Feb. 23, 2013, 1st section, zone 2

Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 23, 2013

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/Sales Mark Klaphake 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) 320-352-0062 (home) mark.k@dairystar.com Ad Composition Janell Westerman 320-352-6303 janell.w@dairystar.com Nancy Middendorf 320-352-6303 nancy.m@dairystar.com Consultant Jerry Jennissen 320-346-2292 President Dave Simpkins 320-352-6577 davesimpkins@saukherald.com Staff Writers Krista Sheehan - Assistant Editor SE MN/NE IA 507-259-8159 • krista.s@dairystar.com Melissa Mussman (320) 429-1084 • missy@dairystar.com Ron Johnson 608-874-4243 ron.j@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner 507-240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net

Online Editor/Online Sales Andrea Borgerding 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-429-1084 (cell) andrea.b@dairystar.com Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 320-352-6303 Fax: 320-352-5647 Deadline is 5 p.m. of the Friday the week before publication Sales Manager - Jeff Weyer (National Advertising, Northern MN, East Central MN) 320-260-8505 (cell) jeff.w@dairystar.com Mark Klaphake (West and South Central MN) 320-352-6303 (ofce) 320-248-3196 (cell) Laura Seljan (SE MN, Central WI) 507-250-2217 (cell) fax: 507-634-4413 laura.s@dairystar.com Jerry Nelson (SW MN, NW Iowa, South Dakota) 605-690-6260 (cell) jerry.n@dairystar.com Lori Young (Central MN) 612-597-2998 • lori.y@dairystar.com Lori Menke (Eastern Iowa, Southern WI) 563-608-6477 • lori.m@dairystar.com Deadlines The deadline for news and advertising in the Dairy Star is 5 p.m. Friday the week before publication.

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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. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.

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Bryan and Kathy Thoner Ellsworth, Wis. (Pierce County); 44 cows How did you get into farming? This is my (Bryan) home farm. I have been farming here for 37 years. I am the fourth generation in my family to farm here.

My dad sold our herd in 1975, and then I went to the University of WisconsinRiver Falls and received a degree in agriculture education. During the last two years of college, I bought a herd of cows and started dairying. I graduated in 1978, which was also the year Kathy and I were married. We’ve been here dairy farming since. Kathy works off the farm as a secretary at the middle school. We have three daughters and one son between the ages of 25 and 32 Why did you get into dairy farming? I liked the cows, and when Dad sold the herd, I missed them. I decided to give dairy farming a shot, and here we are.

What’s your next step? On March 8, we are selling our herd. Our facility is worn out and none of our children would like to milk cows. As we get older, the work is getting harder to do, and it’s harder to take time off to visit our children and their families. We will still be on the farm and will raise crops on our 200 acres of land along with dairy steers. Our son will be involved in this aspect, too.

What’s been your biggest accomplishment? When I rst started farming, my two goals were to raise a family on the farm and be out of debt when I retired from dairy farming. I was able to achieve both of those. Also, our herd has never been the top herd for production, but we’ve topped the county for somatic cell count.

What has been your favorite part about dairy farming? I really like the genetics of the Holsteins. Our herd has always been registered.

What is your favorite tool? I like the cordless drill. I also really like the skid loader.

What is your favorite meal using a dairy product? Mashed potato casserole is really good and cheese curds. (See page 30 of Second Section for Kathy’s recipe for Mashed Potato Casserole) What are you looking forward to in the next step of your life? We would like to travel. We’re looking forward to going to Washington, D.C., and Mount Rushmore, among many other places. We’re also looking forward to seeing our grandkids more often and being able to travel to see family when we want to.

What advice do you have for other dairy farmers just getting started? Watch your debt level. Input costs are getting so high now that it’s tough to have a high debt load.

Dairy Star • Saturday, February 23, 2013 • Page 3

It’s all inside...

Mertens named 2012 Ohio family battled Farm Family of the Year Johne’s for years, hopes it’s nally gone Pages 4 - 5 Pages 36- 37

Dubbes build freestall barn, Gopher Dairy Club celebrates students, industry leaders parlor over the course of Pages 2, 6 ve yearsworking on farms

Fire destroys barn, kills 70 calves Pages 1, 5

Third Section

Pages 18, 20

O’Reilly’s low SCC result of simplicity Pages 18 - 19 Second Section

Women in Jeans: Lori Christofferson Page 6 Second Section

Kids Corner: The Puhrmanns Pages 38 - 39

Sprengeler returns to work after being attacked by a cow

Fuchs has delivered ve sets while working on farms

Staples

Pages 10 -11

Pages 7 - 8 Third Section

Schwartzes looking to relocate dairy

Kimball

Pages 1, 8

Minneapolis

Plato

Lambing time nds Treschers tending sheep and cattle

Jordan Hager City

Arlington Belle Red Wing Plaine Pine Island

Contents FIRST SECTION Page 16 From Our Side of the Fence Pages 22 - 23

Mailbox prices up everywhere but for Minnesotapeople, be thankful

Page 25

Last year’s drought drove home importance of crop insurance Boylen Over

Page 26

The winter has been an uphill battle

Page 28

Margin compression – What does it mean for my business?

Page 29

Nitrogen for corn following alfalfa: When and how much?

Page 31

Saying goodbye to Tilly

Page 35

Lehs retiring after more than 16 years with MDA in Iowa

SECOND SECTION Page 8 The “Mielke” Market Weekly Page 9 Dairy Markets

Pages 14 - 15 Second Section

Rochester Cashton Pages 10, 13 News from Princess Kay Page 12 Iowa Hay Auction Results Pages 24 - 25 DHIA 2012 high 200 herd honor roll Page 26 Mid-American Hay Auction Results Page 27 People in the Dairy Industry Page 28 FFA Spotlight Page 30 Dairy Recipes THIRD SECTION Page 9 ISU extension shares latest on fungicides, value of manure Page 10 Wagner challenges audience to dene success, value people, be thankful Page 11 - 13 Diary Calendar Pages 15, 18 Some Udder Stuff Pages 19 - 23 Classieds

Contact us for New and Innovative Lighting Designs for All of Your Dairy Facility Needs.

20903 W. Gale Avenue Galesville, WI 54630 Tel: 608.582.3081 www.norbco.com

Wittman discusses why families should run their farms as businesses

Columnists Ag Insider Page 6

Pages 12, 15

Nutritionist Page 34

Just Thinking Out Loud Page 32

The Next Generation Page 33

High Intensity Fluorescent (HIF) Vapor Tight Fixtures

Call Us For All Of Your Barn Equipment Needs!

Getting Kerry’d Away Page 27

Ramblings from the Ridge Page 30

AltusTM Series LED Luminaire for high bay, low bay, and for all areas of your dairy.

GEA Farm Equipment | Norbco

Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 23, 2013

CENTRAL PLAINS

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Dairy Star • Saturday, February 23, 2013 • Page 17

See us at the Central Minnesota Farm Show in St. Cloud, MN • February 26-28 Inset g guillotine gate with Plastic lift-up door oor

3/8” thick tube construction on reach

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or vertical beaters

Remote grease banks Underslung spring suspension

Designed to be versatile enough to utilize one piece of equipment for a variety of applications!

Inset and angled vertical beater with bottom pan

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You asked for a way to spread solid manure ner, and while we were at it, could it be a little wider too. We answered.

• Choice of Heavy Duty Vertical or Horizontal Beaters • Dual Endgate Cylinders • Replaceable Bang Boards • Poly Floor/Sides Won’t Rot or Rust • Innite Speed Adjustment • Heaviest Frame In The Business • Simple Hydraulics • Replaceable 3/8” Beater Paddles • Two Bolts Remove Beater Assembly • High Lift Endgate • Slurry Pan • High Ground Clearance

With Extravert, the benets stretch far and wide.

8080 Wide Body • Greater capacity and easier loading with a wider body • Takes 5’ wide bales • Greater blow distance from a larger fan ater • Increased output from a wider crossbeater

BALE PROCESSOR Simple, Dependable, Versatile

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Comprised of a honeycomb cushion mat covered by a rolled rubber top sheet.

• Very few seams = cleaner bedding material • Hammer-top cover provides traction without abrasion • Nylon insert reduces stretching of hammer-top cover • 4-year limited warranty

Penta 6720 H.D. Twin Screw

Trailer and truck models

LIQUID MANURE PUMPS

Electric Pump AgiPompe

8100 Series ProTwin® Slingers® 870–5000 gal. capacities

The free-swinging hammer discharge provides an even, controlled spre spread pattern.

Invest in Quality!

The patented twin-auger design provides a cconsistent, even material ow to the discharge.

Powerful PTO Pumps To Handle Liquid Manure

Rotomix Vertical Mixers THE LARGEST GES EST ST FE FFEEDING FEED EED DIN NG EQ EEQUIPMENT QU LINE NORTH LI INE NE IIN N NO N ORTH RTH AMERICA RT AM A M FORAGE BLOWER

• 5-year planetary warranty • 3/4” thick twinscrew • ¾” Floor (double 3/4” at planetary) • Wall thickness 3/8” • DIGI STAR 4 point weighting • Extra heavy duty plate frame • 2 speed gear box • Stainless steel conveyor • 16 hardened cutting knives • Underslung spring suspension with truck axles

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OFF I-94 ON THE CORNER OF HWY. 28 & 71 SOUTH

Dairy Star • Saturday, February 23, 2013 • Page 19

“... part of our quality management.”

— Lee Muehlenhardt

HALQUIST FARMS — Lee & Mary Muehlenhardt BELLE PLAINE, MINNESOTA — Milking 380 cows Production: 75 lbs/cow/day (2x) SCC: 80 - 90,000 “We’ve been using Udder Comfort™ for six years for mastitis cows and fresh animals. We like the blue spray to see how we are applying it,” says Lee Muehlenhardt.

“Now, we have a track record as third best SCC at the creamery, keeping counts consistently below 100,000. That means about 70 cents/ cwt in milk bonuses.

Lee and his wife Mary, son Scott, and daughter and son-in-law Nate and Shari (Gerdis) operate Halquist Farms, Inc., which has been in Mary’s family for four generations. They milk 380 cows, raise the youngstock and grow crops near Belle Plaine, Minnesota. Scott’s wife Beth is a school teacher.

“Udder Comfort is one of the tools that is part of our quality management.”

“Our method is to use Udder Comfort right away as soon as we see something, like swelling or flakes in a quarter. We put it on 4 to 5 days (after each milking) and that generally brings things back. We also do this for our fresh animals after they calve,” Lee explains.

“We notice a big difference in how cows respond. We have fewer chronics in the herd and our SCC has steadily improved.

“At one time we had counts over 400,000. We really worked through it, and a lot of things have come together to improve it.

Quality Udders Make Quality Milk

Keep the milk in the system 1.888.773.7153 1.613.652.9086 uddercomfort.com Call to locate a distributor near you.

For external application to the udder only after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.

Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 23, 2013

PARTICIPATING EQUIPMENT DEALERS MINNESOTA A&C Farm Service Ag Power Enterprises (4 locations) Amundson Peterson (4 locations) Beck Implement C&B Operations (6 locations) Crookston Implement Dairyland Supply Evergreen Implement Co. (3 locations) Frontier Ag & Turf Hartung Sales Hyland Motor Co. Kalmes Implement Keith Bode Kesteloot Enterprises Kibble Equipment (4 locations) Larson Implement Larson’s Inc. Mankato Implement (5 locations) Marzolf Implement Midwest Ag Equipment Midwest Machinery (9 locations) Mies Outland Potter Implement Red Horizon Equipment Rudnicki Tractor Ranch Schuneman Equipment (2 locations) SEMA Equipment (8 locations) Story Sales & Service True North Equipment Wingert Sales IOWA Ag Land Implement Brynsaas Sales Burco Farms & Tractor Dee Implement Deitering Bros, Inc. Dague Equipment Franzen Sales & Service Glenwood Farm Equipment Greiner Implement J.B. Merts & Son Inc. JJAM Equipment Northwest Equipment (3 locations) Reiser Implement Ryan Machinery Van-Wall Equipment (5 locations) Vans Implement Waterloo Implement (3 locations) SOUTH DAKOTA Bobcat of Brookings C&B Operations (3 locations) Clark Sales Freeman Implement James River Equipment (2 locations) Lindskov Automotive Mathis Implement Meyerink Farm Service Schuneman Equipment (4 locations) Sioux International WISCONSIN Ballweg Implement Bar-H Implement Big Iron Equipment Bindl Sales Braun Electric Caroline Implement (2 locations) Central Wisconsin Co-op Cherokee Garage Chili Implement Cliff ’s Inc. Cloverdale Equipment Field Silo & Service Foxland Harvestore (2 locations) Frontier Ag & Turf (3 locations) Gruett’s Inc. Hillsboro Equipment JCB/Fairchild Equip.

Kuhl Equipment L&L Sales & Service Lulich Implement McFarlanes Phil’s Pumping & Fab. Podevels Farm Service Portland Implement Quinlan’s Equipmen R-Equipment Rew Motors (2 locations) Riesterer & Schnell (12 locations) Ritchies, Inc. Schultz Enterprises Sellent Equipment Sloan Implement (5 locations) Steinhart’s Farm Service Swiderski Equipment (5 locations) Swiderski Power Tractor Central (10 locations) Tri-County Equipment Value Implement (5 locations) Dealers: List your inventory by calling 877-850-USAG (8724)

JOHN DEERE 9100 $76,500

JOHN DEERE 8520T $122,500

JOHN DEERE 6210 $31,675

CASE IH MAGNUM 335 $175,000

VERSATILE 875 $21,000

CASE IH 7120 $35,000

CASE IH MXM155 $59,500

INTERNATIONAL 1586 $12,500

FORD 340B $8,500

NEW HOLLAND T7050 $95,000

FORD 6600 Great cond.

NEW HOLLAND TN75SA Exec. cond

DEERE 310J $45,000

FENDT 930 Exc. Cond.

MASSEY FERGUSON 1235

$4,995

CATERPILLAR TH330B $49,500

JOHN DEERE 9500 $44,900

JOHN DEERE 9870STS $275,800

GEHL 4640T $17,900

JOHN DEERE 530 $4,995

HOULE 52’ $10,000

CHAPARRAL TRAILER $1,500

SUNFLOWER 6630-27 Like new

TEBBEN TR41 $31,500

PARKER 1048 Like new

SUMMERS SUPERCOULTER $59,000

CASE IH 4520 Exec. cond

JOHN DEERE 960 $7,800

TYLER 4300 Great cond.

H&S 310 Like new

RITE-WAY ROCK PICKER Like new

WIL-RICH PT2200 $64,000

NEW HOLLAND 256 $2,490

H&S BW1000 $15,900

PATZ V420LP like new

JOHN DEERE 7200 $28,900

YALE FORKLIFT Good cond.

H&S 7+4 $4,000

JOHN DEERE 678 $76,900

HUSQVARNA HUV4412D $7,500

LONGHORN 20+5 $5,500

JAMESWAY 7400 $81,150

CLAAS 1200 $48,900

NEW HOLLAND T8.390 Like new

GERINGHOFF RB-1800 $89,900

To learn more about these and thousands of other listings, go to:

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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 23, 2013

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