The Great Christmas “GRAND” PRIZE
GIVEAWAY
See pages 24 and 25 of this section for details!
DAIRY ST R
Turmoil in Wisconsin ag department State senate denies Pfaff’s appointment as secretary By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. – In an action that has not been taken since 1987, an appointment to the governor’s cabinet was denied by the Wisconsin State Senate. Brad Pfaff, of Onalaska, was named as Governor Tony Evers’ agriculture secretarydesignee last December, and has been operating as the head of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection as the designee since the administration change occurred in January. While the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Revenue and Financial Institutions offered its unanimous approval of Pfaff’s nomination in February, the appointment was not voted on by the full Senate until earlier this month when the nomination was denied 1914, along party lines. This vote followed a request from State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, asking that Gov. Evers withdraw Pfaff’s nomination, stating there would not be enough votes in the Senate to conrm the nomination. Calling the move partisan wrangling, Gov. Evers refused to withdraw Pfaff’s name as his designee, calling him “an extraordinary person and public servant.” This led to the vote taken in the Senate, rejecting the nomination for the post. In support of Pfaff’s nomination, Gov. Evers attended the Senate session to hear debate regarding Pfaff’s nomination, which may be the rst time in modern history that a sitting Wisconsin governor has been present for a Senate oor vote. Several members of the legislature became upset with Pfaff earlier this summer when he was critical of the budget committee for not releasing Turn to PFAFF | Page 6
November 23, 2019
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 21, No. 19
Elbe makes farming a family passion First-generation dairy producer passes love for industry onto children By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
WEST BEND, Wis. – Even though he did not grow up on a farm, Chris Elbe was hooked on dairy farming starting at age 9 when he began working for a neighbor. The farmer could not afford to pay him, so he gave Chris calves instead of cash. By the time he graduated high school, Chris had 25 cows. “I fell in love with farming right away,” said Chris, who grew up in Cedarburg. “I did not come from a farming family. My dad worked at Miller
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Ryan (from leŌ), Chris, Kimberly and MaƩ Elbe stand in their 2,000-stall freestall barn, built in 2014, at Golden E Dairy near West Bend, Wisconsin. The Elbes milk 2,400 cows and farm 5,000 acres of owned and rented land. Not pictured are Chris’ wife, Tracey, and son, Kyle. Brewing Company in Milwaukee for 45 years.” On May 15,1991, three days before they were to marry, Chris and his wife, Tracey,
purchased a farm in West Bend. The couple had 90 cows and 250 acres at the time. Today, Golden E Dairy milks 2,400 cows and farms 5,000 acres –
2,000 of which are owned and 3,000 rented. The operation is a true Turn to ELBES | Page 5
A unique source of dairy education
Milwaukee County Zoo connects cows, consumers By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Melissa Paine sweeps hay in the dairy barn at the Milwaukee County Zoo, which is home to eight head of dairy caƩle, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
MILWAUKEE, Wis. – Heritage Farm, located in the Milwaukee County Zoo’s Northwestern Mutual Family Farm, is the only dairy farm in the city of Milwaukee. Since 1987, the farm has educated countless visitors about the dairy industry – serving as a critical link between farmer and consumer. “For many people, the zoo dairy is the only farm they will ever see,” said Lisa Guglielmi, Northwestern Mutual Family Farmarea supervisor. “We have an important responsibility to educate and spread positive messages about the dairy industry.” Milking ve cows, the small-scale dairy is home to eight head of dairy cattle – seven cows and one heifer. A fan of breed diversity, the zoo has housed every major milking breed at one time or another. Three Red and White Holsteins, two Holsteins, two Ayrshires and one Milking Shorthorn are the current residents and go by the names of Jovie, Maddie, Ellie, Darcy, Betsy, Ruby, Kylie and Dottie. “Next year, we will be looking for a Brown Swiss and another Milking Shorthorn,” GuglielTurn to ZOO | Page 7
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
DAIRY ST R www.dairystar.com
ISSN 020355 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: (320) 352-6303 Fax: (320) 352-5647 Published by Dairy Star LLC General Manager/Editor Mark Klaphake - mark.k@dairystar.com 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Krista Kuzma - Editor/Wisconsin (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Andrea Borgerding - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (608) 487-1101 danielle.n@dairystar.com Stacey Smart - Staff Writer (262) 442-6666 • stacey.s@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Joyce Frericks 320-352-6303 • joyce@dairystar.com Jeff Weyer (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-8505 (cell) jeff.w@dairystar.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (National Advertising, SE MN) 507-250-2217 fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com Mike Schafer (Central, South Central MN) 320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com Julie Barnes (SE WI and Northern IL) julie.b@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 • megan.s@dairystar.com Ashley Curry (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-539-7268 • ashley.c@dairystar.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication. Subscriptions One year subscription $35.00, outside the U.S. $110.00. Send check along with mailing address to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378. Advertising Our ad takers have no authority to bind this newspaper and only publication of an advertisement shall constitute nal acceptance of the advertiser's order. Letters Letters and articles of opinion are welcomed. Letters must be signed and include address and phone number. We reserve the right to edit lengthy letters. The views and opinions expressed by Dairy Star columnists and writers are not necessarily those of the Dairy Star LLC.
The Dairy Star is published semi-monthly by Dairy Star, LLC, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246. Periodicals Postage Paid at Sauk Centre, MN and additional mailing ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
A glance at what’s inside With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, there are many things we can all be grateful for. For Jimmy Johnson, it is his family. Johnson, who milks 60 cows in Grey Eagle, Minnesota, was diagnosed with stage 2 colon cancer in October, and has relied on his entire family – parents, siblings, and nieces and nephews – to keep the dairy aoat. Read about Johnson’s immense support system in the rst section on pages 10-11. Feed is a signicant part of dairy farming, including the Westra family, who hosted an I-29 Moo University eld day Nov. 13 on their 800-cow dairy, Summit Dairy, near Primghar, Iowa. They shared their experiences of how they made changes to their bunker silos in order to decrease spoilage and increase feed efciencies. Dr. Hugo Ramirez from Iowa State University and Connie Kuber from Connor Agriscience also spoke during the eld day about bunker management and safety. Turn to pages 2-3 in third section to read more about the event. Second Look Holsteins, a 1,000-cow dairy near Eden, Wis., also recently hosted an on-farm event as part of a Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin tour focused on feed management, storage and tracking. The Hodorffs, who own the dairy, shared how they switched to a higher corn silage ration over the years and how they have managed the feed in both bunkers and piles. A feed tracking program also helps them receive real-time information about the ration they are feeding their herd. Read more about it on pages 12-13 in rst section. This issue’s “From our side of the fence” feature asks FFA members about their leadership and experience within the organization. They told us about their chapter’s most popular fundraiser, how their FFA experience will benet them in the future and how they have personally grown from the organization. Read the responses from these high schoolers on pages 15-16 in rst section. Unlike many farmers, Jason “Taz” Lehman does not have a rich family history of dairying. In fact, his start began in high school when he milked for a neighbor, and now, Lehman and his family milk 115 cows near Sherrill, Iowa. To read about this young family’s start in the industry and how they have built a herd they are proud of, turn to pages 3-4 in second section. November is National Diabetes Month to bring awareness to the disease that affects 30 million Americans who deal with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Eric Hilke, a dairy farmer from Altura, Minnesota, talked about how he has dealt with Type 1 since the age of 6 while Bob Pierce shared his experience of having Type 2 since being diagnosed over one year ago. Turn to page 5 in second section to read their story and how the disease affects their every day life. As harvest nally nears its end, we caught up with Tony and Marc Clasemann for our “Day in the Life” feature. The father-son duo spent Nov. 15 combining high moisture corn, along with other routine tasks on their dairy farm near Long Prairie, Minnesota. Their story and photo spread can be found in second section on pages 16, 18-19. We wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Amery
Bayeld
Buffalo
Page 32 First Section
Pages 10 - 11 Second Section
d
Vernon
Waushara
aw
Organic certication pays off despite challenges
Dane
Iowa
Grant
Second Section: Pages 6 - 7
Lafayette Green
Arlington
Carroll
Solving the mysteries of hypocalcemia in transition cows
Jefferson Waukesha
Rock
on
ens
h tep
S
Zone 2
Green Lake Fond Du Lac
Columbia Dodge
Sauk
Jo Daviess
Zone 1
o ag Calumet
eb
nn Wi
for
Viola
Richland
Cr
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
O
Adams Juneau
ie am Brown
g uta
Wa sh
Page 33 First Section
Shawano
Wood
Monroe La Crosse
Dairy Good Life
Oconto
Portage Waupaca Jackson
Walworth go
eba
n Win
Whiteside
Racine
West Bend
Farming a family affair for Elbes First Section: Pages 1, 5-6
Kenosha
McHenry
Ogle DeKalb
First Section: Page 28
te
Do or
hb Pepin
Menominee
Marathon
Clark
Eau Claire
et
Ke w
Pierce
Dunn
in
Langlade
e
First Section: Page 39
St. Croix
Menominee
ton S he bo Milwaukee Ozauk M yg ee an anito wo c
ur
Dairy Prole: Allan Lundberg
Taylor
Chippewa
ar
on
Just Thinking Out Loud
Osseo
Lincoln
ce
M
Forest
ett e
Page 31 First Section
Barron
ren
Oneida
Rusk
Trempealeau
Something to Ruminate On
Polk
Price
Delta
Dickinson
Vilas
Flo
Sawyer
Wa s
Page 30 First Section
Iron
aun ee
Ashland
ing
Douglas
Burnett
Second Section: Pages 12 - 13
Bo
Second Section: Pages 8 - 9
Ramblings from the Ridge
Silage diet successful for Second Look Holsteins
First Section: Pages 15 - 16
Crop and Weather Reports
n
Page 27 First Section
Eden
From Our Side of the Fence
qu
Ruth
Bowler
Ma r
Pages 8-9 First Section
Kane
Lee
Rock Island
Hen ders
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
on
Mercer n
re War
Milwaukee
Milwaukee County Zoo connects cows and consumers First Section: Pages 1, 7
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 5
ConƟnued from ELBES | Page 1
Trust the experts Future success starts with today’s nutrition At Famo Feeds, we strive to provide the best support for your operation and work to accommodate your specific needs.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Kimberly Elbe feeds grain to calves Nov. 11 in the farm’s 250-stall calf barn at the dairy near West Bend, Wisconsin. Kimberly works with cows and youngstock, and also helps with eldwork. family affair. Following in their father’s footsteps, the second generation has also chosen a career in dairy farming. Chris and Tracey work alongside their four children – Ryan, 25, Kimberly, 24, Matt, 22, and Kyle, 16. The three oldest stayed on the farm after high school, and while the youngest is a junior, he, too, has shown a strong interest in farming with plans to join his siblings after graduation. Involved in many aspects of the farm, the Elbes do not have designated roles per se, but each gravitates towards specic areas. Ryan and Matt take care of crops, with Ryan in charge of planting and Matt in charge of spraying. Ryan also plows snow for the town of Farmington and is a volunteer reghter. Kimberly and Chris are the cow people but are still active on the crops side as well. It is not unusual to nd Kimberly on a tractor or driving truck as she helps with chopping, combining and more in between working with cows and youngstock. Kyle helps with calves, feeding, packing silage and wherever else he can lend a hand when not playing football. Chris does all the feeding at the main farm and also plants and chops. Tracey feeds calves, does bookwork and also cooks, sometimes feeding up to 20 workers during the busy harvest season. The farm employs 25 people including family members. In addition to their farm in Washington County, Chris and Tracey also own a farm in Sheboygan County and one in Ozaukee County where they raise youngstock and steers. When Chris knew his kids wanted to farm, this rst-generation dairy farmer started making plans to ensure Golden E Dairy could support the second generation. In 2014, the Elbes built a new facility and doubled in size. Prior to that,
they milked cows on two sites – 1,000 cows at the home farm and 300 at the Ozaukee County farm. They built an 8-row, 2,000-stall cross-ventilated freestall barn and double-32 parallel parlor where cows are milked three times a day, new calf barn, feed pad and manure storage. In 2016, the Elbes added a commodity building, and in 2017, they built a grain center, which acts as their onsite feed mill. “We switched from high-moisture corn to dry corn and handle all the drying and grinding here,” Chris said. Also in 2017, the Elbes hosted Washington County’s Breakfast on the Farm. In 2018, they added on to their pre-fresh barn and built a new heifer barn at their Sheboygan County farm. The Elbe family nds diversication important and began raising Angus crossbred calves two years ago for additional income. “We breed 80% of our cows to Angus bulls,” Ryan said. “We’re breeding to maintain; we don’t need more dairy heifers right now. All the Angus calves – both bull and heifer – are raised for beef.” The Elbes enjoy the simplicity of raising beef cattle compared to dairy cattle. “Raising beef is completely different,” Ryan said. “It’s way easier than dairy. We feed and bed – it’s a quick job. They’re fed shelled corn and pellets in a steer stuffer that we ll twice a week. Once they reach 350 pounds, they’re pretty much hands-off. Crossbreeding brings more vigor, and we nd the beef cattle to be healthier and more solid than dairy cattle.” From cropping to calf and heifer raising, the Elbes do everything inhouse except liquid manure hauling.
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First-generaƟon dairy farmer Chris Elbe stands next to his John Deere 9570RX track tractor which helps reduce compacƟon in the elds. The Elbes use the tractor for Ɵling, packing and Ɵllage.
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
ConƟnued from PFAFF | Page 1
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funds for mental health assistance for farmers and their families. Pfaff reported that DATCP had funding for only ve vouchers for mental health counseling and proceeded to ask the committee to decide “which ve farmers it will be,” a comment that Fitzgerald called “offensive and unproductive.” In a statement issued by Fitzgerald following the vote, he said that Pfaff was a “part of the problem, not the solution.” State Sen. Howard Marklein, who serves as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Revenue and Financial Institutions and initially voted to support the nomination in committee, issued a statement with similar feelings regarding Pfaff’s nomination following last week’s vote. “At the time, I was hopeful that Mr. Pfaff would be a positive, strong leader for an agency that has traditionally been nonpolitical and focused on the industries it supports,” Marklein said in the statement. “Mr. Pfaff has played politics with information and has attacked the Legislature to the detriment of his agency. He was willing to use political talking points to further a political agenda when he should have been focused on doing what is best for farmers and consumers.” The Wisconsin agricultural community largely threw their support behind the secretary-designee, urging the Senate to conrm his nomination, including the Dairy Business Association which released a statement prior to the Senate’s vote, urging the approval of Pfaff’s nomination. “Our dairy farmers are being battered by a perfect storm of challenges, from low milk prices in recent years and extreme weather conditions to shifting regulations and trade disruptions. What we desperately need is certainty and stability, not a political ght,” read the DBA statement. “DBA supported Mr. Pfaff’s appointment at the outset and we see no reason to change that position now. At this critical moment for
Wisconsin’s dairy community, the right thing to do is to keep him in place.” The resume and experience Pfaff brought to the position encompassed a wide variety of experience in agriculture and agricultural policy. Raised on a farm in western Wisconsin, Pfaff has been involved in many aspects of agriculture throughout his life. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and a master’s degree in public administration from George Mason University. Prior to his appointment by Gov. Evers, Pfaff served as the deputy chief of staff for U.S. Rep. Ron Kind. He served as the deputy administrator of farm programs in the United States Department of Agriculture during the Obama administration. Prior to those positions, Pfaff worked for U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl on agricultural policy and in the state capitol as part of State Rep. Virgil Roberts’ staff. Since Pfaff’s nomination has been rejected, Gov. Evers has named DATCP deputy secretary Randy Romanski to serve as the interim secretary while Gov. Evers considers a new designee. In addition to serving as Pfaff’s deputy secretary, he previously served as both secretary and deputy secretary under Gov. Jim Doyle as well as serving in departments within the state government. Since being removed from the agriculture secretary position, Pfaff has been named the director of business and rural development within the Department of Administration, where he will serve as an advocate for small businesses and rural communities throughout the state. “While our residents have lost an advocate for our rural heritage and consumers in need of protection at the cabinet level, I’m proud to bring Brad onto the team at DOA to ensure his expertise and Wisconsin values are utilized to grow our economy,” said Joel Brennan, administration secretary, in a statement.
ConƟnued from ELBES | Page 5
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The farm also hauls its own milk, which is shipped to DFA. It goes to a Kemps plant 18 miles from Golden E and is sold as uid milk. “We’re very efcient,” Ryan said. “We have a small labor force for the number of animals and acres we run. We also have good equipment and nice facilities. Everything is updated. We don’t do a lot of repairing because we have newer stuff. When you have nice equipment, you can get more done with less people and it’s easier to hire help.” Chris said a good lender is also benecial. “We use Compeer Financial and couldn’t ask for a better partner through tough times,” he said. “Even when the milk price was low, we tried hard; we didn’t give up. We never stopped. You can’t give up when things are bad. We continued genomic testing and feeding good-quality feeds. We thought about stopping the testing when things were tight. But, we had made a lot of progress and didn’t want to give that up. It would’ve been a crash and burn scenario if we would’ve stopped and started over. I’m thankful we stuck with it.” The farm switched to using all A.I. to breed in 2013, and genetics have improved greatly as a result, the Elbes said. “What should’ve taken 25 years to accomplish only took us ve,” Chris said. “This is thanks to aggressive management and making good breeding
decisions. We don’t keep low genomic animals, and we use sexed semen on the better cows.” Even on a downfall, the Elbes said they look for things that can snowball into success. “Economies of scale play a big part,” Chris said. “We stick money into things that pay back – and they’re short paybacks. Grinding our corn here has saved us a dollar per bushel, and we save 25 cents per gallon through our fuel center. Investments like these help. That’s the only way you can be successful with margins as tight as they are.” The Elbes feel they are at the perfect size and do not plan to grow larger. “We’re headed in the direction of diversication instead,” Ryan said. “Whether that’s more beef or something else. After this downturn, there has to be something other than milk. It might not even be farm related. For example, we have excavating and tiling equipment and have thought about starting a business doing that type of work for others. Adding more cows is not the answer.” Chris has come a long way from the 9-year-old who earned his paycheck in the form of black and white four-legged animals and is proud to share his passion for farming with the entire family. “I did a lot in a short amount of time, and I feel blessed that everything worked out,” Chris said. “I’m excited to see where the future takes us.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 7
ConƟnued from ZOO | Page 1 mi said. Open to the public 365 days a year, the zoo welcomes 1.3 million visitors annually – 80% of whom nd the farm a must-see attraction, said Guglielmi. Kids and adults alike are drawn to the friendly bovines that are neighbors to wild animals like giraffes, bears, elephants, lions and rhinos. Heritage Farm was formed through a partnership between the Wisconsin Dairy Council and the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Education is the focal point of this unique exhibit in which zoogoers can see cows up-close, watch the milking process and ask questions of staff. Guglielmi said seeing a cow get milked answers a lot of questions. Educational videos, games, trivia and more are also part of the dairy facility, which includes the farm’s popular dairy store where many visitors stop for ice cream. The dairy farm is located inside the Northwestern Mutual Family Farm – a 9-acre exhibit in the center of the zoo, which is also home to rabbits, chickens, goats, beef cattle, a horse and other farm animals. Guglielmi has spent most of her 27-year zoo career at the farm. She manages the entire farm operation, from the budget to hiring and training all the staff as well as purchasing and selling animals. Although she has worked with lions, camels, birds and primates, Guglielmi said the farm is her favorite beat at the zoo. She enjoys interacting with the animals and the public and loves working with the cows.
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The zoo’s cows are housed in a single-row, six-stall Ɵestall barn that also includes two large pens. Current breeds on display include Holstein, Red and White Holstein, Ayrshire and Milking Shorthorn. “We love these girls,” Guglielmi said of the cows. “This is the best job ever.” The cows live a pampered life. Hides sparkle and hooves shine as cows are bathed regularly and brushed frequently. They are also let out for daily exercise when weather permits. The zoo’s rst cows were donated by local farmers, but now the zoo breeds and raises its own livestock and occasionally purchases animals from herds certied Johne’s-free. The zoo breeds for calving ease and longevity. A cow’s appearance and temperament are most important to zoo staff as presentation ranks higher than milk production.
“This is an exhibit rst and foremost,” Guglielmi said. “Cows have to look nice.” Yet the cows are still good producers with Holsteins typically peaking at 100-110 pounds of milk per day, Ayrshires at 85-90 pounds and Milking Shorthorns at 90 pounds. The zoo produces highquality milk with an average somatic cell count of 22,000. Cows are milked twice a day at 5 a.m. and 3 p.m. in a single-stall parlor that is fully visible to the public. If the zoo has a big producer, she is milked a third time at 11 a.m. Milk is sold to Cedar Grove and shipped directly to Clock Shadow Creamery in downtown Milwaukee where it is made into cheese.
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Good-natured cows that get along well with each other and the staff are a requirement. These city cows are accustomed to visitors and must be able to hold their own amongst the screams and yells of excited children. “We have thousands of people visiting the zoo on a busy day,” Guglielmi said. “So, cows need to be relaxed and able to produce good-quality milk in a highstress situation.” Cows are on public display in a spotless building lled with the scent of fresh hay and wood shavings. The barn holds eight animals in a single-row, six-stall tiestall setup that also features two large pens, including a birthing pen where zoo visitors can witness the birth of a calf. Calf hutches outside allow for summer viewing of calves. A dairy farm like this is a rarity among zoos. “Not many zoos have a small herd of dairy cows, and even fewer actually milk them,” Guglielmi said. “In fact, Milwaukee County Zoo is one of only two zoos in the United States milking dairy cows and selling the milk. The other is in Apple Valley, Minnesota.” Guglielmi said Lincoln Park Zoo in the heart of Chicago milks cows but does not sell the milk, and a handful of zoos have six or more dairy cows on exhibit but do not milk them. Cows at Milwaukee County Zoo are fed a mixed grass hay and alfalfa, which must meet specications of all hay-eaters in the zoo. “We have to feed what the
zoo provides,” Guglielmi said. “Here in the dairy barn, we have the most demanding requirements. Therefore, the veterinarians meet the cows’ demands rst while making sure hay is not so high in nutrients that it can’t be fed to other animals. If the hay is too rich in protein or calcium, it could be detrimental to other species. We can’t make silage, for example, so all of our feed is bagged.” The zoo also feeds cottonseed and ne-grain cracked corn along with a protein pellet to compensate for lower-protein hay. The pellet was created especially for the zoo by dairy scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The cows also have salt blocks at their disposal. “We feed the cows seven to eight times a day, but we can’t have hay in front of them all the time or they wouldn’t be able to move,” Guglielmi said. The farm enjoys the luxury of 24/7 access to the zoo’s two veterinarians. Cows may also see a large-animal vet, who does things zoo vets cannot, like performing DA surgeries and helping with difcult calvings. Acting as the face of the farmer, Guglielmi and her staff keep up with what is happening in the news, so they are prepared to answer questions. “It can be difcult sometimes, but it’s nice to be here to educate,” she said. “We’re transparent in what we do, and we’re honest; we don’t lie or make up stories. We give people the right answers.”
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Dean Foods seeks bankruptcy protection Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
Dean Foods has received traction in the marketplace, DMI approval from the U.S. Bankruptcy emphasized uid milk continues to be Court for the Southern District of a staple in 94% of U.S. households. DMI said the U.S. dairy Texas, granting access Ag Insider industry will continue for up to $475 million to successfully navigate to continue day to day the current economic operations. Dean Foods environment. President and CEO Eric Beringause praised the USDA adjust milk action of the court, saying production upward it will allow the company In the latest supply to continue to operate as demand report, USDA normal, paying employee revised milk production wages and payments to upward. For 2019, milk suppliers, as it moves production is forecast through the bankruptcy By Don Wick at 218.6 billion pounds. process. Dean Foods Columnist That is up 400 million led for Chapter 11 pounds from the October bankruptcy protection after losing 80% of its stock value report. The 2020 forecast increased in the past year. Dairy Farmers of 800 million pounds to 222.4 billion America is reportedly in advanced pounds. The increase was due to the discussions with Dean Foods about likelihood of bigger gains in milk the purchase of Dean Foods’ assets. production per cow and an increase in cow numbers. A stronger cheese DMI responds to bankruptcy market bumped the price forecast for Class III milk. announcement Responding to the Dean Foods bankruptcy ling, Dairy Management Stronger milk prices provide Inc. released a statement about the hedging opportunities November Class III Milk futures state of the dairy industry. “The U.S. dairy community remains a moved above $20 per hundredweight. strong and diverse sector, achieving Kluis Commodities market analyst consistent growth in per capita Jacob Burks sees that $20-plus price consumption for 25 years in retail as a psychological level for dairy category worth over $100 billion. In producers. “This has been too little, fact, domestic dairy sales are up 2.5% too late for some of these dairies,” as of August 2019. Cheese and butter Burks said. “There have been tough are at all-time consumption highs.” times in the dairy market.” Burks With plant-based beverages gaining said it is good to see some black ink
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for dairy producers, with hedging new business and rural development opportunities through 2020. director. Pfaff served at the helm of the DATCP since January, but was USMCA vote before the end of not conrmed by the Wisconsin State 2019 Senate. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to see the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Siting rule stalls Agreement by the end of this year. Wisconsin’s proposed livestock U.S. Trade Representative Robert siting rule changes are on hold. The Lighthizer and a House Democratic timeline for the so-called scope working group are working out the statement will likely expire before details. Labor standards in Mexico a nal draft rule can be prepared by are one of the current hurdles. The Department of Agriculture, Trade and AFL-CIO claims the new USMCA Consumer Protection staff and passed deal does not meet the needs of by the state legislature. The deadline working people and lawmakers for that work is Feb. 4, which would should not rush to pass the trade require an extraordinary amount of agreement. administrative work to meet that timeline. Labor challenges discussed at NMPF meeting NTSB report released on Pagel At the National Milk Producers plane crash Federation annual meeting in The National Transportation New Orleans, dairy farmers were Safety Board said the likely cause challenged to take a proactive of the small plane crash that killed role in farm policy. NMPF Milk Wisconsin dairy leader John Pagel Chairman Randy Mooney, who was an undetermined in-ight loss of farms in Missouri, addressed the control. Pagel, his son-in-law, Steve immigration issue. “Immigration is Witcpalek, and pilot, Nathan Saari, not a large farm issue; it’s not a small died Feb. 22, 2018 when the plane farm issue; it’s a dairy farm issue,” went down in rural Indiana. Pagel Mooney said. “I had the worst year was president of the Edge Dairy on my farm last year that I ever Farmer Cooperative and active in had. It wasn’t necessarily about the Dairy Business Association and economics. I had a labor problem Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. and economics don’t make a bit of difference if you don’t have anybody Dairy reproduction awards to do the work.” Mooney advocated The Dairy Cattle Reproduction for an immigration bill that is moving Council has honored dairy farms through Congress. In addition to for reproduction management the NMPF, this meeting included strategies. Platinum recognition the National Dairy Promotion and went to Holmesville Dairy of Argyle, Research Board and the United Dairy Schilling Farms of Darlington and Industry Association. Wenzel Hilltop Dairy of Hilbert. Romanski moves up Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has appointed Randy Romanski as the interim state agriculture secretary. Romanski had been serving as the deputy secretary. This move came after the Senate rejected Brad Pfaff’s nomination to lead DATCP. Evers said the Senate action against Pfaff was amoral.
Hall of fame honors The National Association of Farm Broadcasting inducted the 2019 class to its National Farm Broadcaster Hall of Fame. The honorees are Max Armstrong of ‘This Week in Agribusiness’ and Farm Journal and Tom Steever of Browneld.
Wisconsin 4-H wins NAILE dairy bowl Pfaff is hired by administration Wisconsin 4-H won the North department American International Livestock Former Wisconsin Department Exposition dairy bowl competition. of Agriculture Secretary-Designee The team members are Grace Haase, Brad Pfaff has been hired by the Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9 Department of Administration as its
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ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8
Courtney Glenna, Katherine Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Elwood and Courtney Stream. Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Trivia challenge A gallon of milk weighs 8.6 Broadcaster of the Year and served as pounds. That answers our last trivia president of the National Association of question. For this week, how much Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, butterfat is required in U.S. butter Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and products? We’ll have the answer in Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling. the next edition of Dairy Star.
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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
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KELLOGG, Minn. – Opening morning of deer hunting season has always been an exciting time for the Miller family. This year was different. “It was tough this year,” Dan Miller said. “The excitement wasn’t there like it normally was.” That is because Dan and Karen Miller’s son, Aidan, was not there with the family to don the blaze KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR orange clothing and watch Karen and Dan Miller hold a picture of their 16-year-old son, Aidan, who passed for the perfect buck from a away from a cardiac arrhythmia July 22. Aidan loved hunƟng with the family on stand on their family’s 70- their 70-cow dairy farm near Kellogg, Minnesota. cow dairy near Kellogg. At the age of 16, Aidan passed here, I’m guessing he’s the one who would have gotten it.” away July 22 from a cardiac arrhythmia. Dan was sitting in the same stand Aidan used last year “It (opening morning) was one of Aidan’s favorite days, even over Christmas and other holidays,” Karen said. when he shot an 8-point buck opening morning. Since he Despite the emotions that came with deer opener already lled his tag, Aidan insisted on Dan going back morning Nov. 9 this year, the family – Dan and Karen to the woods to get his own buck for the season. “Since we milk early in the morning, evening milking along with their other children, Blaine, 28, Garret, 26, Mary Kate, 25, Ellie, 19, and Avalin, 10 – still gathered has to be done early, too, when it’s still light enough to to hunt, remembering Aidan by attaching patches with hunt,” Dan said. “Whoever shoots one rst kind of gets his name to their stocking hats and hunting jackets. They the short end of the stick and has to do chores.” Aidan gladly spent many evenings last season in the progressed with the day as they have in years past. “We always adjust our milking schedule for hunting barn so the rest of his family members could fulll their hunt. It was all part of his caring personality, said Karen. season,” Dan said. “He was just a good kid,” she said. “We never had to The family started doing chores at 3:30 a.m., 2.5 worry about him taking the wrong road. He didn’t hang hours earlier than normal. “We want to be in the woods before the sun comes with the bad crowd. He’d watch out for the underdog. He’s up in the morning,” Dan said. “Then we come in for the type that would pick anyone up if they were down.” This was evident to more than his family. breakfast. Karen always makes egg bake. We eat quick “It was a terrible thing to lose him but the stories we and away we go.” Deer hunting has been a tradition for Dan since he got to hear after he passed away, we probably wouldn’t have known if he hadn’t,” Karen said. was a kid. They ranged from befriending a new kid at school to “Dan used to get much more excited about deer hunthelping younger students on the bus among many others ing when he was younger,” Karen said. Although the thrill of the yearly event lessened, Dan’s sharing his good deeds and kind gestures. At home, Aidan liked being outside doing chores. excitement returned once the family got involved. “He was my right hand man on the farm,” Dan said. “I kept the excitement for the kids,” he said. “Aidan was at the age where he was so excited about the hunt. I “We worked side by side every day. He knew the system and was just starting to get to the age where he could start got excited that he was so excited.” The Millers have trail cameras on their land to help or do chores without us. He was so dependable.” Milking was bonding time for Dan and his son. them track deer. Aidan followed one particular buck since “He talked to me about everything in the barn, and I last year. Shortly after sunrise on opening morning, a buck would talk to him about everything,” Dan said. “We had some great conversations.” came into Dan’s sight. Both in the barn and in the woods were two places “I had seen a lot of deer out there this year,” he said. “After I shot him, I knew it was a big buck, but didn’t Aidan felt most comfortable. “He wasn’t the kid to sit inside and play video games,” even realize it was the one Aidan had been following Dan said. “He was outside doing chores, out shing and until I got to him.” It was almost as if Aidan had a part in the family hunting.” In fact, the night Aidan died, he nished chores for hunting that morning after all, said Dan. “I wasn’t expecting that,” Dan said, getting choked the evening and was shing with friends. “They had been out near the pond [where they were up. “It was bittersweet. It was nice to get him, but I wish Aidan would have been the one to get him. Had he been shing],” Dan said. “He had been wrestling with his buddies. They said he walked away, took a knee and a couple deep breaths and just tipped over and his heart never beat again.” The friends who were with him immediately started CPR until the paramedics arrive, but no one’s efforts could bring Aidan back. “We are so grateful to those kids for doing everything they could to try and save Aidan,” Karen said. Aidan had no prior health issues. “I spent all day with him,” Dan said. “I’ve searched my brain for any type of sign he gave me that day, but there was nothing. He was healthy, happy, as good as can be.” Although devastated, Karen found a small silver lining in the way Aidan left this world. “It was like divine intervention knowing it wasn’t an accident,” she said. “I felt relieved he wasn’t scared or KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR in pain, it wasn’t something he did or somebody else did The Miller family – (front row, from leŌ) Avalin, that would have to live with regret. I was so thankful for Karen, Dan and Mary Kate; (back row, from leŌ) that. To me, that was a huge comfort.” Blaine, Garret and Ellie – remembered their son and And although deer hunting season will never be the brother, Aidan, while going about this year’s annual same for the family, they take comfort in knowing they Miller family hunƟng tradiƟons on their farm near can share happy memories they have together with Aidan Kellogg, Minnesota. doing one of their favorite family hobbies.
Health insurance: what to know before enrolling By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Dairy farming is one of America’s highest risk occupations, yet dairy farmers are also among the highest rate of uninsured individuals for health insurance. In the United States Department of Agriculture’s most recent study of health insurance coverage, it was reported that more than 40% of dairy household members were uninsured in 2015, compared to 10.7% of all farm household members. “I’ve had a few farmers drop their coverage this year and that scares the heebie jeebies out of me,” Char Vrieze said. “With this profession and other supporting businesses in agriculture, you’re naturally at a higher risk. You’re not invincible. … It’s too dangerous to go without coverage.” Vrieze is the executive director of 40 Square Cooperative Solutions and has more than 20 years of experience in the health insurance eld. Most Americans receive coverage from an employee-based plan, including farm households; however, dairy farm families continue to be an exception with only 36% of dairy household members being covered by employeebased plans in 2015, according to the USDA. “If you can get employee sponsored insurance, then that’s your best option,” Vrieze said. “Nobody is paying the full freight, but you’ll be better off costwise than any other coverage plan.” For those who do not qualify for an employee-based plan, there are coverage options available to meet the needs of farmers and their families. “Basically, it comes down to income level and if you qualify for federal subsidies on the exchange,” Vrieze said. As the structure of health insurance has changed over the years, provider networks have narrowed and monopolized the industry. Across the Midwest, state governments have created subsidy programs to help offset the cost of medical expenses. For example, in Minnesota in 2018, a reinsurance program was established to pay insurers a corridor of risk at 80% of medical expenses exceeding $50,000 up to $250,000. Similar programs are available in Wisconsin and Iowa. “Because money was not being used with companies, they took the unused money and pooled that into the premium pot to lower individual premiums,” said Vrieze, who mentioned Minnesota has seen a near 20% reduction in insurance prices compared to what they could be because of this program. Minnesota’s program will expire at the end of 2019 until it is reauthorized by legislation. Subsidies are based on income, not assets. They allow individuals to purchase coverage on the individual or small group market at a fraction of the cost. “In the dairy world, that’s both good and bad,” Vrieze said. “It’s good because right now it means dairy farmers are potentially eligible. It’s not good because that means their income is down.”
Aside from income, farmers should also consider the structure of their dairy business. Those who offer insurance to their employees need to look at plans as a whole, not simply the cost. “Find out [what your employees] need. Find out what doctor or network they are able to use,” Vrieze said. “You can buy insurance all day long, but if they can’t get to the doctor, it doesn’t matter.” If the farm is a self-proprietor, individuals may be able to sign up for a Section 105 plan, which allows the business to deduct health insurance premiums for eligible employees. Other non-traditional coverage options include Christian health plans and cooperative plans. Both alternative options typically have lower costs as monthly premiums are pooled and redistributed to members. Yet, there are also certain limitations for enrollment qualications and coverage. “Make sure your insurance plan will provide 24 hour coverage,” Vrieze said. “If you get hurt on the job, some plans won’t cover it. And, in agriculture, it’s not required for employees to carry workers comp unless they’re a certain size.” Individuals should also consider how convenient their provider might be. For example, offering telemedicine. “As a dairy farmer, you can’t easily get off the farm because your milking cows,” Vrieze said. “It’s probably important to you to have a plan that allows you to have access to talk to a doctor without leaving the farm.” Individual and family health priorities should also be considered when choosing a provider. If a certain doctor is important, then nd a network that works with that physician. If children need to be covered, but are away at college, nd a network that will meet their needs elsewhere. “Before choosing a plan, know how your business and family will be covered,” Vrieze said. Vrieze encourages farmers to consider opening a health savings account to use with a high deductible plan and as a tax advantage. “And, HSAs are not dependent on where you’re working,” she said. “If you get out of dairy, you can still use it if you work in town.” The healthcare expert also said to think unconventionally. Before scheduling an appointment, call the provider’s nancial department to see if there is a discount to pay for the services with cash in certain locations. “Healthcare is the only industry we don’t ask about the price or we leave an appointment and don’t know the cost,” Vrieze said. “That money comes out of your pocket until you meet the deductible, so by asking you can feel you have some control or choice in the matter.” With enrollment now open, individuals should work with a local broker agent to nd the best option. “Insurance is overwhelming,” Vrieze said. “But it is so important to take care of yourself for you, your family and your business.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 11
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
Silage diet successful for Second Look Holsteins Switching to cornbased ration cuts costs By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
EDEN, Wis. – Can a farm be successful feeding milk cows a diet dominated by corn silage? The farm owners at Second Look Holsteins, who feed a 75%-80% corn silage ration, say yes. The move from less haylage to more corn silage began three years ago as a way to cut costs on the 1,000-cow, 1,300-acre dairy farm owned by Clint Hodorff, Corey and Tammy Hodorff, and Doug and Linda Hodorff of Eden. “Haylage is expensive to produce,” Corey said. “Switching to a diet heavy in corn silage was a way for us to control expenses because there are other things you can’t control, like milk prices. We also we get more tonnage with corn silage.” Second Look Holsteins welcomed dairy producers and industry professionals to its farm Oct. 24 as part of a Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin tour focused on feed management, storage and tracking. Brothers Corey and Clint gave visitors a rsthand look at the dairy’s feed storage and tracking systems while sharing details about its shift to a high corn silage diet. Corey said they gradually increased the amount of corn silage fed to the cows over two years. In addition to corn silage, the ration includes dry alfalfa hay, ground corn, cottonseed, and a protein mix contain-
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Corey Hodorff (right), one of the owners of Second Look Holsteins, talks to dairy farmers and industry professionals about his farm’s feed storage and tracking systems during a PDPW tour Oct. 24 near Eden, Wisconsin. The Hodorffs milk 1,000 cows and farm 1,300 acres. ing soybean meal and micronutrients. Milk production and components have remained steady with the new meal plan as cows continue to average 85 pounds of milk per cow per day. Dry matter intake has also remained strong. The farm’s nutritionist, Steve Woodford, said the cows are doing well
on the ration. “Hodorffs’ ration is really consistent, and cows do very little sorting,” Woodford said. “The diet is dialed in and doesn’t change much day to day.” The farm has decreased its acres of hay, down from 450 two years ago to 70 acres today. The reduction in alfalfa
has allowed Second Look Holsteins to produce additional income by growing other crops like winter wheat and 200 acres of soybean. The Hodorffs abandoned bunkers in favor of feed piles, building a feed pad in two phases that measures 470 feet by 590 feet. They built the pad in 2013 and expanded it to the south in the spring of 2019. The pad is sloped to the middle and collects 100% of runoff. Drainage is channeled into a 6,000-gallon, 8-foot deep lagoon. The feed pad is made of 7-inch watertight concrete with a 6-inch PVC water stop to prevent water from entering through cracks. “We cover the feed in sections – 60 feet at a time,” Clint said. “The piles are protected with a vapor barrier, black and white plastic, and an inoculant to help fermentation.” Corey said bunkers worked better when they had fewer cows. Corn silage piles are as large as 9,500 tons, and the farm has ve to six months of carryover. “We use a facer for the feed and take down what we need for that feeding,” Corey said. “The piles feature a big face to get more consistent feed along with better packing and less shrink.” Second Look Holsteins has a comprehensive nutrient management plan in place and is devoted to environmental practices such as vertical tillage, precision planting, cover crop rotation and manure injection. Corey said in the last two years they had two major rainfall events in which they received more Turn to SILAGE | Page 13
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 13
Con�nued from SILAGE | Page 12
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Clint Hodorff discusses how the feed pad is designed to collect 100% of runoff. than 5 inches of rain in one day but had no erosion. “We’ve implemented technologies that allow us to get more corn silage tonnage without adding more acres,” Clint said. “We used to have two sixrow corn planters. Now, we use a precision planting dual hybrid planter which allows us to use a specic hybrid in low or dry spots. It also plants seeds at the perfect depth and can adjust row spacing from 30 inches down to 20 inches.” Clint said the result is a bigger, healthier corn stalk that requires less herbicide. The farm uses a custom chopper and yielded 19.7 tons of corn silage in 2019 – a 3-ton increase from last year. The Hodorffs planted three types of corn this year – BMR, dual hybrids and HDS (highly digestible silage). “We plant HDS in the good spots and dual hybrids in harder spots,” Corey said. “Dual hybrids have been the best kind, giving us good quality and tonnage.” For 15 years, Second Look Holsteins has used a feed management program called FeedWatch® to track feed inventories, dry matter intake and ration changes, putting real-time information into the Hodorffs’ hands. “We know exactly how much feed we have and how much feed we need,” Corey said. “We know precisely how much feed and forage is coming in, going through the mixer and being fed to cows. We can calculate shrink easily, and we look at that often. FeedWatch is a good tool for tracking shrink. In the last ve years, we have really focused on that and reduced shrink by 3% through monitoring inventory and training employees that feed has a dol-
lar value attached to it.” Error reports are reviewed with feeders on a weekly basis. Each ingredient is assigned a dollar value, and feeders can see exactly how much it costs to overmix by a certain amount. The farm is also aware of how much moisture is in the feed and the total tonnage coming off the elds. Moisture this year measured between 63%70% but most was between 65%-68%, Corey said. The Hodorffs also monitor pile densities and face temperatures to ensure a quality feed product. “We want to be more efcient and get all of our feed on one side of the road,” Corey said. “Right now, we’re on two. Efciency is not as good as it could be because we have three areas where we get feed.” The Hodorffs plan to build a commodity building in the future to solve this problem. The fully enclosed structure would place all feed under one roof with mixing taking place there as well. The Hodorffs estimate the payoff of that building to be ve years. “We’re always looking to be better and more efcient,” Corey said. Feeding corn silage instead of haylage has been successful for Second Look Holsteins, who, this year, also experimented with a sunower and corn silage mix and have two small piles they plan to feed. The Hodorff brothers encouraged other dairy farmers to consider new ration possibilities and ways to store, track and manage feed. “Don’t be afraid of technology or change,” Clint said. “What makes you uncomfortable is sometimes the best thing for you.”
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 15
FFA members: What is your biggest accomplishment?
Emma McNally 17 years old Parents: Jeff and Tonia McNally Milton, Wisconsin Rock County Milton FFA When did you join FFA and why? I became an FFA member my freshman year in high school. Growing up on a dairy farm, I have been exposed to agriculture from a young age. Also, both my grandpa and my dad were members of the FFA as well as the alumni. They have passed their passion for agriculture and the FFA organization along to me which inspired me to be an active member of FFA. I also saw FFA as an opportunity to meet others and develop leadership. What is your favorite activity or event during the year? My favorite activity during the year would be our chapter’s Food for America event. During this event, we bring our fourth graders to the farm and give them hands-on experiences and teach them about agriculture. The best part is seeing the kids experience something different that people like me can sometimes take for granted. It’s rewarding to see future generations be excited about agriculture. Tell us about your most popular fundraiser. Our plant sale. Our plant science classes primarily work in the greenhouse planting and growing the plants we sell in the spring. We sell everything from vegetables, fruits, perennials and annuals. With that, we sell individual plants, but we also arrange hanging baskets and planters. This event brings in an average of $14,000 each year which then goes back to our chapter. What is your biggest accomplishment as an FFA member? My participation in the dairy cattle judging. As a team, we’ve achieved so much such as winning district contests, placing ďƒžrst at the World Dairy Expo and having the opportunity to judge in Europe. I view this as an accomplishment as it is a result of teamwork and determination. How do you feel your time in FFA will beneďƒžt you in the future? First off, my experiences from agriculture classes and FFA events have strengthened my passion for agriculture, thus inďƒ&#x;uencing my decision to pursue agriculture after high school. Secondly, the relationships I’ve developed and the people I’ve met will be something I will cherish forever. These past four years I have met the most inďƒ&#x;uential and inspiring people. Lastly, I have developed personally and gained leadership qualities through FFA which will help me as I enter college as well as in the workplace. How have you grown personally because of FFA? I have changed a lot from when I ďƒžrst joined FFA. Becoming the president of my chapter and being able to speak in front of others seemed unreachable, but my gain of conďƒždence from FFA has pushed me to reach my goals. Through FFA, I have learned the true meaning of leadership and have learned how to work with others, set goals for myself and have gained a sense of ambition. Tell us about your chapter and what sets it apart from others. Our tremendous alumni. Their support is instrumental to our success, and we would not have the opportunities and experiences that we do without them. They fund our trips, bid on our animals at the county fair, give out scholarships and everything in between. Their devotion to giving us opportunities and experiences is a huge reason for our chapter’s success.
Riley Klitzman 17 years old Parents: Bill and Wendy Klitzman Orfordville, Wisconsin Rock County Parkview FFA Chapter vice president When did you join FFA and why? I joined FFA during my freshman year. I was enrolled in my ďƒžrst ag class, and Mr. Sattler, FFA advisor, encouraged me to join the chapter. I attended my ďƒžrst FFA event, and I have been hooked ever since. Through FFA, I have attended CDE judging contests, Youth Ag Summit, state and national convention, and I am the chapter vice president. What is your favorite activity or event during the year? Our Food for America program. Along with Brodhead FFA, we teach nearly 500 students about the types of food grown in Wisconsin. This year, I was one of the co-chairs for the event. Being a co-chair opened my eyes to how much planning goes into an event like this. Tell us about your most popular fundraiser. Our fruit, cheese and beef stick sale. Each year I have been in the chapter, our sales have increased. Selling fruit provides a great opportunity to talk with my neighbors. One unique thing about our chapter is we donate any extra fruit to the Orfordville Food Pantry. What is your biggest accomplishment as an FFA member? Achieving my State FFA Degree. To achieve your State FFA Degree, you must complete 360 hours of agriculture education, complete an SAE project, complete 25 hours of community service and attend ďƒžve events about the chapter level. My supervised agricultural experience is dairy placement. I work on my grandpa’s dairy farm, which I plan to take over some day. How do you feel your time in FFA will beneďƒžt you in the future? Being in FFA has made me a more outgoing person. Being the vice president has helped me become more comfortable with talking in front of large groups. FFA will help me in my future as being part of the dairy evaluation team has improved my judging skills, which will be beneďƒžcial when I start breeding my own cows. How have you grown personally because of FFA? FFA has made me a strong leader. From running a meeting to planning activities, I have become more comfortable leading a team. My speaking skills have improved as well. I understand the proper professional skills needed when I am leading the meeting and when we are meeting with other chapters or guests. Tell us about your chapter and what sets it apart from others. Our FFA has around 100 members. We have students from grades 7-12. We have students that live on farms and live in small towns. I think what sets us apart is that when we need a task completed, our members answer the call. From bell ringing to our Ag on the Hill and Food for America events, our members help us complete any project. Our FFA leads activities for the third through sixth grade students to show them the importance of agriculture.
Alex Wepner 17 years old Parents: Jeff Wepner and Tori Gast Manawa, Wisconsin Waupaca County Manawa FFA Chapter When did you join FFA and why? I joined FFA my freshman year. My ag teacher, Mrs. Cordes, was my biggest inďƒ&#x;uence towards joining FFA. Once I found out about all the cool things I could participate in like a safe tractor driving contest, ag-based ďƒželd trips and plenty of opportunities for scholarships I had to join, and I even became an FFA ofďƒžcer. What is your favorite activity or event during the year? Safe tractor operators driving competition. It is a chance for me to show off my tractor driving skills. Although I haven’t won yet, I hope I will go back to state and take home the trophy. Tell us about your most popular fundraiser. Our dessert auction held every year at our FFA banquet. The dessert auction is ďƒžlled with delicious desserts brought by FFA members and their parents. Some of the desserts sell for as much as $200. What is your biggest accomplishment as an FFA member? Going to state for the Wisconsin’s safe tractor operator competition. This past year, I ended up coming in sixth place overall but only a few points shy of the top three. I have also completed my ďƒžrst year of Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship working at Wepner Farms LLC. This program is a minimum of 450 hours, and I passed that standard by 600 hours. I am on my second year and planning to gain more knowledge and a certiďƒžcate from my hard work and dedication towards dairy farming. How do you feel your time in FFA will beneďƒžt you in the future? My time in FFA will beneďƒžt my future the most in college. In past years, I have seen a lot of FFA members leave their senior year with a handful of scholarships. With my hard work ethic and some of the volunteering I’ve done the past four years, I should be able to earn a few scholarships to help pay off college. How have you grown personally because of FFA? FFA has opened me up a lot since my freshman year. Just being in FFA is a great conversation starter, especially with kids my age. There are so many people all over the world I can relate with because of the fact we are in FFA. FFA has also given me opportunities to meet new people and ďƒžnd new friends. I meet new people on every FFA trip I go on and often talk with them afterwards through social media to learn more about other farms or businesses people are involved in. Tell us about your chapter and what sets it apart from others. Our chapter sets itself apart from the others because we go by the motto, “FFA is like a buffet.â€? This means our FFA is open for you to pick and choose anything you want, but if there is stuff you don’t want to do then you don’t have to. Our FFA is also open to anyone who wants to join. We know no one is good at everything, but everyone has their own personal strength.
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15
Abby Frisk 18 years old Parents: Robert and Koreen Frisk New Lisbon, Wisconsin Juneau County New Lisbon FFA Chapter When did you join FFA and why? I joined FFA my freshman year of high school. I joined because my dad and both my brothers were in FFA. I wanted to be involved in the leadership workshops and have the opportunity to learn new skills and to advocate for agriculture. What is your favorite activity or event during the year? Ag in the elementary day. The kindergarten through rst grade come to the high school ag room. We rotate the students through stations, like making soybean oil crayons, agricultural trivia, a petting zoo, potting owers and pedal tractor pull. We have invited our county Farm2Fork representative to do a presentation. Our donkey basketball tournament is also a favorite. Tell us about your most popular fundraiser. Our most popular fundraiser is our cheese and sausage sale. We sell a variety of cheese and sausage from a local producer. What is your biggest accomplishment as an FFA member? My biggest accomplishment is receiving gold on my SAE in dairy entrepreneurship with my Milking Shorthorn and Holstein herd. I also received a grant to improve my project. How do you feel your time in FFA will benet you in the future? My time in the FFA has allowed me to improve my public speaking skills through career development events like job placement and creed speaking. I have also met fantastic people and friends from all across my state and the United States that I can network with. How have you grown personally because of FFA? FFA has made me the person I am today. My fellow ofcers and members call me the social buttery of our team. I have learned from numerous conferences, conventions and events to get out there and join the group or strike up a conversation with members to break the ice and make new friends. I always tell them that everyone is nervous and in the same boat about meeting new people. You have to be the one to start the conversation and they will join in. Tell us about your chapter and what sets it apart from others. Our chapter has roughly 45 members, and we are an afliated chapter. All students enrolled in the agriscience classes are a member of our chapter. We may not be the largest chapter, but when we come together to do an event, we all pull together to make it happen. This last spring, we did a ood relief drive for the people and animals in Nebraska. We all worked together on the iers and donation boxes. I was able to use my communication skills to contact someone in Nebraska to accept it and to nd transportation to get the items from Wisconsin to Nebraska. The collection was community wide.
Brenna Murry 18 years old Parents: Bob and Ann Murry Mosinee, Wisconsin Marathon County Mosinee FFA Chapter When did you join FFA and why? I joined my freshman year of high school. My older siblings were in FFA, and they would come home and talk about their experiences, so I wanted to be involved, as well. What is your favorite activity or event during the year? National convention. It is an incredible experience seeing thousands of people from all around the country wearing the blue corduroy jackets. Tell us about your most popular fundraiser. Our chapter has our annual fruit sale; however, every three years we host donkey basketball. We usually have four teams including staff, FFA members, FFA alumni and sponsors. The players then play basketball while riding donkeys that aren’t very cooperative. What is your biggest accomplishment as an FFA member? My biggest accomplishment is coaching my chapter’s dairy evaluation team to a 12th place nish at World Dairy Expo. Myself and two other individuals competed in the contest, and it was their rst time ever doing dairy judging. How do you feel your time in FFA will benet you in the future? FFA has taught me a lot about setting goals and being a leader. Also, I plan on becoming an agriculture teacher, so being an FFA member will help me in pursuing that career and someday being an FFA advisor. How have you grown personally because of FFA? FFA has made me a more outgoing person. Going into my freshman year I was shy, but after joining FFA I came out of my shell and I’m not as afraid to talk to new people. Tell us about your chapter and what sets it apart from others. Our chapter is actively engaged in a variety of activities and events, and there’s truly something for everyone. We enjoy hosting events that are high energy that allow members to interact with others in our organization and step outside of their comfort zones. Mosinee FFA Chapter is the largest student organization in the Mosinee School District. We pride ourselves on not only having a large following, but ensuring we do our best to make sure those members are active.
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Alyssa Strassburg 17 years old Parents: Jeff and Jeni Strassburg Bowler, Wisconsin Shawano County Bowler FFA When did you join FFA and why? I joined FFA in seventh grade because I live on a dairy farm and wanted to learn more about agriculture. Also, my family has been involved in the FFA and the FFA alumni for years. I wanted to be a part of it as well. What is your favorite activity or event during the year? One of my favorite FFA events to attend is state convention because I like meeting people from other chapters and seeing all the accomplishments from around the state. Tell us about your most popular fundraiser. Our annual fruit, peanut and poinsettia sale. This year, we also tried something new by adding fudge to the sale. We also have a handy helper auction, where all of the FFA students are auctioned off for an eight-hour day of work. This has been a great way to connect with people and businesses in the community. What is your biggest accomplishment as an FFA member? Receiving my Wisconsin FFA State Degree last June. This was a huge accomplishment for me because only about 1.5% of the FFA members in Wisconsin are able to achieve this award. How do you feel your time in FFA will benet you in the future? Showing swine and beef, being active on our dairy farm and taking part in my own supervised agricultural experience has helped me realize my desire to continue in the footsteps of the ve generations in my family before me and continue on our family’s farm. I believe FFA has helped me realize the importance of giving back to your community and has helped me to grow to be a better person. How have you grown personally because of FFA? FFA has helped me become a better public speaker and be more condent speaking about and promoting agriculture. Through my FFA activities, I have grown personally, learning to work with others, to lead and organize events and activities as well as help my chapter continue to grow. Tell us about your chapter and what sets it apart from others. Our chapter this year has 60% of the school
Lindell Sales & Service 37236 County 56 Blvd., Cannon Falls, MN 651-258-4311 • Mark’s Cell 651-764-4084
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Jordan Hay 17 years old Parents: Roseanna and Kyle Hay Monroe, Wisconsin Green County Monroe FFA Chapter When did you join FFA and why? I joined FFA my freshman year. I joined FFA because both my parents were in FFA when they were in school. What is your favorite activity or event during the year? National FFA convention. I enjoy that event because you get to see everyone in their ofcial dress, and we all can bond over FFA. Tell us about your most popular fundraiser. The fruit sale. What is your biggest accomplishment as an FFA member? Placing reserved champion dairy steer at our county fair. I did most of the work with the steer myself and had help from family and fellow FFA members along the way. How do you feel your time in FFA will benet you in the future? I have gained leadership skills and learned how to work in a group setting. How have you grown personally because of FFA? I have grown in FFA tremendously. When I rst joined, I was shy and didn’t talk to people. Since being in FFA, I have grown out of my shell and been more active to join judging teams and go on eld trips to participate in things. Tell us about your chapter and what sets it apart from others. Our chapter is good at selling fruit and helping our community.
as members of the Bowler FFA chapter, which shows a renewed interest in the organization. Our chapter has also been active at the district, state and national levels, participating in competitions such as leadership development events, career development events, attending state convention, attending national convention and other activities. We also stay active in our community by helping maintain the school forest, helping with the Adventures in Dairyland program in the elementary classrooms and helping educate elementary students about tractor safety.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 17
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Visit Bobcat.com/Offers or stop by today for details. *Offer ends 12/31/2019. Available at participating and eligible dealers only. Offer may vary by product type, series, model and select units in dealer’s current inventory. Must take delivery from dealer stock by 12/31/2019. Offers available on new equipment in US and Canada only. Some restrictions apply. Length of contract may vary. Prior purchases not eligible. See dealer for details. Financing provided on approval of credit by authorized Bobcat finance providers to well-qualified buyers. Administrative fees may apply. Offer not available to government accounts, national accounts and municipal/utility bid customers. Non-commercial customers may not be eligible for low rate financing. Bobcat Company reserves the right to extend or discontinue any of these programs at any time without prior notice. Bobcat®, the Bobcat logo and the colors of the Bobcat machine are registered trademarks of Bobcat Company in the United States and various other countries.
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
Repro Leaders
Cow monitoring system helps Mazeppa Valley Dairy with reproduction Ted, Sheila, Colby and Kyle Mehrkens Mazeppa Valley Dairy Mazeppa, Minnesota Wabasha County 170 cows
What is your voluntary waiting period for cows? For heifers? We breed our heifers at 13 months old, and for cows, we start breeding at 60 days in milk.
What was your pregnancy rate average last year? Last year, our average pregnancy rate was 30%. Our current pregnancy rate average is 31%.
What is your rst service conception rate? 49% What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? We do not use a synchronization
KRISTA KUZMA/DARY STAR
The Mehrkens family – (from leŌ) Ted, Sheila, Kyle and Colby – milks 170 cows that are averaging a pregnancy rate of 31%. They dairy near Mazeppa, Minnesota.
KRISTA KUZMA/DARY STAR
An Angus crossbred calf stands among its Holstein counterparts on the Mehrkens family’s dairy near Mazeppa, Minnesota.
program. We follow a double lutalyse protocol if the cow has had twins or is having trouble cleaning. This means two shots of prostaglandin that are two weeks apart. We also do that if she is showing no heat after 100 days, but that is rare.
How do you observe for heat? We use a heat detection monitor called CowManager. Before that, we used heat detection stickers on the cows’ backs and watched a few times a day. The monitors have been as much help with health as breeding. When we see a cow
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has low activity, we have been able to catch illness faster before other symptoms show up. How do you conrm pregnant or open cows? Once a month, our veterinarian, Dr. Turn to MEHRKENS | Page 20
Foreston Farmer’s Co-op Creamery wishes everybody a safe and bountiful Thanksgiving Holiday. We appreciate your patronage and loyalty no matter how big or small
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 19
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“We let cows be cows, and cows love Udder Comfort.” — Nathan and Jenny Thomas
TRIPLE-T FARM, NORTH LEWISBURG, OHIO Nathan and Jenny Thomas, 40 cows, 100 youngstock Reg. Holsteins and Jerseys, SCC below 100,000 “We let cows be cows, and cows love Udder Comfort.™ So do we. Every fresh cow gets it,” says Nathan Thomas, Triple-T Farm, North Lewisburg, Ohio, home to some top cows from 2019 World Dairy Expo. Nathan and Jenny Thomas both grew up showing. Today, their niche pursuing genetic excellence allows them to raise their children in this life they love, milking Holsteins and Jerseys and caring for youngstock.
Quality Udders Make Quality Milk
Among them is Meadow Green Abso Fanny-Red EX96 with fans worldwide, owned by Triple-T with Frank and Diane Borba, Frank and Carol Borba, T&L Cattle Co. and Mike Berry. At 9 years old, just 40 days fresh with twins in 6th lactation, Fanny was reserve grand champion Red and White at Expo in October. She was grand in 2017. Triple-T is also home to the top Jerseys of WDE 2019, owned by Vierra Dairy, Hilmar, California.
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“We use a lot of Udder Comfort on fresh cows at home, and we use it before and after showing. It’s the best for comfort, to reduce swelling, and to get texture and quality back into udders faster,” Nathan explains. “It also helps us keep that low SCC. We can’t afford not to use it.”
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For external application to the udder only after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
ConƟnued from MEHRKENS | Page 18 Sarah Mehrkens, comes to pregnancy check by palpating. 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 usually select bulls with a net merit score over 900 from the elite young sires list. We let Kim Defrang from Select Sires mate them according to pedigree. We select for components, milk, medium size stature, rear teat placement and daughter pregnancy rate. Yes, fertility plays a role. We will not use bulls with negative fertility scores. How are cows and heifers bred? Do you have a different philosophy for breeding both? We use the same breeding philosophy for both cows
and heifers. We have been genomic testing all our animals for the past six years. Any animal that has a net merit score over 550 will be bred using sexed semen. Any animal under 550 is bred to Angus. This ends up being about a 50/50 split. What do you do to settle hard breeders? It is pretty rare if we cannot get one to settle. We are not afraid to sell the ones that do not settle as we have plenty of replacement heifers. How many times do you try to breed a cow before you sell her? We will breed a cow about three or four times before we sell her, unless she is an exceptional cow in our herd. In this case, we use our best judgement.
KRISTA KUZMA/DARY STAR
A double-10 parabone parlor is used to milk the herd at Mazeppa Valley Dairy owned by the Mehrkens family near Mazeppa, Minnesota.
KRISTA KUZMA/DARY STAR
The milking herd at the Mehrkens family’s dairy rests in the freestall barn where stalls are bedded with sand. Is there anything you have done or changed that brought about a signicant improvement in your reproductive program? We added the CowManager cow monitoring system in November 2012. I (Colby) pushed to get this for the herd. I never wanted the collars because we do not have headlocks in our barn so once the system came out with ear tags, we purchased it. We had talked to other dairy farmers who had the system. They said (and we now agree) it is one less job for us to do and it pays back pretty quickly. We now ask ourselves how we did it without the system.
Maximize Your Harvest Nutrition
Tell us about your farm. I (Colby) farm together with my parents, Ted and Sheila, and older brother, Kyle. Our herd is milked twice a day and housed in a freestall barn with sand bedding. We raise our replacement heifers. We also run 100 acres of silage corn, 100 acres of grain corn, 100 acres of hay, 50 acres of soybean and 40 acres of oat. My grandpa, Walter, bought the farm in 1954, and raised pigs, chicken and cows. In 1964, he put in a double-4 herringbone parlor. At the same time, he took down the silo and made a bunker silo, which was the rst of its kind in our area at the time. People thought he was crazy.
Both the bunker and parlor are stilled used today; however, we retrotted the parlor twice – into a double-6 in 1996 and then into a double-10 parabone parlor ve years ago. In September, we started using our newly built calf barn. We keep calves in group pens, and they are fed with a milk bar. Now that we have more space, we are contemplating raising our beef calves until they are weaned. I returned to the farm in 2012 after earning a degree in ag business at Western Technical College in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Kyle returned the same year after going to college and then working off the farm a few years.
HAPPY COWS – NEW ZEALAND A customer with a large rotary in New Zealand milking with CoPulsation™ has learned that the pulsation you use to milk with makes a real difference in cow comfort and milking performance. JULIE WENDELGELST - “It’s a shame the industry as a whole doesn’t listen, or more to the point, understand what their milking machines are doing to the cow. A lot of cows would be a lot happier if milking machines were manufactured with the understanding of how milk should flow from the cow to the vat.” There are herds around the world milking with CoPulsation™ that enable cows to milk in comfort, providing a solution to animal welfare in the parlor. Gentle, fast milking yielding high quality milk is something we do on herds large and small for cows, goats and sheep.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 21
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3 JD 9870 STS, ‘09, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, Chopper, 2360 hrs., 1580 sep hrs., #163675 ............................. $109,500 15 JD S680, ‘12, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, 2486 hrs., 1881 sep hrs., #163765 ............................................. $159,400 4 JD S760, ‘18, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Duals, 572 hrs., 500 sep hrs., #163861 ............................................... $289,500 7 JD 9760 STS, ‘05, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, Chopper, 3753 hrs., 2497 sep hrs., #164199 ..............................$67,900 1 JD S680, ‘13, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Duals, Yield Monitor, 1150 hrs., 815 sep hrs., #164375 ............................... $209,000 5 JD 7720 Titan II, 1988 hrs., Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, Chopper, #164617 ..........................................................$9,500 DISKS 16 Wishek 862NT, ‘12, 30 ft, #144471 ............................$49,500 14 EZEE-ON 8700, ‘10, 42 ft, #145714 .............................$21,900 4 JD 2623, ‘13, 33 ft, #149511........................................$39,500 5 JD 2625, ‘13, 42 ft, 11” spacing, #151841 ....................$38,500 9 Sunflower 1434, ‘02, 35 ft, 9” spacing, #157886 ........$22,000 11 Sunflower 1830, ‘12, 30 ft,, 11” spacing, #161784 .....$29,400 14 JD 862NT, ‘09, 16 ft, Rigid, #162924............................$21,900 3 Wishek 862-NT, ‘09, 33 ft, 3-Section Folding, #163465 .$30,000 15 JD DH1176, ‘15, 6 ft, Rigid, 11” spacing, #164612.........$1,100 RIPPERS 11 JD 2730, ‘15, #143523 ................................................$79,500 4 JD 2730, ‘16, #143847.................................................$59,500 15 Case IH 875, ‘14, #150892..........................................$51,900 17 JD 2700, ‘07, #151561.................................................$17,900 1 JD 2730, ‘15, #152025 ................................................$87,205 10 KRAUSE 4850-18, ‘07, #152120 .................................$16,900 8 KUHN 4850, ‘15, #154000 ..........................................$34,900 3 TEBBEN DT7M24, ‘16, #155258 ................................$10,995 8 JD 2720, ‘14, #155362.................................................$37,900 14 CASE IH 870, ‘13, #160533 .........................................$46,400 5 CASE IH 870, ‘12, #160721 .........................................$43,900 8 JD 2720, ‘13, #161404.................................................$34,900 1 JD 2720, ‘13, #162185 ................................................$29,900 5 JD 2700, ‘12, #162338.................................................$20,900 11 CASE IH 9300, ‘03, #162470 .......................................$18,900 7 CASE IH 870, ‘12, #163215 .........................................$40,400 1 KRAUSE 4850-15, #163794 ......................................$15,900 TRACK TRACTORS 5 JD 9510RT, ‘14, 36-inch tracks, 1735 hrs., #142684 .... 229500 2 JD 9520RX, ‘16, 36-inch tracks, 1348 hrs., #143518.....359500 16 JD 9570RX, ‘17, 36-inch tracks, 596 hrs., #150666.......439500 3 JD 9560RT, ‘14, 36-inch tracks, 2191 hrs., #153954 .....229500 17 JD 9520T, ‘02, 6337 hrs., #155678..................................89500 16 Case IH Steiger 620 Quadtrac, ‘17, 36-inch tracks, PTO, 425 hrs., #161650 ..................................................409500 15 JD 9570RT, ‘17, 36-inch tracks, 1777 hrs., #162060 .....329900 7 Case IH STX450Q, ‘02, 36” tracks, 5918 hrs., #162188 .$95,900 14 JD 9630T, ‘10, 760mm/30” tracks, 3730 hrs., #163509$153900 4 JD 9520RX, ‘18, 36-inch tracks, 916 hrs., #163838.......374900 4 JD 8320RT, ‘18, 450mm/18” tracks, 869 hrs., #163845 $269,500 16 JD 9570RX, ‘18, 36-inch tracks, 397 hrs., #164362... $485,000
L
EA
D EL
E
ST
JD S680, 2015 1774 hrs., 1133 sep $ hrs., # 144328
189,500
$
L
EA
D EL
E
ST
$
$
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JD S670, 2013, 1584 hrs., 1190 Sep Hrs., #161854
180,400
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EA
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149,500
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169,500
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199,500
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
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ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Advocacy has never been more important for the dairy industry than at a time when the sector’s success hinges on consumer trust and condence. For dairy farmers in New York, they took to Minnesota to nd new ideas to showcase farming. “Ultimately, we’re doing the same thing – all producing milk – although it looks differently from farm to farm and state to state,” Hannah Bush said. “This is a great opportunity to see how other people are doing things, and network with people from New York and Minnesota.” Bush’s family milks 50 registered Holsteins in Elmira, New York, while she herself is a Farm Service Agency loan ofcer. The New York resident toured Minnesota dairy farms and industry businesses Nov. 11-14 as part of the New York Animal Agriculture Coalition’s All-Star Advocates program. A dozen other dairy farmers and industry partners joined Bush on the trip. Participants applied to be a part of the program, which was funded through dairy check-off dollars. “Our goal [with this program] is to take dairy farmers and inspire them to continue to be advocates for the dairy industry,” Eileen Jensen said. Jensen is NYAAC’s director of promotion and outreach. The purpose of the non-prot organization is to provide resources and tools for dairy farmers to communicate with consumers about their livelihood. Each participant – both men and women ranging in age from 24 to 60 years old – came on the tour with hopes of improving their own advocacy efforts, whether further developing a plan already in place or nding a new way to talk about dairy farming. “There have been a lot of a-ha moments, and I hope that helps open their eyes to new perspectives in knowing there’s not always the same way, but there’s the right way,” Jensen said. “I want them to challenge the status quo and encourage them to think differently when they see these different avenues of dairy farming.” The tour began at Milk Specialties Global in Eden Prairie to learn about the company’s whey production and the international dairy market. They then received a tour of a Culver’s restaurant before arriving at Zweber Farm in Elko New Market. The rst farm tour showcased how an organic farm is interacting with consumers and telling their story. Every spring, Emily Zweber invites six people into her home to have breakfast with her family. “Every tour guide we met reiterated the importance
Turn to TOUR | Page 23
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 23
Con�nued from TOUR | Page 22
of telling a story of agriculture,” Jensen said. “You have nothing to hide. You believe in everything you’re doing, and you’re doing it right for yourself, your employees, your cows and your community.” The New York group continued their trip through Minnesota’s rich dairy country, stopping at Redhead Creamery in Brooten, Riverview LLP in Morris, Carlson Dairy in Pennock and the Bonnie Mohr Studio in Glencoe. Before their ights home, the New Yorkers also had lunch at Bongards Creamery in Bongards and learned about the CHS Miracle of Birth Center at the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul. Each stop was unique in its place in the industry and gave the dairy farmers inspiration for their
own industry in the Empire State. For 33 years, Julia Robbins and her family have operated an agritourism business alongside their 1,200-cow dairy farm near Sackets Harbor, New York. Robbins participated in the All-Star Advocates program to improve her work on her family’s farm. “Advocacy is a part of my daily job,” she said. “This is an opportunity to learn about advocacy from people who are just as passionate as me, and get ideas from another state on how they reach the public.” The goal of the trip was for the farmers to bring an idea home to their local communities. “Try something new, try something that failed once and try it again differently,” Jensen said. “Ultimately, build that net-
PHOTO SUBMITTED
New York All-Star Advocates – (front, from le�) Julia Robins, Casey Porter and Courtney Bailey; (second, from le�) Hannah Bush, Terri DiNi�o, Chris�na Geary and Rachel Holtz; (third row, from le�) Emily Chi�enden, Rhonda Lindquist and Ann Presco�; (back, from le�) Quade Kirk and Brian Aukema – visit Riverview LLP Nov. 13 near Morris, Minnesota. The group toured Minnesota dairy farms to learn about different ways to advocate.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Bonnie Mohr (from le�) speaks with New Yorkers Terri DiNi�o, Ann Presco� and Quade Kirk in her studio Nov. 14 near Glencoe, Minnesota. work of advocates for New York dairy.” Quade Kirk agreed. “I understand how important [advocacy] is, but also how it gets pushed off,” he said. “It’s hard to do when you work 80plus hours a week. … This is a refresher to remind me how important this is.” For Kirk, he also looked to the trip to learn more about dairy production. He is the heifer manager at Ideal Dairy Farms, a 2,500-cow farm near Hudson Falls, New York. “Even though this whole trip is all about advocacy, I like looking at the production side of the farms; I’m looking at the management,” he said. New York’s dairy industry is similar to that of Minnesota in the way that there are several
100-cow dairies scattered across don’t have to face them alone.” the state. There are also larger Bush agreed. farms but not to the scale of Min“It is oddly comforting to nesota. When choosing a tour location, the North Star State was both convenient and unconventional. “We encourage people to think differently, so we wanted to HANNAH BUSH, NEW YORK DAIRY FARMER think beyond Wisconsin and California to do someknow that even thousands of thing different,” said Jensen, who miles apart, agriculture faces has several personal and profes- many of the same challenges sional connections to Minnesota. here in Minnesota as we do in “In New York, we have the same New York,” she said. challenges and opportunities in Minnesota, which means we
“It is oddly comforting to know that even thousands of miles apart, agriculture faces many of the same challenges ...”
Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
+
DAIRY ST R
The Great Christmas “GRAND” PRIZE
GIVEAWAY 2019
Grand Prize Drawing Will Be Held Thursday, December 12, 2019 THE WINNERS WILL BE POSTED ON WWW.DAIRYSTAR.COM, MILK BREAK NEWSLETTER AND ON FACEBOOK.
ADULT “GRAND” PRIZE
2) $1,000 CASH GIFTS! 17 & UNDER “GRAND” PRIZE
“Grand” Prize Heifer Calf:
JAZZY DOX DOT 8330 Born: September 8, 2019 Dam: Jazzy Cruiser 7336 Sire: JX Pine-Tree Dox Granddam: Jazzy Meridian 5839 Grand P Calf come rize s Jazzy Jers From ey owned by s, Dave Endr es Lodi, Wis. in
V Vinny Endres pictured with the Jazzy Dox Dot 8330 h heifer calf that will be given away in the G Great Christmas Giveaway drawing.
REGISTER FREE AT ANY OF THE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 25
REGISTER AT THESE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES: WISCONSIN BARRON COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Barron • 715-537-5618
CHIPPEWA COUNTY
• Associated Milk Producers Inc. Jim Falls • 715-382-4113 • Chippewa Valley Dairy Supply Stanley • 715-644-2350
CLARK COUNTY
• Cloverdale Equipment Curtiss • 715-223-3361
DANE COUNTY
• Argall Dairy Systems, Inc Belleville • 608-424-6110 • Yes JCB- A Division of YES Equip. & Service Madison • 888-276-4365
DODGE COUNTY
MARATHON COUNTY • Equity Livestock Stratford • 715-687-4101
MONROE COUNTY
• Compeer Financial Monroe • 608-328-5934 • Equity Livestock Sparta • 608-269-3104 • Preston Dairy Equipment Sparta • 608-269-3830
PEPIN COUNTY
• Anibas Silo & Repair Arkansaw • 715-285-5317
PIERCE COUNTY
• Ag Partners Grange Hall • 715-647-5002 • Western Wisconsin Farm Store Ellsworth • 715-273-5066
RICHLAND COUNTY
DUNN COUNTY
• Advanced Dairy Solutions Richland Center • 608-647-4488 • Equity Livestock Richland Center • 608-647-6151
EAU CLAIRE COUNTY
• Tri-County Dairy Supply Inc. Janesville • 800-822-7662
FON DU LAC COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Bonduel • 715-758-2125
GRANT COUNTY
• Associated Milk Producers Inc. Blair • 608-989-2535
• Equity Livestock Lomira • 920-269-4351 • Midwest Livestock Systems Menomonie • 715-235-5144 • Equity Livestock Altoona • 715-835-3104
• Redeker Dairy Equipment, Inc. Brandon • 920-346-5576 • Argall Dairy Systems, West Platteville • 608-348-3385 • Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. Lancaster • 608-723-4634 • Innovative Ag Services Cuba City • 608-744-2287 • J. Gile Dairy Cuba City • 608-744-2661 • Scott Implement Platteville • 608-348-6565
GREEN COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Monroe • 608-328-8344 • Monroe WestfaliaSurge/Koehn, Inc. Monroe • 608-325-2772
JACKSON COUNTY • W.H. Lien, Inc. Hixton • 715-963-4211
JEFFERSON COUNTY
• Equity Livestock Johnson Creek • 920-699-3588
LAFAYETTE COUNTY
• Center Hill Veterinary Clinic Darlington • 608-776-4083 • Ruf’s Farm Service Fayette • 608-776-4048
MANITOWOC COUNTY • Equity Livestock Reedsville • 920-7544361
ROCK COUNTY
SHAWANO COUNTY
TREMPEALEAU COUNTY VERNON COUNTY
• Koon Kreek Feeds Coon Valley • 608-452-3838
WALWORTH COUNTY
• Complete Feed Services LLC Sharon • 262-736-3333 • Triebold Outdoor Power Whitewater • 262-473-2464
WAUPACA COUNTY • Equity Livestock Marion • 715-754-5227
IOWA
ALLAMAKEE COUNTY • Bodensteiner Implement Waukon • 563-568-3463 • Equity Livestock Waukon • 563-568-4501 • Innovative Ag Services Waukon • 563-568-3455 • Waukon Veterinary Services Waukon • 563-568-2487
CLAYTON COUNTY
• Bodensteiner Implement Elkader • 563-245-2470 • Innovative Ag Services Elkader • 563-245-1230 Monona • 563-539-3501
DUBUQUE COUNTY
• Bodensteiner Implement Dyersville • 563-875-2724 • Brunkan Equipment Worthington • 563-855-2434 • Cascade Livestock Auction Cascade • 563-852-3533 • Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems Inc. Epworth • 563-876-3087 • Helle Farm Equipment Dyersville • 563-875-7154 • Innovative Ag Services Cascade • 563-852-7245 Farley • 563-744-3337 • New Vienna Ag Automation New Vienna • 563-921-2896 • Skip Breitbach Feeds Balltown • 563-552-2393 • Scherrmann’s Implement Dyersville • 563 875-2426 • Ungs Shopping Center (IAS) Luxemburg • 563-853-2455
JACKSON COUNTY • Innovative Ag Services Andrew • 563-672-3228
MINNESOTA DAKOTA COUNTY
• Werner Implement Vermillion • 651-437-4435
GOODHUE COUNTY
• Ag Partners - Grain Site Bellchester • 651-923-4453 Wanamingo • 507-824-2231 Wanamingo-Agronomy Location 507-824-2215 • Ag Partners Farm Store Cannon Falls • 507-263-4651 Goodhue • 800-732-1439 Pine Island • 507-356-8313 • GB Feed and Supply Bellechester • 651-923-4425 • Midwest Livestock Systems Pine Island • 507-356-8349
HOUSTON COUNTY
• Farmers Win Coop Caledonia • 507-725-3306 Houston • 507-896-3147 Spring Grove • 507-498-5321
WABASHA COUNTY
• Ag Partners Farm Store Lake City • 651-345-3328 Plainview • 507-534-2531 • Beck Implement Elgin • 507-876-2122 • Leedstone Plainview • 507-534-3161 • Wingert Sales & Service Plainview • 507-534-2285
WINONA COUNTY
• Benson Farm Service Lewiston • 507-523-2188 • Elba Coop Elba • 507-796-6571 • S&S Dairy Systems St. Charles • 507-932-4288
To view a complete list of participating businesses, log on to www.dairystar.com
*Enter as often as you like. One entry per store visit, please. Winners must be 18 years or older and a Grade A or B dairy farmer for heifer, or 17 years or younger and a son or daughter of a Grade A or B dairy farmer for heifer calf. Winners must also live in the Dairy Star circulation area to be eligible and are responsible for transport of animal.
Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
Voting open for county committees This is my nal reminder that enrollment for 2020 Dairy Margin Coverage ends Dec. 13. All producers that locked in for ve years are still required to sign the contract and pay the $100 administration fee prior to this deadline. Producers that did not lock in have until this date to decide if they want to participate and at what coverage levels. Contact a FSA News & Notes FSA ofce to take care of this task. Voting is now open for the United States Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency County Committee. It is important that every eligible producer participate in these elections By Ryan Brunn because FSA county comStearns Co. Exec. Dir. mittees are a link between the agricultural community and the USDA. County committee members are an important component of the operations of FSA and provide a link between the agricultural community and USDA. Farmers and ranchers elected to county committees help deliver FSA programs at the local level, applying their knowledge and judgment to make decisions on commodity price support programs; conservation programs; incentive indemnity and disaster programs for some commodities; emergency programs and eligibility. FSA committees operate within ofcial regulations designed to carry out federal laws. County committee members are a critical component of FSA operations. Committees should be comprised of members who reect the diversity of producers involved in production agriculture. This means that producers representing underserved groups or communities should be on the committee to speak on behalf of their constituency. Underserved producers are beginning, women and other minority farmers and ranchers and landowners and/or operators who have limited resources. Other minority groups including Native American and Alaska natives; persons under the poverty level, and persons who have disabilities are also considered underserved. To be an eligible voter, farmers and ranchers must participate or cooperate in an FSA program. A person who is not of legal voting age but supervises and conducts the farming operations of an entire farm may also be eligible to vote. County committee election ballots were mailed to eligible voters Nov. 4. The last day to return completed ballots to a USDA service center is Dec. 2. For more information on eligibility to serve on FSA county committees, visit: http://www.fsa.usda. gov/elections. 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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Ruth
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 27
This past week, we said goodbye to our intern, Ruth Jones, from Wales, U.K. She was here through a program operated by Global Cow, a small company that connects farmers. Young farmers looking for an international experience are able to come to the United States and intern with a farm family. They stay in your home, eat with your family and join in on the daily happenings on the farm. They are not paid, but their insurance is covered by the host family. Ruth had experience with cows because her family, in North Wales, milks 350 cows, and she is planning on transitioning into owning the farm as her parents get closer to retirement. She came to the United States to experience other opportunities By Tina Hinchley she did not have available Farmer & Columnist to her when she went to university for her animal science degree. Her goals were to learn about new farming practices and possibly take an A.I. class to be able to help breed cows at her farm. She arrived in late September and participated in a brief dairy short course program that was put on during the World Dairy Expo. She visited farms and met young international farmers looking into the possibilities of the dairy industry. They spent three days together traveling and experiencing areas of Wisconsin, seeing the autumn leaves changing and the beauty that surrounds us every day in the fall. It was spectacular. When Ruth came to our farm to intern, it was a different experience for her, because she was used to getting up at 4:30 a.m. to head out to milk cows with her mother and father. She would feed calves after milking and then break for a big breakfast that her mother would make for her family and their hired Polish helpers. Ruth is 23 years old and was right in step with both our daughters, Anna and Catherine. She enjoyed sleeping in until 5:30 a.m., and then eating cereal and having a cup of coffee before heading out to check the computer to see who needed to be fetched or treated. After pushing a few cows through the robotic milking machines, we walked over to feed our calves. Because her family is milking 350 dairy cows, they have more calves than us, and it seemed pretty easy to her to get bottle babies fed and pails washed. We took a moment to sweep up the nursery and feed the chickens, goats and sheep, then it was time to get ready to welcome the school kids that visited every day in October. Ruth is knowledgeable and easy to talk to, but she was shy to give tours to children and teachers because she said she lacked condence. That disappeared quickly. When the children reached up to hold her hand and when they would give her leg a hug when they were getting on the bus, she melted. The teachers shook her hand and complimented her on her knowledge and child handling. She felt appreciated and beamed with pride. Along with giving the tour, she was also able to drive the tractor, which she did not do at home, so that made her feel good, too. Anna and Catherine thought it would be great for Ruth to see what Halloween is like in the United States, so I made Ruth a cow costume that matched Anna’s and Catherine’s, and they all went up to State Street in Madison, Wisconsin, during the Freak Fest. They had a few drinks, danced and tried to stay dry. They had plans to stay out late, but the wet cows came
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home early. As the weather changed during the last week of October, Ruth experienced snow and freezing rain. Giving tours was more challenging; picking pumpkins with the kids in snow pants and winter jackets, trying to keep mittens on while holding chicks and hand feeding goats. After nishing the tour, we all were needing a shower and a hot cup of coffee to warm up. All of this is something I am sure she will never forget. As the tour season closed, and we took down the corn shocks and fed the pumpkins to the goats and sheep, we talked about the holidays. We explained Thanksgiving and why it is our favorite holiday. Turkey, stufng, sweet potatoes, pies and football. A holiday about being thankful for our health and happiness. Getting together to eat and relax with no pressure about purchasing presents for others. Unfor-
tunately, for too many farmers, Christmas is stressful when money is tight. Ruth has never experienced Thanksgiving. But, she loves Christmas and looks forward to it all year. Ruth enjoys opening gifts, but also the families gathering in each other’s homes and sharing a traditional meal. Traditional meals that go back to the Celtic times. They serve rack of lamb, blood pudding and a aming cake that takes months to make because brandy is added to the batter weekly. They eat stufng and other dishes that we have in their celebration, but nothing can beat the aming cake. Tina Hinchley, her husband, Duane, and their daughters, Anna and Catherine, milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2,300 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wisconsin. They have been hosting farm tours for over 20 years.
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
Solving the mysteries of hypocalcemia in transition cows
UW’s Hernandez continues to search for answers By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
ARLINGTON, Wis. – Improving how cows transition from their dry period into lactation, particularly in terms of how calcium is related to the process, has been a focus of the work of Dr. Laura Hernandez, an associate professor with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s dairy science department. Hernandez shared what she has learned from her research at the Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin’s Herdsperson Workshop Oct. 30 at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station in Arlington. “Calcium changes a lot at parturition,” Hernandez said. “For a long time, we thought we had this under control, maybe we do and maybe we don’t; but, I think there are some ways we can adapt to make sure these cows are able to transition the best they can.” Hernandez said many people may not realize the amount of calcium a mammal loses during late pregnancy and early lactation. During late pregnancy, calcium is lost from the blood to the growing fetus at a rate of 80 milligrams per kilogram, and during early lactation that loss from blood to milk is at a rate of 500 mg/kg. Hernandez said the cows will deplete their blood pool of calcium anywhere from 20 to 30 times a day in order to put sufcient calcium into milk production. She said a growing fetus needs 3 to 6 grams of calcium per day; colostrum production requires 23 grams per day; early milk production requires 30 to 50 grams per day; and peak milk production requires 80 grams per day. “This is a really great challenge for the cow, and over time the cow becomes better adapted, but early on she really is dealing with a lot of stress on her calcium system,” Hernandez said. Mammals have a great deal of calcium in their bones. Hernandez said cows have adapted ways to deal with the amount of calcium required for early milk production differently than they would under normal circumstances. “When you look at a lactation curve in
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Dr. Laura Hernandez shares her research at the PDPW Herdsperson Workshop Oct. 30 at the Arlington Agriculture Research StaƟon in Arlington, Wisconsin. Hernandez has been researching hypocalcemia in transiƟon cows and working to explain the correlaƟon between serotonin and blood calcium levels. terms of milk yield, we increase milk production up to peak. Then this milk production goes down,” Hernandez said. “Once she gives birth, up to the peak, she is in a negative calcium supply, and the diet cannot provide enough calcium to compensate for this. The cow has to rely on other resources to deal with this, and we have to mobilize calcium from her skeleton. We can feed her as much as she can take, but it’s not going to make up for this early time frame.” Hernandez said that, on average, there is about 8 kg of calcium stored in the cow’s skeletal system that can be tapped into during this time, and it has been estimated that during the rst 30 days in milk a cow can lose up to 13% of her bone mass. Hernandez said that while clinical hypocalcemia appears in about 5% to 10% of cows, there is a large subclinical population, up to 50% of cows. Hernandez said the implications of hypocalcemia include cow loss, down cows and other health problems. It is estimated that hypocalcemia costs dairy farmers $150 to $300 per case for treatment and lost milk yield. The economic impact to the Wisconsin dairy industry from hypocalcemia is estimated to be $125 million in lost milk yield with an annual cost to the average Wisconsin dairy farm being $12,000. Hernandez said calcium is important to the cow because of the impact it has on smooth muscle contraction.
“That becomes important from a uterine perspective, a digestive perspective, a rumen perspective, the teat sphincter,” Hernandez said. “If you don’t have enough calcium, the muscles don’t contract as they should. Also really critical is the immune cells, particularly the neutrophils that kill off infection, rely on calcium. We know that a lot of these downstream effects, like DAs, ketosis and fatty liver, do have a higher prevalence if you have hypocalcemia rst.” Hernandez said several things factor into how calcium is managed in cows. Yet, there are more questions that need to be answered as to what triggers the different responses and how they are managed. According to Hernandez, when calcium levels are low, the parathyroid glad makes parathyroid hormone (PTH), which increases absorption of calcium into the kidneys in order for calcium to not be excreted into the urine. The hormone also increases dietary calcium absorption and stimulates production of vitamin D. During lactation, the mammary gland acts like a parathyroid gland by secreting parathyroid hormone related protein (PTHRP), which acts similar to PTH except vitamin D is not needed and it goes straight to the bone and begins increasing absorption. Once milk production begins, Hernandez said the mammary gland begins sending signals to the rest of the body requiring
more nutrients for milk production. Producers have options to help the cow deal with increasing calcium requirements prepartum and postpartum. Prepartum options include DCAD, low calcium, variations of vitamin D, clay binders and low-potassium diets. Postpartum options include calcium boluses and gels, and IV calcium. “What I want to try and convince you is that the parathyroid gland is not necessary for driving calcium in a lactating animal,” Hernandez said. Hernandez said research suggests that the PTHRP is secreted by tissues that are not the parathyroid gland in instances that the parathyroid gland cannot take over and produce the needed PTH, particularly events that are stressing the calcium status more than normal. “What we’ve shown in our lab is that serotonin is a driver of this,” Hernandez said. Hernandez explained that while most people think of serotonin in terms of antidepressants, only 2% of the serotonin in the body is made in the brain and that 98% is made elsewhere in the body; serotonin that is produced outside of the brain stays outside of the brain. Outside of the brain, serotonin is produced in the gut, liver, pancreas, bone and mammary gland. “During lactation there is more serotonin in circulation than in a non-lactating animal,” Hernandez said. “We have been working on how serotonin inuences lactation. Our early work showed that serotonin and serum calcium levels were positively related. We also saw that serotonin and the PTHRP were also positively correlated. Serotonin concentrations uctuate across lactation, and they decrease at calving, similar to a total calcium concentration, and they come up like calcium does. We saw that total calcium concentrations and serotonin concentrations change as they go from colostrum to mature milk.” Hernandez has continued to work on studies pertaining to the relationship of serotonin and blood calcium levels in dairy cows. “At this point we believe that serotonin increases calcium and calcium ux into the mammary gland, which then allows PTHRP to work to improve calcium absorption from bone,” Hernandez said. Recent studies have been directed at learning if serotonin drives calcium or vice versa, giving a better idea at what the window around calving should look like.
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Causes, prevention of calf scours
Scours can be caused by many things. We often focus on the infectious causes, which are signicant, but it is important to note there are also non-infectious causes of calf scours. Rotavirus, Coronavirus or Cryptosporidium cause 95% of infectious calf scours cases. These three agents can also be present in combination. All calves are exposed to these pathogens; it is unavoidable. The deciding factor on whether or not a calf gets sick is often dose-dependent, meaning the more pathogens a calf receives, the more likely they are to have scours. Rotavirus: This virus infects cells that are essential for the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. This reduction in nutrient absorption causes nutritional deciencies for the calf and interferes with the digestive tract’s ability to absorb water. The result is diarrhea with an added complication of missing nutrients for the calf. Coronavirus: This virus infects cells in a similar way to By Joe Armstrong rotavirus. However, instead of just interfering with absorpUniversity of MN tion, the virus actively kills cells in the lining of the intestine. The result is widespread destruction of the lining of the small intestine. The calf cannot absorb any nutrients, the inammation is massive and severe diarrhea occurs. Cryptosporidium: Cryptosporidium, often referred to as crypto, is a protozoan. Protozoa are microscopic animals. The most important thing to remember is that crypto is not bacteria. Crypto implants itself in the wall of the intestine and causes severe inammatory damage to the lining of the intestine. This damage results in diarrhea for the calf. Crypto infections are incredibly painful. Outside of the body, crypto has a thick shell that allows it to survive for long periods in the environment. Poor nutrition is the most common cause of scours. Calves need to eat. They are trying to grow in addition to ghting off any pathogens that could be present. Calves must have energy stored in the form of fat in order to gain weight and still have the energy to develop their immune system. Not feeding enough milk to give the calf the energy it needs to maintain a healthy immune system is the No. 1 cause of scours. It is important to feed calves on a regular schedule. Feeding at inconsistent times causes calf stress and increases the chance of acidosis. Calves should be drinking body temperature milk. A cow’s body temperature is between 101 degrees F and 102.5. Mixing too concentrated milk replacer can cause osmotic diarrhea. If you mix milk replacer with a higher concentration of solids than recommended, you will cause water from the calf’s body to move into the intestine resulting in diarrhea. Preventing calf scours starts even before the calf is born. A healthy cow produces a healthy calf. We can inuence the health of the calf by making sure the cow has a proper body condition score, adequate nutrition (including minerals), and a clean, dry environment. We can also use vaccines to inuence what antibodies a cow puts into her colostrum that are then passed to the calf. By vaccinating at the correct time while the cow is pregnant, we can improve the quality of the colostrum and target specic pathogens. Four quarts of quality, clean colostrum should be fed within the rst two hours of life. Every hour after birth, the calf’s ability to absorb the protective antibodies in colostrum decreases. Managing colostrum correctly is probably the single most inuential thing a farmer can do to improve calf health. Exposure to pathogens starts the moment the calf is on the ground. If the calving pen is not clean and dry, the exposure to pathogens is more likely. Make sure your cows are calving in a clean environment. In addition to a clean calving pen, everything else the calf comes into contact with needs to be clean. As discussed earlier, infectious causes of scours are dosedependent. More harmful bugs mean a higher likelihood of disease. Look at your calf housing and observe what the calves can reach with their mouths. If they can reach it, they will chew on it, and you need to clean it. - Clean and disinfect individual calf housing between each calf use. Clean and disinfect group housing between groups. - Feeding equipment should also be cleaned and disinfected regularly. - Chlorine dioxide is an excellent disinfectant and can be mixed in varying concentrations for applications. Calves need to eat because they need calories. Their energy needs increase when cold weather is also Inadequate nutriPreventing P i calf lf scours starts ationfactor. leads to sick calves that also do not grow. In genereven before the calf is born. al, feed calves a minimum of 8 quarts (2 gallons) per day of either whole milk or high-quality milk replacer (26:20). Timing, mixing and temperature have huge impacts on scours prevention. You should strive to deliver the same product at the same time every day to your calves. Timing and temperature are more straightforward measurements to keep consistent. When mixing milk replacer or when using whole milk, the products can change from day-to-day. - When using milk replacer, weigh all measurements of powder. Humidity, clumping and other factors make the volume an inconsistent measure for a powdered product. - You can measure total solids of your nal mixture, or whole milk, to target a consistent reading. In the order of importance, vaccines given to calves are towards the bottom of the list. Colostrum, nutrition, clean environment, cow health and feeding consistency are all more critical factors. There are products when given at birth under label instructions that can reduce scours, but they are not a cure-all solution. Work with your veterinarian to develop a vaccination protocol.
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 29
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And then it was winter Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
Mother Nature has turned fall into winter in the blink of an eye and the snap of some icy cold winds. The preparations for the weather have been made in haste around the farm. There hasn’t been a lot of down time between harvest cycles. Fourth crop hay ran into the start of corn chopping, and by the time we nished corn silage (nearly a month later) we were days away from the start of combining high moisture corn. On days when the guys couldn’t get to the elds, garage doors were hung, curtains put up, hoses put away, and the sure-re sign of wicked days to come arrived: a pile of salt/sand mix for the driveways. Warm clothes were retrieved from their storage containers, examined, and with a deep breath of acceptance of our weather, hung up. Despite my best efforts, the boys will tell me they can’t nd them, or they don’t like that coat for ridiculous reasons. Cora is less particular; she’s wearing her winter layers daily now without complaint. She wears warm tights (with
feet, which has been the base layer for all my children), pants, snowpants, and no less than two shirts and a thick coat. Convincing her to keep her mittens on is less of a challenge than last year, but still a ght when she wants to suck her thumb. There has been the common sight of a season specic dance move around the barn as of late. I refer to it as the “Winter Wiggle.” It is that jig one does when they are trying to maneuver their warm layers of clothing back to where they belong. Underneath layers of bib overalls and multiple sweatshirts, the base layers seem to readjust themselves as chores wear on. For me personally, my eece tights pull my unmentionables down to a point where I contemplate snapping suspenders on them or going without. At the same time, my tank top and long john shirt are climbing up. Such a quandary it is. I blame part of my issues on carrying a wiggly Cora on my hip – and her constant reaching to touch the cows exacerbates the
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problem. When the barn starts to develop ice patches, my paranoia of having a down cow starts to set in. If I could carry a bag of sand on my back to put on slippery spots I nd, I would. I am always on the lookout for danger zones, and do my best to prevent injuries. I know that I can’t prevent them all, but if I can keep Ramblings from the Ridge a weak hospital cow from slipping on the ice outside the parlor door, then hallelujah. The temperatures in the barn have also put a pre-winter job on hold— cleaning water tanks. Strange as it may be, I enjoy this job. It is the epitome of instant gratication. You start and the water tank is lled with By Jacqui Davison slime and cud. Ten minutes later it is lling up Columnist with fresh, clean water for some appreciative cows. I can’t risk turning the pens into ice skating rinks, so the tanks must wait for the mercury to rise. The calving pen is quiet this month, as the cows are gearing up for the holiday season. We only expect about 70 calves this month, compared to over 100 a month for December, January and February. It is as close to a vacation as we get in the freshening area. Our gorgeous heifers that spent their summer on pasture are eating heartily in preparation for their next role in life: calving and making milk. There are many corn elds still standing around here. The snow, mud, rain and moisture levels are putting the pause on combine jobs. This can be seen as a challenge or a benet to those donning the blaze orange this weekend. There are the hunters who have been tracking the movements of a specic antlered beast via trail camera photos. They note what time of day he is likely to be where, if he is by himself, and if they have pictures of him from previous years. They use phone apps to see what the wind is like to decide which of their multiple stands they should sit in. I am married to one of these hunters, and have a few related to me. It can be quite the investigation, as they make educated choices about where to stalk their buck. Then, there are the hunters who roll in to their designated location Friday afternoon, attempt to sneak into the woods as if the deer aren’t aware of their presence, and tidy up their deer stand from a year’s worth of mouse habitation. I am not sure that one tactic exceeds another when the woods are full of gun-toting, orange-clad Wisconsinites searching for “Da Turdy Point Buck.” The deer seem ustered enough to guarantee a few will run into a bullet. Though it’s been a few years since I’ve hunted, I still get swept up in the excitement, and love the chance to visit with family members. The arrival of snow has brought upon an early urge to crank some Christmas music and bake up deliciousness in the connes of the warm farm kitchen. I envision my baking to-do list when I see the chimney smoke curl up from the house as my toes are frozen walking from barn to barn. Best of luck to you deer hunters this week, Happy Thanksgiving to all, and may you keep ahead of the challenges Mother Nature hands us. Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wis. Her children, Ira (12), Dane (10), Henry (5) and Cora (toddler), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 31
A harvest lled with compromise
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smaller quantities can help spread out this cost and may allow some market opportunities. Your feed strategies will vary depending on which feeds have been negatively impacted through harvest. If you have unfermented or partially fermented forages, consider feeding them during the winter months to avoid heating and spoilage issues next spring. If your high moisture corn was too dry, it is benecial to reduce micron or particle size at feeding. Work with your nutritionist to determine which strategies make the most sense for your compromised feeds. Also, determine if alternative feeds or byproducts make sense for your situation. Your cows will appreciate any effort to provide the best quality options despite the difcult harvest season. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
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As we look to Thanksgiving next week, we reect on the things we are thankful for. Some of you may have hit an ideal harvest window, but, for many, to say harvest is challenging would be an understatement. Hopefully, you can nd a few silver linings amongst these obstacles. The difculties of 2019 began this spring when corn planting for many happened several weeks later than ideal. Cooler summer temperatures resulted in growing degree Something to Ruminate On lower days and delayed plant maturity. The biggest challenge this fall has been too wet of soil conditions with lateseason rains before and during harvest. Corn silage chopping was a battle in most areas with the introduction of dump carts and safety pulls for many. The result was a By Barry Visser harvest that took more Nutritionist time and expense, whether harvested by the dairy or a custom harvesting crew. Ideal forage dry matter is well-dened, but especially difcult to achieve this year. Waiting for elds to dry, later maturity and subsequent frost resulted in corn silage that, in some cases, was more than 10 points drier than ideal. The harvest challenges also led to unpredicted delays for some harvesting crews and further complicated harvest for some farms. Similarly, but to a lesser degree, we have seen harvest dry matter challenges with earlage and high moisture corn. Dry matter at harvest is the primary driver to successful fermentation. Harvest temperature is generally not a big consideration with fall corn harvest. However, some corn silage and more wet corn has been harvested in conditions at refrigerator and freezer temperatures. Under these conditions, fermentation is not going to happen until temperatures rise above freezing and beyond. Some of you may remember similar situations in 2009 when we also had a late harvest. I recall a client harvesting corn silage in November into bags that fed like fresh-chopped (unfermented) corn silage all winter. The following spring, bags gassed up as temperatures increased and delayed fermentation occurred. There was a period through the midst of the fermentation that we battled some heating and spoilage challenges. Due to the growing season challenges mentioned above, some farms were not able to harvest the tons of corn silage needed to satisfy their annual needs. In many situations, more acres were harvested to reach this goal. The result is a strain on feed inventories. Now is a great time to assess feed inventories. Small adjustments at this time of year can help stretch certain feedstuffs and avoid drastic changes closer to next year’s harvest. Purchasing substitute feeds in
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It is all about family Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
We could not make it to World Dairy Expo this year due to the extended harvest season. We started chopping in mid September and nished combing corn in late November. The last corn stalk was gleaned on Sunday night. With above freezing temperatures for the remainder of the week, we hope to nish some fall eldwork. It has been a long and memorable harvest season. The bright spot was when Expo came to us. A group of dairymen and women from the Netherlands, Latvia and Belgium stopped by on their way to Madison, Wisconsin, to talk cows and farming. They took the long, scenic route visiting farms in Minnesota and Wisconsin before they stepped foot on Expo grounds. The group of 15 people arrived as we nished chopping silage and before the combine pulled into the elds for high moisture corn. Fortunately, it rained the day before and prevented us from being in the elds. When we scheduled this visit six
months earlier, we did not know how things were going to shake out. But, it was a perfect time to talk and learn from each other. Questions centered around the future of dairying, regardless of where we farmed. It was amazing to hear how many of the things we are facing here on our farm and industry they are going through, too, several thousand miles and language barriers away. The president of the Latvian Holstein Association is a mother with young children. She is trying to capture the attention of other young kids and cultivate an interest in dairying. She is rounding up young neighbors, cousins and friends to lease animals to show as a way to educate consumers about the dairy industry. She points out that if they do not capture their interest when they are young, they never will. It seems they cannot compete against the computers, social media and sports. We leaned up against their van and talked about how reaching young people is a passion we both
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share. I told her about our Andrew and how he was now a herdsman in southern Minnesota because we pulled him into our family and 4-H. The 4-H and breed leasing programs are great ways to get non-farm kids exposed to other opportunities and careers. Two farmers in the group wanted to know Just Thinking Out Loud what our plans are for the next phase of life. I joked, “There’s a phase after dairying?” The two neighbors both milked cows, but the older one was ready to retire from milking but not cattle. Together they worked out a plan to benet both farms. By Natalie Schmitt The younger one still milks and the older Columnist one raises his replacement heifers. The retired dairyman also converted some facility space for his wife’s and daughter’s passion of horses. A creative way to solve a universal problem. They also asked about government regulations and water quality. They struggle with bureaucrats, legislation and common sense in addressing these issues, too. A young dairyman, about Austin’s age, is the third generation to still be on his family farm because of decisions made during a tragic time. His dad was hurt in a farming accident about 10 years ago. Grandpa was too old to do the daily milking and he was too young. They took a huge step to stay in business by installing three robotic milkers. It was the best thing they did. He could not imagine milking any other way. There was a high learning curve, but the struggle to adjust to the new technology was worth it. Their leap into adapting saved the farm when the future looked bleak. The gentleman who organized this dairy trip is a breeding consultant for these dairymen and women. He works with farmers to select the right type of genetics to t the farmers’ goals. Some farmers are jumping in the genomic pool with both feet, breeding based solely on numbers. Others are standing on the edge of the pool, dangling their big toe in the pool, using genomics and proven cow families. We are on the edge of the pool, too. We dabble with some genomics and ush only a few special animals to keep close to the game, but our real passion is developing cow families. Maybe it is
I iis all It ll about b ffamilies ili iin the h barn and in the house that make this industry go. pride, but there is something special when three generations are standing in the barn together and to work with a cow family over enough years that you can see which strong family traits are passed on to the next generation. It may be a numbers game today, but it is still driven by families. Many in the group agreed. It is all about families in the barn and in the house that make this industry go. Their stories are like many we have read about in the Dairy Star over the years, yet we are farming thousands of miles apart. We are asking the same questions, facing similar circumstances with weather and governments. We are looking for creative solutions from other’s experiences. It is a small world, and we belong to a very special family. Natalie, Mark and his brother Al, farm together near Rice, Minn. They milk 100 registered Holsteins under the RALMA prex. Their four children are grown up and all involved in agriculture with hopes of someone returning to the farm. For questions or comments, please e-mail Natalie at mnschmitt@jetup.net.
Agates and plows
I don’t remember when Glen started collecting agates. But for the past couple years, at least, many of our conversations in passing while working around the farm have started with Glen saying, “Hey, look at this one I found!” Then, with the excitement of a kid on Christmas morning, he’ll open his outstretched hand to show me the newest agate he’s found. Oftentimes, the agates are so small that I wonder how on Earth he managed to spot them while walking around. Sometimes, the agates are so tiny he forgets them in his pockets and I nd them in the washing machine. I even found a couple teeny-tiny agates stuck between the grate and lint lter in our dryer. Glen saves all his agates, but I don’t know Dairy Good Life where. I just set the ones I nd in the wash on top of the dryer and he re-collects them. I’m not sure if he keeps a mental inventory of each agate, but I know there is one he will never forget – that none of us will ever forget. The story of this agate starts with a heifer named Mogen. She gave birth to a heifer calf out in the pasture. Glen brought her into the cow yard with the other close up cows. He sorted Mogen out as the rest of the close up cows went back out to pasture. As soon as Mogen realized she was alone in the cow yard, she went crazy. Glen called for help to get Mogen into the barn, By Sadie Frericks so Monika and I went to assist. But three people Columnist weren’t enough. Ten people might not have been enough. First, Mogen jumped over the barbed wire fence into the grassed waterway. Then, she plowed through three separate electric fences. We managed to get her back into the cow yard, but she pushed two steel freestanding gates apart and escaped. Forty-ve minutes later, we nally got Mogen into the barn. As we were sliding the barn door shut, Glen stopped and said excitedly, “Look what I found!” In his hand was the mother of all agates. Easily the biggest agate Glen has ever found, this gem is almost as large as the palm of Glen’s hand. One facet of the dark red stone has perfect agate lines; another facet has bright white crystals. It is a truly beautiful agate. He said he was in the pasture by the pond, repairing the electric fence dismantled by Mogen, when he spotted the agate in the sand. His contagious jubilance over nding the agate was a much-needed mood booster after the frustration of corralling Mogen. And we really needed that boost, because it took another 30 minutes to get Mogen into a stall. A couple days later, while we were still reveling Agate collecting A ll i iis a ffun h hobby, bb in the discovery of the I suggested that our but the health of our cropland agate, next family getaway should be a trip to the North Shore and the conservation of to go agate hunting. Glen our soil are essential to the didn’t disagree. But, then, Glen met a success of our livelihood. couple of professional agate hunters by happenstance and learned that some of the best agate hunting is right here in Stearns County. “What?” I asked, in disbelief. “Here in Stearns County?” He went on to share what he’d learned: Lake Superior agates were distributed throughout the upper Midwest by the glaciers. The best place to nd agates is where the earth has been disturbed. Historically, farm elds in which the earth has been turned over by a moldboard plow are the best places to nd agates. “But now,” the agate collectors told Glen with disappointment, “farmers aren’t plowing their elds as much anymore.” And, they said, the increased use of rock rollers in elds prevents agates from surfacing. “Well, honey,” I told Glen. “I guess we’ll have to start moldboarding our elds.” He laughed at my joke. I chuckled with him. Moldboard plows might be good for agates, but they’re bad for elds. We haven’t used a moldboard plow in the 15 years we’ve been farming and no promise of agates could convince us to start. Agate collecting is a fun hobby, but the health of our cropland and the conservation of our soil are essential to the success of our entire livelihood. The agate collectors also told Glen about the Cuyuna Rock, Gem, and Mineral Society’s annual spring trade show in Brainerd. They said he could bring his Mogen agate along to have it evaluated. Perhaps we’ll make plans to go ogle over agates there. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minn. They have three children – Dan, 11, Monika, 8, and Daphne, 5. Sadie also writes a blog at www. dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 33
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
Renting helps young farmer get his start Petrie on his way to farm ownership By Stacey Smart
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John Petrie (leŌ) and his son, Mitch, stand inside the 60-stall Ɵestall barn Mitch rents down the road from his parents’ farm near St. Cloud, Wisconsin. The Petries share equipment and help each other at their respecƟve farms. said. The farm is just one mile from home, where Mitch’s dad milks 55 cows and farms 135 acres. The Kraus farm and Petrie farm share a property line, and John said the Krauses have always been good neighbors. Prior to renting the farm, Mitch was helping his dad and also working off the farm at a couple differ-
ent jobs. “He wasn’t satised with his jobs and wanted to do something on his own,” John said. “It’s difcult to bring in another generation and expanding didn’t seem like the right option for us. You hear horror stories about farmers who build new facilities for the next generation and then after a couple years, the kids
decide they don’t want to do it anymore and you’re stuck with it. This was an opportunity to expand without risk on my part.” Mitch bought the Kraus herd – a total of 35 cows milking at the time and lled up the rest of the 60-stall barn over a couple-month-period with cows he bought from his parents and other farms in
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ST. CLOUD, Wis. – When he was 23 years old, Mitch Petrie decided to branch out on his own and began renting a barn down the road from his parents, John and Beth Petrie. He started milking his own herd on Jan. 1, 2017. Three years later, Mitch is still as eager to farm and is now making plans to purchase the property. “I grew up as my grandpa’s tractor buddy and always had a desire for farming and eldwork,” Mitch said. Mitch now milks 60 cows in a tie stall barn in St. Cloud, Wis. that he rents from Kenny and Diane Kraus. The couple was nearing retirement age when Mitch approached them about the possibility of renting. They found it to be a wise option, so Kenny took Mitch under his wing. Mitch rents the buildings and buys feed from Kenny, who began farming at this location in 1977. “I was familiar with the place as I had helped out here a few times before,” Mitch
the area. Built in 1994, Mitch said the barn is a nice facility that did not require any updating. “I had excess animals, so we brought them over here to calve,” John said. “It was a place to go with the overow, which was convenient.” Mitch’s payment schedule was nanced over three years, in which he paid the Krauses a specied amount for cows and equipment. “I only have one payment left,” Mitch said. Mitch buys feed from his landlord, as Kenny still farms the land. The rate is based on daily per-head usage and includes corn silage, haylage and high-moisture corn. “This removed pressure of worrying about crops so I could concentrate on the cows,” Mitch said. The next step is for Mitch to start renting the land in phases and putting up his own feed. The farm includes 200 acres, and next spring, Mitch plans to start renting the hay elds and will have the option to buy the land in the future. This young dairy farmer recently got engaged, and in the next couple years, is looking at purchasing the barn and
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 35
ConƟnued from PETRIE | Page 34
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Mitch Petrie pushes up feed for his cows Nov. 14 in his rented dairy barn near St. Cloud, Wisconsin. other buildings as well as the house. Mitch lives with his parents but plans to move here next spring. Two wind turbines tower over the property that also includes heifer and calf barns, a machine shed and manure pit. “It’s a slow process, but this was a way for Mitch to gure out if he really wanted to farm, before he had anything invested,” John said. “He could test out the waters. He knew what dairying was all about before, but now he’s farming on his own and gets to make his own decisions. Mitch is the one footing the bill – this is ‘his baby.’” Mitch owns equipment that he shares with his dad while also renting some from Kenny. Although farming at two different locations, father and son still help each other out with chores. “In a way, it’s like having one herd at two separate sites,” John said. “When I retire, maybe I’ll work for Mitch, or maybe we’ll even combine the two herds some day. Right now, we nd it convenient and efcient to keep the herds separate. We milk at the same time, and when we’re done, we can help each other with other stuff. It still feels like we’re farming together.” Mitch milks with seven units and said it takes him one to one-and-a-half
hours to get the job done. Currently, John mates and breeds the herd, but Mitch would like to learn how to breed as well. “I want to develop my own herd versus buy animals,” Mitch said. “I’ve cut down on the number purchased in the last year and a half. Instead, I’m growing from within.” Although he started farming in the midst of one of the industry’s worst slumps, Mitch said his cash ow is adequate, and he thinks it can only get better from here on out. “Milk prices are decent right now, and I hope they remain steady,” Mitch said. From Mitch to John to Kenny, the idea to rent has been a win for all involved. “This worked out good,” said Kenny, who along with his wife, still comes out to the barn occasionally to help Mitch. “It’s a very good arrangement patterned after another family in the area doing something similar.” Mitch feels he has a lot of options for the future. “I want to continue to upgrade and get more efcient,” he said. “I’ve learned a lot in the last three years doing things myself – every day is interesting.”
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U of M wins NAILE judging contest fth year in a row
For the fth year in a row, the University of Minnesota placed rst overall in the collegiate dairy cattle judging contest Nov. 10 at the North American International Livestock Exposition (NAILE), Louisville, Kentucky. The margin of victory was 28 points over second place Oklahoma State. Sixteen fouryear universities competed in the contest. University of Minnesota teams have placed rst overall in the Louisville contest in eight of the past 10 years. In addition to placing rst overall, the University of Minnesota team was rst in oral reasons by an 18-point margin and rst in the Jersey breed. Team members were Emily Annexstad, St. Peter, Minnesota; Eva Doornink, Baldwin, Wisconsin; Sierra Swanson, Hutchinson, Minnesota; and Kaleb Kruse, Dyersville, Iowa. Individually, Annexstad was rst overall (by a 12-point margin), rst in oral reasons, and rst in Holstein. Doornink was eighth overall, third in oral reasons, rst in Jersey, and third in Brown Swiss. Swanson was 10th overall, second in oral reasons, and fourth in Jersey. Coaches were Dr. Les Hansen, Alicia Thurk Hiebert, Eric Houdek, and Gabriella Sorg. Team ranking: 1. University of Minnesota, 2. Oklahoma State, 3. Ohio State, 4. UW-Madison, 5. Penn State, 6. UW-River Falls, 7. Purdue, 8. Iowa State, 9. Tarleton State, 10. Michigan State, 11. University of Georgia, 12. Cal Poly, 13. South Dakota State, 14. North Dakota State, 15. Colorado State, 16. West Virginia.
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
Compeer Financial is proud to sponsor
Women In Dairy Laura Jones Wilton, Iowa Cedar County 55 cows
Family: I have been married to Jared Jones for 12 years. We have three kids: Hunter, 9, Elizabeth, 7, and Gunnar, 4. Tell us about your farm. We farm 315 acres and grow primarily corn, soybeans and hay, and rye for a cover crop and feed. My grandmother’s parents, Fritz and Luise Langbehn, purchased the farm in 1949. Registered Holsteins were introduced to the herd in 1977 by my aunt, Sue Hobby. We milk 55 cows, most of which are registered Holsteins, with one DeLaval VMS robot. We focus on soil fertility and health, and breeding robust and healthy cows. I’m in partnership with my father, Steve Leazer. My 92-year-old grandfather still helps, and we have some part-time help, too. What is the busiest time of day for you? From the time my kids wake up until they are asleep.
When you get a spare moment, what do you do? Nap or exercise.
Wishing you a
Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. My sister won the 4-H grand champion Holstein at the Iowa State Fair with a bred-and-owned cow in 1999.
SAFE AND HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON.
What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I enjoy working in the outdoors and seeing the beauty of nature whether it’s a new calf being born or a sunrise.
Agriculture isn’t just a market we serve. It’s what we’re founded on. It’s who we are. And we’re so thankful for the abundance provided by the hardworking individuals who work tirelessly to feed, clothe and fuel the world every day of the year. It’s an honor to serve you. Our team members from Illinois, Minnesota and Wisconsin wish you a joyous holiday season.
How do you stay connected with others in the industry? This is a tough one for me to uphold all the time, but social media helps and going to events like World Dairy Expo. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? Trent and Leslie Henkes and their family. They care tremendously about agriculture, their dairy and helping others. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? Wendy Wintersteen, president of Iowa State University, because she is a tremendous leader for agriculture. She was the dean of the college of ag when I graduated from Iowa State. What is the best vacation you have ever taken? Pierre, South Dakota, shing on the Missouri River with Jared when we were dating. After that trip, we knew we would get married.
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What are some words you like to live by? “Be the adult you want your child to become.”
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FORMULA
A case for small-scale dairies Every farmer has a story of how they or a family member initially staked out a piece of land and became a farmer and thus becoming dedicated to cultivating the land, raising livestock and bringing up a family. Their stories vary, but common among all farmers is the belief that farming, despite its physical hardships and ďƒžnancial risks, is a meaningful job with an opportunity to exercise self-determination and live life in close-knit communities. Since the time of Western expansion by settlers, the concept of family farms has been a prominent embodiment of self-reliance and the allure of rural life that has captivated the imagination of American society. Today, amid the great abundance of agricultural commodities, small-scale farms are struggling across America – a testing time for whether the aspirations of farming and its rural livelihood can be sustained. Research has shown that the minimum size of operation considered economically necessary has risen dramatically over the past decades, leaving fewer and fewer families engaged in farming. Recent years have brought particularly serious By Kota Minegishi impacts on rural communities that are home to a number of dairy farms. University of MN In a sense, such troubles have been well-predicated in the economic law of commodity markets. The commodity market facilitates the processing and trading of an enormous amount of product delivered to cities across a wide geographical area at great efďƒžciency. However, consumers are offered little information about who produced the food they buy, and farmers do not hear from individual consumers about their products. From an economic standpoint, one of the major goals of this supply-chain machine is to reduce the cost of production under its construct of uniform goods, ensuring the endless search of new suppliers operating at the lowest possible cost. A message many farms recognize from commodity markets is all-too-familiar, “Get big or get out.â€? To allow small-scale farms, and the general aspiration for its way of life, to survive our time and beyond, I suggest a different kind of mainstream market construct, distinguished from commodity markets, may be needed. This system should integrate the value of the holistic relationship between the food, the land and the farmer. Its primary building block is the information, or the data, about multidimensional values of food products. Such data have a market value today because consumers have great interest in knowing where their food comes from and how it is produced. One example is fairtrade coffee, for which consumers pay premiums in support of small-scale farmers in distant continents. In this sense, it is worthwhile to stop thinking that milk is only milk. It can be more than that if other sets of values were preserved in the supply chain and appropriately presented to consumers. In the case of differentiating dairy products, say using milk from smallscale dairy farms, the two most challenging aspects are marketing and logistics. That is, brand development and marketing require signiďƒžcant resources from farmers and processors. Then, there are economies of scale with respect to market coordination, including sourcing milk from speciďƒžc farms, processing through dedicated production lines and distributing to targeted retailers. One new creative idea to overcome these challenges may be through a state-wide initiative that manages local small-scale farm product labels while We cannot expect global W l b l the existing inframarkets to sustain the legacy using structure of the supply of small-scale farms. chain. Such an initiative can be tasked with developing dairy labels and setting required price premiums; licensing the labels to processors under a revenue-sharing agreement with compensations for pre-determined processing and distribution costs; helping coordinate concerted marketing of the products under its labels; and collecting revenue premiums and redistributing the proceeds among the qualiďƒžed dairy farms in the state. The incentive for voluntary participation by individual processors would be the prospect of proďƒžtability, depending on their circumstances such as a product mix, milk sources and distribution networks. Importantly, such a program would beneďƒžt all qualiďƒžed dairy farms regardless of their geographical location and relationship with its processor. When the stories of small-scale dairy farms are told, it is the farmer who provides the most compelling narrative of the commitment to family traditions, rural communities, and ethical and sustainable farming. We cannot expect global markets to sustain the legacy of small-scale farms. That legacy may perish without sufďƒžcient representation in the market. Most importantly, that legacy matters to the American people, because it represents their connections to the food, the land and the rural community in which many have their family roots, and because it invokes a set of values and idealism with which the people living a self-determined life in the heart of the vast American continent inspire the rest of us in society. Talk to your fellow dairy farmers, and for those who would like to further develop this idea, reach out to myself as a point of contact.
Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 37
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
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Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019 • Page 39
with Allan Lundberg of Osseo, Wisconsin
Allan Lundberg Osseo, Wisconsin Trempealeau County 100 cows
about how to diversify so you are not dependent on the milk check all of the time. What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your farm? The best purchase we have ever made has been Luck-E Advent Asia. We have been able to work with this cow and cow family in ways we never thought possible.
How did you get into farming? I grew up on the farm and gradually took over from my father, Obert Lundberg. My daughter, Erica, is gradually taking over from me. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? We have to get back to a fair market system. People directly involved in providing an adequate food supply should not be penalized. Also, our current trade situation needs to be remedied. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? The latest technology I have implemented on the farm is the IVF on elite animals in the herd to build our genetics. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? We purchased a milk pasteurizer which has eliminated the need to buy milk replacer, and our calf health has improved immensely. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? Every year we have tried to get better and cut costs in every way pos-
What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? My biggest accomplishment while dairy farming has been to raise my four daughters in this way of life. We also had the rst cow in the state in 1978 to have a 40,000-pound record, Shady Corner Belle Kitty. We also had another cow hit the national and state record fat production at 3,200 pounds of fat as a 4-year-old. DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Allan Lundberg pictured with his daughter, Erica Lundberg, and her boyfriend, Graham Giese, operates Bert-Mar Holsteins near Osseo, Wisconsin. The family milks 100 head of registered Holsteins. sible. This year we have come to the conclusion that you can’t squeeze blood out of a turnip. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? To have a good working relationship with employees you have to have good communication. You need to treat them fair, and they need to know that they are valued and appreciated.
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Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I try to maintain a positive attitude even in the bleakest of times, and I try to remain easy-going. My A.I. training and palpating cows have helped with our ET program and general reproduction. Being able to deliver some very tough calvings has also helped save on vet bills.
HAY & FORAGE, STALK CHOPPERS New Holland BR7090 Round Baler, 2500 bales John Deere 582 Silage Special Round Baler 4X5, 19,434 Bales Hesston 745 round baler, twine, nice shape Hesston 4755 Baler 3x3 53,000 Bales, Manual Preservative NH 330 big baler, 2013, 3X3, Manual Applicator, 6,200 Bales New Holland BC5060 2012 Small Square Baler w/Thrower Hesston 8200 SP windrower w/14’ auger head Gehl DC2360 9’ Disc Mower Conditioner JD 936 Moco 11’ Mower Conditioner, 2002 w/ñail conditioner New Holland 1431 mower conditioner, 13’, 1998 New Holland 256 bar rake Artsway 240C Stalk Chopper, 2015, 20’ Width, Low Acres Vermeer CPX9000 Bale Processor, 2017, with Twin Blowers
ROW CROP, DRILLS & SPRAYERS
Hardi Navigator 4000, 2013, 90’ Boom, 120” Axle, ISO Hardi Navigator 4000, 2012, 90’ Boom,120” Axle, 5500 rate controler Hardi Navigator 3000, 60’ Boom, adjustable axle Gleaner S77 Combine, 2012, duals, 1,777 sep, 2,325 E. Gleaner R75 Combine, 2004, Duals, 1982 Sep, 2719 E, very nice Great Plains 13’ solid stand grain drill Melroe 2120-286 14’ Grain Drill with Small Seeds & Fert. Box Gleaner 8000 Flex Head 25’ Lateral Tilt, 2004 Top Air TA112 Sprayer 60’ Boom,ñush and rinse system, raven Case IH 1640 Combine 4,435 hours, 28L-26 singles Geringhoσ Rotadisc 800B Corn Head 8 Row 30”, Gleaner Mounts White 6900 11-Row Splitter Planter, Row Cleaners, Bean Meters GRAIN CARTS & WAGONS Harvestec 4306C Cutter Corn Head 6 Row 30” GL Mounts Meyer 1500 Running Gear with 16.5-16.1 tires, nice shape Harvestec 4308C Cutter Corn Head 8 Row 30” GL Mounts Meyer 1500 Running Gear with 16.5-16.1 tires, nice shape Harvestec 4308C Cutter Corn Head 8 Row 30” GL Mounts, nice Gehl 4-wheel gear, 11L-15 tires Harvestec 4308C Cutter Corn Head 8 Row 30” JD Mount H&S LK-500 Forage Box, 14’ with P&H 4 wheel gear Harvestec 4308C Cutter Corn Head 8 Row 30” Demco 365 Gravity Box w/385-22.5 Truck Tires, Red NH/Case IH Mount ‘08 Ez-Flow 300 Gravity Box w/EZ-Trail 1074 Gear. 12.5-15 Tires SKID STEERS Parker Gravity Box, 400 bu. Case SR220 Skid Steer, Cab, Heat, A/C, 2 Speed, 3200 hrs. Pequea 918 Hay Rack With 10 Ton Pequea Running Gear. Nice Mustang 3300V, ‘12, 1,935 hrs., H/F controls, cab w/AC, 2 spd. MANURE SPREADERS Mustang 2700V, ‘11, 2,000 hrs., pilot ctrls., cab, 2 spd, nice H&S 5126 Topshot, 19LX16.1 tires, 2011 Mustang 2060 ‘96, 6,636 hrs., T-Bar controls, universal mount Kuhn Knight 8124 Side Slinger Spreader TILLAGE/FIELD CULTIVATORS New Idea 3739 Manure Spreader, Hydraulic Drive., Consigned Glencoe SS7400 5-shank chisel plow (excellent condition) GRAIN EQUIPMENT John Deere 3710 8-Bottom Plow Good Selection Of Used Augers John Deere 2600 4-Bottom Plow, Vari-Width MISCELLANEOUS DMI Ecolo-Tiger 730B ,7 shank, Straight Front Coulters, Bush Hog RDTH84 3-Point Finish Mower 7’, 2012, good shape Closing Disc 1500 gallon round ñat bottom tank Case IH 335 VT, 2015, Serial # YFDO79444, 28’ 1350 gallon round ñat bottom tank Wilrich 357 5-Shank Ripper With Cart, 2014 HLA 9’ Snow Pusher, Bucket Edge Mount, Steel Trip Edge Wilrich 657 11 Shank Chisel/ Ripper Combo, 2014 Farm King 3-Point Blade, 7’ cat. 2., consigned Wilrich 657 11 Shank Chisel/ Ripper Combo, 2012, Virnig 96” Hydraulic Angle Broom. New Brushes. 2 Bar Coil & Basket Berlon 3 prong bale spear Virnig 4 Prong Bale Spear, round tapered shaft, #101939
COMBINES & HEADS
38241 County 6 Blvd. Goodhue, MN 55027
(651) 923-4441
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? Being a steward of the land, being outdoors, the animals that I work with, not having a time clock and the best environment to bring up my family. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Make sure it is a commitment you are serious about. Keep thinking
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? First of all, survival, and to be one of the Wisconsin farms that remain in dairy. We are looking at building a barn to improve cow comfort and ease the labor load. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We enjoy family events, shing trips, hunting and getting away to relax.
The new DeLaval VMS V300 milking robot ™
99.8% Attachment rate
Up to
7500 lbs milk per day
Up to
50% faster attachment time
10
%
Higher capacity
Plain, WI (608) 546-3713
Waunakee, WI (608) 849-5043
www.delaval.com is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2018 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. All facts and figures are the result of more than two years of data collection from more than 20 test and pilot farms, actual results may vary and are not guaranteed. www.delaval.com
Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, November 23, 2019
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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