LOOK INSIDE FOR OUR WPS FARM SHOW PREVIEW EDITION!
Volume 27, No. 3
March 22, 2025
“All dairy, all the time”™
Education, A farm to call home collaboration, Rewitzer realizes dream to own dairy promotion By Tiffany Klaphake tiffany.k@dairystar.com
2024 checkoff discussed at Midwest Dairy meetings By Amy Kyllo
amy.k@star-pub.com
DENNISON, Minn. — Dairy consumption in 2025 is doing well and is also outpacing alternatives in every product group. “In a lot of the categories, we’ve got record highs,” said Scott Gilray, vice president, business unit operations–north with Midwest Dairy. There is a lot of consumption of dairy. Cheese is at a new record high, butter is at its highest since 1965, and in yogurt, business is rebuilding. Gilray said uid dairy milk sales are nine times higher than alternatives, dairy cheese is 174 times higher and dairy yogurt is 61 times higher. Scott Gilray Gilray presented this information and more alongside Shannon Watrin, farmer relations staff member for Midwest Dairy, Feb. 13 in Dennison at one of the Midwest Dairy regional meetings. The pair shared about 2024 checkoff work at the national, regional and local levels. Locally, Minnesota had 68 Undeniably Dairy grants disburse over $200,000. Undeniably Dairy grants fund up to $5,000 per project for dairy promotion. Some projects include a milk cooler for a weight room, color changing cups for a malt stand and more. “If there’s something you’re thinking about (doing) ask us,” Watrin said. “We’ll probably nd a way to write an application to fund it.” In 2024, Undeniably Dairy grants did not fund on-farm events because of the H5N1 bird u. This year, with testing in place, they plan to again fund on-farm events, subject to change. Turn to MIDWEST DAIRY | Page 7
BELLINGHAM, Minn. — Matt Rewitzer is living proof that dreams do come true. As of Oct. 1, 2024, Rewitzer is milking cows at his own dairy farm. “I’ve tried many different ways to get here,” Rewitzer said. “Whenever I did anything, my thought process was, ‘How is this going to get me closer to dairy farming?’ That was always the goal — to dairy farm.” Last year, Rewitzer purchased a dairy farm complete with 130 cows, a double-6 parlor and freestall barn from Kor Mulder near Bellingham. The farm features headlocks in the freestall barn and the heifer shed and a 10-acre pasture next to the freestall barn so
the milk cows can go outside. “I like how efcient this place is,” Rewitzer said. “There are lots of headlocks, so it is easy to catch the cows or heifers for pregnancy checking and breeding. I really like the pasture by the freestall barn. The cows will stay outside until I go get them for milking.” The farm site is 35 acres and feed is purchased. “Kor already had agreements with neighbors to get feed so we will continue doing that,” Rewitzer said. “This way I have more time for the cattle and the kids.” Rewitzer grew up on his parents’ dairy farm near Eagle Bend. However, they sold their herd in 2007. After graduating from Ridgewater
TIFFANY KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
The Rewitzer family — Harvey (front, from leŌ), Jazlyn and Turn to REWITZERS Maverick; (back, from leŌ) Skyla and MaƩ — gathers in their parlor March 11 at their farm near Bellingham, Min| Page 5 nesota. The Rewitzers purchased the farm in October 2024.
Welcome home, Wade
Muths rejoice as toddler son’s cancer goes into remission By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The Muth family — Gina holding Josie and Peter holding Wade — gathers outside the barn March 13 at Cedar Lawn Farm near West Bend, Wisconsin. Wade returned home March 4 cancer-free aŌer spending 4.5 months in the hospital to be treated for acute myeloid leukemia.
WEST BEND, Wis. — Last fall, Peter and Gina Muth received news no parent ever wants to hear: their son had cancer. Wade Muth was 18 months old when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia Oct. 21, 2024. AML is a cancer of the bone marrow and blood. “I was shocked,” Peter said. “It was scary, but it was in God’s hands; it was out of our hands. All you can do is pray about it, and we had a lot of people praying for him.” The Muths milk 200 cows and farm 700 acres at Cedar Lawn Farm near West Bend with Peter’s parents, Kathy and George. Turn to MUTHS | Page 2