Looking for a Deal? Check out our Last Chance Deals on pages 8 & 9 of the Second Section
Deals!
DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 22, No. 20
A year unlike any other
December 12, 2020
Spadgenskes named MN Milk’s Producer of the Year
Menahga family humbly accepts Plourd talks volatile dairy markets, trends honor going forward
By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
During the Minnesota Milk Producers Association virtual meeting Dec. 2, Phil Plourd presented “Sudden Storm,” an overview of dairy within the past year and predictions for the markets going forward. “In the massive understatement department, it’s a year unlike any other,” said Plourd, president of Blimling and Associates Inc. While many dairy farmers rang in 2020 with optimism for climbing milk prices, they were instead met with a year of the most volatility recorded, Plourd said. “Just looking at the cheese market, cheddar blocks went from $2 before the pandemic to $1 to $3 back to $1.50 back to $3 and then back to $1.60,” he said. “The volatility we’ve seen in the cheese market is clearly way out in the stratosphere versus anything we’ve ever seen before.” The cheddar market topped at 42% price volatility, the highest it has been since 2008 when volatility was at 27%, Plourd said. Price swings in the milk market are attributed to the disruption of the typical American daily life due to the coronavirus pandemic. For the past 20 years, Americans have been trending more toward eating out rather than buying their food at the grocery store. In 2019, food services dollar sales even reached above grocery sales. Before the pandemic, restaurants accounted for about 50% of the U.S. cheese sales and 45% of the U.S. butter use. “The rule we always talk about is never underestimate the laziness of the American consumer,” Plourd said. In March, when shut downs were implemented in many areas of the country, food service and restaurant spending plummeted 38% while grocery store spending Turn to MARKETS | Page 5
By Danna Sabolik
danna.s@dairystar.com
MENAHGA, Minn. – When Kristine Spadgenske got a phone call from her friend Lucas Sjostrom, she was not alarmed. “It was nothing out of the ordinary; Lucas will call to get our opinion every once in a while, so when he called and wanted me to call him back when my husband was around, I didn’t think much of it,” Kristine said. But this call was not the usual check-in and farmer-tofarmer advice call the couple was used to. “He asked if we would accept the honor of … producer of the year,” Kristine said. Turn to SPADGENSKES | Page 6
DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR
The Spadgenske family – (front row, from leŌ) John, KrisƟne, Jen and Seth; (back row, from leŌ) Mike, Mark, Ryan, Kate and Adam. The Spadgenskes were awarded Minnesota Milk’s Producer of the Year Dec. 2 at the virtual annual Expo. They milk 350 cows and run 1,400 acres near Menahga, Minnesota.
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Heifers stand behind a frosty fence Dec. 7 at Names Dairy near BaƩle Lake, Minnesota. The 90-cow dairy is owned by Brian and David Names and their mom, Joyce.
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
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 Bob Leukam (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-1248 (cell) bob.l@star-pub.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 Kati Kindschuh (Northeast WI and Upper MI) 920-979-5284 • kati.k@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 the other side
The Great Christmas Giveaway It’s that time of year. Dairy Star is once again hosting The Great Christmas Giveaway for dairy farmers and their children in our coverage area. While adults have the opportunity to win one of two $1,000 cash prizes, children ages 17 and under could win a heifer calf. In our Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota and North Dakota circulation area, registrants could win Port-Haven Silvers Jordana, a 2-month-old Brown Swiss heifer calf from the Portner family in Sleepy Eye, Minnesota. Make sure to enter your name to be eligible. Check out pages 24-25 for more information! Dairy Star likes to provide local stories, which is why we have two versions of the paper. Below are a few highlights from stories you will not nd in this paper, but you can nd online in zone 2. Find full editions on our website, www.dairystar.com, and click on the e-edition tab under the Dairy Star header. Lava leaps to the top of the Guernsey CPI list Coulee Crest Pilot Lava-ET Very Good-88 landed on the top of the Top 200 Cow performance Index list published by the American Guernsey Association following the December proof run, with a CPI of +122. Previously, Lava held the fourth position on the list with a CPI of +113. Coulee Crest LLC is owned and operated by brothers Scot and Kurt Peterson and their parents, Don and Dorothy. The farm, located in Cashton, is home to 240 cows Wittmanns embrace tradition of decorating farm Each year Angela Wittmann spends the late fall decking the halls (or barns) at Wittmann Farms LLC near Plain, Wis. Wittmann has taken part in this holiday tradition for the past ten years and says it comes from a lifelong love of celebrating holidays. Wittmann tries to add a few more lights to her display each year, including turning the ladder of one of their silos into a candy cane this year. Armbrusters embrace family, cows that last The Armbruster family of Red Brae Dairy in Muscoda, Wis., has a long history of working to breed productive, long-lived Brown Swiss cows. The Armbruster family came to be a part of the Red Brae prex in the 1960s when Jim Armbruster became the herd manager at the farm in Eagle, Wis., working for Lyle Spencer. The Armbrusters purchased the herd following Mr. Spencer’s death, and in 1993 moved the herd from Eagle to their current location in Muscoda, Wis.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Pages 8-9 First Section
Bon Yankton Homme
Clay
Wood Lake
Remiger, Job remember lucky days
Page 26 Second Section
Monona
n inso Emmet
Dick
Clay
Palo Alto
e Buena Vista
ke
ero
Ch
Woodbury
Second Section: Pages 18 - 19
Ida
Pottawattamie Cass
t on
m Fre
Kanabec
Washington
ms ey Ra
Mitchell Howard Floyd
Bremer
Wright Franklin Butler
Boone
Dallas
Story
Polk
all
Black Hawk
Tama
h ars
M
aw
as
ick
Ch
Webster Hamilton Hardin Grundy
Guthrie
Jasper
Fayette
Clayton
an
e war Dubuque
an
ch
Bu
Benton
Dela
Jones
Linn
Iowa
Madison Warren Marion Mahaska Keokuk
Adair
y mer Adams
Page
Worth
Hancock Cerro Gordo
o
Greene
tgo
Mon
n Win
ldt
mb
Hu
n
lh Ca
go
eba
Kossuth
ou
Sac
Harrison Shelby
as
nt
ho
ca
Po
Crawford Carroll
Mills
Zone 1
Hubbard
O’Brien
Sioux Plymouth
Country Cooking
Wadena
Osceola
First Section: Pages 10 - 12
e
Lyon
Mower
iek
ln
co
Lin
Faribault
Martin
Duncansons receive Winona County award
Houston
ake
Turner
Jackson
Fillimore
sh
Hutchinson
Nobles
Freeborn
Winona
ne
Charles Mix
Rock
Winona
Wabasha
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted
am
Gregory
McCook Minnehaha
Murray
All
Tripp
Moody
Goodhue
Rice
Clinton
s
hn
Jo
Taylor
Union ld
Rin
o gg
Clarke
Lucas
Decatur Wayne
Monroe Wapello Ap
o pan
ose
Davis
son
fer
Jef
Van Buren
Jackson
on Cedar
Muscatine
n
Todd
Douglas
Ha
ns
on
Lake
Nicollet
Brown
gto
Mellette
Miner
Redwood
W in
Brule
Aurora
Sanborn
Lyon
hin
Lyman
Jerauld
Brookings
Kingsbury
Dakota
Scott
Sibley
Wa s
Buffalo
Beadle
Hennepin Carver
sh iek
Hand
McLeod
Renville
Yellow Medicine
we
Jones
Hughes
Deuel
Hamlin
Anoka
Wright
Meeker
First Section: Pages 22 - 23
Po
Stanley
Hyde
Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Clark
Kandiyohi
Chippewa
Isanti
eu r
Sully
Spink
Sherburne
Su
Ziebach
Benton
Stearns
Pope
Swift
Grant
n
Faulk
Potter
Day
Stevens
Pine
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Douglas
Anderson receives MMPA friend of dairy award for work in industry
Carlton
Crow Wing
Todd
Big Stone
Plainview
Aitkin
go
Dewey
Edmunds
Otter Tail
Grant
Lake
Le
Roberts
Marshall
McPherson Brown
Walworth
The “Mielke” Jackson Market Shannon Weekly Bennett
Richland
Sargent
Cass
on
Campbell
Corson
Dickey
McIntosh
Cook
Itasca
Becker
Clay
Ransom
Emmons Sioux
Mah
Wilkin
Grant
Cass
LaMoure
Logan
Koochiching
ub
Bames
Tra ver se
Stutsman
Lincoln
Kidder
Morton
Haakon
en nom
Pipestone
Burleigh
Third Section: Page 11
St. Louis
Polk
Trail
Steele
Norman
Oliver
Adams
Pages 8 - 9 Second Section
Griggs
Second Section: Pages 34 - 35
Dairy’s Working Youth: Zack Watrin
isa Ch
Fall River
Foster
Beltrami
Red Lake
io
Page 31 First Section
Page 33 First Section Pennington
Custer
Wells
Sandstone
Lake of the Woods
Pennington
Grand Forks
Grey Eagle
Ahrens brothers step in to operate farm
Roseau
Marshall
Eddy Sheridan
Come Full Dairy Meade Circle
Lawrence
Walsh
Ramsey
Mercer
Stark Veterinary Wisdom Hettinger
Kittson
Benson
McLean
Page 32 First Section
Butte
Pembina
Nelson
Making Cents of Dairy Perkins
Harding
Cavalier
Towner
Da vi so n
Bowman
Rolette
McHenry
Ward
Billings
Slope
Bottineau
Pierce
Dear County McKenzie Agent Guy
Golden Valley
First Section: Pages 1, 6 - 7
Un
Page 27 First Section Mountrail
Page 30 Dunn First Section
First Section: Pages 18, 20
Spadgenskes named MN Milk’s Producer of the Year
Au d
On the Road Renville with Princess Burke Kay
Williams
Menahga
Meyer Dairy strives for cow comfort, high quality forages
Page 26 First Section
Divide
Sauk Centre
Clearwater
FSA News & Notes
Louisa
Henry Des
Moines
Lee
Scott
Garnavillo
Rose-Maar Dairy thanks Iowa school with Community Care gift Second Section: Pages 20 - 21
Zone 2 Postville
Kids Corner: The Enyarts Third Section: Pages 12 - 13
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? First Section: Pages 15-16
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 5
ConƟnued from MARKETS | Page 1 skyrocketed 31%. In April, the gap between those two stretched even further to 55% and 19%, respectively; however, since then, people have been slowly shifting back toward their pre-pandemic spending habits with grocery stores up 8% and restaurant sales down 7%. “What this tells you is Americans have made the transition for guring out how to get food delivered to them or someway access someone else’s cooking in a way that was unimaginable during the beginning of the pandemic,” Plourd said. While there are challenges and shortcomings facing restaurants, they have shifted to offer carryout, takeout, curbside pickup and online ordering as ways to increase sales. Ghost kitchens, a pop-up type of restaurant with limited offerings and delivery only, is also now a new phenomenon coming into the food service industry. “As we look at a world where we’re looking at more pickup, carry out and delivery, we’re looking at a world where questions about portability become very important,” Plourd said. “We’ve always talked about perishability with dairy, but I think portability is a huge question.” The food landscape going forward is changing, Plourd said. “Dining is still going to be popular once we get passed the vaccine, but what we’ve done in the pandemic era is accelerate trends that were already underway, which was sitting on the Lazy Boy, pushing some buttons and the food arrives,” he said. “We’ve just done three to ve years worth of growth in 5 to 10 months.” Likewise, grocery stores are also seeing exponential changes with online grocery sales, which accounted for $1.2 billion in August 2019 and increased to $7 billion by June. “How well do our dairy products make the trip from the grocery store to the home?” Plourd said. “The infrastructure is building up and retailers have invested a lot of dollars to make the click and collect grocery experience pretty good.” This will be hard for specialty cheese sales, which relies on in-store demonstrations to drive sales. “It might make specialty products harder to debut,” Plourd said. People working from home has and will continue to skew the past trends. Going forward, telecommuting will be a permanent situation for an increasing amount of people. “Fewer people are getting in the car and driving to work and are not stopping at Dunkin, McDonalds or Starbucks along the way,” Plourd said. No longer working in the bigger cities means fewer people making lunch and dinner plans. Plus, no longer coming into
a physical ofce means Americans are searching for more land and space. “We are seeing a suburban and rural real estate boom,” Plourd said. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade are also learning from home, with nearly 60% of them starting the school year virtually. School milk makes up about 8% of uid milk sales, which are not being made up at home, Plourd said. “If schools are only at 50% capacity, that’s 43 million pounds of milk per week we’re losing,” he said. “That’s an issue.” What has helped dairy sales are the United States Department of Agriculture food boxes brought forth by the Trump administration. Having the cheapest cheese in the world has also helped the current export market, Plourd said. “That offers some promise for keeping the market a little cleaned up in the months ahead,” he said. With the Dairy Margin Coverage and the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, dairy farm prot margins are looking to be good this year, Plourd said. “The farm nancial picture is looking a little squeezier for 2021,” Plourd said. Government food boxes will no longer buy excess product and CFAP money will not exist, either. Futures have grain prices going higher and milk prices dropping. Milk production is projected to be up 1.4%, Plourd said, but that will drop below 1% for the second half of next year because of deteriorating farm nances. A dairy farm’s location and local processor might differentiate which ones make more money. “If you’re shipping milk to a cheese plant that is not pooling and paying on cheese yield, you’re seeing high payouts, and you see that in local areas,” Plourd said. “But, a farm shipping in the Mideast to a plant that doesn’t have class III sales see a different reality. That’s why it’s hard to generalize about milk production.” Plourd said the Dairy Revenue Protection program and DMC both do a good job of protecting dairy operations of varying sizes, with about 25% of U.S. milk in 2020 being covered by DRP. “We do have good insulation against downward prices,” Plourd said. While many farmers thought 2020 would bring a dairy market that would be protable, that has only been the case because of the government support of nearly $50 billion, Plourd said. “It suggests the markets have been soso, but the majority of farmers still see good times ahead,” Plourd said. “There are a lot of convenient tools to manage price risk. Use them. I think it’s no time to go to sleep, and I think the government is less likely to come to the rescue in 2021.”
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
ConƟnued from SPADGENSKES | Page 1
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She was humbled, as she had previously served on the Minnesota Milk Producers Association board, who makes the decision each year. “I know what goes into choosing this award, and I know how many great dairy producers we have in this state, so I consider this a high honor,” Kristine said. The Spadgenskes farm 1,400 acres in addition to milking 350 cows on their farm near Menahga and are this year’s Minnesota Milk Producers Association Producer of the Year. The farm is run by a team of twin brothers, Mark and
Mike, Mark’s wife, Kristine, and their son, Ryan. “The Spadgenske family exemplies the resiliency we’ve been seeing in Minnesota dairies,” said Lucas Sjostrom, Minnesota Milk executive director, in a press release. “They manage their risk well, focus on their strengths and thoroughly evaluate big decisions amongst other possibilities. By being diversied and involved in their community, they’re a great example of MinTurn to SPADGENDKES | Page 7
DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR
John Spadgenske, Mike’s son, boƩle feeds a calf Dec. 3. The 11-year-old helps his dad with calf care on the farm near Menahga, Minnesota.
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 7
ConƟnued from SPADGENSKES | Page 6 nesota dairy farming in 2020.” For nine years, while Kristine was on the MMPA board, the family’s dairy was not eligible for this honor, but after she stepped down in 2019, they became a contender. “We don’t do this for the accolades,” she said. “We truly do what we do because we love it.” Kristine, Mark and Mike grew up near Frazee. Kristine lived on a dairy farm, and while Mike and Mark did not, they had ample experience as relief milkers throughout high
school. Starting a dairy farm from scratch is no easy feat, but the Spadgenskes have been able to build a legacy worth living up to in their 26 years of dairying. In 1994, Spadgenske Dairy was established when the trio rented a barn and some land with 60 cows. Today, the farm continues to be a family affair, continuing on with the next generation. Mark and Kristine’s four children, Ryan, 23, and his wife, Jen; Kate, 21, Adam, 17, and Seth, 13, all assume roles
PHOTO SUBMITTED
KrisƟne Spadgenske leads a group of Menahga rst-graders through their barn during a school farm tour. The annual fall trip is a highlight for both students and the Spadgenskes.
DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR
Ryan Spadgenske, Mark and KrisƟne’s oldest son, feeds hay to young calves. Ryan came back to the family farm as a full-Ɵme employee three years ago with a degree from Ridgewater College in dairy management.
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on the farm. Mike’s son, John, 11, is also involved, helping his dad with calf care most often. Ryan graduated from Ridgewater College in 2017 with a degree in dairy management. He is a full-time employee on the farm, and Jen is studying pharmacy at North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. Kate became invested in 4-H through her youth and today nds her interests on the farm in genetics. She is attending Ridgewater College for an agriculture business degree with a dairy science minor. Adam and Seth help on the farm with whatever needs to be done. They both have their
preferences but are known to be one of the rst to volunteer to drive the tractor or do eldwork. “We didn’t build this dairy with the expectation that our kids would take over one day,” Kristine said. “We certainly want to keep it viable if that is their interest and they want to, but that’s not our priority.” The dairy is known to have an open-gate policy, and the family hosts farm tours for rst graders each fall. “I think it’s part of our responsibility as dairy farmers to educate consumers and teach them about where their food comes from,” Kristine said. Kristine and Mark both lobby at the Minnesota Legis-
lature and in Washington, D.C. “I want policymakers to get their information from the source, so if I establish a relationship with them, then I can be the person they think of when they have a question and they can give me a call,” Kristine said. Kristine also serves on the Minnesota division board and corporate board for Midwest Dairy, Dairy Farmers of America and on the local electric cooperative. “We are all about trying new things and thinking outside the box,” Kristine said. “If we can adapt to make ourselves, our business or our farm more efcient, we will.”
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Peterson: Mixed emotions about election Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
House Agriculture Committee Chair Collin is the only person to have chaired both the House and Peterson is the architect of the current dairy title in the Senate agriculture committees. Arkansas Sen. John farm bill. Peterson had an extensive conversation with Boozman is expected to take over as chair during the his successor, Georgia Congressman David Scott, about next session of Congress. farm policy. “He assured me that he will be a big friend of dairy and sugar so we’ll take him at his Deadline approaches for DMC Ag Insider word,” Peterson said. When asked if he As of Nov. 30, 32% of United States would accept the agriculture secretary job dairy farms had signed up for the United if President-elect Biden called, Peterson States Department of Agriculture Dairy said he would have to consider it. However, Margin Coverage program. That compares Peterson downplayed the possibility. “I’ve to 51% one year ago. Forty-four percent of been in the saddle here for 45 years working Minnesota dairy farmers are enrolled, down in the state legislature and Congress,” he from 80% this past year. In South Dakota, said. “When I was deer hunting with my 27% of dairy farmers are enrolled in the kids after the election, they said I was like program, down from 75% one year ago. a whole new person, and they had not seen The sign-up deadline is Dec. 13. me in that good of spirits and that relaxed in years.” Dairy prices on a roller coaster ride National Milk Producers Federation By Don Wick Scott named House Agriculture Vice President of Economic Policy and Columnist Committee Chair Market Research Peter Vitaliano said the Georgia Congressman David Scott Dairy Margin Coverage program was a will be the rst African American to chair the House surprise this past year. “Going into this year, it looked Agriculture Committee. Scott said his priorities will like there were not going to be payments and that turned range from trade to crop insurance and from nutrition out not to be the case,” he said. Chris Galen, who is programs to broadband. Scott has been in Congress for the senior vice president of membership services and 18 years and has served on the agriculture committee strategic initiatives for NMPF, said farmers participating the entire time. Scott said he will use the opportunity in the ve-year version of the Dairy Margin Coverage to represent values of the entire caucus. “The fault lines program are facing an important deadline. “You still dividing our rural and urban communities are running have to contact the FSA ofce by the end of this week deep and climate change is now threatening our nation’s to ll out the paperwork for the next year and pay the food supply,” Scott said. “As chairman, I’ll lead the ght administrative fees,” Galen said. Class III milk prices are to rise up and meet these challenges.” expected to grind lower going into 2021 and feed costs will remain high. Roberts gives up the gavel Kansas Sen. Pat Roberts has chaired his nal Senate Changes made in DMC decision tool Agriculture Committee hearing. Before the testimony on Risk management is a must for dairy farmers. Mark agricultural research, Roberts was able to reect on his Stephenson, who is with the University of Wisconsin time as chairman. “Six years ago, I made it a priority that Dairy Center for Protability, said the coronavirus this committee would provide a platform for American pandemic is “the very denition of risk.” In the fourth farmers, ranchers, small businesses, rural communities, quarter of 2019, dairy markets were apparently in a time school children and the hungry,” said Roberts. “Over 80 of price recovery “and by the time we got into February, hearings and meetings later, I believe our committee has March and April, dairy markets and virtually every other done exactly that.” Roberts, who did not seek reelection, aspect of our economy just hit the wall,” Stephenson said.
The Center for Dairy Protability has made changes in its Dairy Margin Coverage decision tool. That tool was using the futures and options markets to try to forecast the margins. “A lot of people did make decisions based on the fact that it didn’t look like we were expecting any payouts at the end of December 2019 for the year 2020,” Stephenson said. “Turns out, we’ve made a lot of payouts. And that’s really what risk is, so we changed the tool a lot. We’re still using futures and options contracts, but this time we’re only calculating what we expect the cost of feed to be, and from that we can give people an idea about the level of milk price that they’re actually covering.”
Trade commitments Will China make the $36.5 billion in purchases by Dec. 31? According to Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Ted McKinney, that is one question that is asked a lot. “To be honest, they can make it, but time is waning,” McKinney said. “I’m not going to complain too loudly because purchases going on now are rolling into next year. That gives us a head start on phase one commitments for next year.” Speaking during the closing general session of the virtual Ag Retailers Convention, McKinney said India is another country that deserves attention when it comes to agricultural exports. NMPF awarded USDA grant The National Milk Producers Federation has been awarded a grant of $488,603 to develop a biosecurity program through the National Dairy FARM Program. The goal is to improve awareness and understanding of on-farm biosecurity standards and implement Secure Milk Supply plans through education, evaluation and verication. They will also conduct an exercise that will support implementation of the SMS plan at the farm level during a foot-and-mouth disease outbreak. Regenerative nation A new initiative has been launched by the National Alfalfa and Forage Alliance. Regenerative Nation is designed to support alfalfa farmers and the benets the Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 crop brings to the dairy industry. Alfalfa is the third most valuable eld crop in the U.S., but acreage is declining. “We’re excited to partner with others in the alfalfa industry to share the incredible advantages of alfalfa and the results from our new and much-needed research with a larger audience,” said Beth Nelson, president, NAFA. “The Regeneration Nation initiative gives us a platform to communicate these benets and results to dairy and forage growers across the country.” MFU calls for Farmer-Lender Mediation extension The Minnesota Farmers Union is calling on Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota Legislature to extend the deadline for Farmer-Lender Mediation. In a leader to state leadership, President Gary Wertish said an extension would “help farmers improve their nancial position and provide them with needed tax relief.” The deadline had previously been extended to the end of this year. Farmers Union is asking for an extension through June 30, 2021. Stearns County couple wins MFBF contest Stearns County Farm Bureau
members Lucas and Alise Sjostrom have won the Minnesota Young Farmers and Ranchers Excellence in Agriculture contest. This competition features young members who support agriculture but do not earn most of their income from production agriculture. The Sjostroms, who operate a cheese plant on the family dairy farm near Brooten, will compete virtually in the national contest in January. Trivia challenge The Christmas beverage, milk punch, is better known as eggnog. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, what is the traditional holiday cocktail made from eggnog, brandy or spiced rum, and served hot? We will have the answer in the next edition of Dairy Star. Don Wick is owner/broadcaster for the Red River Farm Network, based in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Wick has been recognized as the National Farm Broadcaster of the Year and served as president of the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. Don and his wife, Kolleen, have two adult sons, Tony and Sam, and ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora, and Sterling.
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The Duncansons – (from leĹŒ) Dan, Lynda, Pat and Michael – are the 2020 Winona County Farm Family of the Year. They milk 110 cows near Winona, Minnesota.
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WINONA, Minn. – The Duncansons continue the dedication of dairy farming laid by generations before them while paving their own way in the industry. “It’s not something you take lightly,â€? said Lynda Duncanson about her family’s career choice. “You have to be dedicated.â€? This dedication is one reason the Duncansons – Lynda and Dan; Pat and Heidi along with their children, Derek, 16, Kyrie, 9, Dustyn, 7; and Michael and Rachel along with their daughter, Charlotte, 5 months – received this year’s Winona County Farm Family of the Year Award. The family milks 110 cows near Winona. “It was a surprise,â€? Dan said about answering the phone call when he heard the news about their award. “I’m so used to telemarketers calling us.â€? The Duncanson family has deep farming roots. Originally from Scotland, the family’s ancestors moved to Nova Scotia, Canada, in the 1700s before migrating to southeast Minnesota in the mid 1800s. In 1865, the original farmsite was deeded to the Duncansons. “We were some of the ďƒžrst settlers in the area,â€? Dan said. “The Duncansons have been here a long time.â€? In 1973, Dan and Lynda became the ďƒžfth generation in the family to farm. That year, they purchased
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Cows rest in the sand bedded freestalls on the Duncansons’ farm near Winona, Minnesota. adjoining land to the Duncanson’s farmsite, got married and had a baby. “It was a big year,â€? Lynda said. More importantly, they started making their recently purchased farmsite their own. “This farm was not taken care of at all when we got here,â€? Lynda said. “The manure wasn’t hauled, the ďƒželds had never been fertilized, the weeds were tall and the buildings were run down. Everything on the farm now is new since we bought it.â€? The early years were hard. “It was tough to begin with $300 milk checks,â€? Dan said. Doubts of others only added to the challenges. “We bought the farm for $60,000 and cows for Turn to DUNCANSON | Page 11
PHOTO SUBMITTED
8
The farmsite where the Duncansons milk their cows was purchased by Dan and Lynda in 1973. All the buildings on the farm have been built new since then.
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 11
ConƟnued from DUNCANSON | Page 10
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Cows eat feed in the Duncansons’ freestall barn, which needed to be repaired aŌer a porƟon of it collapsed under the weight of snow in 2019. $20,000,” Lynda said. “We had people telling us we would never make it.” It only fueled Lynda and Dan’s drive to persevere. They slowly and steadily built up the farm over the years while raising their six children. The family found their place in 4-H and FFA, which only grew their love for the farm. When equipment or buildings on the farm needed an upgrade, the Duncansons did it as efciently and economically as possible. “We used the stuff we had leftover or things lying around,” Dan said. “We try to make a living and use the things we have wisely. We don’t spend any more money than we have to.” The Duncansons sit in the middle
of the farm technology spectrum. While they do not have the newest equipment available on the market, they are not using a pitchfork and wheelbarrow either. “We’re not close to being all modern, but we try to do what we can,” Dan said. They also leaned on each other to get through tough times, such as the tornado that ripped down their milking barn in 1998 or the heavy snowstorm that caused their freestall barn’s roof to collapse two years ago. These are philosophies the Duncansons use today now that two of Lynda and Dan’s sons, Pat and Michael, are the next generation on the dairy.
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
ConƟnued from DUNCANSON | Page 11 Pat joined in 1994 after graduating from high school while Michael started his dairying career in 2012 after one year of college and working for another dairy. “I like the cows and trying to breed a better one each time,” Pat said. Michael said he likes the variety of chores. “And he’s a good mechanic,” Dan said. At the start of 2020, Pat and Michael bought Dan and Lynda’s portion of the cows. Going forward, the brothers hope to buy the rest of the machinery and eventually the farmland. “We’re taking it one step at a time,” Lynda said. On a daily routine, Dan mixes feed for the milking cows; however, Pat and Michael take responsibility for most other chores as Dan and Lynda start to slow down. Lynda, who has also worked full time off the farm, has scaled back that job to part time this year. The family does not hire any labor other than special occasions; however, swapping the use of labor and equipment with friends and neighbors makes eldwork a lot easier for their 350 acres of corn and alfalfa. “We have a baler and our neighbors have a bale wrapper,” Pat said. “I don’t feel like paying $35,000 for a bale wrapper so we help each other. It works well.”
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Lynda and Dan Duncanson (center) raised their six children – (from leŌ) Laurie Klawiter, Pat, Holly Kurth, Angela Prondzinski, Michael and Ross – on their dairy near Winona, Minnesota. Pat and Michael farm with their parents and are in the process of taking it over. When it comes to the genetics of the herd, Pat specializes in knowing the traits and qualities of each cow. He also does all the breeding, focusing on type and longevity. A good portion of the herd ranges in age from 5 to 8 years old. “I give a bottle of calcium to every cow that has had three calves or more, and I usually
go through four boxes a year,” Pat said. Last year, Pat sold the oldest cow in the herd at 13 years old. With an excess of replacement heifers and low demand for cows, the Duncansons are looking at incorporating more beef into the herd’s breeding strategy. To make sure they contin-
ue their farm on the right path, Pat and Michael started working with a farm business management instructor. “He gets us in on a lot of stuff we wouldn’t have known otherwise,” Michael said. “And he helps us with cash ows, which helps with nancing at the bank. And it needs to be done anyway.”
They also started hauling their own sand bedding to save on cost. The Duncansons have used sand bedding in their freestall barn for over 20 years. Although the brothers might see changes to their farm in the future, they carry with them the dedication to the job learned from several generations before.
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What are the top traits you look for in breeding your dairy herd?
Shawn Johnson Winona, Minnesota Winona County 200 cows What are the top traits you look for breeding your dairy herd and how has this changed since you started farming? We look at fat and protein along with milk production. Daughter pregnancy rate and dairy wellness proďƒžt are also important traits to us along with functional type. I took over the breeding decisions of the herd when I learned how to breed the cows in 2012 between my sophomore and junior years of high school. Since then, I have put more of an emphasis on choosing bulls with good health and fertility traits, and high production. What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? Although we feel the environment of the cows (comfortable stalls, consistent and quality feed, etc.) is the biggest contribution to overall production, using the best genetics is a tool to drive that production to its highest. What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? About 20% of the milking herd is bred using sexed semen and the rest is bred with beef semen. We no longer use conventional semen. For the heifers, about 90% of them are bred with sexed semen and the rest are bred to beef. With genomics, we are able to get replacement heifers out of the best animals we have. We have been genomic testing every animal on our farm for the past ďƒžve years. We have always kept our bull calves to ďƒžnish as steers, so when I was younger, we had a beef bull for cleanup. About eight years ago, we started using beef semen instead of using a bull. As our reproduction and fertility has improved over the years, we have increasingly used more beef semen. When I came back full-time ďƒžve years ago, we started also using sexed semen. One year ago, we stopped using conventional semen. What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? Making improvements through genetics takes time. I have been choosing bulls for fertility and health traits for many years but am now starting to see more of a difference. If it works with those traits, it will work for all traits. I just have to keep picking the best bulls to improve over time. Hopefully this will help me have a long dairy farming career, and I can continue to learn more. In your dairy career, what has been your favorite bull that you have used in your herd and what impact has he had? I do not necessarily have a favorite bull because the options are changing all the time, but recently Frazzled is a bull that seems to have a lot of potential for our herd. We are just starting to calve the ďƒžrst daughters on the farm. They look like they will be good cows to have in the herd. Tell us about your farm. I farm together with my parents, Lynn and Darren. My grandparents, Dennis and Betty, are retired from the dairy, but they are active on the farm. We milk our herd in a double-10 parlor with an attached freestall barn we built in 2014. We raise all our replacement heifers and keep our bulls to ďƒžnish as steers. We farm about 700 acres of land.
Daniel and Bridgette Janski Janski Farms LLC South Haven, Minnesota Stearns County 220 cows What are the top traits you look for breeding your dairy herd and how has this changed since you started farming? We strive for hybrid vigor where we try to capture the best traits from three breeds: Holstein, Jersey and MontbĂŠliarde. Our Holsteins are bred to the best Jersey genetics and our Jerseys to the best MontbĂŠliarde genetics, then back to the best Holstein genetics. My primary focuses are udders and temperament when working with crossbred animals. With hybrid vigor dairy cattle, the next generation in our herd has better capabilities to combat problems we have struggled with in the past which were feet, reproduction and longevity. When I started managing our dairy, the traits we were pursuing were quality udders and increased production. We used as many as 30 sires at a time when we were a straight Holstein herd to prevent inbreeding in our cows. Today we use eight. The chance of inbreeding in a three-way cross herd is zero. What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? When I decided to crossbreed, genetics became a strong point for our herd. The appearance, consistency and functionality of our milking herd relies on genetics. Holsteins are best known for production and udders, while Jerseys are best known for productive life with reproductive efďƒžciency while producing milk solids. The MontbĂŠliarde breed has great body condition with great feet and legs while also having productive life and reproductive efďƒžciency. When getting genetic traits from these three breeds, it seems we can create not just a cow but a cow that excels in a productive environment while creating less health events. What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? We breed 40% sexed, 12% conventional and 48% beef. With crossbreeding, I want to use the best genetics for replacement heifers. Sexed semen gives me peace of mind knowing I have heifers coming from the most genetically advanced cattle. Beef gives me the opportunity to breed the cows that I desire less to give me replacements in my herd or are more desirable to create beef calves with. What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? Being open minded to change and having a purpose or understanding as to why we do what we do. In your dairy career, what has been your favorite bull that you have used in your herd and what impact has he had? 249SR02488 Pell Pers from Viking Red was the turning point for my dairy career which is where I learned of the pro-cross program. This transitioned me to the select cross program. Pell Pers was a trial for me on our problem breeding cows which has left a positive impact on our herd and shaped many of our single conception cows. Tell us about your farm. Janski Farms LLC is operated by my parents, Richard and Marlys Janski, my wife, Bridgette Janski, brother Tom Janski, cousin Tyler Janski, and the help of three full-time employees and family, friends and neighbors. We milk 220 cows with Lely robots. We raise our heifers and steers, and feed them with an automatic feeder. We raise 700 steers and have introduced 20 head of beef cows that will be a cow-calf enterprise. The farm produces a wide variety of cash crops including alfalfa, corn, soybean, rye, oat, green canning peas and industrial hemp.
Greg Sabolik Bred & Butter Dairy Kensington, Minnesota Douglas County 500 cows What are the top traits you look for breeding your dairy herd and how has this changed since you started farming? We have continually focused on Net Merit through all the years. We have experimented with putting more importance on some traits versus others but usually fall back to Net Merit. Recently, we have put a higher emphasis on components. What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? We have focused on genomic testing and using the highest genomic bulls to create the correct amount of the highest quality replacements. I feel we are on the tip of the iceberg with what we are learning about dairy cattle, and I am excited with what the next 10 years will bring in terms of technology. What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? We use enough sexed semen in our highest genomic females to provide about a 35%-37% yearly heifer rate. Beyond that, we breed the rest of our females to Angus semen or implant Angus embryos. We started implanting Angus embryos about six months ago to try to drive more value from our beef animals. Throughout the years, we have gone from wanting as many heifers as possible with conventional semen to not wanting anymore than absolutely necessary. What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? The greatest lesson I have learned is to utilize any and all technology available and become an early adopter if possible. We have been told to use the ovsynch program and breed cows that don’t show a heat, and they still become pregnant. With the use of activity monitors, visual heat detection has become a thing of the past. The strides we have made in reproduction are largely due to technology, and the results are nothing short of phenomenal. In your dairy career, what has been your favorite bull that you have used in your herd and what impact has he had? I can’t quite recall his name, but my favorite bull always settled on the ďƒžrst service and produced a heifer calf that was born with no stress to the mother and during daylight hours. When his daughters became adults, you saw them three times outside the parlor, once at calving, once at breeding and once at dry off. They produced ďƒ&#x;awlessly for eight lactations, and yet when it was time to get on the trailer and go for a ride, they did it with grace as I was always sad to see them leave. That was my favorite bull. Tell us about your farm. Bred & Butter Dairy LLC is owned by the Sabolik family and is entering its third generation. We have grown from 36 cows purchased in 1968 to 500 at present. We strive to be the best stewards of the land, caretakers of our animals and foster a culture that brings out the best in all our family and employees.
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15
Junior Hoogland (not pictured) Dr. Todd Trigg and Victor Cano Hoogland Dairy Maurice, Iowa Sioux County 1,800 cows What are the top traits you look for breeding your dairy herd and how has this changed since you started farming? We prefer average-sized cows with some slope to the rump and some set to the legs. Good feet condition and a sound udder are also very important. These traits have not changed in our view of importance since we began. What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? Genetics is an extremely important factor in reaching our goals. In order to compete in today’s world, we strive to be the best at what we do. Genetics is close to the top of the list when it comes to that achievement. What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? In our milking herd, 40% of the cows are bred using sexed semen and 60% is bred to beef semen. Our heifers are bred using 80% sexed and 20% beef. We use more sexed on our heifers because of their superior genetics. What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? The greatest lesson we have learned through our breeding program is that we need to have knowledgeable people we trust to be in charge. Dr. Todd Trigg and our herdsman, Victor Cano, do a great job. I try to let them make the decisions and try not to micro-manage. In your dairy career, what has been your favorite bull that you have used in your herd and what impact has he had? It would say 7H543 Carlin Ivanhoe has been my favorite bull. I started out milking in a stanchion barn. If the cows were too large, they would stand in the gutter. Using this bull provided us with nice, medium sized cows. Tell us about your farm. I started in the dairy business with 20 of my own cows. In 1989, I purchased my dad’s cows. That purchase brought the cow count to 180 cows. I continued to milk in the stanchion barn until the numbers were 500+ head. In 1998, I upgraded to a new dairy with a rotary parlor because milking 500+ head in a stanchion barn three times a day was getting to be too much. The cows are 100% Holstein, and we also raise our own heifers and steers.
Chris Middendorf Freeport, Minnesota Stearns County 600 cows What are the top traits you look for breeding your dairy herd and how has this changed since you started farming? Years ago, more emphasis was put on the linear graphs and type composites. Now, components and functional type get priority. We need cows that perform in the tank and out in the barn ideally over a long period of time. What role does genetics have in reaching the goals on your farm? Because we are paid on components, this is always something that gets looked at to achieve greater protability. What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed conventional and beef semen? In the last year, we used 30% sexed, 45% conventional and 25% beef. Currently, we are trending the conventional usage down, with sexed and beef up. A top percentage of cows get sexed semen, whereas a bottom percentage of the herd gets beef according to their herd percentile ranking as a baseline. Each animal is evaluated at breeding for outliers in selected groups. These outliers can be bumped up or down regarding semen used based on current and past performance of the cow. What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? You can put the best genetics in place, but if you don’t give the cows top quality forages with a comfortable environment, their full potential will never be reached. In your dairy career, what has been your favorite bull that you have used in your herd and what impact has he had? There have been a few but Josuper stands out. He makes cows that work hard and are consistently above herd average. Structurally, they are very sound cows and have really worked well for us. Tell us about your farm. On Middendorf Farms, we milk about 600 cows with the help of 12 full- and part-time employees. My wife, Deana, and our three children live on the home farm that my parents, Tom and Rita Middendorf, started farming back in 1961. I took over the farm around 2000, and bought out my parents in 2017. Since 2000, we have expanded the operation hundreds of cows and more buildings. I do custom harvesting and manure pumping when I am not busy harvesting my own 1,500 acres. Our heifer calves are raised at another facility and brought back to our farm next door where my parents live. There are 300 heifers there. I have been fortunate to grow our farm in these hard times and hopefully will be able to keep it going and expand for my 14-year-old son Westin to take over one day.
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Dave Scheevel Preston, Minnesota Fillmore County 130 cows What are the top traits you look for breeding your dairy herd and how has this changed since you started farming? I like to look at milk production and having a sound type cow. I like cows with a medium frame that ts in the free stalls that have quality feet and legs, and udders. I don’t want them too big. Originally when breeding for production traits, I looked at milk. Now I focus more on components. What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? It helps create good cows. I like cows on my farm that can earn their keep and help pay the bills. This helps me earn a decent living and an eventual retirement from dairying. What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? About 90% is bred using conventional semen and about 8% are bred with sexed semen. The last 2% is bred with beef semen. About three years ago I backed away from using sexed semen to save a bit of money. And I really only use beef semen on hard breeders; however, I might start using more beef on a larger percentage of the bottom genetics of the herd. I have been using beef on my hard breeders for the past few years. Before that, I used crossbreeding to get those cows bred. What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? Discipline is important. You have to stick with it and be consistent with watching for heats and breeding on time. Using an ovsynch program has helped with that along with having a good herdsman, Joe Guyer, the last three years. He has been instrumental in managing the herd and making sure the cows are getting bred in a timely manner. In your dairy career, what has been your favorite bull that you have used in your herd and what impact has he had? In more recent years, I don’t have a favorite because the bulls are always changing, and I have the cows mated by Mark Lopau at Genex. However, in the early 1980s, I really liked I-O-State Chief Ford because his daughters were strong in milk. I also liked a bull named Juan. He made decent cows that lasted a long time. Tell us about your farm. My herd is milked in a parlor and housed in a freestall barn. I farm 250 acres of corn and hay, and buy grain and concentrates. The replacement heifers are sent to a heifer grower from birth until 6 months, and bulls are sold to a neighbor. I have one full-time and two parttime employees. My wife works off the farm.
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Carl Mensen Luxemburg, Iowa Clayton County 75 cows What are the top traits you look for breeding your dairy herd and how has this changed since you started farming? We look for type, feet and legs, and butterfat and protein components. Change has been so gradual. We have improved our udder composition, type and longevity. We have incorporated a little aAa® in past years. What role does genetics have in reaching the goals of your farm? Our goal is to have longer-living cows for our tiestall situation. We are improving feet and legs to accomplish not having such a high cull rate. Now the problem is the heifer market; replacement heifers just aren’t very high value, so we’ve been breeding to beef for about two years. What percentage of your herd is bred to sexed, conventional and beef semen? We are not using sexed semen, and we are about 90% conventional and 10% beef. There’s a market for those beef calves that’s almost 25% to 50% higher than Holsteins. I don’t like using sexed semen, but you can get into trouble not having enough replacements. What is the greatest lesson you have learned through your breeding program? Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Genetics are changing, so as one bull comes up you’ve got to make sure the genetics aren’t undesirable for your herd. In your dairy career, what has been your favorite bull that you have used in your herd and what impact has he had? Monument Impression. He has improved feet and legs without hurting the udders. Tell us about your farm. Our farm belongs to my wife, Lisa, and I. We have three boys – all three are married and two have children. Two of our sons work off the farm and a third has his own farm but works together with us. He hatches guineas. We have been farming since 1993 and are about 50% registered Holsteins. We raise all our feed.
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
Top Performers
Meyer Dairy strives for cow comfort, high quality forages Meyer Dairy LLC Sauk Centre, Minnesota Stearns County 300 cows What is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? 29,160 pounds of milk, 1,190 pounds of butterfat and 892 pounds of protein. How many times a day do you milk? If you don’t milk 3X a day, have you tried it in the past? We milk two times a day. We were three times a day up until a month ago.
Do you contract your milk? Has it been successful for you? No, we do not contract milk. We utilize Dairy Revenue Protection and Dairy Margin Coverage for our risk management tools. Describe your housing and milking facility. We milk in a double-8 parallel parlor. The cows are housed in freestall barns, where they are bedded with either sawdust or separated manure solids depending on which barn they are in.
ANDREA BORGERDING/DAIRY STAR
The Meyers – (from leŌ) Tyler, Tara, Maddie and Nick – milk 300 cows near Sauk Centre, Minnesota. They currently have a herd average over 29,000 pounds of milk.
ANDREA BORGERDING/DAIRY STAR
Cows rest in stalls bedded with separated manure solids. They also use sawdust for bedding in one of their barns.
What is your herd health program? The vet comes every two weeks and ultrasounds. Cows are checked at 28-42 days since last heat, rechecked again at 60-74 days and re-
checked again at 144-158 days. What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? Cows are dried off at 50 days before due date and are
put on a special dry cow ration. At 21 days, they are moved to a bed pack pen and a prefresh ration. After calving, cows are put in a post-fresh pen on a post-fresh ration. Turn to MEYERS | Page 20
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
ConƟnued from MEYERS | Page 18 What is the composition of your ration? What has been one of your most recent changes that has been successful for you? BMR corn silage, haylage, dry corn, soybean meal, corn gluten feed and protein/mineral mix. We feed a very high corn silage diet. We previously made high moisture corn and stored in bags. We now only put up dry corn and run all dry corn for rations through our on-farm grinder mixer. We have seen a bump in components when moving away from high moisture corn. Through the years you have been farming, what change has created the biggest jump
in your herd average? Comfortable, happy cows that are eating high-quality forages. We pay special attention to pile face management and ensuring the feeds in the ration are top quality. Modications to the freestalls barns, such as raising neck rails and adding on to one barn for additional lunge space, also have improved cow comfort. What role does genetics play in your production level, and what is your breeding program? We work closely with Daryl Zenzen, ABS Global representative. He chooses bulls based on high components and health traits. We use sexed semen on the top 40% of ANDREA BORGERDING/DAIRY STAR
The Meyers have made several modicaƟons to their freestall barns including a raised neck rail and addiƟonal lunge space for cow comfort. animals in the herd. The lower 60% of the herd is bred to beef semen. What type of improvements would you like to make that would increase your rolling herd average even higher? Continue to make strides in cow comfort and high-quality forages for optimal production.
ANDREA BORGERDING/DAIRY STAR
The Meyers pay special aƩenƟon to pile face management on their dairy in Stearns County, Minnesota.
List three management strategies that has kept you profitable. We work closely with our nutritionist, breeder and other consultants on our team to brainstorm ideas, best management practices and then ul-
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timately implement those ideas that will work on our farm. We are constantly discussing ideas and have to be willing to adapt as managers. What would you say are the three most important factors for you that helped you attain your current herd average? Transition cow health has always been an area of focus. We have tweaked rations, tried the post-fresh cows in different areas of the farm and rearranged milking order and pen locations to nd the sweet spot for our post-fresh cows. Making cow comfort a top priority
is a continuous improvement area. We have one barn with mattresses bedded with sawdust and a second freestall barn bedded with separated manure solids. We have been working with Zinpro for a trial/study to keep bacteria counts lower in the separated manure solids stalls. Tell us about your farm. We are second-generation dairy farmers at this farm. Nick took over the farm from his parents. We have two kids and raise all of our youngstock on site. We raise all our own forages and corn while other parts of the ration are purchased.
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Housing
Ritchie manufactures a complete line of livestock watering products with the highest specifications in the industry. From a single horse Stall Fount to a fountain that waters up to 500 head, Ritchie fountains are top quality. Plus, every Ritchie fountain is backed by our 10 year limited warranty. For more information contact us at:
Carlson Wholesale - 800-669-4038 www.carlsonwholesale.net @carlsonwholesale
Dealer logo For more information, or the name of your nearestand dealer, call contact here
1-800-669-4038 or
tim@carlsonwholesale.net or chad@carlsonwholesale.net
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 21
0.75% Financing for up to 60 months
Financing subject to pre-approval through JD Financial. Some restrictions apply. See dealer for details.
ON ALL PLANTERS & SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS
JD DB44, 2020, 24 row 22” $ #175 7 32 3233 #175323
300,500
Case IH FLX4530 2013, 3460 hrs., $ #173392
70,400
JD DB66, 2012, 36 row 22” CCS $ #166296
189,500
RoGator RG1100 2014, 3425 hrs., $ #175947
99,500
JD 1775NT, 2015, 24 row 30” CCS, $ #170394
JD 1790, 2010, 31 row 15” CCS, $ #171218
JD 4940 2013, 1716 hrs., $ #170040
JD 4830 2013, 2270 hrs., $ #175791
189,500
169,500
79,500
148,900
Over 1000 items with pictures updated daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com DISKS 4 JD 2623, 2013, 33 ft, #149511 ...............................................$34,900 10 Frontier DH1166, Rigid, Spacing: 9”, #175775 .......................$1,400 10 JD 2620, 2016, 26 ft, 3-Section Folding, Spacing: 9”, #175512 ..................................................................................$34,500 10 Kuhn Krause 8300, 2012, 32 ft, 3-Section Folding, #173581 ..................................................................................$29,999 10 JD 637, 2002, 29 ft, 3-Section Folding, Spacing: 9”, #172913 ..................................................................................$33,500 7 JD 637, 2011, 45 ft, 5-Section Folding, Spacing: 9”, #166177 ..................................................................................$34,900 15 Sunflower 1550-50, 49 ft, 5-Section Folding, #172168 .......$38,400 11 JD 2623, 2013, 20 ft, 3-Section Folding, Spacing: 9”, #168622 ..................................................................................$26,900 14 JD 2680H, 2019, 42 ft, 3-Section Folding, #176202 .............$99,500 14 Summers 40’ Supercoulter, 2012, 3-Section Folding, #175643 ..................................................................................$39,900 3 Wishek 862-NT, 2009, 33 ft, 3-Section Folding, #163465 ....$21,900 FIELD CULTIVATORS 4 JD 980, 1996, 44 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #169542 ..$13,900 4 JD 2210, 2005, 54 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #167743 $30,900 2 JD 980, 1997, 25 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #176647 ..$10,900 2 JD 2210, 2012, 32 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #173629 $35,900 2 JD 2210LL, 2014, 45.5 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #173708 ..................................................................................$39,000 2 JD 2230, 2018, 50.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #176637 ..................................................................................$94,900 17 JD 980, 1995, 41 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #175950 ....$9,500 17 JD 2210, 2012, 50.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #173641 ..................................................................................$42,900 17 Case IH Tigermate 2, 2010, 46 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #176675 .................................................................$37,400 17 JD 2210, 2011, 60 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #168037$49,400 7 Wil-Rich 3400, 1985, 36 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #176004 ....................................................................................$3,995 6 JD 960, 1990, 32 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #174317 ....$4,400 1 Wil-Rich QX-2, 2008, 47 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #173990 ..................................................................................$32,900
15 JD 2210, 2011, 50.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #175598 ..................................................................................$43,900 15 JD 2210, 2008, 65 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #166479$37,900 15 JD 2210, 2007, 65 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #166478$29,500 15 JD 980, 1998, 40 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #171557 ..$11,900 5 Wil-Rich Quad X, 2006, 50 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #176205 ..................................................................................$19,900 5 Case IH Tigermate 2, 2002, 45 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #176404 ..................................................................$24,900 5 JD 2210, 2009, 55.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #175257 ..................................................................................$45,000 5 Case IH Tigermate II, 2006, 50.5 ft, C-Shank, #171913.......$32,900 11 Case IH 200, 2012, 60.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #169795 ..................................................................................$34,900 14 JD 2210, 2014, 60.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #174638 ..................................................................................$59,900 14 JD 960, 1989, 42 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #165959 ....$6,900 14 Case IH 200, 2014, 60 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #176029 ..................................................................................$47,500 14 JD 2210, 2012, 60.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #176030 ..................................................................................$49,500 14 JD 2200, 2002, 50.5 ft, 5-Section Folding, C-Shank, #161487 ..................................................................................$21,900 3 JD 2210, 2007, 26 ft, 3-Section Folding, C-Shank, #175749 $26,400 PLANTERS 4 JD 1775NT, 2018, 16R30” , Flex Fold, #150736 .................. $149,500 2 JD 1770NT, 2014, 16R30” , Flex Fold, #176683 .....................$89,500 2 JD 1775NT, 2019, 16R30” , Flex Fold, #174754 .................. $149,500 2 JD 1775NT, 2019, 16R30”, Flex Fold, #174753 ................... $149,500 17 JD 1760, 2002, 12R30” , Rigid, #176731................................$26,900 17 JD 1790, 2010, 31R15” , Flex Fold, #171218..........................$79,500 7 JD DB66, 2018, 36R22”, Flex Fold, #161533 ....................... $289,500 7 JD 1780, 2007, 15R15”, #169548 ...........................................$24,500 7 JD 1770NT, 2009, 16R30”, #169073 ......................................$62,900 6 White 6106, 1992, 6;R30” , Rigid, #174852 ............................$8,400 9 JD 1770, 2002, 16R30” , Flex Fold, #174750..........................$25,500 16 JD DB66, 2017, 36R22”, Wing Fold, #175194 ..................... $349,500 16 JD 1775NT, 2017, 24R30”, Wing Fold, #160204 ................. $229,500
Visit one of our 17 locations in Central Minnesota! (1) = GLENCOE 4561 Hwy. 212
(4) = ST. CLOUD 1035 35th Ave. NE
(2) = HOWARD LAKE (5) = GLENWOOD 5845 Keats Ave. SW
1710 N. Franklin
(3) = STEWART
(6) = SAUK CENTRE
78412 Co. Rd. 20
1140 Centre St.
(7) = ALEXANDRIA (9) = PRINCETON 320-763-4220 5005 Co. Rd. 82 SE
3708 Baptist Church Rd.
(8) = PAYNESVILLE
16069 Hwy. 27 E.
725 Lake Ave. S.
JD DB44, 2020, 24R22”, Flex Fold, #175323 ....................... $300,500 JD 1750, 8R30”, Rigid, #171351 .............................................$15,900 JD 7200, 1990, 12R30”, Wing Fold, #176381 .........................$10,400 JD 1775NT, 2015, 24R30”, Flex Fold, #170394 ................... $189,500 JD DB66, 2005, 36R22”, Flex Fold, #166985 ....................... $109,500 JD DB66, 2012, 36R22”, Flex Fold, #166296 ....................... $189,500 JD DB66, 2018, 36R22”, #171214....................................... $339,500 JD 1770NT CCS, 2012, 24R30”, Wing Fold, #167881 .......... $118,500 JD 1710, 1997, 12R30”, Wing Fold, #176726 .........................$14,900 JD 1710, 24R22”, Wing Fold, #168140 ...................................$19,900 JD 1720 CCS, 2012, 16R30”, Wing Fold, #176499 ..................$65,900 JD 7300, 1992, 12R30”, Wing Fold, #175563.........................$11,900 SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS 17 JD R4030, 2014, 120’ boom, Narrow tires, 1037 hrs., #173856 ............................................................................... $215,000 1 JD 4830, 2009, 120’ boom, Narrow tires, 1081 hrs., #176742 ............................................................................... $149,500 15 JD 4830, 2013, 100’ boom, Boom Leveling, 1230 hrs., #176478 ............................................................................... $151,900 16 JD R4038, 2018,120’ boom, 227 hrs., #168631.................. $345,000 16 JD R4038, 2018, 132’ boom, 981 hrs., #157822................. $339,500 16 JD R4038, 2019, 132’ boom, 514 hrs., #175772................. $355,000 16 JD 4830, 2012, 2040 hrs., #171464 .................................... $139,000 16 JD R4038, 2018, 120’ boom, 492 hrs., #157823................. $329,500 16 JD 4940, 2013, 132’ boom, 1716 hrs., #170040 ................. $169,500 16 JD R4038, 2019, 132’ boom, Narrow tires, 548 hrs., #168957 ............ $379,500 11 JD R4038, 2018, 120’ boom, 200 hrs., #150473................. $349,500 8 JD R4038, 2018, 120’ boom, 1402 hrs., #174421 .............. $274,900 8 RoGator RG1100, 2014, 100’ boom, 3425 hrs., #175947 .....$99,500 8 Hagie STS12, 2020, 120’ boom, 544 hrs., #174422 ........... $375,000 8 JD R4038, 2020, 120’ boom, 176 hrs., #174932................. $354,900 8 RoGator RG1100, 2012, 90’ boom, 4375 hrs., #176730 .......$72,900 14 JD 4830, 2013, 2270 hrs., #175791 .................................... $148,900 14 JD 4830, 2008, 100’ boom, Narrow tires, 5859 hrs., #174231 ..................................................................................$66,900 3 Ag-Chem 1064, 2003, 90’ boom, Narrow tires, 3647 hrs., #176766 ..................................................................................$3,7500 5 11 8 8 8 14 14 3 17 15 8 3
CALL TODAY! (320)365-1653 (12) = AITKIN 1120 2nd St. NW
(10) = LITTLE FALLS (13) = BAXTER (11) = WADENA 62505 US Hwy. 10
7045 Foley Rd.
(14) = ELBOW LAKE
(16) = BENSON
(15) = MORRIS
(17) = MADISON
110 2nd St. NE
23604 State Hwy. 9
380 Atlantic Ave. 516 1st St. E
SEE OUR COMPLETE INVENTORY WITH PICTURES AND DESCRIPTIONS AT: www.mmcjd.com
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
Happy Holidays This year we have many blessings to be thankful for, but we are especially grateful for your continued cooperation and support. The work you do inspires us to do better each year. We wish you and your loved ones a safe and happy holiday season!
Hamra Farm at DeLaval HQ, Tumba Sweden
www.delaval.com
Farm management requires teamwork, emotions Anderson receives MMPA friend of dairy award By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
PLAINVIEW, Minn. – Tom Anderson considers the work he does as a far m business management instructor for Riverland Community College to be a team effort between him, his dairy producer clients and others in the industry who step in when needed. “That is the dairy industry at its best – we all work together,” Anderson said. “I appreciate the opportunity to work with them (dairy producers) in a way that is very personal and rewarding to me.” So when Anderson was surprised with this year’s Bruce Cottington Friend of Dairy Award from the Minnesota Milk Producers Association during a recorded video call in November, he could not help but get Tom Anderson misty-eyed. “I think the emotions got the best of me because I was so surprised over receiving such an honor that I hadn’t even considered before,” Anderson said. “When you apply for recognition, you hope you get it. But in this case, someone nominated me. … I was truly touched others would have that kind of appreciation for me. The fact people respect the work we’ve done together is very touching and emotional for me.” Typically, the award, presented to someone
“I think the emotions got the best of me because I was so surprised over receiving such an honor that I hadn’t even considered before.” TOM ANDERSON, FBM INSTRUCTOR
IOWA Kramer Bros. Monticello, IA 319-465-5931 Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290 <UP[LK +HPY` :`Z[LTZ West Union, IA 563-422-5355 WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713
Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Mondovi Dairy Systems Inc. Mondovi, WI 715-926-5777
MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA D&D Ag Supply Pennock, MN 320-599-4466 East Central Dairy Supply Mora, MN 320-679-1029
Professional Dairy Services Arlington, WI 608-635-0267
Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Watertown, SD 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD 800-284-0015
Redeker Dairy Equipment Brandon, WI 920-346-5579
S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288
The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470
Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
West Salem, WI 608-769-2113
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2020 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. www.delaval.com
who is a leader in the dairy industry and involved in their local community, is given at the Minnesota Milk annual meeting; however, because the meeting was being held virtually Dec. 2, the organization wanted Anderson to receive his recognition in a special way. Anderson was told the recorded video conference call was for educational purposes about the farm business management program. Instead, Anderson was surprised when John and Connie Meyer, who knew about the secret, presented them with award. The Meyers are Minnesota Milk members and dairy producers who work with Anderson and milk 700 cows near Rollingstone. Since starting in his farm business management role in December 1997, Anderson has worked with 110 farm families. The main focus has been Turn to ANDERSON | Page 23 Esgate Rd., Anamosa Silo 8827 Maquoketa, IA 563-652-5125 Repair, LLC
¾ New Silos & Rebuilt Silos w/new staves door frames & doors ¾ Replasters are hand plastered ¾ Complete Silo Repair & Service ¾ Sales & service on all brands of feeding equipment including ValMetal, Jamesway, Van Dale, Hanson & Laidig Bottom unloaders ¾ Jamesway/ValMetal manure equipment 4 & 6 wheel tanks, lagoon pumps, transfer pumps, alley scrapers, stationary, mobile & vertical mixers ¾ Electric Motor Repair drop off station ¾ Metal Culvert Sales
Visit our website for a complete list of available equipment www.jameswayfarmeq.com www.valmetal.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 23
ConƟnued from ANDERSON | Page 22
to help dairy farmers develop records in order to make sound nancial management decisions for their farms. But his work goes much deeper than numbers printed on paper. He helps families learn how to work together to make decisions and transition to the next generation. “That is one of my passions,” Anderson said about assisting farmers in generational transfers. “The phase of transition is not only nancial, but is about responsibility and overall management, and allowing the next generation to have the time to learn those things.” Paperwork to pass on assets is the easy part, Anderson said. “Transition to me is not just ownership percentages, but transition of knowledge, responsibility, skill and relationships between all parties involved,” he said. “Transition is huge and it’s something we need to work on. It’s not only hard issues, it’s a lot of soft issues too.” It is also knowing and understanding the way family members want to live. “I’ve always said nance is cold, cruel and heartless,” Anderson said. “You look at the cold, cruel and heartless numbers rst and then you step back and say, what is it that is important to me? Maybe making the last dollar wasn’t the most important thing to the family. Realizing we need to be protable, but at the end of the day, my family is probably the most important piece of my life and that needs to be taken into consideration.” Since 2007, Anderson said he has had a love affair with robotic milking systems. “Robotics are not for everybody, but it’s a tool some can use and have used fairly well,” he said. “It is the way of the future. There are a lot of good things that come out of technology and this next generation desires to use it to their advantage and good will. It’s no different than our ancestors going from horses to cars.” Plus, the use of robotics has t well together with many of his clients who are transitioning to the next generation. “This next generation doesn’t always want to brag that they never left the farm,” Anderson said.
“They don’t want to brag that they milked cows every morning and night for the last 45 years.” Robots have been a way to give dairy farmers a different kind of family life. “I have had so many people over the years that said, ‘My dad never saw me play football or came to my basketball games because he was milking cows’ … and it’s affecting them today, 20 years later,” Anderson said. “Transition is understanding the next generation, what is important to them, and guring out if we can blend the dairy demands with personal life and still be nancially solid.”
“When you develop relationships, that’s when good things happen. I’ve always been one who gets very close with the families I work with.” TOM ANDERSON, FBM INSTRUCTOR
Anderson said his position allows him to know his clients on a personal level. It is one of the aspects of his job his enjoys the most. “When you develop relationships, that’s when good things happen,” Anderson said. “I’ve always been one who gets very close with the families I
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work with, and the trust level between themselves and myself is always of utmost importance to me. That we can share openly, that we trust each other and that it’s condential, that we support each other.” His clients have become his friends. Anderson has been invited to weddings, funerals, graduation parties and other milestone celebrations. “It’s not only because of their business, but it’s because I truly care about who they are and what’s happening to them,” Anderson said. Throughout the pandemic, Anderson has been trying to keep up with his connections even more as most of his meetings have been done by virtual calls. Sometimes he will send a simple text message or email asking how the farmers are doing in these uncertain times. “Caring for each other, respecting each other, going out of the way every once in awhile and random acts of kindness go a long way today,” Anderson said. “That’s how we bring this country back together and that’s the dairy industry in a nutshell.” Maintaining the personal relationships while working on the nances and management decisions of a farm is critical in Anderson’s role. This has made an obvious impression on others who nominated him for the friend of dairy award. “I’m humbled and grateful, but the credit goes to many other people and organizations that work together in this industry,” Anderson said. “That’s what makes it so unique and makes me so proud to be a part of it.”
DAIRYSTAR.COM THE KINGFISHER ADVANTAGE KingFisher won the Grand Champion of the conventional corn silage division of the Forage Super Bowl, three years in a row. Unprecedented. And five Grand Champions total in 2020, including the Quality Counts Division. Unparalleled. But, while trophies on a shelf are nice, what does it mean for you as a livestock producer?
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
+
DAIRY ST R
The Great Christmas “GRAND” PRIZE
GIVEAWAY
Grand Prize Drawing Will Be Held Wednesday, December 16, 2020 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 Brown Swiss Calf: PORT-HAVEN SILVERS JORDANA
Grand Priz e Calf come s Born: September 7, 2020 from The P o r tner famil Dam: Port-Haven Treasury Jodi VG 85 y of Sleepy E ye Sire: LA Rainbow Sweet Silver ET Minnesota , Granddam: Cie Port-Haven Payslis 1638 VG 87
Tom and Mary Portner pictured with Port-Haven Silvers Jordana heifer calf that will be given away in the Great Christmas Giveaway drawing.
REGISTER FREE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!
Register at participating businesses, online at www.dairystar.com or Àll out the form below and mail to: Dairy Star 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378 ADULT REGISTRATION
17 & UNDER REGISTRATION
Name:
Name:
Address:
Parents Name(s): Address:
Phone:
# of Cows:
Mail to: Dairy Star • 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. • Sauk Centre, MN 56378
Phone: # of Cows: Mail to: Dairy Star • 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave. • Sauk Centre, MN 56378
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 25
IOWA
REGISTER AT THESE PARTICIPATING BUSINESSES:
ALLAMAKEE COUNTY • Bodensteiner Implement Waukon • 563-568-3463 • Innovative Ag Services Waukon • 563-568-3455 • Waukon Veterinary Services Waukon • 563-568-2487 BREMER COUNTY • ViaÀeld Sumner • 563-578-3214 BUCHANAN COUNTY • Bodensteiner Implement Rowley • 319-938-2222 • ViaÀeld Winthrop • 319-935-3336 CHICKASAW COUNTY • Bodensteiner Implement New Hampton • 641-394-3061 CLAYTON COUNTY • Bodensteiner Implement Elkader • 563-245-2470 • Innovative Ag Services Elkader • 563-245-1230 Monona • 563-539-2001 DELAWARE COUNTY • Edgewood Feed Mill Edgewood • 563-928-6405 DUBUQUE COUNTY • Bodensteiner Implement Dyersville • 563-875-2724 • Brunkan Equipment Worthington • 563-855-2434 • CJ Beeps Equipment Farley • 563-744-5010 • 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 FAYETTE COUNTY • Bodensteiner ImplemenT Clermont • 563-423-5206 Oelwein • 319-283-4371 • ViaÀeld Arlington • 563-633-3415 Elgin • 563-426-5566 Maynard • 563-637-2285 FLOYD COUNTY • Livestock Systems Charles City• 641-220-5257 HOWARD COUNTY • Bodensteiner Implement Cresco • 563-547-2152 • Farmers Win Coop Cresco West • 563-547-3660 JACKSON COUNTY • Innovative Ag Services Andrew • 563-672-3228 JONES COUNTY • Bodensteiner Implement Monticello • 319-465-3515 SIOUX COUNTY • Rock Valley Hay Auction Co. Rock Valley • 712-476-5541 • Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Rock Valley • 712-476-5608 WINNESHIEK COUNTY • Bodensteiner Implement Decorah • 563-382-2961 • Brynsaas Sales & Service Decorah • 563-382-4484 • Farmers Win Coop Burr Oak • 563-735-5427 Ridgeway • 563-737-2244 • Franzen Sales & Service Fort Atkinson • 563-534-2724
MINNESOTA
• First National Bank of MilacaGilman OfÀce • 320-387-2233 • Gilman Co-op Creamery Gilman • 320-387-2770 BROWN COUNTY • New Ulm Regional Vet Clinic New Ulm • 507-233-2500 CARVER COUNTY • Bongards’ Bongards • 952-466-5521 • Lano Equipment of Norwood Norwood/Young America 952-467-2181 • Storms Welding Cologne • 952-466-3343 DAKOTA COUNTY • Werner Implement Vermillion • 651-437-4435 DOUGLAS COUNTY • Midwest Machinery Alexandria • 320-763-4220 • Nelson Creamery Nelson • 320-762-0115 • Osakis Creamery Assn. 320-859-2146 • Pro Ag Farmers Co-op GarÀeld • 320-834-2271 FILLMORE COUNTY • Farmers Win Coop Rushford • 507-864-2161 • Hammell Equipment Harmony • 507-886-2255 Rushford • 507-864-2845 GOODHUE COUNTY • Ag Partners - Grain Site Bellchester • 651-923-4453 Wanamingo-Grain Site • 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 Bellchester • 651-923-4425 • Midwest Livestock Systems Zumbrota • 507-732-4673 HOUSTON COUNTY • Farmers Win Coop Caledonia • 507-725-3306 Houston • 507-896-3147 Spring Grove • 507-498-5321 • Hammell Equipment Eitzen • 507-495-3326 KANABEC COUNTY • East Central Dairy Supply Mora • 320-679-1029 • Fluegge’s Ag Mora • 320-679-2981 KANDIYOHI COUNTY • D&D Ag Supply & Construction Pennock • 320-599-4466 • Farm-Rite Equipment Willmar • 320-235-3672 LE SUEUR COUNTY • Ag Partners - Agronomy Le Center • 507-357-6868 MCLEOD COUNTY • Arnold’s of Glencoe Glencoe • 320-864-5531 • Leedstone Glencoe • 877-864-5575 • Mueller Sales & Service Dairy Equipment Glencoe • 888-205-0974 MEEKER COUNTY • Farm-Rite Equipment Dassel • 320-275-2737 • Schlauderaff Implement Co. LitchÀeld • 320-693-7277 MILLE LACS COUNTY • Foreston Co-op Creamery/ ADM Alliance Nutrition Foreston • 320-294-5711 • First National Bank of Milaca Milaca • 320-983-3101 MORRISON COUNTY • Central MN Credit Union Little Falls • 888-330-8482 • Lash’s Auto Pierz • 320-232-0537
• Litke’s Veterinary Service Pierz • 320-468-6666 • Midwest Machinery Little Falls • 320-632-5469 • Modern Farm Equipment Pierz • 320-468-2161 • Pierz Co-op Pierz • 320-468-6655 • Sunrise Ag Cooperative Buckman • 320-468-6433 Lastrup • 320-468-2543 Little Rock • 320-584-5147 Pierz • 320-468-2168 OLMSTED COUNTY • Hammell Equipment ChatÀeld • 507-867-4910 OTTER TAIL COUNTY • Bongards’ Perham • 218-346-4680 • Farmers Elevator of Fergus Falls & Henning 218-736-3301 • PCCA-Country Store Perham • 218-346-7075 • Perham Stockyards Perham • 218-346-3415 • Pro Ag Farmers Co-op in Henning 218-583-2947 • Pro Ag Farmers Co-op in Urbank 218-267-2401 PIPESTONE COUNTY • Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equipment Pipestone • 507-825-3271 POPE COUNTY • Midwest Machinery Glenwood • 320-634-5151 RICE COUNTY • Ag Partners - Agronomy Morristown • 507-685-2700 SCOTT COUNTY • Ag Partners - Farm Store Belle Plaine • 952-873-3224 • Ag Partners - Coop Tire & Auto Belle Plaine • 952-873-3001 SHERBURNE COUNTY • Midwest Machinery Princeton • 763-389-3453 SIBLEY COUNTY • Gibbon Lumber Gibbon • 507-834-6366 STEARNS COUNTY • A&C Farm Service Paynesville • 320-243-3736 • Ag Venture Feed & Seed, Inc. Watkins • 320-764-9910, 800-779-8910 • Albany Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Albany • 320-845-2801 • Arnold’s of Kimball Kimball • 320-398-3800 • Arnold’s of St. Martin St. Martin • 320-548-3285 • Arnzen Construction/St. Rosa Lumber Freeport, In St. Rosa 320-836-2284 or 1-888-276-1751 • Central MN Credit Union Albany • 888-330-8482 Avon • 888-330-8482 Belgrade • 888-330-8482 Cold Spring • 888-330-8482 Freeport • 888-330-8482 Holdingford • 888-330-8482 Melrose • 888-330-8482 Paynesville • 888-330-8482 Sauk Centre • 888-330-8482 • Centre Dairy Equipment & Supply Inc. Sauk Centre • 320-352-5762 or 1-800-342-2697 • Coil’s Flags St Cloud • 320-253-8160 • Cold Spring Co-op & Country Store Cold Spring • 320-685-8651 • Dairy Star Sauk Centre • 320-352-6303 • Dairyland Supply Sauk Centre 320-352-3987 or 1-800-338-6455 • DHIA Sauk Centre 320-352-2028 or 1-800-369-2697 • Ecker Feed Service, LLC New Munich • 320-837-5800 • Elrosa Grain & Feed Elrosa • 320-697-5515
• Elrosa Lumber Elrosa • 320-697-5591 • Farm Systems Melrose 1-800-636-5581 • 1-800-247-0012 • Feed Co. Paynesville • 320-243-3938 • Freeport State Bank Freeport • 1-800-252-9856 320-836-2126 Greenwald • 320-987-2265 New Munich • 320-837-5297 Melrose • 320-256-7208 • Hartung Sales & Service, Inc. Freeport • 320-836-2697 • Lake Henry Implement Lake Henry • 320-243-7411 • Leedstone Melrose • 800-996-3303 • Melrose Implement Inc. Melrose • 320-256-4253 • Midwest Machinery Sauk Centre • 320-352-6511 Sauk Rapids • 320-252-2010 • Modern Farm Equipment Sauk Centre • 320-352-6543 • Nutrien Ag Solutions 320-352-6564 STEELE COUNTY • Ag Partners - Agronomy Owatonna • 507-413-8000 • Northland Farm Systems Owatonna • 800-385-3911 TODD COUNTY • Central MN Credit Union Grey Eagle • 888-330-8482 Long Prairie • 888-330-8482 • Farm-Rite Long Prairie • 320-732-3715 • Olson’s Custom Farm Service Staples • 800-477-7059 • Pro-Ag Farmers Co-op in Browerville Browerville • 320-594-2415 • Pro-Ag Farmers Co-op in Clarissa Clarissa • 218-756-2112 • Pro-Ag Farmers Co-op in Eagle Bend Eagle Bend • 218-738-2552 WABASHA COUNTY • Ag Partners Farm Store Lake City • 651-345-3328 Plainview • 507-534-2531 • Beck Implement Elgin • 507-876-2122 • Leedstone Plainview • 800-548-2540 • Wingert Sales & Service Plainview • 507-534-2285 WADENA COUNTY • Dairyland Equipment of Menahga Menahga • 218-564-4958 • Olson’s Custom Farm Service Verndale • 218-445-5500 Sebeka • 218-837-5749 WINONA COUNTY • Benson Farm Service Lewiston • 507-523-2188 • Elba Coop Elba • 507-796-6571 • S&S Dairy Systems St. Charles • 507-932-4288 WRIGHT COUNTY • Hobert Sales Inc. Cokato • 320-286-6284, 1-800-820-6455 • The Country Store/Munson Lakes Nutrition Howard Lake • 320-543-3517, 800-663-9177 YELLOW MEDICINE COUNTY • Farmward Cooperative Wood Lake • 507-485-3153
SOUTH DAKOTA BROOKINGS COUNTY • W.W. Tire Brookings • 605-696-7400 CODINGTON COUNTY • Midwest Ag Supply Watertown • 605-882-2497 MINNEHAHA COUNTY • Central Valley Dairy Supply Brandon • 605-467-0812 • Midwest Livestock Systems Sioux Falls • 800-705-1447 ROBERTS COUNTY • Valley Dairy Supply Corona • 605-432-5224
BECKER COUNTY • Adkins Equipment Inc. Detroit Lakes • 218-847-3131 BENTON COUNTY • Arnold’s of St. Cloud Sauk Rapids • 320-251-2585 • Farm-Rite Equipment St. Cloud • 320 240 2085 *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 adult prize, or 17 years or younger and a son or
To view a complete list of participating businesses, log on to www.dairystar.com 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, December 12, 2020
Many Minnesota USDA Service Centers open for business by phone appointment The United States Department of Agriculture is temporarily restricting in-person visits for numerous Service Centers in Minnesota because of elevated rates of FSA News & Notes coronavirus community spread, but USDA employees will continue to assist agricultural producers with programs and services. USDA is using a phased, data-driven approach to determine which Service Centers are open for in-person By Ryan Brunn appointments. Field work, Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. including conservation planning assistance, will continue with appropriate social distancing. “While many of our Service Centers across Minnesota will be physically closed to visitors, we remain open for business,” said Joe Martin, state executive director for the USDA Farm Service Agency in Minnesota. Added Troy Daniel, state conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Minnesota, “Throughout the pandemic, our work with producers has continued and we remain committed to serving our customers.” All USDA Service Centers are open for business, and staff members from FSA and NRCS will continue to work with producers by phone, email, and digital tools like Microsoft Teams, Box, and OneSpan. Producers can learn more about how to leverage these digital offerings by visiting www. farmers.gov/mydocs. Producers wishing to conduct business with the FSA, NRCS or any other agency should call ahead to conrm and schedule appointments. More information can be found at ww.farmers. gov/coronavirus/service-center-status, and contact information for local Service Centers is available at www.farmers.gov/service-center-locator. 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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tely ®
Add chocolate chips and whisk constantly until the chocolate chips melt into the milk. Whisk in vanilla extract. Place in a mug and enjoy. Makes four servings. If you are looking for more fun recipes to prepare for the holiday season, be sure to follow my social media accounts on Facebook @ PrincessKayOfTheMilkyWay and on Instagram @ mnprincesskay. This month, I will be sharing more recipes and fun dairy-themed activities for you and your family to enjoy. Wishing you all a safe, happy and healthy holiday. Princess Kay of the Milky Way, Brenna Connelly serves as the Minnesota dairy community’s goodwill
G e n tl
The holiday season is one of my favorite times of year. Families come together to put up lights, decorate trees, prepare delicious food and await Christmas Day. This time reminds me of some of my favorite memories growing up. I loved watching the snow falling On the Road with outside the window and counting down the days Princess Kay until Christmas on our Advent calendar. This year, I have realized how important it is to cherish these small moments together. I hope you all take the extra time in your day to nd the joy in moments spent surrounded by the ones you love. By Brenna Connelly This past month, 67th Princess Kay of the I am grateful for the Milky Way amazing moments I have had in my role as Princess Kay of the Milky Way. I was able to attend the rst Fuel Up to Play 60 virtual tailgate event. I was joined by special guests Mike Harris, retired Minnesota Vikings player, and Ifeadi Odenigbo, starting Minnesota Vikings defensive end. While on the call, I gave a presentation on my role, cow fun facts and the nutritional value of dairy. We also played rounds of trivia and had a question and answer opportunity. Additionally, I had my rst classroom visit with seventh graders at Willow River Area School. Even though it was virtual, it was so fun sharing dairy’s story from farm to table. I appreciated the enthusiasm shown by these students to learn more about our industry and the nutritional value of all the good foods we contribute to their diets. I am looking forward to what December will bring. As we enter colder temperatures, I want to share a recipe you can make to warm up on a cold winter night. As you sit around the replace, I encourage you to create this delicious recipe with your family. Follow the recipe below to make your own mug of homemade hot chocolate. – 4 cups of milk – 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder – 1/4 cup granulated sugar – 1/2 cup bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips – 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Place milk, cocoa powder and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium/medium-low heat, whisking frequently until warm (but not boiling).
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 27
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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 Joe Armstrong armst225@umn.edu 612.624.3610 Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130 Hugh Chester-Jones chest001@umn.edu 507-835-3622 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391 Sandra Godden godde002@umn.edu 612-625-8177 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711 Nathan Hulinsky huli0013@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 Emily Krekelberg krek0033@umn.edu 507-280-2863 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 Mike Schutz mschutz@umn.edu 612-624-1205 M. Scott Wells mswells@umn.edu 612-625-3747
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Science in real time
We are living in interesting times. All our lives have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic over the past eight months. Some things may never go back to the way they were before the pandemic. An interesting (and scary) phenomenon is the criticism of the scientic and medical community during this pandemic. But what we are witnessing is science in real time. This is partly understandable when it seems like the rules are constantly changing. Masks don’t help – now masks help and are mandatory. Hydroxychloroquine works as a treatment – now it doesn’t work. Changing quarantine recommendations. By Jim Salfer Some people believe that these constantly University of MN changing, often contradictory ideas prove that science doesn’t work. In reality, this is exactly how science does and is supposed to work. Science is at its best when conclusions change as our knowledge improves. Following the research on COVID-19 has been fascinating, and we are all getting a close-up view of science at its best in high speed. It is amazing the amount of information we have discovered about this novel virus in just a few short months. We should be thankful for the medical doctors and scientists around the world that have been working countless hours to identify effective treatments and develop vaccines. Discovering new knowledge through scientic experiments is naturally a slow process. Science is intentionally set up to be questioned, challenged and changed as we discover new information. Scientists utilize the scientic method; a standard, rigorous and step-wise process to understand the world. After an idea or observation, scientists develop a hypothesis to test their idea. When the hypothesis is tested, it is either supported or refuted. If the hypothesis is refuted, an alternative hypothesis is developed and the process continues. Another key aspect of science is that information is expected to be peer reviewed. Peers review the results, methodology and conclusions to determine the validity of the results. This helps other scientists build off the knowledge or repeat the experiments under different conditions. Scientists gather evidence with statistical signicance to prove or disprove a theory. However, science can never prove anything without an absolute doubt. Statistics only result in a certain probability that something works or is true. Scientists are trained to be skeptical, critical and unbiased.
They approach experiments without a preconceived bias of the outcome. They also are trained to not be advocates or judgmental for a certain position. They are trained not to make value judgements about results, but only report what they discover. A real-life dairy example of how science works was the discovery that low energy close-up diets reduced transition cow diseases after calving. This was not without early conicting research results. Initially, one researcher conducted an experiment and fed two groups of close-up cows the same diet. One group of cows could eat at will. As expected, as calving time approached, there was a large decrease in dry matter intake. The other group was also allowed to eat at will, but any feed not consumed at the end of the day was force fed, or stuffed in the rumen, through a rumen cannula. They discovered that the group of cows that were force fed had fewer transition cow problems and less fat build up in their liver. They logically concluded that feeding a higher-energy close-up diet could compensate for the decrease in feed intake around calving time resulting in less disease after calving. Around the same time, another researcher had some limited on-farm data and research that showed feeding cows low energy diets containing straw reduced transition cow diseases. How could it be that these two research studies came up with what appears to be opposite observations and recommendations? As more experiments were conducted, it was discovered that the common denominator of these trials was that preventing the dramatic decrease in intake as calving approaches was the mechanism that minimized transition cow disease. Cows fed low energy close-up diets do not drop as much in intake as cows fed higher energy close-up diets. This simple example shows how scientists worked through the scientic process and eventually came up with diet recommendations to decrease fresh cow diseases. By trying different ideas they developed a solution that was better than one of them alone. We can all think of other agriculture recommendations that have changed over the years. These are the result of scientists developing and testing a hypothesis for a more desirable outcome. Some of the best research ideas come from farmers’ recommendations and observations that are proven or refuted by scientic experiments. Science is not perfect. But, the scientic process is the best way we know to discover new knowledge to improve the world.
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The mystery of hemorrhagic bowel syndrome
I am not a veterinarian. I am an Extension educator and farmer interested in learning more about what causes certain issues that happen on our family farm. Earlier this year, we had a cow freshen that we were excited about. She had overcome the hardest part of starting the lactation by calving on her own and cleaning in a timely manner. She even got off to a great start producing milk. About 15 days into the lactation, she simply stopped eating, had no milk and was kicking at her stomach. Our farmer know-how gured she had a DA so we called the vet. He came out and diagnosed hemorrhagic bowel syndrome. What I thought was interesting is that he made the comment that he wishes it was a DA because that is something that he could treat. This got me thinking about what is HBS and what else could we have done to save this By Karen Johnson cow. U of M Extension HBS is a deadly, acute intestinal disease that has been increasing in frequency in adult dairy cows. Cattle affected with HBS usually die within 12 to 36 hours after the onset of clinical disease. The syndrome is characterized by large blood clots in the intestine that result in the obstruction and severe enlargement of the bowel. Cows can present with dehydration, shock, abdominal distention, depression, decreased milk production, loss of appetite, rapid heart rate and dark clotted blood in the feces. The cause of HBS is unknown. However, Clostridium perfringens type A and Aspergillus fumigatus have been implicated. Cows with HBS have been prescribed pumping water with a nutritional supplement/prebiotics, shock doses of uids, anti-inammatories when appropriate, and occasionally a laxative to prevent clot formation and intestinal blockage. Even with this supportive care, prognosis for clinical animals is extremely guarded as 85% don’t survive. Surgical intervention is not recommended and has an even worse prognosis. Possible risk factors for HBS include second lactation or older cows, farms over 100 cows and early lactation cows. HBS usually increases as rolling herd average increases, has a higher incidence in the western region and tends to occur in the cooler months. Other suggested risk factors include feeding large amounts of fermentable carbohydrate, high amounts of soil in the ration, abrupt ration changes, feeding a TMR and having conrmed tests for Clostridium perfringens type A and Aspergillus fumigatus in the feedstuffs. Risk factors cited are from a survey of Minnesota bovine practitioners (Godden et al., 2001) as well as the NAHMS Dairy 2002 study. There are many unknowns when it comes to HBS. More studies have to be conducted to conclusively determine cause, risk factors and effective treatments. Like many other diseases, HBS is likely pathogen dose dependent with more pathogen exposure leading to more frequent and more severe cases. Clostridium perfringens and Aspergillus fumigatus exposure cannot be avoided entirely, but it can be limited. Any addition of soil to the ration, such as storing feed on the ground where soil can be scooped up with the feedstuff, or using haying practices that result in excessive amounts of ash, will increase the dose given to your cows. Preventive measures are best to avoid HBS. Encourage healthy rumen microbiome through a balanced diet to make clinical cases of HBS less severe and less frequent on any dairy. Talk with your nutritionist and veterinarian about the potential for prebiotic and probiotic additions to your feed that have evidence for efcacy against HBS. Fortunately for dairy farmers, HBS is quite uncommon across dairies. I didn’t know what HBS was until it happened on our farm. Knowledge is power. I hope we never have another case of HBS again; however, I feel better being able to identify the symptoms and do my part to make the cow as comfortable as possible. This article was reviewed by Joe Armstrong, DVM.
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 29
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Wrong again
Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
I have been known to be wrong once in a while. as water puddles after a summer thunderstorm. And I Um, change that to wrong quite often. OK, OK, so I once received a free solar-powered pocket calculator am wrong pretty much all of the time. (Note to aspiring with the purchase of a large pizza. columnists: never let your wife watch over your I was also wrong about microwave ovens. When shoulder while you are writing a column.) microwave ovens arrived on the scene, I presumed For example, when they would never catch on. pocket calculators ďƒžrst came What person in their right There were two things hi that h out, I surmised they would Th mind would entrust their never be anything more than worked against my struggle to heirloom family recipes to a curiosity. This was because a contraption that heats food the ďƒžrst pocket calculators defy the inexorable march of via a process that involves cost as much as a Cadillac progress. some sort of mysterious and ate batteries like a kid electronic voodoo? who had found a hidden Nowadays, no chef stash of Halloween candy. would set foot in a kitchen I assumed we would continue to crunch numbers unless there is a Radar Range sitting on the countertop. the same way we always had and that it might actually I would not be surprised if a Barbie doll can have her be a good time to invest in slide rule manufacturers. own fully functional microwave. And I bet Barbie has Pocket calculators have since become as common a better understanding about the oven’s inner workings
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than I do. Which brings me to personal computers. Do not forget about computers, my wife is saying. Yeah, OK: I was way wrong about Dear County Agent Guy computers. It may have been futile, but I resisted when owning a personal computer became a fad. I was the kind of guy who had a bumper sticker that said, “REAL men don’t have ďƒ&#x;oppy disks!â€? Besides, I argued, how can we trust those gigabyte gobbling gadgets? Where does By Jerry Nelson everything go when Columnist you hit save? To some miniature electronic safe in the CPU? If so, who holds its secret combination? The microscopic man who is feverishly working his tiny abacus? Nope, I proclaimed, I am not going to let a stupid machine have that much power over my life. But there were two things that worked against my struggle to defy the inexorable march of progress. One was my congenital disorganization. The other was our hired man, Keven. One day I conďƒžded to Keven that I was about to embark on one of the most detestable tasks of farming, that activity known as tax preparation. Like all businesses, we make innumerable taxdeductible purchases throughout the year. And like many people, we used the venerable shoe box method of accounting. That is, we tossed all of our receipts into a large shoe box. At tax time, we would sift and sort and sweat as we struggled to make sense of all the schedules. It was a real pain in the s. Keven, a college student and avid technophile, eagerly explained how the dynamics of digital data delineation would alleviate my absence of accounting acumen. I did not share Keven’s enthusiasm but decided to buy a used PC anyway. Keven was right. While we still had to sort through the piles of papers, we could produce some very nifty reports after all the numbers were entered into the computer. The computer could – in seconds – produce more useless ďƒžnancial information about our farming operation than we ever could have wanted. The computer could break down expenses by class, category and date; I wouldn’t be surprised if it even knew what I was wearing when I wrote each check. I begrudgingly let the computer stay. I have to admit that with time and practice, I have learned a computer can have more uses than a pocket multi-tool. This is especially true if I’m in the mood to play Pong. One fateful day, I decided to write a letter to my county agent guy. I wanted his advice regarding how to control the pesky ducks that were swimming around in my ďƒželd and no doubt damaging my submerged corn crop. Instead of hunting and pecking on my ancient Smith-Corona and using a gallon of whiteout ďƒ&#x;uid, I decided to try out the computer’s word processing program. My wife thought what I had written was amusing and that perhaps I have a knack for this sort of thing and that I should get the column published somewhere. I didn’t really believe her, but agreed to give it a try. I guess I was wrong about that, too, because I’ve been writing a weekly column ever since. Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, S.D. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@dairystar.com.
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Are cows healthier today?
Our practice publishes an annual benchmarking spreadsheet with data from freestall herds. We have saved spreadsheets going back to 2004. We do not always collect the same data each year, so Veterinary Wisdom we cannot go all the way back to 2004 to look for progress in every area, but the data we have clearly shows our cows are healthier today and more productive. Here are some specic measures: – Percent calves born DOA: This peaked at 10.8% in 2007, but has been trending down By Jim Bennett ever since. In our 2020 Columnist survey, only 4% of calves were born dead, for a drop of 63%. This is remarkable progress, for which the reasons are not totally clear. Producers are likely doing a better job observing calving and managing cows in prefresh and calving pens. Twinning rates have dropped a lot as well, so this might explain some of the reduced DOAs. Genetic selection against animals with higher DOA rates also probably plays a part. – Twinning: In 2004, the average was 7.1%, while in 2020 it was down to 3.7%. What caused this? Again, we do not really know, but there are two likely possibilities. One, more herds in our practice use the double ovsynch breeding protocol today, and we know it can reduce twinning rates. Two, reproductive performance has improved greatly over the same period, and some of this is due to better management of body condition loss. Twins commonly occur in cows that have low progesterone at the time of follicular development, and cows losing weight are likely to have low progesterone.
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 31
– Displaced abomasum: 7.3% of fresh cows at 48.4 months, and then slowly declined to 44.3 had a DA in 2004. Only 2% did so in 2020. This months in 2018. Only in the last two years have we is a drop of 73%, making displaced abomasum an seen ages start to creep back up reaching 47 months uncommon event on many dairies today. This is in 2020. Percentage of herd in rst lactation was most likely due to better dry cow, prefresh cow and 41% as recently as 2018, but dropped to 36% for fresh cow management. 2020. Many farmers are now raising fewer heifers – Retained placenta: In 2007, the rate of fresh and trying to increase the average age of the herd cows with RP was 9.3%, and in 2020, it was only by lowering the percentage of herd as rst lactation. 3%, for a drop of 68%. Most likely this is due Heifer supplies have shrunk. In 2020, the average to better dry cow and ratio of replacements to prefresh cow management. total cows, lactating and Retained placentas are also Whil dry was 91%. As recently While our d data set i is f far f from becoming unusual on well as 2016 it was 103%. As perfect, it is good enough to managed dairies. these smaller heifer herds – Dead cows: This evaluate trends, and it is clear calve, farmers will be peaked at 7.3% in 2007. forced to cull fewer cows. For 2020, dead cows that cows are healthier today. This will create a number dropped 40% to 4.4%. This of management challenges, is calculated by dividing because while older cows total dead cows by average lactating and dry cow do give more milk, they have greater rates of some herd size. This is great progress and an impressively problems, including mastitis and reproductive low death rate. failure. – Reproduction: Back in 2004, the average – Production: Herds averaged 85 pounds of pregnancy rate was 18%, and the average milk, 91 pounds of energy corrected milk, and 6.06 conception rate was 33.9%. In 2020, the pregnancy pounds of fat and protein per cow in the 2020 data rate was 29%, and the conception rate was 46%. set. Milk production peaked in 2016, at 89 pounds, Almost all the gain in pregnancy rates is due to but energy corrected milk today is just one-half better conception rates, not better service rates. An pound below 2016’s 91.5 pounds. So, at least for overall conception rate of 46% for all breedings, in production of components, producers seem to have herds that averaged 91 pounds of energy corrected caught up to the days of rBST use. milk, seems remarkable. Better conception rates While our data set is far from perfect, it is good are due to better nutrition, better breeding protocols enough to evaluate trends, and it is clear that cows and compliance, better control of body condition, are healthier today, in spite of continued increases better fresh cow health and more. in productivity. This is something for our industry – Culling rates: Culling rates have recently come to be proud of, so give yourself a pat on the back. down from a high of about 40% in 2011 to 37% Great work everyone. in 2020. However, back in 2004 culling was only Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at 32%. Most likely culling increased as reproduction Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center and calf survival improved. Farmers created a in Plainview, Minn. He also consults on dairy whole lot more replacements and kept them alive. farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have The average age of cows in the herd peaked in 2008 four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@ gmail.com with comments or questions.
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
Finishing some things are easy, like eating boxes. We also try to have a spare repaired washer all the pie and ice cream on your plate. Finishing and dryer on hand as extra backups for long holiday harvest or completing silage chopping is not so weekends when anything can and will go wrong. hard because it’s the all-important No. 1 thing on One day last week Omar replaced a broken wash your to-do list. Payroll for the employees always machine with a new one out of a cardboard box. He left a terrible mess of torn gets done on time because cardboard and cardboard who wants phone calls My ffavorite i memories i off corner pieces all over the from employees asking M utility room. I saw it later for a check? Perhaps this someone who never finished that evening and did a bit article was inspired by a of private eye work to simple thing one of our a job was one of my old discover who had left such employees did not ďƒžnish. neighbors is long gone. We use heavy-duty a mess. The next morning household style washers when Omar was working and dryers to wash our microďƒžber towels at the dairy. again, I calmly took him back to the utility room These machines probably are spinning 20 hours a and explained to him that is not how we do things at day, so they wear out quite quickly. We always have Ocheda Dairy. Then I proceeded to help him clean one new spare washer and one new spare dryer on it up and dispose of the cardboard. I realize he may hand that are still inside the cardboard shipping have been behind on his regular duties, but I also
explained to him that even if he didn’t have time to dispose of the cardboard, at least bundle it up into a nice pile. When I think of jobs I struggle with Making Cents of Dairy ďƒžnishing, my heated shop always comes to mind. Corey and I both try to keep it clean, but we are both guilty of cleaning one area while at the same time messing up a different area with a new project. Then there is also 10 other people By Dave Vander Kooi in and out of there Columnist every day delivering parts, inoculant, oils or just coming to grab a particular tool. One year at Christmas time we actually succeeded in getting it spotlessly clean and kept it that way long enough to have a large family Christmas party in it. Another important job that is never ďƒžnished is staying on top of proper milking procedures in the milking parlor. All the protocols in the world can be posted and preached, but the human elements of easy, laziness and forgetfulness can change the ďƒžnished outcome quite quickly. My favorite memories of someone who never ďƒžnished a job was one of my old neighbors who is long gone. I worked a lot for him when I was a teenager, and he would always say late in the afternoon that we would come back tomorrow and ďƒžnish the job. Tomorrow rarely came in the sense of ďƒžnishing yesterday’s job, and as a result, his silage boxes were always falling off his running gears because they were not properly bolted down. Also the tin on his cattle sheds kept blowing off because when we built the sheds we would only nail the tin down in the corners with the plan to come back tomorrow and nail it down completely. It all worked out good for both of us though because he was the neighbor that sold me the land I needed to build Ocheda Dairy on. When I wrote my ďƒžrst article for Dairy Star 6.5 years ago, I was hoping I could do it for two years. I had zero experience writing anything before Mark and Andrea gave me the go ahead to try it. I appreciate so much their advice and patience they had with some of my writing. I know sometimes my articles were too short for their allotted space, but I would remind them I was a dairy farmer, not a preacher. There was probably an article or two that I wish I had never written, and there was one that got rejected. But, other than that, it was very rewarding. I have appreciated so much all the nice comments from many loyal readers. This is my ďƒžnal article because I have run out of things to write about on a monthly basis. I am involved in the farm and the dairy, and we have 16 grandkids within 6 miles of us. I feel comfortable in the fact that I have ďƒžnished the job of writing and not left any empty chapters. Now, I will work on cleaning the shop. Vander Kooi operates a 1,800-cow, 4,500 acre farm with his son, Joe, and daughter-in-law, Rita, near Worthington, Minn. Send him feedback at davevkooi@ icloud.com. Follow him on Instagram, @davevanderkooi.
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Find a good book for your nook
Escaping in a book is a lifetime passion of mine. Since I was a little kid, I have loved to read and have done so whenever I can spare the time. The winter months are perfect for reading. Lately, I’ve used an audio book service to listen to books when I am doing mundane tasks on the farm or in the house. My fellow farm people are likely tired seeing my head adorned with my ear plugs. But it Come Full Dairy Circle of has been a lifesaver for me to be able to learn about interesting things and to have other things to ponder just now. I also love to give people books as gifts. I had some fun the other day ordering a few of my favorite books, hoping the recipients would enjoy reading them. Selecting books for others leads me to review a few books that some of my fellow dairy friends might enjoy. Because I probably haven’t written a book report since the seventh grade, I might not have the sharpest skills. I will give it a shot for three favorite By Jean Annexstad books. They are written by regional authors. They are Columnist relatable for place, beliefs and/or looking at things with a fresh perspective. “This Tender Land” details the summer of 1932 with a mix of interesting characters, places and experiences that shed insight into the Great Depression and what people endured and triumphed over. The book details four friends, orphans who are thrown together in an epic adventure on the Mississippi River. They are escaping from circumstances beyond their control, forced to ee an Indian Training School and journeying into the unknown. They have each other in their encounters with people who are also adrift, such as struggling farmers, traveling faith healers and families displaced during the immense poverty of the era. William Kent Krueger, a local author, does a great job of describing the places his characters wind up, including Mankato and St. Paul, with many insightful details of the people living there. As the book jacket describes, the book is “an enthralling, bighearted epic that shows how the magnicent American landscape connects us all, haunts our dreams and makes us whole.” I loved this book because its engaging characters made me think about this history in a new way. If you wonder if Minnesota Nice is a thing, a very fresh perspective can be gained by reading “If You Lived Here You’d Be Home By Now.” This book helped to remind me why to embrace the rural life that most of us who live on the cold, snowy prairies are accustomed to, but sometimes forget to appreciate. The author, Christopher Ingraham, tells the story of his decision to uproot his life and move with his family to Red Lake County, Minnesota, after he made the community of 1,400 people famous by calling it “the worst place to live in America” in a Washington Post story he wrote. After the residents invited him to visit their community to see why the ranking of bottom of the list of 3,000 counties in America was just plain wrong, Chris and his wife eventually decided to relocate there. They wanted to raise their twin boys away from the East Coast suburbs, avoiding the commute and costly living. Chris’ telling of the story is funny, revealing and clever in descriptions of his interactions with new neighbors and Midwestern norms. His preconceived ideas get turned around in some funny situations. He taps into data and detail, yet nds the charm and sentiments of small town, rural living. The description of fall decorating with a corn shuck is hilarious. I liked the book for its honesty and humor. If you are a fan of the creation story and cow art, the two are combined in a beautiful book by Bonnie Mohr. She is a favorite rural artist of many people and lives in Glencoe, Minnesota. The book “Once There Were No Cows” was published in 2014, but is timeless and makes a treasured gift for a family with small children. I ordered several copies for Christmas giving this year. The art on each page is a beautiful depiction of God’s creation of the world. The nal pages of the engaging book explain how “God wanted an animal that would give more than it would take. … God wanted an animal that would be appreciated and loved intensely because of the profound impact she would have on all mankind.” Each remaining page is the artist’s depiction of the seven dairy breeds. Those of us working with cows every day need the reminders this book provides. Mohr’s descriptions of how “dairy farming is a special and beautiful lifestyle and that it provides a good life lled with rich and meaningful lessons,” is fullling to share with others. I think the dedication written to all dairy farmers is meant to be re-read every so often to remind us to be thankful for “living life as a guardian to God’s most wonderful creature, the cow.” Jean dairy farms with her husband, Rolf, and brother-in-law, Mike, and children Emily, Matthias and Leif. They farm near St. Peter, Minnesota, in Norseland, where she is still trying to t in with the Norwegians and Swedes. They milk 200 cows and farm 650 acres. She can be reached at jeanannexstad@gmail.com.
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 33
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2 More Tonnage Alforex varieties with Hi-Gest alfalfa technology provide farms flexibility to adjust to aggressive harvest systems to maximize yield and quality or to a more relaxed schedule focused on tonnage. Either way, growers put the odds of improved returns per acre and animal performance in their favor.
3 More Milk While management and feeding practices vary widely, it’s common for dairies feeding Alforex varieties with Hi-Gest alfalfa technology to report a positive production response from their cows when alfalfa makes up a higher percentage of the ration. Based on the increased rate of digestion, you could expect 2.5 lbs. more milk per cow, per day.1 And while not every producer experiences this level of improvement, some producers report even better results.
Ready to bring higher digestibility, more tonnage and more milk to your farm? Visit us at www.alforexseeds.com or call us at 1-800-824-8585 *The increased rate of fiber digestion, extent of digestion and crude protein data was developed from replicated research and on-farm testing. During the 2015 growing season at West Salem, WI and Woodland, CA, the following commercial dormant, semi-dormant and non-dormant alfalfa varieties were compared head-to-head with Alforex varieties with Hi-Gest alfalfa technology for rate of digestion, extent of digestion and percent crude protein: America’s Alfalfa Brand AmeriStand 427TQ; Croplan Brands LegenDairy XHD and Artesia Sunrise; Fertizona Brand Fertilac; S&W Seed Brands SW6330, SW7410 and SW10; and W-L Brands WL 319HQ and WL 354HQ. Also, during the 2015 growing season, 32 on-farm Alforex varieties with Hi-Gest alfalfa technology hay and silage samples were submitted to Rock River Laboratory, Inc., for forage analysis. The results for rate of digestion, extent of digestion and percent crude protein were averaged and compared to the 60-day and four-year running averages for alfalfa in the Rock River database which included approximately 1,700 alfalfa hay and 3,800 silage 60-day test results and 23,000 hay and 62,000 silage tests results in the four-year average. **Crude protein=60-day running averages and uNDF240=four-year running average 1 Combs, D. 2015. Relationship of NDF digestibility to animal performance. Tri-State Dairy Nutrition Conference, 101-112. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5350/ f0a2cb916e74edf5f69cdb73f091e1c8280b.pdf.
™ ® Trademarks of Dow AgroSciences, DuPont or Pioneer, and their affiliated companies or their respective owners. © 2020 Corteva.
Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
Trying to ll the void of Dad Ahrens brothers step in to operate farm By Mark Klaphake
mark.k@dairystar.com
GREY EAGLE, Minn. – On Aug. 29, Dean Ahrens came rst. Six 435 John Deere tractors – three in front of the hearse and three behind – were part of a procession for a 6-mile trip from Grey Eagle to Ward Springs where the dairyman was brought to his place of nal rest. Behind the steering wheel of four of the tractors were Dean’s four sons, Chris, 33, Mitch, 31, Tyler, 29, and Douglas, 26, who were honoring their dad whom they looked up to for the countless things he had done for them. Dean, 53, died suddenly while riding motorcycle Aug. 23, leaving behind his wife, Sue, their four sons and a reputation of being there for others. “Everybody else came rst,” said Sue, his wife of 32 years. “He helped anybody and everybody, friends, neighbors. If somebody needed help, he was there.” Mitch knew this well. “I’d call him all the time,” Mitch said. “If a vehicle wasn’t running right, I’d always call him, and he would know what to. The hardest thing is when you want to call him and talk to him and you can’t. I don’t have anybody to call.”
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Sue Ahrens stands with her four sons (from le�) Chris, Mitch, Tyler and Douglas who have been opera�ng the 64-cow dairy a�er her husband, Dean, passed earlier this fall. The four boys were also able to complete fall eldwork and do the custom work that their dad had done as well, despite three of them having full-�me jobs off the farm on their dairy near Grey Eagle, MInnesota.
Dean also left behind a 64-cow dairy operation, owned and rented acres and a custom business going into fall harvest. That void has been lled by his boys who have shown the apple did not fall far from the tree in helping
others. “It’s enjoyable and overwhelming. Those four talk all the time about what needs to be done, and then they tell me what has to happen,” said Sue, who works off the farm. “I never did that much. Dean did most of it himself. I
helped with chores and stuff, but as the kids got older, they just kind of took over. And, I didn’t need to be out there. It’s awesome. I’m very proud of them.” Chris, Mitch and Tyler each have Turn to AHRENS | Page 35
Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 35
ConƟnued from AHRENS | Page 34
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Sue Ahrens holds a photo of her husband, Dean, who passed suddenly due to a heart aƩack Aug. 23 near Grey Eagle, Minnesota. The couple had been married for 32 years.
full-time jobs and Douglas had been working at home for the past four months. Since the accident, Douglas has moved home and a combination of his three brothers are there until the work gets done. “They took over,” Sue said. “Tyler comes over every morning to help Douglas milk. Chris is here every night to help Douglas milk. Tyler and Mitch show up when they can at night. They all took over the eldwork.” Since Dean’s passing, Douglas has spent the last three months working and learning as much about the dairy as possible. “I wish I would have been around
“Doing the right thing and working hard is what he taught us.” CHRIS AHRENS, DAIRY FARMER
a lot more to learn a lot more things,” Douglas said. “It’s a big learning experience. Dad had kept a lot of it to himself. He knew the cows. The vets and the small dairy farms around here are a big help, and Dad’s brothers are dairy farmers. They are always around for questions.” This fall, the brothers continued the dairy operation while putting in countless hours getting the harvest done on the 500 acres their parents owned and the over 2,000 acres of custom work contracted by Dean. “They wanted to keep that up so they took over all of Dean’s customers,” Sue said. “All the customers said the boys did an awesome job with the eldwork. They are doing awesome. I can’t explain how awesome they are doing, it’s just unreal.” The brothers are constantly in contact with each other to ensure the work gets done. “Basically, we knew that wherever a certain person was, two people had to milk cows,” said Chris, who manages a welding shop and is married with four kids. “We would talk every day and group text. We
knew where everybody was and knew what to do.” Tyler, who works for a potato farmer, always helped with chores in the morning. Now with the potato harvest complete, he helps Douglas at night as well. “Between me and him, we are here morning and night,” Tyler said. “He milks and I feed everything, and when I’m done I help milk.” Tyler’s kids are two of Dean and Sue’s six grandkids. The farm will not be the same for the youngsters. “He really enjoyed his grandkids,” Tyler said. “One of my kids would always sucker him into giving them a gator ride. He would take them down the eld road to check the elds. Just something to get a ride in the gator.” Dean’s fondness of his grandkids prompted him to build a large steel swing set he painted in John Deere colors. He also pulled the grandkids around the farm in a train made from barrels he hooked behind the lawn tractor. “They would help him get calves out of the pasture when we have a fresh cow,” Sue said. “He was a proud grandpa. I always tell the grandkids, ‘Look for a buttery, or a cardinal or a lucky penny. It’s a penny from heaven.’ They look at pictures. They remember Grandpa’s favorite cookie.” Dean’s legacy will live on in many ways including a long-standing Wednesday night tradition on the farm. If any of the boys were free, they would stop for several hours and talk about the farm, tractors, cars and many other things while having a beer. “It’s different on Wednesday nights,” Mitch said. “He is not there to make smart remarks. That’s something we’ll miss.” The family plans to take the winter to gure out a plan for the farm and the custom operation. During that time, they will surely bring up fond stories of their dad who was a mentor to them. “He was always there to help,” Chris said. “He never said no to anybody really. Even if he didn’t want to do it, he still did it. Doing the right thing and working hard is what he taught us.”
Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
Women In Dairy Becky Ruesch Abbotsford, Wisconsin Marathon County 160 cows Family: My husband, Dave, and I have been married for 19 years. We have three children. Our son Logan, 20, is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Stout majoring in construction management; our daughter Mya, 18, is a senior; and Calley, 14, is a freshman. Tell us about your farm. We milk 160 cows and crop about 650 acres of soybeans, corn and hay. We started in a partnership with my in-laws when we got married then bought the farm in 2013. We built a double-6 parallel parlor in 2005 and expanded to a double-9 in 2017 along with a 156-cow tunnel-ventilated freestall barn. We milk twice a day. My husband takes care of the feeding and most of the milking along with the rest of the day-to-day farm operations. I take care of the calves, which are housed in hutches and ll in milking on busy days. Our kids come to the barn before school to help with morning chores and also help on weekends. We also have a part-time girl who works weekday mornings and afternoons. What is the busiest time of day for you? Evenings. I work full time at the local school as an administrative assistant, so getting done with work, getting home and transitioning to chores in a timely manner is a challenge. Also, our kids are three-sport athletes, so we are without their help on weekdays. Supper most nights is spur of the moment. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? Watch kids play sports, bonres in the backyard and driving UTVs around the area. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Early in our marriage, Dave needed me to go into the bottom of the silo to help him when he needed an extra hand. I started to climb inside but started shaking. Needless to say, I didn’t make it any farther, and he was less than happy with me as he had to climb back down, do what he needed and then climb back up.
He likes to tease me about it yet. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I like raising a family on the farm. The kids learn responsibility, work ethic and have fun as a family. We also belong to the local FFA alumni chapter so it’s nice to catch up with local farmers at meetings. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I enjoy reading articles in dairy magazines and newspapers and also through the Dairy Moms group on Facebook. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? My parents. I grew up on a dairy farm and have watched them work together, side-byside, to get all the work done. They have shown us that you can work hard but still have fun and enjoy life. They have always been supportive and encouraging of my brothers (who farm together nearby) and my husband and I. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? Oprah Winfrey, because she is well-known, and she could use her platform to educate so many people. I would share with her that we treat our animals humanely, care about the environment and work hard to produce safe food for America.
FARM INFORMATION STATION Joe Gill • Farm Director
SERVING CENTRAL MINNESOTA FOR OVER 50 YEARS
What is the best vacation you have ever taken? We took the kids to Disney in Florida in 2014 and enjoyed the week away from the farm as a family.
Catch the Dairy Star’s Mark Klaphake with Joe Gill at 6:45 a.m. the 2nd & 4th Fridays of the month on KASM!
PO Box 160, Albany, MN • (320) 845-2184 • Fax (320) 845-2187
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What are some words you like to live by? “Everything happens for a reason.” We may not always know the reason but have to trust that God has a plan.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 37
Big buck down
Wisconsin dairy farmers score bounty in woods danielle.n@dairystar.com
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Danica Tomson, 13, of Birnamwood, Wisconsin, harvested this 209-pound, 10-point buck while hunĆ&#x;ng with her dad during the youth hunt earlier this fall. The hunt was special to Danica, as she used her grandmother’s gun.
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SENECA, Wis. – Each fall, Wisconsin deer hunting enthusiasts descend upon the woods in search of a great whitetail buck. Four Wisconsin dairy farmers won the deer hunting lottery during Wisconsin’s gun deer hunt, capturing bucks that are worthy of a spot on the wall. Jason Kearns milks 135 cows with his family near Seneca, Wisconsin, in Crawford County and has been deer hunting since the age of 12. For several years, Kearns’ neighbors have been telling him about a deer dubbed Double Frame, because the buck has a second frame underneath the main antler frame. “I’ve only been watching him this year, but my neighbors have been watching him for two or three years now,â€? Kearns said. “He ďƒžnally came into my area this summer; I have about 20 or 30 trail cam photos of him.â€? Double Frame had a close call with Kearns’ uncle during bow season in early November. That set up Kearns’ encounter with the deer on opening day. “I saw 33 deer on opening day, and about 3 p.m. I was sitting in my favorite stand, watching a four-point buck and a doe, when Double Frame came out of the valley, right to me, about 30 yards away,â€? Kearns said. “I took a shot, and he ran about 40 yards before he dropped.â€? Double Frame lived up to Kearns’ expectations, with 15 points and a 17inch spread. Kearns said that although he did not weight the deer, he estimates he weighed well over 200 pounds and that he scored 160. “It was really exciting to have a deer from your hit list come right up to you and to make the shot,â€? Kearns said. “My neighbors and my uncles were all happy that I got him. He is one everyone has been after.â€? Across the state in northeastern Wisconsin, 16-year-old Caleb Olson, of Lena, harvested a buck he has been watching since last year that he calls Magnum. Caleb, along with his parents, Dan and Hannah, and the rest of the family, milk about 300 cows on two farms in Oconto County. “I have probably almost 100 trail cam photos of him,â€? Olson said. “From the trail cam photos, I actually thought he might have been a little bigger than he actually was.â€?
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211,400
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Jason Kearns harvested this 200-plus pound, 15-point buck he called Double Frame on opening day of Wisconsin’s gun-deer season. He milks 135 cows near Seneca, Wisconsin. Magnum was an 11-point buck with a 20-inch spread and rough scored 160. On the hoof, Olson estimates he weighed in at about 200 pounds and was 170 pounds dressed. “I was kind of getting disgusted with the hunting that day; I hadn’t seen any deer,â€? Olson said. “I was texting someone else, asking if they were seeing any deer, and I was going to turn my heater on when I saw him about 100 yards away running. I yelled at him, and he stopped. I took my shot, and he dropped right there.â€? Olson said he was dumbfounded when he realized the deer was Magnum. “It was crazy,â€? Olson said. “No one believed me when I called them and told them I had shot him.â€? About 70 miles east in Marathon County, near Birnamwood, Wisconsin, the mother-daughter duo of Marcy and Danica Tomson put the smack-down on their own pair of bucks. Marcy farms with her husband, Danny, their children, Eric, Dustin, Danica and Daniel, and her father-in-law, David. They milk 200 cows. Hunting is a family affair for the Tomsons, and the whole family pitches in to do chores early during hunting season so everyone can get into the woods. Danica, 13, scored her 209-pound, 10-point buck while hunting with her dad during the youth hunt earlier this fall. “I used my grandma Tomson’s gun to shoot my deer,â€? Danica said. “We were very close, and she died this summer. I feel like she was with me, helping me get my deer.â€? Opening morning of the regular gun-deer season, Marcy took to the woods with the same gun and felt that her mother-in-law was with her in the woods that day as well. “I ďƒžrst saw my buck chasing a fawn into a swamp,â€? Marcy said. “I had to wait and hope the fawn would bring him back out into the ďƒželd, which he did. It was my ďƒžrst time ever shooting a moving deer, and I made a perfect shot at 150 yards and dropped him on the spot.â€? The deer Marcy shot is one her family has also been watching for the last year, and his shed antlers from last year were found less than 100 yards from where she shot him. Another 200plus pound deer, he was a main-frame 12 pointer with two broken off points and a 20.5-inch spread, with bases over 6 inches in diameter. “I hunted some when I was younger, but I really got into it after I met my husband,â€? Marcy said. “I love the peacefulness of being out in the stand and then just watching everything come alive when the deer come out.â€?
8800, 2016, 1607 Hrs, RWA ................ $304,900 8700, 2017, 640 Hrs, RWA .................. $408,900 8600, 2016, 785 Hrs, RWA .................. $359,000 8600, 2017, 792 Hrs, RWA .................. $325,900 8600, 2015, 1197 Hrs, RWA ................ $262,500 8600, 2015, 1531 Hrs, RWA ................ $236,400 8500, 2016, 665 Hrs, RWA .................. $329,000 8500, 2016, 588 Hrs, RWA ................. $315,000 8300, 2017, 350 Hrs, RWA .................. $336,400 7980, 2014, 1180 Hrs, RWA ................ $211,400 7980, 2013, 1921 Hrs, RWA ................ $185,900 7780, 2014, 1301 Hrs, RWA ................ $239,000 All hours listed are “cutter hours�.
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
How does your farm measure up during inspection?
Wolf presents top 10 violation list during UMDIA meeting
include poor welds on a pipeline or homemade welding xes that are not stainless steel, deteriorated or cracked gaskets, cracked inations, cracked milker hoses, damage to the receiver jar level probe or sensor, or exposed threads By Krista Kuzma on equipment. krista.k@dairystar.com “In this category, we see areas that aren’t compliant with the materials for Keeping a dairy in good working easily cleanable surfaces due to surfaces condition is of the utmost importance for wearing out over time,” Wolf said. The second category of violations all farmers in order to keep their permit is in water supply. Examples of these to sell milk. “We all want the same results,” include a backow prevention valve Brandon Wolf said. “We want good vent turned up instead of down, the use inspections. We want passing IMS of a pressure relief valve instead of a survey ratings. We want good FDA backow prevention valve, an improper check ratings because they help keep installation of a valve, a missing valve the milk supply moving. It helps at the on a pressure washer, backow devices farm, through processing and back to the that do not work, water lines submerged in sinks, loose well caps, loose electrical shelf.” Wolf, a dairy II inspector and lines and draining around the well. The third category is the milkhouse. interstate milk shipment ofcer for the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Wolf and other inspectors have seen presented, “The Top 10 Most Common many hose ports not in compliance by Milk Inspection Debits” during the being rusted, not sealed tight or damaged. virtual Upper Midwest Dairy Industry A 4-by-4-foot section of concrete should be around the outside of the hose port and Association annual meeting Dec. 2. “Complying with the PMO in good condition. Another infraction is (pasteurized milk ordinance) regulations having the door between the milkhouse helps us ensure the safety of the milk and and the parlor (or milking area) open. “It’s important to try to keep milk products we have,” Wolf said. To create this top 10 list, Wolf and everything in the milkhouse and keep it the other 14 state inspectors and three clean to try to prevent other things from IMS ofcers collected data from the getting in like ies and other insects,” past couple years based on what they Wolf said. The fourth category is milkhouse see throughout their inspections and farm surveys. The list is based on which wall and ceiling construction. Cracked categories they saw the most infractions. windows are not in compliance. “With our harsh winters, we see The rst category is utensils and equipment. Examples of violations windows that crack sometimes or as
you’re mowing lawn from a rock hitting it,” Wolf said. “It’s important to get it sealed to restrict ies and other insects in the milkhouse, and occasionally we see cats try to get in too.” Other areas of violation are gaps between the wall and the bulk tank, wall board that has started to warp over time and open windows or screens. The fth category is milkhouse cleanliness. “This is a very key item because it’s the area where our milk is stored,” Wolf said. Throughout routine inspections, Wolf and other inspectors have seen many areas that do not meet the standards in this category: receiver jars with milk, dust or other residue; or layers of mud on the oor. “We understand there are times of the year where that stuff migrates into the milkhouse, but keeping this area clean and sprayed down is very important,” Wolf said. Other areas to keep clean are the tops of bulk tanks, walls, ceilings and oors. Other items such as dog and cat food bowls along with calf milk pasteurizers should be stored in other areas of the farm. “Try to keep additional items out of there,” Wolf said. “It helps keep up the overall cleanliness of your milkhouse.” The sixth category is surroundings and feed storage. Wolf said an example of an infraction in this area is a chemical storage room or an employee lounge that is not clean. “Try to keep them neat and tidy to try to prevent areas for mice and other
rodents,” Wolf said. Weeds must also be kept in check around the hose port and other areas of the milkhouse. The entrance to the milkhouse must also be clear and clean. The seventh category is milkhouse oor construction. Missing, chipped or broken tiles must be repaired or replaced. And if the concrete below chemical barrels or along drains has eroded or washed away, it must also be xed in order to be in compliance. The eighth category is barn wall and ceiling construction. Wall boards must be secure and not coming loose along with ceiling tin pieces. If walls are in need of attention, it must be whitewashed or given a fresh coat of paint. The ninth category is barn cleanliness. Violations in this category Wolf and other inspectors have seen include layers of dust on the pipeline, thick cobwebs, dirty walls and calves tied in front of cows in mangers of stanchion barns. “As we know, animals defecate, and we don’t want to mix that with feed,” Wolf said. The 10th category is utensils and equipment cleanliness. Wolf sees buildup of residue inside the pipeline and around the cover of the inside of the receiver jar along with milk residue in the bulk tank. Wolf added a bonus 11th category – utensils and equipment storage. “This one is pretty broad,” he said. Buckets in the milkhouse need to be washed and stored upside down instead of on the oor, and the pipeline should be properly sloped. An open lter box or a door that is broken will also lead to violations in this category.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020 • Page 39
sponsored by What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Buy the best genetics available because it costs the same to raise an animal no matter how good they are. Focus on animals that can yield high returns.
Joe Engel, Luck-E Holsteins Hampshire, Illinois Kane County 180 cows
How did you get into farming? My parents started Luck-E Holsteins in 1968. I started working on the farm at a very young age. After graduating from the University of WisconsinMadison Farm and Industry Short Course in 2000, I bought in as a partner in our family farm. Over time, my percentage grew, and in 2015, my wife, Margaret, and I bought out my parents and continue to be partners with my brother, Matt. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? There is uncertainty in the year to come, such as how will trade and domestic programs affect markets? However, I remain optimistic for the year to come and take comfort in the fact that we have been able to take advantage of marketing tools to put a oor I am happy with on much of our 2021 milk. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? We added cameras in our maternity pens so we can continually monitor cows – whether from the eld or from our bed. This allows us to ensure the maternity area is taken care of without disturbing other areas of the business or our sleep. The cameras are also great for employee training and compliance to make certain animals are being handled the way they should be. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? We are investing more
What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your farm? Genomic testing. We can now make genetic progress faster than ever before. The results in our herd have been a game changer. The return on investment is huge. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Developing cow families that are respected worldwide and individuals that have topped many type and udder composite lists. into our top genetics and using beef on bottom, creating more income from both ends.
COVID-19 has created. As always, good communication and training goes a long way.
What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? While I’m always looking for ways to be more efcient, I think it’s very important to not cheat on inputs that will cost me money down the road, especially genetics. I learned that during low prices early in my career. Don’t cheat your future or your future will cheat you.
Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I’m ready and adaptive. It’s important to always have a plan, and possibly even more important, to be able to quickly adjust plans as necessary. As every dairy producer knows, a day, a season or even a whole year can change very fast. It’s important to be able to adapt to those changes quickly and strategically.
How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? We have made a strong effort to provide a comfortable and secure work environment which we feel is more important than ever with all the stress and uncertainty that
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I love genetics. I absolutely love the challenge of trying to breed every generation to be better than the one before. I love watching those animals grow and helping them reach their full potential.
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? While we plan to stay the same size, we plan to be more aggressive with our genetic program than ever before and continue to look for ways to be more efcient. I have said my whole career, if you are farming just like you did ve years ago, you might not be farming for long. The industry changes fast. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We enjoy anything that we can do together. Even on the busiest days, a family meal is a great thing. We love to take a vacation every year where we can rent a house for a week and hang out without the daily stresses of work. And, of course, we love to show cows together, although that is work too.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, December 12, 2020
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