Dairy Star November 9, 2019 - Zone 1

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DAIRY ST R

Volume 21, No. 18

“All dairy, all the time”™

November 9, 2019

A barn, dairy family strengthened Hoffmans excited to be milking again after facility collapsed last winter By Krista Kuzma

krista.k@dairystar.com

CHATFIELD, Minn. – After the Hoffmans watched four sections of their freestall barn collapse Feb. 28 and in the following days under the weight of snow from severe winter weather, they then watched as their cows – and potentially their place in the dairy business – leave the farm in trailers to go to other dairies. “When we sold the cows, it was the rst time in 116 years a Hoffman didn’t milk a cow on this farm,” Corey Hoffman said. “It was pretty overwhelming.” But now the Hoffmans are back milking 305 cows, and their dairy, freestall barn and

family are stronger than ever. On Oct. 8, cows lled the barn the Hoffmans rebuilt on their farm, North Creek Dairy, near Chateld, Minn. Corey and his wife, Bridget, along with their two children, Garrett and Tira, farm together with Corey’s brother, John, and his wife, Danielle, and their son, August. Corey’s and John’s parents, Gary and Jo, are also a part of the dairy. “It was emotional,” Hoffman said about the day they brought their new cows home. “When the rst trailer unloaded, I said, ‘I’ve got it together. I’m not going to cry.’ I looked over at Dad and he was crying so I had to walk away.” The Hoffmans did not initially know if this day would come. “We were wavering whether to milk [again] or not,” Hoffman said. “If we were going to exit dairying, that was the time KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR to do it.” They had been investing in Corey Hoﬀman stands in the new barn his family constructed this summer on their 305-cow dairy near Cha�ield, Minn. The Hoﬀmans were forced to rebuild a�er their barn collapsed unTurn to HOFFMANS | Page 5 der the weight of snow last winter.

Brookings becomes hub for football fanfare SDSU dairy program highlighted in ESPN’s College Gameday By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com

PHOTO SUBMITTED

SDSU student Agusta Grams feeds a calf while an ESPN crewmember lms at the college’s dairy farm Oct. 25 in Brookings, S.D. The na�onal sports channel traveled to South Dakota for their weekly College Gameday coverage.

BROOKINGS, S.D. – In the world of college sports, ESPN’s College Gameday coverage is a coveted event to feature a university’s athletics and school spirit. But more than the good fun of friendly rivals on the eld, this event brings light to the college’s lesser-known trademarks. For the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits, that trademark is their dairy farm and processing facility, the Davis Dairy Plant. “Every week, ESPN is interested in highlighting key features of colleges,” Dr. Vikram Mistry said. “SDSU has a lot of great things, and one of those is ice cream, specically our cookies n’ cream.” Mistry is the dairy food and science department head at SDSU. Video crew members from the national sports channel arrived on campus Oct. 25 to shoot clips for a highlight reel aired that following Saturday, Oct. 26, during the SDSU vs. North Dakota State University football game in Brookings, S.D. The purpose of the shoot was to provide a glimpse into the Turn to SDSU | Page 7

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