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February 8, 2025
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 26, No. 24
Man’s best friend saves life
Ronan survives bull attack with help from his dog By Dan Wacker
dan.w@dairystar.com
WAUKON, Iowa — July 27, 2024, started like every other morning at Ronan Family Dairy Farm near Waukon. Jim Ronan went to the barn to move cows around and get prepared for milking and the hoof trimmer, who was coming that day. While moving a cow to the barn, he was hit by the farm’s 3,000-pound bull. Before he knew what happened, Jim was on the ground being pushed around by the bull, who had been on the farm for over 18 months without any signs of aggression. “He hit me right in the back and I didn’t realize what was happening until he rolled me and I was looking right at him,” Jim said. The bull continued to roll
Jim across the barnyard, rolling him directly into the side of a steel feed bunk. That is when Jim heard the crack of his ribs breaking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his dog, Miley. “I yelled to Miley, ‘Get him,’ and she took off after him,” Jim said. The Australian Shepherd pushed the bull back 20 feet, to the entrance of the barn. This gave Jim the time he needed to try to stand up. On a knee, with his hands ready to push himself back up, he saw the bull again. “Miley had come over by me, but when I saw the bull again, he was on a full sprint,” Jim said. “I yelled to Miley to get him again, and she went right back after him. If it wasn’t for her, there’s no way I could have gotten out of there.” Turn to RONAN | Page 2
DAN WACKER/DAIRY STAR
Jim Ronan sits on a steel bunk by his dog, Miley, Jan. 22 at his farm near Waukon, Iowa. With help from Miley, Ronan survived an aƩack from a bull that leŌ him with eight broken ribs.
“Green and Gold” from the heart Independent lm a dream come true for Michigan brothers By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Dairy farming and the Green Bay Packers are synonymous with Wisconsin, an essence that is at the heart of the recently released independent lm “Green and Gold,” which chronicles a fourth-generation dairy farmer on the verge of losing the family farm. The lm was created by brothers Anders and Davin Lindwall, who brought the story to life. Anders directed the lm and Davin produced it. “Our grandfather was a
PHOTO COURTESY OF GREEN AND GOLD LLC
Actor Craig T. Nelson (leŌ) and director Anders Lindwall discuss a scene during the lming of “Green and Gold” near Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. The lm chronicles the story of a Wisconsin dairy farmer on the verge of losing his fourth-generaƟon family farm. dairy farmer in Stevenson, Michigan, near Menominee,” Anders Lindwall said. “The dairy closed after his death, but the land was still cropped
for a neighbor’s dairy farm. We grew up with cousins who were dairy farmers and involved in FFA.” The pair make their liv-
ing creating commercials for businesses, but the allure of lmmaking has always called them, so they returned to their Upper Peninsula roots to look
for inspiration. “A general principle of lmmaking is to look close to home to create things that are meaningful to you,” Lindwall said. “We were surprised at how little the farming community is represented in lm, for how important and prominent it is in our lives.” The project began to grow when one of their commercial clients inquired about what other projects they were working on. When they shared the premise of what was at that time called, “God Loves the Green Bay Packers,” their client was intrigued and backed the project, providing start-up capital for the Lindwalls.
Turn to GREEN & GOLD | Page 6