Seven generations of dairy love
Jones family celebrates 155 years of milking cows By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
ARENA, Wis. – Longevity is a term frequently used amongst dairy farmers when talking about cows who last a long time, but there is something to be said for the longevity of Wisconsin dairy farm families as well. The Jones family has been farming outside the Iowa County town of Arena since 1865. The family operates Hoch-Niedrig Holsteins and milks 70 registered Holsteins. The Jones’ farm consists of 350 tillable acres, about half of which is irrigated. Cliff and Peggysue Jones are the fth generation, and their son, Cyrus, and his wife, Tessa, make up the sixth generation. Cyrus and Tessa’s 7-month-old daughter, Emma, is the seventh generation to call the farm home. Their current farm location received century farm designation at the 2016 Wisconsin State Fair, and the family’s home farm is eligible for sesquicentennial recognition. Cliff and Peggysue took over the farm from Cliff’s parents, Lynn and Myrtle, in 1998. Cyrus has always been a part of the operation, and the family is beginning to work on plans for once again transitioning the farm to the next generation. As to be expected with over 100 years of dairying, the Jones family has witnessed many changes and growth spurts.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
The Jones family (from le�) – Clifford and Peggysue Jones and Cyrus and Tessa Jones, holding Emma – has farmed since 1865 outside of the town of Arena, Wisconsin. They welcomed the seventh genera�on of their family to the farm when 7-month-old Emma was born. “My parents added on to the barn and put in the rst pipeline in 1966,” Cliff said. “That just about doubled the herd from 35 cows to 76.” In the early 1970s, a trip with friends and neighbors to the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in Toronto, Ontario, spurred Lynn and Myrtle to dip their toes into the world of registered Holsteins. They began investing in registered cows, a tradition the current generations of the family still enjoy. “We all enjoy the process of breeding the registered animals,” Cliff said. “We all kind of have our own breeding philosophy. My cows look a little different from Cyrus’ cows.” Despite the differences in their individual thoughts on sire selection, the basis of their breeding philosophies closely mirror each other as each place a premium on developing cow families and selecting for type. When Tessa joined the
family, she brought with her the desire for showing cows, something everyone in the family has come to appreciate and enjoy. “I like to show,” Cyrus said. “There are several breeders in the area I look up to and look at how they breed their cows. I know I’m several generations behind them in terms of developing those kind of cow families, but that is my goal. Those are the kind of cows I want to breed.” The Joneses keep an eye on milk and components as well, and the herd has a 23,000-pound rolling herd average. “I would rather get large quantities of milk out of a cow over her lifetime than in just a couple of years,” Cliff said. In 1991, the Joneses added a stationary TMR mixer, and in 2000, they added on to their Harvestore and built a second stave silo to get away from using bags as their primary feed storage.
“Bags would work OK if we had a portable TMR,” Cyrus said. “But having a stationary one in the barn, using silos just works better for us.” A recent tool the Joneses added were automatic takeoffs. “We tell people we don’t do anything until they are tried and true, and we know they will work,” Cliff said. This month, the family nished renovating the tie stalls in the older portion of the barn, putting in new curbs, stalls and dividers and water line. “We try to do as much of that kind of stuff on our own,” Cliff said. This fall, the Joneses plan to build a heifer shed, a project that has been put on the back burner for several years due to low milk prices. “We are nally going to do it now; it just needs to be done,” Peggysue said. “We are overcrowded and need the space.”
The Joneses hope to acquire more crop ground close to their farm. “I do most of the chopping, and Cyrus does most of the hauling,” Peggysue said. “I hate driving equipment on Highway 14. That is a crazy road. I would love to not have to travel far on Highway 14 to get to our elds.” Unfortunately, Peggysue’s fears of that stretch of road are well-founded. The Joneses have lost several family members and close neighbors and friends to accidents on Highway 14 because the highway splits the farm; it is one of the few things they dislike about their farm’s location. While they continue to make improvements as they can to both the farm and their herd, the Joneses have an eye toward the future with the seventh generation of their family on the ground. “Emma loves riding in her seat on the side-by-side with Grandma to do chores,” Tessa said. “Before long, she’ll be big enough to ride in the tractor. She loves the cows and being in the barn too.” The Joneses are working to nd ways to keep their dairy farm relevant and protable. “It is hard to know what the future might hold,” Cyrus said. “You just have to work hard and always be thinking about ways to do things better, but farming is pretty much all I’ve ever wanted to do in life.” Cliff and Peggysue agreed with their son, and said they worry about the difculties he and Tessa might face as they prepare to take over the farm in the future. But, Cliff has sage advice for his son to remember. “Behind every good farmer is a great farm wife,” Cliff said. “That’s been true in this family for generations and is what has kept things going.”
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Dairy calf research highlights from annual ADSA meeting In one of my articles last year, I described the FARM Program Animal Care Version 4.0 corrective actions, both Mandatory Corrective Action Plan (MCAP; standard to be met within nine months) and Continuous Improvement Plan (CIP; standard to be met within three years). Some of these standards related specically to calves: – Pre-weaned calf practices of disbudding prior to 8 weeks of age and feed and water access by day 3 of age (MCAP). – Pre-weaned calf protocols for moving calves, colostrum management, provision of feed and water and disbudding (MCAP). – Pain management practice and protocol for disbudding; pain mitigation is expected to be used when disbudding By Marcia Endres calves with any method, including caustic paste (CIP). U of M Extension At this year’s American Dairy Science Association meeting, the animal behavior and welfare session included various abstracts related to these FARM standards mentioned above or other calf welfare topics. Here are some highlights. Calf management practices in Wisconsin A survey of 188 dairy producers in Wisconsin conducted by the University of Guelph and University of Wisconsin-Madison indicated that only 33% of the farms are in compliance with both the calf management FARM standards of disbudding prior to 8 weeks of age and using pain mitigation. Respondents could select more than one method of disbudding or dehorning. Survey results indicated that 67% of the farms use caustic paste for disbudding, with application most commonly occurring on the day of birth (51% of respondents) or between 1 day to 1 week of age (41%). Hot iron disbudding was used by 60% of the farms and surgical amputation methods by 21% of the farms (93% after 8 weeks of age). The survey showed that 35% of the farms use anti-inammatory drugs (Meloxicam or Banamine), 21% use local anesthetics and 5% use a sedative; 15% use a combination of pain mitigation options. Results of this study demonstrate a proportion of surveyed farmers continue to perform disbudding without pain mitigation. However, 62% of the respondents indicated they have changed their calf management practices in the last 10 years. Most (86%) rely on their veterinarian for advice on new practices or technologies. It is suggested that farmers work with their herd veterinarian to develop protocols for pain mitigation to help them meet the FARM standard. Sedation reduced pain behavior but also affected drinking speed in calves It has been shown that the use of local anesthesia and analgesia can reduce pain and inammation in calves following disbudding. However, the use of sedation as best practice for disbudding has not been investigated very much. Researchers at the University of Guelph evaluated the effects of xylazine sedation given with a local anesthetic and analgesic in calves following hot iron disbudding. Calves were housed in groups and fed with an automated feeder which recorded feeding behavior parameters, such as milk consumption and drinking speed. Researchers also tested pressure sensitivity using a pressure force algometer and recorded calf struggle behavior. Sedated calves had reduced average drinking speed up to 48 hours following disbudding compared with non-sedated calves (40 to 80 mL/ minute reduction), but there was no difference between groups in total amount of milk consumed daily. Sedated calves had reduced pressure sensitivity at four hours after disbudding but were similar to non-sedated calves by 24 hours after disbudding. Non-sedated calves struggled more than twice compared with sedated calves during the disbudding procedure. This study suggests that xylazine sedation, in conjunction with a local anesthetic and analgesic, can reduce pain in calves disbudded with a hot iron but also seems to inuence drinking behavior for at least 48 hours following sedation. Pair housed dairy calves consumed more starter during weaning There have been some recent studies investigating pair housing of calves using outdoor hutches with a shared fence. In this study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, researchers compared the performance of pair versus individual hutch housing before and during weaning. Calves had free access to starter and were fed 4 liters of pasteurized milk two times per day and were weaned in a stepdown fashion; fed 2 liters of milk two times per day for seven days, 2 liters once per day for four days, and were completely weaned by 52 days of age. It was found that paired calves tended to have higher starter dry matter intake which was due to differences during the weaning period. During the pre- and post-weaning periods, dry matter intake did not differ between treatments. Average daily gain was also similar between the two treatments. The study suggests that calves reared in pairs can transition better to solid feeds during weaning. Use of a shelter in group-housed calves is affected by disbudding A study by the University of Florida looked at changes in calf social behavior as an indicator of individual experiences of pain. Group-housed calves were provided with two three-sided, open top shelters constructed from corrugated plastic. Researchers investigated how shelter use was affected by disbudding using video recordings. Half of the calves in the group were disbudded. All calves entered a shelter at least once during the observation period, but there was considerable individual variability in use duration (minimum 1.4 minutes per day; maximum 13.6 hours per day) and visit frequency (minimum one, maximum 25 visits per day). Disbudding did not affect the number of shelter visits per day, but visits tended to be longer for disbudded calves. Researchers suggested that use of a shelter is affected by disbudding, possibly due to a need for social isolation when experiencing pain.
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 29
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
It’s that time of year. The warm, sunny, bee-ďƒžlled days become cool, clear, ďƒ&#x;y-hugging nights. Fall is on the horizon and, as on many of our farms, this means we are chopping fourth crop alfalfa and corn silage. Oh, the wonderful aroma of fresh corn silage. When the wind is blowing right – and this past week it has been blowing a plentiful amount – I can catch a whiff all the way in my barn. It prompts a sigh and a smile; I do love chopping corn. After chopping from 7:30 a.m. to about 8:30 p.m. daily for almost a week now, we have managed to ďƒžnish fourth crop and ďƒžll one narrow bunker. For a while there were two choppers running – one on hay, one on corn – so we could get our hay done in a timely manner. The guys had it all organized to keep the ďƒ&#x;ow of trucks steady, and somehow dug up enough tractor drivers to keep the piles pushing and packing. Now, as I write this, the guys are fueling up and getting ready for another productive day, to keep working on ďƒžlling the big bunker. We anticipate rain tonight and cooler weather tomorrow, so chopping tomorrow is a bit up
in the air yet. I love this time of year for the smells in the kitchen too. Fall means I trade in berries for everything apple, pumpkin is starting to wiggle back into recipes, and the heavier, hot, to-go meals are back on the menu. I have a certain routine when it comes to chopping corn. I start by perusing all my past years’ menus. I note the most mundane of things in my notebook of chopping meals; which makes going back to reading them a fun experience, much like reading a diary. I note the weather, how many guys I fed, any comments on meals, how to tweak the recipe next time, any extra people who rolled in and got fed, if I doubled the recipes, and sometimes even where I keep that recipe so I can save myself time. I make a list using columns: breakfast, main dish, desserts, snacks, breads. There are many staples that stay on the list from year to year because they are no-fail ďƒželd meals (garden frittata mufďƒžns, grilled burgers, jelly roll) and others that get written in to experiment with (BBQ chicken bread, chicken cordon bleu sandwich). This helps
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me stay organized and a bit less frazzled when I try to balance my cow and kitchen time. I’ve been trading the store-bought bread items (biscuits, frozen bread dough, crescent rolls) for homemade versions all summer, and Ramblings from the Ridge have been impressed. Why haven’t I been doing this for years? As one may guess, the homemade versions are sturdier, more ďƒ&#x;avorful, and much easier to work with a rolling pin. Homemade crescent rolls for the crowd favorite Taco Pockets are tenfold better than the dough from a tube. Yes, you have to factor in the rising time By Jacqui Davison needed for things, but it is Columnist worth it when the kitchen smells like fresh dough and tacos. If you are in need of a few meals for your chopping crew, here are a couple favorites on our farm. Homemade pizza calzones Mix the following and let rest for 15 minutes: 1 package dry yeast, 1 cup warm water, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons vegetable oil. After it rests, add 2 1/2 cups ďƒ&#x;our. Mix well and cover lightly and let rise for 15 minutes. In the meantime, in a large bowl mix everything you would put on your pizza: sauce, shredded mozzarella cheese, sliced mushrooms, pepperoni, etc. (This crust can do a 10x15x1 inch pan, to give you a gauge.) When dough is ready, roll on a lightly ďƒ&#x;oured surface, not too thin. Cut circles out of desired size, I use a Cool Whip container as my measure. Put a large spoonful of ďƒžlling on one side of circle, fold and stretch dough over it, bringing dough from one side over the other and pinching it closed. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown. Meat pies Brown 2 pounds of hamburger with a sliced onion, minced clove of garlic, salt and pepper. Add 4 thinly sliced carrots and 2-3 big diced potatoes. A variety of soup additions can be used as the liquid: Golden Mushroom soup, French Onion soup, or a cup or two of beef broth. Let it simmer until vegetables are soft. To thicken the broth, sprinkle in mashed potato ďƒ&#x;akes until desired consistency. This tastes great in biscuit pockets, or a trustworthy pie crust. I do the same thing as the calzones, cut into circles, ďƒžlling on half, then fold over and pinch together. Then bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or less, until beautiful brown. These are similar to empanadas or meat pasties, and a hot, ďƒžlling meal for a cold night. Betty’s apple cake Mix together 1 3/4 cups sugar, 1 cup vegetable oil or applesauce and 3 eggs. Add 2 cups ďƒ&#x;our, 1 teaspoon baking soda, a dash of salt, and a few pinches of cinnamon. Mix well; it will be a thick batter. Add in 3-5 medium to large apples, peeled and sliced. Stir well. Pour into greased 9-by13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 55-60 minutes. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar when cool, if desired. This cake barely lasts a day at the farm between men and kids. It has been a crowd-pleaser for years. Whether you are feeding a crew or feeding your family, I hope you enjoy these recipes. Best of luck for a safe harvest season. Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wisconsin. Her children, Ira (12), Dane (10), Henry (5) and Cora (3), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
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The high udder health cycle The concept of the high fertility cycle has been proposed by Middleton, Fricke and others. The idea is that timely pregnancies in one lactation may lead to less body condition loss, fewer health issues, greater fertility and reduced Veterinary Wisdom pregnancy loss in the next lactation. To some degree, the same concept applies to udder health. Maintaining excellent udder health in one lactation makes it easier to maintain excellent udder health in the next. While the concept of a high udder health cycle has not been proposed in By Jim Bennett the veterinary literature, there are similarities Columnist between it and the high fertility cycle that are worth exploring. One of the main drivers for continued poor udder health is recurrence of clinical mastitis. A high proportion of cows experiencing a clinical mastitis event in a lactation will experience additional cases during the same lactation. Many of these cows will also experience more clinical mastitis in subsequent lactations. There are several reasons why mastitis may recur. One, some organisms are more likely to cause recurrent clinical mastitis. High recurrence rates have been observed for both E. coli and Strep uberis infections, for example. Staph aureus is notorious for causing recurrent clinical mastitis; however, this is because of persistency of infection rather than actual new infections. Indeed, there is some question whether cows that experience clinical mastitis, and subsequently actually clear the infection, are really more likely to suffer another clinical case, or that recurrence occurs more commonly because of persistent infections. In either case though, it is fair to say that once a cow has experienced a case of clinical
mastitis, she is more likely to suffer from additional cases in her current or subsequent lactations, meaning she is not in the high udder health cycle. Another driver for poor udder health is chronic, subclinical infections. Most mastitis infections on most dairies are subclinical. Just because a cow never shows clinical mastitis does not mean that she has good udder health. It is common to nd cows on most farms with persistent, high somatic cell counts, and many of these cows may never have shown clinical signs of mastitis. These cows are not in the HUHC. Chronically infected cows can serve as reservoirs of organisms to infect others. This most commonly occurs with contagious pathogens such as Strep ag, Staph aureus, Mycoplasma and Prototheca, but can happen with almost any pathogen if the reservoir is of sufcient magnitude. Thus, chronically infected cows can keep other, previously clean cows, out of the HUHC. Finally, mastitis leads to increased culling. Increased culling leads to a narrowing of choices on whom to cull, and may eventually lead to producers keeping cows that they would rather cull because of increased involuntary culls. On many farms, some of these potential culls that are kept too long may be chronic mastitis cows, whom are not in the HUHC. Cows that experience the HUHC often never get clinical mastitis. They have persistently low SCCs. This makes them signicantly less likely to get mastitis again or to be culled. By staying in the herd, they contribute to overall herd udder health positively. As the proportion of cows with persistently low SCCs increases in a herd, the clinical mastitis rate goes down, the percentage of cows with chronic infections goes down and culling due to mastitis goes down. Over time, it becomes easier to maintain low SCCs and clinical mastitis rates. The HUHC also makes it easier for us humans to manage herds. Fewer cases of mastitis makes milking easier and faster. Fewer cases means a smaller hospital pen and fewer treated cows to deal with on a daily basis. Fewer cases mean fewer treatments to administer, lower drug costs
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 31
and reduced death rates. In HUHC herds, life on the dairy is better for cows and for people. This points out an important concept: While the high fertility cycle is described as referring to a single cow, in reality having many cows in the high fertility cycle makes reproductive management easier for other cows too. The result is a herd with a high fertility cycle. The same is true for HUHC herds. Some of this is due to direct effects and some to indirect effects. In any system, maintaining great results may require less overall effort, and certainly less disruption, than constantly trying to x problems and improve results. One might think of it as the effort required to keeps cows locked in their pens versus getting them back in and locked in their pens, especially if they are running down the middle of that county highway in front of your farm. Keeping your cows and your herd in the HUHC makes future success easier; this is the most powerful concept of the HUHC. How do you get your herd into the HUHC? Understand the importance of new infection risk/ rate. Simply put, it means knowing how many clean cows are getting infected each month and knowing how to stop that process. Remember, a cow cannot become chronic if she never got infected in the rst place. Also understand the impact of chronically infected cows in your herd and how to eventually reduce that population. All the tools you need to get your herd into the HUHC are available. Rely on your veterinarian for recommendations, information and to help you steer the course. Yes, the HUHC is a real thing, and just like with the high fertility cycle, once your herd is in it, future success is easier to achieve. More and more herds are achieving the HUHC today. Is it time for your herd to be one of them? Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minnesota. He also consults on dairy farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail. com with comments or questions.
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Buy that new pickup Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
This morning, I made my every-other-day how to drive a semi. Maybe I taught too many of run with my 1998 GMC shop truck to the local them recently because now the clutch slips so bad implement store to ll the 120-gallon DEF tote that I need a quarter-mile clear of trafc before I so the fuel guzzling chopper could keep running. dare cross an intersection. The truck also has a death As I drove, I thought how wobble at certain speeds stupid I was to drive a because it needs new ball Have you ever noticed i d $100 pickup to service H joints in the front end. And close to a million dollar the different company the worst problem it has is forage harvester. What is pickups that show up on the driver’s door will not our problem as farmers open from the inside or the that we have to wear that your yard? outside, so I have to crawl idiotic badge of honor that over the stick shift to get in says we cannot drive new, or out of the passenger side safe vehicles? door. There is not much wrong with my GMC oneHave you ever noticed the different company ton shop truck. It has a ve-speed manual shift that pickups that show up on your yard? Most salesmen, comes in handy when I am teaching my grandsons co-op elevator representatives and implement
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dealer pickups are fairly new and yet reasonably basic half-ton four-wheel drive vehicles with a gas engine. I am sure many are purchased with a eet plan for under $30,000. They probably have some warranty and extended service plan so there Making Cents of Dairy are no expensive surprises. Those pickups can reliably get their respective drivers many miles every day so they can do their job. Every dairy farm of any size at all should have a newer pickup so anyone can jump into it and immediately be By Dave Vander Kooi able to drive a 300-mile round trip for that part Columnist you need right now. Every time my daughter-in-law’s father, Tom Albrecht, comes to my farm to visit he teases me that I have too many pickups. All I have is the 1998 GMC shop truck, a 2000 F-350 with a 7.3 diesel that is permanently attached to a skidloader trailer, a 2002 F-350 diesel permanently attached to the cattle trailer, a 2011 F-150 Lariat for my going-to-church pickup and a 2019 F-150 XL rubber oored work truck that is my ultra-reliable daily driver. These do not include the ve other pickups driven by Joe, Corey and Bryan. Maybe now is a good time to upgrade the transportation eet on the dairy farm. Despite the record low mailbox milk price received in April and May, we have since also seen record high milk prices. There has also been some Coronavirus Food Assistance Program income received that has helped the bottom line. Going into winter and tax time, we are also looking at tax deductions that make long term sense. Using section 179 to upgrade equipment and save taxes has always been one of our strategies that works. We denitely have decided to order a new cow trailer to replace our smaller, 15-year-old one. This will also require a larger 1.5-ton pickup or atbed type truck to pull it. I think we will get a truck with a 12-foot aluminum atbed on it that we can also use to haul heavy seed totes, etc. The skidloader trailer we have is too small for our larger skidloader and our excavator, so we need to address that also. We will keep the old trailer because it’s such a handy tilt style that works great for lawn mowers. If we get a new truck to pull the new cow trailer, that leaves nothing left in the budget to replace the GMC shop truck. Maybe Corey can nd the time this winter to x it up a little so it’s easy to drive again. I was thinking of making the old 2002 F-350 into a shop truck, but with an extra atbed trailer, we will need that permanently hooked up to that because nobody likes hooking and unhooking trailers. And besides, whenever trailers get hooked or unhooked, that is when mistakes and bad things happen. Now even I am a little confused as to how many pickups we will have next year, but it appears we might be adding one more to the eet. Vander Kooi operates a 1,800-cow, 4,500 acre farm with his son, Joe, and daughter-in-law, Rita, near Worthington, Minnesota. Send him feedback at davevkooi@icloud.com. Follow him on Instagram, @ davevanderkooi.
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On a warm or sometimes crisp, golden September day, I would rush off the bus from elementary school, change and head outside because it was silagemaking time on our small dairy. The air was fragrant with the best smell of fall as our neighbor chopped our elds of corn and my dad operated the blower to ll our small stave silo that would feed our cows for the rest of the year. A small outside open silo was also lled with green chop for use while the silage in the larger silo fermented. My job was to stomp on top of it to pack Come Full Dairy Circle it down. It was always an exciting time. The fermentation of forage for dairy cows has been going on in this country since the late 1800s when a farmer in Maryland followed the example of Goffart, a French farmer who wrote about preserving corn fodder, emphasizing lling the silo rapidly and keeping it air-tight during storage. “The word silo comes from the Greek word ‘siros’ which means a hole or pit in the ground for storing corn. It is known that the Greeks and Egyptians were familiar with ensiling as a technique for storing fodder as far back as 1000 to 1500 BC. In parts of Northern Europe, grass was being ensiled By Jean Annexstad in the early 18th Century, but it was not until the Columnist latter part of the 19th Century that it became more widespread,” according to an Israeli website, Food Technology Information Center. I guess if our family has always taken silage-making for granted as a normal fall activity, we can be forgiven. It has been around awhile. On the Annexstad farm, how we ensile and feed our cows has evolved through the years and our farm’s facility changes. We have switched from harvesting into forage wagons, blowing silage into upright silos and feed delivery using silo unloaders and mechanized feed bunks to bagged silage, and now to today’s bunker silos with concrete pads and walls, plastic coverings and a tire shooter to place tires for covering the bunkers. Silage is added to the TMR mixer with a loader tractor and delivered via the drive-by mixer into a feed alley of a freestall barn. Our children’s childhood memories of silage making days involve riding in the chopper while their dad or uncle, Mike, chopped, riding briey in the packing tractor that drove over the silage pile in the bunker, and the ultimate job of helping to cover of the bunker with OTB lm, silage plastic and tires. “I remember that the bunker silo seemed a lot bigger when I was younger, and it was much harder to lift the tires to cover it with,” Matthias told me. Leif remembered riding in the chopper and one time getting a small lawn mower tire stuck on his head when he and Matthias were goong around on top of the bunker. Emily recalls that the most fun was working with all of the people who would help us chop, pack, truck and cover the bunker silo. In the collection of helpers over the years, there were employees’ curious friends and families, our veterinarian and his family, our feed nutritionist, the kids’ friends, our relatives and many others we could tell stories about. Thankfully, our kids have almost always helped to round out the dedicated crew to do the critical, important and very timely job of covering our bunker silos with plastic and tires. It is often a job to get done now: because it is a hot windy day, or because it is getting dark and buggy, or because a storm is coming. There is a process and it takes time, muscle power and a lot of helpful hands to pull over plastic and place the tires. We all enjoy the sense of accomplishment when the job is done. When silage making is happening, I sometimes think about how to explain the process to others. One teacher several years ago, after reading one of our kid’s how-to paper about covering the bunker silo, had a lot of questions at the parentteacher conference. When school kids come to the farm, we conduct a hands-on lesson of mixing up a ration with small amounts of each ingredient to show them that our cows eat a cow salad or cow casserole. Other dairy farms do a great job of posting pictures of their silage making process online and some have used #cowchow to showcase their experiences in an educational way for their followers. It is fun to see how dairy friends are coming along with their harvest and view their victorious crews standing in front of or on top of their masterpiece after the bunker is covered or the bags are nished. Maybe this part of the silage-making rite will be reminisced about 50 years down the road. Jean dairy farms with her husband, Rolf, and brother-in-law, Mike, and children Emily, Matthias and Leif. They farm near St. Peter, Minnesota, in Norseland, where she is still trying to t in with the Norwegians and Swedes. They milk 200 cows and farm 650 acres. She can be reached at jeanannexstad@ gmail.com.
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
Brown embraces challenge, rebuilds barn
Strum dairywoman continues dairying after re By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
STRUM, Wis. – Trish Brown saw something no dairy farmer ever wants to see: smoke rolling from the dairy barn the afternoon of Jan. 14, 2019. Despite losing the farm’s animals to the re and seeing the dairy barn turn to ash, Brown said she could not imagine doing anything else and chose to rebuild her barn and her dairy herd. Brown and her husband, Judson, milk 32 cows on their farm in Strum along with their children, Coltan, 5, and Eastan, 3. Judson helps with mixing feed, cleaning and crops but also works full time off the farm, while Brown takes care of managing the cows. In the days following the re, which resulted from an electrical problem in the milkhouse, the Browns made the difcult decision to send every animal that survived the re to market because of lung damage caused by smoke inhalation. “It was really hard, because we had raised all of those cows from calves,” Brown said. “There was a connection to them. Right now, we don’t have that with the new herd of cows. We need to build that back.” The farm consists of 205 acres, and the Browns rent another 80 acres on which
they primarily raise their own feed along with some soybean production. Brown began her dairy career in 2012, milking 50 head on the farm her father-inlaw purchased in 2005. While she did not grow up on a dairy farm, she worked on some dairy farms when she was younger and decided that was where her interest in life was. Milking 50 cows required Brown to hire additional labor. So, when she began making plans for rebuilding, Brown chose to downsize and build the new barn with 32 tie stalls. This allowed milking and chores to be manageable for Brown while also caring for her children. “At the end of the day, I have two boys,” Brown said. “I built smaller to get away from needing help and to give me more time to spend with my boys.” Despite some construction and weather-related delays, the rebuilding process went quickly. Brown had the new herd of cows in the facility on May 24, 2019. “I had found a herd from New York that we bought, and they needed to be out here by June 1,” Brown said. “We poured walls on April 26, and in less than a month, the barn was ready enough to bring them home. The construction crew that worked on it was great.” The herd the Browns purchased had a rolling
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Trish Brown stands in her family’s 32-cow �estall barn on their farm near Strum, Wisconsin. She and her husband, Judson, chose to rebuild their dairy barn and herd following a barn re in January 2019. herd average over 31,000 pounds of milk. The herd dropped production through the transition period. Brown said she is working to rebuild that average and is currently averaging 80 pounds of milk per cow per day. The new barn sits in the same spot as the old barn, and Brown was able to salvage and re-use the tie stalls from the previous barn. At 100 feet, the new barn is about 20 feet shorter than the old one. A larger milkhouse and an ofce area are features of the new barn Brown did not have in the old facility. “There wasn’t much in the old barn I really would have wanted to change,” Brown said. “The ofce area is something I love. It gives me a place for the boys to be while I’m doing chores.” Brown had a track system installed in the barn for moving the milking units around, and she uses the same style of one-touch units as what she previously used. “I get a lot of comments on the two box stalls I designed,” Brown said. “And I built a lean-to onto the side to house some heifers and dry cows, plus we added overhead doors for easy access to the barn for pallets.” Brown used the fresh start to begin chasing goals she had
previously set for the farm. “We had been slowly working toward building a registered herd,” Brown said. “So, we bought a herd of registered cows to rebuild with.” In addition to the herd she purchased, Brown has been making key purchases of animals from popular pedigrees to add to her breeding program. One purchase before the re was that of Sellcrest D Cheeto-Red EX-91, who Brown houses at Rosedale Boarding in Paradise in Oxford. Brown had considered bringing Cheeto home from Rosedale during her dry period but opted to leave her at Rosedale, a move she considers lucky. “If I had brought Cheeto home, she would have been in the barn (during the re), and I would have lost her,” Brown said. Brown has been ushing Cheeto and in ve years hopes to have a barn full of her offspring. “I want to get our name out there and be known for quality cattle,” Brown said. Brown bases her breeding philosophy around cows that breed back easily and last for a long time. She places emphasis on selecting for udders and good feet and legs with an eye toward show-type cows.
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“I would rather have my cows be called immature in their rst and second lactations, and be called youthful as old cows,” Brown said. Bulls that are included in the mating program include Lirr Drew Dempsey, Siemers Doc Hancock, Woodcrest King Doc, Regancrest-GV S Bradnick and Sonnek GC Corvette. Being a rst-generation dairy farmer, Brown said she learns something new about her chosen profession every day. “I look to anybody for advice,” Brown said. “I can pool it all together and take the pieces that work for me. I have been fortunate to nd some great mentors and friends along the way, sometimes in unexpected places.” Brown said her favorite word to hear is, “No.” “Tell me no, and that will just make me work harder,” she said. “I like challenges.” Embracing a challenge and thoughts of the future are what kept Brown motivated to continue to chase her dreams and work to conquer her goals. “We are doing this for our boys, for them to have something good and solid in the future, if they choose,” Brown said. “To me, that is the most important thing.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 35
Years of knowledge behind her
Schultz continues grandfather’s Mil-R-Mor legacy By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
ORANGEVILLE, Ill. – Lorilee Schultz always wanted to play a role in her family’s storied farm. When the opportunity presented itself to work alongside her grandparents and learn from their years of experience, she took it. Schultz’s grandparents, Robert and Kaye Miller, established Mil-R-Mor Holsteins in Dundee. When they faced urban sprawl, they relocated to the former home of Carrousel Farms in Orangeville in 2006. The family’s move to the northwestern corner of the state and subsequent expansion of the herd to 120 cows coincided with Schultz’s graduation from the Iowa State University. While it had not been her original plan, Schultz decided the time was right to benet from her grandfather’s knowledge of breeding cows. “I had double majors in ag business and economics, and my minors were dairy science and journalism,” Schultz said. “Initially I thought about going into marketing or communications or journalism. But with it being my grandparents farming, it seemed
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Lorilee Schultz manages her grandparents’ farm near Orangeville, Illinois. She milks 55 cows and raises all of her own youngstock. like if I wanted to be able to take advantage of their expertise, that was the time to do it.” Today Schultz is the primary manager of the dairy cows and is milking 55 cows and raising the youngstock. She owns about half of the herd and is renting the farmland. “It’s been a slow process in terms of a transition,” Schultz said. Her grandfather retired
following the family’s partial dispersal in 2015 that reduced the herd from about 130 cows to the current size. He is still found helping around the farm, taking care of the majority of the yardwork and gardening as well as advising Schultz as she works to continue her family’s tradition of breeding registered Holsteins. “It hasn’t always been easy, but it is something I love doing,” Schultz said. “I enjoy the cows
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
The cows at Mil-R-Mor go out every day, weather permiƫng, at the dairy farm near Orangeville, Illinois.
and working alongside family.” Schultz is trying to follow in the footsteps of her grandfather’s breeding philosophy. “We’re looking for longlived cows that breed back regularly and ideally get to 200,000 pounds lifetime production and score Excellent,” Schultz said. “I am also trying to breed for good components.” Breeding for type is the mainstay of Schultz’s breeding program, but she is trying to stay away from negative daughter pregnancy rate bulls as much as possible. “I’ve probably made more breeding mistakes along the way, but I have been able to take away from those mistakes and learn from them,” Schultz said. There are improvements Schultz would like to make to help increase the efciency of the farm and make the work easier, but she does not feel the benets outweigh the nancial input with the current economic status of the industry. “The dairy economy is what it is, and it makes it hard right now to put a lot of money into a lot of renovations to change things up,” Schultz said. One of the biggest challenges she has faced during her dairy
farming career has been labor. “It is denitely more than I can do by myself, day in and day out,” Schultz said. “One fulltime person would probably be sufcient, but I’ve had better luck hiring part-time people instead. Most of them are moms, so this year has been extra challenging.” While she is managing the farm on her own, Schultz is far from being alone. She has help from her aunt as the primary calf raiser and chore help from a variety of family members. Her brothers run a custom chopping business, so Schultz relies on them for a great deal of her crop work. She also has several parttime workers, including some of her sisters-in-law, to help her accomplish all of the chores each day. “I really enjoy giving my nieces and nephews and cousins the opportunity to be involved in the farm and watching how much they enjoy being here working with the animals,” Schultz said. Schultz is active in promoting the dairy industry. She participated in the Adopt-ACalf program through Ag in the Classroom, which is facilitated through the Pennsylvania Center Turn to SCHULTZ | Page 37
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020
Women In Dairy Kristi Dinderman Orangeville, Illinois Stephenson County 80 cows Family: Husband, Brian, and children, Alaina, 13, and Amery and Aidan, 11. Tell us about your farm. Brian and I both grew up on dairy farms. His family had Guernseys and my family had Holsteins and Ayrshires. We have all three of those breeds with a few Brown Swiss. We raise our heifer replacements and crop 150 acres, primarily corn and alfalfa. Our family provides all the labor. What is the busiest time of day for you? The mornings are busiest with trying to nish milking and chores, and getting the kids off to school. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I enjoy watching PHOTO SUBMITTED the kids’ sporting events, reading, taking a walk or catching up with The Dindermans – (front, from leŌ) Amery, Aidan and Alaina; (back, from leŌ) KrisƟ friends. and Brian – milk 80 cows on their farm near Orangeville, Illinois. The family is picTell us about your most memorable experience working on the tured with their EX-96 World Dairy Expo Reserve Grand Champion Hi-Guern-View farm. The most memorable day on the farm would denitely be Dancing Diva. this past January when the classication committee made Hi Guern View Dancing Diva EX-96. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? The people. The dairy industry provides a vast network of people who understand the daily life of farming. The support can come in the form of animal care, crop services or just friendships. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? We attend many local meetings and customer appreciation days in addition to activities related
to registered breed associations. We also enjoy exhibiting our cattle at shows. There is nothing better than getting together for days at a show to be with cow people, especially this year. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? My sister, Lisa. She was the one who pushed me to get involved in junior activities in my younger years, especially dairy bowl and dairy judging. Those activities helped me gain a lot of knowledge and more importantly some of my best friends. I also can thank her for giving me the show bug. She used a lot of vacation days to help me at multiple fairs each year throughout my junior years. Now she can almost always be found helping milk at home for us when we are at a show. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? Ellen DeGeneres. I would love to meet Ellen, but more importantly with her huge media platform, it would be awesome for her to learn about the dairy industry and hopefully have a positive inuence on many.
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Sustainable Farming Association and Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship are hosting two upcoming pasture walks this fall. Each event will be led by SFA/DGA Coordinator Angie Walter, participating farmers and a soil health/forage expert. They include: Sept. 24 – 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Valley View Dairy, 2889 30th St NW, Maple Lake. Topics include ways to decrease fly pressure, maximizing tonnage off of pastures, and minimizing component loss in dairy cattle during the summer grazing months. Oct. 9 – 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Seven Pines Farm and Fence, 18618 County Rd 23, Verndale. Topics include bale grazing during the winter months, outwintering cows and youngstock, and how to stockpile pastures for winter. Each event is free and open to all but registration is required. Events, limited to 25 attendees, will take place outside with social distancing guidelines in effect; SFA recommends bringing face masks to its events. REGISTER AT SFA-MN.ORG/SOIL. Info: Angie Walter at 320.815.9293 or angie@sfa-mn.org.
Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 37
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DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Lorilee Schultz preps the next cow for milking on her family’s 55-cow dairy, MilR-Mor Holsteins Farm, in Orangeville, Illinois. for Dairy Excellence. The farms provide updates and educational photos, videos and information about a calf and the dairy industry several times throughout the year. “I had four calves adopted this last year, and I paired each calf up with one of my nieces or nephews to help the students relate to the calf,â€? Schultz said. “It has been a fun way to help bridge the gap between the farm and our future consumers.â€? Schultz admits the past few years have been challenging and said sometimes keeping things going each day on the farm can be a monumental task. “Balancing physical, emotional, mental and ďƒžnancial health is a challenge for dairy farmers right now,â€? Schultz said. “There is so much negativity going on, not just in the dairy industry, but in the world in general right now.â€?
While she sees the challenges of the industry, Schultz retains a bit of the embedded eternal optimism that most farmers possess, looking for ways to help the dairy industry progress and move forward with viable options for production and management models. “There are lots of positive things going on for our industry despite all of the turmoil right now, but you need to ďƒžgure out how you can ďƒžt into it and take advantage of it, how a farm like this can stay relevant,â€? Schultz said. “I think there are lots of us younger dairy farmers who would like to be part of the solution, but sometimes we are so bogged down with just keeping our farms going. We don’t have much left to offer as far as time at the end of the day. The last few years, realistically, have been kind of survival mode.â€?
236,400
8700, 2017, 640 Hrs, RWA ........................$408,900 8600, 2016, 785 Hrs, RWA ........................$359,000 8600, 2017, 792 Hrs, RWA ........................$325,900 8600, 2015, 1197 Hrs, RWA ......................$262,500 8600, 2015, 1531 Hrs, RWA ......................$236,400 8500, 2017, 103 Hrs, RWA ........................$429,000 8500, 2016, 665 Hrs, RWA ........................$329,000 8500, 2016, 588 Hrs, RWA ....................... $315,000 8400, 2015, 1110 Hrs, RWA ......................$257,400 8300, 2017, 350 Hrs, RWA ........................$336,400 7800, 2006, 2500 Hrs, RWA ........................$96,400 7780, 2014, 1301 Hrs, RWA ......................$239,000 6810, 1996, 4925 Hrs, 2WD ........................$29,500 NH FR9090, 2008,1998 Hrs ..................... $139,000 All hours listed are “cutter hours�.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, September 12, 2020 • Page 39
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Tom Zastrow – K&K Dairy Farms LLC Bonduel, Wisconsin Shawano County 170 cows How did you get into farming? I was raised on the family farm, and as my brothers moved onto their own farms, I eventually took over the family farm. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? We hope the markets open back up that we built over the years. If the markets open back up, hopefully the milk prices will stay strong to sustain the farming industry. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? We have not implemented anything new in the last ve years due to low milk prices.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? We haven’t changed any management practices.
Brandon Higgins (from leŌ), Kerry Higgins, Keith Zastrow and Tom Zastrow milk 170 cows near Bonduel, Wisconsin. your employees? We are strictly a family farm with no additional employees.
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? Working with the animals.
on your farm? Putting a new parlor in to make the cows milk more efciently.
ve years? We would like to add more cows over the next ve years.
What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? We deal with more direct vendors to save on feed costs.
Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. We are able to treat more of our own sick cows instead of having to call the vet.
What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Research all of your options and don’t just rely on one source.
What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Being able to buy enough land to be selfsufcient.
What has been the best purchase you have ever made
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and
How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We have a cabin and two ponds on the farm where we can go shing, hunting, four-wheeling or relax for the day.
How do you retain a good working relationship with
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