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DAIRY ST R
November 27, 2021
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 23, No. 19
Planning for the future Bednars expand herd, update facilities for son’s return By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
WILLOW RIVER, Minn. – In doubling the family’s herd and renovating housing facilities to accommodate the growth, Matt Bednar and his dad, Doug, are in the midst of planning for the future; a future that has Matt taking over the dairy operation. “It feels good to have Matt back home,” Doug said. “He’s always had an interest, and now this is taking more work off of me and setting him up for when he can work on the farm full time.” The Bednars milk 90 cows in Pine County near Willow River. Doug grew up on the farm and maintained a herd of 35 before Matt returned in June 2020. Today, the father-son duo shares responsibilities on the farm while Matt also juggles a full-time job as a mechanic for the county. The days begin around 4:30 a.m.
with Matt starting milking and completing other chores before leaving the farm. Doug then steps in and completes what is left unnished. Doug’s wife, Brenda, and daughters, Jessi and Sami, and Matt’s girlfriend, Anna Westerlund, also help on the dairy. On the weekends, Matt is available for the entirety of milking and chores. “I always knew I wanted to farm,” Matt said. “The balance between farming and being a mechanic is tough but can be nice. This way, I don’t need to pull off the farm’s income to survive.” Growing up, Matt always had a small handful of cattle a part of the family’s herd. He maintained that small number while attending Central Lakes College in Staples and following college graduation when he moved to southern Minnesota. During that time, Doug would manage the farm and Matt would assist on the weekends. “Matt and Jessie always had cattle here growing up,” Doug said. “Matt’s been right here with me for as long as I can remember. So, if he wants to dairy farm and make this work, this farm is here for him.”
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
MaƩ Bednar and his dad, Doug, review breeding records at their dairy Nov. 11 near Willow River, Minnesota. In June 2020, MaƩ returned to the farm full Ɵme where he and his family milk 90 cows.
Turn to BEDNARS | Page 6
Fiƫng exibility into new faciliƟes Sonnek Farms upgrades to double-10 parlor By Sherry Newell Contributing writer
SHERRY NEWELL/DAIRY STAR
Eric Sonnek and his partner, Jon HackeƩ, stand in a new double-10 rapid-exit parlor on their farm near Foreston, Minnesota. Sonnek and HackeƩ work together caring for the 100-cow milking herd, heifers, crops and addiƟonal acƟviƟes such as geneƟcs and social media.
FORESTON, Minn. – In the 12 years since Eric Sonnek returned to the family dairy farm near Foreston, a lot has changed. There is a new calf and heifer barn with automatic feeders. Forage is no longer made into small bales but is bagged after custom harvesting. Cows are fed a total mixed ration in a new compostbedded barn. While adding one more thing this year – a new milking parlor – reects Sonnek’s optimism about dairying, the 43-year-old also knows the entire dairy industry has changed and is sure to change even more in the future. “ We h a v e j u s t r e a l l y concentrated on keeping things exible,” said Sonnek, who took over managing Sonnek Farms from his parents, Norb (Junior) and Judy Sonnek. The couple are
still part of the ownership; Judy does the farm’s bookwork with Junior serving in a role his son calls grounds crew. “The compost barn could easily become a beef barn. Even our parlor is built so garage doors could be installed on one end,” Sonnek said, noting how dairy has been disappearing from the Mille Lacs County landscape surrounding the farm. But it would be a mistake to think Sonnek is not passionate about dairying. Since moving into the parlor six months ago, he has expanded from 70 to 100 cows and earned his rst Progressive Breeders Registry designation from Holstein Association USA. His partnership in Pit Crew Genetics with the Foss and Trapp families, focused on Brown Swiss cattle, has had multiple successes in show and sale rings across the country. Most of the Pit Crew milking cows are housed at the Sonnek farm. Sonnek, with partner Jon Hackett, also owns cows under the Uffda prex. The two have a small Hereford enterprise with Hackett’s father and brother, named SHHH Herefords. It was born from a desire to provide
docile 4-H animals for Hackett’s nieces. Still, milking productive cows is what pays the bills, Sonnek said, and replacing the tie stall barn with a compost pack and parlor is helping move the herd in the right direction. Prioritizing cow comfort was one of the reasons he chose a bedded pack rather than free stalls. “We’ve always done what’s right for the cows,” Sonnek said. “Now they are more comfortable. They get more exercise; they are able to move. We also have a young person milking, and he can manage everything better now. Foot health is better with the foot baths we added and CowManager is helping us with reproduction.” In addition, milking takes half the time. Decisions about how to create the new facilities came more easily to Sonnek because of his 10 years as an extension educator after graduation from the University of Minnesota in dairy science and having his parents serving as supportive sounding boards.
Turn to SONNEK | Page 7