Do you know someone who has been milking cows for over 30 years? We’d like to feature him or her in A Heart for Dairy for February. Please call 320-352-6303, or email andrea.b@dairystar.com
DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 18, No. 23
January 28, 2017
Just like Dad
Opelt purchases family’s herd By Cassie Olson
cassie.o@dairystar.com
NEILLSVILLE, Wis. – When a new year rolls around, many people develop resolutions to have a fresh start. This year, however, one farmer had other changes in mind; so did his cows. Isaac Opelt of Neillsville, Wis., embarked on his dairying career after purchasing his parent’s herd of 56 milking cows, Jan. 1. Opelt said he felt a sigh of relief as he delivered the check to his father, Larry Opelt. “I’ve always planned to buy the cows,” Opelt said. “The time was nally right.” The family rst brought cows to their Neillsville farm in 1987. Larry had started farming with his brother before buying their farmstead. He continued to milk the herd of cows until 2005, when he sold the cows after beginning his career as a mailman. Despite the sale, Opelt’s dream of farming continued to grow. He worked
for other dairies throughout high school, but it did not take long for him to admit it wasn’t enough. “It was in my blood; all I had ever done. I wanted cows again,” Opelt said. “When I graduated high school in 2009, we started getting cows.” They revamped the dairy with 22 cows. While growing the herd from 2009 to 2011, Opelt worked on other dairies in addition to doing chores at home. He began farming at home fulltime in 2011, but was always under the direction of his father. In recent years, his roles have changed. “For the last two years, I was still making decisions through him, but I took on a lot more responsibilities. I started doing all the work with the nutritionist and vets,” Opelt said. Opelt was always clear of his intentions of purchasing the herd. Opelt and his father agreed that he would purchase the herd in 2016. The markets, however, had other plans. “The plan was that I would buy the herd last year. With milk prices where
The 45th: what Trump means for the dairy industry By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
Over the last two years, Donald Trump promised an America with opportunity for every citizen, but as the business mogul was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States Jan. 20, questions still lingered for the future of the dairy industry. “They always say that governing and campaigning are two different processes,” said Chris Galen, spokesperson for National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). “Now, we have a chance to see how Trump will govern.” While on the campaign trail, the now-president spoke of several priorities of his future administration, including trade agreements, secure borders and multiple government reforms. “Some of those priorities are of interest to agriculture,” Galen said. “Others could pose a challenge.” Trade agreements In weeks leading up to Trump’s inauguration, NMPF and 15 other organizations expressed the benets of agricultural trade in a letter to the forming administration. “… As the Trump Administration assembles its team and policies, U.S. agricultural trade interest must be maintained, not only in existing markets, but by expanding access to new markets,” the letter stated. Turn to TRUMP | Page 6
CASSIE OLSON/ DAIRY STAR
Isaac Opelt milks 56 cows on his family’s farm near Neillsville, Wis. Opelt recently purchased the cows to begin his dairy farming career. they were at, we were pretty nervous to start that transition, so we decided to wait a year,” Opelt said. As the new year came, Opelt made his purchase. He now owns the farm’s milking and dry cows, as well as all the heifers, totaling 120 animals. He said the transition was a smooth transfer of ownership. While not much has
changed just yet, he is hopeful of what the future holds. “I’m looking forward to watching the farm grow as a whole. I’m ready to see what I can make of this place,” Opelt said. Although Opelt now owns the herd, Turn to OPELT | Page 10
Livelihood gone in one night
Deutschs lose barn, 63 cows in re By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ELKO NEW MARKET, Minn. – In one night, the core of what makes up Cindy and Ray Deutschs’ livelihood went up in ames. “I would give anything to milk our cows tonight. Anything,” Cindy said. A re claimed Cindy and Ray Deutschs’ 65-stall tiestall barn during the early morning hours on Jan. 13 on their dairy near Elko New Market, Minn. The 63 cows inside the barn along with their three dogs died in the re. Fourteen cows in the milking herd, along with all the youngstock survived. Turn to DEUTSCHS | Page 7
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Ray and Cindy Deutsch stand in the middle of where their dairy barn and cows once stood. A re burned the barn and 63 of their cows on Jan. 13 on their farm near Elko New Market, Minn.
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
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 Amanda Thooft 320-352-6303 amanda.t@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Andrea Borgerding - Managing Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Krista Kuzma - Assistant Editor (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne (320) 352-6303 jenn@dairystar.com Ron Johnson (608) 874-4243 ron.j@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Cassie Olson (715) 245-6848 cassie.o@dairystar.com Brittany Olson (320) 352-6303 brittany.o@dairystar.com 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 (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 Lori Menke (Eastern Iowa, Southern WI) 563-608-6477 • lori.m@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@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.
North America dealers. A glance at what’s inside
Dairy Prole brought to you by your
It’s been a busy few weeks across the nation as President Trump was sworn into ofce Jan. 20 in Washington, D.C. Mia and Alex Roerick were able to witness this historical event with their mother as part of a high school class trip. As other family members held down the fort on their 80-cow dairy near Upsala, Minn., the Roericks toured the nation’s capitol. Read about the Roericks’ trip on pages 2-3 in third section. While many people followed the inauguration By Mark Klaphake from home, Dairy Star caught up with producers who had an opinion to share about President Trump and Editor his administration. Read about the dairy industry’s concerns and hopes of the new president in the “From our side of the fence” feature found on pages 15-16 in rst section. At Duncanson Farm in Winona, Minn., Pat, Dan and Michael Duncanson know the importance of continuous improvement for their herd. By focusing on transition cows and selecting traits that are long lasting, the Duncansons have maintained an average pregnancy rate of 26 percent and a rst service conception rate of 53 percent. To learn how they reach these values, turn to pages 18 and 20 in rst section. Alan and David Gunderson and their families have a lot to be thankful for after receiving the 2016 Morrison County Farm Family of the Year award. The families value their time spent with the cows, but also sharing their on-farm experiences with community members. Take a glimpse into the Gundersons’ community involvement and why they are deserving of the farm family award on pages 23 and 25 in rst section. Two groups of producers are taking charge in Buffalo and Trempealeau Counties in Wisconsin to address water quality in the area. The BuffaloTrempealeau Farmer Network was formed last spring, providing producers with workshops on cover crops, soil health, and the opportunity to form relationships with professionals. To read how this group began, turn to pages 3 and 5 in second section. Happy reading!
Favorite quotes from this issue:
“I overcame two of my worst fears: ring shopping by myself and driving in the Twin Cities during a snowstorm.” - Jake Kruschke (First
Section, Page 23, 25)
“Remember that the transition to organic farming is a three-legged stool – including yourself, crops and the animals.” - Trish Dougherty (Second Section, Page 6)
By the Numbers
somatic cell count 73K: Average at MARS dairy. (First Section, Pages 12-13)
Paakkari’s farm is away 200: Miles from the Arctic Circle. (Second Section, Pages 14-15)
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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Lender outlines Wisconsin’s path to dairy industry revitalization
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
How do you think Donald Trump will do as president? Pages 15 - 16
Pages 8 - 9 Ag Insider Pages 12 - 13
Ellsworth
Marsheld Agricultural Research Station wins national milk quality award Pages 18, 20
Transition barn helps Duncanson Farm achieve 26 percent preg rate Pages 22, 25
Lauer: Choose corn hybrids based on use, drying costs Page 26 FSA News & Notes Page 27 The Transition Pen Page 29
New Richmond
Fourth, fth generations come together on CrossTown Dairy First Section: Page 28
Eau Claire
Children Museum of Eau Claire hosts Dairy Darin VonJune Ruden MonthWis. activities Westby,
People in the Dairy Community
Pages 10, 14 Dairy Calendar Pages 12 - 13
Kids Corner: The Barsness Family Pages 15, 17 Some Udder Stuff Pages 18 - 22 Classieds
Bayeld
Douglas
Pages 14 - 15 Second Section
Iron Ashland
n hb
ur Chuck Raethke Pepin, Wis.
Sawyer
W as
Burnett
Polk
Blair
Dairy’s Star Youth: Ben Nestingen
Price
Third Section: Page 11
Rusk
Barron
Taylor St. Croix
Chippewa
Dunn
Pierce
Pepin
Neil Metzger Lester, Iowa
Neillsville
Buffalo Grand Meadow, Minn.
Dairy Prole: Phil Suess Page 39
Opelt purchases family’s herd
Clark
Eau Claire
First Section: Pages 1, 10
Jackson Viroqua
La Crosse Monroe
Cow gives birth to triplet heifer calves at Torgerson dairy Third Section: Page 4
Vernon
Winnebago
Worth
Mitchell
Cerro Hancock Gordo
Floyd
Howard
a
ick
Ch
w sa
Bremer
Zone 2
Black Hawk
Bu
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
ford
Craw
Iowa
Dane
Grant
Fayette
Clayton
n
are
na
a ch
Richland
Allamakee
Pages 22 - 23 Dairy Recipes THIRD SECTION Pages 2 - 3 Roericks attend inauguration, tour D.C. Page 6 Meeting heifer benchmarks Pages 7 - 8 Annual meeting presents tips for raising youngstock Page 9
Buffalo-Trempealeau Farmer Network assembles to address water quality
First Section: Page 36
Second Section: Pages 3, 5
Winneshiek
Pages 14 - 15 Dairying Around the World Page 16 Mid-American Hay Auction Results Pages 20 - 21 Glendes value registered Holstein herd, use for extra income
Pigeon Falls
Women in Jeans: Crystal Johnson
First Section: Pages 23, 25
Manure safety: recognizing hydrogen sulde
Page 30 Ramblings from the Ridge Page 31 A Little Bit of Sunshine Page 32 Just Thinking Out Loud Page 33 Dairy Good Life Page 34 Something to Ruminate On Page 35 UWRF professor applies research, academia to real life Page 37 Rural Roots SECOND SECTION Page 4 Jer-Lindy Farms named 2017 Innovative Dairy Farmer of the Year Page 6 Organic certication explained at conference Page 7 FSA expands eligibility for project funding Pages 8 - 9 I-29 Moo University holds a series of wintertime workshops Pages 10 - 11 The “Mielke” Market Weekly Page 12 Dairy Markets Page 13 Area hay auction results
Osseo
Kruschke, Jensen engaged alongside favorite cow
Trempealeau
FIRST SECTION Pages 1, 6 The 45th: what Trump means for the dairy industry Pages 1, 7 Deutschs lose barn, 63 cows in re Page 5
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Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 5
Lender outlines KEEP THEM COMING BACK Wisconsin’s path to dairy industry revitalization New By Ron Johnson
ron.j@dairystar.com
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – Long considered America’s Dairyland, Wisconsin lost its milk production crown in 1993. That was when, for the rst time, herds in California, the Golden State, churned out more milk than those in Wisconsin. But Wisconsin bounced back in the succeeding 23 years. Although California continues to lead in milk production, Wisconsin has become the United States’ largest cheese producer. Sam Miller, managing director of agriculture banking for BMO Harris Bank, spoke about Wisconsin’s turnaround Jan. 4 at the 2017 annual meeting of the Iowa State Dairy Association, Cedar Falls, Iowa. He titled his presentation, “On Its Whey Back: Wisconsin’s Dairy Turnaround.” As the event’s keynote speaker, Miller discussed how the lessons learned in Wisconsin might be applied to Iowa. California, Miller said, was able to boost its milk production due to four factors. First, feed was cheap. Second,
“Wisconsin turned its dairy industry around because of three things: people, infrastructure and natural resources.” SAM MILLER, BMO HARRIS BANK
dairy farmers sold their expensive land in the Los Angeles Basin and moved to cheaper land in the Central Valley. Such moves let them expand their farms and lower their tax liabilities. Third, dairy cows were cheap, and the Upper Midwest had 5 to 10 percent more than it needed, so California farmers bought many of those. Fourth, large, efcient, commodity cheese plants
went up in California, where milk production costs were lower. The loss of its milk production lead and other events in California sent a wake-up call to Wisconsin, Miller said. In response, the State of Wisconsin and dairy farmers went to work. In 1992, the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin (PDPW), a group dedicated to educating dairy farmers so they could better manage their businesses, was formed. Nine years later, the Dairy Business Association (DBA), an organiSam Miller zation that lobbies BMO Harris Bank to improve regulatory certainty and advocate for dairying, was founded. Also, in 1988, the president of the University of Wisconsin formed Dairy Task Force 1995, and Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson established the Dairy 2020 Task Force and Council. Other milestones include Wisconsin’s 2004 livestock siting law and the start of planning grants and loans to dairy farms from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce. At the same time, Miller said, Wisconsin cheesemakers began focusing on specialty cheeses as a way to add value to milk and to make Wisconsin products stand apart from what much of the rest of the industry was doing. “Wisconsin turned its dairy industry around because of three things: people, infrastructure and natural resources,” Miller said. On the people side, the DBA was instrumental in getting Wisconsin’s livestock siting law passed. “It essentially said, ‘Look, if you meet the state’s requirements for a permitted livestock operation, you can put that business into place.’ That’s when the fortunes of Wisconsin, in terms of milk production and stemming the tide in the loss of cow numbers, really started to turn around,” Miller said.
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FOLLOW THE ROSENHAMMERS – Dairy Star’s latest contributing columnists. The Transition Pen is where father and daughter duo – John and Laura – are sharing their experiences in farm transition.
READ THEIR COLUMN EVERY ISSUE ON PAGE 27 IN FIRST SECTION.
Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
ConƟnued from TRUMP | Page 1
markets,” the letter stated. Last year, the U.S. dairy industry exported nearly 15 percent of the total milk produced in the country, according to NMPF. With a strong U.S. dollar, markets are currently softened, and actions to disrupt trade could be detrimental for dairy producers. “This presidency is a doubleedged sword,” said Dan Glessing, vice president of the Minnesota Farm Bureau (MFB). “Exports are our biggest thing for dairy. Putting up barriers with countries is a concern of mine. However, [Trump’s] a very global person and could open more doors for us.” Glessing milks 75 cows near Waverly, Minn., with his parents and family. Two agreements at the greatest risk are the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) between Canada and Mexico and also the tabled Trans Pacic Partnership (TPP). “U.S. dairy has been successful with NAFTA, as Mexico is currently our largest export market,” Galen said. “However, right now, TPP is in a deep freeze. We need to remind the new administration of the opportunities this trade agreement gives us for new exports.” TPP would allow the United States to play a larger role in Asia’s economy, building stronger relations with Japan, Vietnam and Malaysia, amongst others. “The real issue is that if TPP is not viewed as the right thing, then Congress and the administration need to take a step back and look at creating a better agreement,” Galen said. “I hope trade discussions don’t end in a trade war, reducing our opportunity to export dairy.” Kevin Paap, president of MFB, agreed. “Bottom line is that we’re growing more than we’re using, and we need to expand our markets,” said the Blue Earth, Minn., crop producer. “We have to increase our market share outside of our borders. As [other countries’] economies grow, we have to continually use that to our advantage.”
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Secure borders Since Trump’s campaign began, his platform has contained the notion of securing U.S. borders from illegal aliens. However, that same notion is a threat to the agricultural industry and a majority of its workforce. “We don’t want to lose our current workforce and access to the future workforce,” Galen said. “Cows will still need to be milked tonight, next week and in six months.” Paap agreed. “Many U.S. citizens would rather not work with cows or crops,” he said. “We need to consider how we’re going to provide a legal, experienced labor supply in the U.S.” Without doing so, Paap sees those who would make up the U.S. workforce instead create a larger agricultural industry in their home countries. “We have to be willing to import labor or import food,” Paap said. Government reform Throughout the campaign, Trump stressed regulation relief and the reform of taxes, health care and environmental policies. “Those are all important issues that will affect dairy farms like mine,”
Glessing said. Among the different regulations, Galen foresees President Obama’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) and estate taxes taking heat from the new administration, which could have a serious impact on the dairy industry. “With a new EPA leader, I wouldn’t be surprised to see WOTUS go down the drain, so to speak,” Galen said. “We have to go back to the drawing board and start again with a more reasoned approach.” The Margin Protection Program (MPP) for dairy is another policy that is expected to see change with the administration. “This is going to be a busy year in Congress and it’ll depend how big of an appetite our representatives have beyond trade and health care – the two biggest issues,” Galen said. “In dairy, there is nothing more important than the need to x our safety net program by the end of this farm bill – sooner if at all possible.” The next four years With Trump’s background in business, and lack thereof in politics, this presidency will be unlike any other in history. “He’s not worried about being politically correct and is an advocate for agriculture and dairy,” Glessing said. “That’s a positive thing in my opinion. He’s not afraid to not do
“I hope trade discussions don’t end in a trade war, reducing our opportunity to export dairy.” CHRIS GALEN, NMPF
what’s expected, but what’s right for our country.” Galen agreed. “We’re all small businesses, being dairy farmers,” he said. “Trump is able to understand that.” However, Trump is not the only one making decisions on Capitol Hill. As power shifts and unknowns are certain, Paap encourages producers to continue telling their story. “We need to be worried about the people in D.C., and the disconnect with agriculture. They think of farming and they think of a nostalgic time,” Paap said. “Agriculture is like an iPhone. It’s not the same as it was two, ve or 10 years ago. We’re continually improving, becoming more sustainable.” As Trump’s presidency gets underway, questions that arose during the campaign will be answered, hopefully, with the people’s best interest in mind. “We didn’t elect a king, we elected a president,” Paap said. And how that president and his administration will choose to support the dairy industry is crucial for rural families across the country. “Trump’s decisions could be a good thing,” Glessing said. “Or it’s going to be a long few years trying to milk cows.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 7
ConƟnued from DEUTSCHS | Page 1 Commitment. Relationships. Trust.
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Cindy and Ray Deutsch took over the farm in 1983 from Ray’s dad, who bought the farm in 1948. The stone-foundaƟon barn that burned was built in 1915, but had been updated over the years. “We’re heartbroken,” Cindy said. “[The cows] meant everything to us. They weren’t just cows, they were our life. They gave us a really good life, way of living and put our kids through college.” At 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 13, a friend driving past the farm on his way to work stopped to awaken Ray and Cindy to tell them about the re. “I had to get dressed because it was 15 below and then we had to see what we could do,” Ray said. Rushing to get outside to their cows, the Deutschs were met by raging ames engulng the barn, shooting as high as the 80-foot tall silo beside it. “Like everyone says, it’s like a bad dream. It’s like you’re dreaming,” Cindy said. “It was so bright we didn’t need a light at 4:30.” They ran to the east end of the barn where they usually let the cows out. “Part of the roof had fallen in and it was sagging pretty bad so I didn’t open that door. I didn’t want to get too caught up [in the re],” Ray said. “Then we went to the front door and the re chief got there. We couldn’t see in, so we didn’t go in.” Cindy said as soon as the Elko New Market re department arrived, it immediately called for backup from surrounding towns because of the size of the re. Although the barn had 65 stalls, there were 63 cows inside. Cows that would normally occupy the two empty stalls during the day are let out to be with the switch cows in their adjacent barn at night. The Deutschs will never know the reason for the blaze that stole their livelihood. The re marshal ruled the cause undetermined. “We had a lot of good breeding and genetics in our herd. Throughout the years, we would try to keep improving. They were a high producing herd doing well for us,” Ray said. The Deutschs have been dairy farming since 1983 when they took over for Ray’s dad, who had bought the farm in 1948. In addition to the milking herd, the Deutschs raised their replacement heifers, steers and crops on 450 acres. Situated on a gravel road just a few miles north of town, many neighbors would pass by and admire the stonefoundation barn built in 1915. “It looked like an old barn but it had all new siding and new steel, and was updated. It was in good shape,” Ray said. The barn was outtted with tunnel ventilation and had stalls six feet in length with comfort mattresses. “Our faith and family kept us going throughout the years,” Cindy said. Faith and family – especially their three adult children and their families – along with the dairy community have also kept Ray and Cindy going
throughout this tragedy. This includes their employees, like Kim Simmons. “They are just such great people to work for,” Simmons said about Cindy and Ray. “I didn’t feel like I was going to work. I looked forward to going to work.” The 48-year-old is the oldest of the Deutschs’ hired help. Most employees are high school students. “I’ve seen how they are with the kids. Ray is such a teacher to the boys and he’s such a good role model for them. He’s patient, kind, honest, softspoken and never gets upset or angry. He teaches the boys how to handle different situations,” she said Simmons also described Cindy. “Cindy is like a mom to [the high school employees]. She’s compassionate, kind, funny, dedicated, hard working and teaches them how to be responsible. I think anyone who knows them loves and respects them,” Simmons said. When Simmons heard about the re, she said she was devastated. She and two other employees decided to set up a page on GoFundMe.com with a goal to raise $10,000 for the Deutsch family. “I didn’t know what to do, and I felt helpless so that’s why I started the Go Fund Me page. They’ve raised their kids and they have insurance, but this is a way for people who care about them or are affected by their story to help,” Simmons said. Cindy and Ray have been in awe of their dairy farming friends, neighbors, family and other supporters. “The outpouring of people is amazing. Everything that has been brought to us has been amazing. We’re very humbled by all the people who have been here,” Cindy said. During and immediately after the re, farmers showed up with trailers to haul the remaining cows to nearby farms to be milked. Since then, people have stopped by with food, owers and offers of help as they continue the clean up process. “I’m kind of lost because I always had a schedule. I knew what I was going to do every day and now I don’t have that schedule,” Cindy said. Having a constant ow of people at their house helps. “It’s better when people are here. It’s more sad when you’re alone,” Ray said. The Deutschs are taking one day at a time as they continue cleaning up the remains of the barn and contemplating their future. “If we were 30, there would be no question. We would rebuild the barn and start over. But we’re not 30. We’re in our 60s. All our children have their own careers,” Cindy said. “We have a lot of thinking to do. We don’t want to make decisions when we’re in such an emotional rollercoaster.”
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Vilsack will take over as head of USDEC Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
As expected, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will take over as the new president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy Export Council. Effective Feb. 1, Vilsack will oversee this organization that concentrates on boosting exports of dairy products and ingredients. In an interview, Vilsack said this job provides an opportunity to continue to advocate for agriculture. “You obviously have a product that is easy to sell and it is a continuation that I’ve had for the last number of years on proper nutrition for children here and around the world. It’s an opportunity for me to work for people that I know are hard working. The dairy producers of this country care deeply about their operations; about their families and their communities.” Vilsack said he appreciates the innovative approach seen within the dairy industry.
Advice for the new ag secretary In comments made before Sonny Perdue was named as his successor, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said whoever got the job will be a very lucky individual. Vilsack said the new USDA leader will inherit 90,000-plus employees who are dedicated to agriculture. Vilsack said the USDA job also provides an opportunity to work on a bipartisan basis throughout rural America. “I hope they have as much fun as I had for the past eight years.” Vilsack left a 24-page letter to the incoming Secretary, offering his advice. Topping that list, Vilsack said the career staff at USDA should be utilized. “Sometimes there is a clash between the political appointees and the career folks and that doesn’t need to be; everyone has the same goals to promote agriculture and make lives better for people in rural America.”
Perdue is the pick Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue is in line to be the next agriculture secretary. In a statement, President Donald Trump said Perdue is going to deliver big results for all Americans who earn their living off the land. Perdue served two terms as governor, running from 2003 to 2011. Perdue grew up on a diversied crop and dairy farm. After a brief time as a practicing veterinarian, Perdue became Ag Insider involved in agribusiness. At the present time, Perdue is the managing partner for AGrowStar, which operates grain elevators in Georgia and South Carolina. Perdue also founded Houston Fertilizer and Grain Company and Perdue, Inc., which is involved in agriculture retail, warehousing and freight. By Don Wick
Columnist
Perdue praised American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall was Georgia Farm Bureau’s president during agriculture secretarynominee Sonny Perdue’s time as governor. “He’s a veterinarian, so that makes him a scientist. Agriculture bases a lot of our decisions on sound science,” Duvall said. “We are hoping the general public will learn to accept sound science when it comes to the eld each day. I think Sonny will bring a great appreciation for that. I think farmers and ranchers across America will be very comfortable with Governor Perdue in his new role.” Duvall talked with Perdue briefly before the nomination was made. “I think he will be very knowledgeable. He’s a quick learner and a great administrator.” Chaotic days ahead Dana Perino spoke at the Dairy Strong 2017 conference, saying President Donald Trump will have a farmer-friendly administration. Perino is now a political commentator for Fox News and served as a press secretary to former President George W. Bush. Not surprisingly, Perino anticipates a very different administration from Trump. “Embrace the chaos.”
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USDA milk production estimate updated According to USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates, U.S. milk production increased slightly for 2016. A small increase in the size of the dairy herd is credited for the milk production bump from December to January. For 2017, the WASDE report projects milk production at 217.1 billion pounds, a modest increase from the previous forecast. The all-milk price is expected to average between $17.60-$18.40 per hundredweight in 2017. Label enforcement sought Wisconsin Senator Tammy Baldwin has introduced legislation that would require the Food and Drug Administration to enforce labeling standards for imitation dairy products. The FDA denes milk as a product that comes from a lactating animal, which ies in the face of the soy milk, almond milk and similar imitation products. Baldwin’s bill would provide timelines for the government to enforce label standards. Deadline approaches in CWT class action lawsuit Consumers have until the end of the month to submit claims in a class-action lawsuit involving the dairy industry. Animal rights activists led a lawsuit in 2011 claiming the National Milk Producers Federation, Dairy Farmers of America, Land O’Lakes, DairyLea and AgriMark drove up consumer milk prices with its dairy herd retirement program. In a settlement over this lawsuit, the dairy groups are paying $52 million. Consumers who submit for cash claims can expect a nominal payment between $10 and $20. Duffy to lead dairy caucus Wisconsin Representative Sean Duffy is a new co-chair of the Congressional Dairy Farmers Caucus. Lawmakers who represent dairy-intensive districts are involved in this group. Duffy represents Wisconsin’s 7th congressional district. Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 9
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 North takes over DBA Leadership Mike North is the new president of the Dairy Business Association. North is the president of Commodity Risk Management Group, based in Platteville and has been on the DBA board since 2008. Newly-elected board members are Lee Kinnard of Kinnard Farms in Casco and Amy Penterman of Dutch Dairy LLC in Thorp. The DBA Dairy Strong Conference was earlier this month in the Madison area. IDFA promotes Soubra The International Dairy Foods Association has named Heather Soubra as the chief of staff. Soubra has been on the IDFA staff since 2008 and was serving as the director of industry relations and special projects. DBMMC re-elects ofcers The Dairy Business Milk Marketing Cooperative has re-elected its ofcer team. John Pagel of Kewaunee will
serve another term as president. Todd Doornink of Baldwin is the vice president; Jim Winn of South Wayne is secretary and Mitch Davis of Belle Plaine, Minn. is treasurer. Trivia challenge Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts represents the State of Kansas. That answers our last trivia question. Stephen Babcock is known for making a scientic advancement within the dairy industry. For this week’s trivia, what was that innovation? We’ll 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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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
ConƟnued from OPELT | Page 1
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Opelt purchased his 56 milking cows from his father on Jan. 1. He conƟnues to rent the buildings and machinery but plans to purchase the faciliƟes in later years. Larry continues to milk with his son. He helps with morning chores before heading off to his mailman job for the day. He returns in the evening to help with chores, as well. Opelt said he is very grateful for his father. “I am very fortunate to have my dad,” Opelt said, “He set me up very good. I wouldn’t be where I am at without him.” Opelt now rents the barn and facilities from his dad. He hopes to begin purchasing the buildings down the road. “I eventually plan to buy everything; once the cows are paid off in three years, I will be able to start buying the equipment and real estate after building up some equity,” Opelt said. Opelt has advice for other young farmers who are in the transition process. He said taking the time to get off his own farm and work for others made him a better farmer. “Take some time to work for other dairies; you will learn a lot,” Opelt said. “Work for bigger and smaller herds alike. I did it and it helped me understand management practices I did or didn’t like.”
He also said it is important to remember that you are not expected to know all the answers. “Always ask questions – and a lot of them. It’s hard enough to get started, it’s the only way to do it,” Opelt said. Opelt said the biggest challenge he expects to encounter is money, but he is hopeful. “Money will be the biggest challenge as I learn to manage the uctuating milk price,” Opelt said. “It will be a struggle, but I know it’s something every farmer has to go through.” Navigating his challenges does not waiver Opelt’s passion for his herd. “I enjoy working with the cows. I like seeing them have a calf, their outcome and how well they perform,” Opelt said. As Opelt begins his own dairying career, he is most thankful for the hard work and advice of his father. “Dad set me up very well to succeed here,” Opelt said. “I am very thankful for the opportunities he has given me.”
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Opelt delivers feed to the heifers. While he has been making management decisions for the herd in the last year, he said he feels relieved and excited to make the herd his own.
Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 11
ConĆ&#x;nued from INDUSTRY | Page 5 Also, a couple of really important things came out of the Dairy 2020 program, Miller said. One was early planning grants that gave farmers a systematic way to go through the planning process for enlarging their herds. The cost of that planning was partly paid by the state grants. “From a banker’s perspective, the grants did a lot of good,â€? Miller said. “Not only did the grants help
“Dairying became such a powerful engine, thanks to many people and stakeholders working together.� SAM MILLER, BMO HARRIS BANK
farmers expand, but they also let some dairymen make accurate projections that prompted them to not expand.â€? Milk Volume Production (MVP) loans were also offered. These loans were made to cover part of the cost of buying dairy cattle. Those low-interest loans, Miller said, were for seven years. Payments were not required the ďƒžrst year and only interest needed to be paid the second year. “These early planning grants and MVP loans were not put at the department of agriculture,â€? Miller said. “They were put at the department of commerce. That was really to signal to everyone that not only is the dairy business important, but it’s an important industry for the state. That sent the message to everyone, whether you were in the agriculture sector or not.â€? Natural resources Wisconsin’s dairy industry revitalization was aided by its natural resources. Miller said the state has abundant surface water and groundwater, and there’s usually enough rain to grow crops, such as forages. That meant Wisconsin farmers could grow crops for their dairy cattle cheaper than farmers in other states.
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There have been regulatory hurdles as dairy farms have grown larger, Miller said. But he said Wisconsin is still home to dairy operations of all sizes. Infrastructure important Wisconsin already had a solid dairy infrastructure when the dairy industry turnaround began. It included numerous cheese factories and other milk processors, artiďƒžcial insemination ďƒžrms and equipment supplies, Miller said. Add to the list dairy professionals such as veterinarians, nutritionists and lenders. The state’s labor supply and culture of working also helped. Wisconsin’s abundance of paved roads, allowing for uninterrupted milk pickup from farms, was another advantage. In 1998, Wisconsin was home to 1.8 million dairy cows. That number dropped steadily until 2004, Miller said. Then cow numbers leveled off and started to rise. The state’s average herd size stood at 52 cows in 1994. But by 2012, it had risen to 110. Milk per cow improved, too. Between 1988 and 2004, Wisconsin’s milk production stayed rather stagnant, growing by just 1.4 percent. But it grew by 1 percent each year after 2004. There were changes on the people side, too. “A lot of families stayed together, in terms of their dairy business,â€? Miller said. Instead of sons or daughters setting up their own farms, some decided to farm together or with their parents, milk more cows and make their labor more efďƒžcient. By working together, family members not only produced more milk, but gained a better quality of life, Miller said. Economic engine Miller wrapped up his presentation by calling Wisconsin’s dairy industry an economic engine for the state. Dairying is now estimated to contribute $43.4 billion to the state’s economy each year. “Dairying became such a powerful engine,â€? Miller said, “thanks to many people and stakeholders working together.â€?
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
Intensive training yields high milk quality
Marsheld Agricultural Research Station wins national award By Cassie Olson
cassie.o@dairystar.com
STRATFORD, Wis. – Producing milk of the highest quality is a shared goal amongst dairies. The University of Wisconsin’s Marsheld Agricultural Research Station (MARS) in Stratford, Wis. recently received national recognition for its production of high quality milk. The Platinum National Dairy Quality Award (NDQA) will recognize MARS’s high milk quality standards at the National Mastitis Council Annual Meeting in St. Pete Beach, Fl., Jan. 28
through 31. MARS is one of six farms selected for the award from a pool of 122 applicants. Station superintendent and herd manager Nancy Esser said receiving the award is a testament to the hard work of the station’s 23 employees. “Contrary to popular belief, it is very difcult for a research station to achieve a low somatic cell count,” Esser said. “To receive acknowledgement for everyone’s hard work is truly an honor.”
CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Nancy Esser is the staƟon superintendent and herd manager at the Marsheld Agricultural Research StaƟon in Straƞord, Wis. The herd recently received naƟonal recogniƟon for milk quality as a PlaƟnum Dairy Milk Quality Award recipient.
CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR
The UW Marsheld Agricultural Research StaƟon milks its herd of 125 dairy cows in a double-8 herringbone parlor. All employees are trained and re-trained on milking procedure and protocols to ensure consistency across the enƟre UW-Madison herd.
The award application evaluated several measures and practices that affect milk quality. Bacteriological quality measures were evaluated through the herd’s somatic cell count (SCC) and standard plate count (SPC). The MARS dairy herd managed an average SCC of 73,000 and SPC of 1,120 while maintaining a rolling herd average of 29,520 pounds of milk per cow per year with
a fat test of 4 percent and protein of 3.1 percent, all of which contributed to receiving the Platinum NDQA award. What sets MARS apart, however, are their protocols and the employees who continue to follow them. Esser said precision is demanded when working with research animals. “There are many hands across the UW herd, in general. We want everyone to do
everything in one way,” Esser said. “The staff is trained to take samples, milk and identify mastitis. Then, they are re-trained. It is a very intensive process.” The herd at MARS is unique. It is one of 12 University of Wisconsin Agricultural Research Stations and one of the three locations for the UW Turn to MARS | Page 13
WANTED Stearns County
DAIRY PRINCESSES The Stearns County American Dairy Association is seeking candidates to participate in the 2017 STEARNS COUNTY DAIRY PRINCESS CONTEST I have enjoyed my experience of being a Stearns County dairy princess in many ways. My favorite part was watching all the smiles from kids when you give them a dairy treat and telling them why I love my job as a farmer! - Anna Westerman Dairy princess candidates must be at least a senior in high school and not yet 24 years of age by July 1, 2017. The candidate or her parents must be actively engaged in the production of milk in Stearns County for sale to a licensed plant during the current year. A candidate also qualifies if she or her parents are employed on a dairy farm in a dairy related capacity.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 13
ConƟnued from MARS | Page 12 dairy herd. MARS is home to 125 milking cows and 530 to 540 dairy heifers. The station’s primary purpose is served as the university’s heifer grower. Calves are brought in at three months of age after weaning and are put into group housing. The calves are bred and will stay in Stratford until six weeks prior to calving. Heifers who are conrmed pregnant with a heifer calf will be transported to the UW’s Emmons Blaine Dairy Cattle Research Center in Arlington, Wis. Heifers carrying a bull calf, however, stay at the MARS location. The heifers are calved in and complete their rst lactation before they are moved to the Arlington location at dry-off. This makes the MARS herd an entirely rst-calf heifer herd. “Being that it is all rst-calf heifers, one might assume we are expected to get a milk quality award. Considering what we do to our cows and the research we have going on, it is much more difcult to maintain,” Esser said. All of the MARS employees are trained extensively in mastitis identication and treatment protocols. The milking staff rst visually identies cows that may be sick or show signs of subclinical mastitis. DHI tests are also used to identify those with high cell counts. A California Mastitis Test (CMT) is performed on all high SCC animals. If an animal is identied as sick, she is treated with Spectramast. Animals that show abnormalities, but are not sick, are treated on a per case basis or other management options, such as quarter milkings, are practiced. Cows that habitually show signs of mastitis are agged as do not treat and are culled from the herd. With four to ve studies being conducted at a time, attention to detail is
CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Greg Swart, one of the herdsmen at MARS, goes over a list of cows during a herd health check. Swart is one of 23 employees at the research staƟon. important. “It is a lot of work; there are a lot of little pieces that go together in a study. The amount of work that goes into one data point on a graph in a research study is astounding, which is why our crew is so big and highly trained,” Esser said. This is not the rst award the herd as received for milk quality. At a more local level, the MARS herd has been
recognized for milk quality from Foremost Farms. This year, the herd is likely to receive its third consecutive superior quality award from the plant for having a yearly SCC average of below 100,000. Esser said the work of the staff made receiving the Platinum NDQA possible. “This station is a staff of hardwork-
ing people. They’re doing an outstanding job and this award is a testament to that work,” Esser said. As the herd manager, Esser said she is excited for everyone involved with the herd. “I am elated,” Esser said. “I am so happy we have received this award; it is a pat on the back to all of those who deserve it.”
Schedule of Events 9:00 am 10:15 am
10:30 am
Registration - Trade Show Open 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Early Bird Drawing - Chanhassen Dinner Theatre Tickets SESSION A
SESSION B
SESSION C
Small Giants: Strategies for Small Farm Survival
25 Years and Counting: Building on the Past for a Bright Future
Communication: The Key to Labor Management
Dr. Jeffrey Bewley, Extension Dairy Systems Specialist, University of Kentucky
Jim Dickrell, Editor, Dairy Herd Management
Betty Berning Extension Educator, Agriculture Business Management, University of Minnesota
11:30 am
Special Presentation: Carver County Dairy Expo 25th Anniversary – Auditorium
11:45 am
Keynote Session: Feeding America, Feeding the World Phil Plourd, Dairy Economist, Blimling and Associates – Auditorium
Monday, February 20, 2017 CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL
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2:15 pm
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SESSION E
SESSION F
The Effect of Hay Rake Type on Ash Content in Hay
Using Precision Technology to Improve your Farm
Escuela de Mastitis** Science of Mastitis
Abby Neu, Extension Educator, University of Minnesota
Dr. Jeffrey Bewley, Extension Dairy Systems Specialist, University of Kentucky
Door Prize Drawings, Ladies Basket, Grand Prize
For more information, contact Colleen Carlson at 952-466-5306 or check the website at z.umn.edu/expo2017
Jorge Delgado Bilingual Trainer – Dairy Specialist, Elanco Animal Health ** Please note this entire session will be presented in Spanish.
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
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From Our Side Of The Fence
Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 15
How do you think Donald Trump will do as president?
Darin Von Ruden Westby, Wis. Vernon County 50 cows How do you think Donald Trump will do as president? President Trump has no experience as a public servant, so it will be interesting to see how he and congress work together. I think there will be a large learning curve for him. We will have to see whether he will be able to work with both democrats and republicans for the country as a whole. I think the rst 30 days in ofce will be a good signal of where we are headed. What are topics President Trump needs to address when he is president? Infrastructure, especially as it relates to agriculture. Our rural roads are deteriorating. And, our rail system needs upgrades to handle the large volume of product that needs to get to the ports for international destinations. Trade should be high on the list so we can keep more jobs in the United States, which means there will be more disposable income for the use of purchasing food produced here. In the trade arena, we need to address currency manipulation so the United States does not become a dumping ground because of the value of the dollar. Do you think President Trump will follow through on his anti-free trade rhetoric and how will that affect the dairy industry? I think he will follow through on his anti-free trade agenda. If trade agreements are reworked to the ideals that President Trump talked about during the campaign, it will be a positive for dairy. But if we lose some of the current agreements on the export side, we could see a negative impact. What are main issues in agriculture that need to be addressed? The main issue that needs to be addressed in agriculture is concentration regarding mergers that have happened and those that will happen. Farmers have fewer options for purchasing the products they need to operate, and there are fewer markets for them to sell into. Another issue is foreign ownership of land and production facilities, which results in local economies being devastated by the dollars leaving those rural communities. Water is another issue, as it is vital for human life. We in agriculture depend on it for everyday activities in order to produce high-quality food for the consumer. As a dairy farmer, the current dairy program needs a lot of work. The Margin Protection Program is not working. If this program is to continue, we need to be on a level playing eld with crop farmers and get the same subsidy levels crop farmers get for their insurance purchases. The last issue is pricing structure, as we are losing more of the consumer dollar. What aspects of the current ag policy do you think are working and should be maintained in the next four years? Just about every sector of agriculture is nancially struggling, and it doesn’t look like this year is going to be much better. One bright spot might be the Renewable Fuels Standard, as President Trump seems to agree we need to produce more homegrown fuel, which will come from the crops we grow in the Midwest. Tell us about your farm. My wife of 26 years, JoAnn, and our children, Brett, 23, and daughter, Alyssa, 18, own 230 acres and rent an additional 72 acres of cropland and 50 acres of pasture. Last year, Brett purchased the dairy herd and machinery, so he is the fourth generation to farm. Joann works at Vernon Memorial Hospital in Viroqua as a quality improvement coordinator. Alyssa is attending Rochester Technical College in Rochester, Minn., in the veterinarian assistant program. My parents live close by, so there are days when three generations of Von Rudens are working side-by-side on the farm.
Pat Lunemann Clarissa, Minn. Todd County 790 cows How do you think Donald Trump will do as president? I’m not convinced President Trump is prepared for the seriousness of the position. He doesn’t grasp how what he says and does impacts countries and people around the world. I hope I am wrong, as we need our president to be successful in his role. Much will depend on if his cabinet level appointments understand their departments, give good advice, and then if the president takes that advice under serious consideration. What are topics President Trump needs to address? Obviously, the cost of our health care system and how we pay for it. More insurance is not the answer. We need to control costs through eliminating the massive paper shufe we have now and enact tort reform. That is just a start. The federal decit was ignored in this election, but needs to be addressed. The extreme points of view in this country that are driving public policy are unhealthy and threatening our democracy. We need the president and congress to work together to enact legislation that truly is good for the nation long term. We have had a stalemate for several years that needs to stop. Hopefully, the president can lead that change by doing the negotiating he has promised. Do you think President Trump will follow through on his anti-free trade rhetoric, and how will that affect the dairy industry? If the president does follow through on his rhetoric, we in agriculture are in deep trouble. Fifteen percent of our milk ends up in a different country, or about one day out of seven. I’m not convinced that abandoning the Trans-Pacic Trade agreement is a wise move. China is not a part of that deal, and backing out just makes them the Pacic trading superpower, instead of the United States. We are in a position in our dairy industry to become a serious exporter of product, especially to Asian countries where the population is growing and incomes are rising. We need to be a reliable supplier of the products they want. Once the value of the dollar becomes weaker, we would be in position to have some good times. What are main issues in agriculture that need to be addressed? Who is going to own our farms, and who is going to be doing the work? As our farms consolidate and grow larger, it becomes nearly impossible for anyone other than family to own a farm because of the tremendous capital it takes to own and operate one. Demographically, we are running out of people who want to do farm work in this country. Those who want to work are already employed. Immigrants have lled the shortfalls in farm labor and at food processing plants in recent years, but the rhetoric is that we don’t need them. Farm protability is an issue. Our milk price safety net is inadequate. What aspects of the current ag policy do you think are working and should be maintained in the next four years? Ag policy has shifted us to a free market scenario, where government payments are small or nonexistent. I expect that to continue, as changes are unlikely. It works, but sometimes not in our favor. Tell us about your farm. I am the third generation on the farm. My father, two of his brothers and my grandparents came to Todd County from Germany in 1925. My wife, Jody, and I have raised our six children on the farm. Our youngest, Alex, lives with us and works part-time, mostly on the cropping side. We started our dairy career with 60 cows in a traditional barn for the rst 15 years, and then built a parlor and freestall barn in 1996 that seems to keep evolving. We have a number of dedicated employees that have been here for many years. We have relationships with neighbors to help with heifer growing, along with planting and harvesting crops.
Duane Alberts Pine Island, Minn. Dodge County 600 cows How do you think Donald Trump will do as president? President Trump’s election ushers in a transformative shift in how government relates to the private sector. While Trump may have no prior service in government, he has extensive experience as a businessman in encountering government hurdles, such as regulations. Trump inherits a U.S. economy where growth has been cut in half over the last 30 years. His proposals to improve the economy by cutting taxes and infrastructure spending are likely to be met with stiff opposition by a budget conscientious Congress, as well as the realities of a $20 trillion U.S. government debt. The Trump administration faces a serious economic situation. What are topics Trump needs to address when he is president? First and foremost, Trump needs to identify and address the various economic bubbles that have been created by the zero-interest rate environment and quantitative easing. Zero interest rates have affected asset values, equity prices and bond prices. They have overstimulated expansion and construction in various areas of the country’s economy. Do you think President Trump will follow through on his anti-free trade rhetoric and how will that affect the dairy industry? The United States has 14 free trade agreements with 20 countries. Those 20 countries account for 43 percent of agriculture exports. In 2015, 62 percent of all dairy exports were shipped to free trade agreement countries with 15 to 16 percent of all U.S. dairy products being exported. Trump has questioned the benets of current trade agreements and has stated that the dollar was too strong, implying the United States might need to get the dollar down if it remains elevated. Milk prices have been globalized, yet the price of farm assets needed to produce milk in the United States have not been globalized. The result is that dairy farmers can’t afford to replace those assets without a major expansion, pushing the debt further down the road. Dairy exports are necessary to move product and increase dairy farm revenue, but they do not necessarily increase dairy farm prots. Hopefully Trump will nd a solution when looking at how trade agreements relate to domestic prices. What are main issues in agriculture that need to be addressed? First, the new administration needs to address immigration. Farmers need legal foreign workers. Over regulation: The regulatory burden on farmers and other business owners must be lifted. The Waters of the United States rule should be eliminated. Tax reform: Estate taxes should be repealed. Health care insurance: Farmers cannot afford individual, non-group policies. What aspects of the current ag policy do you think are working and should be maintained in the next four years? The crop insurance program seems to be working well. Tell us about your farm. Alberts Brothers Dairy is a six-generation farm. It consists of myself, two brothers, Dave and Rick, a nephew, Eric, and niece, Laura, as well as our families and employees. We milk 600 registered Holsteins, raise our own calves and produce our own feed. Turn to FROM OUR SIDE | Page 16
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
ConƟnued from FROM OUR SIDE | Page 15 Neil Metzger Lester, Iowa Lyon County 220 cows How do you think Donald Trump will do as president? I am optimistic that he will do a ne job. I think it is important that he lls up his cabinet with knowledgeable people who will help with his decision making. I think his lack of political experience may harm him at times. Obviously, he has a proven track record as a successful businessman and that experience should help him. What are topics President Trump needs to address when he is president? I think one of the top priorities needs to be repealing and replacing Obamacare. Health insurance prices are out of line and there needs to be reform in that area. Also, working to create a more peaceful world by defeating radical terrorism. Do you think President Trump will follow through on his anti-free trade rhetoric and how will that affect the dairy industry? I’m not sure what he will do. He seems to say bold things and ends up backing down. If he does follow through, it would probably have a somewhat negative effect based on the uncertainty it creates with other countries. What are main issues in agriculture that need to be addressed? Maintaining subsidy programs in the 2018 Farm Bill. What aspects of the current ag policy do you think are working and should be maintained in the next four years? The Ag Risk Coverage program (ARC-CO) and the Dairy Margin Protection Program (MMP). Tell us about your farm. I farm with my dad, Rodney, three brothers, Vance, Eric and Toby, and my sister, Emma. We milk 220 Registered Jerseys. My siblings and I will be the third generation to milk Jerseys on our farm. We farm 700 acres and also have 60 cow-calf pairs.
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Mike and Linda Hanson Good-Vue Farms Goodridge, Minn. Pennington County 127 cows How do you think Donald Trump will do as president? We are reserving judgement on our new presidents’ potential for success or failure. With little history to evaluate him on, inconsistency in positions from his past and near term, a lack of detail in his plans and a penchant to focus on trivial slights rather than more signicant policy issues, too much is unknown. If he exhibits rational leadership leading to a successful presidency, then hopefully most Americans will be successful as well. That we will support and celebrate. What are topics Trump needs to address when he is president? At this moment, our opinion is that President Trump would have a smoother and more successful path for his agenda by mending fences with the signicant number that did not support him and should make it an ongoing task. Second, reafrming U.S. relationships with our allies would better support his foreign policy agenda. Specic items he indicates he will address such as infrastructure improvements, health care/insurance and immigration are topics we agree merit attention. However, it remains to be seen if we will support the policies he may propose since there has been very few details offered to evaluate. Do you think Trump will follow through on his anti-free trade rhetoric and how will that affect the dairy industry? Arguably, some trade deals could probably benet from reassessment and restructuring to the advantage of ag producers and consumers. However, to limit or eliminate trade with other countries could be devastating and likely limit consumer choices as well. Dairy has recently felt the boom and bust of international demand. Jeopardizing those markets and making it more difcult to sell U.S. products abroad shouldn’t be an option. Once markets/customers are lost it is very challenging to get them back. We hope President Trump means something different than his rhetoric suggests. What are main issues in agriculture that need to be addressed? Beyond trade issues, getting to work soon on the 2018 farm bill should top the list of ag issues to tackle. An improved dairy program, continued support of crop insurance, and a renewed conservation title are most likely top priorities. Though we do not have employees outside of family, immigration should receive serious discussions. Food labeling that requires truthful information for consumers needs attention, and considering the current makeup of congress, nutrition programs will undoubtedly be addressed. It is likely there will be vigorous attempts to seriously reduce the farm bill budget again. Agriculture needs to develop logical farm policy that is good for all citizens to garner support. What aspects of the current ag policy do you think are working and should be maintained in the next four years? Beginning producer programs, crop insurance, and conservation programs such as CSP seem to have been working reasonably well and should remain in some form. ARC/PLC programs could use an examination of how yield information is determined, but may remain. Most programs, including nutrition titles, should be reexamined to identify needed improvements that among others include cost effectiveness and delivery systems with less bureaucracy. Tell us about your farm. Our farm is in the northwest corner of Minnesota, about an hour from the Canadian border. We have 127 cows – 75 percent registered Ayrshires and 25 percent registered Holsteins. In addition, we farm nearly 3,000 acres. Cash crops include soybeans, spring wheat and malting barley. The remaining acres are used for corn silage, dry hay and baleage for the dairy. Labor and management is supplied entirely by family which includes ourselves, Mike’s father, Lynn; and three sons, Matthew, Steven and David. David’s wife, Ashley Swenson DVM, also
Chuck Raethke Pepin, Wis. Pepin County 200 cows How do you think Donald Trump will do as president? It is safe to say Donald Trump is an unknown quantity at this point. He is inexperienced at governing at all and will have to rely on his appointments in cabinet positions to set the tone. He is putting forth a typical republican agenda – tax cuts to spur companies and job growth while cutting regulations, as well as trickle down economics. It remains to be seen if it will be successful. Hopefully, it is successful for the sake of everyone; we are all in the same boat. What are topics Trump needs to address when he is president? His anti-immigration rhetoric could impact agriculture in a huge way, cutting the labor supply would have an immediate impact on many farms. The repeal of Obamacare, if done poorly, would affect many rural Americans, many of whom voted for him. His proposed spending and tax cuts at this time point to increasing the national debt in the near term. Do you think Trump will follow through on his anti-free trade rhetoric and how will that affect the dairy industry? Trump may follow through on his protectionism ideas in the short term, to see how it unfolds and see how other countries react. Agriculture is a huge positive for U.S. trade, and we need foreign markets for a chance at protability. It could greatly affect the dairy industry and be a real bloodletting if it unfolds that way. What are main issues in agriculture that need to be addressed? Immigration reform if it unfolds according to campaign promises, would have a huge affect. If the EPA would enforce the U.S. waters legislation it would be a huge burden and impact on agriculture. What aspects of the current ag policy do you think are working and should be maintained in the next four years? With TPP and maybe NAFTA being repealed or renegotiated, a lot is in ux. Crop insurance is a big issue that offers some safety and seems to be necessary. If drastically changed, that certainly would affect protability. The MPP wasn’t initially effective for most, improving it would seem very important. It was a starting point. CRP is certainly necessary to keep marginal land out of production – it is important for wildlife that we all love to watch. Most of the land in CRP is simply not protable to farm anyway. Tell us about your farm. R Green Acres is operated by Jeff, Jon and Chuck Raethke. Jacob Raethke and Chris Noel are also employed here. We milk 200 cows and raise corn and alfalfa. Cows are housed in sand-bedded freestalls and milked in a double-10 parlor. Breeding bulls and extra females are marketed locally.
serves as a valuable advisor. Having sons graduating college with a desire to dairy, we jumped off the cliff in the fall of 2015 and began construction on a new dairy facility. Last September, the cows moved from 40 tiestalls to a cross ventilated freestall barn which includes two Lely robots and a Lely Vector robotic feeding system. The new barn also has 36 freestalls for dry cows and two maternity pens. A feed kitchen for the Vector and a heated shop are attached to one end. We are still growing cow numbers to reach the barns capacity while learning to manage in a different way. Heifers and calves continue to be housed in the old facilities.
Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 17
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
Repro Leaders
Transition barn helps Duncanson Farm achieve 26 percent preg rate tice them when pushing up feed, which is done three times a day, or bringing the cows to the parlor for milking. We also watch their behavior. We know our cows well, so if they seem to be more active we know something is up. Sometimes we don’t see them standing, but know they are in heat from the hair on their tailhead standing up or their hip being scuffed.
Duncanson Farm Pat, Dan and Michael Duncanson Winona, Minn. Winona County 110 cows What was your pregnancy rate average last year? Our herd had a pregnancy rate average of 26 percent. What is your voluntary waiting period for cows? For heifers? We have a 60-day voluntary waiting period for our herd.
How do you conrm pregnant or open cows? We conrm cows pregnant with milk samples through DHIA. We do this 11 times each year. For heifers, we always try to keep a good bull around to make sure they are pregnant.
What is your rst service conception rate? We had an average of 53 percent. What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? We watch for heats. I (Pat) do all the breeding on the farm. I only ovsync two or three cows per month. How do you observe heat? We visually watch heat whenever we are in freestall barn. I especially
for for the no-
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
The Duncansons – (from leŌ) Dan, Pat, holding Dustyn, and Michael – milk a herd of 110 cows that has an average pregnancy rate of 26 percent and a rst service concepƟon rate of 53 percent. They dairy near Winona, Minn.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 19
“Every tube pays back double so we start every lactation with Udder Comfort.” — Alan Dykshorn
DYKSHORN HOLSTEINS, IRETON, IOWA, Alan Dykshorn with Greenlea Ad Ae-Red-ET EX92 at 2016 World Dairy Expo 400 cows, RHA 25,500M, SCC 150-180,000
“Every tube pays back double so we start every lactation with Udder Comfort™,” says fourth generation dairyman Alan Dykshorn of Dykshorn Holsteins. They milk 400 registered Holsteins in Ireton, Iowa. They have been using the product for over 10 years. “We make sure to use it after each milking on our fresh cows, especially first-calf heifers, to remove swelling quickly during the first week. “In our first year of doing this, we saw our SCC average fall 100,000 lower on our first-calf heifers. We also saw lower counts on mature cows, but it was most noticeable on the 2-year-olds. They have less stress, and as a result, we see production increases of 1000 pounds per head per lactation.
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
ConƟnued from REPRO | Page 18
pay much attention to fertility or health traits. We mostly use bulls from Semex and Accelerated Genetics. Our oldest cow is 9 years old and in her seventh lactation. She is still doing well and really hasn’t had any problems, even during the lactation when she had twins. Those are the kind of cows we are looking for.
How are cows and heifers bred? Do you have a different philosophy for breeding both? Cows are bred while in the at parlor at milking time. For heifers, we might use a bull that is a little better for calving ease. We put a bull with the heifers after they have been bred by A.I. once. We do this because it’s important to get heifers calved in on time.
Other than that, there is no difference. What do you do to settle hard breeders? I will give a hard breeder a shot of GnRH at service time. The last chance service is a straw of Angus semen. How many times do you try to breed a cow before you sell her? We quit breeding at 200 days in milk. If they aren’t pregnant by then, we don’t need their problems. They have to be a really special cow to go past that point. Is there anything you have done or changed that brought about a signicant improvement in your reproductive program? We built a transition barn in 2010. If everything
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Cows rest in the transiƟon barn the Duncansons built in 2010. They said having that barn has helped them beƩer manage their transiƟon cows, which in turn has helped reproducƟon. goes well for cows at calving time and shortly after, getting cows pregnant is easy. We ran out of haylage in 2015 and had to feed fresh haylage for two weeks. I couldn’t get any cows pregnant for about 90 days after that. We had a pregnancy rate average at 32 percent at the time, but because of this challenge, it dropped to 22 percent. We are now working our way back up.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
This is the type of cow the Duncansons strive to breed in their herd: one that is 9 years old, in her seventh lactaƟon, rarely has problems and keeps up with milk producƟon.
Tell us about your farm. The farm consists of my parents, Dan and Lynda, me (Pat) and my wife, Heidi, and our three kids, along with my brother, Michael, and his wife, Rachel. We milk 110 registered Holsteins and farm 400 acres.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
The Duncansons milk their cows in a double-8 at barn parlor with eight milking units. The parlor is where they breed their cows.
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ARTICULATED 4WD TRACTORS 2 JD 9620R, 2015, 620 hp, 455 hrs., #125913..................................$399,000 6 JD 9560R, 2012, 560 hp, 1681 hrs., #133796..................................$249,000 1 JD 9560R, 2013, 560 hp, 2226 hrs., #127914..................................$235,000 1 JD 9630, 2010, 530 hp, 1746 hrs., #123341..................................$209,000 3 JD 9630, 2011, 530 hp, 1925 hrs., #134865..................................$204,000 7 JD 9430, 2011, 425 hp, 2200 hrs., #134950..................................$189,500 5 JD 9630, 2008, 530 hp, 3004 hrs., #135019..................................$169,000 6 JD 9620, 2006, 500 hp, 4700 hrs., #134870..................................$148,000 2 JD 9520, 2006, 450 hp, 5016 hrs., #110315..................................$141,500 5 JD 9300, 1997, 360 hp, 4445 hrs., #132726.................................... $79,000 8 JD 9400, 1996, 425 hp, 6200 hrs., #134367.................................... $79,000 5 JD 9400, 1998, 425 hp, 8346 hrs., #134904.................................... $59,900 FIELD CULTIVATORS 6 CIH 200, 2011, #129150 ...... $55,000 8 JD 2210, 2011, #106313 ..... $52,900 5 JD 2210, 2009, #131140 ..... $44,900 1 JD 2210, 2005, #120515 ..... $39,500 5 JD 2210, 2006, #119500 ..... $37,900 11 JD 2210, 2007, #102810 ..... $37,900 2 Case TIGER MATE II, #129749.................................... $25,000 2 JD 985, 1995, #130971 ........ $18,000 MOWER CONDITIONERS 2 JD 946, 2014, #126997 ........ $32,000 7 JD 946, 2014, #126629 ........ $30,900 10 JD 956, 2013, #121134 ........ $28,900 1 JD 956, 2011, #126054 ........ $27,900 9 JD 830, 2015, #134944 ........ $25,900 11 JD 946, 2011, #126500 ........ $25,500 6 NH H7150, 2012, #126620.................................... $24,500 10 JD 835, 2012, #130580 ........ $24,000 8 JD 946, 2009, #132018 ........ $23,500 11 JD 635, 2013, #134300 ........ $21,900 10 NH H7150, 2011, #122976.................................... $19,900 8 JD 835, 2008, #131315 ........ $18,500 11 JD 946, 2005, #130363 ........ $17,500 12 JD 635, 2008, #126498 ........ $15,900 PLANTERS: DRAWN 1 JD DB44, 2014, #114004 ...$169,000 8 JD DB44, 2015, #132329 ...$169,000 6 JD DB66, 2009, #101972 ...$149,000 4 JD 1770NT, 2014, #134722..................................$127,330 4 JD 1770NT CCS, 2013, #125129..................................$115,000 5 JD 1770NT CCS, 2012 #135066..................................$105,900
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#133944.................................... $22,900 11 NH BR7090, 2008, 123046 .. $21,900 2 JD 458 SILAGE SPECIAL, 2010, #132415 .............................. $19,500 10 JD 458, 2009, #131244 ........ $18,900 11 JD 568, 2007, #131763 ........ $18,900 10 JD 582 SILAGE SPECIAL, 2006 #132056.................................... $18,500 7 JD 457, 2005, #134613 ........ $17,900 8 JD 568, 2007, #131030 ........ $17,500 8 JD 457, 2006, #134509 ........ $15,900 UTILITY TRACTORS 8 JD 6175R, 2015, 650 hrs., #135147..................................$148,000 2 JD 6155R, 2015, 155 hp, 170 hrs., #134317..................................$129,900 1 JD 6155R, 2015, 155 hp, 179 hrs., #124983..................................$129,500 1 JD 6145R, 2015, 145 hp, 293 hrs., #120190..................................$124,900 4 JD 6145R, 2015, 145 hp, 268 hrs., #120191..................................$122,900 9 JD 6150R, 2013, 150 hp, 698 hrs., #127915..................................$119,000 6 CIH MAGNUM 180, 2010, 180 hp, 1227 hrs., #131001 ..............$103,500 11 JD 7920, 2003, 170 hp, 4910 hrs., #134912.................................... $94,900 6 CIH 145 PUMA, 2013, 145 hp, 755 hrs., #134447................... $84,500 4 JD 6430, 2010, 120 hp, 2500 hrs., #131347.................................... $80,000 7 JD 6430, 2008, 115 hp, 1346 hrs., #132066.................................... $79,500 8 JD 6430, 2010, 120 hp, 696 hrs., #128336.................................... $72,500 4 JD 7420, 2007, 115 hp, 4776 hrs., #134043.................................... $64,900 10 JD 6430, 2008, 120 hp, 3072 hrs., #125897.................................... $64,500 4 JD 7420, 2007, 115 hp, 5301 hrs., #134042.................................... $58,900 8 JD 4955, 1989, 210 hp, 8190 hrs., #133760.................................... $52,900 10 JD 7520, 2007, 13300 hrs., #134769.................................... $34,900 6 JD 4555, 1991, 155 hp, 11500 hrs., #133681.................................... $32,500 1 JD 4255, 1991, 120 hp, 11822 hrs., #133470.................................... $27,900 10 JD 4440, 1981, 130 hp, 9095 hrs., #123224.................................... $26,900 10 International 5488, 1982, 185 hp, 8140 hrs., #129314 ................ $24,500 4 JD 6120R, 2015, 120 hp, 132 hrs., #124875..................................$118,900 4 JD 6110R, 2016, 110 hp, 110 hrs., #133619..................................$112,000 2 JD 6125R, 2014, 125 hp, 225 hrs., #127948..................................$106,000 4 JD 6110R, 2015, 110 hp, 104 hrs., #119898..................................$105,900
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SPARTA, Wis. - With corn, as with real estate, location matters. A hybrid that performs well in the southern part of a state might not yield so well farther north. That’s why it pays to choose a variety with the proper relative maturity (RM). Joe Lauer, a corn specialist in the University of Wisconsin-Madison Agronomy Department, spoke at an agronomy update meeting Jan. 6 in Sparta, Wis., where he presented, “Optimum Relative Maturity for Yield and Protability in Corn.” “Relative maturity is determined by comparing the grain moisture of hybrids. Corn is mature when the kernels reach their maximum weight,” Lauer said. The best RM depends on how a corn variety is harvested, stored and used on each farm. “Corn for silage is ready as early as 10 to 15 days before maximum kernel dry weight is reached,” Lauer said. “But corn picked for grain isn’t ready until the grain moisture content reaches 23 to 28 percent.” Since little data existed for corn RM recommendations in Wisconsin, UW-Madison agronomists decided to ll in the blanks. They set out to nd the best RM for various locations in the Badger State. In 1995, research trials began at nine Wisconsin locations and continue. They include Chippewa Falls, in the northwest part of the state, and Janesville, Arlington and Lancaster in the southern area. In between, trials were also held at Hancock and Marsheld, in the central region, and at Seymour, Fond du Lac and Valders, in the east. “Each trial consists of two or more hybrids for each ve-day relative maturity increment from 80 to 115 days, for a total of 14 to 16 hybrids per trial,” Lauer explained. “The hybrids are top-performing hybrids selected from the UW corn evaluation program.” To calculate the top hybrids in each RM range, yield, moisture content and test weight are considered. Next, returns to growers are gured. That’s done by multiplying the commodity price of corn by the yield, and then subtracting production costs. Handling costs are pegged at two cents a bushel, while hauling is charged at four cents per bushel. Trucking tacks on 11 cents per bushel, and storage is assigned a cost of two cents a bushel per month. In addition, the researchers assume that 25 percent of the corn was shipped in March, after four months of storage, and that another 25 percent was sold in July, after four more months in storage, Lauer said. Since many farmers feed some or all of their corn, instead of selling it, the researchers also calculated costs for livestock systems. There, the trucking cost was eliminated and storage was assigned a cost of one cent per bushel, per month. Drying costs were also included in the costs for both systems. These costs ranged from zero to six cents per bushel for every percentage point of moisture above 15.5 percent. The six-cent cost was assigned to a high-energy drying system, while the four-cent cost went with a commercial drying method, Lauer said. On-farm drying got a two-cent cost, while a livestock production system had no drying cost. “As might be expected, longer-season hybrids have greater potential for higher yields at most locations,” Lauer said. “In southern Wisconsin, as RM increases, grain yield increases 2.2 bushels per acre.” For example, said Lauer, at Arlington, grain yield reaches its maximum when the relative maturity is 110 days. But, the relationship between longer maturity and yield doesn’t always hold true. “At Marsheld, no relationship between grain yield and relative maturity exists, over multiple years Turn to
Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 23
A proposal with Moonlite Kruschke, Jensen engaged alongside favorite cow By Brittany Olson
brittany.o@dairystar.com
NEW RICHMOND, Wis. – When most women think about their dream proposal, a romantic night with ample amounts of moonlight comes to mind. For Jake Kruschke and Jade Jensen, a different kind of moonlight was involved – as in, Moonlite the cow. The couple became engaged at Crisdhome Farms, Jan. 10, which also happens to be Jensen and Moonlite’s birthday. The cow, Crisdhome Midnight Moonlite, is scored Excellent-94 and happens to be Kruschke’s favorite cow. “Ever since I started coming around Crisdhome, my birthday has never been just mine,” Jensen wrote in a Facebook post announcing the couple’s engagement. Kruschke and Jensen, who grew up on a dairy farm in Missouri, rst met at World Dairy Expo in 2012, and then ran into each other at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky., a few weeks later while Jensen was working on the Jersey sale crew. “We actually hated each other for a little bit after departing Louisville and didn’t talk for awhile,” Jensen
BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Jake Kruschke and Jade Jensen, pictured with Crisdhome Midnight Moonlite, got engaged on Jan. 10, which also happens to be Jade and Moonlite’s birthday.
said. However, those feelings quickly dissipated and sparks began to y. After Christmas, Kruschke went to Missouri to visit Jensen and made plans for her to drive north to Crisdhome soon thereafter, while she was
still on Christmas break. It was when Jensen visited for the rst time that a birthday tradition was born. For the past four years, Jensen and Moonlite have taken a picture together with a shared birthday cake. Over the next couple of years,
Kruschke and Jensen continued to grow their relationship despite being states apart and Jensen still being in college. Jensen would come and visit while she was on holiday breaks from school in odd months like January and March. During the Turn to MOONLITE | Page 25
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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 25
ConƟnued from MOONLITE | Page 23
summer, while she was traveling the country clipping cattle, Kruschke would drive to Missouri during even months. After Jensen graduated in 2014, she moved to New Richmond to be with Kruschke. And, in November of 2015, they made the move into the farmhouse together. Despite staying together through a long-distance phase, and Jensen incorporating some of her beloved Guernseys into a well-known herd of Holsteins, she doesn’t consider herself a patient woman. “I gave up on getting a ring from him two years ago,” she said. For Kruschke, the pressure to propose reached a fever pitch in November last year when Jensen’s younger sister became engaged. “That put some extreme heat on me,” Kruschke said. Kruschke and Jensen traveled to Missouri to visit her family over Christmas for ve days, and Kruschke helped Jensen’s dad milk while there. He waited until after their last milking together to ask Jensen’s father for her hand in marriage. “Her dad said this is the most patient he’s seen her act toward anything,” Kruschke said.
“I overcame two of my worst fears: ring shopping by myself and driving in the Twin Cities during a snowstorm.” JAKE KRUSCHKE, DAIRY PRODUCER
With Jensen’s birthday falling on a Tuesday this year, Kruschke prepared himself and bought a diamond ring the day before he was planning to ask. “I overcame two of my worst fears: ring shopping by myself and driving in the Twin Cities dur-
ConƟnued from CORN | Page 22
ing a snowstorm,” Kruschke said. The day of the planned proposal, Kruschke went into town to pick up supplies to make a cake for Jensen and – supposedly – Moonlite. On Tuesday morning, he made Jensen breakfast, which she said almost never happens. That evening, Jensen had got off work, gone to her exercise class and then out to supper with a couple of friends while Kruschke was doing chores. He texted her and asked when she’d be coming home because they had a picture to take. “I thought, ‘No way, he really made a cake? He must have gone to town to get one because I know there weren’t any in the cabinet.’ That’s why I hadn’t already made one,” Jensen said. What Jensen didn’t know was that Kruschke did make a cake – a pink one with, “Will you marry me?” written in white icing. He cut a piece out of the cake, put the ring box inside and covered the space with cardboard so as not to dirty the ring box with frosting. Jensen and her friends went to the ofce in the heifer barn where Kruschke was waiting. Kruschke told her to go get Moonlite up and ready for the picture. Moonlite, lounging in one of the dry cow pens, did not want to get up so they knelt beside her. When Jensen looked back, wondering where Kruschke was to join her, she turned around and, much to her surprise, found Kruschke on one knee with the cake and glittering ring. “I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Jensen said. Jensen’s friends stayed as the photographers, and the newly engaged couple took a picture with Moonlite immediately afterward, as is tradition at Crisdhome Farms. For now, Kruschke and Jensen haven’t picked a date for their wedding. They are enjoying this special time in their lives together – and with Moonlite, who is now 13 years old. More than anything, they’re looking forward to a long and happy marriage lled with love, laughter and cows.
of testing,” Lauer said. The agronomist offered numbers for maximum grain yield and for optimum economic yield, as they apply to RM. At Arlington, the highest maximum yield over the years has come from 110-day hybrids. But the top economic yield has come from 100-day hybrids. Lauer explained that the value of the corn and the drying cost change the outcome. Near Janesville, the top yield has come from 108day hybrids, while the best economic yield has been with 106-day hybrids. It’s a similar story at the other test locations: 117-day RM at Lancaster for the maximum yield, but a 104-day hybrid for the best economic return. Here are the rest of the results: Fond du Lac –105day hybrid vs. 100-day; Hancock – 108-day vs. 99day; Chippewa Falls – 105-day vs. 97-day; Seymour – 108-day vs. 97-day; and Valders – 107-day vs. 96day. At Marsheld, as mentioned earlier, researchers were not able to establish a maximum yield and RM link. But Lauer did note that the RM for maximum economic yield at Marsheld is 90 days. Generally, said Lauer, the highest yields come from full-season hybrids that are planted early. But many short-season varieties yield competitively and are drier when they are harvested. “Farmers need to consider the economic tradeoff between yielding ability and drying costs,” Lauer said. “Full-season hybrids provide the greatest potential for maximizing yield and protability. Plant several hybrid maturities each year to spread the harvest season and reduce the risk of losses from moisture stress at pollination or early frost.” He added that the traditional approach is to plant a mix of relative maturities based on the amount of risk the grower is willing to take on. For example, 25 percent of the acres might go to full-season hybrids, with another 25 percent going to short-season hybrids, and then 50 percent of the ground being planted to mid-season varieties. “The best approach,” said Lauer, “may be to select hybrid maturities based solely on the intended use and drying method.”
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On Jan. 9, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) started offering an early termination opportunity for certain Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts, making it easier to transfer property to the next generation of farmers and ranchers, including family members. The land that is eligible for the early termination is among the least environmentally sensitive land enrolled in CRP. FSA News & Notes The practices eligible for early termination are as follows: • CP1, establishment of permanent introduced grasses and legumes • CP2, establishment of permanent native grasses • CP3, tree planting • CP10, grass already established • CP11, trees already established All other practices are not eligible for the land tenure provisions. This change to the CRP program is just one of many By Ryan Brunn that USDA has implemented based on recommendaStearns Co. Exec. Dir. tions from the Land Tenure Advisory Subcommittee formed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in 2015. Normally, if a landowner terminates a CRP contract early, they are required to repay all previous payments plus interest. The new policy waives this repayment if the land is transferred to a beginning farmer or rancher through a sale or lease with an option to buy. With CRP enrollment close to the congressionally-mandated cap of 24 million acres, the early termination will also allow USDA to enroll other land with higher conservation value elsewhere. Acres terminated early from CRP under these land tenure provisions will be eligible for priority enrollment consideration into the CRP grasslands, if eligible; or the conservation stewardship program or environmental quality incentives program, as determined by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. According to the Tenure, Ownership and Transition of Agricultural Land survey, conducted by USDA in 2014, U.S. farmland owners expect to transfer 93 million acres to new ownership during 2015-19. This represents 10 percent of all farmland across the nation. For more information about CRP and to nd out if your acreage is eligible for early contract termination, contact your Farm Service Agency (FSA) ofce or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/crp. To locate your FSA ofce, visit http://ofces.usda.gov.
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day catch up to the other calves their age and be good replacements. Hope that all the penicillin, drenching uids and time given to the mothers of these two calves will pay off, and they will be able to keep up with the rest of the herd. When I walk into the barn and see the two cows that calved early eating at the bunk and full of milk; two other cows that had slipped and thanks to our oat tank therapy, are walking again; and the young calves crying for more milk, I know why God put me here. Because even when I can’t save every cow, I am still making a difference. Not reaching my goal doesn’t mean I had a bad year, but rather a challenging one that drives me to keep striving. The year 2017 is going to be a wild ride. I exceeded my goals for reproduction and our number of cows due to calve in June, July and August is at a record high. Oh, and did I mention I’m also getting
The Transition Pen
By John & Laura Rosenhammer Father/Daughter Farming Duo As a new year begins, it is time to analyze all that happened on the farm in 2016. Last January, I sat down with my dad and uncle to discuss how 2015 had gone and to make goals for 2016. Two of my top goals were to decrease the number of cows and youngstock that died on the farm and to decrease mastitis infections in our fresh heifers. My strategy to attain these goals involved both prevention and treatment. I followed our vet’s protocol for our farm on which vaccines to give, checked on cows that were down in milk or not eating, gave treatment as needed, recorded everything I did and called the vet for help when I was stumped. Yet, we still lost more cows on the farm in 2016 than 2015. How could this happen? Luckily, I keep a log on each cow that is sold or has died, write down the situation and what was done for her. The day after discovering a cow had died from hardware, I ordered magnets for the entire herd. After losing a cow to toxic mastitis that wasn’t detected soon enough, I rely on my rumination collars to alert me whenever a cow is eating less so I can check on her right away. When a fresh cow isn’t taking off, I take a blood sample before treating her just in case there is something more than low calcium. I started changing the needle each time I give a shot in order to prevent leukosis. If a cow slips and isn’t up within a few hours, we put them in a water tank for therapy. When a calf looks off, we give them electrolytes right away and if they don’t improve, I I.V. them with lactated ringers to keep them hydrated and stay ahead of whatever bug is attacking them. All of these practices give me hope. Hope that even when a cow doesn’t show much interest in trying to get up after a fall, I’m doing the best I can for her. Hope that all the extra attention I’ve given to our two premature heifer calves will allow them to some-
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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 27
married in July? I remember my dad saying he was breeding an awful lot of cows. I told him to relax because there is no way they could all get pregnant. Like everyone else, I’m hoping to see cull cow and heifer prices increase as we will need to sell to make room. With bull calf prices where they are, sexed semen is looking more appealing as well. My number one goal is to work with consultants and draw out a clear path to how our farm is going to transition, and I can start gaining equity. Once that is progressing, I want to make a timeline for adding a third milking and adding onto the freestall barn, which is all contingent upon when we can get a lagoon set up, (hopefully this fall) as we have very limited manure storage. I look forward to working with many talented dairy consultants via AgStar and Farm Business Management to set up strategies to meet these goals.
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
A small herd with big dreams Fourth, fth generations come together on Cross-Town Dairy up buying three show calves and began milking them in July 2012. ELLSWORTH, Wis. – “After Aaron lost his job of Nellie Thibault always had at 11 years with Ford Motor Comleast one or two dairy cows pany, we made the decision to around when she was growing start a small dairy,” Nellie said. up. The herd has since grown She, along with her dad, to 11 milking cows. As all three Jeff Mark, and her husband, farmers will attest, their farm is Aaron, milk 11 cows at Cross- small in every way. Their acreTown Dairy. With her dad being age at the home farm consists a fourth-generation dairyman, of 10 acres, and they farm anNellie is now a now fth-gener- other 35. ation dairy farmer and Aaron a “Because we all work off rst-generation farmer in addi- the farm, 10 to 15 cows is ideal tion to all three of them holding for us,” said Nellie. “We purfull-time off-farm jobs. chase all of our hay, but grow The farm’s newly designed our own corn.” logo is a testament to the two The farm’s size also allows generations coming together, for zero debt, because the three with a cow inside a triangle. dairymen are able to complete “Triangles have three sides, building projects on their own. and the three of us are coming For the past two years, their together as one on our farm,” biggest project has been buildNellie explained. ing a new shed for their heifers Mark milked a small herd – a huge project which they are of cows in nine tiestalls in a particularly proud of. modied shed next to their “We dug the post holes ourhouse near Ellsworth, Wis., selves and poured the cement and the cows are still milked in ourselves,” Aaron said. those same stalls today. Mark welded the gates The cows left for several separating each of the three years when Mark got into an pens in the shed, and two large accident, but Nellie still held overhead doors were installed on the east and west ends to let fresh air and allow a skid steer to maneuver with relative ease. Automatic waterers were also installed so the heifers NELLIE THIBAULT, DAIRY PRODUCER could have access to fresh water no matter what the temperout hope for being a dairy farm- ature was outside. er someday. Aaron also enjoyed “I was worried during a showing dairy cattle after being couple of days where it was introduced to it by his wife and 30 degrees below zero, but the just couldn’t shake the show waterers held up just ne,” said bug. Nellie. Eventually, the cows found In addition to building up their way back to Cross-Town their facilities, building up the Dairy. When the couple got herd’s genetics is also front and married in 2011, they ended center at Cross-Town Dairy. By Brittany Olson
brittany.o@dairystar.com
“Because we all work off the farm, 10 to 15 cows is ideal for us.”
BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Aaron and Nellie Thibault, with Jeff Mark, milk 11 cows at Cross-Town Dairy near Ellsworth, Wis. Now that those rst three show calves the Thibaults purchased are all grown up, they are focusing on purchasing animals from proven cow families and breeding for show ring success. For example, they purchased Harvue Braxton Fallon, a great-granddaugther of two-time World Dairy Expo supreme champion Harvue Roy Frosty, Excellent-97. The Thibaults also own MilkSource Absolute Winter, a daughter of the 2016 All-Wisconsin cow, Dupasquier Contender Whitney-Red, Excellent-94. “Winter earned reserve junior champion at the Central Wisconsin State Fair this year,” said Aaron. The Thibaults have also found success with their homebred animals in the show ring. Cross-Town Sanchez Lily won her class as a junior 2-year-old cow at the Pierce County Fair and was also named honorable mention grand champion of the open show.
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“We like to let kids show our animals, as well, to get that experience. Brittany Bechel from Elmwood, Wis., is 8 years old and took a heifer named Pickles to the county fair last summer,” Nellie said. The Thibaults also show at the district Holstein show held annually in northwest Wisconsin every year, in addition to the Pierce County Fair and Central Wisconsin State Fair. They also plan to add more shows to their schedule in the future. “There’s a lot of great established breeders in this part of the state, so we’re happy just to place in the middle of the pack,” Aaron said. Nellie and Aaron agreed that, while it’s fun to win, showing is about more than the ribbons. Both husband and wife concurred that building friendships and meeting new people is the best reward. “We’ve been at the bottom of the class before, so it feels really good when you come out on top or even in the middle,”
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said Nellie. Sires such as Gold Chip, Barbwire *RC and Brazzle are listed on many of the calves’ ear tags at Cross-Town Dairy. As well as breeding for type, calving ease is also taken into account. Looking forward, Mark and both Thibaults want to focus on keeping their farm small while continuing to update and build new facilities as their herd evolves. “We’d also like to have a person on the farm full-time. With all of us working out, it’s a challenge,” Mark said. Purchasing smaller parcels of land is also on their to-do list as they become available and making plans for grain storage is at the top of their minds, also. One thing is for sure at Cross-Town Dairy though: even though their farm is small, they’ve got some big dreams coming to life. “There are always projects and goals for us to achieve,” said Nellie.
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Manure safety: recognizing hydrogen sulde
Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 29
Manure gases can be deadly. Hydrogen sulde (H2S) is one of those gases. Dangerous H2S levels were measured in barns where deep bedded pack was being removed and around outdoor stored manure basins that were being agitated. Hydrogen sulde was implicated in incidents of human and animal deaths and injuries on dairy farms in Pennsylvania and Maryland in 2012 and 2013. Human and animal deaths are rare, but all deaths are tragic and preventable if you remember that stored manure can generate and give off dangerous levels of H2S. Not all stored manure generates dangerous H2S concentrations. Moderately priced H2S detectors can be used to measure H2S concentrations to avoid exposure. There are other practices that can help reduce your H2S exposure and risk during bedded pack removal and manure agitation and handling. Hydrogen sulde is a colorless gas commonly known By Kevin Janni for its characteristic rotten egg odor. Physiological effects of U of M Extension H2S exposures are listed in Table 1. Prolonged exposure to H2S at low concentrations reduces your ability to detect its presence so your sense of smell is not a good indicator after even only a few minutes of H2S exposure. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recommends a 5 parts per million (ppm) short term exposure limit (10 minutes) concentration for H2S. At 100 ppm, H2S is considered an immediate danger to life and health. Hydrogen sulde is a by-product of anaerobic breakdown of sulfur containing material. Sulfur can come from drinking water, concentrate-based feeds and dried distiller’s grains soluble (DDGS). Sulfur is also in gypsum (calcium sulfate, CaSO4·2H2O) which is used as a bedding material and copper sulfate (CuSO4) which is used in footbaths. Waste milk protein contains sulfur, too. Animal manure stored in bedded packs and manure storage basins become anaerobic where sulfate reducing bacteria generate H2S. Hydrogen sulde emissions depend on manure crusting, pH and temperature. Uncovered manure storage basins that store liquid after solid-liquid separation may not form a crust and tend to have less H2S in the stored liquid manure. Manure storage basins with either natural crusts or a plastic cover would be expected to have higher H2S levels. Deep manure packs may also generate and accumulate H2S. Accumulated H2S is released when manure in basins is agitated prior to removal or the deep bedded pack is broken into for removal. Hydrogen sulde release can present an immediate danger to people and animals depending on concentration and exposure duration. The greatest risk is during the rst hour of agitation. Hydrogen sulde gas is heavier than air, so it tends to stay close to the ground and collect in low spots if not dispersed by other means. Its dispersion after being released from stored manure depends on many factors including distance from the source, wind speed and direction, nearby obstructions and sunshine. Increasing separation distance allows more time and space for H2S to disperse to less dangerous concentrations. People or animals next to agitated manure or inside buildings may be exposed to dangerous gas levels very quickly. Higher wind speeds help disperse H2S out of doors. People standing upwind of an agitated manure storage will experience lower H2S concentrations compared to people downwind of an agitated source. Nearby buildings and low spots can create dead areas where H2S can remain at dangerous concentrations. Sunny weather warms the ground and causes air to rise which helps disperse emitted gases. Human and animal deaths and near-lethal exposures during open-air manure storage agitation led to a Penn State study on manure gas risks associated with gypsum bedding use. Observations and recommendations from Penn State fact sheets include: • Gypsum bedding adds sulfur to manure that can lead to dangerous levels of H2S gas at agitation; however, not all farms with gypsum bedding have safety problems. • Keep non-essential people away during agitation, especially children who are at increased risk as H2S is typically at higher concentration close to the ground. Nearby cattle are also at risk. • Secure storage from entry; provide rescue and fall protection; gas monitors are recommended. • Manure moving–mixing–agitation creates highest gas levels for the rst hour. Leave the area. • Crust–free manure and additives seem to allow continuous H2S release, lowering agitation risk. • Gypsum benets for cow bedding and agronomic values must be balanced against the potential gas hazard.
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Outdoor manure storage agitation. More information about the Penn State study and fact sheets about handling manure with gypsum is available at http://z.umn.edu/gypsum. Minnesota has a H2S property line standard of 50 ppb (30 min average) that cannot be exceeded more than two times per year and a 30 ppb (30 min average) that cannot be exceeded more than two times in ve consecutive days. These limits are 400 times lower than the concentrations that possibly cause fatigue, appetite loss, headaches and dizziness. Table 1. Physiological responses to hydrogen sulde (H2S) (OSHA, 2017). Concentration in Parts Per Million Effect on Humans Odor threshold 0.01-1.5 Prolonged exposure may cause nausea, 2-5 eye tearing, headaches, sleep loss Possible fatigue, loss of appetite, headache, irritability, poor memory, 20 dizziness Eye inammation and respiratory tract 50-100 irritation after one hour Coughing, eye irritation, loss of smell after 100 2-15 minute exposure Marked eye inammation and respiratory 200-300 tract irritation after one hour Staggering, collapse in ve minutes, loss of consciousness and possible death in 30-60 500-700 minutes Rapid unconsciousness within 1-2 breaths 700-1,000 and death within minutes Nearly instant death 1,000-2,000 Source: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/hydrogensulde/hazards.html
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Cold nights, hot reads Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
Many people nd that winter time brings on more time to read. Cold nights lend themselves to being curled up in a blanket with a book that takes them somewhere else. Generally, somewhere that doesn’t involve trying to stay upright on the ice or shovel snow. I’ve been trying lots of books to get me out of the never-ending ice storm system we seem to be in. Here are some of our favorites as of late, from books for the young ones to books for the parents and grandparents. Otis and the Kittens by Loren Long and Tractor Mac and the Family Reunion by Billy Steers. These two series of books both star a red tractor. Tractor Mac is a Farmall tractor, while Otis doesn’t specify. The red tractor lovers alternative to Johnny Tractor (John Deere’s book series), they are wonderfully written and illustrated. The inside cover of all Tractor Mac books shows a detailed drawing of all the parts of the beloved tractor and one of his friends. Otis’ adven-
tures involve saving one of his animal friends; a calf that loved his putt-puff-puttedy-chuff noise or a stuck kitten. Henry is a huge fan of both of the tractors and would read them daily if possible. Escape from Baxters’ Barn by Rebecca Bond. The perfect book for families that loved Charlotte’s Web, or just like books with farm animals in them. It begins when the one-eyed cat named Burdock is warming up under the stove in the house and overhears the two Baxter brothers ghting. The end result is hearing that Dewey plans to burn down the barn. Burdock takes it upon himself to warn the other animals, and they must hatch a plan. Tug and Pull, the work horses, Fluff, the sheep, Mrs. Brown, the milk cow, Figgy, the pig, and others devise an admirable plan to save themselves. The illustrations are beautiful and the wording describes the animals’ personalities in depth. The boys in my house all loved this book. An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo.
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This is a WWII young adult read and is based on two true accounts. In 1945 Dresden, Germany, Lizzie and Karli’s mother worked at the zoo. The director of the zoo gave the orders that all large animals were to be shot if they were in danger of getting bombed; an effort to keep the animals from harming people on Ramblings from the Ridge the streets. Marlene, the baby elephant, was in danger. The girls’ mother convinces the director to let her take Marlene home to live in their garden, and she becomes part of their family. When the bombs do start coming, their adventures traveling to safer ground become more interesting with their elBy Jacqui Davison ephant family member. A very different kind of war Columnist story and a very beautiful one. Try and not get attached to the elephant. Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. Another young adult novel, Ira’s teacher had read it aloud in class, and Ira really enjoyed it. It is action packed, loaded with Greek Mythology references and written well enough that it leaves you wanting to know what will happen next. The series itself has spawned a few movies, but, like most adaptations of books, the book has more details and things were changed in the movies. Percy is labeled as a troublemaker by his school, and his mother takes him to Camp Half-Blood where he discovers his dad is none other than Poseidon, the God of the Sea. When he is accused of stealing the very important lightning bolt, he and his friends must embark upon a quest to return it. Call of the Wild (Can You Survive?) by Jack London, adapted by Ryan Jacobson. Most of us remember the Choose Your Own Adventure books from our youth. This is a whole new version. In this, you become Buck, the dog, and must make decisions throughout to survive. Dad got this for the boys for Christmas. They loved it, but turns out that thinking like a human when you are a dog is dangerous. A great read for boys. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. A curmudgeon who never appears to smile or enjoy life, Ove has a very sad past, and you can’t help but want to love him. He appreciates order in his life and has very little tolerance for ignorant humans, much less an aggravating cat. Published in Sweden, it will have you laughing hysterically one chapter, and the next will move you to tears. I promise you will relate Ove to a person in your own life and will enjoy this book. Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly. For those of you who’ve read The Nightingale, this is a great addition to your WWII reading repertoire. Based on the lives of three women, it takes you from the French consulate in New York, to Poland as a young girl being drawn into the resistance, to Germany to see the world through the eyes of a young female doctor. Eventually their paths cross and what happens will have you shaking your head in utter disbelief. Stay warm, and keep on reading. Jacqui and her family milk 700 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wis. Her boys, Ira (10), Dane (8), and Henry (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 boys, 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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I’m taking The Kindness Challenge I feel like tension between people lately has been running on the high side. It seems to be everywhere. A large part of that is due to the political climate. People are polarized about our new president. I’ve seen the hate-lled comments come A Little Bit of Sunshine from both sides. It gets ugly. It’s not pretty. Living in the upper Midwest in January doesn’t necessary help the situation. Fewer days of sun makes some of people’s happiness slip away for a short time. Plus, we’ve been dealing with ice, and now a snowstorm at least in the southeast corner of Minnesota. I know that’s what we deal with here, but when the weather starts to interfere with driving, jobs and even makes walking outside treacherous (in the case of the ice) it can be wearing. By Krista Kuzma Let’s just say people everywhere could use a little more sunshine and happiness in their lives Assistant Editor right now. Good Morning America recently featured a segment about The Great Kindness Challenge. Over 10 million kids in 12,000 schools have signed up for the challenge, which encourages the kids to take on as many simple acts of kindness as they can. They even have a list on their website for the students to follow if they need a few ideas. There are other organizations and days dedicated to reminding people to be kind. The Random Acts of Kindness Foundation celebrates Random Acts of Kindness week Feb. 12-18, April 30 is Pay It Forward day and Nov. 13 is World Kindness Day. But kindness should go beyond these dedicated days. Can you imagine our world if everyone focused on being a little kinder to each other every day? Anyone can be kind and the act doesn’t have to be a grand display. It can be as easy as saying hello, giving a smile, complimenting a person or saying thank you. A few of the examples on the acts of kindness list for kids taking The Kindness Challenge include: draw a picture and give it to someone, say thank you to the crossing guard, invite a new friend Can you iimagine C i our world ld to play, lend a pencil to a if everyone focused on being friend, whisper thank you to the librarian and sit a little kinder to each other with a new group of kids at lunch. Although these every day? are geared towards kids, they can easily be turned into things adults can do, too. I’m going to take on the kindness challenge myself to be more conscious about my actions and add a little more kindness to each of my days. I want to make sure to smile and laugh a little more, while complaining and judging less. Sure, that may seem simple or small, but wouldn’t you prefer to meet someone with a smile on their face rather than a frown? I’ll try to be more understanding when my patience wears thin and I want to help out my neighbors a little more. They are constantly kind to us by blowing snow off our sidewalk if we haven’t gotten to it yet. I also want to write a few, out-of-the-blue thank you letters and actually hand-write a few letters to friends I haven’t talked to in awhile. Texts or emails are ne, but handwriting a letter just seems more personal to me. Plus, I love getting snail mail, especially when it’s unexpected. Social media is an area where all of us could give out kindness a little more freely. Words typed can be just as mean as ones spoken. So, will you join me? Let’s all be a little kinder to one another. What will your random acts of kindness be?
Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 31
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Aging gracefully Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
I was shopping for farm jeans at Saver’s last month when an announcement came across the intercom. “Attention shoppers, today there is a 30 percent discount for shoppers over 55.” I thought, too bad I wasn’t that old. When I put my clothes on the checkout counter, the clerk asked me if I wanted the senior discount. I told her I wouldn’t qualify for another month. She said that was close enough. Now I didn’t know what to think. Did I look that old? I sure didn’t feel in my mid-fties. Before I could process the thought of using the senior discount, the clerk announced that I saved over $15. Maybe getting older isn’t such a bad deal after all. I don’t think I’ve changed much over the years. I still wear jeans and t-shirts every day. I just don’t tuck the shirts in anymore. I always have my hair tucked up in a baseball cap. I still look like one of the guys.
While the clothes are still of a young style, they are covering an older body. I don’t spring up from my milking squats as quickly. I will grab a tail and pull myself up or push up on a stall divider. I prefer to walk across the yard instead of jog. I don’t seem to be in such a hurry to get tools for repairing broken water cups. But when cattle are out, I can still run them down as long as they don’t run too fast. I’m trying to age gracefully in my own style. I bring up age because we seem to be at a crossroads as we face another year of farming. We realize we need to adjust the way we do things in order to get the job done. We are getting older, but so is everything else on the farm. We have to start asking ourselves, when does something get too old? This might be considered a trick question around here. Mark’s grandfather, Nick, built the original dairy
My
Story “We couldn’t have two year olds milking 100 lbs. without it!”
Kris Houdek
Wake-Up Holsteins Caledonia, MN
That’s how Kris Houdek, Wake-Up Holsteins, Caledonia, MN, describes adding Vita Charge Dispersible Powder to the milk replacer in their robot feeder. On the advice of her veterinarian, Dr. Mike McCormick, LaCrescent Animal Care, Kris started adding the prebiotic supplement to the medicator on their feeder three years ago. Houdeks have a 27,000# average and diversify their 400 cow registered Holstein herd by adding value to the herd with genomics. They are under contract with bull studs, which help plan their matings and then the studs select sire prospects through genomics on bull calves as young as three weeks. Wake-Up Holsteins has exported embryos to Japan and Germany and sells females in regional sales. “I’m under lots of pressure to save these calves,” says Kris. “Every heifer carries an embryo from one of our flush cows, so they are worth $3,000 to $5,000.” Kris didn’t have such good luck with the robot feeder initially. “At first we put the calves on it right away but they were getting sick and I was losing calves. We changed our vaccination program, and kept each calf in an individual pen the first week to ten days. We also started the calves on Vita Charge. “We ran out of Vita Charge once and alerts for low intakes went off on twelve of 25 calves. Powder back in. Intakes returned to normal. It’s so simple.” When they’re 60 days old they’re ready to go off milk. There is no stress when they go into the next pen without milk. “How a heifer grows the first 60 days of her life sets her up for a lifetime of production,” says Dr. McCormick. “The feed man says he wishes all his customers had calves that looked like Kris’s.” She loves how content, healthy and aggressive her calves are with Vita Charge. “It helps the heifers drink all their allotment every erenc is like night and day!” day. The difference
barn in 1936 with 12 stalls on the south side for his Guernsey cows and six stalls on the north side for the work horses. It was a simple, practical barn built to last as long as the wooden beams stayed true. Over time, the horses left and the stalls were converted for more cows. The Just Thinking Out Loud beams were reinforced or replaced to keep things working. Mark’s dad, Ralph, realized his dad’s barn wasn’t going to be a barn for the future. He had replaced the Guernseys with Holsteins, and the cows were becoming too big for the small stalls. His two young By Natalie Schmitt sons were also getting bigger. Columnist The new barn was built in 1971. Ralph built a 50-stall New York-style comfort stall barn with teal steel siding and white trim. It was the style and color of the times. It was a welcomed change from the old barn. The stalls were bigger. The lighting was brighter. The feed delivery system was easier. There was room for the boys to help their dad farm. By 1981, Ralph added 30 stalls when the boys came home to farm full time. The barn has been tweaked with a few new updates over the past 45 years. I’m pretty sure every water cup has been replaced, but all in all, the barn has held up well. This brings us to our crossroads. Is this the barn for the next generation? Do we keep investing money in repairs and updates, or do we put it towards something new? Or, do we say enough is enough? How old is too old? Here might be another way of looking at things. The rst tractors Ralph used to farm with were a John Deere B and a John Deere 530. These were his big tractors in the 1950s. Over time, these tractors were retired to the back of the machine shed and forgotten as bigger equipment was needed to keep up with the demands of a growing farm. Once Ralph retired, he rescued his 530 from the shed and worked to restore it to the glory days. It looks great on the outside but still only has 30 horsepower under the hood. It can’t keep up with the 200 horsepower tractors we run today, but we still use it for moving chopper boxes and hay inverters out of the shed. It still serves a purpose, but not in its original capacity. A few years ago, Austin pulled the old B out of the machine shed and restored it as well. Now we have two old tractors that look like new. They look great in a parade or as moveable lawn ornaments. Even though the old tractors and the old barn look good on the outside, they struggle to t into today’s farming practices. Some might say they are nothing more than monuments to previous generations. I think they bring a sense of character and charm to the farm. The old hip roofed barn stands as a sentry at the end of the driveway. It welcomes guests and serves as a reminder of simpler days. Eventually we will stop using the old barn to house calves. When that time comes, we’ll have to discover a new use for an old barn that has aged gracefully over the years. Just like us, I guess the life expectancy of a barn depends upon how you take care of it from the inside out. Natalie, Mark and his brother, Al, Schmitt farm together near Rice, Minn. They milk 100 registered Holsteins under the RALMA prex. Their four children are great help around the farm and are pushing Natalie out of several jobs. Therefore she is thankful to have something else to do. For questions or comments please e-mail Natalie at mnschmitt@jetup.net.
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Adventures in cultured dairy
I can clearly remember my college nutrition professor singing the praises of cultured dairy foods. High consumption of cultured dairy foods is associated with greater longevity, he explained to us more than once. I’m sure he’s reveling in all of the new research that’s beginning to explain why probiotics improve health. Anyway, his passion and persuasion convinced me to add cultured dairy to my diet. Which meant that even though I don’t care for the taste, I forced myself to eat yogurt every day for years. Dairy Good Life Fast-forward a decade or so and there’s still yogurt in our fridge. Glen and the kids enjoy yogurt, so I keep it on hand. For a long time, I grumbled about paying for yogurt when I could be making it at home from our virtually unlimited supply of milk. But I could never convince myself to try making it. The milk has to be boiled and carefully cooled before the starter culture is added, then kept warm in an incubator of some sort while it cultures. It just sounds like a lot of monkey business to me. So, in the interest of keeping my family cultured, I keep buying yogurt from the store. I, however, skip the yogurt and enjoy viilia inBy Sadie Frericks stead. Viilia is a Scandinavian cultured dairy food with a thicker-than-yogurt consistency and a tangy avor. It Columnist tastes great in my smoothies and is super easy to make at home with my endless supply of milk. Unlike yogurt, which requires sterilized milk and a warm environment for culturing, viilia is made with cold milk and cultured at room temperature. Plus, viilia provides both benecial bacteria and yeasts, whereas yogurt just provides bacteria. Our most recent exploration into the world of cultured dairy involved another ancient food with a funny name: ker. We were at the grocery store one day when the kids spotted the collection of brightly colored ker bottles and asked if we could buy some. (Package design marketing works, people.) Instead of saying no like I usually do to their endless grocery store requests, I said yes. Heck, if they wanted to choose a new dairy food over the bazillion other choices at the grocery store, I was all game. I gured if nobody liked the drinkable cultured milk, I could add it to shakes and smoothies. We picked out an assortment of avors – vanilla, strawberry, blueberry and raspberry. I noticed the label said the product would stay fresh, even after opened, until the expiration date, which was still a couple months away. The capacity to keep makes sense. Cultured dairy foods were likely developed to extend the shelf life, so to speak, of milk. The health benets of cultured dairy foods were like a bonus side effect. The verdict on ker was positive. Three of the ve of us like it. Glen mixes it half-and-half with milk, Monika drinks it straight up, and I add it to shakes. I can’t count how many bottles we’ve consumed since. I even started making my own ker. It’s that darn we-have-hundreds-of-gallonsof-milk mentality coupled with a strong desire to make it cheaper than I can buy it. I ordered the ker starter culture, which is actually a small, spongy colony of benecial yeast and bacteria referred to as a ker grain. Like viilia, ker is cultured at room temperature with cold milk. It took a couple batches to gure out the right ratio of starter culture to milk, but now I’m making some pretty darn good ker. My homemade, unavored ker tastes nothing like the store-bought variety, which is doctored up with sugar and pectin, but it tastes just as good in my shakes and provides me with an assortment of benecial microorganisms. One of these days, I should write a note to my nutrition professor and thank him for indoctrinating me with the benets of cultured dairy. I don’t know if we’d be on this adventure without his persistent lecturing. Every time I read a new research report about the importance of probiotic foods, I’m more and more grateful that we’re fans of cultured dairy. Research has shown connections between a lack of benecial microorganisms in the human gut and multiple health concerns, including obesity, cancer, anxiety, depression, gastrointestinal issues, poor immune function and food allergies. So, it stands to reason that the greater variety of cultured dairy foods we include in our diets, the healthier we’ll be. Perhaps the next stage of our adventure will include lmjölk, piimä, matsoni or one of the other traditional cultured milks. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 75 cows near Melrose, Minn. They have three children – Dan, 10, Monika, 7, and Daphne, 4. Sadie also writes a blog at www. dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 33
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
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THE ORIGINAL
Nutrition insight
The Dairy Star publication has a long history of offering a variety of articles that explore all aspects of the dairy industry. I have enjoyed reading Dr. Jim Linn’s dairy nutrition column for many years. It is with great honor and humility that I recently accepted the request to lead this column upon Jim’s retirement. No doubt, I have some big boots to ll. I grew up on a registered Holstein and Jersey Something to Ruminate On farm in Ada, Minn., a small town in northwest Minnesota. When not busy on the farm, the days of my youth were lled with 4-H and FFA dairy judging, dairy quiz bowls and showing dairy cattle. I received my bachelor of science degree in animal science from the University of Minnesota in 1994. Prior to returning to graduate school, I worked as a dairy cattle nutritionist for four years at an elevator in southeast Minnesota. In 2003, I obtained my master’s degree in dairy cattle nutrition from the University of Minnesota under the advisory of Linn. My graduate work foBy Barry Visser cused primarily on transition cows and different Nutritionist treatments to minimize metabolic challenges preand post-calving. During this time, I also had the opportunity to work as assistant herdsman of the university’s dairy herd. For the past 14 years, I have served as a Vita Plus dairy specialist, providing dairy technical support throughout Minnesota and the surrounding states. Forage density work completed with my colleagues about 10 years ago has become a foundation of feed management success for many producers as we evaluate key aspects of forage quality on their dairies. I have had the opportunity to share this information at producer meetings from California to Delaware and, of course, in the Midwest. The one common theme across the country is the economic importance of forage quality in maximizing efciency to the dairy cow. I have continued to explore and implement innovative nutrition strategies on dairies and also had the opportunity to lead forage and carbohydrate discussions at the Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference in Dubuque, Iowa. I live in Hutchinson, Minn., along with my wife, Shannon, and three daughters, Rachel, Kayla and Hannah. We are actively involved in our local school and church and serve as adult leaders to our local 4-H club. In addition, I enjoy serving on several regional and statewide dairy boards. The girls enjoy a number of sporting activities and particularly look forward to showing cattle through 4-H. From that time 40 years ago when I was just old enough to carry a bottle of milk to the calf barn to the sophistication of the modern dairy farm today, I am reminded on a regular basis what a privilege it is to be involved in the dairy industry and work with so many wonderful people. I look forward to sharing ideas and comments on current topics in dairy nutrition throughout the months ahead. My goal is to provide you with “something to ruminate on.” Barry Viser is a dairy specialist for Vita Plus. To contact Visser, email bvisser@ vitaplus.com.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 35
On the cutting edge of animal welfare By Brittany Olson
brittany.o@dairystar.com
RIVER FALLS, Wis. – When Kurt Vogel isn’t in the classroom, he’s in the barn. “Since the beginning of my research work, I have had a passion and focus for cull dairy cow welfare and quality,” Vogel said. Vogel, an animal science professor at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls, teaches the university’s popular animal welfare and meat products classes. Outside of the lecture halls and classrooms where he passes on the knowledge he’s gained to his students, he is hard at work discovering and applying ways to make a cow’s life on Earth as pain-free as possible from start to end. From the beginning of his research career during his masters’ program at UW-Madison and doctoral studies at Colorado State University, Vogel focused on understanding the impact of severe bruising on cull cow carcass yield. “I’ve always believed that the animals that leave the farm can tell us a lot about opportunities we have to make improvements,” said Vogel. Later on, Vogel was involved in studying the consequences of water deprivation during pre-slaughter marketing and transport, and its impact on cull cow welfare and carcass quality. Right now, he’s working on a survey encompassing three continents. “I am currently working with a large group of researchers to nish the publication of a survey we conducted to identify the most common cull cow quality and welfare issues in North America, South America and Europe,” Vogel said. In addition to his work with cull cow welfare, Vogel’s other areas of research include down cow welfare. “I have invested a considerable amount of time in the development of handling protocols for down cows. As we worked on the protocols, we were able to leverage our experiences with handling down cows to come up with practical procedures for farmers to use,” Vogel said. Vogel has also worked on euthanasia training for dairy farmers. “On-farm euthanasia is a subject that many people don’t want to talk about until it has to happen,” said Vogel. “It is so important to do the procedure correctly, quickly and effectively.” He pointed out that if a euthanizing procedure fails, the animal will suffer and the person carrying out the procedure is likely to experience considerable anguish, as well. “It doesn’t have to be that way,” Vogel said. “Euthanasia just requires the correct equipment and training. It doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated.” Many of Vogel’s research projects also involve his students. He and his animal welfare classes recently conducted a study at a dairy near the college with 60 calves, tracking the amount of discomfort young calves feel with caustic paste disbudding, and the use of oral meloxicam to mitigate pain experienced as a result. “As far as pain studies go, this was a big project. The lead student on this project, Kyle Karlen, is in vet school at UWMadison now,” said Vogel. “He and I will be continuing to work toward the publication of the study results in the Journal
of Dairy Science this spring.” Vogel said that, as a result of his ndings during his many research projects, farmers can expect to receive more interest in their animal care practices from their customers if they haven’t already. “There isn’t anything to be afraid of as long as it is seen as an opportunity to improve their businesses,” said Vogel. He predicts that practices such as dehorning, disbudding and castration will continue to gain more attention going forward. Despite pain management options being limited for farm animals, Vogel said that still Kurt Vogel isn’t a reasonable UWRF professor argument to not use them at all. “At minimum, horn removal and castration should happen as early in the calf’s life as possible,” Vogel said. “Most veterinarians will also recommend the use of a lidocaine block to the cornual nerves before disbudding, too. If they haven’t seen the effect of lidocaine on the response of calves to cautery disbudding, they will nd it remarkable.” Vogel has several recommendations for those looking to improve animal welfare on their dairy farms from newborn calf to culling time. “The rst step on any dairy farm is identifying opportunities for improvement,” he said. “As an example, if half the milking herd is lame to the point that they are walking with obvious discomfort, there is an opportunity to reduce the lameness, which improves animal welfare and increases productivity.” Vogel also suggested what he referred to as low-hanging fruit or xing the easy things before taking on opportunities that require more time and effort. “A good place to start is euthanasia,” he said. “Do you have a plan? If you use a rearm, is it a .22 magnum or larger, and do you know where to place the shot? Euthanasia can be addressed in very little time with big results.” Vogel also added that milk processors can help their farmer-members improve their animal care practices as well. “One of the keys to success from the processor level is developing and sticking with a continuous improvement approach. If the intent is to kick farmers out that don’t meet the standards, they will nd another place to ship their milk and may not focus on improving as much as they will if the co-op gives them time and educational support,” Vogel said. Because farmers can expect to receive greater attention, Vogel’s advice for portraying themselves to the public is simple. “Ask yourself, ‘Am I doing the right thing and can I feel comfortable saying so?’” Vogel said. “If the answer is no, there is an opportunity to nd a better way. If the answer is yes, then your defense should come naturally.” He also advises farmers to focus on truth when developing a good image. “If your good image is actually a façade, the truth will come out and there won’t be much defense to lean on,” said Vogel. All in all, Vogel rmly believes that real improvements in animal welfare add value to dairy operations. “Often the value comes in the form of improved productivity, reduced lameness and reduced death loss, among other positive outcomes,” Vogel said. “I typically see an improvement in morale as these types of issues resolve, too.”
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
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rigid around those times of day, but there is some ďƒ&#x;exibility. If we need to run to town to get parts or want to grab lunch with someone, we are able to do that. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I serve on the Trempealeau Farm Bureau board of directors as the ag promotions chair. I am able to network with other like-minded people. Also, as a former agriculture educator, I have connections in the classroom with students for the Ag in the Classroom program. In your opinion, what’s the importance of women in today’s dairy industry and how have you seen that change over the years? Women have a God-given trait for nurturing others. While men will do a great job of getting the job done, women are a little more nurturing across the entire business. I have seen our roles change as women have taken a more prominent role in the dairy industry; they have always been there, but they are now getting more credit. I think that is due, in part, to the advancement of social media that continue to give the many subgroups in agriculture the credit they deserve. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? I would give a tour to Ivanka Trump. Given her high-proďƒžle background, I doubt she has been on a farm before. It would be neat to have her see the very industry that provides food and ďƒžber for the world. She’s a businesswoman, so this would be a way to see a different side of business. It would be nice to have the opportunity to talk to her as a person and show her that we are hardworking people working to provide for the rest of the world’s population. What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken? We take an annual trip to Montana. After graduating from University of Wisconsin-River Falls, I took a job in Montana as an agriculture teacher where I worked for seven years. My husband and I made a lot of close friends so we like to visit once a year. Being that it is 800 miles away, we are far enough from the farm that we can enjoy it with a clear mind and not worry about what is going on back home. What are some words you like to live by? “There is always, always something to be thankful for.â€? It’s just a good reminder that there is good in every day. “The most memorable days usually end with the dirtiest clothes.â€? That is written on a piece of paper above my laundry machine. Living on the farm, that’s a true statement. It’s above the laundry to remind us of the good things that come from life on the farm.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 37
If this is global warming, I don’t want it. Looking out my ofďƒžce window on a mid-January morn, I see a world that I think could very well resemble a scene from an ice age. I view a world gone white with snow Rural Roots and ice. What I did not know, until I conducted a bit of internet searching, is that we really are in an ice age. That is, right now, we are immersed in an interglacial period, a time between glaciers. Planet Earth is still mired in the Holocene interglacial period because great ice sheets remain with By Ron Johnson us. Staff Writer These ice sheets cover parts of Greenland, the Antarctic and Arctic. They’ve grown and shrunk during the past 2.6 million years that marked the dawn of the Pleistocene epoch, but they are still with us. To be sure, I’ve caught nary a glimpse of any woolly mammoths, mastodons or giant beavers lumbering across my nine acres in Crawford County. For though the ice age remains, those creatures are long extinct. But I have seen an ice age human. I glimpsed him just this morning, when I peered into the bathroom mirror. While part of my driveway has become a skating rink due to rain pooling at the base of the hill and then freezing, my woes are almost microscopic compared to what folks in parts of southern Wisconsin had to endure not quite 41 years ago. I was in college at the University of WisconsinMadison on March 4, 1976, when much of the Badger State was socked with what has been billed as an
ice storm for the ages. That storm gave us rain, then cold air and then wind. It’s been estimated that some 600,000 people endured four to seven days without electrical power, telephone service and workable toilets. That storm strongly illustrated the power of nature. The weight of ice coupled with the wind snapped telephone and power poles. It took down many trees, too, some reportedly covered with as much as ďƒžve inches of ice. In places, the storm’s devastation resembled what I’ve seen in photographs of the aftermath of an atomic bomb’s explosion. Trees still standing had their branches ripped off, other trees lay tangled and broken, power lines lay down arcing and sparking. Besides the visual impact, the storm left rural people in distress. Many farmers had to milk their cows by hand – no easy feat in herds of 50 or more. Getting feed and water to livestock became an all-day and treacherous chore. Traveling on the ice-covered roads became more thrilling than any amusement park ride. But come March 8, our world had partly returned to normal. In the end, as many as 75,000 families went through a few days without electricity, and the ice storm of ‘76 inďƒ&#x;icted more than $8 million in damage. Many farmers learned a valuable lesson from that storm. Gasoline-powered generators and those that attach to a tractor PTO sold like the proverbial hotcakes. Another ice altercation took place in 1973. I was on my parents’ farm and between stints at college. To try to scrape by, I’d been working all fall for a small construction company that was putting up a building at Sugar Creek Bible Camp. On Christmas Eve, we had the main building pretty much roofed over and closed in. Since it was Christmas Eve, the boss announced we only needed to work until noon. Hey, great!
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so good. He ushered me to Mount Sterling, then down Stoney Point Road and right into the farm’s driveway. On the next afternoon, Christmas, my father and his brother, Uncle Oscar, and I set out to fetch the Falcon. My dad and I took the farm pickup, while Oscar guided the Farmall tractor. In a couple of hours, we had navigated the half-dozen miles to the Falcon, towed it up the hill and gotten it home. The ice eventually melted and left me with a Christmas memory. It’s not my favorite, but it is a cherished mental snapshot of my father and uncle, now both mere memories in the deep mists of time.
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Roger Lange milks 100 head on his family dairy at Crofton, Nebraska. Until recently he was often forced to sell his fresh heifers because they wouldn t let down their milk.
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Trouble was, sometime before noon precipitation arrived. It was not snow. So, come noon I found myself heading home – or trying to – in an icky, icy mess that, I’m sure, is part of the deďƒžnition of “inclement.â€? Somehow I coaxed my rear-wheel drive, 1966 Ford Falcon, a few miles on the glare ice. Then, a long hill just west of Mount Sterling stopped me. That little car, with bad tires, was no match for that slick slope. As good fortune had it, I did not slide off Highway 171. Instead, I pulled to the side of the road as best I could and began to walk, no, trudge up the hill. It wasn’t long until a vehicle stopped beside me. A cheery voice called out through the open window, “Care for a lift?â€? You’re darned tootin’ I did. The local veterinarian in his toasty, four-wheel-drive truck never looked
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
Dairy prole Phil Suess Grand Meadow, Minn. Mower County 60 cows How did you get into farming? I was born into it. My dad milked cows, but had Rheumatoid arthritis so the family helped with chores. Because of that, I’ve been milking since I was 5 years old. I started farming full-time after I graduated from high school in 1968. I then bought the home farm in 1973. The facilities needed more xing than we could afford, so my wife, Deb, and I sold that farm and bought our current farm in 1990. I plan to retire when I fall over dead. In addition to farming, I’m an auctioneer, and I haul cattle for other people. I also co-manage the Rock Dell Creamery.
Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017 • Page 39
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ing? How did you achieve this? Watching one of our heifers go to the Star Struck 3 sale and bring $29,500. It takes a lifetime of breeding to get there. We didn’t expect it, so it was fun to see. What are your plans for your dairy in the next ve years? We plan to keep going and not make any big changes to the farm. Things will stay status quo. What is your favorite thing to do on the farm? I like milking because it’s quiet time. It’s two hours of thinking without being interrupted. What is your favorite dairy product? I like ice cream, especially Chocolate Dream from Kwik Trip with fresh strawberries on top.
We like going to Outback.
What is your favorite tool? Cordless drills are the handiest because What is your favorite technolthey can go anywhere. ogy? I like the computer. It can store so much information, and How do you or your family like to you can get so much information spend time when you are not do- from the Internet. ing chores? Deb and I spend a lot of time with our 16 grandkids. We Tell us about a skill you possess have grandkids here every week- that makes dairy farming easier end. We also like to go out for a for you. Handling cows and diWhat do you enjoy most about good meal every once in awhile. agnosing problems quickly. I can dairy farming? I like to work, and I like to work with quality cattle. I got into Jerseys in the ‘70s, and then became interested in registered animals, so I bought a few. When we moved to this farm, we worked to get our whole herd registered through the genetic recovery program. In addition to milking our own herd of Jerseys, we also house and milk animals for other people. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? Price volatility is always a concern. Good prices never last as long as the bad. It will be interesting to see how the new president and Congress will affect things.
take a look at a cow and tell if she is sick. I don’t have to call the vet very often. If you could have a celebrity help you with chores for a day who would it be? Donald Trump. I would want him to get out on the farm so he knows where we’re coming from and what our needs are.
What advice would you give other dairy farmers? You’re in it for the long haul. Ride the ups and downs because you can’t just jump in and out. What has been the best purchase you’ve ever made on your farm? The skidloader. It is the cheapest hired man I’ve got. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farm-
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, January 28, 2017
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