The Great Christmas “GRAND” PRIZE
GIVEAWAY
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DAIRY ST R
November 14, 2020
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 22, No. 18
A modern-day family farm Ahlgrens install automation to address looming labor concerns By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
DARWIN, Minn. – When Rick and Sarah Ahlgren think of their dairy farm, one word comes to mind: family. In an effort to keep family a focus of the enterprise now and into the future, the couple recently installed robotic milking systems and an automated feeding system on their 160-cow dairy in Meeker County near Darwin. “Originally, this was my dad and I’s idea,” Rick said. “We wanted to keep the family farm without all the constant labor or schedule pressure. This all came about after eight years of touring, dreaming and researching, and we nally pulled the trigger.” The Ahlgrens and their children – Phillip, 13, Matthew, 11, Jacob, 9, Olivia, 7, Henry, 6, and Norah, 4 – use three Lely A5 milking robots, three Discovery 120 Collectors and the Vector Feeding System with a Turn to AHLGRENS | Page 6
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Rick and Sarah Ahlgren talk about how the mixing and feeding robot monitors feed in the bunks Nov. 9 on their dairy near Darwin, Minnesota. The Ahlgrens have been using the automated feeding system since June for their 160-cow herd.
Marine’s happy homecoming
Herdering returns from military to farm with dad By Carol Moorman Staff Writer
FREEPORT, Minn. – A yellow ribbon with “We Love Our Troops” hangs on the front door of Pam and Steve Herderings’ rural Freeport farm house, near a wooden American ag. Inside their dairy barn, Steve and son Luke work together. Sept. 1, 2019, Luke returned to the farm – North Oak Dairy – to work full time after four years in the Marines. When he joined the Marines, he thought he would make the military his permanent career but that changed. “I remembered fondly life on the farm and realized what I missed and the value of the farm,” he said Nov. 3 sitting around the kitchen table with his dad and his sister, Grace. This farm is where Luke’s mom and her siblings were raised, the children of Leo and Grace Eveslage. Pam and Steve pur-
CAROL MOORMAN/DAIRY STAR
The Herderings (from leŌ) – Steve, Pam, Grace, Ashley and Luke – stand inside their freestall barn Nov. 4 near Freeport, Minnesota. Luke returned home Sept. 1, 2019, to work on the farm aŌer four years in the Marines. chased it in 1987 and were married one year later. Back then, they were a 40-sow feeder pig operation with a 52-cow tie-stall barn. In 2002 they built a free-stall barn and in 2006, added a parlor sys-
tem. Today they milk 120 cows with close to 250 cattle on the farm, including young stock. “It’s more efcient,” Luke said, with Steve adding, “Laborwise, one person can milk and one
can move the cows.” While Steve and Pam worked together in the barn and in the eld, their children – Matt, Kristen, Luke and Grace – performed age-appropriate chores.
Luke was around 5 when he started feeding calves, similar to his siblings. “It was a requirement that they get up in the morning and do a little bit before school,” Steve said, with eighth grader Grace adding, “It still is.” The January before Luke graduated from Melrose High School in 2015, he enlisted in the Marines. He recalls telling his dad he was looking into joining the military while they were in the barn milking. “Like with all the kids, we tell them they are not staying on the farm,” Steve said. “You are leaving here and if you want to come back, okay.” Luke left Freeport Aug. 23, 2015, for boot camp at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot in San Diego, California, starting four years of active duty, followed by four years in the Individual Ready Reserve. The 13-week, three-phase boot camp was difcult Luke said, because learning how to be a Marine means a recruit puts themselves in a different mindset. Turn to HERDERING | Page 5