The Great Christmas
See pages 24 and 25 of this section for details!
“GRAND” PRIZE
GIVEAWAY
DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 20, No. 19
Grant funds available
HasƟngs Co-op, Plainview Milk Products Co-op merge
Farmers have until Dec. 15 to apply
By Andrea Borgerding
By Maria Bichler
andrea.b@dairystar.com
Staff Writer
HASTINGS, Minn. – As of Dec. 1, Hastings Cooperative Creamery in Hastings, Minn., will be operating under Plainview Milk Products Cooperative in Plainview, Minn., in an agreement made by both cooperatives to merge the two creameries. Both plants will continue processing milk under Plainview Milk Products Cooperative’s by-laws and all patrons from both co-ops will be retained. “That was a key point for us,” said David Buck, president of Hastings Cooperative Creamery board. “Plainview agreed to take all of our 85 patrons.” The Hastings Cooperative Creamery board began discussing options in March when markets for the plant’s milk were becoming less. In the past, Hastings had been marketing excess uid milk to plants throughout the region. Hastings handles 20 million pounds of milk a month. They bottle white and chocolate milk , half and half, whipping cream and egg nog under the Valley View Farms label. Buck said nding a market for their milk has been a challenge for the past year and a half. “We started looking at working together with someone else,” Buck said. “Plainview Milk Products looked like our best option. Merging with them meant allowing us to diversify. Hastings processes mostly uid milk, and so we needed to do more with our milk.” In August, the Hastings board approached Plainview Milk Products. “We were open to working
AVON, Minn. – When making on-farm advancements, every bit of nancial aid can help ease the burden of implementing an improvement. For 2019, producers can once again apply for the Agricultural Growth, Research and Innovation (AGRI) Livestock Investment Grant. The grant encourages longterm industry development for Minnesota livestock farmers and ranchers by helping them improve, update and
Turn to MERGER | Page 6
November 24, 2018
Turn to GRANT | Page 5
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Paul Dobis applied his Livestock Investment Grant towards the implementaƟon of a manure pit on his 235-cow dairy near Avon, Minn.
Pouring into a new market
Daningers’ creamery thrives with on-farm store, nds new avenue in coffee By Danna Sabolik
danna.s@dairystar.com
DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR
Sharlene and Pat Daninger boƩle and sell their milk on their dairy farm near Forest Lake, Minn. The Daningers are happy to be providing quality dairy products and agricultual educaƟon to their surburban neighbors.
FOREST LAKE, Minn. – When the Daningers decided to add a creamery to their dairy, they knew it would be a big task coupled with a lot of responsibility. What they were not expecting was breaking into the coffee market and a new outlet to share their dairy story throughout their suburban community. The Daninger family has been dairy farming in the Forest Lake, Minn., area for more than 100 years, committed to producing quality dairy products. In 2008, the family began a creamery on their farm where they are able to process and bottle their milk on site. “I’m glad we did it,” said Pat Daninger about the creamery addition. “It took about seven years for us to feel that way or turn the corner, but I am glad we have this now.” Pat and Sharlene have four adult children: Luke, Erin Christensen, Nathan and Mariah. Turn to DANINGERS | Page 6