The Great Christmas “GRAND” PRIZE
GIVEAWAY
See pages 24 and 25 of this section for details!
DAIRY ST R
December 7, 2019
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 21, No. 20
Building a farm in phases
Farming step-by-step adventure for Mayer By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
BELGIUM, Wis. – He may not have called a farm his home while growing up, but a love for dairying was etched into Mark Mayer’s heart from the time he was a boy. The son of a plumber and a nurse, Mayer’s career aspirations were handed down to him from his grandparents, Joe and Regina Reockl. Mayer spent many summers alongside his grandpa, and in high school he milked cows at a neighboring farm, gaining knowledge that would ensure his future success as a dairy farmer. Mayer farms with his brother and business partner, Jeff Mayer. The two STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR own Double M Dairy in Belgium Mark (le�) and Jeff Mayer own Double M Dairy where they milk 450 cows and where they milk 450 cows and farm 750 acres near Belgium, Wisconsin. Mark bought the farm in 2006 a�er farm 750 acres. The rst-generation ren�ng other facili�es for seven years.
farmers worked their way into farm ownership in phases. Mayer bought his rst 30 cows from his grandpa in 1999, one year after he graduated from high school. He rented his grandpa’s farm for two summers and milked in the 30-stall stanchion barn. During this time, he grazed the cows and bought feed from his uncle. In September 2000, Mayer moved to a larger facility which gave him the opportunity to grow Milking in a double-4 at barn parlor, he rented the buildings and bought his feed. During this time, Mayer bought one tractor, a manure spreader and a skid loader and increased cow numbers to 130. In 2005, Mayer’s landlord told him his son was going to start milking, so Mayer started looking for a new farm that fall. In April 2006, Mayer bought his current farm which included the Turn to MAYER | Page 38
Breeding for elite genetics Bauers focus on high genomics, outstanding production, type By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
The Bauers – (from le�) Frank, Danae and Greg – stand in their freestall barn at Sandy-Valley Farms near Scandinavia, Wisconsin. The Bauers focus on breeding for elite Holstein gene�cs and have bred two No. 1 daughter proven bulls, a No. 1 CTPI cow and a No. 1 genomic female.
SCANDINAVIA, Wis. – Breeding Holsteins of high genetic caliber is the trademark of Sandy-Valley Farms. This central Wisconsin dairy has developed a trifecta of No. 1 index animals including two No. 1 daughter proven (TPI) bulls, a No. 1 CTPI cow and a No. 1 genomic (GTPI) female. The Bauer family of Scandinavia specializes in breeding animals of high genetic value and has sent more than 1,200 bulls to stud. Sandy-Valley Farms was established in 1963 and is owned by brothers David, Patrick and Frank Bauer. These third-generation dairy farmers bought the farm from their father, Frank Sr., in the early 1990s. The trio of brothers is joined by yet another brother, Greg, who manages the farm’s breeding and marketing programs. “We’re passionate about more than numbers,” Greg said. “Cows also have to look the part and thrive in a free stall environment.” The Bauers have bred two No. 1 daughter proven bulls: Sandy-Valley Bolton and Sandy-Valley Saloon. Bolton sold over 1 million units of semen, and, in August 2006, he became America’s rst bull to achieve a TPI over 2,000. A third No. 1 proven bull that comes from Sandy-Valley breeding is EDG Rubicon whose dam the Bauers sold as a virgin female. Notable young sires from Sandy-Valley currently being Turn to BAUERS | Page 6