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DAIRY ST R
February 22, 2020
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 22, No. 1
Cows, cheese, conservation
Koepke Farms focuses on all three By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
OCONOMOWOC, Wis. – John and Kim Koepke know good cheese starts with good soil. The Koepkes’ deep love of the land and
PHOTO SUBMITTED
LaBelle Cheese is made with milk from cows at Koepke Farms. Made in partnership with Clock Shadow Creamery in Milwaukee, LaBelle is a Gouda-style recipe available in six different avors.
commitment to exceptional cow care is reected in every package of LaBelle Cheese. Made with milk from cows at Koepke Farms, LaBelle is an artisan cheese handcrafted in small batches and carefully aged for a smooth, buttery avor. This Oconomowoc dairy farm thrives in an area bordered by urban development and abundant lakes. A fervent desire to protect nature is woven into this community known as Lake Country. And it is an ideal that Koepke Farms wholeheartedly supports. “Nature is a complex web of both plants and animals, and farming is easier when you work with nature versus against it,” John said. “We strive to work with nature the best that we can, mimicking the biology of the land while at the same time making a living and creating nutritious food.”
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Kim and John Koepke, along with John’s dad, James, and uncle, David (not pictured) run Koepke Farms near Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. They milk 320 cows and farm 1,200 acres, and also use a small percentage of their milk to make LaBelle Cheese, which the farm began selling in 2010. Given the farm’s location, diversification appeared more attractive than expansion, and in
2008, the family started looking into value-added options. “We wanted to diversify the
family business while adding an enterprise area the next generation could grow into,” Kim said. Five generations have conscientiously worked the land at this farm for 145 years since John’s great-great grandfather immigrated from Germany in 1875. And, a sixth generation is hoping to do the same. John and Kim farm with John’s dad, James, and John’s uncle, David. His other uncle, Alan, is retired. John and Kim have three children – Auggie, 18, Colton, 15, and Sam, 11. Auggie is studying agriculture at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. “Land and animal care are our top priorities every day not just some days,” Kim said. “We care very much about what we do and put all of our effort into making the best milk which is the foundation of our cheese.” Koepke Farms launched LaBelle Cheese in 2010, which is made in partnership with Clock Shadow Creamery in Milwaukee.
Turn to KOEPKES | Page 5
“To me, it’s important that I’m making and selling the best quality milk.” – Rob Ruther
Ruthers maintain SCC at 83,000
All a part of the job
By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
PERHAM, Minn. – Rob and Amie Ruther do not take their job as dairy farmers lightly and with that is the responsibility to provide high quality milk. “It’s my job, as a dairy farmer, to produce milk that you and I can drink,” Rob said. “To me, it’s important that I’m making and selling the best quality milk. That goes with anything in life. I want to do my best job.” Rob and Amie milk 100 cows with their seven children – Eathan, 16, Jonah, 15, Clara, 13, Everett, 10, Mara, 6, Aleece, 4, and Sadie, 1 – in Otter Tail County near Perham. The couple’s niece, Cora Hoene, also works full time on the farm. Minnesota Dairy Herd
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
The Ruthers – (from le�) Rob holding Aleece, 4, and Amie holding Sadie, 1 – and their niece Cora Hoehne milk 108 cows in O�er Tail County near Perham, Minnesota. In 2019, the Ruthers’ herd maintained an average soma�c cell count of 83,000.
Improvement Association recently recognized the family for their superior milk quality. In 2019, the Ruthers’ herd maintained an average somatic cell count of 83,000. “Honestly, we used to struggle a bit when we rst purchased this farm,” Rob said. “But we made some changes because milk quality has been something we’ve always focused on.” The Ruthers’ morning begins in the barn at 6. Rob brings the cows into the double-8 milking parlor as Amie or Hoene scrapes the stalls of the 108-stall freestall barn. In the parlor, the Ruthers follow a consistent milking routine. Four cows are dipped with a sanitizer and wiped, stripped, and dipped and wiped again before the milking units are attached. The same procedure is then followed on the other side of the parlor. Turn to RUTHERS | Page 7