PREVIEW BUSINESSES THAT WILL BE AT WISCONSIN FARM TECHNOLOGY DAYS PAGES 15-22 OF THE SECOND SECTION!
DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 23, No. 10
Saving energy to save money
Biden touts infrastructure plan in Coulee region
Zook offers ways President touches on agriculture needs By Danielle Nauman to increase ondanielle.n@dairystar.com farm efficiency By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
Saving energy means saving money which is something most dairy farmers can get behind. Joel Zook, of Winneshiek Energy District, shared ways to save energy on the farm during the June 23 webinar, “Saving Energy on Your Farm,” as part of the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach 2021 Dairy Team Webinar Series. “Saving energy and saving dollars means money that you won’t have to spend, that won’t leave our communities,” Zook said. There are several ways farmers can save energy, but Zook said one of the easiest ways is to address lighting on the farm. “Lighting is huge,” Zook said. “It is one of the very most cost-effective things that any farm can change. LEDs are going to use roughly half the amount of energy as older fluorescent lights. It is often times the first thing I recommend when walking through farms.” According to Zook, funding for cost-sharing grants for updating on-farm lighting is abundant and can be stacked with incentives or rebates that might be offered by a utility company. “I have run some numbers for people, that looking at costshares and rebates, projects are getting completely paid for,” Zook said. “And this is a way to save sometimes thousands of dollars on your electric bill. It is a pretty painless thing that doesn’t need to change your operation.” Zook estimated that based on an 18-hour day, each fixture changed to an LED can save over $7,000 per year, allowing for a quick payback on light fixture replacement even Turn to ENERGY | Page 5
July 10, 2021
LA CROSSE, Wis. – President Joe Biden visited the coulee region to speak about his infrastructure framework plan June 29 at the La Crosse Municipal Transit Utility in La Crosse. While the trip was planned to address agriculture and the rural economy, the focus was changed to promote the infrastructure plan which has gained bipartisan support in Congress. “This is a generational investment to modernize our infrastructure,” said Biden in his address. “It will position America to compete with the rest of the world in the 21st century.” Wisconsin Farm Bureau Federation president Kevin Krentz, a Berlin dairy farmer, was in the audience to hear Biden speak.
“I am pleased that I could represent Wisconsin Farm Bureau at President Biden’s visit,” said Krentz in a WFBF press release. “We appreciate the attention to several rural issues from the president.” One of the biggest infrastructure challenges faced by rural Americans and farmers is a lack of access to broadband internet access, which Biden addressed in his speech. “No farmer here in Wisconsin should lose business because they don’t have a reliable connection to the internet to know when to buy, when to sell and to know what’s going on,” Biden said. “In 1936, the federal government brought electricity to nearly every home and farm in America. It spread the opportunity; it changed the lives and fortunes of thousands. It set the stage for a massive sustained economic boom that would follow World War II. High-speed internet is the equivalent of that today. It isn’t a luxury; it is now a necessity like water and electricity. This deal would provide it for everyone Turn to BIDEN | Page 6
A path for moving forward Brenner shares philosophy at Hunter Haven Farms By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
PEARL CITY, Ill. – The Illinois Milk Producers Association hosted a virtual Dairy Tech Tour of Hunter Haven Farms near Pearl City which was hosted by Scott Brenner July 1. Hunter Haven Farms is a 925-cow dairy located in northwestern Illinois. The farm was established in 1976 by the Block family. The herd of registered Holsteins has expanded over the past 45 PHOTO COURTESY OF ILLINOIS MILK PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION years to the current size and is operated by Scott Brenner. The The cows are housed in one of two tunnel-ven lated freestall barns at Hunter Haven Farms in Block family set the farm up Pearl City, Illinois. as a corporation in 1997, and each area of the farm is its own running a 4% fat average and a LLC, which has allowed for protein average of 3.18%. All of the forages fed are an easier transition from the grown on nearly 2,000 acres. Block family to Brenner. “We are focusing on the Half of the acres are devoted dairy aspect of the operation to corn production each year, right now,” Brenner said. “The with about 825 being used for way it is set up allows us to cash corn silage and the remaining rent the land and equipment. used for grain. Approximately Once the dairy is paid for, then 400 acres of alfalfa are grown for haylage. The farm harvests we can move on to the rest.” The cows are milked three four crops each year to produce times a day in a double-12 the tonnage needed. Brenner parlor with each milking taking also raises soybeans as part PHOTO COURTESY OF ILLINOIS MILK PRODUCERS ASSOCIATION seven hours to complete. The of his dairy ration. Wheat is Sco Brenner leads a virtual Dairy Tech Tour of his farm for the herd is averaging 97 pounds Illinois Milk Producers Associa on. Brenner operates Hunter of milk per cow per day while Turn to HUNTER HAVEN | Page 6 Haven Farms, where he milks 925 cows, near Pearl City, Illinois.