Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 25, 2014
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/Sales Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Janell Westerman 320-352-6303 janell.w@dairystar.com Nancy Middendorf 320-352-6303 nancy.m@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 President Dave Simpkins 320-352-6577 davesimpkins@saukherald.com Staff Writers Krista Kuzma - Assistant Editor 507-259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Andrea Borgerding Assistant Editor/ Online Editor 320-352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Melissa Mussman (320) 429-1084 • missy@dairystar.com Ron Johnson 608-874-4243 ron.j@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner 507-240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Kelli Boylen 563-880-1753 • boylenover@yahoo.com Jenna Lisowe • 920-604-2093 jenna.lisowe@my.uwrf.edu Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication
Sales Manager - Jeff Weyer (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-8505 (cell) jeff.w@dairystar.com Mark Klaphake (West and South Central MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN, West Central WI) 507-250-2217 (cell) fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 (cell) jerry.n@dairystar.com Lori Young (Central MN) 612-597-2998 • lori.y@dairystar.com Lori Menke (Eastern Iowa, Southern WI) 563-608-6477 • lori.m@dairystar.com Linda Lynch (Central WI) 608-387-1202 • linda.l@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 $28.00, 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.
Dairy Prole brought to you by your
Dairy prole
North America dealers.
Jonathan Gerdes with wife, Liz, and their daughter, Chloe (9 months) Caledonia, Minn.; Houston County 70 cows How did you get into dairy farming? I (Jonathan) grew up on my family’s farm. I am the fourth generation. I left for eight years to go to college and take on other jobs before returning in 2011. Liz grew up with some agriculture background, but not on a farm. What do you see for the future of your farm? Right now, we milk our cows in a tiestall barn. Within the next few years, we would like to put in robots or a parlor and we will probably expand our numbers We will also be working on transitioning the farm from the previous generation to us. What is your favorite thing to do on the farm? I like cutting hay and running the skidloader. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I like the exibility to do what I want and the variety of jobs. There are many different jobs to try out – you have to be an electrician, plumber, carpenter and veterinarian, among many others. I also like that I am close to my family. Liz and Chloe can ride in the tractor with me or come out to visit me in the barn. I can also stop into the house for lunch or when I have a break. I couldn’t do that all the time if I worked in an ofce. What is the most challenging aspect of dairy farming? When things break down or don’t go the way I planned them. What is your favorite tool? I like the skidloader, and also the vice grip. I can use them for many jobs. What is your favorite dairy product? I like all dairy products, but I really like cheese. Lately, I’ve been experimenting and making my own mozzarella. If you could have a celebrity do chores with you for one day, who would it be and why? Mike Rowe from the TV show, Dirty Jobs. It would be great if we could be on TV. What do you and your family like to do when not doing chores? Liz and I are volunteer youth leaders for our church. We also like to play games with friends. Our current favorites are Dominion and Ticket to Ride. I am taking ight lessons so I’m beginning to learn how to y. Liz and I also like traveling together. We spent 2.5 months in Thailand on a mission trip teaching English. Tell us about your farm. We farm with my dad and mom, Will and Carol. My sisters, Sarah and Mary, help with milking. Another sister, Grace, helps feed the calves along with Jeana, another sister who helps out when needed. We farm 250 acres.
Dairy Star • Saturday, January 25, 2014 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Woodside Farm nds niche making ice cream Pages 14 - 15 Second Section
Sorge shares prevention practices for Johnes Disease at MN Organic Conference
Plainview family named 2013 Olmsted County Farm Family of the Year Pages 2 - 3 Third Section
Page 4 Second Section
Kids Corner: The Ronnebaums
Pedersons grow, improve with each generation
Page 38
Pages 36 - 37
Women in Jeans: Karen Gorentz
One-on-one with Karl Solverson Pages 22-23
Hubbard happily hauling milk 61 years
Page 16 Second Section
Pages 25 - 26
Balzer uses on-farm metal objects to make life-size bovines
Dent
Riley named 2014 Fairest of the Fair
Pages 4 , 6 Third Section
Pages 8 - 9
Teamwork, genetics is force behind high production at Thistle Dew Dairy Pages 18, 20
St. Cloud Energy efciency a hot topic at 9th Annual I-29 Dairy Conference
Whitehall
Pages 1, 5
Pages 21, 23 Second Section
Westbrook
Page 5 Dairy in the Suburbs Pages 8 - 9 Niehoffs make time for the cows, family Page 10 The “Mielke” Market Weekly Page 11 Dairy Markets Page 12 Iowa hay auction results Page 17 Mid-American Hay Auction Results Page 22 Dairy Recipes
Page 35
THIRD SECTION Pages 9 - 10 Dairy Calendar Pages 13 - 14 Some Udder Stuff Pages 14- 19 Classieds
Boylen Over Rural Roots
SECOND SECTION Pages 3, 6 Houston Co. hosts dairy night at high school basketball game
Westby Hillsboro
Mt. Zion
FIRST SECTION Pages 1, 5 Challenging crop year impacting farms Pages 12 - 13 Making hooves a priority Pages 15 - 16 From Our Side of the Fence Page 28 Increase bedding use for calves in cold weather Page 29 Fresh cow milk fat to protein ratio can be used to identify cows experiencing ketosis Page 31 Page 39
Owatonna Plainview
Sioux Falls
Contents
On the Mark
Challenging crop year impacting farms
Edgewood
Passing along a passion Pages 1, 10
Monroe
Charlotte
Columnists Ag Insider Page 6
Just Thinking Out Loud
Nutritionist Pages 34-35
Page 32
The Next Generation Page 33
Getting Kerry’d Away
Ramblings from the Ridge
Page 27
Page 30
Call Us For All Of Your Barn Equipment Needs! Autovent Curtain System State-of-the-art ventilation for high sidewall dairy barns
GEA Farm Equipment | Norbco engineering for a better world
Top curtain rolls up and down for cold weather ventilation. Both curtains roll up for storage. Complete automation with temperature sensors. Minimum air restrictions. Maximum air flow.
20903 W. Gale Avenue, Galesville, WI 54630 Tel: 608.582.3081 www.gea.com | www.gea-farmtechnologies.com/norbco/en
We Offer A Complete Line of Dairy Barn Equipment
Freestalls Headlocks Sidewall Curtains Ventilation Systems
Alley Scrapers Cow Comfort Products Gating & Fencing
GEA Farm Technologies
Dairy Star • Saturday, January 25, 2014 • Page 7
Continued from AG INSIDER | Page 6 elected to his eighth two-year term as president, said delegates want Congress to nish unnished legislation, agricultural labor reform. WASDE report offers insight into milk output and price The USDA supply/demand report raised the estimate for 2014 milk production, compared to one month ago. The forecast was changed due to an anticipated improvement in protability and an expected increase in per-cow production. Exports are expected to increase with strong demand for cheese and other dairy products. The Class III milk price was increased with the bump in cheese prices. The all-milk price is forecast at $20.60 to $21.40 per hundredweight for the year ahead. Activist group challenges WFB over tail docking Humane Society of the United States leadership sent a letter to Wisconsin Farm Bureau president James Holte seeking the organization’s help to end tail docking for dairy cattle. “Having the second biggest dairy state join the shift away from tail docking could be a helpful way to demonstrate that the industry takes animal welfare seriously,” said Paul Sapiro, vice president of farm animal protection, HSUS. WFB responded by releasing a statement saying its policy is drafted and approved by its members. “We support farmers and veterinarians deciding appropriate husbandry practices for their farm,” was the Farm Bureau response. “This should remain a decision between farmers and their veterinarians, and not be a legislative mandate prompted by an animal rights group whose end goal is to eliminate animal agriculture.” McDonald’s to source ‘sustainable’ beef In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, McDonald’s plans to purchase veriable sustainable beef. To draft the management principles for sustainable beef, the quick serve restaurant chain plans to work with Cargill, JBS, the World Wildlife Fund and others. BeefGen deal Neogen Corporation has announced that it has licensed patents owned by Cargill, Inc. and Branhaven LLC. The technology, known as BeefGen, identi-
es key genomic tools to improve both meat and milk production. WDE judges announced World Dairy Expo has announced its slate of ofcial dairy cattle judges for 2014. Four of the 16 judges are from Wisconsin. David Wallace of Beloit will be the lead judge for the International Ayrshire Show. Paul Trapp of Taylor will take the lead on the International Holstein Show. In the junior Holstein competition, Molly Sloan of Columbus will be the lead judge and Roger Turner of Sun Prairie will be the associate judge. Pollack is runner-up in AFBF contest Chris Pollack, Fond du Lac, was a runner-up in the American Farm Bureau Federation Discussion Meet. Pollack farms with his parents, milking 150 cows. The family also operates a custom baling business. Green Bay hosts OYF awards The Wisconsin Outstanding Young Farmer Awards will feature seven candidates. Those competing for the title are Todd Augustian of Kewaunee, Christopher Davis of Wisconsin Dells, Jim and Shelly Grosnick of Watertown, Jeff and Angela Monson of Richland Center, Kyle Thompson of Barneveld, Eric and Misty Vogel of Athens and Aaron Wachholz of Montello. Fairest of the Fair Kaitlyn Riley has been crowned as the 2014 Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs. Riley grew up on a dairy farm at Mount Zion. Riley is studying communications and broadcast journalism at UWMadison. Trivia challenge House Speaker John Boehner’s congressional district is located in the state of Ohio. That answers our last trivia question. For this edition, what former Food Network personality was known for her frequent use of butter? We’ll have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is a partner and broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, N.D. He was the 2004 National Farm Broadcaster of the Year. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and two grandchildren, Aiden and Piper. Don Wick can be reached at don@rrfn.com.
KLC FARMS ROASTED SOYBEANS The dairy farmer’s choice!
Bob Dombeck Perham, MN
Quality
Consistency
“It’s always good quality, consistent beans. That’s what we like about them,” said Bob Dombeck, 350-cow Sandhill Dairy. “They get it ready, we unload, they load and we go.”
KLC Farms
1-877-738-2326
Visit www.roastedbeans.com
Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 25, 2014