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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 20, No. 16
Federal policy update zeroes in on trade, farm bill votes
October 13, 2018
How sweet it is
By Sherry Newell Contributing Writer
A lobbyist for Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative said congressional passage of the newest trade agreement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, is not a walk in the park, but pointed out the importance of what it represents. “All of us have been uneasy [about trade],” said Michael Torrey, whose rm, Michael Torrey Associates, lobbies for Edge in Washington, D.C. “But if there’s one sentiment I’ve picked up in D.C., there’s more uneasiness there. … All of us in ag agree: We just need to get markets back.” Torrey’s analysis was part of a federal policy update presented by Edge that attracted more than 40 people Oct. 5 during World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. The timing of the next farm bill’s passage, workforce issues and food regulations were also discussed. Torrey said the economic analysis of the trade deal has already started, but called its passage before the end of the year logistically near impossible. He projected House and Senate votes in February or March of 2019. Still, the lobbyist said discussions underway with Japan, India and South Korea are positive indicators on the trade front and that talks with the European Union are also moving forward. Edge, which represents more than 750 dairy farmer members in nine Midwest states, provides milk Turn to TRADE | Page 5
SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR
Michael Torrey tells Edge Dairy Farmer CooperaƟve members he believes Washington, D.C. is uneasy with the current trade situaƟon during a meeƟng Oct. 5 at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DAIRY AGENDA TODAY
Associate judge Carla Stetzer congratulates Ashley Brandel as Maple Fudge of 12 Oaks wins her third youth show championship at the World Dairy Expo.
Maple Fudge, Brandel win WDE champion accolades By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. – A last-minute decision to raise her hand to bid on the last calf selling in the Wisconsin Dairyland Milking Shorthorn Sale on a late April day in 2014 turned out to be a wise one made by an 8-year-old, buying her rst calf with her own money. Fast-forward 4.5 years to the 2018 World Dairy Expo, and 12-year-old Ashley Brandel of Lake Mills, Wis., and 4-year-old Maple Fudge of 12 Oaks have been on the ride of a lifetime. The ride started Oct. 3, when after winning her class Maple Fudge received her third grand championship banner in the WDE youth show and culminated when judge Brian Behnke selected her as his overall grand champion Milking Shorthorn. While she stood in the middle of the ring waiting for Behnke’s nal selections, Ashley admits she did not know what to think. “I was getting a little confused,” Ashley said. “They kept telling me to go back in. At rst I didn’t know what I was going back into the show ring for, but then I gured it out and I thought, ‘Oh boy, I don’t think we can win this, but that’s OK as long as I keep trying my best.’” Stealing a glance at her family, Ashley said she saw lots of hugging and excitement going on following each high-ve she received from Behnke. “I couldn’t believe that she had won the whole entire show,” Ashley said. In his reasons upon selecting Maple Fudge as the grand champion of the International Milking Shorthorn Show, Behnke said, “I get emotional when it comes to good cows, and it’s pretty cool to make a little girl
grand.” Ashley is the daughter of Matt and Tracy Brandel, and along with her brothers, Colton, 14, and Justin, 9, and sister, Katie, 10, she works on the family’s 220cow farm in Lake Mills, Wis. Ashley, a seventh-grader at Lake Mills Middle School, now owns Maple Fudge with Colton, but the entire family acknowledges that Maple Fudge is a one-girl cow. “The kids (Colton and Ashley) did nightline last night,” Tracy said Oct. 6 during the family’s preparations for the supreme champion parade where Ashley would become the youngest exhibitor and one of only three juniors to ever present a cow under the spotlights in the open show ceremony. “When I went to the camper to get them up, Colton told Ashley if she didn’t get out of bed, he was going to show Fudge, but Ashley just reminded him that Fudge only likes to lead for her.” Ashley agreed. “Fudge denitely knows when I’m leading her,” she said. While Ashley had shown Maple Fudge at the Jefferson County Fair as a heifer, it was not until she calved as a 2-year-old that she came into her own. Maple Fudge rst began to gain notoriety with wins at the Wisconsin State Fair in 2016. She followed that up with a class win in the junior 2-year-old class at World Dairy Expo, winning her rst youth division championship that year. Last year, Maple Fudge continued her winning ways, nishing with a third-place nish in the junior 3-year-old class and picking up another youth division championship. After nally having a heifer calf in June, Maple Fudge got her show season off to a bang, being selected as the supreme champion at the Wisconsin State Fair in August, another accolade that Ashley never expected. Coming full circle to her wins at World Dairy Expo, Ashley was trying not to get nervous for the parade. “There are so many butteries, it’s very nerveTurn to BRANDEL | Page 7
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
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 - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Krista Kuzma - Assistant Editor (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Ron Johnson (608) 874-4243 ron.j@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Danielle Nauman (715) 245-6848 danielle.n@dairystar.com Danna Sabolik - Staff Writer (320) 351-7861 • danna.s@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - 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 Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Lori Menke (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.
From the editorial team
Dairy Prole brought to you by your
North America dealers.
A chance to embrace change
Change is inevitable. The dairy industry is experiencing this rst hand with international trade agreements, shifting demographics and the onset of a new season. After a lengthy negotiations process surrounding the North American Free Trade Agreement, the United States came to an arrangement with trading partners Canada and Mexico for an updated version of NAFTA, now coined the United States, Mexico and Canada Agreement, or USMCA. Of the details in USMCA, the most notable include eliminating Canada’s dairy pricing system and gaining more than 3 percent of the country’s dairy market. While this agreement poses positive change for the U.S. dairy industry, it is not a catchall solution. Tariffs on dairy exports to Mexico will remain until a resolution is reached in the steel and aluminum industries. Additionally, tariffs on exports to China still remain. USMCA will also not be implemented anytime soon. The agreement must be signed and ratied in all three countries, with the process expected to begin in the coming month and continue into next year. On a more local scale, we continue to visit with dairy farmers who are changing their operations to weather the market storm, either through product diversity, management and technology, or the involvement of younger generations. It seems that keeping an open mind to the possibilities of your farm is the best way to adapt to the changing structure of the dairy industry. World Dairy Expo kicked off a season of workshops, educational seminars and trade shows. While these events are a great way to catch up with fellow dairy farmers, they also pose an opportunity to learn from others to nd success in the industry. October not only brings about a season of industry events, but also the onset of fall harvest. Farmers across Dairy Star’s coverage area have been plagued with substantial amounts of unnecessary rainfall as many wait to start grain harvest or, in some cases, nish small grain and corn silage. While it is frustrating and everyone is itching to get in the elds, embrace the changing season and take your time to ensure a safe harvest season. With all that is happening in the dairy industry, we know it has not been an easy transition, but are hopeful there is light at the end of this long tunnel. – The Dairy Star Editorial Team
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Pages 8-9 First Section
Our expansion project
Greenwood
Madison
Nigon’s fund children’s future education through pumpkin patch
Page 25 First Section
Lepke working as herdsman on New Zealand farm
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
FSA News & Notes
Third Section: Pages 3 - 4
Page 26 First Section
From Our Side of the Fence
Iron Ashland
Veterinary Wisdom
Burnett
Polk
Barron
Sawyer
Price
Rusk
Page 31 First Section
Taylor
Pierce
Page 32 First Section
Dunn
Pepin Buffalo
Come Full Circle
Federal policy update zeroes in on trade, farm bill votes
Madison
Chippewa
Maple Fudge, Brandel win WDE champion accolades
Marathon Clark
Eau Claire Trempealeau
St. Croix
Making Cents of Dairy
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
First Section: Pages 12 - 13
n
Frist Section: Pages 15 - 16
Page 30 First Section
Page 33 First Section
Key performance indicators are effective tools for dairy management
ur
Ramblings from the Ridge
Bayeld
Douglas
Melrose
hb
Page 27 First Section
Madison
W as
The Transition Pen
First Section: Pages 1, 7
Wood Jackson Adams
La Crosse Monroe
Juneau
First Section: Pages 1, 5
Vernon
Pages 8 - 9 Second Section
ford
Richland
Sauk
Craw
Country Cooking
Iowa
Page 21 Second Section
Fond Du Lac Columbia
Dane
J
Zone 2
Lafayette
Green
Second Section: Pages 3 - 4
on
Rock
Viroqua
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
UW-River Falls takes national collegiate judging title
rs
e eff
Grant
Madison
Dodge
Buhr seeks Wisconsin State Assembly District 96 seat First Section: Pages 22 - 23
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: What has been your most unique or memorable hunting experience? First Section: Page 15
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ConƟnued from TRADE | Page 1
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Dairy farmers listen to a federal policy update Oct. 5 during World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis. testing verication services and market information in addition to a voice in Washington, D.C. Earlier in the week, the co-op’s president, Brody Stapel of Cedar Grove, Wis., called the USMCA a critical win for dairy farmers. Torrey also speculated on trade efforts moving forward because of political pressure. “The president won Wisconsin,” Torrey said. “He’s got to win it again. Clearly, he knows rural America brought him to the dance. I think he knows he’s got to gure this out.”
“The president won Wisconsin. He’s got to win it again. I think he knows he’s got to gure this out.” MICHAEL TORREY, LOBBYIST
In his update on the farm bill, Torrey said there is a chance the farm bill conference report could be completed shortly after the November elections. However, he said what really matters is getting the legislation in place by the
end of the year. The current bill expired Sept. 30, which means some programs will only be funded until Dec. 31. Torrey said it is also disappointing to expect a partisan vote on the bill. “Ag is a bipartisan industry,” he said. Torrey applauded Edge for its involvement in farm bill discussions and pointed out the cooperative’s support of new legislation regarding the agricultural labor force introduced in July. He said the legislation has 110 co-sponsors, meaning there is support for movement on the issue this year or next. While not top of mind for many dairy farmers, Torrey also surfaced information about Food and Drug Administration work on cultured meat products, which he called unsettling. “Some decisions made now will set the regulatory foundation for these products,” he said. “There’s going to be a hearing to decide who regulates this – FDA or USDA. Where do you want it to be? The decision will impact us for generations to come.” A joint FDA and United States Department of Agriculture meeting on cultured meat is scheduled for Oct. 2324.
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ARLINGTON, Wis. – Wisconsin’s dairy industry has seen the sharpest decline in dairy herd numbers since 2013, as the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection revealed in their monthly report released Oct. 1. America’s Dairyland’s herd numbers sit at 8,304 herds – made up of both Grade A and Grade B farms – 68 fewer than last month’s census and 497 fewer than in January 2018. The last time the state saw such a loss was in 2013, when 490 herds left the industry in the same nine-month period. “Wisconsin has always been a strong dairy state and people look to Wisconsin for opportunities, but the future looks gloomy and tough,” Tammy Voegeli said. “There are already so many sales each week, and [well] managed herds are slated to sell out in the next six to 12 months.” Voegeli and her parents, Debbie and Louie, manage VoGrin Farms where they milk 70 cows near Arlington, Wis. The farm also includes 220 acres of tillable land, which is enough to sustain the milking herd and youngstock. While Voegeli and her mother are considered the primary workforce on the dairy, her father has a full-time job off the farm driving truck. Voegeli also has a part-time job trucking. Both non-dairying careers provide additional sources of income for the Voegelis, as well as some coverage for health insurance. As Wisconsin’s dairy industry transforms, the Voegelis are an example of how some choose to sustain their operations through challenging times. “If we didn’t have those outside sources, we wouldn’t be able to continue the farm,” Voegeli said. “We have also tried to look at ways to bring in money, be it selling youngstock or offer boarding for animals; but that also comes with more work. It’s a ne line.” The economy plays a signicant role in a farm’s decision to leave the industry. “Most farmers, especially my generation, who tried to start out on their own have to rent farms and buy all their feed,” Voegeli said. “Feed is expensive and inputs are double to triple the costs, because we have been forced to reseed this year and now our crops are ooded, which is a huge loss.” Not only have feed costs continued to rise with a milk check that has dwindled, those farms who chose to expand in previous years are now faced with a larger debt load and a smaller income. Additionally, nancial institutions are hesitant to provide loans for farmers to expand, knowing the current market conditions. “It’s a dark hole, and even though many of us have seen bad times, people are tired of ghting and not being able to pay the bills,” Voegeli said. “We still have to put in a hard day’s work and have nothing to show for it. It’s depressing and frustrating.” The impact of milk prices has played a signicant factor in dairy herd numbers across the state of Wisconsin,
but it is not the only reason for a decline. Demographics of the dairy industry also contribute to the current situation. “The average age of farmers is increasing, nationwide,” Jamie Mara said. “A lot of farmers are facing a critical decision – to sell and retire or ride out the economic downturn. Also, there are fewer people wanting to get into farming. It’s an all-consuming lifestyle many children from farm families have chosen not to follow.” Mara is the public relations director for Wisconsin’s Dairy Business Association and Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative. While Mara works with farmers who are nding solutions by becoming more efcient business managers, tapping into available equity, and expanding to increase milk production if possible, he is also searching for solutions for farmers who do not have those options available. “Every industry goes through transitions and the dairy community is no different,” Mara said. “But we are at a time when the transformation has accelerated. The difculties farmers are facing are very real, and that won’t change overnight.” Dairy organizations remain connected with their members, learning about specic challenges and providing information on changes, such as in regulations or innovation. “We also contribute to a broader conversation about the future of the dairy community,” said Mara of his organization’s involvement in the Wisconsin Dairy Task Force 2.0, a group of people who are exploring the challenges and nding ways to overcome them. “It’s about nding a pathway forward.”
“I hope for everyone, not only the dairy industry, that something happens soon before we lose too many.” TAMMY VOEGELI, DAIRY FARMER
If a different pathway is not found soon, dairy farmers like Voegeli worry there will not be enough farmers to follow the new route. “I hope for everyone, not only the dairy industry, that something happens soon before we lose too many,” Voegeli said. “If that happens, this country might nd out what it is like to be hungry.” Across the state, resilience remains, for now. In Columbia County, where Voegeli dairy farms, there are 109 herds that remain, 84 being Grade A farms. Two of the state’s most prominent dairy counties, Clark and Marathon, have 788 and 503 operating dairy herds, respectively. “Wisconsin remains second to none,” Mara said. “It is still a leading producer of high-quality dairy products. Billions of dollars and thousands of jobs are generated in the dairy economy.” Although the state is on track to see less than 8,000 dairy herds by 2019, cow numbers remain consistent, which bodes well for the rapidly evolving dairy community.
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 7
ConƟnued from BRANDEL | Page 1 wracking,” Ashley said. “Everything is very pitch-black, and you can’t see anything outside of the spotlight while you are walking. Then when they take the light off of you, it’s like you are blind and can’t see where you have to go.” Following her win at World Dairy Expo, the Brandel family has been inundated with wellwishes, congratulations, interest in offspring and inquiries to price Maple Fudge herself. In the Expo exhibitors’ tradition of the winners hosting a championship party to celebrate with their fellow exhibitors, Ashley asked her mom to pick up some cake and ice cream to share.
“Lots of people have told me she’s a great cow, and she looked really good out there, and that it was really neat that someone my age owns her,” Ashley said. While Matt has not been able to be present at Expo for any of Fudge’s wins, the family has developed a little piece of superstition. “Every year during the Milking Shorthorn show, my dad has always been combining the same eld,” Ashley said. “It’s our lucky eld now.” Both Ashley’s parents visibly swell up with pride, love and admiration when asked about what their daughter has
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Brandel family, of Lake Mills, Wis., – (from leŌ) Colton, JusƟn, MaƩ, Ashley holding Maple Fudge, Tracy and KaƟe – celebrate a once-in-a-lifeƟme experience when their 4-Year-Old Milking Shorthorn cow, Maple Fudge of 12 Oaks, became one of three cows to be named grand champion of both the open and junior shows at World Dairy Expo.
PHOTO COURTESY DAIRY AGENDA TODAY
Judge Brian Behnke gives Ashley Brandel a high-ve to name her cow, Maple Fudge of 12 Oaks, the grand champion of the InternaƟonal Milking Shorthorn Show at World Dairy Expo Oct. 3 in Madison, Wis.
accomplished with that little calf that no one else thought to bid on at the end of a sale four years ago. “We were so extremely humbled,” Tracy said. “There aren’t enough words to thank everyone. We don’t travel these roads alone. We’ve had so much help and support along the way. The others who celebrate with us really make it special.”
The Hildebrandt family of Hustisford, Wis., has been traveling the roads with the Brandel family this year, housing Fudge during the show season. At the Hildebrandt’s farm, Fudge has her own boxstall and is fed a specialized ration. Fudge is entered to show in the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky., in November and will re-
turn home to the Brandel’s farm to spend the winter, preparing for next year. “It’s been such an amazing run for them,” Matt said. “Not in a million years would you ever have expected that little baby bottle calf to turn into a three-time winner at World Dairy Expo. It’s just unreal and so exciting.”
Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
Class 7 pricing eliminated in trade deal With the new United States-Mexico-Canada foods. That is a victory for the dairy industry, which Agreement, Canada’s controversial Class 7 dairy sees terms like soy milk or almond milk to be pricing system is eliminated. Canada will now have misleading. The National Milk Producers Federation a new pricing system tied to the Class IV price in welcomed the move, but said it is important to remain the United States. Former Agriculture engaged on this critical issue. Ag Insider Secretary Tom Vilsack said adjustments and allowances are allowed for Canada. EWG wants MFP info “The problem is that it doesn’t make The Environmental Working Group reference to a specic amount in the has asked USDA to provide the names allowance,” said Vilsack. “The text and addresses of the farmers receiving suggests there may be some exibility Market Facilitation Program payments. and from time to time there could be In addition, the activist group wants to an adjustment in the allowance which know how much each farmer is receiving. could potentially provide an opportunity A Freedom of Information Act request has for Canada to have an advantage similar been led and an Environmental Working to Class 7.” Vilsack, who is now the Group ofcial said the government is president and CEO of the U.S. Dairy required to release the payment details. Export Council, said the dairy industry By Don Wick will closely monitor the implementation Milk production edges higher Columnist process. As the attention shifts back to During August, Wisconsin milk China, Vilsack is encouraging the Trump production totaled 2.6 billion pounds. Administration to return to the negotiating table and That’s up 1 percent from last year. The size of the resolve the current trade dispute. Wisconsin dairy herd was 1.27 million head. That is on par with July, but down 4,000 head from one year Getting North American relations ‘back to normal’ ago. Minnesota Milk Producers Association Executive Director Lucas Sjostrom expects Canada’s Class 7 Western states responsible for most of the dairy pricing program to go away six months into the production increase new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. “If In its quarterly report on agriculture, Farmer we can get relations normal so all of North America Mac said dairy farmers will continue to increase milk agrees, it will boil down to the tariffs that were placed production in 2018. Western dairies are driving the on steel and aluminum and the target tariffs on cars increase with more than 80 percent of the growth that haven’t gone into effect. That will repeal the in milk production coming from Texas, California, dairy tariffs.” Colorado and Idaho. U.S. ending stocks of butter and cheese are at 10-year highs. The Farmer Mac report FDA to consider labeling issue said dairy prices are likely to be heavily impacted The Food and Drug Administration is seeking by trade policy news and by the value of the U.S. public comment about the labeling of plant-based dollar. The retaliatory tariffs are expected to restrict
any upside to the dairy markets for the balance of this year. Dairy insurance product to debut As of Oct. 9, the new Dairy Revenue Protection insurance product will be available. The American Farm Bureau Federation helped develop this new risk management tool. Dissatisfaction with the government’s Margin Protection Program prompted the development of this new insurance product. Antibiotic resistance gains attention The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are leading a yearlong effort called the Antimicrobial Resistance Challenge. The goal is to bring attention to the issue of antibiotic resistance. More than 100 groups are supporting this plan including agriculture groups like the American Veterinary Medical Association and the National Milk Producers Federation. The animal agriculture groups support the responsible use of antibiotics and sciencebased international standards. Current farm economy differs from 1980s Farmers who rent the majority of their land are under the most nancial stress. Purdue University Agricultural Economist Mike Boehlje said those farmers have higher cash costs and may be overextended on working capital. According to Boehlje, the current downturn in the farm economy does not compare to the farm crisis days of the 1980s. “At that time, we had land that went through the foreclosure process and we increased the supply in the market and that collapsed the land values, similar to the 2008 housing crisis.” Similar to the Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 9
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 9 1980s, Boehlje is seeing distressed loan lenders showing up in the agricultural market. “Sometimes they’re called bottom-feeders in the market; they typically aren’t local lenders, but put a lot of security requirements on it and don’t provide much exibility in the structuring of it.” Boehlje cites payday loans in the consumer market as an analogy to the predatory loans in agriculture. Dairy processing grants available The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has grants available for dairy processors. The funds can be used to hire consultants to address food safety, modernization or staff training. A total of $50,000 in grant funds is available to eligible processors each year. The deadline for applications is Nov. 2. Alfalfa checkoff distributes funding The U.S. Alfalfa Farmer Research Initiative has approved nine research projects in its latest round of funding. Projects range from University of California-Davis research on maximizing alfalfa’s yield potential to an evaluation of enzyme-assisted protein isolation from alfalfa leaves by the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
Wisconsin Holstein Association hires executive director Laura Wackershauser is the new executive director for the Wisconsin Holstein Association. Wackershauser has been the editor of Wisconsin Holstein News for 17 years and will continue in that role. WHA has not had a permanent executive director since late 2016 when Larry Nelson resigned amid allegations of embezzling money from the organization. Trivia challenge Ker is the term for a fermented milk drink. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, what color were the famous colored shavings at this year’s World Dairy Expo? 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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“DHIA is very valuable and cost effective...” Why is testing with DHIA important to your dairy? DHIA testing is very valuable and cost effective with all the information that it provides to help manage our dairy more efÀciently. What are some of the DHIA tests you use? Which ones do you Ànd most useful? Johnes testing where every cow gets tested annually to help control and manage. We have seen a huge reduction in positive cows based on the fact we have them identiÀed and are able to handle them accordingly. We also have used the pregnancy test for about 5 years now, and use it to conÀrm cows pregnant a month or two before dry off. It has been very accurate and reliable. How long have you been testing with DHIA? We’ve been testing with MN DHIA since about 1985.
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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
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The Middendorfs – (from leĹŒ) Julie, Steve and Ben – milk 130 cows using three roboĆ&#x;c milkers on their farm near Sauk Centre, Minn. The family began using the new technology in May 2018. By Andrea Borgerding andrea.b@dairystar.com
The next issue of the Dairy Star is published October 27th. Advertising and news deadline is Friday, October 19th.
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SAUK CENTRE, Minn. – Knowing his grandpa was milking cows by hand 60 years ago, Ben Middendorf thinks he got the better end of the deal when his family constructed a 170-stall, cross-ventilated facility with three robotic milking units. “It’s really interesting how the industry has evolved through the years,â€? Ben said. “We have made so many advancements with just building this barn.â€? Ben, 22, along with his parents, Steve and Julie, are shy of six months in a new 132- by 208-foot, six-row facility featuring three Lely A4 robotic milkers, three brushes, an automatic feed pusher and two automatic manure scrapers for their 130-cow Holstein herd near Sauk Centre, Minn. The barn also includes an intensive care unit pen behind the robot room and feed lanes on the outer walls. With the next generation interested in continuing the dairying tradition, Steve and Julie knew they had to make the family dairy operation viable. “That had to be done ďƒžrst in order to get a succession plan in place,â€? Steve said.
The Middendorfs’ original 64-cow tiestall barn was wearing down. To support additional family members, the Middendorfs began growing the herd. At one point, they were switching up to 75 cows each milking. Ben and Julie did all of the milking with Steve mixing the ration and feeding. “Our old barn was getting rundown, and we have kids who want to come home,� Julie said. “We had to decide our next step.� The Middendorfs have four other children in addition to Ben – Leah, Spencer, Zachary and Sarah. When it came to deciding the best facility for them, the Middendorfs knew a robotic barn would work after touring similar barns. “Once I saw the barn, I knew it was the one we were looking for,� Steve said. The Middendorfs decided on a similar blueprint of one of the facilities they looked at. With the plan ready to go with a few tweaks, the construction process began quickly for the Middendorfs. A plan was chosen in March 2017, but ground was not broken until October on account of Natural Resources Turn to MIDDENDORFS | Page 11
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MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
The Middendorfs’ cows are housed in a new 170-stall, six-row, cross-venĆ&#x;lated barn. There are feed lanes on both sides of the barn.
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 11
ConƟnued from MIDDENDORFS | Page 10 Conservation Services and county permitting processes and business plan development. “I was thinking we were going to run out of time [before winter] since everything was getting pushed back,” Steve said. By December, the perimeter cement was poured, and the poles and rafters were set. In mid-January, the barn was enclosed and work started on the interior of the facility. Work continued into May. On May 15, the Middendorfs made a monumental move for their multi-generational farm when they sent their cows through robotic milkers for the rst time. “It went better than we expected,” Steve said. “We think it was because our cows were used to moving around a lot.” Prior to being moved to the new facility, each cow was tted an activity monitor that synchs
with the robotic milkers. Each morning and evening, Ben and Julie start with a fetch list of cows that need to be guided to the robot. They also tend to the special needs and fresh cow pen before scraping and liming stalls. Finally, they check and clean the robots, and change lters, as needed. Besides mixing and distributing feed every day, Steve also spends time reviewing reports to help him pinpoint possible sick cows or cows to be bred. Just ve months in, the Middendorfs have noticed a dramatic improvement in their herd. “Our cows really took off,” Steve said. “We have a really good nutrition program and have gained 10-12 pounds of milk per cow. Our herd average has come back some from the transition.” From what he can tell so far, Steve understands how farmers
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Cows wait their turn near one of the roboƟc milkers in the Middendorfs’ new facility. The herd average has increased 10-12 pounds of milk per cow. can get increased herd averages in robotic facilities. “I realize now you have to think of this as more of a system rather than an easier way to milk cows,” Steve said. “Cows get to do what they want all day long. They have comfort in a climate-controlled barn and have continuous access to feed. It allows the cows with good genetics to really take off.” Julie agreed. “I’m impressed with how the cows adapt and do their own thing,” she said. Ben also appreciates the new facility as a low-maintenance management system. “The whole system lets the cows be invisible,” Ben said. “The cows freshen, and we don’t see them again until they need to be bred or dried off.”
ANDREA BORGERDING/DAIRY STAR
A cow wears an acƟvity monitor that tracks the cow’s acƟvity and health on the Middendorfs’ dairy farm.
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The Middendorfs’ goal is to grow herd numbers to 180 cows to reach capacity. Still early into their transition, Steve and Julie know they have made the best decision for the future of the farm. The new facilities were an estimated $10,000 investment per cow, but the Middendorfs are valuing this opportunity as they look at the dairy industry’s makeup. Labor shortages and the troubling state of the dairy industry are two concerns that steered their decision to a robotic facility. “Everyone is struggling with labor,” Steve said. “We wanted something we can handle ourselves.” Steve feels the efciencies of a robotic facility will help the family farm remain competitive
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without having to milk more cows or run more land. “That was my only concern going into this,” Steve said. “We haven’t been in this barn long enough to know for sure, but I think this will set us up to be efcient enough and produce enough to compete with larger farms.” As the next generation readies to take the reins, Ben, and perhaps his sister, Leah, remain undaunted by the challenges the industry currently has. The new robotic facility offers encouragement for future generations. “This is a step in the right direction for our farm,” Ben said. “I think, for us, this was the best decision we could’ve made.”
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
How do you measure performance?
Key performance indicators are effective tools for dairy management By Stacey Smart Contributing Writer
MADISON, Wis. – During the World Dairy Expo seminar, “KPIs: Your Yardstick to Improve What Matters on Your Operation,” presented by Dr. Tom Fuhrmann and Terry Battcher, dairymen learned how key performance indicators can help identify opportunities for improvement, while making it easier to communicate with and manage employees. Fuhrmann, founder of DairyWorks Management System, and Battcher, the company’s general manager, helped Expo attendees understand how KPIs can change the way they use data at their seminar Oct. 4 in Madison, Wis. “KPIs can be used not only to monitor results, but to inuence workers, as well,” Fuhrmann said.
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Fuhrmann underscored how interaction between managers and employees is more critical today than ever. “You have to be people managers as much as or more than you are cow people,” Fuhrmann said. He also said successful managers both manage and lead. “As a manager, you need to inuence people to do things the way you want them done, whether it’s feeding colostrum a certain way or wiping teats according to a set protocol,” he said. Where do KPIs t into all of this? “KPIs let you know whether or not people are doing their jobs correctly,” Fuhrmann said. “When you fail to meet goals, it’s often because someone is not following a protocol or because there is no protocol in place.” Creating protocols or standard operating procedures that dene how work is done on your dairy is a key ingredient to success. “Train your employees on the correct way of doing things,” Fuhrmann said. “If you can get people to do things right, good
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results will follow.” KPIs help dairies analyze and act upon the data they collect. “KPIs are just a simple way to look at numbers,” Battcher said. “… shedding light on how each area of the dairy is performing.” The duo said KPIs are a small number of strategic measurements collected from each area of the dairy that are representative of general performance and able to be measured and monitored frequently.
Somatic cell count and mastitis percentages are good indicators of how your milkers are doing. Dry matter intake shows how well feeders are doing. Dead on arrival rates are telltale signs of how your maternity team is performing. The KPI worksheet is a simple, onepage form containing a month’s worth of data organized into production groups: milkers, feeders, breeders, health team, Turn to KPI | Page 13
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Dr. Fuhrmann, of DairyWorks Management System, explains to World Dairy Expo aƩendees how key performance indicators are helpful for making moneysaving improvements on a dairy operaƟon during a seminar Oct. 4 at World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wis.
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ConƟnued from KPI | Page 12 maternity team and calf team. Key numbers for every area are organized by week along with goals and action levels for each. “The data that you enter into the KPI sheet is data that already exists,” Battcher said. “Therefore, you hardly have to spend any time compiling the data. Just pull it out of DairyComp or whatever recording keeping system you use.” The KPI sheet should also identify people who manage different areas of the dairy. “Many dairies fail to appoint a team leader,” Fuhrmann said. “But it’s a critical step because you, as a manager, do not manage reproduction. Rather, you manage the people who give the repro shots, inseminate cows, etc. You manage the people in your parlor who strip the cows, and so on. And, the KPI concept will help
you measure the performance of these people. Think of the KPI sheet as a report card for each team of workers on your dairy.” Next, set specic goals. “Some people say, ‘I just want the lowest SCC possible or the highest pregnancy rate possible,’” Fuhrmann said. “That doesn’t work if you’re going to lead and manage people. You have to be specic.” Identify areas on the KPI sheet that need work and compile a to-do list. KPIs allow farmers to prioritize and see which areas of the dairy need improvement. “KPIs serve as ammunition to both motivate and discipline employees, because they give you the data to back up what you’re saying,” Fuhrmann said. Fuhrmann and Battcher cited an example from an Arizona dairy that used the KPI concept
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Terry BaƩcher, of DairyWorks Management System, describes how to use a KPI sheet to organize farm data by producƟon groups, making it easy to see where improvements are needed.
to solve a fresh-cow culling problem. The dairy was concerned that 24 percent of cull cows were leaving the farm before 60 days fresh. “The rst step was clarifying who was responsible,” Fuhrmann said. “The maternity and fresh cow herdsman was Tony. We began by writing a job description. All the key people on your farm need a job description that includes the group of animals under that person’s care and his/her team’s specic duties.” In Tony’s case, he and his team were responsible for all cows and heifers from the time they entered the close-up pen until they left the fresh pen. His duties included observing closeups and assisting at calvings; processing fresh animals according to protocol; feeding rst gallon of colostrum according to protocol; moving animals to fresh pen; locking up, evaluating and treating fresh cows according to protocol; completing all forms daily and ensuring everything gets entered into farm’s software management system; and managing assistants and associate workers. Fuhrmann and his team identied four key indicators for Tony to evaluate. The maternity team was retrained on protocols, and protocols were revised where necessary. They also instituted a weekly management meeting to discuss results. From one summer to the next, the number of cows culled by 60 days was cut in half. “We saved 83 animals over a year’s time,” Fuhrmann said. “At a value of $1,500 each, that’s a
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savings of $124,500. This dairyman saved a lot of money with nothing but management energy. No nutritional changes, etc., were required. He just needed to refocus his people. … This is not a sophisticated concept. KPIs help you identify potential problems quickly to allow for early intervention. And, they’re second to
none when it comes to evaluating employee performance.” At the end of the presentation a farmer in the audience said, “Dr. Fuhrmann helped my dairy learn how to use KPIs over 15 years ago, and he changed my life. This stuff really works.”
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 15
From Our Side Of The Fence What would be your ideal hunting trip?
Bill Hilbrands George, Iowa Lyon County 200 cows
Neil Rickeman Hutchinson, Minn. McLeod County 80 cows
Dean Peterson Viroqua, Wis. Vernon County 50 cows
Jason Weihrouch Melrose, Wis. Jackson County 38 cows
Dennis Keller Regal, Minn. Kandiyohi County 40 cows
What hunting seasons do you participate in? We hunt pheasants, doves and deer. We also have a year-round open season on coyotes.
What hunting seasons do you participate in? Deer and goose hunting.
What hunting seasons do you participate in? I hunt turkey, bow season for deer, gun deer season and muzzleloader deer season.
What hunting seasons do you participate in? I participate in both bow and gun deer hunting, so from mid-September until the rst week in January I try to get out bow hunting and gun hunting during season. I sometimes even borrow my cousin’s black powder to get some extra chances at deer.
What hunting seasons do you participate in? Deer hunting.
How did you get into hunting? I began hunting with my dad and have gone hunting ever since I was able to hold a gun. It’s what we did. Dad always said hunting is a stress reliever. Nowadays, I go hunting with our sons, Jacob and Dean. How do you balance farm work and hunting? It’s a challenge. You learn to take any chance you can to go hunting. We also make time for hunting by getting all of our chores done early. The hardest part is quitting in the afternoon to begin the evening chores. What has been your most unique or memorable hunting experience? We have Minnesota friends who come down each fall to hunt deer with us. They are used to sitting in trees and shooting at standing deer, while we are accustomed to shooting at running deer. The rst weekend they came down here, they ran out of shells and had each brought 100 rounds with them. It’s also memorable to see your son bag his rst deer. It’s hard to beat that feeling of excitement and accomplishment. What would be your ideal hunting trip? A Canadian bear hunt with some shing thrown in for good measure. I’ve never shot a bear. I think it would be an exciting experience. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Deanna, and I have been married for 28 years and have been milking cows for 27 years. We met while going to college at Southwest Minnesota State University in
How did you get into hunting? I have gone hunting with my dad since I was a little kid. I continued hunting with friends in high school and beyond. How do you balance farm work and hunting? By going hunting when fall eld work is done or waking up early to do morning chores before I go hunting. What has been your most unique or memorable hunting experience? My dad and I travel to Rice River Farm near Cook, Minn., every year to go deer hunting. I always look forward to this trip because it’s the only hunting my dad does anymore. What would be your ideal hunting trip? I’ve always wanted to go moose hunting in Alaska because it would be fun to see Alaska and get away from civilization. Tell us about your farm. My parents and I milk 80 registered Holsteins. We sell breeding bulls and crop farm roughly 600 acres of corn and soybeans. I also do custom round baling and custom forage bagging.
Marshall, Minn. We started farming by purchasing our farmstead and renting the rest of the 240-acre farm. After 10 years, we were able to buy the farmland. We raise our own replacement heifers and fatten our bull calves. Our oldest son, Dean, joined our operation about a year ago.
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How did you get into hunting? I got started hunting because my dad hunted. How do you balance farm work and hunting? I go during bad weather when I can’t be doing anything else. I also go for short periods of time; early or late in the day, usually at times when the deer and turkeys are more active. It depends on the year how much hunting I actually get done. Muzzleloader season seems to be the best, because there is less eld work to do at that time of year. What has been your most unique or memorable hunting experience? There are a couple of them. One was during the earn-a-buck season. I walked down to get a doe I saw the night before and ended up shooting a 160-pound doe and a 200-pound, 10-point buck that was following her. That was all in about a minute’s time. Another memorable experience was during the muzzleloader season. While making a drive, I was standing in the middle of the corneld, and the drives chased nine bucks past me, three of them with 20inch spreads. I got a 170-plusscored, eight-pointer. What would be your ideal hunting trip? I would love to go out west elk hunting. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do but have never done. Tell us about your farm. Our registered Jersey farm, Peterson Jerseys, is now owned by our daughter Alana. I still help her with the eld work and whatever else she needs done.
How did you get into hunting? Hunting has always been a tradition in our family so I started with squirrels and went on to deer hunting when I was old enough. How do you balance farm work and hunting? Well it’s getting harder as I am buying the farm from my parents and they are moving off the farm. It’s more something I do when the weather is bad, and I can’t do much else, so it can be challenging for sure. What has been your most unique or memorable hunting experience? My rst buck with the bow. I had asked my uncle if I could hunt on his land in the river bottoms and went and looked at a couple spots. I found one with good scrape on it. I went home and got my dad to help me put out a stand, then took him home and changed into hunting clothes. I went out to hunt that night and here comes a nice, big 10-point. I shot him and called my dad to help track him and get him back home. What would be your ideal hunting trip? I have always wanted to go out west elk hunting up in the mountains, or get to go up to Saskatchewan and shoot a big Canadian buck, just for the experience. Tell us about your farm. We have 110 acres with only 100 tillable. We raise all our hay, corn, barley and oats on the
How did you get into hunting? My brothers always went hunting, and I started hunting with them 25 years ago. How do you balance farm work and hunting? I usually hunt just the weekends. I farm with my brother, Allen, and he doesn’t hunt and milks the cows. Then we have a hired hand do my work. My nephews help me set up the deer stands on the weekends. What has been your most unique or memorable hunting experience? One year I shot a six-point and 10-point buck in less than 10 minutes in basically the same area. I took the six-point and then I saw the 10-point coming, and I had a good shot at him. That was the best of the best. My stand was located at the edge of our woods and CRP land. What would be your ideal hunting trip? I enjoy hunting around here with family on our land. There are three families that hunt together, and it’s a lot of fun having the younger generation with us. I have two nephews and a niece, and their kids hunt with us as well. Hunting is my biggest vacation of the year. I live for hunting. Tell us about your farm. I farm here in a partnership with my brother, Allen. We dairy and crop farm. We milk in a tiestall barn and raise our own replacements. This is the home farm. We purchased this farm in 1986. We have 280 acres and plant oats, corn, soybeans and alfalfa. farm. We try to be good stewards of the land and rotate crops every couple of years to keep control of the weeds.
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
Prepare your farm for an outbreak
States developing secure milk supply plans By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
The U.S. poultry industry went through it with the highly pathogenic avian inďƒ&#x;uenza outbreak in 2015, and the swine industry is now preparing for the possible spread of the African swine ďƒ&#x;u virus. In all reality, the threat of industry-wide impacts to the dairy sector from an animal disease outbreak is inevitable. Organizations across the nation collaborated and devised the Secure Milk Supply Plan in the event of a foot and mouth disease outbreak in the United States.
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Now, states are using the national guidelines as a footprint in developing their own SMS plans. “We learned a lot in 2015 with highly pathogenic avian inďƒ&#x;uenza,â€? said. Dr. Darlene Konkle. “That was the ďƒžrst time we’ve had to use a secure food supply plan, and it worked. It allowed producers unaffected with the disease, but within a disease control area to stay in business.â€? Konkle is the assistant state veterinarian for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection’s Animal Health Division. Wisconsin and Minnesota are two of seven regions in the United States developing plans. Others include California; Colorado; Kansas; Mid-Atlantic states of Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia; and New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. The purpose of the plan is to encourage business continuity amidst a disease outbreak where the movement of milk could still take place between permitted dairy farms, milk haulers and processors. “We’re using the national plan, that is based on years of risk assessment and has templates available,â€? said Dr. Carie Alexander. “Our region’s plan will be very similar to the national plan so as not to duplicate efforts. We also want to be consistent with other states, particularly those in the Midwest.â€? Alexander is the secure food supply coordinator with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. Once states, like Minnesota and Wisconsin, have developed their own plans, the hope is to have an all-encompassing Midwest plan where state industry stakeholders can collaborate with one another in the event of an outbreak, said Alexander. Becki Slater, emergency response coordinator in DATCP’s Animal Health Division, agreed. “The USDA and state ofďƒžcials have worked with foreign animal diseases to develop secure supply plans in pork, beef, poultry and now dairy,â€? she said. “Really, all states’ animal health ofďƒžcials and industry partners have a stake in it.â€? For dairy farmers, the SMS plans will encompass three components – guidelines for planning for an outbreak, instructions for obtaining a national premises ID number through the states’ board of animal health and developing an enhanced biosecurity plan for the farm. While the ďƒžrst two elements will be devised in the plan, dairy farmers can begin working with their veterinarian to complete the latter. “I know the idea of a plan is daunting, but we can take it in a step-wise approach,â€? Alexander said. “There are things we can do ahead of time to make it easier for farmers to participate in the plan, which will be beneďƒžcial for them.â€? Dairies are generally more open, allowing foot, vehicle and wildlife trafďƒžc through the property, which enhances the risk for off-farm diseases in comparison to other more closed livestock enterprises. This is the single-most challenging piece of a SMS plan for the dairy industry, said Alexander. In Wisconsin, Slater has worked with two dairy farms as part of a pilot program to see how biosecurity can be enhanced within the industry. Both farms took into consideration how their lines of separation would need to be located, equipment moving throughout, as well as on and off the farm, utilizing limited access
points to the dairies. “Every farm will have to tailor a biosecurity plan to their operation,â€? Slater said. “Producers can use the plan as guidance, but they’ll have to look to see what works with their farm while still meeting requirements for enhanced biosecurity in order to reduce risk.â€? When considering what a biosecurity plan should look like, Alexander compares it to the design of a castle. “Farms should have a deďƒžned perimeter, like a moat that protects the castle from visitors,â€? Alexander said. “With a single, controlled entrance, such as the draw bridge to a castle.â€? Aside from preparing the farm’s physical features for an outbreak, dairy farmers should also train all their employees to understand and recognize the signs of a foreign disease. “All farm employees should monitor animal health and know the symptoms of FMD,â€? Alexander said. Developers of the SMS plans encourage the development of a biosecurity plan for each farm, but also realize the timing of such a request will be the biggest hurdle for many. “Everyone is crunched for time with competing priorities,â€? Konkle said. “Twenty-four hours are just not enough in a day, and this is one more thing to think about.â€? FMD is commonly found throughout the world, but has evaded areas such as North and Central Americas, Australia, New Zealand, Chile and several countries in Europe, according to the USDA. Various strains of the FMD virus have been conďƒžrmed in Africa, South America, Asia and certain areas of Europe. “FMD might not be a high priority here in the United States, but in two-thirds of the world, it is a problem. We need to keep it at bay,â€? said Konkle, mentioning the 2001 outbreak in Great Britain. Alexander agreed. “It’s hard to imagine the U.S. dairy industry having a problem, because we haven’t been recently impacted,â€? she said. “But foreign animal diseases are a reality.â€? Not only will developing an enhanced biosecurity plan prepare dairy farmers for compliance with a SMS plan to contain and prevent the spread of FMD should it reach the United States, but also protect dairies in the event of other disease outbreaks. As the U.S. dairy industry becomes a part of a growing mobile society and global food inclusion, it is important potential disease threats do not hinder the nation’s opportunity to be a part of a broader global food supply program. “Through this plan, we can better protect U.S. dairy herds and also prevent the loss of our trade market,â€? Alexander said. Slater agreed. “Our goal is to retain business continuity if a farm falls within a control zone, but they are not infected,â€? she said. “This plan and procedures will allow farmers to move milk off the farm and through processing to store shelves. We’re not only preventing the spread of the disease, but also providing consumer conďƒždence.â€? Over the next year, both Minnesota and Wisconsin will continue developing SMS plans for each state, presenting drafts and exercise workshops to area dairy farmers. For more information and resources regarding the national plan, visit www.securemilksupply.org.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 17
Growing to Bring Service & Support Closer to You!
We’re proud to welcome the Dairyland Equipment team in Plainview, MN and Dairyland Services team in Woodville, WI to our Leedstone Family. In 1968, this team began what became decades of experience in the dairy industry. They bring specialized service in equipment installation, planned maintenance and cooling service/maintenance; along with route delivery services and milk quality knowledge. Their background, reputation and services—with a focus on building customer friendships and relationships—are a perfect fit with our Leedstone culture. We’re happy to be expanding the team to bring you even more diversified expertise, greater products and services, and support where you need us!
Plus, producers in these areas will enjoy Leedstone’s breadth of products in:
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
Top Performers
People, cow comfort key for maintained production at Dreier Farm Larry Dreier Norwood Young America, Minn. Carver County 320 cows What is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? Our peak was 29,385 pounds, but we had some stray voltage issues and went to no BST. Now our average is 26,429 pounds with 1,093 pounds of butterfat and 808 pounds of protein. How many times a day do you milk? Three times a day. Do you contract your milk? No; we have tried in the past. We broke even with a lot of effort and no rewards. Describe your housing and milking facility. We have a freestall barn with ve groups – rst lactation, second lactation, third or more lactation, fresh cows and treated. We milk in a double-9 parlor three times a day. What is your herd health program? We place a heavy focus on prevention through vaccinations. Our secondary focus is on nutrition, ventilation and facilities. Turn to DREIERS | Page 20
DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR
Those involved in Dreier Farm – Roger Biersdorf, Jon BuckenƟn, Dr. Tayna Olson, Debra Dreier and Larry Dreier – help maintain the farm’s high producƟon. The Dreiers milk 320 cows in Carver County near Norwood Young America, Minn.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 19
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“I didn’t even think we had stray voltage!” 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. “We called Stray Voltage Consulting, and Jerry found the problem within half an hour.” Roger said. “I was very impressed with Jerry. He’s a former REA guy, so he understands both the farmer and the electric company. Being able to work with both sides is a key component to his success.” “I haven’t had a single problem with our fresh heifers since Jerry corrected our stray voltage problem. I would highly recommend Stray Voltage Consulting to anyone who thinks they might have stray voltage!”
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MODAK DAIRY, The Moes Family, GOODWIN, SD 2100 cows, 96 lbs/cow/day SCC dropped from 280,000 to 178,000 Greg Moes and his wife Julie and son Jacob are pictured by the MoDak Dairy wall with photos of employees and previous generations and memorably their son Scott, lost in a car accident two years ago. His passion for the dairy helped steer its modernization. Jacob says he was led from construction work back to the 5th generation dairy by his brother’s encouragement and ideas and is glad to have had the chance to work with Scott, as brothers and co-herd managers, before his passing.
“Our fresh cows are doing better since we started using Udder Comfort™. We calve 200 a month and saw right away the impact of reducing edema,” says Jacob Moes of MoDak Dairy, Goodwin, South Dakota. They milk 2100 cows on this Century Farm. Their goal is 10 applications on every fresh udder. They do 2x/day for 5 to 7 days, using color bands for identification, and they CMT 2 days a week before removing the bands.
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“Less than a year earlier, our SCC was 280,000. We couldn’t budge it. After adopting this routine, SCC dropped like a rock to 178,000, we saw our milk average move higher and were down to just 4 hospital cows. Udder Comfort is a real plus for milk quality.”
Call to locate a distributor near you. For external application to the udder only after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
ConƟnued from DREIERS | Page 18 What does your dry cow transition program consist of? We have two dry cow pens. They are separated by how soon they are due; there’s a pen for those who are three weeks out and then another for those just dried off. We have one fresh cow pen. What is the composition of your ration? What has been one of the most recent changes that has been successful for you? We mix haylage, corn silage, whole cotton seed, dry alfalfa, a liquid sugar supplement, a protein mix and high moisture corn. We have recently added BMR silage, which has made a difference.
Through the years you have been farming, what change has created the biggest jump in your herd average? The impact of managing the stray voltage on our farm has helped our herd average substantially. We also have noticed improvements when we changed to milking three times a day and ne-tuning a lot of management tools. What role does genetics play in your production level, and what is your breeding program? I have always had a passion for genetics and that has always been a high priority on our operation.
DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR
Larry Dreier analyzes his overall herd health and averages, using his acƟvity monitor system and other management tools, Oct. 8 at his farm near Norwood Young America, Minn.
What type of improvements would you like to make that would increase your rolling herd average? I would like to increase our cow comfort. We have a freestall barn with old mattresses that we would like to replace with waterbeds. We would also like to provide shade for our older group of cows. DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR
This cow is classied EX-93 on the Dreier Farm. The Dreiers have always made high-quality geneƟcs a priority in their breeding program.
List three management strategies that have kept you profitable. Changing our culling strategies to sexed semen and beef, focusing on cow comfort,
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and implementing patterned tiling to our cropping operation. We also meet quarterly with our MDE team, which consists of our veterinarian, banker, nutritionist, Bongards representative, milker equipment representative and farm management consultant. More than anything, the people who work for us are invaluable and so benecial to our operation. What would you say are the three most important factors for you that helped you attain your current herd aver-
age? Increasing our forage and feed quality, and investing in the people who work with our cows and cow comfort have been crucial. Tell us about your farm. We milk 320 registered Holsteins and a few Jerseys that were our son’s pride and joy. We also raise 300 youngstock and raise 200 steers. We have 1,800 acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa and grass. Most of all our farm comes down to our values as a family and business and our faith in God.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 21
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ARTICULATED 4WD TRACTORS 17 JD 9230, 2010, Partial Power Shift Duals PTO, Guidance-ready, 581 hrs., #144487 ...................................................................$195,000 6 JD 9320, 2004, Power Shift Duals PTO, 5654 hrs., #144041 ...................................................................................$94,900 3 JD 9400, 1997, Duals, 6450 hrs., #143813 ...............................$73,000 16 JD 9400, 2001, Triples, 3816 hrs., #144488............................$107,500 10 JD 9530, 2008, Power Shift Duals, 4162 hrs., #147940 ..........$137,900 1 JD 9530, 2011, Power Shift Duals, 3008 hrs., #149198 ..........$157,500 15 JD 9630, 2009, Power Shift Duals, 3600 hrs., #144489 ..........$145,000 14 JD 9630, 2009, Power Shift Triples Guidance-ready, 3900 hrs., #151999 .................................................................................$162,000 3 JD 9410R, 2014, Power Shift Duals, 1531 hrs., #146677........$219,500 6 JD 9460R, 2014, Power Shift Duals, 2747 hrs., #141947........$174,900 16 JD 9460R, 2013, Power Shift Duals, 1402 hrs., #149285........$219,500 4 JD 9520R, 2017, Power Shift Duals Guidance-ready, 338 hrs., #142212 .................................................................................$329,500 1 JD 9560R, 2014, Power Shift Duals Guidance-ready, 1942 hrs., #151486 .................................................................................$245,900 8 JD 9570R, 2017, Power Shift Duals, 525 hrs., #150670..........$355,900 3 JD 9620R, 2015, Power Shift Duals, 729 hrs., #125913..........$339,500 15 JD 9620R, 2015, Power Shift Duals, 754 hrs., #137678..........$339,500 5 Caterpillar MT945C, 2009, Power Shift Duals, 2823 hrs., #143742 .................................................................................$139,500 5 Steiger PANTHER 1000 KP1360, 1983, Duals, 8408 hrs., #151778 ...................................................................................$28,500 7 New Holland T9020, 2009, Power Shift Duals PTO, 2905 hrs., #142873 .................................................................................$115,000 COMBINES 6 Case 1680, 1991, 2WD Duals Spreader, 5210 hrs., #150707 ...................................................................................$19,800 4 JD 6620, 1981, Corn/Bean 2WD, 5253 hrs., #151123 .................$5,900 7 JD 6620, 1976, 2WD, 4791 hrs., #150434 ..................................$9,000 8 JD 6620, 1984, Corn/Bean 2WD Singles, 2774 hrs., #152239 .....................................................................................$9,500 4 JD 6620, 1979, PRWD Singles, 3700 hrs., #148337 ..................$11,000 3 JD 7720, 1987, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals Chopper, 4950 hrs., #151605 ...................................................................................$14,000 9 JD 9400, 1992, Corn/Bean 2WD Singles, 5100 hrs., #151596 ...................................................................................$24,000 2 JD 9500, 1995, Corn/Bean 2WD Singles Chopper Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 3819 hrs., #152079 .............................................$25,300 5 JD 9500, 1992, 2WD Duals, 5306 hrs., #140474.......................$29,900 4 JD 9500, 1991, Corn/Bean 2WD Singles, 4719 hrs., #150229 ..$30,900 17 JD 9500, 1997, Corn/Bean 2WD Singles Spreader Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, Fore/Aft, 4690 hrs., #152316 .............$32,500 10 JD 9500,1991, Corn/Bean 2WD Singles Chopper Yield Monitor, Fore/Aft, 5200 hrs., #148653 ....................................................$32,500 6 JD 9510, 1998, Corn/Bean 2WD Singles Chopper Yield Monitor, 6634 hrs., #152166 ...................................................................$21,900 4 JD 9600, 1996, Corn/Bean 2WD, 4989 hrs., #151078 ...............$28,600 15 JD 9770, 2010, 2WD Duals, 1799 hrs., #149179.....................$138,000 11 JD 9650 STS, 2001, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 4654 hrs., #151319 ............................$61,900 3 JD 9650 STS, 2001, Corn/Bean 2WD Duals Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 3514 hrs., #151309 ............................$61,900 17 JD 9660 STS, 2004, 2WD Duals, 3731 hrs., #150873................$69,660 17 JD 9660 STS, 2005, Corn/Bean 2WD Singles Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 3533 hrs., #151601 ...................................................................$70,200 8 JD 9760 STS, 2007, 2WD Duals, 2095 hrs., #142194..............$104,900
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209,500
JD 8360R, 2013, $ 1519 hrs., #144553
209,500
$
16 JD 9770 STS, 2010, Corn/Bean 2WD Singles Chopper Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 3863 hrs., #144241 .............................................$79,500 14 JD 9770 STS, 2008, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals Chopper Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse Guidance-ready, 2783 hrs., #144242 .$89,500 15 JD 9770 STS, 2011, Corn/Bean 2WD Duals Chopper, 2597 hrs., #144240 ...................................................................................$99,500 10 JD 9770 STS, 2009, Corn/Bean 2WD Duals Chopper Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 2152 hrs., #144243 ..........................$117,900 8 JD 9770 STS, 2008, PRWD Duals, 2568 hrs., #146342 ...........$132,500 1 JD 9770 STS, 2011, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 1283 hrs., #143429 .................................................................$165,900 9 JD 9860 STS, 2006, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 3582 hrs., #152387 ............................$70,000 3 JD 9870 STS, 2008, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 2581 hrs., #143756 ..........................$139,000 14 JD 9870 STS, 2010, PRWD Duals Chopper, 1733 hrs., #150772 .................................................................................$142,000 6 JD 9870 STS, 2009, PRWD Duals, 2428 hrs., #141914 ...........$154,900 4 JD S660, 2013, 2WD, 1730 hrs., #135180 ..............................$189,500 8 JD S660, 2013, Corn/Bean 2WD Duals, 1202 hrs., #141412 ...$199,500 5 JD S660, 2014, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals, 1132 hrs., #151693 ..$219,500 5 JD S660, 2014, PRWD Duals, 607 hrs., #142203 ....................$259,500 17 JD S660, 2016, Corn/Bean 2WD Duals Chopper Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 473 hrs., #145629............................$285,000 17 JD S660, 2016, Corn/Bean 2WD Singles Chopper Yield Monitor, Lateral Tilt Feederhouse, 167 hrs., #145628............................$312,000 15 JD S670, 2012, Corn/Bean 2WD Singles Chopper, 1216 hrs., #144315 .................................................................................$139,000 3 JD S670, 2012, PRWD Duals, 2043 hrs., #143860 ..................$175,000 5 JD S670, 2012, PRWD Duals, 1452 hrs., #145724 ..................$195,000 7 JD S670, 2013, 2WD Duals, 1389 hrs., #145812.....................$196,500 17 JD S670, 2014, PRWD Duals, 1754 hrs., #144313 ..................$199,500 16 JD S670, 2015, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals Chopper Yield Monitor Header, 1622 hrs., #144307 .................................................................$209,500 16 JD S670, 2014, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals, 1331 hrs., #151692 ..$219,500 14 JD S670, 2014, PRWD Duals Chopper, 782 hrs., #144312.......$254,900 4 JD S670, 2015, PRWD Duals, 1269 hrs., #143718 ..................$259,000 8 JD S670, 2015, 2WD Duals, 623 hrs., #124831.......................$289,000 16 JD S670, 2017, PRWD Duals, 891 hrs., #146347 ....................$294,500 15 JD S670, 2016, 2WD Duals, 359 hrs., #144309.......................$309,500 11 JD S670, 2017, 2WD Duals, 579 hrs., #146349.......................$315,000 5 JD S670, 2017, PRWD Duals, 680 hrs., #146348 ....................$319,000 8 JD S670, 2016, 2WD Duals, 498 hrs., #148148.......................$319,500 16 JD S670, 2017, 2WD Duals, 252 hrs., #146346.......................$349,500 8 JD S670, 2017, PRWD Duals, 239 hrs., #142208 ....................$385,000 7 JD S680, 2012, Corn/Bean 2WD Duals Yield Monitor, 2264 hrs., #152167 .................................................................................$164,900 14 JD S680, 2012, PRWD Singles, 1598 hrs., #145287 ................$209,500 17 JD S680, 2013, PRWD Duals, 1425 hrs., #144322...................$224,900 16 JD S680, 2013, PRWD Duals, 1089 hrs., #146109...................$238,500 5 JD S680, 2014, PRWD Duals, 1691 hrs., #147716...................$249,000 15 JD S680, 2013, PRWD Singles, 1170 hrs., #144325 ................$249,500 16 JD S680, 2015, Corn/Bean PRWD Chopper Yield Monitor, 1593 hrs., #144329 .................................................................................$249,500 3 JD S680, 2013, PRWD Duals, 1299 hrs., #140845 ..................$249,500 16 JD S680, 2015, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals Chopper Yield Monitor, Header, 1451 hrs., #144328 .................................................................$255,000 16 JD S680, 2015, Corn/Bean PRWD Chopper Header, 1103 hrs., #144326 .................................................................................$269,500
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JD 4720, 2006, 90’ boom, 20” spacing, 1673 hrs., #130054
JD S670, 2015, $ 1325 hrs., #144307
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JD 9630, 2009, 3600 hrs., #144489
1 15 15 16 14 3 17 15 16 3 4 14 15 14 8 3 11 7 17 3 5 15
JD S680, 2014, PRWD Duals, 610 hrs., #144327 ....................$309,500 JD S680, 2016, PRWD Duals, 901 hrs., #148149 ....................$329,900 JD S680, 2016, PRWD Duals, 886 hrs., #148150 ....................$329,900 JD S680, 2017, PRWD Duals, 730 hrs., #146345 ....................$354,500 JD S680, 2017, PRWD Duals, 368 hrs., #145687 ....................$405,000 JD S690, 2012, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals, 2465 hrs., #151634 ..$195,000 JD S690, 2013, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals, 1365 hrs., #144337 ..$239,500 JD S690, 2014, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals Chopper, 1634 hrs., #144335 .................................................................................$249,500 JD S690, 2014, PRWD Duals, 1255 hrs., #144333...................$259,500 JD S690, 2014, PRWD Duals, 1582 hrs., #145222...................$260,000 JD S780, 2018, Corn/Bean PRWD Duals, 100 hrs., #143976 .................................................................................$419,000 GRAIN CARTS Brent 672, #152002................................................................$11,377 Brent 780, 2004, #152550 ......................................................$20,900 Brent 874, 1998, #146030 .....................................................$17,500 J&M 875, #149564 .................................................................$21,000 Unverferth 1015, 2010, #142354 .........................................$32,500 J&M 1075, 2000, #146344 ......................................................$20,500 Kinze1100, 2013, #151506 .....................................................$78,900 Brent 1194, 2011, #144228 ....................................................$42,500 Balzer 1550, 2012, #141992 ..................................................$49,500 Unverferth 1596, 2015, #142431 .........................................$96,900 Brent V1300, 2017, #151844.................................................$55,500
STEEL DEALS
ARTICULATED 4WD TRACTOR 7 NH T9020, 2009, 335 hp., 2905 hrs., #142873 ......................$115,000 CORN AND ROW CROP HEADER 6 JD 893, 1998, #133187 ...........................................................$11,900 COMBINE PLATFORMS 16 JD 635F, 2012, #144263..........................................................$18,900 5 JD 635F, 2006, #140683..........................................................$10,900 COMBINE 14 JD 9770 STS, 2008, 2783 hrs., 1924 sep., #144242 .................$89,500 RIPPERS 7 JD 2700, 2006, #130972 .........................................................$10,900 17 JD 2720, 2013, #144468 .........................................................$39,500 SELF-PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTER HEADS: ROTARY 6 JD 678, 2008, #107326 ...........................................................$39,500 6 JD 688, 2011, #140930 ...........................................................$23,500 6 JD 710, 2007, #115310 ...........................................................$33,000 6 JD 770, 2011, #138381 ...........................................................$29,700 SELF-PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTERS 6 JD 7300, 2003, 5093 hrs., 3640 cu. hrs., #140932....................$68,000 6 JD 7500, 2003, 4700 hrs., 3100 cu. hrs., #142199....................$98,000 6 JD 7800, 2007, 2813 hrs., 1884 cu. hrs., #131002..................$126,000 6 Claas JAGUAR 890, 2002, 2749 hrs., 2290 cu. Hrs. #133756 ...................................................................................$96,000 6 Claas 970, 2008, 4000 hrs., 1948 cu. Hrs. #130021 ...............$127,000 TRACK TRACTORS 16 JD 9560RT, 2014, 560 hp., 1025 hrs., #144560 ......................$249,500 UTILITY TRACTORS 2 JD 6105R, 2013, 105 hp., 506 hrs., #135169...........................$77,900 13 JD 6125R, 2013, 125 hp., 906 hrs., #134131...........................$79,500
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JD 9460R, 2014, $ 2747 hrs., #141947
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139,000
JD S670, 2012, $ 1200 hrs., #144315
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JD 9770 STS, 2011, $ 2597 hrs., #144240
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
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Striving to keep young people in rural Wisconsin Buhr seeks state assembly seat By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
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VIROQUA, Wis. – Paul Buhr thinks western Wisconsin is a great place to make a living and raise a family, but he is troubled when he sees young people not return to the area. His concern led him to throw his hat into the ring for the Wisconsin State Assembly District 96 seat being vacated by Lee Nerison, of Westby, Wis., who has served for the past 14 years. The district encompasses all of Crawford County and Vernon County, with the exception of one township, and the southern half of Monroe County. Buhr, who is running as a democrat, is married to Darlene and has three adult children: Melanie, Wyatt and Evan. Buhr has been a Vernon County dairy farmer for the past 43 years and has a herd of 75 cows and about 100 youngstock. The Rabur Holsteins have a rolling herd average of 25,000 pounds of milk and a 109 percent BAA for type, and has been recognized with a Holstein Association USA Progressive Breeders’ Registry award for the past 38 years and a Holstein Association USA Progressive Genetics Herd award for the past 27 years. Buhr has served on boards and committees, including the Heartland County Cooperative and the Holstein USA National Board of Directors, where he has led the genetics committee. “I enjoy living in rural Wisconsin, but I look around me and I see that my three children, who are all very successful, don’t live around me,” Buhr said. “My daughter, Melanie, is a professor at UWMadison; my son, Wyatt, is a computer engineer at an avant-garde rm in Madison and my other son, Evan, is a market analyst for the Best Buy Corporation in Minneapolis.” Buhr sees this as a problem and wants to ensure rural Wisconsin is a place where young people want to live, and he feels the reins of property ownership and entrepreneurship need to be turned over to the young people to continue the tradition of rural America. “Last winter, I began thinking about the idea of seeking this seat,” Buhr said. “I knew that going forward I wouldn’t have quite as many obligations with my boards in the industry. I felt like I had taken away a great deal of experience and knowledge from those positions, and that those experiences gave me the skills that would be needed to serve in the state legislature.” Buhr feels his experiences have given him the ability to work with people from various backgrounds and ideas. “I feel that I could be a spokesperson to the urban legislators who have little background in agriculture,” Buhr said. Buhr said he reached out to the staff in Ron Kind’s ofce, and they embraced the idea of his candidacy, giving him guidance as to how to go about launching a campaign. “It’s not an easy task,” he said. “There was an incredible amount to learn, and it pretty much completely consumes your life.” Buhr won the primary election in August and will move on to the general election in November, where he will face fellow Vernon County dairy farmer Loren Oldenburg. Buhr lists four topics on his agenda – the state of roads in western Wisconsin, funding of rural schools, rural broadband access and access to affordable healthcare. “Our roads have been irresponsibly maintained,” Buhr said. “I feel we need to nd a responsible and sustainable method of funding our roads, not including borrowing, as 21 percent of our gas tax currently goes to service debt. … Funding for rural schools is making it more difcult for communities Turn to BUHR | Page 23
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 23
ConƟnued from BUHR | Page 22 to maintain what is basically the soul of those communities.” Buhr sees value in increased broadband access. “Broadband is necessary so that people can telecommute and live a modern lifestyle, while enjoying life in rural Wisconsin,” Buhr said. “We need to have the ability to nance broadband access at low-interest rates, to allowing the lines and technology
“It’s been a challenging situation running a campaign while dairying, and while some days can be overwhelming, I love farmers and I love cows.” PAUL BUHR, DAIRY FARMER
to be put in place. I feel broadband investment would easily pay for itself by keeping young Wisconsinites living in rural areas. Finally, I want to ensure that responsible decisions are made so that everyone has affordable healthcare. Healthcare is one of the biggest roadblocks to starting a small business or being a farmer.” While milk pricing is a federal issue, Buhr said the state government could be doing more to help farmers by addressing the infrastructure concerns in the state, as well as healthcare concerns. “We do need to make sure that
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Paul Buhr, a Viroqua, Wis., dairy farmer is running as a Democrat for Wisconsin’s 96th Assembly seat. He will face fellow Vernon County dairy farmer Loren Oldenburg in November’s general elecƟon. the regulations put in place by the state on producers are practical and effective,” Buhr said. “We need to aide and advocate for any positive federal programs for farmers that we can.” Buhr is interested in helping farmers implement ideas that involve sustaining the environment and increasing protability such as the use
of cover crops. Buhr plans to continue running his dairy farm for the time being, even if elected to the state legislature in November. “I have good heath and good help, but I am 65 years old,” Buhr said. “It’s been a challenging situation running a campaign while dairying, and while
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 25
Our expansion project The robots are here. I have been holding off writing about our expansion project for over a year. But now that the robots have been delivered, it seems like the right time to share what has been happening at our farm. I believe it was around three years ago when I was at a Wisconsin Farmers Union event at the Groshek Farm where I rst saw a robotic milking system. This single event changed my life. I was mesmerized by how the cows were being milked, how quiet the barn was and how the cows were content and relaxed. Our daughter, Anna, has always said she wanted to farm with us. But, until that moment looking at those cows being milked with the robot, I questioned how we were going to bring her into business with us. I called my husband and had my family come to the Groshek Farm the next day to check out what I witnessed. Keith and Jill took the time to speak with us about how their lives had improved along with the cows as well. In my mind, it was a done deal. I wanted robots. I have been milking over 100 cows twice daily By Tina Hinchley with automatic take-offs for years. I like to have hired Farmer & Columnist help, but I am very efcient and can milk them by myself if the help does not show up. I have to focus on getting them milked and on to other chores and feeding calves because we host farm tours, and the buses arrive around 9 a.m. If we were to expand so Anna could farm with us, I had been questioning why would we go to a parlor when I can milk the cows in the same amount of time. If we went with a parlor, it would still require hired help. I would still be milking, and my shoulders would still be sore at the end of the day. The Groshek’s robots inspired us to look further into the new technology that was waiting to help us farm easier. We could focus on calf care, quality of our crops and rations, and be able to study the 120 points of data coming from every milking. Milking with robots would improve our lives and the lives of our cows. We reached out to dealers and checked out the displays at World Dairy Expo. We toured farms and asked questions, took photos and dreamed about the future of our farm and what this could be for Anna and maybe our other children. Would they be interested in farming if it did not deal with milking cows for eight hours every day? This was going to be the legacy we built for our future. Once we were certain this was the way to go for our future, we had to gure out where the new building would be built. Should it be on the hill overlooking our farm? No, that would be a long walk or require us to drive to the barn. Should it go by the grain bins on the north side of our farm? No, it would require us to use a trailer to move cows from our existing freestall barn to bring them to the pre-fresh area in the new building. We decided to build it in the pasture next to our existing freestall and could use the elds beyond to expand if we were ever to grow in the future. We made our appointments and talked to our lender to see if we could get nancing. We went to Dane County to get our permits. We had to hire the building inspector and plumbing inspector for the project, along with an engineering company to comply with Dane County requirements for land conservation and erosion, and design a water retention pond for the site. With the decision to have a slatted oor barn, we needed their help to design the manure storage and to connect the existing freestall barn to the storage system. This required us to dig holes at the site to see if the soil would allow us to have a pit under the barn. We had to dig holes 18 feet deep to check the water table to see if water would be seeping up and send samples in to be tested. To dig holes this deep, we hired the excavators to do the project. With every step, we did not know if we would be able to go forward with our project. To be continued. Tina Hinchley, her husband, Duane, and their daughters, Anna and Catherine, milk 135 registered Holsteins and farm 2,500 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wis. They have been hosting farm tours for over 20 years.
Farmer to farmer website helps facilitate feed commodity sales
As Wisconsin farmers continue to recover from recent extreme weather events and move into the harvesting season, it can sometimes be difcult to nd a market for either selling or buying needed crops. The Farmer to Farmer website is intended to help facilitate that process. Best thought of as an electronic neighborhood bulletin board, the Farmer to Farmer website allows local farmers to get in touch with one another. The website facilitates the local marketing of feed commodities where livestock producers in need of high moisture corn, corn silage, hay, or straw can easily make contact with farmers that have feed commodities for sale. The site, developed and supported by UW-Extension, can be found at http://farmertofarmer.uwex.edu. The Farmer to Farmer Corn and
Forage List is free of charge for both buyers and sellers. Users can search for, or list for sale, hay, haylage, straw, high moisture corn, corn silage or corn grain. Buyers can search for farmers in just one Wisconsin county or in any number of counties at once. This site has been an excellent way for buyers and sellers to get in-touch locally. Neighbors often within short distances have been able to buy and sell as a result of the website. All transactions and negotiations are handled directly between buyers and sellers. People who wish to use this service but do not have access to the Internet can get access and assistance at their county UW-Extension ofce. You can also call DATCP’s Wisconsin Farm Center at 800-942-2474, Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for additional information.
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
FSA provides lending options The Farm Service Agency continues to take applications for the Market Facilitation Program that has been discussed in previous articles. Please remember the deadline to initiate your MFP FSA News & Notes application is Jan. 15, 2019. You must also have 100 percent of the crop you want to apply for harvested. For most counties, dairy, hogs, wheat and some soybeans and corn have started to come in, so if you are ready, call for an appointment and start the By Ryan Brunn process today. The Farm Service Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. Agency provides a variety of nancial lending to assist producers when needed. One of these loans is the guaranteed loan program. FSA guaranteed loans allow lenders to provide agricultural credit to farmers who do not meet the lender’s normal underwriting criteria. Farmers and ranchers apply for a guaranteed loan through a lender, and the lender arranges for the guarantee. FSA can guarantee up to 95 percent of the loss of principal and interest on a loan. Guaranteed loans can be used for both farm ownership and operating purposes. Guaranteed farm ownership loans can be used to purchase farmland, construct or repair buildings, develop farmland to promote soil and water conservation or to renance debt. Guaranteed operating loans can be used to purchase livestock, farm equipment, feed, seed, fuel, farm chemicals, insurance and other operating expenses. FSA can guarantee farm ownership and operating loans up to $1,399,000. Repayment terms vary depending on the type of loan, collateral and the producer’s ability to repay the loan. Operating loans are normally repaid within seven years and farm ownership loans are not to exceed 40 years. Contact your lender or FSA farm loan ofce for more information on guaranteed loans. Farm Service Agency is an Equal Opportunity Lender. Complaints about discrimination should be sent to: Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. 20250. Visit the Farm Service Agency Web site at: www.fsa.usda.gov/ for necessary application forms and updates on USDA programs.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 27
Take time for surprises The Transition Pen
By Laura Scholtz & John Rosenhammer Father/Daughter Farming Duo How many times has a special event or occasion that we were once looking forward to pass right on by without notice? I felt like I had plenty of time and just like that the day has come and gone. I cannot believe how I missed it again. How many times have I told Patty that next time or next year we will do something no matter what. A cow is calving or needs to be treated. The hay has to be made. A gate or fence needs to be mended. If I repair this tonight, tomorrow should be easier. I thought it would only take another 10 minutes, which turned into at least an hour. I thought I had all the parts I needed, but I am one short. These are a small sample from the book of excuses Patty has repeatedly listened to over the years. I have heard it said over and over, “The older you get the faster time goes.” I never believed that until around the age of 40, but now I believe. After much thought as to why time seems to go by faster each year, I have come to a general conclusion. At age 10, one year is 10 percent of your life. At 20, a year reduces to 5 percent of your life. Now into my 50s, a year is reduced again and represents about 2 percent of my life. The older we are privileged to become, the smaller, as a percentage of our life, a year becomes. Incidentally, the goal would be to get one year to be 1 percent of our life, which would mean we reach the age of 100. That goal is a gift from God attained by only a very few, fortunate people. One would be wise to live as if the next year were your last, taking nothing for granted. Throughout our marriage, Patty has been the long-range planner, and I am the short notice type. I think many of our goals and bucket list items are similar. Working as a nurse her entire life has meant planning very articulately, since trading hours and shifts with co-workers is nearly impossible. I, on the other hand, try to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. Patty has learned that I have some very good intentions, but circumstances seem to extinguish many of them. Cautiously she agrees, knowing full well that until we are out of the driveway, we are still at home. The weather tends to dictate a farmer’s life and his dependence on God. This year was no exception. We could not enjoy planting because we had to rush in between the frequent rains. The planter stayed on the tractor for nearly seven weeks. We could not cut hay on any schedule due to the wettest spring and summer I can remember. Spraying was difcult resulting in dirty bean elds. The rst two weeks in September included 10 inches of rain while trying to do corn silage. One signature characteristic of mine is coming up with a reason and bringing people together. Patty and I have experienced the feeling of a house warming.
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Neighbors surprising us with car after car coming in the driveway honking their horns. We have initiated new neighbors, newlyweds, birthdays and farewells. In the cold of winter, we started shop parties to break up the drudgery of the season. Getting together and sharing stories is energizing and creates lasting memories. The older I get the more special certain moments become. For the last 10 years, my approach has been to set a date, put it on the calendar and do it. The work will still be there tomorrow. Post cards were sent to friends and neighbors. A surprise 30th anniversary party was planned for us on a Saturday night. It said a meal would be served at 6 p.m. with a hay ride to follow. Thank goodness they set a date, because it was the rst day we could chop corn silage since it had rained 4 inches the Tuesday before. Greg and I began opening up a eld. It was going great, but a few things were happening that were not normal. Johnny was loading straw on a
hay rack and two-cylinder tractor. My sister Marcia and her family arrived with no warning. Laura had two extra people helping with chores and started early. Car after car drove by slowly. At 6 p.m., we nally stopped chopping to join the party. The kids had surprised us. The day had been perfect. Skies were beautiful with no wind and temperatures in the upper 70s. At 7 p.m., it was time for an old-fashioned hayride. Dad’s 1949 John Deere G had the honor to lead the way. After the ride, nearly everyone stayed around to enjoy the occasion and appreciate the moment. The kids understood the reason to celebrate something important together. So, in the midst of our troubling times, think of something positive to do. It does not have to be a surprise, but you have to set a date and do it for better or worse. John Rosenhammer farms with his daughter, Laura Scholtz, and brother, Greg, on Roseview Dairy near Sleepy Eye, Minn. They milk 200 Holsteins and run 580 acres of cropland.
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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130 Hugh Chester-Jones chest001@umn.edu 507-835-3622 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391 Sandra Godden godde002@umn.edu 612-625-8177 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435 Kota Minegishi kota@umn.edu 612-624-7455 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 M. Scott Wells mswells@umn.edu 612-625-3747 Emily Wilmes krek0033@umn.edu 320-255-6169
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Fine tuning colostrum management, sanitation Raising healthy calves is crucial to the success of a dairy operation as heifers are the future of the milking herd. Despite all the education and adoption of best management practices on farms, the 2014 National Animal Health Monitoring System survey indicates that the average mortality rate is 6 percent during the pre-weaning phase. Diarrhea or digestive problems accounted for 56 percent of the deaths, while respiratory problems were attributed to another 24 percent of deaths. In addition to mortality, NAHMS reported that 21 percent of pre-weaning calves had diarrhea or digestive problems and 12 percent had respiratory disease. It is frustrating when best management By Jim Salfer practices are followed and yet there is more U of M Extension sickness and death than desired. One of the common reasons for sickness of calves during the pre-weaning phase is failure of passive transfer of antibodies caused by poor quality and an inadequate amount of or delayed colostrum feeding. Other reasons include poor sanitation or ventilation of the calf facility. The following reasons are often overlooked potential causes of illness in young calves. - Forestomach acidosis. We do not often think about acidosis as a potential issue in young calves. However, milk can rapidly ferment and cause acidosis if it ends up in the reticulorumen. When calves are born, they are essentially simple stomached animals without a functioning rumen. In newborn calves, the rumen contains a structure called the esophageal groove. The closure of the esophageal groove sends liquid feeds directly into the abomasum. If the esophageal groove does not close properly there is potential for milk to be deposited in the reticulorumen. Research shows that reasons for the esophageal groove opening include low quality milk replacer, irregular feeding times and cold milk temperatures. Another potential reason for forestomach acidosis is simply feeding more milk than the abomasum can hold. Many farms have a policy to tube every newborn calf with one gallon of colostrum shortly after birth. This is a good guideline for average size Holstein calves weighing 85 to 95 pounds. Jerseys, calves born early and many crossbred calves are much smaller than the Holsteins. Smaller calves have smaller abomasa and are at high risk of milk reux from the abomasum back into the reticulorumen. Tubing more colostrum than the abomasum can hold also increases the risk of milk immediately exiting the abomasum into the small intestine. This increases the risk of clostridial disease in these calves. A better guideline is to only tube colostrum at 10 percent of a calf’s birthweight. Also, only tube colostrum once and follow up with a bottle.
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- Improper sanitation. Excellent sanitation is one way to minimize the risk of disease transfer between calves. Everything the calf comes in contact with should be clean and dry, especially the bottles and buckets. Properly cleaning and sanitizing feeding equipment is a similar process to cleaning a pipeline. Use the following steps to properly clean feeding equipment: - Rinse off dirt and milk residue with lukewarm (90 degrees Fahrenheit) water. - Manually scrub with a brush using hot water (at least 140 degrees F). Use a chlorinated alkaline detergent. - Rinse with warm water in an acid solution. - Let dry. - Sanitize with a 50 ppm solution of chlorine dioxide within two hours of use. Following these steps and using the correct soaps and acid will emulsify the fats and break down the carbohydrates and proteins. It is also important to have the correct size and shape of brushes to clean bottles and esophageal tubes. Equipment will not get clean by rinsing with hot or soapy water. Do not forget to replace brushes on a regular basis. They also can get dirty and harbor pathogenic bacteria. When cleaning calf pens or hutches the same principles apply, but modications need to be made because of increased manure and bedding. - Take apart pens and hutches and move to a clean area. Power washers should not be used inside any calf or cow housing facility. Power washers have the potential to aerosolize pathogens increasing the risk of disease spread. - Remove all manure, bedding and feed from housing area. Do not forget about oors in calf barns. Don Sockett, University of Wisconsin, has discovered that alleys between calf pens are often neglected and can harbor pathogenic organisms. - Soak all surfaces with water to loosen up any dried-on organic material. - Scrub or foam with an alkaline soap. - Rinse with water. - Scrub or foam with an acid cleaner. - Rinse with water. - Dry. It is best if panels or hutches can be dried in the sun. This will help kill bacteria and will dry faster. Many veterinarians and calf specialists have ATP meters that can be used to evaluate if cleaning and sanitizing procedures are effective on your farm. Calf death loss and illness is frustrating. Do not overlook ne tuning colostrum management and sanitation techniques when troubleshooting these issues.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 29
Wisconsin labor survey results
The task of recruiting, training and managing labor has become a major component of dairy management on farms that rely on hired labor. The Midwest has experienced farm labor shortages over the past few years, resulting in higher wages for both existing and new employees. According to the statistics collected by the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Labor Survey, the average increase in farm By Kota Minegishi employee wages in Michigan, Wisconsin U of M Extension and Minnesota was 2.5 percent per year for the years 2000-15; however, the increase was 6.5 percent for 2016-17. Simon Jette-Nantel, farm management specialist with the University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension and Center for Dairy Protability, conducted a labor survey last spring. The survey gathered responses from 224 dairy farms. It intended to shed light on farm labor market conditions in rural Wisconsin such as wages, employee turnover and labor supply. Below is a summary of the report. The survey found that the average farm wage varied across Wisconsin, ranging from below $12 per hour in the western areas, including Eau Claire and La Crosse, to about $13 per hour in the eastern areas, including Green Bay and Milwaukee (Figure 1). The wage rate tended to be higher in the eastern part of the state where many urban population centers are located. Those farms located
near the urban areas needed to offer competitive wages relative to non-farm sector jobs, as well as to compete with one another in order to attract new employees. This resulted in higher local farm labor wages. In terms of skill levels, the average wage was $12.51 per hour for general labor (milkers), $15.51 per hour for skilled labor (mechanics, milking shift leaders) and $18.93 per hour for managers (herdsman). Many dairy farms offered monetary or non-monetary benets to their employees (Figure 2), suggesting that additional incentives pay for themselves if they contribute to increased labor efciency and reduced labor management. About 56 percent of the dairy farmers said they incorporated a bonus system. Perhaps more surprisingly, 46 percent of the farms provided housing benets to some employees, followed by health insurance (29 percent) and transportation (20 percent). Other common benets were phones, food, retirement plans, exible schedules and paid vacations. Another focus of the survey was the rate of employee turnover. According to a 2016 Benchmark report by the Society for Human Resource Management, the national average annual turnover rate for a variety of industries was 19 percent, and the average cost of hiring a new employee was estimated at $4,100 per hire. In the current UWCE-CDP survey, the average turnover rate for April 2017 to April 2018 was 34 percent for dairy farms. A quarter of the farms had a rate lower than 10 percent, whereas another quarter had a rate higher than 44 percent, revealing a surprisingly wide range of success in labor retention despite the similar job responsibilities across dairy farms. The author men-
tioned that the cost, estimated by one dairy farm manager, of hiring and training a new employee as well as indirect costs of reduced labor efciency and psychological impacts on other employees would be at least $2,500 per hire. Lastly, the UWCE-CDP survey asked where the recent hires of their farms came from. About 61 percent of the new employees hired from April 2017 to April 2018 were from local areas (dened as within 30 miles of the respondent’s farm), and the remaining 39 percent were non-local hires. The local hires consisted of those who previously worked in local farms (39 percent of the all new hires), those who previously worked non-farm jobs (11 percent), and those who were unemployed, in school or completed schooling (11 percent). Similarly, the nonlocal hires included those coming from farm jobs (18 percent), non-farm jobs (13 percent) and the unemployment category (8 percent). Geographically, farms in the eastern part of
the state had higher proportions of new hires recruited in local areas and from non-farm sectors. The high density of farms and the proximity to urban centers in eastern Wisconsin likely contributed to this result. As an employer, it is natural to be concerned about or even frustrated with the increasing farm labor shortage. From an economic point of view, general farm labor is no different from commodities like milk, corn and soybeans in that its price is determined by supply and demand. On the other hand, what sets human resources apart is employees are individuals who have their own motivations, derive meaning from their work and also live a life outside the workplace. Most employees will seek to expand their knowledge and skill set if appropriate training or incentives are provided. Given the current competitive environment, I encourage farmers to consider regularly reviewing and clarifying what opportunities and experiences they can offer to their crews.
Figure 2. Percentage of Farms in Wisconsin Offering Employee Benets. (Source: Center for Dairy Protability, University of Wisconsin)
Figure 1. Average Hourly Wage for Dairy Farm Employees in Wisconsin, April 2018
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
For the love of apples I am aware the general public is already on to the pumpkin-ďƒ&#x;avored craze that happens this time of year, but I am still into the apples. I am partial to Wolf River apples. They are beautiful, tart and perfect for baking, though their claim to fame is truly their size. They can be as big as a man’s hand to the point where it only takes two or three to make a pie. We have a very old, towering Wolf River apple tree right out the door at the farm, along with a miniature beside it. When we were young, Dad would put the elevator into the tree and coerce us kids to stand on the ground with baseball gloves and gunny sacks ready to load up. It was a clever apple picking maneuver. In recent years, we have been lucky enough to have a high-lift on the farm for a construction job and used that to pick boxes upon boxes of apples. My brothers even hand-crafted me an apple picker of sorts with a piece of rebar that has screws welded to the top in claw formation to grab the apple and a bucket duct-taped
underneath to catch it in. This is for those times when I need only a few apples to complete a recipe, and it actually is quite successful. The quality of the apples depends on the year. Our Wolf River only produces heavy every other year. In the off year, there are apples just not near as many. Some years the summer storms bang them every which way, and we have bruised apples. Sometimes the worms and creatures get the apples, and they are disgusting. Every year I think I am going to hang out worm repellent mixtures, and every year I forget until fall. When they drop from the fall storms, we snatch them up as fast as we can to turn them into delicious applesauce. What follows are some of our favorite apple recipes. I promise you they will not disappoint. There is something about the smell of apple treats baking that ďƒžll a house, and bring about a feeling of comfort no candle can come close to. Perhaps instead of making a treat and taking it to a friend, build it and
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Betty’s apple cake Ramblings from the Ridge 1 3/4 cups sugar 1 cup oil 3 eggs 2 cups all-purpose ďƒ&#x;our 1 tsp. baking soda Dash salt 3-4 peeled, sliced apples Dash cinnamon Combine ďƒžrst three ingredients, add the dry. Mixture will be thick. Gently stir in apples. By Jacqui Davison Grease and ďƒ&#x;our a 9Columnist by 13-inch pan. Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. When cool, dust top with powdered sugar. This cake lasts less than 24 hours at our farm. Deďƒžnitely a favorite. Apple cookies or bars 1 1/3 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 egg 1/4 cup milk 2 cups all-purpose ďƒ&#x;our 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. each of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg 1/2 tsp. salt 3/4 cup old-fashioned oatmeal 1 cup peeled, chopped apple 1 cup raisins or Craisins, nuts (optional) Mix sugar, butter, milk and egg in a large bowl. Combine ďƒ&#x;our, salt, soda and spices. Add to wet mixture and mix well. Add oats, raisins and apples. If mixture seems dry, add a bit more milk. I prefer to make these in bar form, using a greased jelly roll pan, baking at 375 degrees for 15-17 minutes. Flavored homemade applesauce Grease a slow cooker. Wash and quarter apples. Peeling is optional. Place apples in cooker, sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent some browning. My mom’s trick to making delicious ďƒ&#x;avored applesauce was using a box of Jell-O. A cranberry Jell-O packet (add in some real cranberries, too), strawberry or raspberry all make delicious smelling and tasting applesauce. I tend not to add additional sugar when using a large box of Jell-O. Sprinkle your chosen ďƒ&#x;avor on the top of your apples and pour under a cup of water over the top. Cover and set cooker to low. They soften nicely on low for about eight hours or on high for four. Of course, this timeline is dependent on the type of apples you use. Some have more water content and make for runny sauce. This is where the Jell-O helps; it will assist in thickening. If too watery when done, cook with lid off in an attempt to get some water to evaporate. An immersion blender or food mill will make your apples into nice, smooth sauce. Enjoy. Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wis. Her children, Ira (11), Dane (9), Henry (4) and Cora (adventurous crawler), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 31
Finding dollars in your herd’s somatic cell count
Historically, mastitis experts have believed $203 lost income over feed costs for rst 60 day linear score. that milk production decreases in a linear fashion clinical mastitis and high SCC, respectively. Cows Hopefully after reading this you are thinking, as the linear score of the somatic cell count of a with a high rst test SCC were also 2.48 times more “Great. That’s why I always watch the percent of cow increases. In fact, this was one of the main likely to have clinical mastitis in the rst 60 days of cows high on rst test each month.” Or, “Boy, I reasons for introduction of the linear score in DHIA lactation. really need to look at what percent of my cows are systems. According to this relationship, This is not the whole story. The rates high each month.” If you use DC 305, the command milk production drops 1 to 1.5 pounds Veterinary Wisdom for removal from the herd by 60 DIM of PLOT LGSCC=4 BY LGSCC\ZRY shows, per day for each increase of one point were 6.5 percent for cows with a high among other things, the percent of fresh cows in linear score. Each one point increase rst test SCC and 2.2 percent for cows high on each test day. In DC 305, high cows are in linear score represents a doubling with a low rst test SCC. High rst test designated as hifresh. Farms should be able to keep of raw SCC. Compeer and Zoetis did cows were three times more likely to be this number below 15 percent on an annual basis. a study of the association between culled within the rst 60 days than low In our practice’s annual review of client records, we protability and factors identied from rst test cows, while cows with clinical found an average of 17 percent hifresh, and a range farm records that suggested SCC had the mastitis in the rst 60 days were only of 7 percent to 36 percent for 2017. If you have greatest correlation with protability 1.89 times more likely to be culled. lots of cows high on rst test, do you know why? of all factors considered, and that the Finally, having either a high rst test It is often suggested that the most common cause amount of change in protability is SCC or clinical mastitis in the rst 60 of early clinical mastitis or high rst test SCC is much greater than could be explained days resulted in an increase of 18 days infection during the dry period. However, personal By Jim Bennett by increased milk production due to average median days to pregnancy. experience from record analysis on many well Columnist reduced linear scores. There has been If we add milk loss per cow of $285 managed dairies suggests this is not typically true. a fair bit of discussion in the press to additional costs of $34 for additional Most often, a high percent hifresh cows simply regarding why this may be the case. There are culling and reproductive losses per cow of $54 (my means there are too many chronically infected cows. probably a number of reasons, but part of it is the calculations) plus clinical mastitis cost per cow These cows carry high SCCs from one lactation to effect of rst test SCC. representing the increase in clinical mastitis due to the next. They are true prot robbers. In 2015, Kirkpatrick and Olson presented a high rst test SCC ($32), Everyone is paper at the NMC annual meeting that looked at we get a total loss for a looking for more dollars the effects of a high rst test or a recorded case of high rst test SCC of $405 M from every milk check Most off us probably b bl clinical mastitis in the rst 60 days of lactation, per cow. The reproductive these days. Most of us and found that the reduction in milk production and culling costs are only significantly underestimate probably signicantly of either was signicant, with the cost of high rst estimates, but one can still the true costs of mastitis. underestimate the test SCC being greater than the cost of clinical conclude that a cow with a true costs of mastitis. mastitis in the rst 60 days. The study used records high rst test SCC results Improving udder health from 164,423 cows in western states. Cows were in signicant economic loss to the dairy. There can yield signicant returns. Looking at your considered to have a high rst test SCC if their SCC are some additional costs to consider, too. For herd’s rst test SCC may help you develop a plan was over 200,000 or a linear score of more than example, we know that once a cow has a case of to harvest more of those dollars. For help, ask your 4.0. For clinical mastitis in the rst 60 days, the clinical mastitis, she is more likely to get another herd veterinarian. milk loss was 1,007 pounds through the rst 270 case. There is also a cost of treatment and discarded Jim Bennett is a dairy veterinarian at Northern days of lactation. For a high rst test SCC, milk milk for clinical mastitis to consider. The overall Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in loss was 1,583 pounds through the rst 210 days point here is that high SCC, even if we only look at Plainview, Minn. He and his wife, Pam, have four of lactation. Using $18/cwt., this represented $181 the rst test, is a real prot robber to the dairy and children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@ and $285 lost value for rst 60 day clinical mastitis much greater than one would think using the old gmail.com with comments or questions. and high rst test SCC, respectively, and $129 and rule of 1.5 pounds of milk loss per point increase in
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
Can a dairy farmer own a gas station?
About 10 years ago, our community of 12,000 Some local farmers, businessmen and myself got hopefully we will offer delivery at some point. I am people lost its last remaining gas station on the south together informally and started talking about building not big into fancy coffee drinks, but I am told most side of town. The west side of our city is bordered a convenience store/gas station south of town next to of them utilize a lot of dairy. Between the cheese on by a beautiful recreational lake; so no the four-lane highway where it intersects the pizzas and the milk in the lattes, I can justify my gas stations on the west side either. Making Cents of Dairy with a busy county road that leads right investment as value added. I brought my daughter, Kia, into the group to The east side of town has a large into downtown. The meetings we have John Deere dealer, which is great for had every Tuesday remind me of what it bring a younger female perspective. She actually parts and repairs, but also bad for me must have been like 100 years ago when looks at the color schemes that our general contractor because sometimes I spend too much a few dairy farmers got together and proposes. Another thing she really pushed for was money there. Our last downtown gas decided to build a local creamery. We, drive-up service for pizza pickup and especially coffee station was closed four years ago, citing as they did, see a need and are willing to pickup. Our group consists mainly of guys in their 40s high cost of replacing worn out gas get our check books out to answer that and 60s who are the type to walk in to the store, buy pumps. All of the local gas stations and need, not knowing if we will ever see a cheap cup of coffee and sit down and talk about the convenience stores are on the north side our money again. We, as they were, are weather. Kia said there is no way she is getting three of town on the main drag close to the unpaid board members trying to make kids out of car seats, walking into the store just to buy interstate. our community a better place for all. a cup of coffee. However, even if pressed for time on Three years ago, Minnesota By Dave Vander Kooi We, as they did not, do not have highly a busy morning of getting kids to daycare and getting Department of Transportation paid managers wining and dining us, on the road for her rst sales appointment, she would Columnist swing through the drive through and spend the $5 on completed the reconstruction of making us a rubber stamp board. Highway 60 which angles from Omaha, Over the last three years of meetings, a fancy coffee. Texting orders in and our pickup could Neb., up through Sioux City, Iowa and all the way to some members have changed due to nancial and be good for us, especially with a large elementary Minneapolis. This beautiful four-lane highway is now other reasons. We are now down to seven investors school nearby that employs many teachers and aides. In 2014, when a busy route for both travelers and regional truckers. who have invested heavily conversations rst started This highway bypasses around the east and south side to get this project off the Now times i are tougher, h b but I about this station, dairy of our town, and is only 2.5 miles north of our house. ground. The foundations N There are many people who live on acreages and in are poured, and the concrete still believe in the project, and farming and farming in general was protable. It the small towns south of Worthington that waste a will be poured this week. was easy to say yes. Now gallon of gas driving across town to get gas. The fuel tanks are buried, even if it breaks even I will times are tougher, but I still and the building will go up consider it a success. believe in the project, and soon. We hope to be open even if it only breaks even, by next March in time for I will consider it a success. spring break and the start of I have learned so much about grassroots investment, the busy travel season. Besides the gas and diesel pumps, we will have community banking and how people handle their a complete convenience store and hopefully a good nances. Hopefully in a year or so, I can write a dairy display. No more driving all the way across follow-up on how we are doing. BULK OR BAG Vander Kooi operates a 1,800-cow, 4,500 acre town for a bottle of Tylenol or a gallon of milk when everyone is tired and the kids are crying. What our farm with his son, Joe, and daughter-in-law, Rita, near group is really excited about is we are putting in a Worthington, Minn. Send him feedback at davevkooi@ 35335 Green Street | Independence, WI 54747 Godfathers Pizza and Caribou Coffee. We are going icloud.com. Follow him on Instagram, @davevanderkooi. to be able to make a pizza in seven minutes, and 800-234-5893 | 715-985-3122
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Healthy plates Today my husband and I ate a typical meal for our family during this time of year. We had ground beef, potatoes, onions, peppers, coleslaw, apple sauce for dessert and a cold, very fresh glass of milk to wash it all down. Everything on our plates was produced locally. The milk was taken from our tank in the last 48 hours and pasteurized by me. The beef was from a freemartin Come Full Dairy Circle we raised; and the veggies were from ours or other’s gardens. The meal was simple and delicious. This is the way we are often able to eat. It is how we were taught to eat by key inuencers like family and the USDA Food Pyramid, and especially by mothers who learned the ins and outs of food growing, preserving and preparing through 4-H experiences and extension home economist groups. Food knowledge was ingrained into our eating habits growing up. Another experience I had as a child on our diversied farm was being part of the egg production and retail egg route that resulted from 2,000 laying hens. My parents had a typical farm for the time of a By Jean Annexstad dairy herd, hogs and chickens. The chickens were the Columnist most labor intensive. Our whole family got involved in gathering, cleaning, candling and packing the eggs. On Wednesdays, my father would pack a Chevy van full of several cases of eggs and head to St. Paul, about 25 miles from our farm. My parents would deliver eggs to our regular customers in homes, ofces, the State Capitol and even a highrise apartment for the elderly. In the summer, I was the helper on the route. What stands out the most to me from this experience is that people would always say, “I love your eggs. They are so fresh and tasty.” I do not remember any complaints about the price. Our egg customers were having farm-to-table food delivered by their farmer before it was invented. Today, I enjoy controlling what we put on our plates as a family. Can we provide the customers we market our milk and dairy foods this kind of choice? The answer is multi-faceted, but I think one part of the answer is to realize people are striving for this type of control over what they put on their plates, but they have a lot of uncertainty about their food. Food trends are changing. I will outline some key ideas shared by speakers at the Dairy Experience Forum hosted by ADA of the Midwest last July in Bloomington, Minn. Many people would like the nutritional benets and what was involved in producing the food item listed clearly on packaging so they can decide if their desires and values are met. Yet, in contrast, some busy consumers want a few main nutrients front and center on their food label. The sources of who people trust about food and where they nd that information has changed drastically. The internet, podcasts, doctors, t friends or personal trainers and coaches are the new inuencers about what we should and should not eat. The future of the food market will be more exible, with online ordering and delivery to the doorstep once again. Restaurants in grocery stores and in-store food preparation classes are catching on. There is obviously more differentiation in today’s market with milk and yogurt sold in glass bottles (again), higher-fat dairy trending upwards and niche products thriving. There is much opportunity to research and develop new dairy foods to t new desires. Food is becoming personalized to t each person’s nutritional goals and tastes. People want to feel good about the food choices they make and want a connection to their food, including the stories of their farmer and the kind of care used in growing and harvesting the food. It has been said that the 21st century eater wants a balance of health, sustainability and experience from their food. Food is becoming entwined with a person’s identity. I struggle with how dairy farmers can help consumers to have this kind of control over the food they desire to eat. We do not have much say into what happens to our raw product once it leaves the farm, except for our voices through the various milk promotion boards and co-op membership. The on-farm processing and retailing concept like my parent’s egg route is intriguing, but is complicated to start up and capital and regulation intensive. It may be the answer for some, but surely not for a majority. What we can do, though, is to keep encouraging the buyers of our raw product to develop and market the kinds of foods that give today’s eaters choices for their own unique healthy plates. Jean dairy farms with her husband, Rolf, and brother-in-law, Mike, and children Emily, Matthias and Leif. They farm near St. Peter, in Norseland, where she is still trying to t in with the Norwegians and Swedes. They milk 200 cows and farm 650 acres. She can be reached at jeanannexstad@gmail.com.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 33
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
The pick of the patch Nigon’s fund children’s future education through pumpkin patch By Cassie Olson Staff Writer
GREENWOOD, Wis. – There is nothing Luke Nigon holds dearer to his heart than his upbringing on his family’s dairy farm. His parents, Marty and Kathy Nigon, milk 70 cows near Greenwood, Wis. While employed off the farm, Luke is making the farm a center point for his family as well. Luke and his wife, Amy,
are the managers of the onfarm pumpkin patch, this year raising over 11,000 pumpkins with all proceeds beneting their sons’ – Dylan, 2, and Isaac, newborn, – college educations. Long before Luke had a family of his own, the pumpkin patch served as a project he was able to enjoy alongside his father. Over 20 years ago, the patch began on a 1/4-acre parcel of land. The rst focus was sweet corn. CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Luke and Amy Nigon manage their family’s pumpkin patch on their family’s 70-cow dairy near Greenwood, Wis. Luke began the patch over 20 years ago as a small family project that he is now u�lizing to fund his sons’ future tui�ons.
CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR
The Nigons offer a self-serve stand that is open from dawn to dusk. Customers are able to pick from a variety of pumpkins ranging in size, color and price.
“I remember being in grade school starting a sweet corn stand on the side of the road,” Luke said. “We would sell a few dozen a day. We still carry on the sweet corn stand, raising just under three acres of sweet corn, with four different varieties and three different plantings in a year.” After starting the sweet corn venture, Luke and his mom sparked an idea that has since grown into a family tra-
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dition. “When I was young we stopped by a roadside pumpkin stand to pick out a pumpkin to carve,” Luke said. “I remember telling my mom, ‘We should do this.’ My mom said, ‘I’m sure Dad has some space we could use,’ and that’s where it all started.” The project slowly grew to the 2.5-acre pumpkin patch the Nigons run today. As the patch grew in size, so did the work-
load. “It certainly got to be more work as time went on,” Luke said. “Eventually, I went off to UW-Stevens Point for college, and then to the UP of Michigan for my rst job. When we moved back to the area a few years ago, my wife and I took it on and made it our not-so-little project.” Turn to PUMPKINS | Page 35
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CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR
The Nigons raise over 11,000 pumpkins on 2.5 acres during the 2018 season.
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vest season. “I have an aunt and cousins who have a similar pumpkin project, so we help one another run ideas by and help by trading pumpkins if one of us runs out of a particular variety,” Luke said. “Not being on the farm full time ourselves, my parents are especially helpful, as well.” As the Nigons continue to raise pumpkins and their family, they are often reminded of why they continue to keep the pumpkin patch going. “Keeping the project going is more about keeping my boys involved on the farm than it is about making money,” Luke said. “This is a true family farm, and we love keeping the family involved.”
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LUKE NIGON, DAIRY FARMER
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“Keeping the project going is more about keeping my boys involved on the farm than it is about making money.”
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who also allows us to have a trailer with pumpkins for sale at his corn maze,” Luke said. Beyond the neighbors, the Nigons said they are thankful for a supportive family who helps make the pumpkin patch a continued success. Brothers, sisters and cousins are a big help on weekends during the planting and har-
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PHOTO SUBMITTED
Amy, holding Isaac, and Luke, holding Dylan Nigon, have a large pumpkin patch near Greenwood, Wis.
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The Nigons begin selecting seeds for the next year’s pumpkin patch in November. They grow 40 varieties of pumpkins, eight varieties of squash and ve varieties of gourds. The selection has received compliments of new and returning customers. They also offer straw bales, corn shocks, ornamental corn and even pure maple syrup made on their farm the previous spring. “We get a lot of comments and compliments about the selection we have here,” Amy said. “White pumpkins have grown increasingly popular, and we adapt our varieties every year to accommodate what is in demand.” The pumpkins are planted and picked by hand. The self-serve stand for sweet corn sales is also utilized for pumpkin sales in the fall. The family operates from dawn to dusk and takes special orders from customers when needed. “I handle our Facebook and Instagram page, Nigon-View Dairy,” Amy said. “When someone contacts us ahead of time, we are able to make sure someone is either around or has pumpkins ready to go if they are ordering large quantities.” Their dedication to customers has kept customers coming back, some traveling great distances to get their yearly pumpkins. “It is amazing the reach we have,” Amy said. “We have a lot of people travel here from Marsheld, (Wis.), but we have some travel further from out of state. One family stopped by on their way from Illinois because they liked our pumpkins. It’s amazing.” Now with two children of their own, the Nigons want to make their project a lasting part of their sons lives. “We live just three miles away, but we live in the town of Greenwood,” Luke said. “I always wanted my boys to grow up on a farm, or at the very least get that agricultural experience that I was raised with. Once Dylan was born, we committed the prots from our project to be dedicated to our children’s college funds.” While the Nigons do not host any special events with their pumpkin patch, they would like to do so in the future. They are part of Clark County Economic Development and Tourism Bureau’s Harvest Moon Tour. They also donate pumpkins to school and church groups and have allowed groups to visit the farm and pick their own pumpkins. Additionally, they work with neighboring small businesses. “We have a neighbor who runs a greenhouse that we advertise for and
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ConƟnued from PUMPKINS | Page 34
Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
Compeer Financial is proud to sponsor
Women In Dairy Jennifer Klejeski Sturgeon Lake, Minn. Pine County 33 cows
Family: My husband, Alan, and I celebrated 10 years of marriage. We have four children: Jessica, 8, Justin, 6, Jordan, 3, and Joshua, 1. Tell us about your farm. Our farm is called Trinity Dairy. My husband and I milk 33 cows and plant about 150 acres of hay, corn and oats on the farm he bought from his grandparents. Our herd consists of at least one of every breed. I have a particular sweet spot for the Guernsey and Brown Swiss. We raise our heifers and many are shown at our county fair, either by us or youth who lease them. My father-in-law (who is supposed to be retired) comes morning and night to help milk cows, and play with the grandkids. We also have chickens, pigs and a spoiled Border Collie. What’s the busiest time of day for you? We homeschool our children, so during the school year my day is spent mostly in the house helping the two older kids with their studies and doing chores around the house. By 4 p.m., I am ready to get outside and bring the cows in for milking. During the summer, I am busy outside with chores, eld work or halter breaking heifers and cows. When you get a spare moment what do you do? I love sitting at a campre, playing piano or watching a movie. I love to watch the Packers play, and my husband is a Vikings fan, so we have a healthy rivalry.
Your hopes. Your dreams.
BIG & SMALL.
Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. When my husband started milking cows in 2006, he had Holsteins. It wasn’t until we were married that we got our rst Red and White calf, and boy was she spoiled. She was my rst show calf. I have been in the show ring ever since. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I love being able to work alongside my husband and raise our family on the farm. I love our cows. I love spending time with our new calves and watching them grow into mature cows. Although this life can be challenging, it is also rewarding. I feel blessed to be able to live this life. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? Our family is active with a strong livestock focused 4-H club. I serve on the Pine County Dairy Association board and coordinate the dairy princess program, which gives me opportunities to connect with farmers and consumers alike. I also serve on our dairy co-op’s district board. I like to use social media to stay up to date on industry news.
Whether you’re running the farm, raising the kids or doing both, we understand. Many of our team members are too. And we’re here for you with the resources, knowledge and expertise to help make your hopes and dreams very, very real. Let’s get started today.
Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? My father-in-law, Leonard, has taught me so much about dairy farming. He is usually the rst person I call if I have any questions. Charlie Hagen has taught me a lot about how to breed good cows and improve our reproduction program. His 50 years of experience is a valuable resource. Alan Overland milks Guernsey cows in Sturgeon Lake. He gave my husband and me a little push into getting active with our dairy co-op and learning how our milk is marketed. The knowledge these men have shared with me is immeasurable. 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 of my farm to any woman running for political ofce. It’s important they know us small farmers are still here. What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken? We don’t really vacation. We do have a fair-cation. Every August we are at the Carlton County Fair. It’s a fun, busy week, and by Monday the day-to-day chores of the farm feel like a vacation.
Learn more at compeer.com. (844) 426-6733 | #CHAMPIONRURAL Compeer Financial, ACA is an Equal Credit Opportunity Lender and Equal Opportunity Provider. ©2018 All rights reserved.
What are some words you like to live by? Pray like everything depends on God, work like everything depends on you.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 37
Helping cows keep their cool
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MICHAEL P. KING/UWÍłMADISON CALS
Collaborators Mario Mondaca Duarte (leĹŒ), a research associate and venĆ&#x;laĆ&#x;on specialist with the The Dairyland IniĆ&#x;aĆ&#x;ve in the School of Veterinary Medicine, and Jennifer Van Os, UW-Madison assistant professor of dairy science and extension animal welfare specialist, prepare an airďƒ&#x;ow study in a cross-venĆ&#x;lated barn Aug. 29 at Rosy-Lane Holsteins in Watertown, Wis.
UW researcher, Wisconsin dairy farm collaborate on animal welfare research
On hot days, the cows at Rosy-Lane Holsteins are given cool showers while they’re being milked. And the farm’s newborn calves are housed in pairs to enhance their social and cognitive development. Jennifer Van Os wants to know how those ideas are working out—for the cows and the farm. Van Os is eager to learn about strategies that Wisconsin farmers employ to promote cow comfort. Since she joined the University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty last spring as an assistant professor of dairy science and extension animal welfare specialist, she has traveled the state to meet with milk producers, processors and others concerned about the well-being of Wisconsin’s signature farm animal. “I wanted to see what people in the industry considered to be their strengths and challenges when it comes to animal welfare. I perceive that there’s a lot of support for my position,â€? she says. “A lot of farmers understand that they’re facing public scrutiny, and to be truly sustainable, you need public acceptance for agricultural practices.â€? That sentiment is echoed at RosyLane Holsteins, a 950-cow operation just south of Watertown operated by partners Lloyd and Daphne Holterman, Tim Strobel and Jordan Matthews. “Jennifer came to Wisconsin at a really critical time,â€? says Lloyd Holterman. “The whole dairy industry is all about animal care.â€? “Everyone in the dairy community— farmers, processors, everybody who touches the product—has got to do better,â€? adds Daphne Holterman. “We’ve always been concerned about our cows’ welfare, but it’s kind of been in the back of our minds. Now it has moved to the forefront. We know we have to pay more attention and we have to start telling people what we’re doing and why.â€? Rosy-Lane Holsteins was the ďƒžrst Wisconsin farm Van Os visited and she was impressed by the partners’ purposeful approach to animal welfare and their willingness to try new methods. So she decided to set up her ďƒžrst collaborative research project there, using funding from her faculty start-up package. One thing she wanted to study was the idea of showers in the milking parlor. “I’ve never seen it done on a dairy before, and it intrigues me,â€? she says. Van Os is very familiar with the water-spray systems used to keep dairy cows
cool. She earned her Ph.D. in California studying how cows respond to sprinklers in holding pens and feeding areas. Those systems can be effective, she says, but they’re pretty inefďƒžcient. “Cows move around and they bunch up. So you waste water spraying where there are no cows, and you could be applying more spray to some animals than others,â€? she says. Rosy-Lane’s solution was designed by Lloyd Holterman, Jordan Matthews and Dan Pauli, the farm’s plumbing contractor. “We had this wild idea: let’s put showerheads over the stalls in the parlor,â€? says Lloyd Holterman. “We feed it with water that’s already been used to cool milk.â€? This way the water lands on cows rather than empty spaces, the spray is consistent from cow to cow and it’s targeted to optimize health and comfort—on the hips and back, away from udders (to reduce risk of mastitis) and away from faces, which is of particular interest to Van Os. “Our research and other studies have found that cows don’t like to be sprayed on the face,â€? she says. “When we think about welfare we’re thinking not just about biological beneďƒžts, but also about whether they’re having a positive or negative emotional experience. If we can avoid spraying their faces, maybe it’s a more pleasant experience for them.â€? Rosy-Lane’s partners think the system is effective and hope that Van Os can conďƒžrm that. She and her students are monitoring the cows’ heat load, recording things like body temperature, respiration rate and panting, as well as how much time the cows spend lying down—a good indicator of cow comfort. Van Os is also interested in a new practice in the calf barn. For years, RosyLane’s newborns were housed individually. That’s common on Wisconsin farms: isolating calves to reduce the risk of disease. But recently, the farm’s calf team doubled the pen size and began housing newborns in pairs. They did this after hearing about research suggesting that isolating calves may hinder their ability to cope with changes they’ll encounter later on. That study at the University of British Columbia (where Van Os did postdoctoral research) found that cows that had been housed in pairs or groups as newborns adapt better to new routines—like moving to a new barn or a new milking protocol. “It’s good for their social and cognitive development and there are potential production gains,â€? Van Os says. “Evidence has shown that it helps reduce stress during weaning and improves weight gain after weaning.â€? Bob Mitchell for College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin–Madison
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
Advanced Dairy Solutions - Richland Center, WI
J Gile Dairy Equipment - Cuba City, WI
Centre Dairy Equipment - Sauk Centre, MN
Koehn Inc (Monroe Westfalia Surge) - Monroe, WI
Coulee Ridge Robotics - Sparta, WI
Leedstone - Melrose, MN, Glencoe, MN
Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems - Epworth, IA
Midwest Livestock Systems - Pine Island, MN,
Ederer’s Dairy Supply - Plain, WI , Blanchardville, WI, Dodgeville, WI
Menomonie, WI, Sioux Falls, SD, Beatrice, NE Professional Dairy Services - Madison, WI
Fullers Milker Center - Lancaster, WI
S&S Dairy Systems - St. Charles, MN
Glencoe Co-Op Assn. - Glencoe, MN
Sioux Dairy Equipment - Rock Valley, IA, Colton, SD
Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equipment - Pipestone, MN
Tri-County Dairy Supply - Janesville, WI United Suckow Dairy - Postville, IA, West Union, IA
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018 • Page 39
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Mike Eichacker Salem, S.D. McCook County 200 cows How did you get into farming? I started dairy farming with my dad and my brother right after high school. I ended up buying out both my dad and my brother. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? The milk price is not the greatest. I hope it improves soon, because if we go on like this, we’re going to lose more dairy farms. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? Heat detection collars for the cows. I just have to look at the computer to see which cows are in heat. It has helped us improve our conception rates. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has benetted you? We started using beef bulls on our older cows. There is a lot more value in the beef cross calves. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? We don’t buy anything extra. We also use the cheapest semen that still has good fertility and is easy calving. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? We do everything that we can to keep them happy. I talk to them and listen to their concerns. It’s hard to nd help these days, so you do what you can to hang onto them. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I do all of our A.I. work and manage our breeding program. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? Seeing a newborn calf. The calf represents all of the genetic improvements we have been working toward all these years. It gives me a real sense of accomplishment. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Hold down expenses as much as you can and hang in there.
What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your dairy farm? It’s a tie between the skid steer loader and our vertical mixer. We use the skid steer for everything and the mixer makes a great TMR. What has been you biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? My dad passed away this past year. That reminded me of how proud I am to have been able to continue our family’s tradition of dairy farming. What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? I turned 62, so I guess I’m in it for the long haul. Maybe I should have listened to my wife, Michele, who wanted me to retire when I was 60. How do like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We like to spend time with our six grandkids and go to their school activities. As Dad would say, “Go out and see the world, but be home in time for chores.”
Star Blends is a full service feed manufacturing facility. We provide custom complete feeds, supplements and minerals. We utilize modern technology to produce your needed products on demand with the highest quality feeds at the best cost. We also offer a wide selection of commodities, ingredients and additives. We are focused on dairy, efficiently delivering to farms in Western Wisconsin. Give us a call, we’d be happy to discuss our commodities or custom products and services with you and your nutritionist.
1919 Riley Road Sparta, WI 54656 | 800.462.4125
Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 13, 2018
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Your Local GEA Hygiene Dealers: Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Monroe WestfaliaSurge Midwest Livestock Systems Valley, IA Menomonie, WI • 715-235-5144 Monroe, WIRock • 608-325-2772 712-476-5608 • 800-962-4346 Pine Island, MN • 800-233-8937 320-256-3303 • 800-996-3303 Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Colton, SD J. Gile DairyGlencoe, Equipment, Sioux Falls, MN • 800-705-1447 MN Inc. 800-944-1217 Centre Dairy Equipment and Inc. Supply Inc.City, WI • 608-744-2661 Rock Valley, Service IA Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems, Cuba Beatrice, NE • 800-742-5748 320-864-5575 • 877-864-5575 Edgerton, MN Epworth, IA • MN 563-876-3087 Sauk Centre, 712-476-5608 • 800-962-4346 Chemical Sales 507-920-8626 Leedstone,Midwest Inc. Monroe / 320-352-5762 • 800-342-2697 Livestock Systems, Inc.WestfaliaSurge Colton, SD Fitzgerald, Inc. Melrose, MNMenomonie, WI • 715-235-5144 Koehn, Inc. Service 800-944-1217 Tri County Dairy Supply, Inc. Fitzgerald, Inc. Elkader, IA • 563-245-2560 320-256-3303 • 800-996-3303 Monroe, WI • 608-325-2772 Owen, WI • 715-229-4740 Janesville, WI • 800-822-7662 Glencoe, MN Edgerton, MN Elkader, IA • 563-245-2560 Pine Island, MN • 800-233-8937 320-864-5575 • 877-864-5575 Preston Dairy Equipment Chemical Sales 507-920-8626 Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. Sioux Falls, MN • 800-705-1447 Plainview, MN Sparta, WI Lancaster, WI • 800-887-4634 507-534-3161 • 800-548-2540 608-269-3830 • 1-888-863-0227 Beatrice, NE • 800-742-5748 Woodville, WI • 866-467-4717 Advanced Dairy Solutions Centre Dairy Equipment Sauk Centre, MN WI Richland Center, 320-352-5762 608-647-4488••800-342-2697 800-772-4770
Leedstone, Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. Lancaster, WI • 800-887-4634 Melrose, MN