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C E L E B R A T I N G
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Y E A R S
DAIRY ST R 25
December 23, 2023
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 25, No. 21
Fellow farmers step in to help Annexstads receive support after barn re By Jan Lefebvre jan.l@star-pub.com
ST. PETER, Minn. — For the Annexstad family, the despair that came when their dairy barn was destroyed by re Dec. 5 was quickly replaced with gratitude when a rush of community support followed, especially from fellow dairy farmers. Matthias Annexstad woke just after midnight at the family’s farm near St. Peter to the sound of people pounding on the door. “I wasn’t really all the way awake yet, so I walked out on the porch, and sure enough, the barn was on re,” Matthias said. “They were already on
the phone with the re station at that point. I ran to see if the re was spreading.” Matthias’ parents, Rolf and Jean Annexstad, and his uncle, Mike Annexstad, own Annexstad Dairy. Matthias works with them full time. The farm’s milking herd consists of 180 cows, and the family raises youngstock. Rolf said the barn that caught re was fortunately not housing cows. “We have the milking parlor and holding area in our old barn (that burned), and the milk cows are in a separate barn about 300 feet away from the milking facility,” Rolf said. “The re started in the haymow of the older part of the barn. There are some loang sheds attached to this old barn with dry cows and youngstock, but the re never spread to that part.” Turn to ANNEXSTADS | Page 2
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Annexstads — Jean (from leŌ), MaƩhias, Rolf and Mike — stand by their parlor and holding area Dec. 19 on their farm near St. Peter, Minnesota. The Annexstads’ barn was damaged by re Dec. 5.
Statz wins heifer, gains a friend 6-year-old takes home Dairy Star’s grand prize By Tiffany Klaphake tiffany.k@dairystar.com
RICHMOND, Minn. — After seeing Dairy Star’s Great
TIFFANY KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Alyssa Statz hugs the calf she won in Dairy Star’s Great Christmas Giveaway Dec. 18 at her family’s farm near Richmond, Minnesota. This is the rst year Statz registered for the annual contest.
Christmas Giveaway advertised in the paper, Alyssa Statz asked her dad, Jeff, how to register. “If I won that calf, I would read it a book every night, take care of it and brush its hair,” Alyssa said. Alyssa will need to start collecting books to read to Sunkist Rompen Layla-Red, the Red & White Holstein calf she won as the grand prize winner in the annual holiday contest. Alyssa, 6, and her 4-yearold brother, Brody, help with
calf chores as often as they can at their family’s century farm near Richmond. Alyssa’s parents, Jeff and Catherine, along with Jeff’s parents, Ron and Marlene Statz, milk 220 Holsteins in a double-10 parallel parlor. Jeff’s brother, Mark, helps on weekends and during harvest. Together, they farm 550 acres of corn and alfalfa and upland grass hay. Jeff said this was the rst time his children had registered for Dairy Star’s annual contest. Jeff and Catherine kept it a surprise that Alyssa won until they arrived at Sunkist Acres near Glencoe, owned by the Donnay family, to pick up the prize. “I told the kids we are going to go look at an animal,” Jeff said. “We all jumped in the truck and didn’t tell the kids until we got to the Donnay farm.” Once they arrived, Nate
Donnay had Layla haltered and ready for the surprise. Jeff and Catherine told Alyssa that she had in fact won the calf. Jeff said to say Alyssa was happy would be an understatement. “I can’t believe I have a calf of my very own,” Alyssa said. “I am so excited. I like that Layla is calm and that she likes me.” Alyssa said she is looking forward to spending lots of time with Layla over Christmas break and after school every day. “My favorite part of Christmas is spending time with family and those I love,” Alyssa said. “Layla is now part of our family.”
Turn to CHRISTMAS CALF | Page 6