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Volume 19, No. 24
February 10, 2018
Governor Walker signs executive order to boost ag communities
Wisconsin producers visit state capitol By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. – Members of Wisconsin’s agricultural community descended on downtown Madison Jan. 24, taking part in the Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Ag Day at the Capitol program. Producers were afforded the opportunity to visit with lawmakers about issues that are pressing in agriculture. The day kicked off at the Monona Terrace with a visit from Governor Scott Walker who acknowledged the importance of agriculture in Wisconsin’s economy. “Back in 2007, the economic impact of agriculture
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Governor Walker signs an execuƟve order on Jan. 24 in Madison, Wis. The order directs the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer ProtecƟon to use exisƟng loan program revenues to encourage research and new dairy product development to increase domesƟc and internaƟonal markets.
in this state was a little over $40 billion,” Walker said. “The recent update of that from the UW-Extension is that agriculture now has an economic impact of over $88 billion in the state of Wisconsin. That’s pretty remarkable.” Walker spoke about his programs and plans for creating growth in rural communities, which were part of an executive order he signed following the speech. Walker explained his plan, which centers around creating a Rural Economic Development Fund, a $50 million dollar per year investment into economic development projects throughout the rural areas of the state. “One of the consistent things I hear are concerns about a lot of our small towns,” Walker said. Turn to WALKER | Page 5
Football, farmers and a fun time LOL Farm Bowl highlights opportunities in agriculture By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
MINNEAPOLIS – Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs walked away from this year’s football season with a trophy, although it may not have been the one he had in mind. Diggs and California dairyman J.J. Nunes were deemed the 2018 Land O’Lakes Farm Bowl champions, after competing in a series of events that tested their athletic ability and knowledge of farming, at 3M Arena at Mariucci at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis Feb. 1. The duo, coined Team Brooders, received the coveted Farm Bowl Trophy and bragging rights for the year. “That was a lot harder than I thought and a good off-season workout for me. I couldn’t have done it without [Nunes],” Diggs
said. The event coincided with the 52nd Super Bowl game, and was designed to educate the public on the importance of farming in a community, as well as inspire youth to consider a career in modern agriculture. Six teams paired up against each other in a friendly competition to complete various tasks that loosely resembled responsibilities often found on today’s farms. The teams included the Huskers of Wisconsin dairy farmer Amber Horn-Leiterman and former NFL wide receiver Greg Jennings; the Mustangs of Maryland dairy farmer Katie Dotterer-Pyle and former NFL running back Jerome Bettis; the Stallions of California dairy farmer Dave Ribeiro and former NFL center
JEFF WEYER/DAIRY STAR
Wisconsin dairy farmer Amber Horn-Leiterman and her teammate, former NFL wide receiver Greg Jennings, talk about their experience parƟcipaƟng in the Farm Bowl course Feb. 1 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis.
and current farmer Jason Brown; the Holsteins of Minnesota grain farmer Darin Johnson and NFL tight end Kyle Rudolph; the Brooders of Nunes and Diggs; and the Shredders of Minnesota dairy farmer Craig Roerick and NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly. “With this event, it’s all about the camaraderie and relationships we’re able to build,” said Ribeiro of pairing farmers and football players. “Jason and I were just in the back talking about kids, farming and faith – and that’s great. It builds teams.” Ribeiro milks 1,500 cows with his two sons near Tulare, Calif. As the teams made it through the series of timed events – changing a tractor tire, prepping a milk pipeline, navigating a drone over a corn eld, and loading straw bales on to a wagon and proceeding to back it up and park – the crowd roared in support. The audience included Turn to FARM BOWL | Page 6
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
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 (ofďƒžce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) Ad Composition Nancy Powell 320-352-6303 nancy.p@dairystar.com Amanda Thooft 320-352-6303 amanda.t@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 Editorial Staff Andrea Borgerding - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Krista Kuzma - Assistant Editor (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Ron Johnson (608) 874-4243 ron.j@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Brittany Olson (320) 352-6303 brittany.o@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (715) 245-6848 danielle.n@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofďƒžce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Jeff Weyer (Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-8505 (cell) jeff.w@dairystar.com Mark Klaphake (Western MN) 320-352-6303 (ofďƒžce) 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 Lori Menke (Eastern Iowa, Southern WI) 563-608-6477 • lori.m@dairystar.com Megan Stuessel (Western Wisconsin) 608-387-1202 megan.s@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 ďƒžnal 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 ofďƒžces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
A glance at what’s inside
Dairy Proďƒžle brought to you by your
North America dealers.
Love is in the air this month and can be seen throughout our ďƒžrst February issue – love for farming, spouses and promoting the industry. The Holtermans share their love for dairying and their farm in the way they take care of their business. On pages 10-11 in ďƒžrst section, we share their farming story of how Rosy-Lane Holsteins started in 1965 and has transformed into the dairy it is today – home to 870 Holsteins with 1,755 acres is operated by the Holterman family, business partners, Tim Strobel and Jordan Matthews, 20 full-time employees and several part-time employees. Along with a rolling herd average over 30,000 pounds, the herd also has a focus on breeding high genetic animals. There have also been several facility upgrades along the way in addition to an emphasis on making sure their farmsite looks clean and welcoming. Wanting to pursue a dream of dancing and needing a little self-care, Sarah Zaijeck now spends her Monday evenings clogging. On pages 34-35 in ďƒžrst section, we share how the night away from Zajicek’s 50-cow dairy in North Freedom, Wis., includes practicing as a member of the Cripple Creek Cloggers and giving clogging lessons to other aspiring dancers. Love brought Zeb Johnson and Danielle Belden together, and dairy is a part of that story, including their engagement. The couple, who dairies near Brook Park, Minn., became engaged after Johnson showed Belden a calf with an ear tag that said “Will you marry me?â€? Read about the details of the engagement on pages 3 and 7 in second section. A spark for taking care of goats ignited in McKinsey Gotham’s heart as a young girl, and now it has become reality. The woman began milking goats last summer near New Auburn, Wis. Her story is told on pages 2-3 in third section. – The Dairy Star Editorial Team
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Pages 8-9 First Section
The Transition Pen Page 27 First Section
New Auburn
Elroy
Athens
Madison
Madison
Third Section: Pages 2 - 3
Third Section: Pages 11, 14
First Section: Pages 18, 20
Second Section: Pages 8 - 9
Second Section: Pages 22 - 23
Gotham builds goat dairy with help from husband, father
Feed quality, 3X milking drives production at New Dairy Dairy
Dairy’s Star Youth: Crystal, Jacob and Camron Cafferty
Value of beef checkoff outlined at dairy conference
Minnesota, Michigan farmers like robotic milkers
More than a pair of bibs Page 29 First Section
Madison
What have you been up to?
n ur Polk
Sawyer
Price
Holtermans don’t rest at good enough
Rusk
Barron
Taylor
Page 31 First Section
Page 33 First Section
First Section: Pages 1, 5
Watertown
Veterinary Wisdom
The Next Generation
Burnett
St. Croix
Dunn
Marathon
North Freedom
Dancing dream comes true for Zajicek
Pierce
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
Pepin Buffalo
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Pages 10 - 11 Second Section
First Section: Pages 10 - 11
Chippewa Clark
Eau Claire Trempealeau
Page 30 First Section
Second Section: Pages 14 - 15
Iron Ashland
hb
Ramblings from the Ridge
Rhode Island family strives to continue on amidst challenging industry
W as
Page 25 First Section
Bayeld
Douglas
Governor Walker signs executive order to boost ag communities
Wood Jackson
Johnson Creek
Adams
La Crosse Monroe
Women in Jeans: Linda Wright
Juneau
Country Cooking
Page 29 Second Section
Vernon
South Wayne
Vosbergs make the most of a sour situation First Section: Pages 22 - 23
ford
Richland
Sauk
Craw
Iowa
Fond Du Lac Columbia
Lafayette
Zone 2
Dodge
Dane J
Green
on
rs
e eff
Grant
First Section: Page 36
Rock
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
What is one thing about your spouse that makes you smile?
Janesville
Dairy Prole: Margaret Hazeltine First Section: Page 39
Pages 15-16
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 5
COLD CALVES NEED MORE ENERGY!
ConƟnued from WALKER | Page 1
DANIELLE NAUMAN/ DAIRY STAR
70th District Assemblywoman Nancy Vandermeer meets with members of the Monroe County Farm Bureau – (from leŌ) Jack Herricks, Jim Herricks and ScoƩ Schmitz – on Jan. 24 during Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s Ag Day at the Capitol in Madison, Wis. The plan also re-purposes the Dairy 30x20 program into the Governor’s Family Farm Fund, which will increase support conservation programs and includes investments to help increase dairy protability in local, regional and international markets. The Governor’s Family Fund will also include a scholarship program available to students studying agriculture at a Wisconsin technical college or a UWCollege of Agriculture. “We’ve seen that not enough young people are going into farming, to take over the vast number of family farms that we have in this state,” Walker said. “Our hope would be that with these funds, we can target students who are graduating from rural high schools and going on to pursue a career in ag-related studies. We hope to help these students, providing one more incentive for young people to go into agriculture. Property tax relief has been a concern for farm owners and Walker shared that for the rst time since 1931, the state portion of property taxes was eliminated. “Not only does this help keep property taxes down, it’s permanent tax relief. No one’s going to put it back on. That’s pretty important,” Walker said. Walker spoke about the continued work to develop fair and free trade, chronicled in his executive order. “We believe in free trade,” Walker said. “It’s incredibly important and we’ve expressed that to the federal administrations, the Trump Administration and Congress. We also know, along with free trade, it needs to be fair. We saw an example of that last year with ultra-ltered milk.” Walker touted his plan for increased spending in rural education adding an addition $200 per student to school funding, and on top of that an additional $204 per student in rural schools. He highlighted his plan to increase sparsity aid payments to eligible low-revenue schools to the tune of $6.5 million in the next school year. Healthcare and its impact on rural communities ranked high on Walker’s agenda, including coverage of preexisting conditions and ensuring that Senior Care will remain available. “The vast majority of folks on farms are buying their health insurance on the individual markets, and they don’t have all the benets of the higher volume that typically drives down premiums,” Walker said. “We are working to create a reinsurance plan to drive down costs on the individual market, making it comparable to the group markets.” Attendees were briefed on legislative updates in regards to the status of bills that impact farmers from across the state, including the transfer of CAFO regulatory authority from the Department of Natural
Resources (DNR) to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP). Other issues highlighted included NR151, industrial hemp, the Agricultural Producer Security Program (APS), wolf management, wetland management and the Wisconsin Livestock Identication Consortium (WLIC). Following the legislative briengs, producers went to the Capitol to meet with legislators and staff for small group listening sessions. The Monroe County Farm Bureau delegation, led by Cashton, Wis., dairy farmer Jack Herricks, headed to the Capitol to meet with the 70th District Assembly Representative Nancy Vandermeer and her staff. The Monroe County delegation had questions and concerns regarding transportation and the implements of husbandry laws. “As a dairy farmer, our concern is to control our cost of production,” Jack said. “If there is more labor involved in hauling our milk, our costs are going to go way up. Our local milk haulers would like to see the harvest rules applied year-round, instead of just nine months of the year, to help keep costs down.” Tim and Brittany Herricks operate a manure spreading business in Monroe County, and they have faced issues in regards to gray areas in the interpretation of the implements of husbandry laws. “It’s hard,” Brittany said. “There are so many gray areas in regards to the Department of Transportation and our types of implements of husbandry. It’s hard to gure out what we can and cannot do. The licensing issues are unclear.” Another concern voiced by the group was regarding lighting on horsedrawn vehicles as a safety issue. “I know from driving milk truck that in different areas, the buggies are lit differently,” milk truck driver Jim Herricks said. “A lot of time they aren’t marked well enough and it’s hard to see them. It’s a big safety concern for us.” Wisconsin beekeeper Tony Bowers spoke to Vandermeer about the issues facing the bee populations, noting the importance of bees in agriculture for pollination. Members of the Monroe County group voiced their approval of the transfer of CAFO regulatory authority to the Wisconsin DATCP. “I think that’s a well-rounded area, with the right people heading up overseeing the permitting,” Jim said. “We appreciate this time. I think it’s important for you to hear the personal stories of these people, all involved in different aspects of agriculture in Monroe County,” Jack said to Vandermeer. “And to hear the things that face them every day in their businesses.
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Dairy farmer Craig Roerick (leŌ), of Swanville, Minn., and NFL linebacker Luke Kuechly reach for the buzzer to end their Land O’Lakes Farm Bowl challenge. The Farm Bowl took place Feb. 1 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. fellow cooperative members, students from the U of M College of Food and Natural Resource Sciences, sports fanatics and GENYOUth participants. “The goal here is to connect consumers with where their food comes from, and that’s super exciting. I think we’re doing that today,” said DottererPyle, who milks 350 cows with her family near Union Bridge, Md. Roerick, who milks 220 cows near Swanville, Minn., agreed. “It’s really exciting to see what the event is really doing – bringing agriculture down to the [Twin] Cities and people of the Super Bowl,” he said.
Both farmers and athletes, alike, were surprised with the course and the talent needed to complete each task. While some teams excelled in changing a tire, others found success navigating the drone; yet everyone took a little extra time backing up the wagon full of straw bales. Most NFL stars felt more condent in their counterpart to take charge of steering the ATV, but Jennings was adamant on completing the driving portion of that task. The result was a penalty for a tipped cone, which ultimately cost the Huskers a
Turn to FARM BOWL | Page 7
“Labor management
is not going to get easier for dairy operators, so robotic milking addresses some of that issue.”
JEFF WEYER/DAIRY STAR
Farm Bowl parƟcipants – (from leŌ) Jerome Beƫs, Kyle Rudolph, Darin Johnson, KaƟe DoƩerer-Pyle, Luke Kuechly, Craig Roerick, Jason Brown, Dave Ribeiro, Stefon Diggs, Greg Jennings and Amber Horn-Leiterman – speak with host Jordan Sparks aŌer each team completed the main course.
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ConƟnued from FARM BOWL | Page 6
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Craig Roerick primes a milk pipeline as part of the Land O’Lakes Farm Bowl Feb. 1 in Minneapolis. make of it – make it fun.” As the day came to an end, the Brooders and Stallions were the fastest teams throughout the course, and competed in a special event to name the Land O’Lakes Farm Bowl champions. Each team had eight 50-pound bags of feed they had to unload into a wheelbarrow and navigate around cones to an unloading station. With Ribeiro and Brown’s combined experience in farming, it was not enough to compete against the team of Diggs and Nunes. “I thought [Brown] was a double threat, being a pro athlete and farmer,” Ribeiro said. “I’m the oldest out here, so I really needed to bump up my game. I had to remind myself what it’s like to run.” Regardless of who took away the title of Farm Bowl Champions, the day was full of excitement and inspiration for the next generation of agriculturalists. “We have to remember what today is about, and it’s about those kids,” said Brown, referring to the section of GENYOUth participants. “Everyone can join in and get excited about agriculture.”
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Too much technology?
Technology has allowed one person to take care of more cows, which in turn produces more milk. According to an article I read, we are producing 5 million pounds of milk per day more than we need or can use. How can we expect to get a higher (fair) price for our milk if we keep producing more and more. We have learned how to feed and care for cows better than ever before. The technology that has allowed us to do this includes parlors, auto scrapers, robots, sexed semen, BST and more. One of the biggest problems are the banks who are so free with money to expand. There is nothing you can do with the expansions that already exist. But you can stop the new ones. If you have the money to expand, I guess you can. If you have to borrow the money, the banks need to say no. I think you will see $10 milk before you see $16 per cwt. When the banks allow you to just pay the interest, that’s not progress, that’s going backward. It seems to be the mindset we are in; just pay the interest and keep getting bigger to try to increase your income to counteract low prices. The strong will survive and the weak will go out of business. My solution is for everyone to be forced to produce 10 percent less milk in 2018 than they did in 2017. It would make less work and at the end of the year more money (as milk prices rise because of less product available). The oil companies experienced the same thing, and they got it together causing the price of a barrel of oil to double in eight months. Maybe the NFO wasn’t such a bad thing after all. Steve Janke Humbird, Wis.
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chance at the Farm Bowl trophy. “As many times as I’ve backed up with trailers, I at out panicked this time,” Jennings said. “I didn’t even remember what gear I was on.” Jennings participated in the promotional video event hosted at Ron Miller’s farm near Little Falls, Minn., this past summer. Despite the setback, Jennings and Horn-Leiterman were pleased with their performance and the underlying message of the public event. “Today, a lot of people don’t know where their food comes from. With this modernization, it allows us to produce more with less, but that also means less people,” Horn-Leiterman said. “This really sheds a light on that and puts a face with that. [People] can look at me and know I’m a dairy farmer from Wisconsin.” Jennings agreed. “Today, this experience with the kids, this is what I’ve enjoyed the most,” he said. “The biggest takeaway is that farming is fun. It’s all about how you approach it, your mentality and what you
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
NAFTA negotiations move to Mexico in February Progress is being made in the renegotiations of bill. At its winter policy meeting, NASDA called for the North American Free Trade Agreement, but it a modernized North American Free Trade Agreement is a long, drawn-out affair. “This round was a step and funding for animal disease surveillance, the forward, but we’re progressing slowly,” said U.S. Specialty Crop Block Grant program and the Market Trade Ambassador Robert Lighthizer as Access Program. Ag Insider he encouraged an accelerated pace going into the next round of trade talks, which Speech focuses on trade, infrastructure are scheduled for late February in Mexico. and more Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Regulatory reform and infrastructure Freeland said agriculture got attention upgrades were promoted in President in the Montreal trade talks. “We made Donald Trump’s rst State of the Union good progress in the talks on sanitary address. Trump didn’t mention the and phytosanitary measures, customs and North American Free Trade Agreement trade facilitation and technical barriers to specically, but said his administration trade,” she said. Efforts are still underway would x bad trade deals and negotiate to complete the NAFTA negotiations new trade agreements. “From now on, by late March. If the trade talks extend we expect trade relationships to be fair By Don Wick beyond that time, action will be impacted and very importantly, reciprocal,” he by the Mexican elections on July 1. This said. Trump also called for a signicant Columnist is also an election year for the U.S., which investment in roads, bridges and other further complicates the process. infrastructure. “Tonight, I’m calling on Congress to produce a bill that generates at least Perdue releases farm bill principles $1.5 trillion for the new infrastructure investment our The USDA has unveiled its Farm Bill and country so desperately needs. Every federal dollar Legislative Principles. Agriculture Secretary Sonny should be leveraged by partnering with state and Perdue wants Congress to use this as a road map as local governments and where appropriate, tapping it debates the farm bill. In the document, Perdue said into private sector investment to permanently x the the Administration supports a farm safety net that infrastructure decit. We can do it,” he said. The new helps American farmers deal with economic stress tax reform law also was highlighted in the Trump without distorting markets. The USDA supports speech. Trump described it as the “biggest tax cuts and conservation, market competitiveness for U.S. reform in American history.” agriculture in international trade, a focus on marketing and regulatory programs, food safety, research, rural Solutions to Section 199a challenge development and natural resources. Perdue said SNAP Lawmakers are meeting with stakeholders to talk will be available for “those who are truly in need.” about an update to the Section 199a provision included In addition, Perdue promised this will be a scally in the new tax law. There is concern the Section 199a responsible farm bill. provision makes it more benecial for farmers to sell to farm cooperatives compared to private companies. NASDA weighs in on the farm bill Select Milk Producers CEO Michael McCloskey The National Association of State Departments of and other dairy farmers don’t want Section 199a to Agriculture is calling for a robust and fully funded farm be eliminated. “I truly understand we need a x,” he
said. “I just feel the approach so far hasn’t been one that really represents all farmers. We want a x for all farmers. We want to keep Section 199a. Maybe we make an adjustment on the deduction. Right now, there’s a deduction of 20 percent on gross sales. Maybe we have to drop that to 10 percent to keep it budget neutral to what we have today. Allow then, all farmers to participate in that way.”
USDA proposal would allow more milk options in school The USDA is proposing a change in the school lunch program, allowing low-fat avored milk as an option in school meals. In 2012, low-fat chocolate milk and similar products were removed from school lunchrooms and cafeterias. The National Milk Producers Federation and International Dairy Foods Association said milk consumption declined signicantly since that time. The dairy groups praised the proposal, saying it will have a benecial nutritional impact on children. More bankruptcies in Wisconsin Western Wisconsin had the most farm bankruptcies in the U.S. in 2017. The district that includes more than half of the state had 28 farm bankruptcy cases. Low commodity prices and high input costs are blamed. Facial recognition Cargill has invested in an Irish company that specializes in facial-recognition software. Cainthus uses this technology to recognize individual cows and other animals. The software can also track feed and water consumption, detect heat and monitor other behavioral conditions. The plan is to work with dairy cattle rst and eventually move into other species. Cargill has a minority interest in Cainthus. An earnings increase for Saputo For the third quarter, Saputo reports net earnings of $337 million (Canadian). That’s up from $139 Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 9
ConĆ&#x;nued from AG INSIDER | Page 8
million one year ago. In a conference call, company ofďƒžcials said Saputo will consider the acquisition of other dairy processing companies. At the same time, Saputo announced it will close its cheese processing plant at Fond Du Lac by June 1. A total of 120 jobs will be lost. Brooks named Pet Food Institute president/CEO In late February, Dana Brooks will take over as president and CEO of the Pet Food Institute. Brooks has been the senior director of government affairs for Land O’Lakes. Previously, Brooks had similar roles with Elanco and the National Milk Producers Federation. Outstanding young farmer The Wisconsin Outstanding Young Farmer Award has gone to Andy Fisher
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Trivia challenge It takes 21.2 pounds of milk to produce one pound of butter. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, where is the Brown Swiss Breeders Association of the USA based? We’ll 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 ďƒžve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
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of Manitowoc County. Fisher operates a 400-cow dairy herd.
“I know we are catching ketosis cases earlier.â€? When did you start using the Porta BHB ketosis test? How many years have you been testing with DHIA? My dad enrolled our herd around 1968 and we’ve been on DHIA since then. How has testing with DHIA beneĂ€ted your dairy? My favorite parts are somatic cell testing along with butterfat and protein. We always are on the lookout for inverted fat and protein on individual cows. SCC helps us to make treating and culling decisions. Action lists are probably the part that gets used the most because the day to day herd management such as cows eligible to breed, cows to dry, cows to calve are all organized for you and in an easy to use format. When did you start using the Porta BHB ketosis test? I was made aware of the test by our DHIA supervisor Kylene Lehman this spring and thought it might help us to catch ketosis cows a little sooner. What is the process of using the test? The test is very easy to run. Just dip the strip and wait a minute and then compare it to the color chart on the bottle. What do you like about the test? It is quick and easy to test and I don’t have to try to sniff my way through the parlor and holding pen to Ă€nd the cow with ketosis. How has this test beneĂ€ted your herd? We have had some fresh cow challenges this spring and have been able to determine if the cow has ketosis or we need to look for other problems. I know we are catching ketosis cases earlier and are able to Ă€gure out when we can stop treatment. Ray
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Versatile 485 2009, Nice .................................................... $148,000 J Versatile 936 1988 12sp. 4Hdy. 3pt. Consignment .......... $30,000 J MF 4608 2013 Cab, MFWD, Loader .................................. $39,000 W Ford 1700 1983, Turf Tires .................................................... $3,700 W Yanmar 324 2015 R-4 Tires, 60” Mower, NEW ................. $12,900 W MF 596 2WD Cab 983 Hours .............................................. $20,500 W 5075E MFWD Loader 502 Hours ....................................... $31,900 W McCormick CX105 2007 Cab MFWD 2500 Hours ......... $33,900 J
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JD 3950 Forage Harvester 2-30 Green Corn Head Yellow Hay P.O ......................................................................................................$5,900 L Hands 12 Wheel Rake ............................................................. $6,500 L Hands 10 Wheel Rake ............................................................. $2,900 J CIH SC412 Mower Conditioner ................................ $7,750 $7,000 W NH BR 7090 Round Baler 4600 Bales ................................ $28,500 W Hands Bifold Rake 8 Wheel .................................................. $3,500 W Kuhn Tedder 6 Rotor ...............................................................$8,900 W Vermeer R2800 Rake ........................................................... $17,900 W NH BR7060 Cutter, Wrap, Wide Pickup ............................ $29,900 W NH 460 2015 Wrap .............................................................. $29,900 W H&S FB7416 20ft Forage Box 16 Ton ................ $15,700 $13,500 W
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DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Lloyd and Daphne Holterman (leŌ) operate Rosy-Lane Holsteins in partnership with Tim Strobel (center) and Jordan Mathews (right). The Holtermans purchased the dairy herd from Lloyd’s parents in 1989 and the land in 1994. Strobel and MaƩhews both began as high school employees on the farm before becoming partners in the business.
Production, genetics go hand-in-hand for Holtermans By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
WATERTOWN, Wis. – Ever since Lloyd and Daphne Holterman set off on their dairying careers in the early 1980s, they have never settled for what might have been good enough. Instead, they have continued to embrace technology and growth, always looking to make things just a little better or more efcient. Today, the Holtermans operate Rosy-Lane Holsteins, home to 870 Holsteins, outside of Watertown, Wis., in Jefferson County where they crop 1,755 acres with partners Tim Strobel and Jordan Matthews. The farm has 20 full-time employees, along with several part-time employees. Rosy-Lane Holsteins was founded in 1965 by Lloyd’s parents, Lloyd, Sr., and Rosemarie. For six years following his graduation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Lloyd came home to work on his family’s farm, with Daphne joining him. In 1987 the couple ventured to farm on their own for two years in
nearby Ixonia, Wis. In 1989, Lloyd, Jr., and Daphne purchased the cows and farm equipment from Lloyd’s parents, and then purchased the land in 1994. Under their ownership, Rosy-Lane has seen a great deal of growth and change, operating under their motto, “Great people, great cows, great returns.” Today, the cows at Rosy-Lane Holsteins are milked three times daily in a double-12 parallel parlor. The herd averages nearly 31,000 pounds of milk per cow, per year, with a 36 percent pregnancy rate and a 58 percent conception rate. All cows are housed in sand-bedded freestalls. “Our cows might be a little different than other peoples,” Lloyd said. “We bred them smaller but wider, with higher components. We want an average sized cow, not a great big cow. We want cows that are going to go through the parlor quickly.” The Holtermans have focused their breeding program on health traits, especially productive life, and started breeding against stature in 1996. “We want older cows in the herd. Our involuntary cull and death rate is 23.5 percent,” Lloyd said. The success of older cows in the Rosy-Lane Turn to HOLTERMANS | Page 11
CIH RMX 370 .......................................................................... $28,900 L CIH RMX 370 28ft. .................................................. $31,900 $25,900 J JD 215 16ft. ...............................................................................$3,250 H Salford 4124 24ft. ................................................................. $46,000 J
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JD 7200 8-30 Dry Fert, Insecticide, Vac, Low Acres and Sharp ........ .................................................................................................... $14,900 J 8824 White 24-30 Central Fill, Never Been in the Field ................... .................................................................................................... $95,000 J 8824 White 24-30 Central Fill ............................... $70,900 $59,000 J White 8186 16-30 (2 Units to Choose from) ...................... $19,900 J White 6100 12-30 Liq. Fert Row Cleaners .......................... $12,900 J White 8222 12-30 Liq. Fert Row Clutches .......................... $44,900 L White 6100 8-30 Dry Fert, Folding, 1994 ..............................$6,900 J
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Gehl 4240 2013 ...................................................................... $16,500 Gehl 5240 2012 2040 Cab Hours ......................................... $24,900 Gehl 5240E 2012 1053 Cab Hours, Pilot Control ............... $26,900 Gehl 5240 2010 1350 Cab Hours ......................................... $20,900 Gehl 5640 2011 4929 Hours ................................................. $34,000 Gehl U400 2014 2600 Hours ................................................. $34,000 Bobcat S185 2960 Hours 2sp ................................................ $18,500 Bobcat S590 (5 Units to Choose From) ......................... Call for Price Bobcat S740 2016 Cab .......................................................... $34,500 Bobcat S750 2015 Cab .......................................................... $35,950 Bobcat S850 Cab Joystick ...................................... $49,000 $40,900 H = Hamburg | J = Judson | L = Lafayette | W = Waconia
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DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
The cross-venƟlated barn, built in 2007, ensures a more constant temperature and climate for the cows during weather extremes.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 11
ConƟnued from HOLTERMANS | Page 10
“Only treating one cow for mastitis.” Dan Ziegler
Ziegler Dairy Farm MIDDLETON, WI
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
The Holtermans use lighƟng in the parlor that shines directly onto the cows’ udders, allowing workers to beƩer ensure udders are clean prior to aƩaching units. AŌer installing the lights, the Holtermans’ SCC dropped 25,000. herd is evident in the over 160 cows that have surpassed 200,000 pounds of lifetime milk production. A large number of 2-year-olds are sold to other dairy producers for replacements, and the Holtermans sold 190 cows for dairy replacements in the past year. “We don’t have room to raise all our heifer calves here on site, and they are housed at three locations,” Lloyd said. “We’ve begun selling heifer calves that are under $670-net merit, parent average at 3 days of age.” The Holtermans’ genetic focus has not gone unnoticed by breeders and genetic companies. Recently, the Holtermans bred a calf that was the No. 1 TPI heifer in the world, and second high net-merit. That calf, a Frazzled daughter with a net merit value of +1157 and a GTPI value at +3017, comes from eight generations of Rosy-Lane breeding and was purchased by PineTree Holsteins in Ohio. In addition, the Holtermans have sold over 100 bulls into U.S. and foreign A.I. studs. In the parlor, the Holtermans use AFI technology to gain production and health information on the cows, including milking speed data. The cows are segregated into 13 milking groups, according to milking speed. The Holtermans have used Hybrid Liner inations for nearly 10 years and have seen an improvement in teat ends. Three people work on a milking shift, two in the parlor and one moving cows. They add an extra person on the night shift to deal with calvings. The parlor is equipped with shower heads that shower the cows in the summer to help keep cows cool. Another improvement in the parlor was to add lights that shine on the udders, an idea Daphne picked up touring a farm in Minnesota. “When we installed those lights, our cell count went down 25,000,” Lloyd said. “They can see if the cows are clean.” Rosy-Lane has gone through several expansion phases. “We built the dairy in 1997. This was the rst dairy in the state of Wisconsin that built a direct-load right into the system,” Lloyd said. A year later, they began trucking their own milk, generating an additional 30 cents per hundred-weight net prot. “There are a ton of efciencies trucking your own milk that you would never even think about that create a lot of prot for your farm,” Lloyd said. “Not having a bulk tank is probably the best thing we ever did.” The most recent expansion began in 2007 and has increased the herd size from 550 head to 870. It included building a cross-ventilated barn that
maintains a more constant temperature. “The concept of this barn is so much better than anything we’ve ever built,” Lloyd said. “The cow comfort in here is incredible. Dry matter intake and production in this barn is very consistent regardless of weather.” The calves are raised in individual pens inside a calf barn ventilated with low-velocity air tubes, supplemented by basket fans during the warm weather. “Our calf staff all love calves,” Daphne said. “It took a long time to get to the point to have four people that love calves. We really appreciate our staff and what they do for our calves.” Calves are fed a milk replacer with fat added during the cold weather, following colostrum and pasteurized mothers milk for the rst eight days. Calves are weaned at 60 days. The Holtermans feed milk replacer for biosecurity purposes but are reevaluating feeding pasteurized milk due to the cost of milk replacer versus the price of milk. “This is a little easier for people in cold weather, but calf hutches are much more forgiving,” Lloyd said. “In here you have to be immaculate. These are not easy to manage.” Putting a good image forward to the public is a primary concern, being located near a busy highway close to both Watertown and Johnson Creek. The Holtermans work to be a positive face for agriculture. “We pretty much have open door policy,” Lloyd said. “We try never to say no to giving a tour of the farm.” Daphne heads up public relations for Rosy-Lane, ensuring the farm is kept neat and tidy for a positive rst impression for visitors and passers-by. The Holtermans work to ensure a good working relationship with law enforcement and county ofcials, and Lloyd credits them with having a good understanding of animal husbandry laws. “A lot of people are riding horses, riding bikes and jogging by, and we have to farm around them,” Lloyd said. “We have a safety meeting right before the big pushes on haylage and corn silage, and we tell our drivers that safety comes rst. We encourage them to wave at people, go slow, we are not in a hurry. If you get tired, go home, don’t push. That philosophy has paid off.” At the end of the day, the Holtermans work to nd a balance between production and protability while being good stewards of their herd and their land. “You need to nd your passion and let that determine your path,” Daphne said of nding that balance.
“Since installing FutureCow, we’ve been able to add 200 cows to our herd and finish milking in the same amount of time. Our employees enjoy using the TeatScrubber because they are getting done faster. On average we are milking 220 cows per hour. We milk 1,000 cows and are currently only treating one for mastitis, and that’s bedding with sawdust.”
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
Is another farm crisis looming? Trends suggest 1980s will remain a part of history By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
The time is 1978. Farmers across the nation are capitalizing on an uptick in commodity prices, and lenders are encouraging further business expansions. But as quickly as the golden era of farming arrived, it soon began to dissipate. The United States enacted a shortlived grain embargo against the Soviet Union; the Federal Reserve abruptly raised interest rates to curb ination; and farmers watched their net worth plummet. The agricultural industry entered the 1980s Farm Crisis. Fast forward nearly 40 years, and the agricultural industry is once again met with difcult times. Although farmers are now faced with a similar nancial pinch, there are vast differences between the two eras. “I’d rather have it this way than in the 1980s,” Lester Banse said. Banse milks 200 cows with his wife, Donna, near Caledonia, Minn. The differences between the 1980s Farm Crisis and today lie within the years preceding each market swing, as well as how industry alliances prepared and handled the situations. “We’re in a time of a downturn,
but not a crisis,” Wendong Zhang said. “Today, it takes effort to manage costs and maintain working capital, but it is not impossible.” Zhang is an applied economist and extension farm management specialist at Iowa State University. In the early 2000s, the industry saw historically low interest rates and a growing demand for exports from China. These factors, among others, led to a net farm income increase of roughly 8 percent every Lester Banse year, while the Dairy producer years leading to the 1980s saw a -3.2 percent decline in net farm income. “For the past four years, we’ve seen difcult conditions, but the 10 years prior were very favorable,” Zhang said. However, the years that followed both time periods were drastically different. In the 1980s, farmers saw an increase in net farm income, while today, the average net farm income has declined almost 10 percent year over year. In 2016, farmers recorded an average net farm income of $60 billion compared to $120 billion in 2013, according to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). “In the ‘80s we were dealing with an equity crisis. Now, this is a cash ow crisis,” Robert Nigh said. Robert and his brother, Randy, milk 130 cows with their nephew, Ryan, near
Viroqua, Wis. The Nighs took over their father’s dairy in the mid-60s, and have continued diversifying the farm with dairy cattle genetics, a cow-calf operation and cash crops to weather the industry trends. While income is sparse across all sectors of agriculture, the cost of farming continues to rise. “That’s the biggest thing … rising input costs are the biggest percentage of the milk check,” Banse said. “Everyone wanted a piece of the pie in 2014, and now they don’t want to lower their costs.” Dale Nordquist, associate director with the University of Minnesota Center for Farm Financial Management, agreed. “Farms are really struggling right now with ag margins. It all depends on your cost structure and life cycle of the business,” he said, noting the greater volatility in milk prices today. “Back then, it only helped to have livestock as the [milk] price rarely wandered more than a couple dollars.” Fortunately, nancial assistance is favorable this time around. After the 1980s, the federal government established programs and restructured loan regulations to improve lending options for farmers that accurately reected a cash ow repayment opportunity rather than inated market values. In the mid-1980s, loans were largely distributed through the Farm Credit System and individual lenders, whereas today, a majority of loans are setup through the Farm Credit System and commercial banks, as noted by the
USDA. “We haven’t seen interest rates like the ‘80s, and land values are not crashing,” said Tom Deming with Foresight Bank. “Land prices are relatively stable and farmers have the ability to restructure their nancing while interest rates remain low.” When the Banses began farming in October 1976, the farm site had not seen cows in ve years. They worked with the bank to fund small improvements, such as within the Wendong Zhang milkhouse and Iowa State University putting up silos, as they built their herd from 18 to 50 cows. “I’ll never forget when I was paying back loans on 19 percent interest,” Banse said. “The bank worked with me as we started out, but wanted one-third of the milk check. It took all but that one-third to pay for that interest and then the other bills.” Robert agreed. “It was tough,” he said. “You’d watch families lose their farms – and they were great people. When you lost a farm, you lost a part of your community.” In time, more than half of farmers are now established and not currently carrying a large debt load, Zhang said. In turn, this may be advantageous for beginning farmers. Turn to CRISIS | Page 13
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 13
FEED BUNKS
ConĆ&#x;nued from CRISIS | Page 12 “There’s access to land,â€? he said. “In times of change lies opportunity.â€? Historical trends suggest downturns last roughly six years, and Zhang encourages farmers to look at their current operation and how they compare to the national average as the markets begin rebounding. “On average, agriculture tends to be a breakeven business. Don’t be average, but be at the top 30 percent of the curve,â€? Zhang said. “Be careful with your management and cost of production, and take advantage of ag marketing and prices when they become available.â€? For the Nighs and Banse, they have been through downturns and crises, and are continually learning how to improve their farm and weather the market storm. When Banse ďƒžrst started farming, he worked tirelessly and found ways to minimize costs on the farm without sacriďƒžcing the health and production of his growing herd. “We didn’t spend much, and we never did anything fancy. You have to be careful about what you spend,â€? Banse said.
The Nighs learned a lot about themselves as dairy farm managers when they worked through the 1980s and continue today. “These two times are detrimental to prepare for the future, as they’re major ďƒžnancial downers,â€? Randy said. “But, they undoubtedly prepare you because tough times make for better managers.â€? Robert agreed. “We’re making decisions now that we should have made years ago,â€? he said. “Maybe we didn’t learn as well as we could have the ďƒžrst time through because we’re in a reactive position now.â€? Regardless of the farm structure and management style that differ from dairy to dairy, the Nighs and Banse stress the importance of communication with fellow dairy farmers, as well as family and friends and key stakeholders of the farm, to help make it through this downturn. “Take care of the cows and they’ll take care of you,â€? Banse said. “Times never stay bad and they never stay good. Remain optimistic and know things will get better.â€?
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 15
What is one thing about your spouse that makes you smile?
How long have you been married? Sixteen years. How did you and your spouse meet? We knew each other through 4-H, from showing dairy cattle at the Richland County Fair when we were younger. But, it wasn’t until years later that we got reacquainted. Rob was in a bowling league and it happened to be the same league that my brother was in. It started out that I was going to watch my brother bowl, but it didn’t take too long before I would go to see Rob. We dated two years before getting married, so here we are now 18 years later with three daughters and carrying on the family farm. What is the best thing about farm life? Rob: As the kids grow up, it is seeing them take on responsibilities on the farm and being able to see Denise and the girls throughout the day even if it is just for a few minutes. Denise: I think working close to family, which teaches kids the true meaning of what family is all about. It teaches them that family is there to help whenever they are needed. The farm is also a great place to raise kids. It teaches them responsibilities, good work ethic and that hard work, someday down the road, will pay off. What is one thing about your spouse that makes you smile? Rob: Her beautiful smile. Denise: Seeing the way he is with our daughters. He is the best dad that I could ask for in raising our three girls, and a great inuence in their lives. How do you nd time for each other while farming? Rob: We have a date night a couple times a month. Otherwise it is just a few minutes here or there, whenever we can nd time together. Mornings are when we talk the most, after the kids leave for school. That’s when we can talk about farming and personal things. Denise: We usually make sure we have a date night when things slow down a little bit on the farm, if that is even possible. It is in between hay crops and eldwork, or a rainy day. If you and your spouse were able to take a day trip for Valentine’s Day, where would you go? Rob: Maybe a movie and a steak supper at a local restaurant. Otherwise, a quiet night at home is great. Denise: Probably a movie and go out for supper somewhere, or maybe even some shopping (most likely Farm and Fleet and Menards). What’s a special meal you make at home for Valentine’s Day? Rob: None. If we do anything, we will go out to eat. As we get older, we don’t really seem to celebrate Valentine’s Day much at all. Denise is a special wife and partner, and I don’t do enough to show her how much she means to me. Denise: I don’t make a special meal. But if I did, it would probably be a tenderloin or hamburgers on the grill with baked potatoes and some sort of vegetable.
How long have you been married? My husband, Jon, and I have been married 14 years in February.
How long have you been married? My husband, Kyle, and I have been married since August of 2013.
How did you and your spouse meet? We have always known each other, mainly through 4-H. We started talking at a mutual friend’s wedding and began dating after that.
How did you and your spouse meet? We met at University of WisconsinRiver Falls. We had the same major, same job and same group of friends, so it must have been fate. For one of our rst dates, he took me to his parents’ dairy farm for the weekend. I had never milked in a tiestall before, only in a parlor, so it was a big learning experience, but one of the best dates I had ever had. A few years later, he proposed in the milkhouse after milking and the rest is history.
What is the best thing about farm life? I can raise our kids here and have more control over my schedule, so I am available to our kids. Plus, I like the opportunity to work as a team and accomplish some great tasks. The feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day is like no other. What is one thing about your spouse that makes you smile? He is very thoughtful in an unconventional way. He will remember me saying I want something done, xed or changed, and he will do it at some point, and then tell me about it. I nd it very thoughtful that he remembered and then acted on it. Plus, he has the best laugh. How do you nd time for each other while farming? We squeeze in lunch dates when running for parts or even signing up for conferences and classes together. The kids stay home with our parents or friend, and it gives us the opportunity to be together, focus on what is important at that time, all while further advancing our knowledge and skills for farming. If you and your spouse were able to take a day trip for Valentine’s Day, where would you go? We enjoy the simple things, but our favorite thing to do is ice shing and snowshoeing in Hayward. Anything outdoors. What’s a special meal you make at home for Valentine’s Day? I usually make steak or a favorite meal request from the kids, but I always get an ice cream cake for dessert. That’s been a staple since our rst Valentine’s as a married couple. Tell us about your farm. We farm with my husband’s parents, Mike and Sue Fischer; we milk 750 cows in a double-16 parlor that we built three years ago. We farm just over 2,000 acres. We grow all our own crops and handle all the trucking for manure. We raise all our heifers and calves, as well as some beef-cross cattle. My husband handles the eld work and maintenance. I manage the calf barn and handle employee meetings and other operational tasks. We pride ourselves in the relationship and tenure we have built with our employees, but also producing a highquality milk with a low SCC and a high butterfat and protein content. Teamwork is key to our success.
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What is the best thing about farm life? Every day brings a promise of something great. Every new calf is a step towards our future and a chance to do the very best we can for our animals and ourselves. You reap your own rewards and get exactly what you put into farming. What is one thing about your spouse that makes you smile? We agree on the important things. We might rib each other and joke around all day, but when it comes time to act in a time of need for a neighbor or we need to get a project done, we come together as a awless team. How do you nd time for each other while farming? It is difcult because I farm full time while he works full time as a teacher. I am always appreciative when he can drop in and help feed calves with me, and we can talk about our day. There is no better feeling than doing chores alongside your spouse and working together towards your shared goals. If you and your spouse were able to take a day trip for Valentine’s Day, where would you go? We would love to go back to Door County, where we took our honeymoon. It was a special time in our lives when we were full of hopes and dreams for our future together. What’s a special meal you make at home for Valentine’s Day? We like to cook steaks from our own cattle with a side of freezer corn and potatoes and ice cream for dessert. Tell us about your farm. I farm with brothers, Dale and Larry Deetz. I am in the process of transitioning into farm partnership with them. We milk 300 cows in ve DeLaval robots and raise all of our own replacement heifers. My role on the dairy is cow and robot care, as well as utilizing data produced by the robots and milk testing to make us both as productive and efcient as possible. I am fortunate to have been given an opportunity to dairy despite not growing up on a farm. I am thankful for every day I get to wake up and live my dream.
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Tell us about your farm. Rob and I took over the family farm in 2007 and milk 370 Holsteins that are milked two times a day in a double-8 parlor. We farm 1,400 acres and our crops include hay, corn, soybeans, rye and sorghumSudangrass. We raise all our replacements and raise and fatten all our steers. We have three daughters: Kylee, 14, Kortney, 13, and Kaitlyn, 10. They are all active on the farm.
Taliah Danzinger Mondovi, Wis. Buffalo County 300 cows
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15
Sam Thorson and Zach Tietz Frederic, Wis. Polk County 130 cows
Marie Hemmersbach Monticello, Wis. Green County 130 cows
Kim and Andy Olson Lewiston, Minn. Winona County 150 cows
Jill and Brandon Marshik Rice, Minn. Benton County 72 cows
How long have you been married? We’re getting married on Oct. 6, and will have been together for six years this April.
How long have you been married? My husband, Jeff, and I have been married almost four months.
How long have you been married? We have been married 13 years.
How long have you been married? Six years.
How did you and your spouse meet? We had lockers next to each other in high school. Our last names were Olson and Pangrac.
How did you and your spouse meet? In high school.
How did you and your spouse meet? Sam: We got set up on a blind date our freshman year of college at the hockey rink at University of Wisconsin-River Falls. I spent most of the time skating around the rink alone. Zach: Neither of us were very happy to be there.
How did you and your spouse meet? We lived on neighboring dairy farms as kids and our parents were friends. My family moved to a different farm and we lost touch. He looked me up about four years ago and our friendship picked up where it had left off. Now we’re newlyweds.
What is the best thing about farm life? Zach: The challenges that come with it and the change of pace. Sam: Always having something to do.
What is the best thing about farm life? The animals and being able to be outdoors.
What is one thing about your spouse that makes you smile? Sam: Zach is always joking around and trying to be funny. How do you nd time for each other while farming? Between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. We spend most of our time together working on the farm. If you and your spouse were able to take a day trip for Valentine’s Day, where would you go? Zach: I’m not going anywhere unless she tells me where we’re going. We could go back to River Falls for the day and meet up with old friends. Sam: We don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day that much. What’s a special meal you make at home for Valentine’s Day? Pot roast (Zach’s favorite) and strawberry cheesecake. Tell us about your farm. We crop about 600 acres in addition to milking cows with Zach’s brothers, Sawyer, Heath and Ted, and his parents, Joe and Donna. We switch groups of cows in and out of the tiestall barn.
What is one thing about your spouse that makes you smile? His sense of humor. How do you nd time for each other while farming? We both work on the farm so we are together a lot. When we are in the eld, though, we try to stop for a picnic lunch most days. It’s just nice to catch up, enjoy the scenery and eat lunch together. If you and your spouse were able to take a day trip for Valentine’s Day, where would you go? We’ve been swamped this winter with calving and the cold so this year we’d probably spend the day with his grandma who we haven’t had a chance to see much. What’s a special meal you make at home for Valentine’s Day? Lasagna and cherry torte. Tell us about your farm. My husband and I have 200 head of mostly Jersey dairy cattle. We have added some Holstein in since my husband is partial to them. I milk in a swing-12 parlor while Jeff mixes TMR. We raise our heifer calves and the neighbor takes the bull calves after they are weaned. We also crop 200 acres with the help of my brother and nephews.
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FEEDS
What is the best thing about farm life? Kim: I like that I can rearrange my schedule for family time. Our robotic milkers especially help with this. Andy: I like having a exible schedule and being able to have our kids with us when we are working. What is one thing about your spouse that makes you smile? Kim: I like Andy’s sense of humor. Andy: Kim is a wonderful mother. How do you nd time for each other while farming? We work together a lot and when we’re not working together, we are texting a lot. While the kids are at school, we will occasionally take the time to go out for lunch. If you and your spouse were able to take a day trip for Valentine’s Day, where would you go? Kim: I would go to the Cities for dinner. Then I would go shopping while Andy would go look at motorcycles. Andy: I would nd a nice place for dinner in the Twin Cities and then go to a live comedy show together. What’s a special meal you make at home for Valentine’s Day? Kim: I try not to cook on Valentine’s Day, so we would probably go out to eat. Andy: I would make something with easy clean up like shrimp cocktail and a bunch of other types of appetizers. Tell us about your farm. We farm together with Kim’s parents, Dale and Carmene Pangrac. We rotationally graze our herd and have 750 acres of land. Our farm and dairy herd is certied organic. We put in robots in 2013. We have three kids: Mallory, 11, Gavin, 8, and Amelia, 6.
What is the best thing about farm life? We are our own boss and have the option to do stuff when we can. We can more time with our kids. What is one thing about your spouse that makes you smile? Brandon: When I walk around the corner and Jill is smiling. Jill: When we are in the barn milking and Brandon is singing. How do you nd time for each other while farming? We both stay home and farm so we are together, but we still make time to get off the farm and go out to eat and go to the gym. If you and your spouse were able to take a day trip for Valentine’s Day, where would you go? We would go out to eat and just hang out and relax. It is nice to take a break and do nothing for a while. What’s a special meal you make at home for Valentine’s Day? We don’t make anything special, just normal food. Tell us about your farm. We started milking cows in 2014 with 23 cows. Now we are up to 72 cows and farm 300 acres with Jill’s parents. We plant corn, alfalfa and soybeans. We are feeding almost all our crops to the cows. We raise the bull calves to 500 pounds. All heifers stay on the farm. We poured a big heifer/dry cow lot, nished the freestall barn and put a year’s supply manure pit in. We are expanding to 80 cows, being that is what our farm is sized for now.
“I didn’t even think we had stray voltage!” Roger Lange milks 100 head on his family dairy at Crofton, Nebraska. Until recently he was often forced to sell his fresh heifers because they wouldn t let down their milk. “We called Stray Voltage Consulting, and Jerry found the problem within half an hour.” Roger said. “I was very impressed with Jerry. He’s a former REA guy, so he understands both the farmer and the electric company. Being able to work with both sides is a key component to his success.” “I haven’t had a single problem with our fresh heifers since Jerry corrected our stray voltage problem. I would highly recommend Stray Voltage Consulting to anyone who thinks they might have stray voltage!”
STOP THE SHOCKS
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 17
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
Top Performers
Feed quality, 3X milking drives production at New Day Dairy Robert and Kena Strack Athens, Wis. Marathon County 107 cows What is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? The herd is averaging 34,330 pounds of milk with 1,157 pounds of fat and 1,053 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 started 3X milking in December of 2016. Do you contract your milk? Has it been successful for you? We do not contract our milk. The plant we ship to does not offer that option. In the past, however, we were in a position to forward contract. It was overall successful but contracting can be tricky and usually needs to be a consistent long-term program to make it so. Describe your housing and milking facility. Our milking herd is housed and milked in tie stalls. Dry cows and most all of the heifers are in free
stalls along with a pack barn used mostly in winter for bred heifers. What is your herd health program? Herd health for us is very basic but proving to be very successful. We do all of our pregnancy checks via milk samples with Northstar, our milk testing co-op. The heifers are all done with a blood test via DG29 testing. Both came with a learning curve but now it is dialed in well and the accuracy is awesome. We do not preform a routine vet palpation. Much of our herd health is proactive care starting at dry off so as to minimalize complications post freshening. What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? At dry off, all cows are dry cow treated and vaccinated. Our mature cows stand dry for six weeks, while rst lactation or less-then-optimum BCS (body condition score) mature cows stand dry eight weeks. They are moved onto a ration of corn silage and free choice dry baled hay. The transition period begins at three weeks pre-calving where they begin
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
The Strack family – (from leŌ) Kena, Robert, Evan and Emanuel – owns and operates New Day Dairy near Athens, Wis., in Marathon County. Their current rolling herd average is 34,330 pounds with 1,157 pounds of fat and 1,053 pounds of protein. with Rally Transition Cow mineral, free choice dry hay and limited corn silage.
What is the composition of your ration? What has been one of your most recent changes that has been successful for you? Our milk
cow ration is high forage. The goal is 70 percent forage, making harvesting of crops a Turn to STRACKS | Page 20
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 19
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SPRINGHILL FARM BIG PRAIRIE, OHIO Tom, Karen, Chris and Kendra Lang 230 Holsteins and Guernseys RHA 25,000M 4.2F 3.2P SCC consistently below 100,000 “We have been using Udder Comfort™ ever since it first came out. We use it on fresh cows, mastitis, and at shows for comfort, quality and results. It’s as simple as that,” says Chris Lang of Springhill Farm, Big Prairie, Ohio, where 230 Holsteins and Guernseys are milked and the low SCC and high components net premiums. Their homebred EX94 96MS Springhill Mentor Jazzy-ET was the Grand Champion Guernsey, Type-Production winner and Best Udder at the 2017 World Dairy Expo. Her brother Springhill J Lonestar-ET was heifer show premier sire. These honors come 10 years after the Lang family brought Guernseys back to their bicentennial farm. “Udder Comfort has worked well for us. We like the convenience of the spray and the texture and quality this product brings to the udder, especially after calving.”
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Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
ConƟnued from STRACKS | Page 18 crucial time. We are feeding 47 percent of the diet as corn silage and 32 percent haylage. Our goal in our forages is digestibility. For our protein source, we use strictly canola. One change we implemented is a two group ration. A mix of a base ration is made and fed to our lower production and recently fresh cows, then a few ingredients are added to the remaining mix to make it a high cow mix. While this is obviously not a new concept, it took some guring to get it to work in a stall barn. By doing this, I was able to virtually eliminate the need for topdressing. Through the years you’ve been farming what change has created the biggest jump
in your herd average? Going to 3X milking. What role does genetics play in your production level and what is your breeding program? Genetics is an enormous player in production, but I think feed quality is still No. 1. We use 99 percent genomic bulls, being careful to select for high milk, only positive components and strict criteria for type traits. We time breed all cows between 70 and 77 days using double ovsynch. Using genomic bulls is exciting and challenging because of the speed at which it moves. Cow families are important to us in our bull selection decisions. What type of improvements would you like to make that DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
The Stracks credit their herd producƟon to strong geneƟcs. They have a milking daughter out of Apoll P. would increase your rolling herd average even higher? We would like to transition into a freestall barn. List three management strategies that have kept you protable. Getting cows bred back on time, reducing the number of cows leaving the herd and ne-tuning the ration. DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Type traits, including well aƩached udders, are important in the Stracks’ herd.
What would you say are the three most important factors for you that helped you attain your current herd average?
Feed quality rst and foremost, moving to 3X milking and developing a more productive cow through our breeding program. Tell us about your farm. Our farm is a family owned and operated tiestall operation. Myself, my wife and two boys are the main labor with some part-time high school helpers. We are situated on only 15 acres. Our corn silage is grown by a neighbor who also handles our manure. He
SHARED ADVANTAGES:
allows us to pick varieties and target harvest dates. The alfalfa is rented ground from another neighbor and then harvest is custom done. We have a registered herd of Holsteins with a few 4-H Jerseys mixed in. Our vision is to breed long-lived, highly productive animals while achieving high genomic indexes. We feel that while this is not something you can do overnight, the road to getting there is every bit as important.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 21
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BOX DRILLS JD 455, 1992, 25’ 6”sp, #143815 .................. $18,900 JD 455, 1996, 30’ 10”sp, #132155 ............... $19,500 JD 455, 2004, 25’ 10”sp, #141660 ............... $20,700 JD 455, 2017, 25’ 6”sp, #139188 .................. $55,900 JD 455, 2016, 30’ 7.5”sp, #131015 .............. $62,900 JD 1590, 2007, 15’ 7.5”sp, #143037 ............ $31,900 FIELD CULTIVATORS CIH 110, 2013, 50’, #49666 ............................ $21,500 CIH 200, 2009, 60’, #144441 ......................... $43,900 CIH 200, 2012, 60’, #135767 ......................... $52,000 CIH 200, 2012, 60’, #135951 ......................... $53,000 CIH 200, 2011, 60’, #129150 ......................... $55,000 JD 980, 1998, 44.5’, #143425 ........................ $14,900 JD 980, 1996, 38’, #144447 ........................... $15,500 JD 980, 2001, 45’, #144448 ........................... $15,900 JD 985, 1993, 48’, #138938 ........................... $15,000 JD 985, 1998, 54’, #138937 ........................... $15,000 JD 985, 1995, 55’, #130971 ........................... $18,000 JD 985, 1998, 59’, #135905 ........................... $21,500 JD 985, 1998, 49’, #143979 ........................... $22,000 JD 2200, 2002, 41’, #144449 ......................... $25,000 JD 2200, 2003, 46’, #142441 ......................... $26,000 JD 2210, 2008, 31’, #144457 ......................... $24,500 JD 2210, 2013, 27’, #143876 ......................... $28,500 JD 2210, 2013, 26’, #143846 ......................... $28,900 JD 2210, 2013, 33’, #143827 ......................... $29,000 JD 2210, 2005, 46’, #120515 ......................... $39,500 JD 2210, 2005, 60’, #144458 ......................... $42,900 JD 2210, 2011, 56’, #144450 ......................... $43,900 JD 2210, 2008, 65’, #144459 ......................... $44,500 JD 2210, 2010, 46’, #144460 ......................... $44,500 JD 2210, 2011, 60’, #144451 ......................... $45,500 JD 2210, 2010, 65’, #144461 ......................... $53,900 JD 2210, 2014, 56’, #755529 ......................... $56,000 JD 2210, 2013, 51’, #144454 ......................... $57,500 JD 2210, 2014, 56’, #144456 ......................... $58,000 JD 2210, 2012, 46’, #144452 ......................... $59,500 JD 2210, 2013, 56’, #140858 ......................... $59,500 JD 2210, 2012, 48’, #144453 ......................... $61,000 JD 2210, 2012, 48’, #144455 ......................... $61,000 Wil-Rich QUAD 5, 50’, #144479 .................... $14,900 Wil-Rich QUAD X, 2005, 55’, #138553 ....... $20,900 Wil-Rich QUAD X2, 2011, 55’, #138552 ..... $38,695 Case TIGER MATE II, 50’, #143937 ............... $21,450 CIH TIGERMATE 200, 2010, 50’, #140723 .. $45,000 PLANTERS JD 1750, 1998, 8R30, #143368 ..................... $17,600 JD 1750, 2001, 6R30, #127462 ..................... $20,500 JD 1750, 2014, 6R30, #141859 ..................... $32,000 JD 1750, 2013, 8R30, #131524 ..................... $33,000 JD 1760, 1997, 12R30, #144407 .................. $23,500 JD 1760, 1998, 12R30, #144406 .................. $24,500 JD 1760, 1996, 12R30, #140452 .................. $27,500 JD 1760, 2004, 12R30, #144405 .................. $27,500 JD 1760, 1997, 12R30, #137790 .................. $28,050 JD 1760, 1998, 12R30, #144408 .................. $29,500 JD 1765, 2015, 12R30, #140333 .................. $72,900 JD 1765, 2015, 12R30, #138495 .................. $79,900 JD 1770, 2011, 12R30, #132629 .................. $72,500 JD 1790, 2013, 16/31, #140721 ................$104,900 JD 7200, 1986, 12R30, #136880 .................. $14,985 White 8186, 2005, 16R30, #139731 ............. $34,000 White 8200, 2013, 12R30, #137538 ............. $49,900 White 8524, 2013, 24R30, #140624 ............. $79,500
NH TJ280, 2007, $ 2766 hrs., #145092
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JD 1770NT, 2008, 24R30, #144417.............. $62,000 JD 1770NT, 2006, 16R30, #135018.............. $64,000 JD 1770NT, 2008, 16R30, #144416.............. $67,000 JD 1770NT, 2009, 16R30, #144418.............. $69,500 JD 1770NT, 2014, 16R30, #144409.............. $85,000 JD 1770NT, 2014, 16R30, #140214............$109,000 JD 1770NT CCS, 2013, 16R30, #142692...$103,000 JD 1775NT, 2015, 24R30, #144419............$209,500 Wil-Rich 24-22, 2009, 24R22, #139224 ...... $53,900 JD 24R22, 2005, 24R22, #143814 ................ $39,000 JD DB44, 2008, 24R22, #144423 .................. $98,500 JD DB44, 2017, 24R22, #144422 ................$207,500 JD DB44, 2017, 24R22, #141612 ................$255,000 JD DB60, 2010, 24R30, #140814 ................$135,000 JD DB60, 2016, 24R30, #138733 ................$269,000 JD DB66, 2005, 36R22, #141473 ................$125,000 JD DB66, 2009, 36R22, #144428 ................$128,500 JD DB66, 2013, 36R22, #144426 ................$175,000 JD DB66, 2014, 36R22, #144427 ................$209,500 JD DB66, 2016, 36R22, #140442 ................$239,500 JD DR24, 2017, 24R22, #138592 ................$189,500 SKID STEER LOADERS JD 240, 2000, 1383 hrs., #138075 ................ $14,900 JD 325, 2008, 3177 hrs., #138043 ................ $19,900 Bobcat, 2001, #145088 .................................... $19,900 JD 260-II, 2003, 1355 hrs., #144042 ............ $20,900 Caterpillar 272D, 2015, 1475 hrs., #145200................................................................ $34,500 JD 318D, 2011, 5895 hrs., #143844 ............. $16,500 JD 318D, 2013, 2447 hrs., #143873 ............. $19,250 JD 318D, 2012, 2346 hrs., #143720 ............. $23,500 JD 318D, 2013, 925 hrs., #135024 ................ $29,500 JD 318E, 2015, 2811 hrs., #140525 .............. $25,900 JD 318E, 2015, 2336 hrs., #135979 .............. $26,500 JD 318E, 2014, 762 hrs., #135937 ................ $33,500 JD 318E, 2015, 478 hrs., #136780 ................ $33,500 JD 318E, 2015, 335 hrs., #142491 ................ $34,000 JD 320D, 2013, 1023 hrs., #133492 ............. $28,900 JD 320E, 2013, 4235 hrs., #144215 .............. $19,500 JD 320E, 2016, 2489 hrs., #143842 .............. $27,500 JD 320E, 2015, 1734 hrs., #134169 .............. $30,900 JD 320E, 2014, 1101 hrs., #135139 .............. $34,900 JD 320E, 2014, 470 hrs., #142118 ................ $35,900 JD 320E, 2014, 475 hrs., #135901 ................ $35,900 JD 320E, 2015, 645 hrs., #138375 ................ $37,600 JD 320E, 2015, 145 hrs., #142683 ................ $38,500 JD 320E, 2016, 79 hrs., #140280 ................... $39,900 JD 320E, 2015, 260 hrs., #143386 ................ $42,900 JD 320E, 2017, 64 hrs., #144216 ................... $43,900 JD 324E, 2016, 104 hrs., #137786 ................ $45,000 JD 326D, 2012, 318 hrs., #135015 ................ $38,500 JD 326D, 2012, 210 hrs., #135673 ................ $40,500 JD 326E, 2016, 1105 hrs., #141601 .............. $38,900 JD 326E, 2015, 537 hrs., #134033 ................ $39,500 JD 326E, 2015, 387 hrs., #118578 ................ $40,900 JD 326E, 2016, 347 hrs., #138363 ................ $42,000 JD 326E, 2016, 65 hrs., #126370 ................... $45,900 JD 326E, 2016, 150 hrs., #142477 ................ $46,000 JD 328D, 2010, 410 hrs., #141011 ................ $38,900 JD 330G, 2016, 600 hrs., #140027................ $53,000 JD 332D, 2012, 812 hrs., #127231 ................ $41,900 JD 332E, 2014, 1408 hrs., #132664 .............. $38,900 JD 332E, 2015, 168 hrs., #135560 ................ $49,500 JD 332E, 2015, 511 hrs., #138924 ................ $51,900 JD 332E, 2016, 390 hrs., #139118 ................ $54,500
11 7 11 4 14 15 4 15 16 17 8 15 16 15 14 3 6 4 16 3 15 15 15 16 16 16 14 16 5 11 17 9 2
NH L230, 2011, 3300 hrs., #139121 ............. $27,300 Bobcat S185, 2003, 1550 hrs., #141064 ...... $18,900 Bobcat S650, 2013, 859 hrs., #140188 ........ $37,500 Bobcat S850, 2013, 550 hrs., #140039 ........ $48,900 TRACK TRACTORS JD 8295RT, 2010, 295 hp., 2900 hrs., #145188..............................................................$139,000 JD 8310RT, 2014, 310 hp., 941 hrs., #144546..............................................................$219,500 JD 8335RT, 2012, 335 hp., 3200 hrs., #143521..............................................................$169,000 JD 8335RT, 2013, 335 hp., 2110 hrs., #144548..............................................................$189,500 JD 8345RT, 2014, 345 hp., 1786 hrs., #144550..............................................................$219,500 JD 8345RT, 2015, 345 hp., 948 hrs., #144551..............................................................$269,500 JD 8370RT, 2017, 370 hp., 408 hrs., #143196..............................................................$315,000 JD 9460RT, 2014, 460 hp., 920 hrs., #144557..............................................................$257,000 JD 9460RT, 2013, 460 hp., 577 hrs., #144555..............................................................$275,000 JD 9460RT, 2014, 460 hp., 525 hrs., #144556..............................................................$279,500 JD 9470RT, 2015, 470 hp., 959 hrs., #144558..............................................................$279,500 JD 9510RT, 2013, 510 hp., 1490 hrs., #141091..............................................................$249,500 JD 9510RT, 2014, 510 hp., 1429 hrs., #142684..............................................................$262,500 JD 9520RX, 2016, 520 hp., 946 hrs., #143518..............................................................$369,000 JD 9560RT, 2012, 560 hp., 2000 hrs., #144563..............................................................$229,000 JD 9560RT, 2012, 560 hp., 2093 hrs., #140934..............................................................$229,500 JD 9560RT, 2013, 560 hp., 1266 hrs., #144564..............................................................$255,000 JD 9560RT, 2013, 560 hp., 1316 hrs., #144562..............................................................$255,000 JD 9560RT, 2014, 560 hp., 1892 hrs., #144565..............................................................$264,000 JD 9560RT, 2014, 560 hp., 890 hrs., #144561..............................................................$299,500 JD 9560RT, 2014, 560 hp., 648 hrs., #144566..............................................................$309,500 JD 9560RT, 2014, 560 hp., 1005 hrs., #144560..............................................................$309,500 JD 9570RT, 2015, 570 hp., 741 hrs., #144568..............................................................$361,500 JD 9570RT, 2015, 570 hp., 657 hrs., #144567..............................................................$365,500 JD 9620RX, 2016, 620 hp., 350 hrs., #142273..............................................................$459,000 JD 9620RX, 2017, 620 hp., 262 hrs., #135324..............................................................$459,000 JD 9620T, 2005, 500 hp., 4267 hrs., #144569..............................................................$108,500 Caterpillar MT765C, 2012, 320 hp., 1820 hrs., #136810..............................................................$163,000 Challenger MT865, 2003, 510 hp., 5791 hrs., #138939..............................................................$109,000
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JD DB44, 2017, $ 24R22, #141612
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JD 2210, 55’, $ 2014, #144456
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IH 200, 60.5’ $ 2012, #135767
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
Novak Welding & Repair
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Vosbergs make the most of a sour situation Family updates barns after storm damage By Ron Johnson ron.@dairystar.com
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SOUTH WAYNE, Wis. – The Vosberg family made lemonade out of lemons during their sour situation last spring. The lemons came in the form of a storm on May 14, 2017. It damaged the ve hoop barns on Dan and Ruth Vosbergs’ 230-cow grazing dairy in Lafayette County near South Wayne, Wis. Faced with the task of putting the buildings back together, the family decided to change a few things. The storm hit Vosberg Valley View Farm at 7:30 p.m. Ruth was in a hoop building that serves as a calf barn. “The wind got so bad that I gured it wasn’t a safe spot to be in,” she said. “So I tried running back to the parlor. I couldn’t see anything because it was swirling around me. But I knew where the door was.” Ruth made it to the milking parlor. “I was lucky I didn’t get hit by something,” she said, looking back on her dash. Meanwhile, Dan was in his pickup truck, heading home from chores at the other farm, some two miles distant. “I remember hay from the windrows in a neighbor’s eld quite a ways away was blowing all over my truck,” he said. Thunder rumbled and lightning ashed while Dan drove home. The part-time employee who helps milk telephoned Dan from the parlor. “He said, ‘Barn two is gone,’” Dan said. “I’m like, ‘What? What do you mean gone?’” Once home, Dan dashed to the barn. “We were looking for Derek (Dan and Ruth’s oldest son), because he was in a skid loader. It turned out that he was in one of our silage pits, so he didn’t even realize how bad the storm was.” Meanwhile, Derek’s wife, Sarah, was cleaning in the milkhouse. “She was oblivious to what was going on,” Ruth said. “She wasn’t seeing the storm or hearing it.” Jared, 17, another son, was driving home from a high school track meet. He arrived at the farm just after the storm hit. The storm lasted for 15 minutes, the Vosbergs estimate. But in that short quarter-hour, nature played hob with some of the buildings. It lifted part of the metal on the roof of the building that contains the swing-16 milking parlor. The wind made the roof trusses bounce up and down as though they had the hiccups. “You could see the ceiling move up and down four or ve inches,” Dan said. That building sustained minimal damage, Dan said. The Vosbergs had to reattach part of the roof. The front half of the 50- by 280-foot hoop barn that held many of the milking cows was destroyed, while the back half came through the storm ne. “That was lucky for us, because we had just enough insurance to cover half of it,” he said. Luckily, no cows were in the barn because they had headed to pasture to graze. “[The wind] picked up the barn and twisted it and put it down perpendicular,” Ruth said. “It was a tangled, twisted mess. Some of it got pushed down the hill.” Another hoop barn – this one 40- by 100-feet and used to store equipment and sawdust – lost sections of steel and had its cover torn to pieces. What’s more, its 6- by 8-inch posts snapped like toothpicks, said Dan, and the truss brackets were ripped out. The storm also damaged the back end of a 50- by 260-foot compost hoop barn that had cows inside. Some of the Vosbergs’ Normande-cross and Jersey cows were so scared by the noise and wind that they ran right through electric fences. “The storm did affect the cows,” Ruth said. “They were just so skittish for a few days.” Turn to VOSBERGS | Page 23
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 23
ConƟnued from VOSBERGS | Page 22 Though the storm did its damage, it did not hurt or kill any animals or people. “We still don’t know if it was an actual tornado or some other kind of wind. But it just seemed kind of weird to be a straight-line wind,” Ruth said. Oddities that made them think it was a tornado rather than straight line wind included a stock tank full of water that tipped over and posts that were lifted up and broken off rather than bent over. “We’ve been through strong winds before, but nothing of the strength and intensity of this one,” Dan said. Most of the repairs have been made to the buildings and fences. The debris has been picked up. All that needs to be nished is some electrical wiring and lacing up the end of
the cover on one building. The Vosbergs are accustomed to doing much of the farm’s construction work themselves. They hired a few people to help clean, but family members replaced the broken support posts with stronger ones and re-erected the two barns. The bulk of the rebuilding wrapped up a month ago, due to waiting for building components to arrive from Canada. As for improving the farm, the Vosbergs began by laying out the areas near the barns differently. “We eliminated pinch points and bottlenecks in cattle ow and handling,” said Derek, the Vosbergs’ oldest son and farming partner. In the area between the barns and the milking parlor,
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The storm that hit the Vosbergs’ LafayeƩe County farm last May damaged some of the 230-cow dairy’s hoop barns and scared caƩle so that they ran through electric fences.
RON JOHNSON/DAIRY STAR
The Vosberg family – (from leŌ) Sarah, Derek, Jared, Lance, Megan, Dan and Ruth – have nished repairs on their faciliƟes aŌer a windstorm damaged the hoop barns last May on Vosberg Valley View Farm. they built a larger feeding area. The family constructed twoway lanes for easier cow travel. They also added another drover’s lane and replaced a poor waterway with a culvert, so they could concrete it to become more cow yard and manure storage. A couple spots were widened for better cow ow, and another feeding area was constructed. In addition, the Vosbergs invested in a telehandler to help them replace damaged barns’ hoops and covers. They use rotational grazing on what they call a grass-based, hybrid dairy. It’s a hybrid because the Vosbergs
also feed a total mixed ration (TMR), instead of relying solely on pastures. An important part of the family’s cow management has been the hoop buildings. “Years ago, the cows had to be outside and they had to survive much like beef herds.” Dan said. “They had to nd shade where they could and they had to graze what we had.” But now the Vosbergs won’t let their cows get overheated. “We used to let them get too hot and then we’d try to cool them down. We’ve learned that you just don’t let
them get too hot,” Dan said. The herd carries an approximate rolling herd average of about 17,000 pounds of milk over the course of a year. The protein test is 4 percent. Dan said the current butterfat test runs about 5.3 percent. Besides the milk components of their Normandes, the Vosbergs like the breed’s feed efciency. “With the weight they put on, we get paid a lot better for bull calves and cull cows,” Dan said. Looking to 2018, the Vosbergs hope to take a break from building.
Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
26TH ANNUAL
Carver County
DAIRY EXPO
Location: CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL 531 Morse Street, Norwood Young America
A seminar and trade show for dairy producers.
Monday, February 19, 2018 $10/person $5/Students (with ID)
ho Participants wvaluation e m ra complete prog a drawing for entered into
$100 Cash!
Ticket price includes lunch, refreshments and program notes. Cash or check only.
Online information available at z.umn.edu/2018CCDairyExpo and Facebook: @CarverScottExtension
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer.
9:00 am Registration - Trade Show Open 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 10:15 am Early Bird Drawing - Chanhassen Dinner Theatre Tickets 10:30 am
Building a Strong Partnership with Your Financial Lender & Advisors
Changing Yield Measure: Harvest Digestible Tons per Acre, not just Tons
Paul Peterson, FSA; Bruce Mathwig, KleinBank; Pam Uhlenkamp, South Central College; Megan Roberts, UMN Extension
Dr. John Goeser Animal Nutrition and R&I Director Rock River Laboratory, Inc.
PANEL DISCUSSION
11:30 am
12:30 pm 2:15 pm
Door Prize Drawing for
$250 Cash!
Science of Mastitis Presented in Spanish by Jorge Delgado Bilingual Trainer-Dairy Specialist Elanco Animal Health
Keynote Address: Feeding Dairy Cows with Today’s Low Milk Prices
Dairy Labor Engagement: Attracting, Managing, Retaining Good Employees
Mike Hutjens Professor Emeritus University of Illinois Held in the Auditorium
Moderated in Spanish by Jorge Delgado Bilingual Trainer-Dairy Specialist, Elanco Animal Health
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION
ENJOY LUNCH AND THE TRADE SHOW
Alfalfa Research Update: Reduced Lignin, Winter Injury, and Cutting Management for Modern Cultivars
Feeding to Achieve High Milk Components
Dr. Scotty Wells Extension Agronomist, U of Minnesota
Mike Hutjens Professor Emeritus University of Illinois
How Our Decisions During Calving Define the Future of the Cow & Calf Presented in Spanish by Mario Flores Technical Services Specialist Form-A-Feed Inc.
3:15 pm Door Prize; Grand Prize & Evaluation Drawing In case of inclement weather, please call the Farm Information Line (800) 232-9077. For other Dairy Expo information, please call Carver County Extension (952) 466-5300.
Good Samaritan In early January, a Good Samaritan had driven past our farm and witnessed our dog standing outside the barn. Our barn is close to Hwy. 73, and people often slow down to look into our barn and see us milking when the weather is nice and the barn doors are open. This wasn’t a warm day. The wind was blowing and the wind chill factor made it bitter cold. Scott, our milk hauler, had just pulled into the farm with the milk truck right before the Good Samaritan turned around By Tina Hinchley down the road and came Farmer & Columnist back to the farm. Scott was inside the milk house getting the weight of the milk when this person opened the door and walked right in. She asked if Scott was the owner of the farm. He replied, “No, she is feeding calves.” She said, “Well,” as she looked at the dog as it opened the door to the milk house. “I will not report her to the Humane Society today, because I am a Good Samaritan.” Scott was a little concerned with the obvious threat, and she continued to verbally insinuate, pointing to our dog, that we are abusing our dogs. “Dogs should not be outside in this kind of weather,” she told Scott. The dog that she was concerned about was now sitting at Scott’s feet. Bonnie, a border collie, looked up at this lady that was pointing at her. Scott reached down and gave her ear a scratch and the dog returned a tail wag and happy eyes up to him. Bonnie didn’t seem to be having a problem and wasn’t showing any signs of abuse. Scott, handling the situation with ease, said, “Thank you, I will tell her,” and ended the conversation and continued to hook up the hose to the bottom
T S E B ES VALU
TRACTORS
Agco DT225 FWA Tractor, 18.4R46 Duals, 16.9R30 Front, 3478 Hrs Allis Chalmers C Tractor w/Woods 5’ Belly Mower Agco Allis 9635 FWA w/984 S.L. Loader & Bucket, 3100 Hrs. Massey 8670 FWA, 18.4R50 Duals, 16.9R34, 31 MPH, 1070 Hrs., 2013, Consigned
COMBINES & HEADS
Gleaner S77 Combine 2013, Duals, 850 Eng, 553 Sep Gleaner R75 Combine 2004, Duals, 1982 Sep, 2719 E Gleaner R75 Combine 2003, Duals, 1438 Sep, 1976 E Gleaner 8000 Flex Head 30’ Harvestec 4308C Cutter Corn Head 8 Row 30” GL Mounts, Nice Harvestec 4308C Cutter Corn Head 8 Row 30” JD Mount Harvestec 4308C Cutter Corn Head 8 Row 30” NH/Case IH Mount 08
SKID STEERS
Case SR220 Skid Steer, Cab, Heat, A/C, 2 Speed JCB 407 Articulating Wheel Loader, ‘15, 3100 hrs, Cab w/Heat/AC Mustang 2032, ‘04, 1700 Hrs., 36 HP Yanmar Dsl. Mustang 1900R, ‘14, 2550 Hrs, Cab heat, Rear Weight Mustang 2076, ‘07, 8,365 hrs, (Gehl T-Bar Controls) 1-Owner Mustang 3300V, ‘17 295 Hrs, Hand/Foot, Cab A/C, 2 Spd. Power Attach New Holland L218, Cab Heat, A/C, 2 Spd, 2016, 1833 Hrs. New Holland L218, Cab Heat, A/C, 2 Spd, 2016, 1847 Hrs. New Holland L225, 2755 Hrs, Cab Heat, A/C, 2 Speed
TILLAGE/FIELD CULTIVATORS
Case IH 4800 49 Shank 28.5’ 3 Bar Harrow John Deere 960 Field Cultivator 21.5’, 3 Bar Coil Tine Harrow John Deere 2600 4-Bottom Plow, Vari-Width John Deere 630 Disc 22’5” on 9” Spacing
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 25
of the bulk tank. The Good Samaritan, deated her she waits for the truck to stop backing up. She can posture, turned and left the milk house. It was almost hardly wait for Scott to climb out of the truck. She as if she was expecting to get a bigger reaction. But, whimpers and whines and Scott always gives in. But, the conversation was done. She drove off without it is not just a little treat, he brings her a whole stick. even noticing that Bonnie was back where she was Bonnie can’t resist, and she is his buddy the whole when she pulled into the farm, right by the milk truck. time he is on the farm. What the Good SaThe dog was waiting for maritan didn’t know is that Scott, lifting her paws back What the Wh h G Good d SSamaritan i and forth just as before. some dogs love to be outBonnie and Ollie are didn’t know is that some dogs side, and they are part of the our two collies. Bonnie still working crew on the farm. has a lot of puppy in her at love to be outside, and they Bonnie and Ollie love to only 2 years old. Ollie is are part of the working crew help. These dogs are clever 10 and is my shadow. Borand can get in or out of the der collies are smart dogs, on the farm. barn when they need to help and they love to work on stop or move cows. If we farms. They are a breed of locked them up inside and dogs that likes to herd, getting pleasure out of mak- they heard us calling or whistling the cows to back ing things move. This can be cows, ducks and geese, up, that would be very hard on them. They live to sheep or even children. These two dogs sleep in igloo herd. Asking most farmers about their dogs, I believe dog houses that are on our porch which are out of the dogs rank high as the best workers farmers have. Just wind and have several blankets to sleep on. During a treat, a scratch behind the ears and a “Good dog,” the coldest days, these dogs lay in the sun on the snow and they will work all day in all kinds of weather. and absorb the radiant heat from the sun on their black Tina Hinchley, her husband, Duane, and their uffy coats. They could go in the barn or in their dog daughters, Anna and Catherine, milk 135 registered houses, but they prefer to be where they are comfort- Holsteins and farm 2,500 acres of crops near Camable and warm. Crazy as this sounds, we have had bridge, Wis. They have been hosting farm tours for people call or stop in thinking these black and white over 20 years. dogs were calves laying outside. Border collies love routine and are easy to train. • H-Bunks Every morning when I leave the house to milk, I bring • Fenceline out two pieces of dog treats to reward them when they Bunks get out of their igloo. They sit and wait for this treat. • 115 Bu. If I don’t give the treats, they sit there, make sad faces Steer Stuffer and won’t help me check for calves. • Individual Our dogs also have good hearing and are loyal Yard Bunks and patient. Bonnie and Ollie can hear the milk truck Backed by over 40 years proven experience! coming from a mile away. I will be feeding calves, and Ollie will stay right by me, but Bonnie will take PRECAST SYSTEMS off like lightening. She is so excited. Jumping, wagHwy. 12, Darwin, MN 55324 ging her tail, rolling over, doing all of her tricks while 1-888-693-8440 • www.darwinconcrete.com
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John Deere 637 Disc 25’1” With 3-Bar Coil Tine Harrow, Nice Wilrich 657 11 Shank Chisel/ Ripper Combo 2014 Wilrich 657 11 Shank Chisel/ Ripper Combo 2013, Used 1 Season Wilrich 657 11 Shank Chisel/ Ripper Combo 2012, 2 Bar Coil & Basket
Headlocks
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& Feed Bunk
Case IH RB455, 806 Bales, 2016, Silage Round Baler With Cutter Hesston 8200 SP Swather ,12’ Header, No Cab, 1860 Hrs Hesston 4760 Baler 3x3, Roller Chute, Auto Lube, Preservative Hesston 4755 Baler 3x3 53,000 Bales, Manual Preservative Massey Ferguson Hesston 1372 12’ Disc Mower Cond., 2014 New Holland 1411 Discbine, 10’ Side Pull, 2005 H&S X10/13 15 Wheel X Rake H&S Bi-Fold 12 Wheel High Cap. Rake, 2012, Good Cond. New Holland 166 Hay Inverter Krone Swadro 881 Rake 2-Pt Hitch 540 PTO Artsway 240C Stalk Chopper, 2015, 20’ Width, Low Acres MC 180 15’ Shredder/Stalk Chopper, 2015 In Good Shape
ROW CROP, DRILLS & SPRAYERS
Great Plains EWD13 13’ End Wheel Drill, 7” Spacing, Single Box Fast 60’ 3 Point Boom Hardi TR 1000 60’ Boom Flush And Rinse, Triplet Nozzle Bodys Hardi Navigator 4000 2013 90’ Boom, 120” Axle, ISO White 8202 12 Row 30” Wing Fold Planter, 2001 With 4,900 Acres
GRAIN CARTS & WAGONS
Paragon Series Cow Size
Unverferth 5000 Grain Cart With 24.5-32 Tires & Lights, Green Demco 750 Grain Cart 30.5x32 Tires, Roll Tarp Meyer TSS500 16’ Forage Box With Badger Tandem Gear
MANURE SPREADERS
NH 165 Box Spreader, ‘12 w/Single Beater Gehl MS312 Sacavenger Spreader, 16.5X16.1 Tires New Idea 3732 Box Spreader
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Farm King M60 EMD Hammer Mill with Hopper & Magnet 6” 3/32” Screen. Demo Good Selection Of Used Augers
MISCELLANEOUS
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
BERGMAN Automatic AGRi-Speed HITCH 1
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How to make your old machinery disappear...
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Producers urged to consider risk protection coverage The USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers to review available USDA crop risk protection options, including federal crop insurance and Noninsured FSA News & Notes Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage, before the crop deadline of March 15, 2018. Federal crop insurance covers crop losses from natural adversities such as drought, hail and excessive moisture. NAP covers losses from natuBy Ryan Brunn ral disasters on crops for Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. which no permanent federal crop insurance program is available, including perennial grass forage and grazing crops, fruits, vegetables, mushrooms, oriculture, ornamental nursery, aquaculture, turf grass, ginseng, honey, syrup, bioenergy and industrial crops. The following crops have a NAP application deadline of March 15: spring-seeded annual crops such as vegetables, grain crops such as sorghum and perennial forage pasture. Producers can determine if crops are eligible for federal crop insurance or NAP by visiting https:// webapp.rma.usda.gov/apps/actuarialinformationbrowser2018/CropCriteria.aspx. NAP basic coverage is available at 55 percent of the average market price for crop losses that exceed 50 percent of expected production, with higher levels of coverage, up to 65 percent of their expected production at 100 percent of the average market price, including coverage for organics and crops marketed directly to consumers. Federal crop insurance coverage is sold and delivered solely through private insurance agents. Agent lists are available at all USDA Service Centers or at USDA’s online agent locator: http://prodwebnlb.rma.usda.gov/apps/AgentLocator/#. Producers can use the USDA cost estimator, https:// ewebapp.rma.usda.gov/apps/costestimator/Default.aspx, to predict insurance premium costs. For more information on NAP, service fees, premiums and sales deadlines, contact your FSA ofce or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/nap. 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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I sat in church for a Saturday evening eight o’ clock mass. Having just rushed through chores to arrive on time took its toll. I was tired because it was the rst time I had been able to sit down in nearly six hours. The temperature outside was unforgivingly cold. The sun set hours ago so darkness surrounded me with no relief except for a few Christmas lights in the distance. My body was shutting down and yet I knew somehow I had to stay awake for the next hour. The pain from the cracks in my ngers, which I have been nurturing for three weeks now, should have kept me alert. If that fails, I could depend on a nudge from Patty J. Remember, this is the day before the Vikings played the Eagles. Despite the bitter cold spell, our Vikings playing into the third week of January somehow shortened winter. The second reading was being read and I heard the words, “I tell you brothers and sisters, time is running out for the world in its present form is passing away.” We are taught to apply scripture to our personal life. After Mass, I asked Father Andy if Saint Pauls’ scripture was talking about our Vikings. He said he was not sure, but that by Sunday night I would receive the answer. Sunday night came and after the rst quarter the Vikings football season had pretty much ended. I am always amazed how God’s word in the Bible applies to me from week to week, nearly 2,000 years later and in such a timely fashion. Yes, time is running out. Laura and I went to a Dairy Initiatives meeting that focused on succession planning. The speaker stressed that everyone involved was to express their personal goals and their fears for the next 5-10 years. Everyone must be heard, respected and appreciated for this to move forward. Fear motivates people, and last-minute decisions tend to not necessarily be the best. Have meetings where everyone feels free to offer ideas. In fact, have many of them and document suggestions that come up so that everyone has time to think about them between meetings. The goal in the end is to come to a conclusion that everyone can be happy with. Only then is it time for a lawyer, and it is his job to make legal what you want to happen. In the end, he should be your best friend by making your wishes come true. “The world in its present form is passing away.” With two daughters wanting to return and get involved with the dairy, now is not a good time for the
tel y ™
By John & Laura Rosenhammer Father/Daughter Farming Duo
importance of holding back when you want something. Doing this often creates patience and discipline, and leaves more money in your account. Very hard words for our youth to accept, but time-tested wisdom. The important thing in these hard times is to not give up. Keep on going to events that try to help you improve your dairy. My experience has been that you may learn something from the speaker, but almost always more from others who are present. Occasionally, after listening to all the problems of someone else, one goes home feeling fortunate and lucky. So as the world in its present form is passing away, be mindful that days are getting longer, the bitter temperatures are ending soon, and daylight savings time is nearing. John Rosenhammer farms with his daughter, Laura Schotz, and brother, Greg, on Roseview Dairy near Sleepy Eye, Minn. They milk 200 Holsteins and run 580 acres of cropland.
p le
milk price to be falling so quickly. I see the passion and dedication in their eyes, and yet I do not have the resources to compensate them justly. Without much notice they are willing to drop or change their plans to help if I or Greg get in a bind. Both Laura and Mary are willing to feed that new born calf colostrum, help catch an animal for breeding, or drench that one cow that needs a little extra attention. They see the bigger picture. It’s a way of life; family is more important than cows; and working together as family accomplishes most in an efcient and effective manner. I am always impressed by the enthusiasm Laura brings home whether attending a David Kohls succession planning seminar or an AMPI young leaders meeting. Both her and I enjoy motivational speakers who challenge us to become the best versions of ourselves. “Happiness is not a result of what you think you need; but appreciating what you have.” Very true words to live by. Another speaker stressed the
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. Co m p a
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
Many farm apps available for smartphones By Ron Johnson
ron.j@dairystar.com
HOLY CROSS, Iowa – Smartphones are called that for a reason. Today’s cell phones not only let people communicate, but they also let their users check the weather forecast, keep tabs on the commodity markets, and store records on cattle and crops among many other uses. Fred Hall, Northwest Iowa Extension dairy eld specialist, talked about “Powering up your smartphone for better farm management” during an Iowa Dairy Days session Feb. 1 in Holy Cross, Iowa. The brains of smartphones are apps, Hall said. App is shorthand for application, a type of computer program. Besides being used on smartphones, apps are used by some computers. These include tablet and notebook computers – smaller, more portable versions of standard and laptop computers. Apps are designed to provide easy access to information and news, instant, in-the-eld recordkeeping, and assist with daily tasks. Hall called today’s apps the new cattlemen’s red book and No. 2 pencil. Especially popular with farmers are weather apps. These include the Weather Channel, Weather
Underground, Weather Bug, and those available from Data Transmission Network. By inserting the user’s zip code, forecasts and conditions for the immediate area can be accessed. Dairy farmers can access apps that help answer animal health questions. Hall mentioned CVP (Compendium of Veterinary Products) as one of those. Fred Hall Another dairy Northwest Iowa app is Locomotion Extension Score. This one helps the user decide how bad an animal’s lameness is. Then there’s Dairy Cents. Hall said this one calculates milk income compared to feed costs. Cow Manager analyzes a cow’s body information that’s transmitted by a radio frequency identication (RFID) tag in her ear. The app can access data about such things as the cow’s fertility activity, health, eating and rumination activity. Looking to buy or sell feed? Hall mentioned Hay Price Calculator from the University of WisconsinExtension. Got a new weed in your corn?
Certain apps can help identify it right in the eld. Hall said these include ScoutPro Corn and ID Weeds. The University of Missouri and other schools have also developed weed identication apps. Missouri’s app can identify a weed if a photograph of the plant is sent to it. Apps have been developed that assist with pesticides and spraying. Hall said Agrarian Mobile provides the product labels for more than 8,000 crop protection products. Want help getting a pesticide mixed properly? Hall mentioned several apps for that. They include: AquaCide, Spray Guide, Spray Select, Syngenta TankCalc, DuPont TankMix, Spray Lite and Calibrate My Sprayer. Looking for maps? Hall suggested Arc GIS and Google Earth. For keeping records, he offered Field Records, Quickbooks and Farm Logs. One app, called Mile IQ, tracks travel. Instead of keeping a written log of how many miles a farmer puts on the pickup truck, for example, this app does it automatically. Hall said the information recorded by this app is approved for tax use by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Apps work on two platforms – Apple iOS and Microsoft Android. Apple devices that use apps are
iPhones, iPads and iPods. Apps for those are available at the App Store. Apps that work on Android devices are available at Google Play. Hall urged his audience to do research before downloading an app. First, he said, know the source. Reliable and safe apps include those from extension, news sources and reputable companies, he said. Hall said beware of apps that drain the batteries of cell phones and other devices. These apps include ones that provide maps and videos. “Keep tabs on your battery life,” Hall said. “Make sure apps are not running in the background. Be sure to shut apps down several times a day.” Some of the worst apps for draining batteries, according to Hall, are Google Maps, Facebook and Microsoft Outlook. Hall suggested removing Facebook from mobile devices and instead installing Facebook Lite or Messenger Lite. “You can check to see what apps are using the most power by clicking on your battery icon before you charge the phone and comparing the graphs,” Hall said. Most apps for agricultural uses are free, Hall said. But if you’re going to use an app consistently, he said one that’s purchased might be worth the investment.
Applications open for Vet Student Loan Repayment Program New veterinarians can offset some of the cost of their education by committing to practice food animal medicine in one of six regions of Wisconsin, or in public health statewide under the USDA Veterinary Medical Loan Repayment Program. “These are areas of the state where we have identied a shortage of veterinarians working with food animals,” said Wisconsin State Veterinarian Dr. Paul McGraw. “Statewide, we need veterinarians to work with government agencies and other organizations that deal with the intersection of animal health and public health. Participants in the program gain a broad range of experience and get a good portion of their student loans repaid.” The program requires participants to work in the shortage area for at least three years. In return, they can get up to $25,000 a year toward repaying loans they received to earn their doctoral degrees or equivalent from an accredited
veterinary college. Those recipients working in the six shortage regions must work with dairy and beef cattle, and may also need expertise in working with swine, poultry, goats and sheep. The six regions of the state needing food animal veterinarians are: • Eau Claire-Jackson-Trempealeau Counties • Barron County • Chippewa County • Dunn County • Adams-Columbia-Green Lake-Marquette Counties • Calumet-Fond du Lac Counties Applications are due March 16. For detailed information about the program and application materials, go to https://nifa.usda.gov/vmlrp-applicants,\.
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More than a pair of bibs
I purchased my rst pair of hickory striped Key overalls for doing chores last summer, and upon wearing them for their inaugural milking I discovered a world of simultaneous comfort and utility I had been missing out on. The pockets could hold a smartphone, Dr. Pepper cans or coffee mugs, depending on which end of the day it was, my Victorinox knife and the occasional infant kitten. As if I wasn’t already sold for life on these overalls, one night late in the fall I quickly looked in the mirror and I swore I saw my Grandpa Statz, a lifelong dairy farmer also, staring back at me. While I’m not as tall with hands less calloused and longer hair despite inheriting his loopy, S-shaped ringlets, and undoubtedly more feminine, I realized that in becoming the last remaining active dairy farmer in By Brittany Olson my family I was more like Grandpa than I thought. I told my Aunt Marjie about what happened, and she Staff Writer mentioned that Grandpa wore striped overalls to the barn, too. In that moment, I realized I would wear nothing else to the barn – hook, line and sinker. My grandfather would have been 97 this year. He died at the age of 83 during my 10th summer, just after my parents got divorced. To be frank, I knew him not as Grandpa the farmer but as a funny old man that taught me enough German to get me by if I ever found myself wandering through Munich, along with how to count to 20, colors and the occasional cuss word. Grandma probably wasn’t too pleased, but I was in awe and my dad knew it wouldn’t be long before I was bilingually profane. Grandpa was smart as a whip in addition to being bilingual, speaking German at home and English with some Latin at the Catholic school he attended. Despite having to quit school after eighth grade to help on the farm, he was incredibly well-read and cared deeply about what happened in the world beyond the end of the farm driveway. He was unbelievably strong. He wore overalls just about everywhere he went for over a decade before having a hernia repaired, survived being pinned against a silo by a bull weighing 2 pounds short of a ton, and went on to not only prevail against bladder cancer but also a brain aneurysm in his 80th year that robbed him of his ability to walk, talk and feed himself. Not only did he relearn all of those things, but when he rst began talking again it was in German. I miss my grandpa every day, and not a day goes by where I want to pick up the phone and tell him how things are going on the I realized li d that h iin b becoming i farm. I often wonder what he’d think or say, or if he’d the last remaining active be proud of me and Sam. dairy farmer in my family I Sometimes, when futures was more like Grandpa than I take a plunge when I feel bold enough to even look at thought. them, when a cow gets sick, and we’re ghting with a lack or overabundance of rain, there is nothing I wouldn’t give for Grandpa’s assurance that everything will be all right. Even though he isn’t with us anymore, I still know Grandpa’s there. I feel his presence in the barn when a new calf is born or when we get a sick cow out of the woods. I can hear him laughing while I gush over my growing herd of Jerseys, hearing his old joke about dainty little brown cows: “When a Jersey calf is born, you’d better shut the barn doors before the barn cats drag it away.” As I look to the future, I carry with me reminders of not only my past, but the generations before me who also felt called to this vocation we call dairy farming. Who knew that just a pair of striped overalls would carry so much meaning?
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 29
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Those barn cats Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
As much as I want to despise them, we currently enjoy their antics. have two barn cats that are winding their way into my We’ve had numerous cats that I would consider heart. Why despise them you ask? Because they have special over the years on our farm; one of my favora wonderful way of innocently traipsing around cow’s ites was Belle. In hindsight, one would think a farmer’s legs while I milk and rst-calf heifers are not usually a daughter, of all people, would be able to tell the differfan of that kind of welcomence between a male and feing to the barn. It’s been a male cat. Not in Belle’s case. long time since I’ve had per- W We’ve ’ h had d numerous cats that h She turned out to be a he, manent feline residents in but we couldn’t change his my area of the barn, but the I would consider special over name when we gured it out addition of the calf barn left the years on our farm. because he came when we them somewhat homeless yelled his name like a dog. and hungry. No longer were That darn cat would follow there fresh bowls of warm milk outside three times a me everywhere – walking in the woods, out to the barn day or a bedding hutch stocked with straw for their nap- or out in the pasture, he was always there. I even buried ping purposes. So, these clever kitties moved to warmer him behind the house and my 12-year-old self painted a ground where milk is plentiful. Three even moved all little gravestone for him. the way up to the main parlor. Although my dad frowns I recall a huge gray tomcat we had. He must have upon their presence in there, I think all the employees been a stray that just wandered onto our farm. He was
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giant by the time I met him and very tame. I was milking in the old stall barn one day, and he snuck in with a newly hatched duckling in his mouth – an alive, quacking duckling, completely unharmed. I snatched it from him and put the little creature in a pail of water while I nished milking. My younger brother, Thomas, always had an afnity for feathered creatures, so I put him on the hunt to nd the family of my new sidekick. Ramblings from the Ridge Lo and behold, on our manure/water run-off pit there was a duck joyously swimming around with nine little ducklings. We snuck up to water’s edge and released our little duckling to rejoin his family. It has always struck me as strange that the big cat took the duckling on an adventure rather than By Jacqui Davison eating it. Columnist We gained new cat genetics on the farm when a neighbor’s cat hitched a ride on a vehicle, unbeknownst to the driver, and made it all the way here. The descendants of this cat are extremely uffy and usually jet black, unlike the usual sleek, tiger-striped farm cats. The linage started with Wendy. As a kitten, she was born in the attic of the special needs milkhouse, and managed to fall down inside an interior wall. After listening to her crying for help, Peter took the saw and made a hole in the paneling to get her out. Hence the name Wendy because “she spent time in Never Never Land,” Peter said, referring to Peter Pan. Wendy was a prolic cat as she grew and gave us many kittens that quickly found new homes because of their ufness. One of Wendy’s progeny was El Gato. (That means “the cat” in Spanish.) He went to live with Peter for a few years until Peter decided he should return to the farm. El Gato was raised as a house cat, so he had no desire to be one of those cats that only lived outside. Instead, he chose the best of both worlds. El Gato would prowl when we were up in the barn (he was a great hunter), and when we came in, so did he, making himself at home in the basement. He would hunt up to a mile down the road and sometimes be gone days at a time. The boys would ask where he went, and my explanation was usually that he was on a date with a new girlfriend and needed to show her he could kill mice. This tale proved to be true as he brought one of his girlfriends into the basement a few winters ago. It must have sealed the deal on the relationship, because after he brought her into the basement where it was warmed with wood heat, had plenty of spots to sleep, a plentiful amount of dog food on the oor, and there was an easy in and out through the wood chute door, she never left. They raised four kittens in the basement that winter. The only reason they didn’t get excommunicated before spring was because I was enjoying not having any mice dropping surprises upstairs. Those kittens were as wild as could be despite being near humans daily, and they had to be caught with a trap to get them to stay out of the basement as the weather warmed. However, news must travel down the kitty grapevine fast because as it started to get cooler this fall, I suddenly had new furry friends in the basement. I know they are El Gato’s offspring because they look like big, black fur balls as they streak across the oor and jump from the freezer to the beams. Their saving grace is the mice they must catch, and the fact that though wild, they still use a litter box. The cats in the barn are quite useful as well. They serve as good distractors for a screaming Cora. She likes to swat at their whiskers and hug them under Henry’s watchful eye. They are entertaining; one of them likes to climb the ladder to snooze in the sun on the roof of the supply room. They also keep the mouse population in check. Then there’s the fact that they always appreciate the spilled milk in the parlor. I better be careful. I may nd myself starting to complain less about them being in the barn. Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wis. Her children, Ira (11), Dane (9), Henry (4) and Cora (adventurous crawler), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
Tenacity
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 31
Some synonyms for tenacity are: perseverance, diligence, stubbornness, spunk, grit, guts, courage, moxie, doggedness and resolve. Any of these are good descriptors of dairy farmers, in my opinion. Some antonyms are: idleness, Veterinary Wisdom cowardice, weakness, slackness, indifference and fear. These words do not sound like dairy farmers at all. Tenacity comes from the Latin “tenacitas” or “the act of holding fast.” I can think of no better description of what dairy farmers are doing right now, as we head into another year of By Jim Bennett low milk prices, which Columnist would be the fourth full year since the last year of really high prices. This is, of course, part of farming, and is not unique to the dairy sector. Still, after over 35 years of veterinary practice I am more in awe of the ability of dairy farmers to hold fast than ever. As enterprises grow, so do the losses or gains. It also seems like the length of the price cycle is getting longer, too. This means periods of losses that are longer and deeper. Who in heck wants to do this? Diana Fischer in her blog, http://theaccidentalfarmwife.blogspot.com/, talks about why farmers choose this profession. “Working a eld in the sweltering, blistering heat of summer. Plowing a path to the barn in the lifesucking, aching cold wind of a winter blizzard. Well, at this point, he’s committed. He has lives depending on him gaining access to the barn no matter how much snow has fallen.” Who knows why anyone really chooses an occupation, but we should all be able to recognize when someone chooses a noble profession that requires so much tenacity. We should be proud and thankful for someone whose main job is providing
food for all the rest of us in the face of pretty stiff farmers do and what challenges they face. It is truly a odds. Most of us are just not willing to take the risks special profession. So, here is a big thank you, from at least one old crusty cow vet. Know that we notice. to be farmers. Not enough moxie. Recently, it has been pretty cold. Weathermen You are fantastic. You have tenacity and dedication, and newscasters remind us not to go outside, or if we endurance, stamina, steadfastness, backbone, drive, immovability, pluck, do, to be sure to cover our purposefulness and mouths and noses, and to not hi k I get why h ffarmers want resolution. And, thank God exert ourselves out there. I I think suspect almost every one of to be farmers. that you do, or the rest these folks have never been of us would be in a real on a dairy farm, because it pickle. Because of you, the would be hard to farm with rest of us can have apathy, these restrictions. What I see is farmers working more cowardice, indifference, irresolution, weakness, and working harder. Waterers need thawing, tractors idleness, indolence, laziness or lethargy, and still get and slid loaders need starting or jumping, doors need a hot meal at the end of a cold day and not go outside, to be thawed, frozen manure needs to be somehow too. pried off the alleys, employees need rides to work Jim Bennett is a dairy veterinarian at Northern because cars do not start, and cows need to be moved Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in extra-cautiously on frozen surfaces. I see down cows Plainview, Minn. He and his wife, Pam, have four in cold barns that require lots of care and attention on children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail. days when farmers just do not have the time. Calves com with comments or questions. get frostbitten feet and ears that need to be cared for. Snow needs to be moved so the milk truck can get in the yard. In fact, almost everything on a dairy farm is harder and slower on cold days. Not go outside? Are you kidding? Cows do not listen to weathermen or newscasters. Since 1997 I feel sorry for myself when I have my semiTrimming frozen arm up some cow’s rear, and I have to pull it commercial and out and wait for another cow, or when my feet start to tingle or ngers go numb. But then I get into my show cattle warm car and drive off somewhere else, perhaps back We use a hydraulic to a warm ofce, while the farmer is still out there upright chute for less stress. with the cows in below zero temps. He or she will be “Our two man crew allows us to complete the out there tonight, too, when I am on a warm couch job in a timely manner watching a show on Netix. with less disruption of your I think I get why farmers want to be farmers. I do herd’s daily routine.” not think it is because they like long periods of low milk prices. I wish we could all prevent times like this Call Dan at from happening, but of course we cannot. What we 507-272-3447 can do is to appreciate what our farmers do, and to thank them for it. We can also tell others about what
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Keeping the house stocked with dairy Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
This has denitely been a hot chocolate winter toast, of course. Hot vegetables are always drowning in our house. The cold weather, along with head and in butter; it even makes broccoli bearable. chest colds, have us on a microwave record of heating Ice cream at our house is hit and miss. Sometimes milk. We have a simple recipe: one cup of whole milk one of us craves it and buys a certain avor, and at from the dairy heated in the microwave for 1.25 min- times we eat very little other than at Sunday dinner. utes, 3 teaspoons of Nesquik Sunday dinner involves and a dollop of Reddi-Wip anywhere from 10-15 Production P d i off d dairy i products d topping. grandkids present dependProduction of dairy is important to me, but ing on the day, along with products is important to me, the eight parents. We conbut consumption of dairy consumption of dairy sistently use two small tubs products is more enjoyable. products is more enjoyable. of ice cream. I do the ice My wife and I would both cream scooping and most of be dead if butterfat was truthose eight boys come back ly bad for us. deb puts butter for seconds. Dairy Queen in hot dish and on pizza, along with using it on all the ice cream cakes are also a big hit on Aaron’s birthday. usual things. My favorite is spreading butter on buns Aaron is a son-in-law, who happens to share a birthbefore putting on a hot dog, barbecue or burger. I also day with my wife and my now deceased mother-infry an egg in butter every morning on top of buttered law. That birthday is June 1, the kickoff to June Dairy
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Month, so what better way to celebrate than a DQ ice cream cake? I am constantly ordering cases of cheese sticks from the AMPl cheese store for our big family. The moms tell me a cheese stick is a perfect snack Making Cents of Dairy for any kid as it’s healthy, quick, the right serving size, and above all, not messy. I think cheese sticks are OK, but a little salty. Just give me a thick slice of Colby Jack. deb likes Pepper Jack so much that I’ve even seen her melt Pepper Jack on a fried egg. Lately, she By Dave Vander Kooi started making grilled Columnist cheese sandwiches using a slice of American with Monterey Jack melted together, which makes a great grilled cheese. deb is now into drinking a little ker, but I think it tastes weird. The label on it says it supports the immune system and balances digestive health. What do those statements really mean? Maybe it counteracts all the butter we eat; I don’t know. Pizza is supposed to be the food of choice during the Super Bowl, but I came home from a small party at Tae’s house, and we didn’t have pizza. That’s ne. I have pizza at least once a week somewhere. I like how pizza makers are blending more and more kinds of cheese on their pizzas. There can never be too much tomato sauce or cheese on a pizza. Now that the Super Bowl is over, it’s still plenty cold out to have hot chocolate tonight, but I can’t wait for summer, baseball and a cold glass of milk. 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.
Holstein Association USA recognizes Top BAA Herds
Holstein Association USA has released the lists of the top Holstein Breed Age Average (BAA%) herds for 2017 classications. The BAA value provides a way to compare the score of a herd average to the average of the breed, taking into account age of the animal and stage of lactation. Herds participating in the Classic or Standard options of the Holstein Classication program receive an overall BAA for the herd. Several lists have been created to recognize members of all herd sizes and all areas of the country. Find the 2017 Overall Top 200 BAA Herds, Top 25 BAA Herds by Region, Top 25 BAA Herds by Herd Size, and Top 10 BAA Herds for Colleges & Universities on www. holsteinusa.com. To appear on these lists, a herd must have at least 10 cows included in the BAA calculation. If a herd classied more than once during the year, only the most recent BAA was considered for inclusion. All eligible herds are automatically evaluated. The average BAA for all herds in 2017 was 106.5. Six herds had a BAA of over 114.0, and Matthew T. Mitchell of Tenn. earns the recognition of having the highest BAA in the U.S. last year at 116.5 on 10 cows. Rounding out the top ve include Milk Source LLC, Wis.; Eaton Holsteins, N.Y.; Michael J. Garrow, N.Y.; Michael & Julie Duckett, Wis.; and Timothy M. & Sharyn W. Abbott, Vt. To view the complete list of 2017 Top BAA Herds under the Popular Lists section on the Holstein Association USA homepage, go directly to www.holsteinusa.com/ programs_services/baa_lists_2017.html.
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Minnesota just wrapped up a monumental week. By all accounts, we successfully re-branded Minnesota as the Bold North by, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell claimed, taking the Super Bowl to a whole new level. Between the Super Bowl Experience, all of the other events in town and the game itself, there were a number of innovative ways to participate and celebrate the big game. There was also one good lesson about the power of pairing up. You might have noticed it during the Super Bowl Dairy Good Life commercials. I’ve always felt that Super Bowl commercials are there for those of us who can’t imagine cheering for either of the teams playing. Most years, I skip watching the game itself – we don’t have a television in the barn – and just watch the commercials after. One of the best commercials this year, according to multiple rankings, was the commercial featuring Doritos and Mountain Dew. While I’m personally troubled that a joint commercial for junk foods claimed one of the top spots, I did nd the commercial entertaining, mostly because Peter Dinklage and Morgan Freeman are incredible actors. And By Sadie Frericks the strategy of pairing two major brands for one comColumnist mercial makes sense. Pairing up allowed PepsiCo, the parent company of both Doritos and Mountain Dew, to split the cost of the commercial between two of its brands. With a reported price tag of $10 million for each 60-second spot, sharing the cost makes even more sense. Pairing up for the commercial also allowed the two brands to reach a greater audience. I suspect Doritos and Mountain Dew already share a similar audience, but each brand likely has its own fan base and both of those groups were pulled into one commercial. Pairing up for the Super Bowl was a strategy used by agriculture and the dairy community as well. Land O’Lakes paired NFL players with the cooperative’s own farmers for the inaugural Land O’Lakes Farm Bowl. On the Thursday before the Super Bowl, Land O’Lakes transformed 3M Arena at Mariucci on the University of Minnesota campus into a farming obstacle course. Six teams of two – made up of one current or retired NFL player and one Land O’Lakes farmer – competed in the series of farming challenges. The top two teams faced off for the title of Farm Bowl Champions, which ended up being Minnesota Vikings wide receiver, Stefon Diggs, and Land O’Lakes dairy farmer, JJ Nunes. We took the kids out of school that day so we could all go watch the Land O’Lakes Farm Bowl. I wanted them to see farming in the spotlight, to see the excitement generated by the event. Dan, Monika and Daphne just wanted to see Stefon Diggs and Kyle Rudolph stack hay bales. How cool is it for farm kids to see professional football players doing a chore they do every day? Land O’Lakes said the Farm Bowl was created to be “a fun and unique way to highlight the signicant role of farmers and to help inspire the next generation to consider a career in modern agriculture.” The event was certainly a lot of fun and generated a lot of positive press about farming. By pairing farmers with NFL players, Land O’Lakes was able to highlight the hard work and dedication that both farmers and football players bring to their professions. Plus, pairing up allowed Land O’Lakes to tap into the NFL’s broader audience base, which helped the Farm Bowl’s message reach far more consumers than it would have with just farmers competing. Pairing up with the NFL has been part of the dairy community’s strategy with Fuel Up to Play 60 for almost 10 years now. Hosting the Super Bowl in Minneapolis gave Minnesota dairy farmers an opportunity to highlight the Fuel Up to Play 60 program as part of the Super Bowl Experience at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Dozens of dairy farmers, with help from a dozen or so NFL football players, interacted with hundreds of students in the #FuelUpExperience. The #FuelUpExperience was the capstone of an entire year of increased publicity for Fuel Up to Play 60. During each of the 52 weeks leading up to Super Bowl LII, one school in Minnesota was provided with a Fuel Up to Play 60 Breakfast-in-the-Classroom grant. These Super School Breakfast grants were given by the Minnesota Super Bowl Host Committee (MNSBHC) Legacy Fund. There’s denitely power in pairing up, especially for the dairy community. It helps us reach a larger audience with positive stories about dairy farming and dairy foods. I hope the Land O’Lakes Farm Bowl and Fuel Up to Play 60 will become part of a long list of pairings that benet dairy farmers by bringing agricultural awareness and appetite for dairy to a whole new level. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minn. They have three children – Dan, 11, Monika, 8, and Daphne, 5. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com
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Dancing dream comes true for Zajicek Sarah Zajicek has been performing for the past 15 years with the Cripple Creek Cloggers, based out of Madison, Wis.
By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
NORTH FREEDOM, Wis. – Years ago, a 3-year-old girl stood watching a parade go by. The girl was mesmerized by the oat carrying the Cripple Creek Cloggers as they danced the day away. That girl told her mom that someday she was going to dance like the people on the oat. Eventually, that is just what the little girl did. Today, Sarah Zajicek is a part of the Cripple Creek Cloggers and is the sixth generation to farm on her family’s dairy, Hickory Hillside Farm, in North Freedom, Wis., in Sauk County. Zajicek
Clogging a way of life for Sauk County dairywoman works alongside her father, Tim Colby, milking 50 head of Holsteins. Zajicek’s mother, Marcia, and Zajicek’s husband, Justin, each work off the farm and provide back-up labor on the farm. The Zajiceks have two children, Lydia, 8, and Colby, 3. Despite her early dream, Zajicek didn’t give clogging another thought until after her graduation from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She returned home to farm and stumbled across information for the group’s beginning clogging lessons. Zajicek made arrangements to take Monday evenings off from milking to attend the 6 p.m. lessons, bought a pair of clogging shoes and began upon the journey that would spark a new passion. The Cripple Creek Cloggers were formed in the Madison area in 1982. Today, the club has nearly 35 members
DANIELLE NAUMAN/ DAIRY STAR
Sarah Zajicek operates a 50-cow dairy farm with her father outside of North Freedom, Wis. She has been a member of the Cripple Creek Cloggers since 2003. ranging from ages 8 to 84 with dancers coming from as far away as Reedsburg and Stoughton to practice with the club in Waunakee, Wis. “My family has always believed in taking care of yourself,” Zajicek said. “It’s important to get off the farm and do something you love. It’s a big part in taking care of your mental health. When I said I needed Monday nights off to start clogging lessons, my mom and dad didn’t hesitate.” It didn’t take long for Zajicek to become hooked on her new activity.
“I knew pretty quick I wanted to be on that parade truck,” Zajicek said of her earliest lessons. “Usually you have to have two semesters of lessons under your belt before you can perform. I did my rst show halfway through my rst semester of lessons when they were short a person for a parade.” A desire to share her talent led Zajicek to start teaching, and now her Monday nights consist of three hours of clogging, starting with beginner and Turn to ZAJICEK | Page 35
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 35
ConƟnued from ZAJICEK | Page 34
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Sarah Zajicek is an acƟve clogging instructor and teaches at workshops and conferences throughout Wisconsin. Her goal is to become a naƟonally cerƟed instructor. intermediate lessons, followed by an hour of practice for club members who are on the exhibition team. When Zajicek rst tied on her clogging shoes in 2003, the average age of the Cripple Creek Cloggers was in the neighborhood of 60 years old and the group did about 100 performances a year. Today, the average age is closer to 30 and the group does about 15 performances each year, including several parades around south-central Wisconsin and the Sauk County Dairy Breakfast, as well as a few shows at nursing homes. “As we’ve gotten younger, we all have kids and jobs,” Zajicek said. “We aren’t able to do as many parades or nursing home shows.” Teaching clogging was a natural segue into doing the group’s choreography. “I love clogging because you can dance to any kind of music,” Zajicek said. “When I’m doing choreography, the rst step is to nd a piece of music I absolutely love. If it doesn’t make my feet move, I’m not going to be able to convince others to dance to it.” Once she’s selected the perfect toe-tapping music, Zajicek listens to the song about 15 times before even starting to choreograph moves. “I break down the songs into parts, choruses, verses and instrumental sections,” Zajicek said. “Then I decide the complexity level of the dance, if it’s a beginner piece or something higher.” Zajicek has taught dances to songs by artists as varied as Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga, along with staples like Zajicek’s all-time favorite routine dancing to the “Beer Barrel Polka.” Choreographing a dance routine takes about an hour to complete. “The response at the performances is amazing. People love to see us dance to current music,” Zajicek said. “The only time any of our dancers ever said anything was when I taught them a
routine to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face.” Expanding her knowledge of choreography and teaching skills is high on Zajicek’s radar. She would like to someday attend the national clogging convention, which is held Thanksgiving weekend. “Going to the convention is on my bucket list,” Zajicek said. “I would love to become a certied instructor, which is something that can only be done at the convention.” In addition to the national convention, there is a Wisconsin clogging convention and a variety of workshops held around the upper Midwest that Zajicek participates in and teaches at. “I love getting together with people who have the same passion I do for music and dance,” Zajicek said. She will have her rst opportunity to teach outside the Wisconsin border when she teaches one of six routines that will be presented at a workshop at the end of February in Lindstrom, Minn. Zajicek is excited that her 8-yearold daughter, Lydia, became one of her students last September. “I’d asked her before if she wanted to do it, and she never did,” Zajicek said. “I was pretty happy when she asked to start last fall.” Lydia is now in her second semester of lessons, and is one of ve children learning to clog and celebrate folk dancing. “Clogging is such a good physical workout, and you can work off a lot of steam and stress,” Zajicek said, noting that clogging is especially important, being able to leave the trials and tribulations of dairy farming behind for a couple of hours each week. “I love that every Monday night, I get to be Sarah,” Zajicek said. “I’m not a farmer, a mom or a wife. I’m just me, and I can dance.”
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Compeer Financial is proud to sponsor
Women In Dairy Linda Wright Johnson Creek, Wis. Jefferson County 210 cows
Family: My family consists of my husband, Mark, and two daughters, Kayla and Nicole, who are both involved in agriculture careers. Tell us about your farm. Mar-Linda-K Holsteins LLC is a third generation family farm. My husband and I took over my family (Klug-View Dairy Farm) operation in 1992. We started with 70 cows and milk 90-100 head in a new step-up parlor and remodeled the existing buildings with sand bedded free stalls. Calves are housed in a calf condo and fed pasteurized milk. We run 325 acres of hay, corn and oats. We harvest our own forages and custom hire planting and combining.
Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. I am always closely watching our herd for health problems. One morning after a cow had calved, she swallowed the amniotic sack from her calf and starting choking on it. When she collapsed, I reached my hand down her throat to release it. She took a huge breath, got back up and started licking her calf.
What’s the busiest time of day for you? Mornings are the busiest for me, doing vaccines, What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy repro work, milking, calf care and tending to sick cows. Afternoons I’m found hauling industry? I am proud to be a dairy farmer. I truly enjoy watching the genetics wagons, making meals, doing ofce work and running for parts. I do maternity duty at night. of the herd change and the challenge of mating our registered Holsteins. Going to the Wisconsin State Fair and teaching the public about dairy farming is When you get a spare moment what do you do? I enjoy working with show cattle and rewarding when the people learn something amazing about the dairy cow and mentoring dairy youth in our county. I also volunteer on county 4-H committees as well as how she functions to make milk. the 2019 Jefferson County Farm Technology Day executive committee. When I get extra time, I work on decorating our new home and collecting vintage farm items. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? I attend educational clinics that are hosted by local businesses, read articles and communicate with our vet, nutritionist and other farmers. In the fall, attending World Dairy Expo gives me a chance to network with new technologies and breeders of the industry. In your opinion, what’s the importance of women in today’s dairy industry and how have you seen that change over the years? Women are the details of farming. I think it’s the mother instinct in us. We have more patience to take care of calves, sick cattle, ofce work and organize our time. Women compliment the men on farms as they each have an important role. One can do the general management and one can do the detailed management. On our farm, my husband can be called the boss, but I am the woman that knows what’s going on.
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If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? I would give a tour to Michelle Obama. I would like to show her how a real farm is run and how crops are planted and harvested for the world to eat. Not from a garden in her backyard. I also would like her to understand how the food we harvest for our cattle is turned into milk which is a healthy, nutritious food to build strong soldiers, healthy kids and winning Olympians.
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What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken? My husband and I went on a cruise for our honeymoon because we knew we would be committed to the farm for the rest of our lives. It was beautiful, but out of my element of comfort. Over the years, my best time away from the farm involved dairy shows and helping my children exhibit quality cattle and achieving awards. World Dairy Expo is what I enjoy most each year with my family. I can be around other farmers who have the same goals and dreams as I do. What are some words you like to live by? If you want it done right, do it yourself. Always love your family, but it’s OK to not like them sometimes. It just makes it easier to work with them. “On the eighth day, God made a farmer,” Paul Harvey.
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Filling in nutritional gaps
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 37
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Wadzinski explains pros, cons of supplements, additives By Brittany Olson
brittany.o@dairystar.com
CUMBERLAND, Wis. – Just as people make a multivitamin part of their daily routine, dairy cows and replacement animals, too, need adequate doses of vitamins and minerals to maintain overall health, body condition, growth and milk production. Julie Wadzinski, a farm business and production management instructor from Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College in Rice Lake, Wis., discussed the ins and outs of feeding supplements or additives in dairy cattle rations with one of her classes on Jan. 30 in Cumberland, Wis. Supplements are ingredients added to diets at a small inclusion rate for its nutritional properties. Usually consisting of essential nutrients such as proteins, vitamins and minerals, supplements are intended to ďƒžll in nutritional gaps and fulďƒžll additional nutritional needs that aren’t being met by the forages and concentrates in a dairy cow’s diet. For example, a herd struggling with milk fever, ketosis or retained placentas during the transition period may beneďƒžt from feeding a specially formulated mineral during the dry period. In addition, protein-rich forages such as haylage or baleage that was cut, chopped and ensiled past optimum maturity may also call for additional protein in the ration. Proteins from oilseed meals such as canola oil and soybean meal not only support muscle and skeletal health, but also improve milk components and overall milk production. “Feed supplements typically make up for shortfalls in forage quality,â€? Wadzinski said. Meanwhile, feed additives such as anionic salts in dry cow rations, biotin for hoof health, mycotoxin binders, direct fed microbials (DFMs), ionophores – particularly monensin, prebiotics, ďƒ&#x;avoring agents, enzymes and probiotics – are designed not so much to ďƒžll lapses in feed quality, but to amplify nutrient quality in the ration by serving as catalysts during the digestion process. “Additives are fed at a very small inclusion rate and have non-nutritional characteristics,â€? Wadzinski said. “They are usually fed to improve the animal’s ability to consume, digest or absorb nutrients present in the feed.â€? Prebiotics and probiotics, both considered to be beneďƒžcial microorganisms that contribute to a healthy balance of gut ďƒ&#x;ora, are differentiated by the fact that probiotics are living bacteria while prebiotics are not. Essential oils like cinnamon, clove and garlic have also been proven to help with fermentation within the rumen. Examples of prebiotics include yeast cell wall products, sodium butyrate, lactoferrin and inulin, the last of which is typically found in calf products. Yeast products can also serve as a carrier for chelated trace minerals. “Prebiotics are like a killed vaccine in that they stimulate a growth response, while probiotics produce metabolic compounds and repopulate beneďƒžcial microbes,â€? Wadzinski said.
BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Supplements, such as proteins, vitamins and minerals, can cover lapses in forage quality and boost overall cow health and producĆ&#x;on, according to WITC farm business management and producĆ&#x;on instructor Julie Wadzinski. While niacin is a B vitamin, it falls into the additive category. It is commonly fed to support liver health and serves as a coenzyme in biological reactions to improve energy balance in early lactation cows. Methionine, an amino acid, and bypass choline can also be fed to support liver health by controlling ketosis, minimizing fatty liver and improving milk fat. “In prefresh rations, cows should get six grams of unprotected niacin. During the postfresh period, if you’re feeding niacin, cows should receive either 12 grams of unprotected or three grams of bypass niacin,â€? Wadzinski said. Monensin, more commonly known by its product name Rumensin, is an ionophore that improves feed to milk conversion by diverting microbial selection to digest starches. “Mature animals typically get 250 to 400 milligrams per head, per day,â€? Wadzinski said. Silage inoculants, which are infused into the crop during the harvesting process, are considered an additive due to their ability to stimulate, catalyze and stabilize the fermentation process of forages. Propylene glycol, used to treat ketosis, would also fall into the feed additive category because it is not used to ďƒžll in nutritional gaps. “As a glucose precursor, propylene glycol stimulates an insulin response when the cow is using energy faster than she can consume it,â€? Wadzinski said. “Feeding it is not as effective as drenching.â€? Sodium bicarbonate, known as bicarb, is fed in high-energy rations to improve butterfat levels and prevent acidosis. “In order for bicarb to have an impact on butterfat test, at least half a pound per cow per day needs to be fed,â€? Wadzinski said. While supplements and additives have their merit, they don’t always come cheap. With feed costs making up 40 percent or more of the average dairy farm’s operating expenses, Wadzinski suggested several methods for saving on feed expenditures. “We can reduce the cost of the ration by playing with inclusion rates of additives and supplements or pull out additives strategically. We can also try to increase our pay price through premiums if they’re still offered, or improve components and sacriďƒžce volume,â€? Wadzinski said. “My dad was a dairy farmer, and he often said that if every foo foo dust additive delivered its promise, he would have been shipping 500 pounds of milk per head per day.â€?
8600, 2016, 785 Hrs, RWA, Warranty .. Coming In! 8600, 2016, 148 Hrs, RWA, Warranty ......$409,500 8600, 2015, 436 Hrs, RWA, Warranty ......$349,000 8500, 2016, 248 Hrs, RWA, Warranty ......$335,000 8100, 2016, 250 Hrs, RWA, Warranty ......$259,000 7780, 2014, 1301 Hrs, RWA .....................$239,000 7580, 2013, 610 Hrs, RWA .......................$274,900 7950, 2012, 694 Hrs, RWA .......................$274,900 7850, 2008, 1600 Hrs, RWA .....................$179,500 7550, 2012, 1825 Hrs, RWA .....................$205,000 7550, 2010, 1344 Hrs, RWA .....................$209,500 7550, 2008, 1359 Hrs, RWA .....................$189,500 7450, 2009, 1550 Hrs, RWA .....................$189,500 7450, 2010, 2985 Hrs, RWA .....................$139,000 7350, 2008, 2950 Hrs, RWA .....................$149,000 7800, 2007, 1885 Hrs, RWA .....................$159,500 7700, 2007, 1570 Hrs, RWA .....................$169,500 7500, 2005, 2423 Hrs, RWA .....................$135,000 7500, 2003, 3100 Hrs, RWA .....................$128,000 7400, 2004, 2918 Hrs, RWA .....................$124,900 7300, 2003,3637 Hrs, RWA ........................$79,000 6850, 1999, 3120 Hrs, RWA .......................$79,500 6850, 1998, 3100 Hrs, 2WD .......................$74,500
6710, 1995, 2908 Hrs, RWA .......................$68,500 6710, 1993, 2116 Hrs, 2WD ................. Coming In! 5830, 1991, 3700 Hrs, RWA .......................$39,900 5730, 1986, 4980 Hrs, RWA .......................$35,900 Claas 970, 2011, 1050 Hrs, RWA.............$169,500 Claas 970, 2008, 3000 Hrs, RWA ............$175,000 Claas 900, 2005, 2848 Hrs ...................... $115,000 Claas 890, 2002, 2290 Hrs, RWA ............$129,000 All hours listed are “cutter hours�.
8100
2016, 250 Hrs, RWA, 375 HP, KP, High Arch Spout, Bumper, $
259,000
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LOOKING TO ADVERTISE? In Northern Wisconsin Call:
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In Southern Wisconsin & Northern Illinois Call: Lori Menke
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DAIRY ST R
Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
Talk to your nutritionist about the health and performance benefits of including in your dairy rations.
Talk to your nutritionist about the health and performance benefits of including in your dairy rations.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018 • Page 39
sponsored by
Margaret Hazeltine, pictured with her son, Rob Janesville, Wis. Rock County 120 cows
Those cows have taught myself, my children and my grandchildren the lessons of life and death and about responsibility. It’s very hard to slow down in this world, but in the quiet early morning with coffee it’s easy to feel so grateful to still be able to live the dream.
How did you get into farming? I grew up farming. My husband and I took over my dad’s farm. When my husband died in a farm accident, I continued to run the farm until my son, Rob, was ready to take over. Now we run the farm in partnership. We milk 120 cows, about a 50-50 mix of registered Ayrshires and grade Holsteins and have another 150 youngstock. We own 160 acres and rent an additional 200 acres. We grow corn, soybeans, alfalfa and winter rye, which we feed a lot of. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? The downtrend in milk prices and in crop prices are not good. However, in this industry we know that you must ride out the bad times, whether it’s high interest rates, droughts or low prices. You need to be prepared to capitalize in the good times and weather the storm in the bad times. We all came into this industry knowing that nothing is easy. But, we also came into this industry for all of the little things we enjoy: managing our own time, having our children learn and work with us, or a million others. You can’t have all that good and not have to deal with some bad. I’m not intimidated by the large dairies. You read how the big dairies are taking over and driving the little guys out. I think there will always be a place for small dairies. It might not be the same as 20 years ago, but change isn’t always a bad thing either. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? We’ve started using double-ovsynch, which has increased our pregnancy rate to 40 percent, and we ultrasound for pregnancies. That allows for faster conrmation and catching open cows sooner. What is a management practice you changed in the past year
What advice would you give other dairy farmers? Do not cut corners on your cows’ feed or on your breeding program. Doing that will haunt you for years to come. What has been the best purchase you’ve ever made on your farm? The building we put up for our heifers. We are able to get them bred timely, and they are fed better. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Learning that there was life after my husband’s death. When so many said I would not be able to continue to farm, and here we are, still farming 20 years later. that has beneted you? We have gone to the Priority One program for better cow health and have seen signicant results. We have also been selecting bulls based on genomics and are selecting for higher fat and protein. We are maintaining a 4.1 percent fat and 3.2 percent protein average. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? We cut some costs on the last downturn, so we are not nding anywhere to cut further. We are not willing to forgo registering our Ayrshires to save money.
people can. It has been a long time since we’ve had a cow with ketosis. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? What’s not to love? The freedom to choose my own hours in a day. The varied chores that takes the monotony out of the day. The peaceful silence late at night. The birth of a newborn calf trying to stand for the rst time.
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? To transfer farm operation to the next generation. In the good times, we plan to add a parlor and some more cows. How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? I enjoy going to cow shows, and cooking and baking.
How do you retain a good working relationship with your employee(s)? We have a couple of part-time milkers that work along with our family. We don’t ask any more of them than what we haven’t already done ourselves, and we treat them as we would want to be treated. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I’m pretty good with a Bobcat, and I can also smell ketosis in the milk of a cow. I guess not that many
Star Blends is a full service feed manufacturing facility. We provide custom complete feeds, supplements and minerals. We utilize modern technology to produce your needed products on demand with the highest quality feeds at the best cost. We also offer a wide selection of commodities, ingredients and additives. We are focused on dairy, efficiently delivering to farms in Western Wisconsin. Give us a call, we’d be happy to discuss our commodities or custom products and services with you and your nutritionist.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 10, 2018
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J. Gile Dairy Eqpt, Inc Cuba City, WI • 608.744.2661
Monroe WestfaliaSurge Monroe, WI • 608-325-2772
Leedstone, Inc. Melrose, MN 320-256-3303 • 800-996-3303 Glencoe, MN 320-864-5575 • 877-864-5575
Preston Dairy Equipment, Inc. Sparta, WI • 608-269-3830 • 888-863-0227
Midwest Livestock Systems Menomonie, WI • 715-235-5144 Owen, WI • 715-229-4740 Pine Island, MN • 800-233-8937 Sioux Falls, MN • 800-705-1447 Beatrice, NE • 800-742-5748
Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-5608 • 800-962-4346 Colton, SD Service 800-944-1217 Edgerton, MN Chemical Sales 507-920-8626 Tri County Dairy Janesville, WI • 608 757.2697