Sign up for our Newsletter
Dairy St r Milk Break
Email maria.b@dairystar.com to sign up.
DAIRY ST R
October 9, 2021
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 23, No. 16
Johnsons strive to stay relevant in the industry Family receives producer of the year award By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Trinity Johnson (second from right) points out parts of the cross venƟlated barn during a Minnesota Milk Producers AssociaƟon tour Oct. 1 at Johnson’s 1,200-cow dairy, Johnson Rolling Acres, near Peterson, Minnesota. Johnson is one of six partners in the farm.
PETERSON, Minn. – Mark and Trinity Johnson had no hesitations when Minnesota Milk Producers Association contacted them about giving a tour of their dairy to several Minnesota Milk members traveling through the area. “We have an open-door policy,” Mark said. “We like showing what we do.” However, they were surprised when Shannon Watrin, Minnesota Milk membership director, presented their farm and family with the organization’s producer of the year award. “It’s a huge honor just to be nominated,” Trinity said. “It makes us feel like our farm is doing something right. And, to actually be recognized by our peers is a huge thing.” Six partners in the Johnson family – Mark, Brad, Richard, Trinity, Lee and Zac – own Johnson Rolling Acres, which includes a 1,200-cow dairy near Peterson, Minnesota. Mark and Trinity take care of the dairy portion of the farm while Richard manages the crops and is the whole farm manager. Brad is in charge of the 10,000 hogs the farm
Turn to JOHNSONS | Page 7
Vellemas give their sons opportuniy Harris dairy brings in the next generation By Jerry Nelson
jerry.n@dairystar.com
HARRIS, Iowa – Working with family can be one of the best benets of dairy farming. This has certainly been the case for Paul and Phyllis Vellema, who raised ve children – Neal, Allison, Lee, Rachael, and Greg – on the farm. They fostered a love for dairying that brought back the next generation as Neal and Greg have now become part of the 200-cow dairy near Harris. “I always wanted to farm,” said Neal, who joined the operation seven years ago. He and his wife, Laura, have four children: Henry, 9, Sadie, 7, Eli, 5, and Simon, 3. Neal is the farm’s herdsman and handles building maintenance. Greg is the farm’s chief mechanic and is in charge of eldwork. The Vellemas raise enough corn, soybeans and alfalfa to supply all of their dairy
herd’s needs. “As far back as I can remember, dairy farming is what I wanted to do,” Greg said. “I joined the operation three years ago, shortly after graduating from high school. Going to college was never a consideration for me.” The Vellema dairy operation has been engaged in generational transition during the past few years. “As of Jan. 1, I will no longer own any cows,” Paul said. “The entire dairy herd will have been transferred over to the boys, with each of them owning half.” There are several reasons behind this transition, including health issues and the inevitability of aging. But one of the biggest motivators for Paul is simply being there for his sons and doing everything he can to help them succeed. “My father passed away when he was 67 and I was 24,” Paul said. “I can’t tell you how many times I wished he were
JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
The Vellemas – (from leŌ) Paul, Phyllis, Greg and Neal – milk 200 cows on their family’s dairy, which is inside the city limits of Harris, Iowa. here just so that I could ask his advice or get his opinion about something I was going to do. I want to work with the boys for as long as I can. I will give them advice when they ask for it. But I will also let them make their own decisions, even if I don’t neces-
sarily agree with them.” Neal and Greg have already made some decisions that are having positive effects. Last winter, they started breeding heifers and rst lactation cows with sexed semen. “Everything else gets bred
to an Angus sire. We are getting the rst Angus crossbred calves, which we hope to sell for a better price than what we would get for purebred Holstein calves,” Neal said.
Turn to VELLEMAS | Page 6