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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 19, No. 17
Producers cope with discontinued use of rbST Heightened management tactics may alleviate impact
October 28, 2017
“People went out of their way to help us. Seven days a week for two months, there were people here to help us and we never stopped.” – Peter Wuertz
Help until the cows come home
By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
PINE CITY, Minn. – Cows at J.M. Peterson Farms have not been administered a dose of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) for the past ve months, and the Petersons have yet to recoup the loss in production. “A piece of technology has been taken away that was a protable part of our operation. This next year, we will continue making management changes that we think will soften the blow of the loss of production,” said Marianne Peterson, noting a 10-pound decrease in milk production a month after rbST was no longer used. Peterson and her husband, Jeff, along with their son, Jacob, manage a 400-cow dairy near Pine City, Minn. The Petersons’ other son, Nick, is an employee on the farm. The Peterson family is one of several dairy farmers who were notied last spring of the ban on the synthetic growth hormone by milk processors across the Midwest. By Jan. 1, 2018, those processors will no longer accept milk from dairy animals treated with rbST. “We were notied that we needed to discontinue rbST before June 1,” said Peterson, who is a part of the Burnett Dairy Cooperative in Grantsburg, Wis. “We made the decision to keep all cows on it until May 30, and six weeks before that deadline not enroll any new cows.” When the herd no longer received a dose of rbST, the Petersons immediately noticed a drop in milk production. “Within the rst three weeks, we saw a 5-8-pound drop, and by the end of June, it was nearly 10 pounds lost,” Peterson said. Dr. Jim Bennett, with the Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minn., anticipates milk production loss being the greatest setback to this industry change. “Farmers can expect to see a 10-pound decrease with every cow treated,” Bennett said. “It’s not going to affect much else, but it will put a wrinkle in how reproduction is managed.” To accommodate the change, farmers will have to reevaluate their reproduction strategy to maintain production, while eliminating animals that may hinder the farm’s protability. “Most farmers have already begun to make reproductive decisions for no rbST in the herd. If they haven’t, the time to do so is now,” Bennett said. “These strategies will force farmers to be more aggressive as the importance of culling or do-not-breed will become greater.” Before the Petersons eliminated rbST, they implemented changes to their breeding protocol. Previously with rbST, a cow could be bred up to 260 days in milk (DIM) and milking 100 pounds per day. Now, cows are bred up to 230 DIM and milking 100 pounds per day. “The greatest challenge we’ve had is culling cows earlier that we felt were protable, but without rbST, they became unprotable,” Peterson said. Like many farmers, when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration rst approved the synthetic growth hormone for use in 1993, the Petersons incorporated it into their herd management as a way to increase protability. “We used rbST very close to label directions,” Peterson said. “We would start most cows on it after 63 DIM, and would make sure they were off it two weeks before dry off. This was for our Turn to RBST | Page 5
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
The Wuertzes – (front row, from leŌ) Paul, Lisa and Brooke; (back row, from leŌ) Peter and Luke – are happy to be milking their herd of 56 cows at home near Spring Hill, Minn. The family had a barn re Aug. 10 and milked at a dairy eight miles away while the new barn was being constructed. With the help of many friends and family, the Wuertzes were able to get a new structure up and ready for cows in exactly two months.
Wuertzes begin milking two months after re By Jennifer Coyne & Mark Klaphake Staff Writers
SPRING HILL, Minn. – Anxiousness. Gratitude. Blessed. Those three words only begin to describe the emotions Peter and Lisa Wuertz have felt over the last two months as they recover from a re that toppled their milking barn Aug. 10. And on Oct. 10, those emotions were amplied as they brought home the milking herd into a newly constructed freestall barn. “By 9:30 a.m., everyone was in the barn,” Lisa Wuertz said. “You walked into the barn and felt happiness. It was a relief to have the cows back home.” Lisa and her husband,
Peter, and their three children – Paul, 18, Luke, 16, and Brooke, 14 – milk 56 cows in Stearns County near Spring Hill, Minn. In the early morning of that haunting August day, ames engulfed the Wuertzes’ 100-year-old barn, where they housed the milking herd and had an addition for calves and heifers nearby. Two people passing by rst noticed the re and called emergency personnel. Then, they alerted the Wuertzes. “By the time we noticed what was happening, the roof was falling in and calves were bellowing,” Peter said. “There was nothing we could do as we watched all of our work go up in smoke.” While the milking herd
happened to be outside of the barn in the neighboring cow yard, 37 calves and heifers perished as the barn was deemed a total loss. “What happened is no fun; you never realize how traumatic a re is until you’re pulling debris out with the skidloader,” Peter said. “We were fortunate, though, because the cows have free access to walking in and out of the barn, and with the nice weather they were all outside that night.” As the local re department arrived with two neighboring departments offering mutual aid and water, the Wuertzes’ yard lled with neighbors, family and friends lending a hand to help move cattle and clear debris, and also be present Turn to WUERTZES | Page 6
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofďƒžce) 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 Ron Johnson (608) 874-4243 ron.j@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Jennifer Coyne (320) 352-6303 jenn@dairystar.com Brittany Olson (320) 352-6303 brittany.o@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (715) 245-6848 danielle.n@dairystar.com Advertising Sales Main Ofďƒžce: 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 (ofďƒžce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Lori Menke (Eastern Iowa, Southern WI) 563-608-6477 • lori.m@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 megan.s@dairystar.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $35.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute ďƒžnal 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 ofďƒžces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
North America dealers. A glance at what’s inside
Dairy Proďƒžle brought to you by your
As of Nov. 1 landowners will need to be in compliance of a law that passed through in the 2015 special legislative session. The Riparian Protection and Water Quality Practices, also known as the buffer law, calls for a 30-foot minimum and 50-foot average width buffer on public waterways. As of right now, there is about 95 percent compliance. Read more about the buffer law on pages 12-13 in ďƒžrst section. Fall is a big hunting time for many in our coverage area. The season has been particularly By Mark Klaphake successful for Grant Giese, who shot his ďƒžrst bear on Oct. 8 on his family’s 66-cow dairy near Alma Center, Editor Wis. Although Giese has had two other tags since 2009, this is the ďƒžrst time he has been able to ďƒžll it, bagging a nearly 400-pound boar. Read about his hunting tale on pages 4 and 8 in third section. On the Biels’ family dairy near Harmony, Minn., reproduction has been an area of improvement in the last few years. Last year, the family’s 180-cow herd had a pregnancy rate average of 30 percent with a ďƒžrst service conception rate of 52 percent. That has increased since they hired an A.I. technician to chalk the tails on the cows every day and run the reproduction program. Read about how the Biels get their cows pregnant in our Reproduction Leaders feature on pages 18 and 20 in ďƒžrst section. Oct. 17 was a busy day for the Middendorf family. In addition to routine chores on the 104-cow dairy, near Melrose, Minn., Joel Middendorf and his family needed to ďƒžnish corn silage harvest and a few acres of soybeans near the main farm site. With help from Joel’s dad, Eugene, farm employees and custom harvesters, the Middendorfs ended the night with their to-do list complete. Turn to pages 16, 18-19 in second section to read more about how Oct. 17 went for the Middendorfs. Minnesota Dairy Initiative (MDI) has created a new position to centralize leadership. Alison Rickeman started as the interim state director in September. Along with this role, Rickeman is also continuing in her position as the southcentral region coordinator. Rickeman and the MDI team hope this role will help guide the organization to use their resources in order to help farmers in the best way possible. Read more about the role on pages 23 in ďƒžrst section.
Favorite quotes from this issue: “This is a team eort. It’s very important to work with our milk buyer because they need to understand what’s happening on the farm. Likewise, we need to understand how the ďƒžnal product gets to consumers.â€? – Tom Molitor, Pages 6-7 in second section
“My painting was of a bunch of cows that look happy. I wanted to show that dairy farming is really humane and that dairy farmers treat their cows well.� – Arnold Jibbon, Pages 24-25, 27 in second section
By the Numbers
time it took Jennifer Holle to 4:35: The complete the Chicago Marathon Oct. 8. (Pages 3-4, second section)
1,000:
Pounds increased in herd average in the ďƒžrst year after Jordan Farms updated their housing and milking facilities. (Pages 12-13, ďƒžrst section)
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 3
It’s all inside...
FIRST SECTION
Spring Hill
First Section: Page 36
Second Section: Pages 16, 18 - 19
First Section: Pages 1, 6
Beltrami
Becker
Stevens
Brookings
or n
THIRD SECTION
Douglas Charles Mix
n nso
Lake
Chippewa
Moody
McCook Minnehaha
Meeker
Wright Hennepin
McLeod
Renville
Carver Scott
Lyon
Redwood
Nicollet Brown
Murray
Rock
Nobles
Harmony
Dakota
r
Sibley
Rice
Goodhue Wabasha
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted Jackson
Martin
Faribault
Freeborn
Hiring A.I. tech helps Biels keep up with reproduction
Mower
First Section: Pages 18, 20
Winona
Fillimore
Houston
Ha
Da
vis
on
Sa nb
Miner
Kandiyohi
Yellow Medicine Lincoln
Kingsbury
Deuel
Isanti
go
Hamlin
First Section: Pages 10 - 11
Anoka
Swift Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Benton
Stearns
Pope
Sherburne
Grant Clark
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Douglas
isa
Roberts
Big Sto Stone
Grant
Fountain
Mulherns custom chop, apply manure with other farmers in the area
Pine
Todd
eu
Marshall
Carlton
Crow Wing
Su
rse
Second Section: Pages 24 - 25
Aitkin
Le
Students across the Midwest are encouraged to enter dairy art contest
Day
Ottertail
Wilkin
Brookings
Page 39
Cass
sey
Clay
Washinton
no
Mah
Dodge Center
Dairy Prole: Lynn and Rachel Miller
Kanabec
Norman
men
Itasca
Hubbard
Polk
Wadena
First Section: Pages 15 - 16
Mid-American Hay Auction Results Pages 28 - 29 Crop and weather reports Pages 30 - 31 Dairy Recipes
St. Louis
Red Lake
Clearwater
From Our Side of the Fence
Second Section: Pages 6 - 7
Koochiching
Pennington
Lake Benton
Molitors receive esteemed HOPE award
Lake of the Woods
Marshall
Page 23
Pages 2- 3 Farmers rally behind Tommerdahl after farm accident Pages 4, 8 Giese lands his rst bear Page 6 People in Dairy Pages 9 - 10 Some Udder Stuff Page 11 Dairy’s Star Youth: Hannah Ullom Pages 12 - 13 Kids Corner: The Klinkners Page 14 Dairy Calendar Pages 15 - 22 Classieds
Roseau
Ra m
Kittson
St. Cloud
Wuertzes begin milking two months after re
A day in the life of the Middendorfs
Ch
Pages 3 - 4 Running more than a dairy Pages 5, 9 Breezy Hill Dairy sweeps Forage Superbowl at World Dairy Expo Pages 10 - 11 The “Mielke” Market Weekly Page 12 Dairy markets Page 13 Area hay auction results Pages 14 - 15 Dairying Around the World Pages 20 - 21 Lubichs nd success, farm diversication in goat yoga studio
Melrose
Women in Jeans: Jennifer Handt
Pipestone
SECOND SECTION
Brooten
Tra ve
Pages 1, 5 Producers cope with discontinued use of rbST Pages 8-9 Ag Insider Page 22 Humane livestock grants available Page 23 New leadership position for MDI Page 25 Spreading the love of dairy with culinary professionals Page 26 FSA News & Notes Page 27 The Transition Pen Page 28 Reections on manure, cover crop discussions with farmers Page 29 Prevention, treatment for milk fever, subclinical hypocalcemia Page 30 Dear County Agent Guy Page 31 A challenge of positive thoughts Page 32 Rural Roots Page 33 Dairy Good Life Page 34 Something to Ruminate On Pages 35, 37 New national milk production record set by Clark County bovine
Hutchinson
Turner
Bon Yankton Homme
Lincoln Clay
Union
Lyon
Osceola Dickinson Emmet
Sioux
O’Brien
Clay
Palo Alto
Kossuth
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: What is your favorite piece of equipment you have ever used? Pages 15-16
Plymouth
Zone 1
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Give milk production a push GEA’s FRone works around the clock to keep feed at the bunk, maximizing your cows’ production. Could your bunk management routine use a little extra push? GEA’s FRone automated feed pusher provides consistent, high-quality feed available day and night to boost production results from your whole herd. It’s easy to use, charges fast and contains twin batteries for maximum run time. With the help of GEA’s FRone, you can push the limits on your feeding program.
Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
WINTER FIX SALES EVENT
NEW EQUIPMENT SAUK CENTRE
TRACTORS NH T4.100 & 110 Utility, Cab & Loader ...3 in Stock! NH T6.180 Plus, Super Steer, 4 Rmts ........In Stock! NH T6.155 Plus, 2WD, 4 Rmts ...................In Stock! NH Boomer 46D, Cab Heat, A/C, Loader ..In Stock! NH Boomer 40 ROPS, Loader ...................In Stock! SKID LOADERS NH L218, L220, L228, L234 and C238 ...... In Stock! HAY TOOLS NH SpeedRower 220 & 260 ...................... In Stock! NH Procart 819, 1022, 1225 Rakes............In Stock! NH Dura-Vee 1020, 1225, 1428 Rakes ......In Stock! NH H7230 & DB313R Discbines ................In Stock! NH H6740, 7’ 10” Disc Mower, 3 Point ......In Stock! NH ProRotor 3114 & 3223 Rakes...............In Stock! NH ProTed 3417, 17’ 1” Working Width .....In Stock! BALERS NH RB450, RB460 and RB560...................In Stock! TILLAGE Salford 8208 Plow, 8 Bottom .....................In Stock! Salford I-2218, 18’ Vertical Tillage..............In Stock! Salford 9809, HD Ripper, 9 Shank..............In Stock! Salford I-4124, HD Vert. Tillage, 24’ ...........In Stock! Konskilde 9200, Vertical Tillage..................In Stock! FORAGE NH FR500 Chopper, Dual Drive..................In Stock! MANURE SPREADERS BBI Endurance, 22’ Litter Spreader ...........In Stock! MISCELLANEOUS Messer Attachments and Rock Wagons ....In Stock!
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USED EQUIPMENT SAUK CENTRE
TRACTORS NH T7000 Front PTO/3 Point Kit .................. $6,500 SKID LOADERS NH L230, Cab Heat, A/C, Air Seat ............. .$36,900 NH L218, Cab, Heat .................................... $24,900 HAY TOOLS NH 1475, 14’ Haybine ................................. $13,500 NH H7450, 13’ Disbine, Draw Bar Swivel ... $27,900 Enorossi RTVH14, 14 Wheel Rake .................. $1,450 BALERS NH RB460, Dry Hay, 4’x6’, 1070 Bales ....... $32,900 NH BR780A, Twine/Net, Wide P/U .............. $11,900 BR7070, Silage Special, 4’x6’, Clean .......... $26,900 TILLAGE Salford 8214 Plow, 14 Bottom .................... $53,500 FORAGE Krone EC7500 ............................................. $29,500 NH 919A4 CH, 4R-36”, Fits 1915.................. $1,750 MISCELLANEOUS Berti TA-220 OɈset Flail Mower. .................... $4,500 PIERZ TRACTORS NH T6.165 Plus, Super Steer, 151 HrsLease Return! NH TN75, FWA, Pwr Shuttle, Loader ............Just In!
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This is available in addition to the existing six-month warranty on new and remanufactured parts when installed by a New Holland dealer by December 31, 2017.
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Hurry in—offers end December 31, 2017. 1Subject to credit approval. Terms and conditions apply. Ask an associate for details. 2See your local New Holland dealer for full details and qualifications ©2017 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. CNH Industrial Capital and CNH Industrial Genuine Parts are trademarks in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. Productivity Plus® is licensed or sublicensed to Citibank, N.A. in the United States. MRC
SKID LOADERS NH L230, 850 hrs., Perf Package ................ $43,500 NH LS180, Cab, Heat, Hyd Q-Tach, New Tires.....................................................Just In! HAY TOOLS NH H7450, 13’ Discbine, Drawbar Swivel ... $24,500 NH 166 Inverter, Hyd Drive, RH Table Ext ..... $5,700 NH 1431, Nice Consigned ............................. $14,000 NH 1465 Haybine, Hyd. Lift, Stub Guards ...... $9,350 Enorossi 10 Wheel, Carted Rake..................... $3,500 BALERS NH BR750A Net/Twine, Wide P/U ............... $17,800 NH BR780, Auto-Wrap, Bale Ejector, Std. P/U ................................................... $11,900 NH BR780, Net/Twine, Bale Command ...... $17,500 NH BR7090, Net Only, Wide P/U ................ $27,900 NH BR7060, Roto-Cut, Net/Twine, Bale Command ..........................................Just In! Vermeer 505I, 5x5 Bale, Electric Tie, Twine... $3,900 Vermeer 504F, 4’x5’, 1 yr. Old Belts .............. $1,500 TILLAGE JD 3710, 10 Bottom Plow, Nice, 2013 Model .$29,500 FORAGE NH FP230, 27P HH, 3PN CH, KP................ $39,500 MISCELLANEOUS Hiniker 5610, 15’ RH Discharge Stalk Chopper ..................................................... $9,500
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¹ For Commercial use only. Customer participation subject to credit qualification and approval by CNH Industrial Capital America LLC. See your participating New Holland dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Down payment may be required. Offer good through December 31, 2017 at participating New Holland dealers in the United States. Not all customers or applicants may qualify for this rate or term. CNH Industrial Capital America LLC standard terms and conditions apply. Taxes, freight, set-up, delivery, additional options or attachments not included in price. Offer subject to change or cancellation without notice. ² CASH OFF (MSRP) offer on a new FR Series Forage Cruiser (FR480 to FR850) may vary from $80,000 to $150,000 depending on model purchased. Example based on MY2018 Model FR850. See your New Holland dealer for details and eligibility requirements. Offer is nontransferable. For commercial use only. Offer ends December 31, 2017. Offer subject to change or cancellation without notice. ³ New Holland Premier Protection coverage with a $0 deductible commences in month 13 and runs through the end of month 24 or 1,000 total engine hours, whichever occurs first. Eligible equipment includes FR Series Forage Cruisers. This literature is descriptive only. The precise protection afforded is subject to the terms, conditions and exclusions of the contract as issued. Program participation is subject to underwriting requirements. Programs may be changed or canceled without notice. All insurance products offered through CNH Industrial Insurance Agency Inc. are underwritten by licensed insurance companies. CNH Industrial Insurance Agency Inc. is an AmTrust Financial company. Capitalized terms used in this literature, unless defined herein, have the meanings assigned to them in the contract as issued. © 2017 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. New Holland Agriculture is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. CNH Industrial Capital is a trademark in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. Any trademarks referred to herein, in association with goods and/or services of companies, other than owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates, are the property of those respective companies
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SAUK CENTRE, MN
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New Holland is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. www.newholland.com MRC
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 5
ConƟnued from RBST | Page 1
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
ConƟnued from WUERTZES | Page 1
Willmar, MN • 320.231.1470
EXPANDING OR REMODELING YOUR LIVESTOCK OPERATION? LANGE AG SYSTEMS SPECIALIZES IN:
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MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
The Wuertzes’ new barn has 56 freestalls, a slaƩed oor with a scraper underneath and a feeding area in back.
for support. “Within minutes after the re started, people were here; even before the re trucks showed up,” Peter said. Soon after the re departments arrived, neighbors came with food and drinks, and to offer help. Lisa’s brother came with his excavator to assist in pulling the debris from the barn so the ames could be extinguished. Within the next few hours, people arrived with cattle trailers to move the milking herd to another facility. With no electricity or water available, a friend borrowed a water truck from the local cooperative
and watered the dairy steers. Hay and straw was also carefully pitched from the remnants of the haymow, and metal was separated out before dispersing the forages with manure across the elds. “If it weren’t for our family and friends, the cows wouldn’t be here,” Lisa said. The Wuertzes estimated nearly 50 people were present that morning. In total, the Wuertzes lost 40 feet of haylage in the silo, as well as 7,000 small bales. Nearly 250 loads of debris were hauled out in the span Turn to WUERTZES | Page 7
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DAIRY ST R
friends, and the concrete foundation of the barn saved, the Wuertzes were condent they could complete the building project by Nov. 1. “When we told contractors we wanted the cows back in the barn in three months, they said it couldn’t be done,” Peter said. “We were ready to work seven days a week, every week, until the cows came home. No one was going to quit.” In the two months that followed, family, friends and neighbors worked alongside the Wuertzes to complete their barn in a timely manner. “People went out of their way to help us. Seven days a week for two months, there were people here to help us and we never stopped,” Peter said. With an opportunity to change the barn’s layout, the Wuertzes made the facility 48 feet longer to accommodate 20 additional stalls. They also incorporated a return lane and two feed bunks under the roof. “This barn design is unique to us, but it’s what works well,” Lisa said. By the end of August, damaged concrete was removed. The barn’s construction began right after Labor Day, as well as the concrete work headed up by Gary Blenker and a dedicated crew of volunteers. Construction was complete by the
N
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17
ȃ LISA WUERTZ, DAIRY FARMER
40
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“And we’re nally getting back to a normal life. Just the other night we were able to sit down and eat dinner together as a family.”
they remembered the routine.” Lisa agreed. “And we’re nally getting back to a normal life,” she said. “Just the other night we were able to sit down and eat dinner together as a family.” While the Wuertzes settle into a life with less excitement, the family is forever grateful for the community that surrounds them in the good times and in bad. “If it weren’t for our family and friends, the cows wouldn’t have been home so soon,” Lisa said. Peter agreed. “It’s truly unbelievable … through it all, people never left. Whether they were dropping off sandwiches and drinks or helping with construction, they were here for us every day,” he said. “That’s just what people do in this community.”
YOU ARE INVITED!
A
of three days. “Everyone pitched in and they never quit,” Lisa said. “Without even asking what had to be done, they all just took care of it.” That morning, the milking herd was relocated 10 miles away to Mark Schmiesing’s farmstead, where they were housed in a tiestall barn. “Mark offered up his barn immediately,” Lisa said. “We are so grateful for that because we were still able to continue milking our cows and getting a milk check.” For the following eight weeks, Peter and Lisa traveled to the farm to milk and feed. “Two days after the re, friends and neighbors brought over six weeks worth of ground feed. We only had to haul feed over the last two weeks we were there. Friends also brought eight weeks worth of individually wrapped hay bales and we used the last one on Oct. 9,” Peter said. With the cows safely relocated, the Wuertzes began planning construction on their new facility. “It’s always been our goal to farm, so the day following the re we knew we wanted to rebuild,” Lisa said. The former tiestall barn was renovated in 2011, with the addition of oor slats and a holding area, as it was converted to a freestall barn with 24 stalls serving as the milking area. Peter and Lisa knew they wanted their new facility to reect what had been there before the re. With unwavering support from family and
R VERSA
Y
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Peter Wuertz did much of the metal work, including the gates, the iron around the feeding bunk and along the side walls, himself.
rst week of October and then licensed family and friends completed the electrical work. Milking equipment and plumbing was installed shortly thereafter. By the second week of October, the facilities passed inspection and cows were allowed to return home. On the morning of Oct. 10, trailers lined Schmiesing’s property, ready to haul cattle back to Wuertzes’, and the children stayed home from school as their farm took a large step in returning to normal. “It was an important day and we wanted everyone to be here,” Lisa said. The milking herd was moved into their new facilities by mid-morning and come evening, the cows were adjusting well. “There didn’t seem to be a single one that struggled,” Peter said. “Once we started feeding,
197 7
ConƟnued from WUERTZES | Page 6
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 7
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Klobuchar takes input on the farm bill Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
Senator Amy Klobuchar hosted a series of farm conversation with the (Majority) Leader regarding bill meetings in northwest Minnesota this month, prospective ďƒ&#x;oor time late in the fourth quarter, early including a stop in Moorhead. “Our dairy farmers in the ďƒžrst quarter. He will have tax reform and its impact on ďƒ&#x;oor time. We’re focused are front-and-center for a reason, on getting the farm bill done, but quite because there are some issues. We’re Ag Insider frankly, until we know what the budget trying to ďƒžgure out ways to change the is, I can’t tell you what we’ll do other milk program, because clearly there than assure you whatever comes out of are changes that need to be made.â€? it, we’ll do our part in what needs to get Klobuchar also advocated for a strong done for the Senate version.â€? research title in the farm bill.
Trade and immigration House farm bill could move soon In the latest round of NAFTA trade House Agriculture Committee talks, the U.S. challenged Canada’s Ranking Member Collin Peterson dairy supply management program. joined Senator Amy Klobuchar in Minnesota Milk Producers Association Moorhead. Peterson believes the farm Executive Director Lucas Sjostrom bill could move quickly. “In the House, sees trade with both Mexico and Canada this is moving much faster than people By Don Wick as important for the dairy industry. The realize. Two weeks ago, the chairman Columnist issues facing the U.S. dairy industry met with me and we unleashed the staff. are complex. “Both immigration and They are working through all of those staff issues that have to be resolved. They’re making being able to sell products to countries really helps good progress.â€? Peterson said there’s not enough the dairy industry, especially when we’re looking at money to do what needs to be done in the 2018 Farm 20 percent of production or one milk truck per week Bill. “That’s a problem. I don’t know what we can do being exported. For immigration, right now there’s about that. Senator Klobuchar and I are in the minority, not a visa available for dairy farmers for the yearand we don’t support the budgets the Republicans put round workers we use.â€? Sjostrom adds any additional out there. In the House, they’re cutting $10 billion market access for the U.S. dairy industry would be out of the ag budget and in the Senate, it ended up beneďƒžcial. even. With the prices being what they are, none of these commodities are cash ďƒ&#x;owing and we need to Dairy farmers need labor Farm labor is a challenge for dairy farmers. improve the safety net, I believe.â€? Minnesota AgriGrowth Council chair Pat Lunemann, Conaway expects ag budget cuts to be eliminated who is a dairy farmer, does not like the attitude in Washington, D.C. right now. “With the, ‘Send them in the Senate The House-passed ďƒžscal 2018 budget would back. Let’s reduce the number of people we have in require a $10 billion cut in agriculture spending. House on visas,’ philosophy. That has a signiďƒžcant impact Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway on agriculture. We need people here to get the work told reporters those cuts will disappear during the done to get food from farm to the table. I don’t think negotiations with the Senate. When asked about the our urban counterparts understand how important it is budget, Conaway said the bigger issue with the budget to have people.â€? Lunemann said some people do not is getting a vehicle for tax reform ďƒžnished. “I’m in consider a career in production agriculture because
they do not want to live in small towns, which has a direct impact on rural communities.
Guestworker bill revived House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte is bringing his guestworker bill to his committee. This bill would adjust the visa worker program to account for non-seasonal agriculture workers, like those needed for dairy farms or meat processing. When Goodlatte pulled the bill at the last minute a couple weeks ago, it was assumed he did not have enough support for passage, but that speculation may be unfounded. Tax plan outlined President Trump is promoting his tax reform plan. “Our plan goes from eight tax brackets down to four, expands the zero-tax bracket greatly, expands the child tax credit, repeals the estate tax and special interest tax breaks, cuts the corporate tax rate and cuts tax rates for small businesses to the lowest level in more than 80 years.â€? In a statement, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said the proposed tax cuts and reforms will boost job creation and growth across all American economic sectors. Buffer compliance at 94 percent The deadline for landowners to comply with installation of a 50-foot buffer on all public waters is Nov. 1, 2017. A little over a month ago, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources released an update to the buffer protection map. This update addressed over 4,500 change requests received by the DNR, with 2,965 actual changes being made. Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources Executive Director John Jaschke said, so far, 94 percent of parcels in the state have a sufďƒžcient buffer in place. “The remaining number are in various states of being pursued or will be pursued,â€? said Jaschke. “Sixty-eight of the counties have over 80 percent compliance, and the statute also allows for either a conditional waiver or provision.â€? Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 9
ConĆ&#x;nued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 AGCO-Lely deal wraps up AGCO has ďƒžnalized its acquisition of the forage division of the Lely Group. The Lely hay and forage equipment will be rebranded as Massey Ferguson. This deal does not include the Lely dairy division, which will continue to focus on automated and robotic milking systems. Putting together ag education’s blueprint for 2025 The Minnesota Agricultural Education Leadership Council has crisscrossed the state, hosting six agricultural education listening sessions. The events focused on ag literacy, school-based ag education/ FFA, post-secondary ag education, agricultural teacher education and farm business management. The goal is to create a blueprint for agricultural education for 2025. “What the MAELC board is going to do with the blueprint is to meet with groups doing agriculture, food and natural resources
education and say this is what we heard from stakeholders statewide,â€? said Sarah Doornink, executive director, MAELC. “For the MAELC board, what does it mean for us on funding, stafďƒžng and our direction?â€? Trivia challenge Former Wisconsin Secretary of Agriculture Ben Brancel is the 2017 World Dairy Expo Industry Person of the Year. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, whose cow allegedly started the famous Chicago ďƒžre? 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 ďƒžve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
Why use the DHIA Pregnancy Test? “It’s eliminated my time spent sorting cow. We are very pleased with and disrupting the timeliness of the results and the cows.� the accuracy of the test.� “Reduces
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Loran Sellner - Sellner Dairy 175 cows • Sleepy Eye, Minn.
Shanghai Dairy Inc. - Mike and Darcy Schlosser Le Center, Minn. • 300 cows “We would be able to save a lot of labor and veterinary expense. We appreciate the ease, accuracy, time and cost savings.
Tony, Pete and Karen Kasper - Kasper Dairy Owatonna, Minn. • 420 cows
“The pregnancy check in between tests is a great option with DHIA.�
CORRECTION
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cost effective. Elinor Opitz 65 cows • Maple Lake, Minn.
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John Takala Iron, MN • 330 cows
In the article “Bauer among many to bring home awards from World Dairy Expoâ€? in the Oct. 14 issue, Tony Bauer was incorrectly identiďƒžed. The photo with that story was also incorrectly attributed and was submitted by Laura Schimek. Dairy Star apologizes for the errors.
It’s easier on the cows and me. It’s a lot more
Paul, Sue and Dan Stuewe Cologne, MN • 94 cows
Over 250,000 Pregnancy Samples Run in DHIA Labs! Minnesota Dairy Herd Improvement Association 307 Brighton Avenue South Buffalo, MN 55313 1.800.827.3442 www.mndhia.org
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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
Building a business, creating a community
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The Mulherns – (from leŌ) Cory, Riley, Gene and Greg – operate a custom chopping and manure applicaƟon business, along with running their 630-cow dairy near Fountain, Minn.
Mulherns custom chop, apply manure with other farmers in the area By Krista Kuzma
5
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krista.k@dairystar.com
FOUNTAIN, Minn. – Although the Mulhern family is running a custom business when they are chopping and applying manure on elds, they feel it provides more than just extra income. “It has created a big circle of friends and a lot of people working together,” Cory Mulhern said. Mulhern and his uncle, Greg, and grandpa, Gene, run a custom harvesting and manure application business along with their 630-cow dairy in Fillmore County near Fountain, Minn. They have been harvesting for others for about 12 years, followed by manure application about ve years ago. On the harvesting side, the Mulherns own a Claas chopper, along with three wagons, one semi truck and one straight truck. Their work includes chopping alfalfa for haylage and corn for silage or earlage. The business started after the Mulherns bought their self-propelled chopper. “We started out helping a few neighbors. Then we thought we should pick up a few more customers to help make the payment [on the chopper]. It just grew
from there,” Mulhern said. In their rst year, the Mulherns chopped for four farmers; however, now that number has grown to 24, in addition to managing their own 1,000 acres of land. The number of acres the Mulherns chop at each farm varies, with some chopping around 80, while others only need 10. About 75 percent of the customer base has beef cattle with the rest being dairy; however, if broken down into tonnage, about 50 percent of what the Mulherns chop would go to dairy while the other to beef. For manure application, the Mulherns have a working relationship with two other custom enterprises – Marzolf Brothers and Brian Erickson. “We all do stuff together,” Mulhern said. Between the three of them, they have three 7,300-gallon tanks with injectors, two miles of draghose, one fat tank and ve semi tankers. When the Mulherns realized they needed more equipment to deal with manure on their own land further away from their farm site, they bought semiTurn to MULHERNS | Page 11
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KRISTA KUZMA/ DAIRY STAR
Riley Mulhern dumps a load of corn silage, while Greg Mulhern pushes it up onto the pile.
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 11
Con�nued from MULHERNS | Page 10 Commitment. Relationships. Trust.
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Wagons and semis are lined up on the Mulherns’ dairy near Fountain, Minn. The family uses many different pieces of equipment for their custom businesses. trucks and a fat tank for their farm. “Then other people needed manure hauled on land farther away. We didn’t try to get in it,” Mulhern said about applying manure for others. “People just called us. We aren’t good at saying no.” Now, they manage manure for 10 other farmers, using eight to 10 people at a time when they are using semis. Chopping requires a crew of eight people. Many times while chopping, the crew will be made up of family. Mulhern takes pride in the fact that there are four generations in the family working together. In addition to working with his uncle and grandpa, Mulhern likes being able to include his 16-year-old son, Riley, into the business when he is not in school. However, family cannot do it all. Since being in the businesses, the Mulherns have worked together with custom operators in the area, despite being their competition. “If they have a lot on their plate, they call us for help. If we have a lot on our plate, we call them for help. Or I’m short a tractor, I’ll call them and they do the same,” Mulhern said. It has created a strong sense of community, Mulhern said. “We’re all doing our own custom work, but we’re all working together. It’s pretty neat,” he said. “We don’t try to cut each other’s throats. Everybody knows we work together. We communicate and try to keep our rates fair and equal.”
While the custom work must continue throughout the day, so must the chores on their dairy. Employees take care of the three-time-a-day milking schedule, along with one employee who is in charge of feeding cows and taking care of calves. Plus, Mulhern tries to work the schedule so either he or his uncle can be at the dairy all day. “When it’s swamped it doesn’t always happen, but that’s one of our goals,” he said. An average workday during the fall when the Mulherns are busy with custom work is about 17 hours. “We just get used to not sleeping as much this time of year,” Mulhern said. Mother Nature has been the biggest challenge for the custom venture. “This year has been good. Last year it was so muddy and three or four years ago we got hung out with an early frost. It makes for some unhappy people,” Mulhern said. Usually, the Mulherns determine the order of harvesting by which crops are ready at the time. “We try to hit pockets so we don’t spend a lot of time on the road. Thankfully, all our customers are easy to work with,” Mulhern said. And that part – the people and building a community – is one of the best parts about all the extra time and effort put into their custom business. “It’s all about creating a good relationship with others,” Mulhern said. “They have to trust you and you always have to do a good job.”
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KRISTA KUZMA/ DAIRY STAR
Greg Mulhern pushes feed across the pile in one tractor while an employee packs the pile in another tractor on the Mulherns’ dairy near Fountain, Minn.
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
Buffer law deadline approaches Landowners must be compliant by Nov. 1 By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
GOODHUE, Minn. – With rolling hills and a large watershed that crosses through his farm, Scott Hawkinson has been cognizant about sustainable water and land practices for his 50-cow dairy near Goodhue, Minn. So when the Riparian Protection and Water Quality Practices (also called the buffer law) was signed into law during the 2015 special session, Hawkinson took notice. “Obviously, some people get a little more upset about things like that because
or there out of production isn’t going to make much of a difference,” Hawkinson said. Hawkinson is one of thousands of farmers and landowners across the state who need to be in compliance with the buffer law, which has a deadline of Nov. 1. Tom Gile, buffer and soil erosion program coordinator with the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), said the law calls for 16.5-foot buffers on public drainage ditches and also calls for a 30-foot minimum and a 50-
“Obviously, some people get a little more upset about things like that because they think they are going to lose land that is tillable and productive, but I look at it as we’re saving the soil.” ȃ SCOTT HAWKINSON, DAIRY FARMER
they think they are going to lose land that is tillable and productive, but I look at it as we’re saving soil. And taking six rows of corn here
foot average width buffer on public water as identied in the public waters inventory. “Right now we stand at about 95 percent compliant
DAIRY STAR FILE PHOTO
The Riparian Protec�on and Water Quality Prac�ces, also known as the buffer law, calls for a 30-foot minimum and a 50-foot average width buffer on public waters. The deadline to be compliant with this law is Nov. 1.
statewide for those public water buffers,” Gile said. “That’s really good, but that’s not to take away that 5 percent is still a lot of work. There is still work to be done.” Gile said much of the 5 percent of land that is not compliant is most likely due to this year’s late harvest. “It’s been wet all fall across most of the state. There were a lot of producers who were planning to do something this fall and quite frankly aren’t going to have
something in by the deadline because there’s still corn or soybeans or other crops standing,” Gile said. Producers in that situation have a few waiver options, Gile said. “There are a lot of crops coming off and when folks have time, a lot of people are going back and putting in the stuff they need to establish those buffers. There are also a lot of land owners who are working with the local soil and water conservation
district (SWCD) that are looking at other options that exist within the law,” Gile said. Contacting SWCD was the rst step Hawkinson took to make sure his land was compliant. “They showed us from satellite view where the 50foot boundary would be and how that would affect us. We were pretty much doing what we were supposed to already. That’s how I gured out if we needed to make any changes Turn to BUFFER | Page 13
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 13
ConƟnued from BUFFER | Page 12
or not,” Hawkinson said. A watershed that collects from 10,000 acres runs through his land, Hawkinson said. “We already had a large buffer for that because some years it would ood out and some years it would be bare and dry where we could make hay off it,” he said. Hawkinson’s family had seen the result of not having a buffer 20 years ago. When large rain storms would come through, Hawkinson said there would be more erosion. “We saw the negative results years ago [when we didn’t have buffers], so we try to do the best we can and be the best stewards of the land we can,” he said.
“There’s a lot of good literature that supports – generally speaking – that buffers provide good water quality benets.” � TOM GILE, BWSR
Gile also said many dairy farmers are likely to have already been in compliance because of the types of crops they plant; however, that does not mean people were 100 percent in accordance with the law. “The allowance of haying or grazing would be compliant so long as you’re not grazing to the point of black dirt and no vegetation. It opens the door a little bit for more usability from a landowner’s perspective,” Gile said. Overall, Gile said this is a good law to have in place. “There’s a lot of good literature that supports
– generally speaking – that buffers provide good water quality benets. They’re easy to do. They’re something farmers typically do well. That’s not to say it isn’t without controversy because the buffer strips, in some instances, can potentially take out productive agriculture land, but it’s a good practice,” he said. Despite Nov. 1 approaching, Gile said farmers and landowners who do not think they will be in compliance by the deadline should still reach out to their local SWCD ofce. “Farmers are more than capable of doing this on their own. Every farmer I’ve ever met can run a tape measure up to 50 feet,” Gile said. “But if they have a difcult site to think about where the top of a bank is, those SWCD ofces will be the most ready and will go out to work with those land owners to gure out what they need to do. I can’t emphasize enough the importance of patience. There are a lot of people still trying to get stuff done and those SWCD staff members are stretched thin.” After the deadline, the SWCD will reach out to those people who are not compliant to start working on a plan. As stated, by the statute, those farmers and landowners could receive a ne. “Obviously our goal is to help the land owners come into compliance rst … Enforcement is really the absolute last step anyone wants,” Gile said. Gile said people have done a good job throughout the last two years in order for landowners to be compliant. “It’s fair to say the agricultural community in the state deserves a signicant amount of credit for the amount of stepping up they have done,” Gile said. “Even though not all of them are terribly excited, they try to make things happen, make it successful and show everybody does care. I have been very pleased with that response and understanding. Folks really just want to know what their options are and want to do the right thing.”
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 15
What has been the biggest equipment upgrade you have ever made?
Wright Farms Jim Wright Lake City, Minn. Wabasha County 120 cows What is your favorite piece of equipment you have ever used? My favorite is our self-propelled windrower. It has cut down on cutting time, and I like that the crop is in front of me so I can watch it more closely. What has been your favorite tractor you have ever owned? It is hard to pick just one, so I would say all 34 of our antique tractors we have. What has been the biggest equipment upgrade you have ever made on your farm? Our biggest upgrade was getting a combine. We went from a two-row mounted corn picker lling the corn cribs to now lling grain bins. If money were not a factor, what piece of equipment would you buy for your farm? I would get a payloader. It would make mixing feed for the cattle a lot easier. What is the strangest thing that has happened to you while you have been operating a piece of machinery? Thankfully, we have not had anything strange happen while using our equipment, but we have had times when pieces of equipment have come unhooked. What kind of maintenance do you do before you put your equipment away for the winter? We rst wash it and then oil the chains and x any issues with them before they are put away in sheds for the winter. Tell us about your farm. I farm together with my wife, Bobbi, and our sons, Josh and Thomas, along with my parents, Lyle and Rose. Together, we operate a dairy and beef operation consisting of 900 owned and rented acres. Our beef herd is 100 cows and we also nish out all our dairy and beef steers. We raise all our replacement heifers for our dairy herd and run a custom harvesting enterprise.
Tom Gunnink Lake Benton, Minn. Lincoln County 90 cows
Rick Lundgren Randall, Minn. Morrison County 102 cows
Paul Lubich River Falls, Wis. St. Croix County 60 cows
What is your favorite piece of equipment you have ever used? My combine. I enjoy combining. The yield monitor tells you how you are doing and you get to see the results of everything that you worked for during the year.
What is your favorite piece of equipment you have ever used? My TM 125 New Holland tractor. I like the way it operates and handles. I’ve had it since 2005 and use it all around the farm. I also like my blowtorch. It comes in handy often, whether I’m trying to get bearing off or needing to heat something up. To me, that torch is worth a million dollars.
What is your favorite piece of equipment you have ever used? I like combining just because it is our payoff and we are bringing in our harvest. We are seeing our yields pay off.
What has been your favorite tractor you have ever owned? The 1985 8070 series chopper. I like the way it rides and operates. I purchased it in 2008 and had to put new valves on it at 7,000 hours. It now has 8,200 hours.
What has been the biggest equipment upgrade you have ever made on your farm? Our biggest upgrade was when we got into the Magnum series of Case IH tractors.
What has been your favorite tractor you have ever owned? My Case IH MXU125. It’s big enough to handle most jobs, yet small enough to do things around the farmyard. What has been the biggest equipment upgrade you have ever made on your farm? When we went from a 9-foot sickle mower to a discbine and conditioner. The hay cures faster and we can zip through the pocket gopher mounds like they aren’t even there. If money were not a factor, what piece of equipment would you buy for your farm? A big, new four-wheel-drive tractor. I never seem to have enough power, plus I have never owned a four-wheel-drive. What is the strangest thing that has happened to you while you have been operating a piece of machinery? Last fall, I ran two raccoons into the corn head. They were tough enough to make the slip clutch slip, but the header reverser couldn’t kick them back out. They were both alive, but injured. It was not a lot of fun getting them out of there. What kind of maintenance do you do before you put your equipment away for the winter? My son is a diesel mechanic and believes maintenance is everything. He cleans everything up and changes the oil and checks all the uid levels. Tell us about your farm. I farm with my wife, Mary, our daughter, Jennifer, and our son, Matt. Everybody helps all around the farm, which includes 800 acres of cropland. Mary is on the board of our rural electric cooperative. For the past 20 years, we as a family have run the malt stand at the Lincoln County Fair. The whole family pitches in at the malt stand; we have made a lot of good friends there.
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What has been the biggest equipment upgrade you have ever made on your farm? When we upgraded from a wheel barrow with rolling duals to a feed cart. That has saved me a lot of steps in the process and time. It has probably made an hour difference with chores. If money were not a factor, what piece of equipment would you buy for your farm? A New Holland tractor with 240 horsepower, or more. It would be nice to have a new tractor, plus I like working with the dealer. What is the strangest thing that has happened to you while you have been operating a piece of machinery? One year, I was combining beans and I turned around and the windrow was on re. Two days later, as I was baling the stalks, a bale started on re. I was able to get the baler unhooked, so there wasn’t any damage. But, I did have the re department out to that same eld within two days. I was glad when that eld was done. What kind of maintenance do you do before you put your equipment away for the winter? I wash and grease everything. Most of the equipment goes under a roof for the winter, so it’s ready to go out in the spring. Some of it, though, I take out and use in the wintertime when needed. Tell us about your farm. I farm with one full-time employee and another part-
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If money were not a factor, what piece of equipment would you buy for your farm? Upgrading some of these older tractors would be nice. What is the strangest thing that has happened to you while you have been operating a piece of machinery? Fifteen years ago, I was planting corn and there was a storm coming through. I thought it was weird as I came back with the planter, and the wind sucked off the tops of the planter boxes. The next day, we kept walking elds until we found all of the tops, except for one that we did not nd until fall. What kind of maintenance do you do before you put your equipment away for the winter? We look at everything as we put it away, and write down what we need to do for next year. Then we look at it again before going out to the eld for next year. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Sandy, and I farm with my son, Kevin, and daughter-in-law, Jessica. Our workforce is almost entirely family and college students, and we just opened up a goat yoga studio called Have Ya Herd at Kevin and Jessica’s place. time guy who helps milk in the evening. I run 700 acres, raise all of my own replacements and sell the fat steers. I’ve been farming full-time since 1979.
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
ConƟnued from FENCE | Page 15 Gerry Buetow Cologne, Minn. Carver County 130 cows What is your favorite piece of equipment you have ever used? Our Claas Chopper we purchased at Arnold’s. It’s a self-propelled chopper that chops corn silage and haylage. We’ve had it for 18 harvests. We can chop corn in any direction. When we went with 20-inch rows, we didn’t have to worry about the corn head with a pull-behind and the processor is really easy to use. In 20 minutes, we can adjust two three-quarterinch bolts and start chopping haylage. What has been your favorite tractor you have ever owned? CaseIH MX170 Maxxum. We used to have two, but now we only have one and it has over 5,000 hours on it. It’s never broken down and it’s always there when we need it. What has been the biggest equipment upgrade you have ever made on your farm? Purchasing the self-propelled chopper because it cost a lot of money to make that upgrade, but no doubt it’s been our best upgrade. We were previously using a pull-type Gehl chopper. Otherwise, we added Bluetooth technology in our combine, which is nice. If money were not a factor, what piece of equipment would you buy for your farm? A brand new CaseIH 8240 combine on tracks to get through the wet spots. I’ve been driving my combine since 2005, and it works great, but something bigger and with a wider head would help us get done quicker. What is the strangest thing that has happened to you while you have been operating a piece of machinery? This year, our baler started on re. I was able to pull the pin and get the tractor away and the baler was covered under insurance, so that was good. One year, we were hauling liquid manure and a piece broke and it started blasting away at the back of the tractor and hitting my partner, Steven. What kind of maintenance do you do before you put your equipment away for the winter? We always wash each piece of equipment, shine the windows and grease everything. This way when we pull it out in spring, it’s ready to go. We put up a new shop in 2014 and installed a wash bay. That allows us to wash the equipment inside if it gets too cold by the time we’re done. Tell us about your farm. My cousin, Steven, and I each milk 65 cows on two farm sites as part of Buetow Farms, Inc. Both of our sons are also involved, Chris and Austin. We raise all of our replacements. We run 1,600 acres of owned and rented land, which is all within 3.5 miles of the drying setup.
Aaron Nelson Fountain, Minn. Fillmore County 100 cows What is your favorite piece of equipment you have ever used? The skidloader. It is the most versatile. I can do almost anything with it.
Meadowbrook Dairy Inc. Jake (from left), John and Alex Udermann and Tom Skaj (not pictured) Sartell, Minn. Stearns County 125 Cows What is your favorite piece of equipment you have ever used? Why? Our favorite pieces of equipment are our John Deere skidloaders. They always help make life easier and can handle just about any job we throw at them. We used to consider ourselves lucky to have one skidloader. Now we cannot imagine what it would be like without having two of them around. What has been your favorite tractor you have ever owned? Our John Deere 4955 and 8220. Both tractors had over 5,000 hours when we traded them. Through all the years we owned them, we only had to do the normal maintenance of oil, fuel and air lters. They always performed without any hiccups. What has been the biggest equipment upgrade you have ever made on your farm? We installed a Shivvers grain drying bin, a 55,000-bushel storage bin and a dump pit for unloading. The Shivvers bin has a continuous ow drying system and transfers the grain automatically into our storage bins when it is dry. With the dump pit, semi and box, unloading is a breeze. No more swinging the auger out. This set up makes life much simpler in the fall. If money were not a factor, what piece of equipment would you buy for your farm? Why? We would purchase robotic milkers. It would allow us to milk three times a day and free up a lot of time from chores. We would also purchase a self-propelled chopper. With all the extra time available, we would be able to focus more on crops and start doing custom work with the chopper. What is the strangest thing that has happened to you while you have been operating a piece of machinery? We were combining soybeans on a rented eld and the combine plugged up. After many attempts of trying to reverse the slug out, eventually, to everyone’s surprise, a car tire came out the back of the combine and rolled away. What kind of maintenance do you do before you put your equipment away for the winter? Usually just blow off all the chaff. We try to avoid pressure washing in the fall so we do not have any water in the bearings over winter. We will wash the equipment and grease everything in muddy fall conditions, which this year is looking to be the case.
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What has been the biggest equipment upgrade you have ever made on your farm? Our corn chopping head on the combine we purchased ve years ago. I do not have to run around with the tractor and stalk chopper anymore. It saves us time and fuel. If money were not a factor, what piece of equipment would you buy for your farm? I would get an automatic feeding system for the herd. I think that would save a lot of time and reduce the amount of equipment needed. What is the strangest thing that has happened to you while you have been operating a piece of machinery? It happened this year. I pulled up to unload a wagon into the bagger. Just as I was folding down the extension for the PTO, the tractor started to roll. I took off after it and caught it in time before it really got going. If I had let it go, it would have run into the freestall barn. It was stupid to run after it, but I saved it. What kind of maintenance do you do before you put your equipment away for the winter? First, we power wash everything. Then, we grease it and oil the chains before putting it away for the season. We have enough shed space that we are able to have the large majority of our equipment under cover for the winter. Tell us about your farm. I farm with my dad, Stuart, and uncle, Robert. We farm 600 acres, with 500 in corn and 100 in alfalfa. I have been farming fulltime for 20 years, since I was 19 years old. My wife, Barbara, works off the farm as a registered nurse. We have two kids, Ellie, 3, and Kate, 1.
Tell us about your farm. We are a fth-generation dairy and crop farm. We milk 125 cows, raise our own replacements and nish out our steers. A typical crop year is 800 acres of corn, 200 acres of soybeans, 200 acres of rye, 150 acres of alfalfa and 150 acres of grass hay.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 17
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
Repro Leaders
Hiring A.I. tech helps Biels keep up with reproduction Biel Farm Bob and Eunice Biel; Kevin and Kelly Biel Harmony, Minn. Fillmore County 180 milking cows What was your pregnancy rate average last year? Our herd’s pregnancy average was 30 percent last year. What is your voluntary waiting period for cows? For heifers? For cows, the voluntary waiting period is 60 days.
For heifers, it is 14 months. What is your rst service conception rate? The rst service conception rate is 52 percent. What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? Every day around noon, Nate Rindels, an A.I. technician from Select Sires comes to tail chalk the cows. The cows are on a double ovsynch program unless Rindels sees them in heat while he is chalking.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Kevin Biel farms together with his family on their 180-cow dairy in Fillmore County near Harmony, Minn. Their herd’s pregnancy rate last year averaged 30 percent with a 52 percent rst service concepƟon rate. How do you observe for heat? We use the tail chalk, unless we see them in heat ourselves when we are in the barn. How do you conrm pregnant or open cows? Our veterinarian comes once a month to do ultrasounds. Cows are checked at 35-50 days and then re-
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
An Angus-Holstein calf rests in the calf barn at the Biel family’s dairy near Harmony, Minn. When a cow does not seƩle aŌer four or ve services, she is bred to an Angus bull.
conrmed pregnant after 90 days. What is your breeding philosophy? How do you select bulls? What traits do you focus on? Does fertility play a role in bull selection? We used to Turn to BIEL | Page 20
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 19
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
ConƟnued from BIEL | Page 18
breed mostly for type, but now we have switched to breeding for high production and genomics. All traits have to be positive in order to use a bull. We still want good type bulls, but that is not our main concern anymore. We also used to crossbreed our Holsteins with Jerseys, Fleckvieh and Montbeliardes. We are getting out of that because we found our crossbred cows did not milk as well. We are now breeding cows back to pure Holsteins with a few Jerseys because our kids like to show the breed. As for fertility, we like to choose bulls with higher daughter pregnancy rate (DPR). Every so often, Nate and I (Kevin) have a meeting where we talk about which bulls to use.
ent philosophy for breeding both? Heifers are bred with sexed semen on the rst two services. Conventional semen is used on the third or more services. We also use calving ease bulls on heifers. They must be under 7. Other than that, the traits are the same. We might try to breed the top 25 percent of our cows with sexed semen and breed the rest to Angus. This will help us focus on the top genetic cows; however, we have not started that yet.
How are cows and heifers bred? Do you have a differ-
How many times do you try to breed a cow before you sell
What do you do to settle hard breeders? After four or ve services, we breed using higher conception bulls or to Jersey or Angus bulls. We will not resort to these measures for a really good cow. KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Two cows with prominent chalk on their tailheads lie in the freestall at the Biel family’s dairy. Tail chalking done by a hired A.I. technician is an integral part of the Biels’ reproducƟon program. her? If a cow reaches 200 days or her production falls below 60 pounds, then we will sell her.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
This cow, who has high numbers in producƟon and genomics along with good type, is an example of the type of cow the Biels strive to breed for in their herd.
Is there anything you have done or changed that brought about a signicant improvement in your reproductive program? Hiring Rindels to take care of breeding our cows two years ago. Before that, I was breeding the cows myself and ran a cleanup bull with the heifers. There was no issue with cows getting preg-
nant, but I was not always getting them bred in time. Breeding especially suffered during eldwork. We had activity monitors for awhile, but when the batteries went out on the collars, it was too expensive to replace them all. Our reproduction fell behind and it got ugly for awhile. That is when we decided to hire Rindels. It is so nice having someone take care of the reproduction program. It is almost like having a bull in the pen.
Tell us about your farm. I farm together with my parents, Bob and Eunice, and wife, Kelly, along with our children: Kayla, 17, Kelsey, 16, Krissie, 13, Klaudia, 12, Kenny, 10, Korra, 8, and Klara, 7. Along with our dairy, we farm 1,400 acres of corn, soybeans, alfalfa, peas and oats. We hire two employees to help with milking, otherwise the farm work is done by our family. Our kids show dairy in 4-H and also do chores on the farm.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 21
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JD 9550, 2001, $ 3340 hrs., #134900
2 JD 9550, 2001, 3367 hrs., #134900 ...$64,900 2 JD 9550, 2003, 3155 hrs., #142192 ...$78,900 9 JD 9570 STS, 2008, 1563 hrs., #115868 .................................................. $139,500 8 JD 9670 STS, 2010, 1250 hrs. #142154 .................................................. $175,000 6 JD 9760 STS, 2004, 2642 hrs., #107702 .....................................................$98,900 8 JD 9760 STS, 2007, 2095 hrs., #142194 .................................................. $115,000 7 JD 9770 STS, 2008, 2845 hrs., #139325 .................................................. $119,840 7 JD 9770 STS, 2009, 2631 hrs., #124372 .................................................. $127,900 10 JD 9770 STS, 2010, 2427 hrs., #135046 .................................................. $132,900 3 JD 9870 STS, 2009, 3239 hrs., #134942 .................................................. $139,000 6 JD 9870 STS, 2009, 2428 hrs., #141914 .................................................. $169,500 6 JD S550, 2012, 1105 hrs., #134811 $210,000 5 JD S660, 2012, 1812 hrs., #133738 .$175,000 4 JD S660, 2013, 1607 hrs., #135180 $196,000 8 JD S660, 2013, 1300 hrs., #141412 $215,000 7 JD S660, 2015, 583 hrs., #117457 ...$269,000 8 JD S660, 2014, 402 hrs., #142203 ... $285,000 8 JD S660, 2017, 53 hrs., #142206 ..... $345,000 1 JD S670, 2012, 2368 hrs., #128689 $159,500 4 JD S670, 2013, 847 hrs., #134914 ... $227,900 5 JD S670, 2015, 438 hrs., #124831 ... $299,500 8 JD S670, 2016, 334 hrs., #138933 ...$315,000 3 JD S670, 2015, 312 hrs., #125750 ...$325,000 8 JD S670, 2017, 29 hrs., #142208...... $385,000 9 JD S680, 2012, 1935 hrs., #134377 .$224,000 5 JD S680, 2013, 1883, #134536........ $224,900 3 JD S680, 2014, 1250 hrs., #141509 $260,000 4 JD S680, 2013, 1162 hrs., #140845 $265,000 8 JD S680, 2017, 65 hrs., #142207...... $425,000 CORN AND ROW CROP HEADERS 10 JD 643, #124401......................................$14,900 10 JD 893, 1998, #138934 .........................$16,500 6 JD 893, 2003, #141416 ........................$17,900 10 JD 893, 1999, #140414 .........................$18,500 6 JD 893, 1993, #133956 .........................$18,900 4 JD 893, 1996, #134171 .........................$19,000 6 JD 893, 1998, #133187 .........................$20,000
71,900
JD S660, 2013, $ 1300 hrs., #141412
1 5 7 6 1 8 2 5 6 7 2 2 8 7 1
JD 893, 2005, #134909 .........................$22,900 JD 1293, 2002, #141062 ...................$17,500 Geringhoff 1622, 2007, #132675 .......$47,900 Drago 12-30, 2008, #139217...............$29,500 Harvestec 4308C, 2006, #133685 ......$22,500 JD 606C, 2013, #132413.......................$53,900 JD 606C, 2013, #132993.......................$53,900 JD 608C, 2012, #141289.......................$54,500 JD 612C, 2008, #127007.......................$49,500 JD 612C, 2009, #126839.......................$52,900 JD 612C, 2010, #135623.......................$57,500 JD 612C, 2014, #134078.......................$85,000 JD 612C, 2016, #134111.................... $109,000 Fantini 6RN, 2012, #141882 ................$25,900 Geringhoff RD830B, 2004, #132061 .$18,900 RIPPERS 4 JD 2700, 2002, #133806......................$14,900 2 JD 2700, 2006, #130972 .......................$14,900 1 JD 2700, 2004, #140687 .......................$15,900 3 JD 2700, 2005, #139398 .......................$22,000 1 JD 2700, 2010, #141040 .......................$22,900 6 JD 2700, 2009, #118932 .......................$27,900 5 JD 2700, 2013, #135020 ...................... $30,900 8 JD 2700, 2013, #134946 .......................$33,900 8 Kuhn 4855, 2015, #138368..................$59,900 1 Case 530B, 2001, #141085 ..................$16,000 8 CIH 730C, 2011, #135148.....................$30,000 6 Case ECLO 9300, #141415 ...................$26,500 TRACK TRACTORS 2 CIH 550 QUADTRAC, 2013, 1199 hrs., #138936 ........................................................ $250,000 4 JD 9460RT, 2012, 1130 hrs., #125925 .................................................. $249,000 1 JD 9510RT, 2013, 1227 hrs., #141091 .................................................. $249,500 3 JD 9560RT, 2012, 1918 hrs., #140934 .................................................. $240,000 8 JD 9570RX, 2016, 300 hrs., #142275 .................................................. $449,000 8 JD 9620RX, 2016, 303 hrs., #142273 ...........................................$479,000 9 Caterpillar MT765C, 2012, 1779 hrs., #136810 .................................................. $163,000 2 Challenger MT865, 2003, 5791 hrs., #138939 .................................................. $120,000
215,000
JD S670, $ 2012, 2368 hrs., #128689
159,500
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
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Dairy industry applauds introduction of School Milk Nutrition Act of 2017 The nation’s two leading dairy organizations applauded the introduction today of a bipartisan bill to help reverse the decline of milk consumption in schools. The School Milk Nutrition Act of 2017, introduced by Representatives G.T. Thompson (R-PA) and Joe Courtney (D-CT), would allow schools to offer low-fat and fat-free milk, including ďƒ&#x;avored milk with no more than 150 calories per 8-ounce serving, to participants in the federal school lunch and breakfast programs. The bill allows individual schools and school districts to determine which milkfat varieties to offer their students. The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) and the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) strongly support the bill and encourage Congress to pass it. Once enacted, the bill would make permanent the administrative changes in the school lunch program proposed earlier this year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, in one of his ďƒžrst ofďƒžcial actions earlier this year, supported giving school districts the option to offer a variety of milk types as part of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast programs. “Congressmen Thompson and Courtney recognize the nutritional role that milk plays in helping school-aged children to grow and develop to their full potential,â€? said Michael Dykes, D.V.M., IDFA president and CEO. “We appreciate their steadfast commitment to reverse declining milk consumption by allowing schools to give kids access to a variety of milk options, including the ďƒ&#x;avored milks they love.â€?
“Expanding options for WIC participants will encourage mothers to help their young children grow up strong and healthy.� MICHAEL DYKES, D.V.M., IDFA PRESIDENT & CEO
The legislation includes a pilot program to test strategies that schools can use to increase the consumption of ďƒ&#x;uid milk. This could include ways to make milk more attractive and available to students, including improved refrigeration, packaging and merchandising. “Milk is the number-one source of nine essential vitamins and minerals in children’s diets, and when its consumption drops, the overall nutritional intake of America’s kids is jeopardized,â€? said Jim Mulhern, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation. He pointed out that in just the ďƒžrst two years after low-fat ďƒ&#x;avored milk was removed from the school lunch program, 1.1 million fewer school students drank milk with their lunch. The Act also includes a provision to allow participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, known as WIC, to have access to reduced-fat milk for themselves and their children. “Expanding options for WIC participants will encourage mothers to help their young children grow up strong and healthy,â€? said Dykes. “When kids don’t drink milk, it’s extremely difďƒžcult for them to get sufďƒžcient amounts of three of the four major nutrients most lacking in children’s diets: calcium, potassium, and vitamin D,â€? said Mulhern. “This legislation addresses that shortcoming both in schools and in the WIC program.â€?
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 23
New leadership position for MDI Rickeman begins role as state director By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
HUTCHINSON, Minn. – The Minnesota Dairy Initiative (MDI) wants to make sure it is using its funding in the best way possible to assist farmers. To help with this, the organization has created a new position on an interim basis. At the beginning of September, Alison Rickeman began as the MDI state director. While fullling this role, Rickeman will continue to act as the south central region coordinator, which has been her position in the organization for the past two years. “The position is being created to centralize leadership. We want someone to wake up every day and think MDI,” Rickeman said about how the position came about. “We’re looking at MDI and the changing needs of dairy farmers to better understand how we should be helping dairy farmers. We want dairy farmers to use the program in the best way possible. This position helps us ask, ‘How can we do that?’” MDI is an organization funded by a grant administered by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture that has been available to farmers in the state since the late 1990s. Ten regional coordinators in seven regions throughout the state help
the organization fulll its mission statement, “To energize a healthy and vibrant dairy industry in Minnesota.” The coordinators work with farmers to overcome an obstacle or pursue an opportunity. “We take a team approach to working with our farms,” Rickeman said. “If a farm signs up for our program, we work with them to tailor a team to accomplish whatever obstacle or opportunity they have on their farm. Each farm uses their team differently.” Usually, the team consists of a veterinarian, nancial advisor, extension educator, reproduction specialist, nutritionist and any other industry representative the farmer feels is needed. “We believe MDI’s strength is everyone working towards the same goal. Everyone who sits around the table really wants to improve the farmers’ protability and make our dairy farmers even better,” Rickeman said. In her new position, Rickeman is excited to see dairy farmers thrive. “Dairy farmers have such a strong passion and so do the industry professionals. It’s contagious. I want to see an energized, healthy and vibrant dairy industry in Minnesota,” she said. Rickeman is a 2010 graduate from North Dakota State University where she studied management communication. Between graduation and starting with MDI two years ago, Rickeman worked on her family’s dairy and worked in human resources for a food processing company.
While not working in her role with MDI, Rickeman works for her dad and uncles two days a week on her home farm where they milk 200cows with robots and a parlor. Her husband, Neil, also farms together with his family, milking a herd of 80 registered Holsteins in a tiestall barn. Rickeman helps on their farm when she is needed. “Our farms are so different … but I feel like that strengthens me as a coordinator and in this position because I know so many different aspects of the different styles of
“There are a lot of conversations that need to happen in order to guide [dairy farmers] to whatever they want their legacy to be.” ȃ ALISON RICKEMAN, MDI STATE DIRECTOR
farming,” she said. Farm transition planning has been a big focus for MDI within the last year. Rickeman said MDI coordinators and industry professionals the organization works with recently attended a three-day workshop on the topic. “Farm transition is a very dynamic and oftentimes complex opportunity for farmers. They might
have a hard time discussing what they want to do with the people they work with every day,” Rickeman said. “Every single farm is so different that it’s not a cookie cutter recipe to do a farm transition. There are a lot of conversations that need to happen in order to guide them to whatever they want their legacy to be.” The workshop focused on the communication aspect of working through farm transition, including the different dynamics of generational and gender differences and how these dynamics can bring different conversations around the table. The workshop also discussed the importance to try to calculate onfarm contributions and the value each party contributes, along with how to start the conversation with farmers to start implementing the process, create plans and make decisions to move forward. “Every farm works at its own speed. It’s not something that can happen overnight. You have to be able to plan it over a period of time. During that time, usually laws change and rules change, and people’s family situations change. To be able to capture all those things is an ongoing process,” Rickeman said. No matter what the topic, Rickeman wants to use her new position to help make all MDI meetings move forward successfully. “I want to create more centralized leadership for the program, educate the coordinators and give them a strong sense of direction so they can be the best they can be,” Rickeman said.
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
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Spreading the love of dairy with culinary professionals Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 25
More than 20 chefs and culinary brought about $2 billion in value to professionals gathered at Cooks of America’s dairy farmers. Crocus Hill in St. Paul, Minn., to Over the past two years, Midwest create and enjoy a dairy-packed menu Dairy has reached out to chefs and of soups, salads, gourmet culinary professionals grilled cheese sandwiches throughout the Midwest and an ice cream dessert. region, offering interactive While this might seem like cooking experiences, as a familiar setting for these well as providing them professionals, Midwest opportunities to meet dairy Dairy Council, who hosted farmers and visit their farms. the group, was eager to share What better way to engage the story of milk’s journey food inuencers than by from farm to table, the latest By Julie Mattson getting them into a kitchen dairy research and tips for Ostrow, MS, RD, to enjoy cooking with dairy featuring dairy ingredients FAND ingredients, helping them into creative menu options. Midwest Dairy understand dairy’s nutrition Food trends come Association and versatility, or getting and go, however, there them out on the farm to are several ingredients today’s see the care and commitment dairy consumers continue to seek from farmers take in producing milk. their favorite restaurants – including Showcasing dairy to these cheese and butter. From burgers professionals has taken several with locally sourced cheese, to forms. This spring, Midwest Dairy grown-up versions of grilled cheese held a sensory evaluation of cheese sandwiches, to creamy sauces and workshop for chefs at the Washburn desserts, dairy ingredients play a key Culinary Institute in Chicago. During role in many of the attention-grabbing the session, Dr. Stephanie Clark from menu items today’s customers are the University of Iowa introduced craving. Culinary professionals are various cheeses and provided the instrumental in inuencing how chefs with strategies to identify cheese consumers feel and experience their characteristics based on the ve food, also. senses to help them better integrate a With emerging research on wider variety of cheese options into milkfat increasingly showing fat their menu offerings. does not have a negative impact on Midwest Dairy has hosted overall health, it is the perfect time to culinary events in Nebraska and share this information with culinary Minnesota. One session was held professionals. In fact, greater milkfat with the National Pork Board, and consumption in 2016, alone, has attendees spent one day visiting
PHOTO SUBMITTED
DieƟƟans and chefs improve dairy culinary skills at a recent event hosted by Midwest Dairy Council.
both a dairy and a pig farm and then collaborated on the second day to create and enjoy a variety of delicious dairy and pork recipes. Executive Chef Tim McCarty, from the Mayo Foundation House in Rochester, Minn., partnered with Midwest Dairy to showcase information about sustainable nutrition and emerging dairy research and then tried tips and techniques for including dairy ingredients into their menus. Other sessions have focused on where dairy foods come from, animal care on the farm and tips for how to use dairy ingredients to reduce food waste by transforming leftovers into new creative meal ideas.
Dairy farmers can be excited about this outreach to build trust and grow dairy sales with food inuencers. Midwest Dairy receives positive feedback from participants who often remark, “Wow, I didn’t know that,” when hearing about animal care practices dairy farmers focus on to ensure overall cow comfort. These food professionals also can feel assured in using avorful dairy ingredients on their menus for the nutrition, taste and versatility they provide. As an increasing number of them get to see all the possibilities and contributions dairy ingredients can make to their menus, increased dairy sales are sure to follow.
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Fall has made its presence known with the changing color of leaves and cooler day and evening temperatures. Those changes signify busy times for agricultural producers. Soybean harvest is well underway with corn harvest not far behind. Visiting with producers, hopes are high for a good harvest yielding a nice crop. Once harvest is FSA News & Notes complete, the next step is tillage and addressing drainage needs as identied over the growing season. Before heading out to the eld, producers are encouraged to take note of the following reminders: • Fields with Highly Erodible Land (HEL) determined soils are By Ryan Brunn required to apply tillage, crop residue and rotational Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. requirements as specied in their conservation plan. • Notify FSA as a rst point of contact prior to conducting land clearing, such as removing any trees to create new cropland. • Notify FSA when considering drainage projects to ensure the proposed actions meet compliance criteria. These areas will need to be reviewed to ensure such work will not risk your eligibility for benets. As well, agricultural producers are reminded to consult with FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) before breaking new ground for production purposes, as doing so without prior authorization may put a producer’s federal farm program benets in jeopardy. This is especially true for land that must meet HEL and Wetland Conservation (WC) provisions. Landowners and operators need to complete the form AD-1026 – Highly Erodible Land Conservation (HELC) and WC Certication to identify the proposed action and allow FSA to determine whether a referral to NRCS for further review is necessary. As a reminder, if you planted crops after July 15, 2017, and intend to harvest a 2018 crop, such as rye, winter wheat or alfalfa, you must report those acres by Nov. 15, 2017. This must be completed by the deadline otherwise each farm with these fallseeded crops will be considered late-led and a $46 fee will be assessed per farm. Call the ofce for an appointment today. 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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The days are getting shorter The Transition Pen
By Laura Scholtz & John Rosenhammer Father/Daughter Farming Duo The air has changed from enjoyable warmth to brisk cold, indicating a sure sense of urgency. The leaves have turned from green to their golden fall colors. The grass from its soft, silent touch to a mixture of crunching leaves. Even the once bright sun has grown tired of putting in overtime and seems to fall helplessly from the sky far too early in the day. It seems as though we are given more tasks to complete in a lesser amount of time – a challenge taken on by every farmer throughout the harvest season. By modern standards we are two weeks behind normal because of the recent rains. Today’s farmers have access to more power and larger, more efcient equipment than was available 20 years ago. The fact
H Harvest season h has always l been a time to count my blessings, to enjoy and to appreciate the privilege to till God’s earth. that the capable equipment does not move in the rain, however, reminds me of who is really in control of the harvest – God. Harvest season has always been a time to count my blessings, to enjoy and to appreciate the privilege to till God’s earth. How can one bag of seed corn transform and reproduce into nearly 500 bushels? Just ve short months ago we prepared the soil and picked up rocks; full of anticipation for what the growing season ahead may have in store for us. Harvesting the crop also has various meanings to people of different stages in life. Younger minds tend to be anxious to get started; they tend to respond to a rumor that another farmer is in the eld already and that is the signal for them to also get in the elds. They seem more concerned about getting done than about being patient and waiting an extra day in hopes of less challenging eld conditions. My uncle commented to me the other day, “If you like it (combining) so much, why are you in such a hurry to get done?” I remember that early adult stage, as I have been there, too. I experienced that rewarding reection again. As Greg and I switched the combine from soybeans to corn, two of my daughters were in the eld. Mary chopped corn stalks while Laura operated the ripper in a neighboring eld. At 4 in the afternoon, my 83-year-old dad headed with his truck to the eld
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Laura was occupying, to replace her so she could start the evening chores. Chores seem to become less of a priority during harvest, as we are thinking about the progress that needs to be made in between chore times. Despite our scatterbrained thoughts and full agendas, daily chores always get done and thankfully cows know when to be at their best. One area many farmers struggle with is nding good laborers who are dependable and concerned about the good of the farm altogether. Harvest season entails many long days and late nights. It takes people who are passionate about the success of the farm and who care about their work in order to get through the long and tiring harvest season. Without effective helpers and employees, how is one supposed to function on a daily basis? One never knows if the help will show up to complete milking and calf chores so that others can continue with eldwork. In
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 27
addition to passionate people, however, their support systems must be understanding and accepting of the unpredictable hours and time away from home. My wife, Patty, grew up on a farm so the understanding aspect of farm life and long hours came easy to her. Without passionate, reliable and responsible employees to make the farm a success alongside the owners, there would be no success. As the chilling wind howls through the night, my alarm goes off and I wonder, “What happened to the light?” I walk to the parlor with an extra layer of clothes, hoping to be surprised by a ray of warmth from the sun that seems to have overslept. Wishful thinking on my part. Just another reminder that the days are getting shorter. John Rosenhammer farms with his daughter, Laura, on Roseview Dairy near Sleepy Eye, Minn. They milk 200 Holsteins and run 580 acres of cropland.
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
Betty Berning bberning@umn.edu 320-203-6104 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 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 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu (320) 732-4435 Kota Minegishi kota@umn.edu 612-624-7455 Randy Pepin pepin019@umn.edu (320) 333-1369 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
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Manure, cover crop discussions
Farmers have many questions about cover crops. I have traveled thousands of miles around Minnesota for the “Integrating Cover Crops and Manure” project, both collecting data and making presentations to farmer audiences. With this project, we plant winter cereal rye after chopping corn silage or harvesting soybeans, and then inject liquid manure into the growing cover crop in the fall. The following year, we compare nitrogen use and corn yield between the strips with and without winter cereal rye. I have observations I would like to share based on conversations with farmers and group discussions during the presentations. These are my personal comments and not a By Randy Pepin scientic research study or survey. U of M Extension Erosion prevention: Helping keep rich topsoil in place is a substantial benet of cover crops. Most farmers recognize potential wind and water erosion reduction with cover crops. Other potential benets of cover crops, such as increasing soil organic matter and soil health, are not as widely understood, especially since they take several years to observe improvement. I think the most important step is for farmers to recognize the long-term benets of cover crops, then they will gure out how to incorporate them into their system. Nitrogen: Almost all farmers admit that the toughest nutrient to manage is nitrogen. Utilizing cover crops to minimize potential nitrogen losses, especially leaching, does catch the attention of farmers. Conicting interpretations of cereal rye research on allopathic interaction versus nitrogen tie-up creates confusion for some farmers. Our project indicates when we terminate winter cereal rye at 8 inches or less and then incorporate it, release of nitrogen in the rye usually happens in the current growing season without a yield hit. Our project also indicates that winter cereal rye sequesters a signicant amount of nitrogen in early spring, sparing this nitrogen from potential leaching loss. Many farmers understand nitrogen in undecomposed residue will most likely be available in following growing seasons. Economics: I think the status-quo of realizing a return on investment within the current crop year makes cover crops a challenge for some farmers. Cover crops are an annual investment for long-term gains in soil health benets; these gains can be substantial. Expenses of establishing cover crops and the
corresponding returns vary wildly depending on farm practices, and farm and eld situations. Species selection: The wide array of species available for cover crops can be overwhelming. Which species or combination you plant varies depending on your system and goals, such as when you plant or if you plan to harvest it or not. If considering planting a cover crop after corn silage or soybean harvest, choices are limited to cool-season plants, due to the late season. I would like to emphasize that planting a one- or two-species cover crop is better than no cover crop planted. Busy fall: Fall is a busy time for all farmers, especially for livestock farmers with the additional workload of manure application. However, with creativity and determination, many livestock farmers have gured out a way to overcome the busy fall issue. Equipment: There are options available to plant cover crops. A broadcasting tool capable of lightly incorporating the cover crop seed would be ideal. Broadcasting without some incorporation is risky; no incorporation leaves seed germination dependent on rainfall shortly after application. Drills work great, but may not be time efcient. Integrating cover crop planning with manure application intrigues some farmers. Ensuring adequate manure incorporation without planting the seeds too deep is a challenge. Ingenuity is a trait of farmers and the equipment industry; we will witness several inventions. Inter-seeding: There is concurrent research on inter-seeding cover crops into growing corn or soybeans. Not incorporating the inter-seeded cover crop seed has the same germination risk as described earlier with broadcast seeding. Most research indicates inter-seeding cover crop seed after V-5 corn (about 8 inches tall) or R-4 soybeans (full pod) will have little or no impact on crop yield. This requires specialized equipment, but does eliminate seeding the cover crop during the busy time after harvest. Forages: Some livestock farmers are interested in harvesting cover crops as forage or pasture. Harvesting winter cereal rye or triticale as forage in the spring can provide good quality forage if harvested in the boot stage or earlier. If the plan is to plant corn following spring forage harvest, it may be necessary to add nitrogen from manure or commercial fertilizer. There is considerable interest in cover crops and most farmers have questions. Some farmers have tried cover crops; many others are thinking about cover crops. For starters, I encourage you to try some cover crops on a portion of a eld.
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Prevention, treatment for milk fever, subclinical hypocalcemia
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 29
By Luciano Caixeta
Asst. Professor, Veterinary Population Medicine
Hypocalcemia has been reported as a problem of fresh cows for over two centuries. Nonetheless, effective nutritional management during the dry period and early lactation determined a decrease in the occurrence of the clinical cases (milk fever) to rates lower than 1 percent. On the other hand, subclinical cases have been reported to affect as many as 73 percent of animals of third and greater lactation. Traditionally, milk fever has been associated with higher risk of dystocia, uterine prolapse, retained placenta, mastitis and displaced abomasum. Lately, decreased milk production, decreased immune function, increased risk of ketosis, decreased reproductive performance and increased risk of early removal from the herd were reported as the negative consequences of subclinical hypocalcemia. Taken together, the cost of the direct and indirect effects of hypocalcemia on animal health and production was calculated to be up to $9,162 per year in a 250cow herd. Therefore, prevention of hypocalcemia is extremely important not only for animal health but also for the protability of dairy farms. Both types of hypocalcemia are characterized by low blood calcium concentrations (< 8.6 mg/dL). Yet, milk fever cases are characterized by the development of clinical signs (i.e. down cow, lethargy, cold extremities and rumen atony) while clinical signs are absent in subclinical hypocalcemia cases. The understanding of this difference is extremely important when developing standard operating procedures (SOP) in dairy farms since administration of intravenous (IV) calcium is only recommended for clinical cases. Milk fever cases should be treated with 500 mL of 23 percent calcium gluconate IV and followed by the administration of two oral calcium bolus given 12 hours apart. It is important to emphasize that oral calcium bolus should not be administered if cows do not respond to the calcium IV treatment. In milk fever cows, failing to rise after treatment with IV calcium is a signal that normal muscular function has not been re-established and cows may choke on the calcium bolus if treatment is given to cows while they are still down. A veterinarian should be consulted and further treatment should be evaluated when milk fever cows do not respond to IV administration of calcium. Contrary to the milk fever cases, supplementation with IV calcium to dairy cows with subclinical hypocalcemia is not recommended. A team of researchers in California demonstrated that IV supplementation of calcium to dairy cows with subclinical hypocalcemia resulted in a long term decrease in blood calcium concentration. In these animals, blood calcium concentration reached levels even lower than their baseline six hours after treatment. Moreover, blood calcium concentration remained lower than the levels measured in cows that did not receive any IV calcium. Since dairy cows with subclinical hypocalcemia do not show clinical signs and cow-side measurements of blood calcium concentrations are cost prohibitive, subclinical hypocalcemia is rarely diagnosed in commercial farms. Despite that, the prophylactic administration of two oral calcium bolus (rst bolus immediately after calving and second bolus 12 hours later) to lame and high producing cows (lactation greater than second lactation) contributes to minimize the risk of the development of milk fever. It has been established that the administration of calcium bolus to these groups of cows (approximately 51 percent of the animals in an average dairy in the United States) can result in a return on investment of 180 percent ($1.80 of return for each $1.00 invested). A variety of different nutritional strategies have been used to prevent hypocalcemia. Among those, feeding low potassium diets and forages during the pre-fresh period can result in a change in the dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD), which will in turn cause an acidogenic response in dairy cows. This response is essential to improve the cow’s ability to mobilize calcium from bones and to absorb dietary calcium from the small intestines. However, the changes
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Figure 1. Decision tree for the treatment of dairy cows with hypocalcemia during early lactation. resulting from the use of low potassium diets and forages may not be enough to achieve the desired acidication of the blood. Therefore, the use of anionic salts has been recommended to further decrease the blood pH in order to fully trigger the adaptations necessary to improve calcium metabolism. These adaptations are essential to support the cow’s elevated calcium demands for colostrum and milk production around calving. The use of low potassium diets and forages in association with mineral anionic supplement during the pre-fresh period has effectively contributed to the decrease in the incidence of hypocalcemia in dairy farms across the United States. When feeding anionic salts during the pre-fresh period, it is important to monitor whether the mineral supplements are achieving the expected blood acidication. The easiest method for monitoring the effectiveness of the DCAD diet is by measuring urine pH in pre-partum dairy cows that have been on consuming anionic salts for at least two days. Urine pH of cows consuming DCAD diets should be within the 6.0 to 6.5 range. Even though it is practically impossible to eliminate hypocalcemia from a dairy herd, the adoption of strategies that prevent this health disorder is key to any successful transition cow program. The adoption of nutritional and management strategies to prevent hypocalcemia are important to decrease the losses caused by it and to optimize post calving health, milk production and reproductive performance.
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The boo season Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
We have entered the creepy season; that time of year when things that go bump in the night are putting a fright into both the unsuspecting and the suspicious. No, it’s not election time. Halloween, the most revered of unholy holidays, is knocking on our doors and is running away, leaving behind a aming paper sack. One should resist the urge to stamp out the blaze while wearing one’s bedroom slippers. And whatever you do, don’t use that re to roast marshmallows. Crafting our own homemade Halloween costumes is a long-standing tradition in our family. This is not so much because we were artsy, but mainly due to the fact that we were, traditionally, poor. When I was a kid, it was easy to create a hobo costume. All I had to do was dig out some of the more tattered duds that I wore for doing chores on our dairy farm, fashion a stick-and-bandanna tote sack and I was instantly transformed into a miniature Freddie the
Freeloader. The autumn when I was 10, I became determined to upgrade my Halloween getup. I scrimped until I could afford the purchase of a prepackaged clown outt that I’d had my eye on at our local ve and dime. The costume consisted of a cheap plastic mask that was held in place by a thin rubber band, along with a tasteless and gaudy smock. The mask had two small holes for the wearer to peer through. A narrow slit near the mouth would, in theory, allow the ersatz clown to breathe. If used correctly, the mask would render its owner mostly blind and dangerously short of oxygen. None of my plans ever go as planned. The second time I put on the mask, its imsy rubber band broke. I was forced to become a one-armed trick-or-treater, with my left hand holding the mask up to my face
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while my right hand clasped the brown grocery bag that contained my sugar-based loot. Dear County Agent Guy When they were 7 and 9 years old, our two boys decided to make their own Halloween costumes. And by make their own I mean have their mother make their costumes while they superintended. They both wanted to have ghost disguises. By Jerry Nelson This was fortunate, as Columnist making a ghost outt is relatively inexpensive. It’s also simple enough for even the most artisticallychallenged to pull off. A couple of white sheets were sacriced for the trick-or-treating cause. All it took to convert them into ghost outts was to cut eye holes in the proper places. The boys then ran around the house exclaiming “Boo!” in their scariest voices. My wife and I made a show of being frightened by the sudden spectral infestation of our farmhouse. Halloween morning dawned cold, windy and gunmetal gray. By midday a freezing rain was falling. By evening the rain had turned into heavy, wet snow. The white stuff tumbled from the sky in quantities often associated with pillow ghts. A northwesterly wind howled across the prairie, reshaping the snow into rapidly metastasizing drifts. Common sense might have suggested that everyone should simply stay home. Halloween would have to be cancelled; maybe next year, the boys’ trick-or-treating activities wouldn’t be aficted by a blizzard. But our sons insisted that since they (meaning their mother) had worked so hard on constructing their costumes, it would be a waste of resources if they were to skip Halloween. It’s difcult to say no to a pair of ghouls who had so expertly honed their puppy dog eyes, so my wife trundled the boys into our family sedan and set off for a nearby town where the candy pickings were rumored to be rich. It was actually a good thing that the boys went as ghosts. They were able to bundle up in their warmest winter clothing, which remained mostly hidden beneath their sheets. They may have been passable phantoms, although I don’t think that ghosts typically do their booing business while wearing knee-high snow boots. The boys had a blast at rst. They ran from house to house, their apping white sheets blending in with the falling snow. Many who answered their doors were astonished to have visitors. “What are you doing out in this weather?” was a common reaction to the ghoulish callers. It wasn’t long before my wife reached the same conclusion. With road conditions deteriorating by the moment, she told the boys that she was calling it a night. Even though they were both wet and shivering, they argued against quitting. My wife decided to compromise by purchasing a prepackaged bag of candy for each of the boys. At our local ve and dime, of course. Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, S.D. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@ dairystar.com.
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A challenge of positive thoughts
Here in the ofce, my co-workers and I participated in a fall health challenge for the rst few weeks of October. The idea was to consciously make choices that would create healthy habits lasting far longer than the challenge – getting enough hours of sleep at night, eating so many servings of fruits and vegetables daily, and keeping active were among the requirements. At the end of the challenge, there was a drawing to receive a bonus on our next paycheck. Granted, my participation began with the want for a little spending money, but part of the challenge tugged at my perspective on life more than I had originally thought it would. With each day, we were encouraged to share a positive message with our co-workers – taking those kind words and intentions and making the most out of every day. Bible verses, movie quotes and the wise words from philosophers spammed my email. By Jennifer Coyne While those words remained in the ofce, I subconsciously began noticing the positivity that surrounds Staff Writer me in the rural community I’m fortunate enough to call home. Willie and I purchased a house west of Sauk Centre, Minn., last February. As we’ve settled into the daunting responsibilities as homeowners, we’ve been overwhelmed by the support and kindness our neighbors have displayed. As boxes were still piled high in our living room and our fridge was looking sparse, with only a few takeout boxes remaining, our newest neighbors came and introduced themselves, carrying a basket of warm dinner, sweet treats and a delicate friendship plate that I’m anxiously waiting to pass along to another new homeowner. Throughout the year, this couple has offered their groceries when I run out of sugar and I’m half way through a recipe, they delivered fresh strawberries when they were passing by and they’ve always been the kindest souls. Another couple has helped us landscape the yard – clearing trees, moving cattle housing and lending equipment that we have yet to purchase. They’ve served as mentors to Willie and I – offering advice, personally and professionally, to better ourselves. Most importantly, this couple has watched over our growing hobby farm while we’ve traveled. To some, it’s trivial work to feed three head of cattle and a small ock of chickens, but those chores take time and they have to get done. Plus, our rambunctious border collie is still learning how to herd, which makes feeding that much more difcult. Over the last nine months, we have encountered more people than I could have ever imagined when we rst moved. And instances like the ones mentioned above are more common than they are not. These people have become good neighbors and good friends. Whether it’s stopping to help someone nish putting up hay before the rain arrives, waking up a few hours early to milk cows before heading off to work, or riding along in the combine for late-night company, Willie and I have enjoyed getting to know our little, rural community. It’s not just us that have received compassion because we’re new to the area – country folk are genuinely hard working, seless people. While harvest is well underway, it’s been a wearing one. Rain has coated the elds for what seems like most of the growing season and the cool temperatures haven’t helped. In a race against Mother Nature, farmers across the countryside are working to get the elds cleared, and doing so without getting stuck or leaving much of the yields behind. But the farming community, as always, is showing resilience. When one eld is complete, another one opens up. And when one farmer is complete with harvest, they aid their neighbor in doing the same. Without giving it much thought, these actions are natural to the farming community – of course we would help each other with any means available. In light of my work challenge, I’ve had the humbling opportunity to reect on all the positivity that surrounds me – within my neighborhood, throughout my ofce space and in every encounter I have with the dairy community. Frankly, the challenge gave greater value to my life and those who are a part of it. In a world weighed down with negatives, how are you making a positive inuence in someone else’s life?
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
No more “America’s Dairyland” on Wisconsin license plates? Thank you, Kurt Bauer. Your suggestion to consider taking America’s Dairyland off Wisconsin license plates provided the inspiration for this column. Before you oated the idea, I was oundering, searching for an idea for my October column. I was leaning toward writing about the fall colors and how my 2017 garden fared. But then Mr. Bauer spoke at a meeting in mid-month and washed away all garden column thoughts. Bauer is the president of Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC). According to its website, the WMC has its ofce in Madison, Wis., and dates to 1911. The organization describes itself as the state’s chamber of commerce and largest business trade association, representing more than 3,800 employers of every size and from every sector of the economy. The WMC president stated that he prefers a more contemporary phrase to grace Wisconsin’s many thousands of license plates. He offered as a possible substitute the Badger State’s scintillating and
memorable motto: Forward. At least he didn’t suggest neutral or reverse. Bauer said he thinks words that point to the state’s wide-ranging manufacturing sector would be a better t on the plates. Wisconsin makes everything from engines and turbines to heating and cooling equipment, to motorcycles and military vehicles, along with vital products as paper towels and toilet paper. And it also makes cheese, butter, yogurt and ice cream. The last time I looked, those were all dairy products. And they all helped Wisconsin earn its welldeserved title of America’s Dairyland. Where I live and work, agriculture is important. Right now, from my ofce window, I see cornelds and soybean elds. Beef cattle graze in the distance. Milk trucks rumble on the county road. There’s a dairy farm with iconic, black-and-white cows just three miles distant, and another such family farm ve miles the other way, plus many more perched atop the
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ridges and tucked into the valleys. For me, the America’s Dairyland license plate slogan makes perfect sense. It’s been traveling up and down city streets, highways and byways, rural routes and gravel roads for 77 years, since 1940. My meager collection of plates does not contain any that go back that far. Other states have Rural Roots or have had interesting slogans on their plates. My favorite of those might be from a southern state: Georgia On My Mind. I can hear Willie Nelson right now. Idaho’s is cute: Great Potatoes, Tasty Destinations. Iowa’s is good: Fields of Opportunity. I’ve long By Ron Johnson liked New Mexico’s slogan: Land of Staff Writer Enchantment. Of course, we can’t forget the rebellious and patriotic New Hampshire classic: Live Free or Die. If Mr. Bauer does not like America’s Dairyland on our license plates, what might he like? I have compiled a list – not an ultimate compendium or encyclopedia – but a simple list of substitutes. Some are my own creation; some originated in the minds of others. With a gentle elbow to the ribs of our neighbor to the west: More Lakes than Minnesota. Yes, depending on which source you believe, and the size criteria for a body of water to qualify as a lake, Wisconsin really does have more lakes than Minnesota. The words “10,000 Lakes” reside at the bottom of the Dairy Star car I drive, but my research tells me that Wisconsin could be home to as many as 15,074 documented lakes, most of them not named. One source claims that Minnesota has more than 10,000 lakes. But I guess “Land of 11,842 Lakes” just doesn’t have quite the same ring to it. Here’s another possible slogan that I must take credit for: Deep in the Heart of Taxes. Yep, Wisconsin has long been known for its fairly cold tax climate. According to the Tax Foundation, in 2010, Wisconsin ranked fth on the list of highest state and local taxes. Wisconsinites paid 11.1 percent of their income in the form of state and local taxes that year. New York topped the list, at 12.8 percent, followed by New Jersey, Connecticut and California. I’ll give a nod to New Hampshire for inspiring this as a license plate slogan for Wisconsin: Eat Cheese or Die. Here’s a license plate slogan inspired by the one on Illinois plates. My Wisconsin version is: Land of No Presidents – No, Not Even One. A quick search of the internet turned up a list of alternate slogans that other keen minds concocted. I suspect they have not found their way onto license plates. I like this suggestion for Arizona: But It’s a Dry Heat. For Connecticut, consider this alternative: Like Massachusetts, Only the Kennedys Don’t Own It – Yet. For Oklahoma, there’s this: Like the Play, Only No Singing. For Illinois: Please Don’t Pronounce the ‘S’. For Florida, I like this suggested slogan: Ask Us About Our Grandkids. Finally, for Wisconsin, maybe Mr. WMC president would prefer this alternative slogan. It plays off Wisconsin’s long and storied cheesemaking tradition that dates to at least the 1830s: Don’t Forget the Crackers.
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Time to mourn
“For everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance…” Ecclesiastes 3:1-4 My Auntie Konnie’s time to die came on Friday, Oct. 13. In several ways, the past two weeks have been Dairy Good Life some of the hardest of my life. One of the hardest parts has been the need to explain who Auntie Konnie was and why saying goodbye to her hurts so much. Apparently, at least from the countless quizzical looks, most people don’t think losing an aunt should bring so much grief. But Konnie was more than an aunt. My mother worked a full-time job an hour’s drive away from our farm. When my sisters and I were little, Mom dropped us off at Konnie’s house for the day. When we were a couple years older, By Sadie Frericks Konnie started coming to our house instead. We Columnist spent as many of our growing-up hours with Konnie as we did with anyone else. And her willingness to run her daycare business out of our home meant my sisters and I had an incredible world: a houseful of kids to play with, a dairy farm to roam over, and being close enough to Dad and Grandpa that we saw them everyday, too, and were there to pitch in with farm chores as we grew old enough to help. Konnie was the one who taught us how to cook and clean; that barn language belonged in the barn, not the house; and that lying about your misbehavior was far worse than misbehaving itself. We knew Konnie’s time with us was limited. Three years ago, almost to the day of her death, we almost lost her to septicemia following a cortisol injection. The recovery from that ordeal was long and complicated, but Konnie came out of it with a renewed appreciation for life. The sadness that had lled her when her only son (and only child) died in 2013 seemed to lift away. Konnie’s long recovery gave us our turn to take care of her. Then, a bout with pneumonia this spring led to the discovery of a suspected tumor in her lungs. Konnie never smoked a cigarette in her life, but cancer doesn’t follow the rules. Konnie was too frail for surgery or chemotherapy, so we worked to accept the inevitable. But knowing death is coming doesn’t make it any easier to accept. The grieving is still just as hard. Unfortunately, U f l the h world ld Unfortunately, the world doesn’t stop spinning doesn’t stop spinning – even – even for a moment – to for a moment – to allow time allow time for grief. There is no time to mourn. The for grief. grieving just keeps on while you go through the motions of living. Numb to the core, but still moving. The kids need supper and help with their homework and clean clothes for school tomorrow. The cows need to be milked. There are no mental health days for dairy farmers – or moms. At the same time I lament these relentless demands, I am thankful for both my family and my farm. Thankful I’m not grieving alone. Thankful for the joyful moments our children create – smiles that pierce through the sadness. Thankful for a job that allows me to keep working while my mind remembers, grieves and heals. Cows don’t care if I cry while I milk. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 75 cows near Melrose, Minn. They have three children – Dan, 10, Monika, 7, and Daphne, 4. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 33
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
Byproduct feed for dairy cattle
Feed costs are the largest expense on most dairies. In addition to lower feed costs, byproducts can be used to increase the nutrient density in a dairy ration and extend forage or grain inventory. Careful consideration should be given when selecting byproducts to use. Keep in mind some byproducts are extremely high in certain nutrients, such as water, sulfur, phosphorus, sodium or chloride. Many byproducts Something to Ruminate On have signicant variation from source to source and, in a few cases, variation within a facility. Closely monitor consistency and quality. When assessing the economics of byproducts, make sure to compare feeds on a dry matter By Barry Visser basis. Account for Nutritionist associated costs, such as shrink, delivery, handling, processing or chemical analysis. Shrink is dened as the loss of feed that occurs from the point of purchase to what is actually consumed by the animal. Shrink can range from 2 to 20 percent, depending on the storage structure and physical nature of the commodity. Limited shelf life can lead to spoilage with certain wet byproducts in the summer months. Spreadsheets are available to establish a value per ton based on the nutrient analysis of a byproduct compared to a list of reference feeds. By products can be divided into the following ve primary categories. Carbohydrate byproducts: These ingredients provide soluble sources of sugar or starch. These commodities can serve as a potential grain extender and energy source beyond corn. Examples include whey permeate, molasses, bakery products, cereal nes and potatoes waste. Protein byproducts: These commodities come either from plant or animal origin. Be sure to evaluate cost per unit of supplemental protein. Consideration should also be given to specic amino acid contribution and level of bypass protein. Commonly used protein byproducts include soybean meal, canola meal, corn distiller grain, corn gluten meal, brewers grain, blood meal, and meat and bone meal. Non-forage brous byproducts: Options include highly digestible ber sources, allowing for reduced starch while maintaining energy levels. These commodities are commonly used to replace forages due to inventory or quality concerns. Upper limits of these byproducts may be dictated by physically effective ber. Common feedstuffs in this category include cottonseed, beet pulp, corn gluten feed and soy hulls. Fat-enriched byproducts: Consider using fat from oilseeds rst before animal fats, based on economics. Carefully evaluate digestibility and value of fat relative to cost. The physical form of the commodity can impact the rate of fat availability. For example, corn distiller grain in a meal form has a faster rate of fat availability compared to cottonseed where the fat is encapsulated in the seed. Other forms of fat byproducts include vegetable oil, tallow and choice white grease. High-ber, low-digestibility byproducts: These are ingredients that may be considered for heifer diets or lower-energy dry cow diets. Examples include oat hulls, cottonseed hulls and malt sprouts. Byproducts can be a viable alternative to dairy rations to reduce ration costs, increase nutrient density, or extend forage or grain inventory. Although they may seem like a good deal, recognize the signicant cost associated with variation and shrink. Work with your nutritionist to evaluate specic byproducts for individual farm needs. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 35
Blue-collar work cow breaks the glass ceiling National milk production record set by Clark County bovine By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
HUMBIRD, Wis. – A regular blue-collar working girl has broken the glass ceilings, setting the new national milk production record for a single lactation. Selz-Pralle Aftershock 3918
VG-88 broke the previous record during the lactation she just completed at Selz-Pralle Dairy, owned by the Pralle family, where they milk 425 cows near Humbird, Wis. 3918 is a Holstein cow
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Selz-Pralle AŌershock 3918 VG-88 is the new holder to the NaƟonal Single-LactaƟon Milk Record, having produced 78,170 pounds of milk with 3,094 pounds of fat and 2,393 pounds of protein in 365 days.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
ScoƩ Pralle said a trait he admires about his record-breaking cow, Selz-Pralle AŌershock 3918, is that she has a front end wide enough to t a small square bale through her front legs.
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that began her record-breaking milk record at 5 years and 11 months of age, calving Sept. 26, 2016. She is a daughter of MS Atlees Sht Aftershock-ET and produced 78,170 pounds of milk with 3,094 pounds of fat and 2,393 pounds of protein in 365 days. This broke the previous
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standing record of 77,480 946 pounds of fat and 790 pounds of milk, which was pounds of protein. held by Ever-Green-View My “3918 is a testament to Gold-ET, owned by the Kestell the outstanding production family of Waldo, Wis. capabilities of the Holstein As a comparison, the breed. Not only did she set average production for all U.S. the national record for milk Holstein herds that participate production, she also tested in production testing programs 4 percent for butterfat,” said was 25,558 pounds of milk, Daren Shefeld, production Turn to SELZ-PRALLE | Page 37
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017
Women In Jeans Jennifer Handt Brooten, Minn. Kandyohi County 72 cows Family: My husband, Kyle, and I have two children, Sophia and Ben. Tell us about your farm and your role. We milk in a 62-stall tiestall barn. Our old part of the barn is built in to the side of the hill, so two sides of the barn are made out of stone. The original barn was added on to three times to make room for more cows. Our farm is a secondgeneration farm. It started with only 18 cows. We also have a dry cow barn and heifer yards. We raise and feed all our heifers. What is the busiest time of day for you? From 4-9 p.m. I start feeding calves and getting things ready to start milking. Then, the kids get home from school and have homework. Then, it is milking, supper, baths and bedtime. When you get a spare moment what do you do? I like to color and draw. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. All of my rst experiences on the farm. I married into the farm after coming from Willmar, Minn., so I have had to learn everything.
How do you stay connected with others in the industry? Other farm What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the wives. When I get time to talk with them, I do. dairy industry? I enjoy walking by the heifers and seeing how big they have gotten. Also, I enjoy driving tractor. In your opinion, what is the importance of women in today’s dairy industry and how have you seen that change over the years? I have not seen it change much in the time that I have been doing this. I see younger and older women willing to help with anything on the farm to get things done – from making lunch for people out in the elds to getting their hands dirty with grease to getting equipment ready for eld work. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? Jennifer Lopez. She seems like an all-around fun lady, good dancer and actress. What is the best vacation you have ever taken? Alaska. It is beautiful driving through the mountains, seeing the glaciers and wild life. It is a must-see place if you enjoy the outside.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 37
ConĆ&#x;nued from SELZ-PRALLE | Page 35
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DANIELLE NAUMAN/ DAIRY STAR
ScoĆŠ Pralle stands next to a few cows on the farm (from leĹŒ) – an Excellent Atwood, a Very Good AĹŒershock and an Excellent Braxton – that he feels represent his breeding philosophy.
records specialist. “She is an outstanding example of the superior capabilities of Holstein cattle for both milk and component production. The Selz-Pralle family should take great pride in the breeding and herd management that it requires to bring about a cow as exceptional as 3918.â€? The Pralle family does indeed take great pride in breeding, developing and managing this record-breaking cow. “She is the epitome of dairy strength,â€? said Scott Pralle, of one of the things he most admires about 3918. “I’ve always said you can’t get that much milk if you put a 4-cylinder engine in a Maserati. She has so much width of chest, you can ďƒžt a small square bale of hay between her front legs.â€? 3918 is a no-fuss, no-frills kind of cow. Day in and day out, she lived in a freestall group of about 80 head. “She just likes being left alone,â€? Pralle said. “She doesn’t mess with the other cows, or try to be a boss cow. She’s kind of a loaner and keeps to herself. She just does her thing, and I guess she does it pretty well. She’s really what I refer to as a blue-collar kind of cow.â€? The idea that 3918 was on her way to writing her own page in dairy industry history books never crossed the Pralles’ minds until the ďƒžrst of August, when looking through the herd’s production records, Pralle realized that 3918 was still milking right at 220 pounds per day, over 10 months into her lactation. She had peaked earlier in her lactation at 270 pounds of milk per day, being milked three times daily, based on daily milking parlor weights. That weight never made it into her calculations since the Pralles are on a seven day average milk weight for the milk tester. “That was the ďƒžrst time I started calculating what her record might end up being, and thought she might have a good chance of setting a new milk production record,â€? Pralle said. “Before that, it just wasn’t something that was on our radar at all.â€? The idea of impending celebrity was not something that seemed to impress 3918, which she made apparent to the Pralles when they decided to have a professional photo of her taken. “She likes her routine ‌,â€? Pralle said. “We almost screwed up her record by taking her out of her group to get her ready to picture. She wasn’t happy being taken out of her element and being washed and clipped. She’d dropped 25 pounds by the next test.â€? A true working girl, 3918 bred back to calve with only a 14-month calving interval, settling on the second service. She is due in early December
to Vieuxsaule Wilson-ET. She also currently has two milking daughters in the herd, a VG-87 3-year-old Topside daughter and a GP-83 Atwood 2-yearold daughter. The conďƒžrmation of the new-record setting lactation came in the form of a call from Holstein USA following the most recent test-day at Selz-Pralle Dairy, when 3918 had completed her 365-day lactation. After that conďƒžrmation, amid the phone ringing off the hook, Pralle took a few minutes to think about and ponder what 3918 has accomplished throughout her four lactations. Having a total of 1,554 days in milk, she has produced over 222,000 pounds of milk in her lifetime. In those 1,554 days in milk, she has averaged 143 pounds of milk per day, doing all this with an average dry period of 75 days and carrying a somatic cell count under 125,000. “The most impressive thing to me is that she made this record while carrying high components,â€? Pralle said. “Her last three tests, she averaged over a 5 percent butterfat test. At her highest, she produced 19.6 pounds of combined fat and protein a day.â€? That high-component milk production ďƒžts into the Pralles overall breeding goal and philosophy. “We’ve always focused a lot on type,â€? Pralle said. “Now with genomics, we’ve started looking a lot at components and health traits like DPR (daughter pregnancy rate) and somatic cell scores. The goal in our herd is to have seven pounds of combined fat and protein (CFP). We get paid more on our components, selling to Lynn Dairy, a small cheese plant.â€? The Pralles plan to continue to stay at their current herd size, with no plans to expand. “Instead of adding concrete and becoming a CAFO, we’ve opted to put more cows through the barn,â€? Pralle said. “We decided to leverage our genetics and sell about 100 cows a year to maintain our herd size.â€? The Pralles also sell about 100 head of breeding bulls a year to area farmers. “We have buyers from a number of states, most of which are repeat buyers,â€? Pralle said. “Developing a private market for cattle sales has been really good for us.â€? At the end of the day, the Pralles work to provide all of their cows with a great deal of consistency: consistent feed and consistent, stress-free care. The cows respond in kind, reiterating the concept that what you put into something is what you’ll get out.
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Dairy prole Lynn and Rachel Miller Dodge Center, Minn. Dodge County 95 cows
What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? We have GPS (but no auto steer) in our tractors for spreading manure. It tells you right where you have been, which is helpful. The automatic takeoffs and the milk weight features in our double-6 step up parlor are also nice. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? Last year, we started feeding canola meal instead of soybean meal. The price was better last year, and it helped with components and a little with milk production. We decided to use it again this year. Even though the price is not as good as it was last year, it is still less expensive than soybeans. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employee or employees? We have one employee, who is a high school student. We try to give him jobs that he nds interesting. He likes the eld work and machinery more than he does the cows, so he is enjoying harvest season.
sponsored by purchase. It does a good job with the feed. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? For the last two years, we have been able to keep our somatic cell count (SCC) average under 100,000. We make sure to have a good pre- and post-dip procedure along with giving animals plenty of bedding. We also cull heavier than other people, so we are able to cull out the high SCC cows.
How did you get into farming? Rachel: I grew up on a Pennsylvania dairy farm. I never thought I would be married to a dairy farmer. Lynn: I grew up in southern Iowa, but not on a dairy. After we were married, we moved to Mississippi for four years before we moved here in 1983. Rachel’s sister and her family were here, and we liked the area. The next year, we purchased this dairy and started milking cows. I liked the challenge of dairy farming and liked animals so I thought it was a good t. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? Rachel: Price is a concern, but God has been good to us. Lynn: We have seen the industry change so much over the years. When we started, there were over 200 dairy farms in the county. Now, there are about 20. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future.
Dairy Star • Saturday, October 28, 2017 • Page 39
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? We are in the discussion stage for retiring. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We have always taken a camping trip each summer. Also, now that our kids are older we like to help them with their interests. They also live across the country so we travel to visit them. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. It helps that we each have areas on the farm that interest us and where we excel. Rachel is good with caring for the calves and Lynn does well with the milking herd and interacting with the cows. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? We like that we are able to work together. Also, when our children were still home on the farm, they worked alongside us and we worked as a family. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Keep your debt-load down, even though it can be tough sometimes. Also, take care of the cows and they will take care of you. A person has to want to dairy farm in order to be a good dairy farmer. This is how we felt in regards to our children. We did not force them to come back to the farm. They all appreciated the life on the dairy, but chose different life paths. What has been the best purchase you’ve ever made on your farm? Our mixer wagon with a vertical auger. Even though we had a trailer mixer before, it was a good
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 28, 2017
Used Jaylor 3650
Used Jaylor 6750
Used Jaylor 2725
#3754 -
#3933 -
#3410 -
$19,900
Used Knight 5135 #3906 -
$14,200
$18,900
Used Patz V420
#3929 -
#3985 -
#3567 -
$16,500
#3984 -
#3918 -
$19,500
Used Patz V615
Used Patz V950
#1959 -
#2214 -
Used Penta 8020-HD #3953 -
$23,900
$22,900
Used Patz V420
Used Patz V500
$25,900
#3388 -
Used Patz V350
Used Patz V500
$21,900
$14,900
Used Jaylor 31000
$21,000
Used Roto Mix 515 #3987 - $21,900
Used Trioliet Solomix 1200 ZK #3305 - $11,900
Used Patz V500 #3346 - $25,900
Used Penta 4120-HD #3982 -
$19,900
Used Schuler 4510 #3645 -
Used Trioliet Solomix 2-1500 ZK #3606 -
$17,900
$14,500
$10,500
#2489 -
$19,500
#3921 -
$24,900
#3054 -
$19,900
$13,900
Used Valmetal Vmix 700
#3614 - $24,900
$26,900
Used Penta 6720-HD #3928 -
Used Trioliet 1-1200L #3703 -
$24,900
Used Patz V615
Used Penta 6020-SD #3696 -
$13,400
Used Patz V500
Used Patz V500 #2382 -
Used Knight 5135
$24,900
Used Trioliet SM-10 #3986 -
$10,900
Used Valmetal V-MIX 575
#3750 - $16,900
Salesmen: Shawn Martin (608) 778-4554 or Joe Ryan (608) 778-2900
4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI
Office: (608) 348-9401 or Toll Free: 1(888) BUY-PATZ www.steinhartsfarmservice.com
4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI