The Great Christmas “GRAND” PRIZE
GIVEAWAY
See pages 24 and 25 of this section for details!
DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 22, No. 18
November 14, 2020
Meadow Brook Dairy Farms places priority on calf care Lung ultrasounds, colostrum, cleaning critical to success By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
MANITOWOC, Wis. – Understanding the signicance of quality calf care and how it impacts the future milking herd is embedded in siblings Beth Gierke, Erin Kenneke and Mitch Kappelman, as well as Erin’s husband, A.J. The siblings are the fth generation to run Meadow Brook Dairy Farms near Manitowoc where they milk 420 cows and farm 1,100 acres. Pete and Shellie Kappelman remain majority owners of the farm, which is managed by their three children and son-in-law. The four members of the younger generation bought into ownership in 2017. Mitch is the herdsman, Erin is in charge of calves, and Beth does bookwork and helps A.J., who is in charge of crops, with eldwork. A.J. also feeds and does mechanical work. Turn to MEADOW BROOK | Page 6
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Beth Gierke (from leŌ), Mitch Kappelman, A.J. Kenneke and Erin Kenneke run Meadow Brook Dairy Farms near Manitowoc, Wisconsin. They milk 420 cows and farm 1,100 acres.
Giving dairy farmers a voice in policy New act to address supply chain issues, pricing transparency By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. – Dairy farmers could soon have a direct say in the laws, regulations and policies that affect them most, thanks to a new act designed to address pressing issues in the dairy industry. The Dairy Pricing and Policy Commission Act of 2020 gives dairy farmers a seat at a table tasked with diving into matters near and dear to the dairy producer’s heart. “If you are a dairy farmer, this is a historic opportunity to have our voices heard from the highest levels of leadership to correct some long overdue deciencies in dairy policy,” said Joe Bragger, dairy farmer and Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation president. Envisioned to be a part of the next farm bill, the act would benet dairy farmers by creating a commission whose job will be to provide pricing transparency, address supply chain issues, nd more opportunities for dairy exports and increase the competitiveness of
dairy products in the marketplace. “There are a lot of factors going on that require us to take a new look at dairy policy,” said Bragger, who farms with his family in Buffalo County, milking 400 cows and cropping about 1,300 acres. “We’ve seen shocks on our supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic and inelasticity in our production systems being impacted. Prices have rebounded, but we got hit with another blow – producer price differentials. The announced Class III price is not reective of what farmers are receiving. Deductions are being made to this amount, and these deductions hurt us.” Joe Bragger The Dairy Pricing and Policy WFBF president Commission Act of 2020 will direct the United States Secretary of Agriculture to form a commission consisting of one member of a national consumer organization, three members representing land grant universities, one member representing the food and retail beverage sector, six dairy producers, three dairy processors and two dairy industry experts. These individuals would be charged with creating
legislative, regulatory and market-based policy recommendations to address: – Responding to periods of heightened dairy production during low prices by considering better supply chain coordination and market price signals. – Enhancing the competitiveness of American dairy producers in world market. – Evaluating and identifying challenges and opportunities for new markets for dairy exports. – Ensuring that Federal Milk Marketing Orders and FMMO rule makings are transparent and provide a fair return to producers regardless of the end product for which their milk is used. – Ensuring the competitiveness of dairy products with other competing products in the marketplace is preserved and enhanced. “We need to develop some transparency in our pricing,” said Derek Orth, a dairy farmer from Lancaster who supports the Dairy Pricing and Policy Commission Act. “There’s so much that goes into what we get paid on that doesn’t make any sense. Creating this committee could help simplify things and help all of us understand what goes into our milk check.” Turn to POLICY | Page 5