Sign up for our New Newsletter
Dairy St r Milk Break
Email andrea.b@dairystar.com to sign up.
DAIRY ST R
Volume 20, No. 1
Dairy safety net restructured in federal budget
“All dairy, all the time”™
February 24, 2018
Staying true to his routine
MPP, LGM included in disaster relief package By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
Signicant nancial relief is on the horizon for dairy farmers. The federal government laid out revisions to both the Margin Protection Program for Dairy (MPP-Dairy) and Livestock Gross Margin (LGM) in the federal spending bill, which was signed by President Trump Feb. 9. Albeit a short-term x, the provisions will provide nearly $1.2 billion in baseline spending for the next farm bill and create a more secure safety net for dairy farmers. “Previously, we had not had an effective dairy safety net at the federal level. We still don’t have everything the industry needs, but it’s a big step. … We’re making progress,” said Chris Galen with National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF). Sens. Pat Roberts (Kan. – R) and Debbie Stabenow (Mich. – D), chair and vice chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, along with Sens. Thad Cochran (Miss. – R) and Patrick Leahy (Vt. – D), chair and vice chair of the Senate Appropriation Committee, respectively, offered the changes to the dairy government-funded programs with the looming market conditions. After nearly a year of negotiations in both the Senate and House, legislation was passed to improve programs as part of the disaster package of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. The most drastic revisions are contained in MPPDairy. “MPP was designed for simplicity with xed premiums. The problem has been the premiums are too high relative to the margins over the last four years and people are not signing up,” said Marin Bozic, assistant professor of applied economics at the University of Minnesota and associate director of Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center. Changes include raising the catastrophic level for Tier 1 coverage from $4 to $5; adjusting Tier 1 production covered for dairy farmers from the rst 4 million pounds to rst 5 million pounds of annual milk production; reducing premium rates for dairy farmers’ Tier 1 production coverage; calculating margins on a monthly basis rather than every two months; waiving the annual $100 service fee for beginning, limited resource, disadvantaged or military veteran farmers under the discretion of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA); and reopening a 90-day enrollment for 2018 coverage. These changes not only more accurately reect the current dairy situation for the average-sized dairy farm in the U.S. of about 220 cows, but also is a more costeffective safety measure. With the catastrophic coverage at $5, premiums begin at $0.009 per hundredweight (cwt.) for $5.50 coverage level in Tier 1 in comparison to $0.03 per cwt. for the same level in Tier 1 in previous years. The new premiums continue with $0.016 per cwt. for $6 coverage; $0.04 per cwt. at $6.50 coverage; $0.063 per cwt. for $7 coverage; $0.087 per cwt. for $7.50 coverage; and Turn to MPP | Page 5
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Mark Klehr’s herd of 50 cows had a 2017 somaƟc cell count average of 42,000 according to Minnesota Dairy Herd Improvement AssociaƟon (DHIA). This number put his herd at the No. 1 spot in the organizaƟon’s database for the year.
Consistency key to low SCC for Klehr By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
BELLE PLAINE, Minn. – When it comes to farm management style, Mark Klehr likes to keep things the same. “Why change it if it works?” said the dairy farmer from Belle Plaine, Minn. That philosophy has worked for keeping a low somatic cell count (SCC) this past year. According to Minnesota DHIA, Klehr’s herd of 50 cows had a 2017 SCC average of 42,000, which put him at No. 1 in the state organization’s database. “I try to keep it under 100,000,” Klehr said. “If it goes lower, it’s a lot of luck.” Klehr said he was surprised at his top spot. “I don’t feel like I do anything different than anyone else,” he said. Since 1999, Klehr has been milking his cows in a simple swing-5 parlor he retrotted into the farm’s tiestall barn. For his milking preparation procedure, Klehr uses the same iodine-based solution for both a pre and post dip; however, he uses separate dippers for each. “When I’m done milking, that one [dipper] is always cleaner than the rst one,” Klehr said. Klehr feels this prevents any debris from getting into the teat while post dipping. To begin milking, Klehr will dip three of the ve cows on one side, and then go back to the rst cow to wipe, forestrip and attach the milking unit before moving on. “I don’t want to dip too far ahead, otherwise they’re leaking milk,” Klehr said. To save on cost, Klehr tears each paper towel in
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Mark Klehr looks over DHIA reports, which he uses to help him determine SCC for individual cows. half, but will use two half sheets per cow – the rst to wipe the majority of the dip off and the second to make sure the teat is entirely dry. With no automatic takeoffs, Klehr uses the sight glass on the milker to watch the slowing of milk ow. He also feels the cow’s udder to make sure she is done before removing the milking unit. After the rst three cows are prepped and attached, Turn to KLEHR | Page 6
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 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.
This issue we had another great mix of stories from inside the barn to what people do with their free time when not doing chores. With the depressed milk price, one dairy farm organization has stepped up to try to do something about it. The Dairy Pricing Association, led by Tom Olson, who milks 33 cows near Black River Falls, Wis., conducted a recent conference call outlining how the grass-roots organization has been using its 10-cent per hundredweight fee to buy cheese on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) in hopes it would take cheese off the market and increase the milk price. That cheese is then donated to organizations to help feed people in need. Last year, the DPA purchased three loads of cheese. Read on pages 12-13 in ďƒžrst section about the DPA’s planned efforts for the upcoming year. Mid-February also gave the upper Midwest a few warm days, which allowed several farmers a chance to get a few extra projects done. This included the Molitor family, who milks 126 cows on their dairy near Sauk Rapids, Minn. On Feb. 14, the family was able to clean out pens that would otherwise be frozen in addition to getting all the everyday chores done. Read about them in our “Day in the lifeâ€? feature on pages 16, 18-19 in second section. With spring right around the corner, so are several dairy princess contests. In this issue’s “From our side of the fenceâ€? feature on pages 15-16 in ďƒžrst section, we reached out to former dairy princesses. They talked about why young women should be involved in their dairy princess programs, what events they would plan if they were a dairy princess coordinator and how they continue to promote dairy in their life now. With the Olympics wrapping up, sports have been on the minds of many. But curling is always on the minds of two dairy farmers Tuesday of every week. For the past ďƒžve years, brothers Adam and Dana Johnson have been members of the Lakes Curling Club in Detroit Lakes, Minn. The dairy farmers from Pelican Rapids, Minn., picked up the sport after encouragement from their vet, Dr. Mike Magnusson. Read about their hobby on pages 34-35 in ďƒžrst section. – The Dairy Star Editorial Team
A SPREADER FOR EVERY OPERATION NEW! P S 200 Series ProSpread ÂŽ Rear-Discharge Spreaders
Commercial
1200 Series EasySpread ÂŽ Rear-Discharge Spreaders
2000 Series ProPush ÂŽ Rear-Discharge Spreaders
SL 100 Series ProTwin ÂŽ Slinger ÂŽ Side-Discharge Spreaders
SLC 100 Series ProTwin ÂŽ Slinger ÂŽ Side-Discharge Spreaders
:H KDYH D ZLGH UDQJH RI PRGHOV DQG VL]HV ZLWK PXOWLSOH RSWLRQV WR Ä&#x;W DQ\ RSHUDWLRQ 2XU LQQRYDWLYH KLJK TXDOLW\ VSUHDGHUV SURYLGH VXSHULRU SHUIRUPDQFH ZLWK \HDUV RI ORZ PDLQWHQDQFH VHUYLFH INVEST IN QUALITY ÂŽ KuhnNorthAmerica.com
Lindell Sales & Service Cannon Falls, MN
Fluegge’s Ag 0RUD 01
8)& )DUP 6XSSO\ :DFRQLD 01
Burco Sales ,QGHSHQGHQFH ,$
Hammell Equipment &KDWĹľHOG 01 (LW]HQ 01
1RUWKODQG )DUP 6\VWHPV Owatonna, MN
Pfeifer Implement Sioux Falls, SD
Ag Land Implement 1HZ +DPSWRQ ,$
/DNH +HQU\ ,PSOHPHQW 3D\QHVYLOOH 01
0DUN V 0DFKLQHU\ :DJQHU 6' <DQNWRQ 6'
Kunau Implement 3UHVWRQ ,$
Adkins Equipment 'HWURLW /DNHV 01 Isaacson Sales & Service /DID\HWWH 01 Blue Hilltop /DNH :LOVRQ 01 Schlauderaff Implement /LWFKĹľHOG 01
Minnesota Ag Group 3ODLQYLHZ 01 'DLU\ODQG 6XSSO\ 6DXN &HQWUH 01 Werner Implement 9HUPLOOLRQ 01
5RHGHU %URV %HOOHYXH ,$ Bodensteiner Implement (ONDGHU ,$ J P Scherrman )DUOH\ ,$
*RUG\Ĺ‚V 5HSDLU ,PSOHPHQW 6WDF\YLOOH ,$ Dee Implement of Waukon :DXNRQ ,$
9LVLW \RXU ORFDO .8+1 .QLJKW GHDOHU WRGD\
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
First Section: Pages 10 - 11
Grant
Hamlin
Pages 10 - 11 Second Section
or n
Kingsbury
n nso
Moody
McCook Minnehaha
Murray
Rock
Nobles
Scott
Sibley Redwood
Nicollet
Brown
Harmony
Dairy’s Star Youth: Kayla Biel
Dakota
Rice
Third Section: Page 11
Goodhue Wabasha
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted Jackson
Martin
Faribault
Freeborn
Winona
Fillimore
Mower
Houston
Hutchinson
Turner
Bon Yankton Homme
Lincoln Clay
Union
Lyon
Osceola Dickinson Emmet
Sioux
O’Brien
Clay
Palo Alto
Kossuth
Winnebago
Worth
Mitchell
Cerro Hancock Gordo
Floyd
w
a as
k
ic Ch
Bremer
Plymouth
Zone 1
Howard
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE:
Why should young women get involved in princess programs? Pages 15-16
Black Hawk
Allamakee
Charles Mix
Lake
Hennepin Carver
Second Section: Pages 30 - 31
Winneshiek
Douglas
Brookings
Anoka
Wright
McLeod
Renville
Yellow Medicine Lyon
Meeker
Isanti
Prigge uses 4-H youth development project to help others
Ha
Da
vis
on
Sa nb
Miner
Deuel
Kandiyohi
Chippewa
Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Clark
Sherburne
Winona
r
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Stearns
Pope
Swift
Benton
eu
Stevens
Mille Lacs
Morrison
Douglas
Su
Tra ve
rse
Grant
Big Sto Stone
Roberts
Day
Pine
Todd
go
Page 33 First Section
First Section: Page 39
Le
Dairy Good Life
Third Section: Pages 8 - 9
Kid’s Corner: The Posts Marshall
Crow Wing
isa
Volga
Lakeville
Dairy Prole: Matt Thomas
Carlton
sey
Wilkin
Otter Tail
Aitkin
Ch
Page 32 First Section
Cass
Washington
Becker
Clay
Page 31 First Section
Just Thinking Out Loud
Mah
First Section: Pages 1, 6 - 7
Kanabec
Third Section: Pages 20 - 22
en nom
Belle Plaine
Consistency key to low SCC for Klehr
Itasca
Hubbard
Something to Ruminate On
St. Louis
Polk Norman
Second Section: Page 3
Koochiching
Wadena
Page 30 First Section
First Section: Page 36
Albany
Beltrami
Red Lake
Carver County Dairy Expo panel discusses how to build strong partnership
Second Section: Pages 8 - 9
Women in Jeans: Amy Saehr
Choosing the best seed
Pennington
Norwood Young America
Pierz
Lake of the Woods
Marshall
Page 27 First Section
Third Section: Pages 2 - 3
Roseau
Bowlus
Fuchs returns to barn after knee surgery
Wettstein continues to dairy after leaving county job
Ra m
Kittson
The Transition Pen
Dear County Agent Guy
Long Prairie
Borth starts dairying career at 21
Clearwater
Page 26 First Section
Osage
Johnsons part of local curling club
Lincoln
FSA News & Notes
Detroit Lakes
Pipestone
Pages 8-9 First Section
Fayette
Harters’ rotary milking parlor going strong Second Section: Pages 4 - 5
Clayton
n
na
ha
c Bu
Petersburg
are
law
De
Linn
Dubuque Jackson
Jones
Holy Cross
Many apps available for smartphones, mobile devices Second Section: Page 24
Give milk production a push GEA’s FRone works around the clock to keep feed at the bunk, maximizing your cows’ production. Could your bunk management routine use a little extra push? GEA’s FRone automated feed pusher provides consistent, high-quality feed available day and night to boost production results from your whole herd. It’s easy to use, charges fast and contains twin batteries for maximum run time. With the help of GEA’s FRone, you can push the limits on your feeding program.
Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Mouth-Piece Vented Triangular Liner
WINTER TEAT DIP
78%
There’s a reason 25% of the cows in the U.S. are milked with Impulse Liners!
1. Cows are more comfortable during the milking process. 2. Cows come in the parlor from the holding area much easier. 3. High producing cows will milk out faster. 4. Better teat ends-potential for lower SCC. Milkers will spend less time adjusting and reattaching 5. units. Less squawking! Less fall-offs!
TRI-BLEND SKIN CONDITIONING PACKAGE! GERMICIDE: 1.5% HEPTANOIC ACID Marianne says, “Recover is a very good, economical post winter dip that brings terrific results, especially when releasing cows in the cold winter elements as we do. Cows do very well on it…teats are well conditioned!”
Marianne Peterson Pine City, MN • 400 Cows - 3X
Pete said, “I would recommend Recover to any producer that has an extreme cold housing situation. It keeps teats in a good, soft condition.” He also said, “I will begin using Recover on November 1st, to start the conditioning process and will continue using it throughout the entire winter.”
6.
Pete Ripka Ogilvie, MN • 175 Cows - 3X
The cows and your milkers will be happier!
Available in a 12mm Milk Tube!
Come see us at the Central MN Farm Show and learn how we can save you money with Recover!
Designed to handle higher flow rates and provide better fit on larger inlet claws. Des
IMPULSE AIR = BETTER PERFORMANCE! IM
FOR MORE INFO - CONTACT NTACT ONE OF THESE DEALERS... DEAL Advanced Dairy Systems
9 State Rd. 29 • Spring Valley, WI 54767 (715) 772-3201
Anderson Dairy Systems, Inc. 1312 13 1/2 Ave. • Barron, WI 54812 (715) 537-3300
Athman Dairy Inc.
238 Main Street North • Pierz, MN 56364 (320) 468-2494
Champion Milking Systems
23218 350th Street • Albany, MN 56307 (320) 845-4156
D&D Ag Supply
133 Atlantic Ave. NE • Pennock, MN 56279 (320) 599-4466
Dairyland Equipment Services, Inc.
24260 Cty. Rd. 27 • Plainview, MN 55964 (507) 534-3161
Dairyland Services, LLC
2545 80th Ave • Woodville, WI 54028 (715) 698-4370
Eastt C Central ntral Dairy Supply 2195 Hwy. 23 • Mora, MN 55051 (320) 679-1029
Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems 105 3rd Ave. NW • Epworth, IA 52045 (563) 876-3087
Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. 423 U.S. 61 • Lancaster, WI 53813 (608) 723-4634
Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equipment
Professional Dairy Systems
1449 Homecrest Ave. • Wadena, MN 56482 1400- 7th St. SE • Pipestone, MN 56164 (218) 632-5416 (507) 825-3271
Tri-County Dairy Supply, Inc. Lang’s Dairy Equipment, Inc. 4107 N US HWY 51 • Janesville. WI 53545 2337 Millennium Rd. • Decorah, IA 52101 (563) 382-8722
Mlsna Dairy Supply
1126 Front Street • Cashton, WI 54619 (608) 654-5106
608-757-2697
United Suckow Dairy
12687 Hwy 18 & 52 • Postville, IA 52162 (563) 864-7417
A WINNING COMBINATION... PROVIDING THE ULTIMATE IN COW COMFORT THE INDUSTRY’S MOST PROVEN MATTRESS SOLUTIONS PASTURE MAT™ enjoyed by over 3 million cows worldwide
COWCOON - THE HYBRID COW STALL • utilizes a flexible polyethylene tube across the bottom portion of the stall loop that acts as a shock absorbe • reduces stress on the cow while continuing to ensure proper positioning
PACK MAT all the benefits of deep bedding while using up to 70% less sand
COMFORT MAT™ the undisputed best foam mattress on the market
Please contact us to learn more or to locate your nearest dealer. 1.888.337.6265 | sales@promatinc.com www.Promatinc.com
facebook.com/promatinc
@Promat_inc
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 5
ConƟnued from MPP | Page 1 $0.142 for $8 coverage. “There are tremendous reductions in premiums, particularly for $8 where the biggest absolute decline is, and with the new Tier 1 that is incentive to take a fresh look at the program,” Bozic said. Last year, 20,314 dairy farmers across the nation signed up for MPPDairy – 5,260 in Wisconsin and 2,318 in Minnesota – according to the USDA. The nation’s farmers enrolled represented roughly 137 billion pounds of milk based on production history. Within Dairy Star’s coverage area, more than 31 billion pounds of milk based on production history were eligible for a payment at various levels of coverage in 2017, with a majority of the production being covered at the catastrophic coverage level of $4. “Margins in 2017 didn’t favor MPP, although some farmers did receive payments,” Bozic said. Part of the criticism with the original structure of MPP-Dairy was how margins were determined, calculating the average margin over two months. In several cases, the average margin was outside of a payment level as one month’s margin was signicantly lower and the next was high enough to skew the two-month average. By calculating margins monthly and issuing payments on the same schedule, dairy farmers may see up to 12 payments this year. In a report released by Dairy Markets and Policy Feb. 9, 2018, margins are expected to be below $8, with a 50 percent probability of being below $7 until July. However, MPP-Dairy will not benet every farmer who signs up for coverage below $8. The lowest percentage of production history a farmer can enroll is 25 percent, with a maximum of 90 percent. Dairies smaller than 500 cows have the opportunity to enroll 90 percent of production history and anticipate a small
net return, while larger dairies must enroll a smaller percentage in order to gain a net return. “If a farmer milks 800 cows, production above 5 million pounds becomes a part of Tier 2 and they will pay more in premiums than what is expected to pay out,” Bozic said. “Those farmers should enroll a lower percent of milk production covered at $8 or look elsewhere for support.” For dairy farmers who will not benet from MPP-Dairy, LGM may be another option. The disaster package eliminates the $20 million annual cap on all livestock insurance, which includes dairy. Previously, LGM was limited with a small amount of funding for subsidies. As of Feb. 13, the available balance for dairy subsidies was about $3.5 million, according to Bozic. “Now, it’s essentially unlimited for subsidies,” Bozic said. “Farmers with more than 800 cows should focus on an alternative strategy like LGM.” With these changes to dairy safety net programs, Bozic encourages dairy farmers to evaluate their business and what approach will work for them. “Those who can enroll 90 percent of production history will benet tremendously from MPP. I encourage everyone to take a closer look at MPP,” Bozic said. While adjustments to current dairy safety net programs will create shortterm relief, the $1.2 billion in baseline funding for the new farm bill is essential in establishing a secure long-term program. The completion of a farm bill is tentatively set for Sept. 30. At the time of print, the USDA did not announce when enrollment for 2018 MPP-Dairy would reopen. For more information, farmers are encouraged to speak with their FSA agent or visit http:// dairymarkets.org/MPP/Tool/.
COLD CALVES NEED MORE ENERGY!
Use Milkr Energize to keep them growing!
FEATURES AND BENEFITS
• Provides additional energy to maintain consistent growth during bouts of cold weather as calves exposed to ambient temperatures below 59°F will utilize energy for warmth rather than growth • Reduces need for providing an additional feeding • Easy to handle dry formula • Easily mixed into milk or milk replacer
320-836-2145 or 800-450-2145
Check out our newly redesigned website to ½nd a Famo Feeds dealer near you!
www.famofeeds.com
Customer Appreciation Days PINE ISLAND, MN - MARCH 22ND OWEN, WI - APRIL 4TH MENOMONIE, WI - APRIL 5TH
COME MEET OUR TEAM Quit paying for bedding... OWN IT!
Lunch Served at all Locations!
GEA Monobox
11 a.m.- 2 p.m.
10%
Complete Line of Equipment to Serve you
DISCOUNT ON EVERYTHING (Cash only)
GEA - Milking, Cooling, and Robotic Equipment Norbco Barn Equipment Kraiburg Flooring and Mats Miraco Waterers Kattleguard Foot Sprayers Daritech Pasteurizers and Manure Equipment Orion & XELM LED Lighting Teat Scrubbers, Foamers & Supplies
CALL US FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE NEEDS MENOMONIE, WI • 715-235-5144 OWEN, WI • 715-229-4740 PINE ISLAND, MN • 800-233-8937 BEATRICE, NE • 800-342-5657 SIOUX FALLS, SD • 800-705-1447
The GEA Monobox gives producers the greatest advantages in automated milking, accommodating up to 70 cows per box.
FRone
Automated Feed Pusher
Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
ConƟnued from KLEHR | Page 1
Willmar, MN • 320.231.1470
EXPANDING OR REMODELING YOUR LIVESTOCK OPERATION? LANGE AG SYSTEMS SPECIALIZES IN:
Ŷ NEW FACILITIES
_
NO JOB TOO BIG OR TOO SMALL
Ŷ RETROFITTING & REMODELING Ŷ TURNKEY PROJECTS Ŷ BARN DESIGN Ŷ INSTALLATION, MAINTENANCE & REPAIRS
ƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ tĞ KīĞƌ͗ ͻ sĞŶƟůĂƟŽŶ &ĂŶƐ ͻ sĞŶƟůĂƟŽŶ ŽŶƚƌŽůƐ ͻ WŽƐŝƟǀĞ WƌĞƐƐƵƌĞ dƵďĞƐ ͻ ƵƌƚĂŝŶ ^LJƐƚĞŵƐ ͻ DĂƩƌĞƐƐĞƐ ͻ tĂƚĞƌĞƌƐ ͻ ^ƚĂůů ƋƵŝƉŵĞŶƚ ͻ ,ĞĂĚůŽĐŬƐ ͻ DŝƐƟŶŐ ^LJƐƚĞŵƐ
Lange Ag Systems is proud to offer Grain Bags, Silage Bags & Bunker Covers from Up North Plastics and Feed Fresh Silage Covers & Custom Size Bunker Covers from Raven!
t ^ >> E t Θ h^ 'ͳ ' Θ < >>z Zz E '' Z^
www.LangeAgSystems.com Sign up for our Newsletter www.panningbrothers.com
Used Parts • Replacement Parts
Dairy St r Milk Break
25060 651 Ave., Gibbon, MN Toll Free: 1-800-635-0993
Email andrea.b@dairystar.com
FREE NATIONWIDE PARTS LOCATING We Buy Salvage Tractors
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
A cow rests on straw bedding in a freestall in Mark Klehr’s barn near Belle Plaine, Minn. The facility is a Ɵestall barn Klehr converted into a parlor and freestall barn in 1999. Klehr does the same routine with the two cows left on that side of the parlor. Mastitis detection comes from forestripping before milking. If he sees irregular milk, Klehr will continue to watch that cow and adequately strip out the quarter for the next three milkings while diverting her milk to a bucket. If the milk is still irregular and the mastitis hasn’t cleared, Klehr will treat the cow with Today tubes. “I don’t treat every cow. I’ve learned some clear up on their own. In the past, every time I would treat a cow with a are up right away, it (the quarter) would turn rock hard,” he said. If Klehr sees mastitis again within two weeks to one month after the rst time, there are no second chances. “If they are up in a short time, they’re gone,” Klehr said about his culling decisions. “I asked my vet once if I was being too hard and he said I
ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE WITH YOUR SILO?
probably save more cows than I lose because I’m not spreading it.” Plus, Klehr said he always has enough replacements. “I might as well get rid of the cow giving me problems. It doesn’t matter what she is milking,” he said. While the parlor sits at one end of the former tiestall barn, the other end consists of freestalls, with an addition to be able to accommodate the whole herd in one barn. The ration is fed in a bunk that runs down the middle of the barn. Dry hay is fed outside. Stalls have mattresses that are topped with chopped straw. They are bedded every day with two 60-pound bales. A few years ago, Klehr tried mixing ne sawdust with the straw. “Every time I used it, the cows Turn to KLEHR | Page 7
Artex SBX800
Let Osakis Silo Help!
manure spreader
WE REPLACE:
• Augers • Gear boxes • Blowers • Collector rings • Electric motors
We provide great service at reasonable cost!
WE ALSO DO SILO & BUNKER REPLASTERING!
NEED REPAIRS Call our specialists!
Add additional repair to your silo at the same time and
SAVE $$$!
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A GREAT SILO UNLOADER AT A GREAT PRICE? TRY REBUILT HANSON® UNLOADERS
WE SELL, INSTALL AND SERVICE • Belt Conveyors • Belt Feeders • Hydraulic manure pumps The Best Service Crews, The Best Replacement Parts, The Best Service... Th That’s The Osakis Silo Advantage To You!!!
e Call Anytrsim 24 Hou k 7 Days A Wee
320-808-3936 300 E Main St., Osakis, MN
226' 6' LENGTH LENGTH • 6'6" WIDTH • 4' WALL HEIGHT • 858 CU. FT. CAPACITY • 10 GUAGE STEEL WALLS • 180 DEGREE SWIVEL ARM FOR HYDRAULIC LINES
SB550 ON HAND! SBX700 and SBX800 w/scale COMING SOON!
•
Visit us at the Central MN Farm Show, Booth #C6000
Visit us online at www.osakissilo.com
INSET GUILLOTINE GATE • ARTICULATING BULL PULL HITCH • SUPER SLIDE POLY FLOOR •
Blue Hilltop, Inc. 507-879-3593 – 800-821-7092 Box 116, Lake Wilson, MN 56151 – www.bluehilltop.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 7
ConƟnued from KLEHR | Page 6 would are up [with mastitis] the next day. The stalls were so dry, but it would turn to mud if it was wet,” Klehr said. One of the most impactful ways Klehr keeps mastitis at bay is to have the cows hungry when they go through the parlor. “Then they don’t lay down right away when they’re done milking. They will go eat. It gives the teat time to close,” Klehr said. “When I’m done milking, I don’t want more
than three cows laying down. If there are 10 laying down there will be mastitis.” Although Klehr rarely makes changes to his ration, mastitis will happen when there is a new batch of forage used, he said. “I don’t try to push my cows. We don’t feed extra protein to make up on milk,” Klehr said. “If I see the bulk tank jump up 400 to 500 pounds, I know I will get a are up.”
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Mark Klehr’s sons – Nick (front), Cameron (center) and Marcus – help him get work done on the farm.
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Mark Klehr holds the two dippers he uses during milking. He keeps a separate dipper for pre and post dipping to reduce contaminaƟon.
The rolling herd average stays between 20,000 to 22,000 pounds of milk, right where Klehr likes it. “It’s the happy medium,” he said. Klehr also sees more infection when a cow comes in heat. “They knock each other down and around,” he said. Klehr said it is this consistency that has helped keep his SCC down. One person doing most of the milking also keeps the routine consistent. “I’m usually the one milking, unless I have to go somewhere, then my boys will do it,” Klehr said. “But if there is eld work to do, I will send the boys to the eld while I milk. I’m more comfortable in the barn than in a tractor.”
Klehr has always liked the cow-side of farming since he started dairying with his dad after he graduated from high school and started farming fulltime in 1986. Now, he farms together with his youngest son,
home in the Twin Cities to help if needed. “They’re all a part of it,” Klehr said about his children helping on the farm. Another consistent aspect on the farm is the pulsator
“When I’m done milking, I don’t want more than three cows laying down. If there are 10 laying down there will be mastitis.” MARK KLEHR, DAIRY FARMER
Marcus. His other two sons, Cameron and Nick, work off the farm, but help where they can – Cameron with eld work or random chores and Nick with paperwork, computer work or errand-running. His daughter, Emily, will also come from her
Klehr’s dad purchased used in 1970 that is still being used today. Despite urges from dairy equipment dealers to change it, Klehr likes its simplicity. It also follows his philosophy: It’s not broken yet.
Check out these CMFS exhibitors at the show or in our on-line tab at STAR-PUB.COM BUSINESS
BOOTH
Advantage 1 Insurance ................................................................................................. #A312 Ag Tech Drainage ............................................................................................................ #A307 Aldrich Tractor, Inc. ...................................................................#C4007-4010, C5000-5003 American Door Works .....................................................................................................#B838 Amps, Inc. ............................................................................................................................#B810 Arnzen Construction & St. Rosa Lumber ..........................#C3011-3013, C4004-4006 Arvig ................................................................................................................................... #C7011 Belgrade Co-op ................................................................................................................ #A508 Benton Ag / Country Acres ........................................................................................ #B1031 Carlson Wholesale, Inc. ...........................................................#C2011-201, #C3004-3005 Cen-Pe-Co .......................................................................................................................... #A518 Central Minnesota Credit Union ................................................................................ #A117 Complete Grain System ........................................................................................#B802-804 Dairyland Supply ............................................................................. #A612-622, #A700-710 Farm Rite Equipment of St. Cloud, Inc. ............................................................ #A417-418 Farmers & Merchants State Bank ............................................................................... #A516 Finken Companies ........................................................................................................ #C7024 Freeport State Bank .........................................................................................................#B824 Gilman Co-operative Creamery Association .....................#B930-931, #B1008-1009 Jim’s Electric / G3 Power Systems .............................................................................. #A515 Johnson Seed & Ag .................................................................................................#B940-943 Lifestyle Lumber, Inc. ...................................................................................................... #A719 Litzau Farm Drainage, Inc. ............................................................................................ #A120 Messer Repair & Fabricating ............................................................................... #A308-310 Midsota Manufacturing, Inc. .............................................................................. #A419-422 Midwest Machinery ........................................................................ #A520-522, #A608-610 Mimbach Fleet Supply................................................................................................... #A110 NAPA Central MN ..............................................................................................................#B816 Nelson Agri Structures & Ultimate Ag, LLC .................................................... #A512-513 Northern Tool & Equipment ............................................................................... #A432-433 Osakis Silo Repair, Inc. .................................................................................................. #C6000 Paul’s Welding ................................................................................................................... #A101 RDO Equipment Company........................................................... #A319-322, #A407-410 Rinke Noonan ................................................................................................................... #A118 Royalton Lumber, Inc. .....................................................................................................#B914 Schlenner Wenner & Company ..................................................................................#B909 Stearns Bank N.A. / Equipment Finance Division ..................................................#B917 Sunrise Ag Co-op ............................................................................................................. #A714 Thomas Tool & Supply ................................................................................................... #A115 Traut Wells ...........................................................................................................................#B809 Tri-County Foam Insulation ....................................................................................... #B1024 Wieser Concrete ............................................................................................................... #A212 Woller Equipment ........................................................................... #A429-430, #A506-507
Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Tough decisions to be made in the farm bill The new supplemental budget bill includes opportunity to enroll or adjust their MPP coverage. changes for the dairy and cotton programs, providing new baseline funding. There are 39 other programs A big blemish in the current farm bill that have no baseline for According to the trade advisor to Agriculture the 2018 farm bill. Chairman Michael Secretary Sonny Perdue, Jason Ag Insider Conaway and the other members of the Hafemeister, the North American Free House Agriculture Committee will need Trade Agreement has been positive for to make some tough decisions. “We’ve U.S. agriculture. However, Canada’s got hard decisions to make between good unwillingness to negotiate on dairy trade programs. All of the easy cuts have been is a big blemish on NAFTA. made in previous farm bills. We’re now down to programs that are benecial. Trade negotiations toughen We’re trying to combine some things in After a recent face-to-face meeting, a bigger piece to leave them intact. We’re South Dakota Representative Kristi working those angles.” Conaway said his Noem said U.S. Trade Representative committee is nearly ready to move on Robert Lighthizer was more combative the farm bill, but the timeline depends on than she’s seen before. “He’s frustrated By Don Wick the ability to get oor time. “There are we aren’t seeing the Canadians move Columnist things outside of my control like the debt on issues like dairy. They’re not really ceiling, like the CR expiring on March negotiating very well. He wants to 23. All of those kinds of things are complicated. If I keep NAFTA, but he’s also getting mixed signals had it my way, it would be in committee late February from different people. The people who want him to and across the oor in March for the House version. ght for changes in dairy policy. They want to have Senator Roberts wants to be on a similar timeframe. certain things on the table, but then, there are other If we were both able to get our bills done by the end people, like me, who constantly go to him and say we of March, we’d have about six months to reconcile shouldn’t withdraw from NAFTA, it’s too critically between the two and get those hard decisions made important for agriculture. He said he’s getting for the president to sign it and it go into effect October constant feedback on different sides of the issue from 1.” Congress. He knows it’s important for our economy and agriculture. He’s trying to negotiate with Canada, USDA asked to open enrollment for revised MPP but it’s been a challenge.” Noem said Lighthizer is The National Milk Producers Federation is working without a single deputy trade ambassador. asking USDA to quickly reopen the sign-up period “He says it’s crippling our negotiations with getting for the Margin Protection Program. The enrollment these trade agreements done. We have to break the period for 2018 closed in December, but Congress log jam in the Senate and get people appointed. He’s directed USDA to revise that deadline in the recent supposed to have at least ve deputies. Today, he supplemental budget bill. More affordable coverage is has zero. I talked to him six months ago asking if he now available for dairy farmers. NMPF President and had enough help. At that time, he said he thought he CEO Jim Mulhern said farmers should be given the would, but he hasn’t gotten anyone since then.”
Roberts seeks a rule change to advance legislative process Arizona Senator Jeff Flake’s hold on the conrmation of Gregg Doug to be the chief agricultural trade negotiator has nally been lifted. Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts is anxious to move forward, having met with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to nd oor time for a vote. “I want to see changes in Senate rules to speed up the process. This business of delaying people and ling cloture, and than there are 30 hours of debate, is a wonderful tool for people who want to stop things,” Roberts said. “We had to expedite this. As a matter of fact, on the Rules Committee, we’re considering a change. Instead of 30 hours, it could be moved to six (hours), which would certainly speed things up.” Perdue addresses the state of the farm economy Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue faced a wide range of questions in a House Ag Committee hearing on Tuesday. Topics addressed include SNAP and nutrition programs, trade, agricultural labor, and broadband. Many of the questions came back to market prices and the farm economy. In a brief question-andanswer period with reporters, Perdue cited the recent trade dust-up with China over sorghum. “If we could do something specically about prices, we would have done that a long time ago. Obviously, I wanted to point out the sensitivity of the commodity markets. It can react overnight. When you see the cash price of sorghum go down over $1, we need to be careful in trade policies of how we react internationally.” Dairy sustainability MOU signed USDA and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy plan to work together to promote environmental sustainability. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Dairy Management Inc. Chairman Paul Rovey signed the new Memorandum of Understanding at a California dairy farm. A similar MOU was signed in 2009. Previous efforts in research and sustainability projects include anaerobic digesters on dairy farms and the development of nutrient recovery technologies. Correcting false claims The National Milk Producers Federation is seeking corrections to a McGill University research article. Senior Vice President Chris Galen said those who conducted the study are confusing raw milk with pasteurized milk. “The purpose of the study was to make nutritional comparisons between plantbased, imitation milk and real milk. Unfortunately, the article stated milk is associated with outbreaks of foodborne illness around the world.” Galen said the dairy industry cannot allow that type of error to continue. “The authors were really talking about the consumption of raw milk, which is a rare occurrence Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
DRIVE-THRU ELECTRIC GATE SPRING LOADED GATE
Adjustable 13’ - 19’ Standard Adjustable 18’ - 24’ also available
Call for a FREE Catalog
Rock Fork with replaceable teeth
SPRING SPECIAL
$1,199
Heavy Duty Round Feeder $549
Spanier Welding and Metal Fabrication
Feeder Wagon $3,979 Paynesville, MN • 320-243-7552
Watertown, SD
1-800-658-3998
www.koehnmarketing.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 9
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 in this country. That’s not the type of product commercially available in the United States.”
more efcient and can get something done by summer. No guarantees, but that’s what I’m hoping for.”
Smith forms ag advisory group Minnesota Senator Tina Smith has formed an agriculture working group to provide input for the new farm bill. Members include Minnesota Farmers Union President Gary Wertish and Minnesota Farm Bureau President Kevin Paap, as well as individuals involved in rural development, energy, conservation, health-care and more. “I want to bring people together and get different opinions on the table. I think that will happen with this group.” As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Smith is preparing for the farm bill debate. “With the last farm bill, people were frustrated because it took so long. I’m hoping we can be
Trivia challenge The Brown Swiss Breeders Association of the USA is based in Beloit, Wis. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, how many compartments can be found in the cow’s stomach? 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 ve grandchildren, Aiden, Piper, Adrienne, Aurora and Sterling.
CORRECTION
In the Jan. 27 Dairy Star, it was incorrectly stated that Cosmic Wheel Creamery fertilizes vegetables with cow manure. This is incorrect and against organic standards. The creamery composts the manure and then uses the compost as fertilizer. Dairy Star regrets the error.
“It has helped us be more profitable...” How has testing with DHIA benefitted your dairy? It has helped us be more proÀtable by improving production and milk quality. The Scout program is also helpful in keeping track of our breeding program. What are some of the different tests you use through DHIA? Why are they important to you? We are on ofÀcial DHIA test so production records become part of our registration records. We use the SCC test. It helps us keep SCC counts low. We use DHIA pregnancy tests because it is easy to do and many times tells us early if a cow is open or pregnant. When you get your DHIA reports, which information do you Ànd most useful? Explain. The SCC is the Àrst thing we look at when we get our DHIA report. Then we can address any cow with a problem. Tell us about your farm. The Schefers Bros. partnership was formed in 1979 with Ralph Schefers and Ken and Julie Schefers. The beginning of 2016, we formed an LLC and included Jason Schefers, (Ken and Julie’s son) into the business. We have a 500 acre farm. We raise corn, soybeans, alfalfa and wheat. In addition to the milking herd, we also feed out dairy steers.
Jason, Ken and Ralph Schefers (not pictured: Ken’s wife, Julie)
Schefers Bros., LLC Paynesville, Minn. • Since 1975 - 43 years Minnesota Dairy Herd Improvement Association 307 Brighton Avenue South Buffalo, MN 55313 1.800.827.3442 www.mndhia.org
Your Calves Will Repay You Someday Premium Calf Housing Priced Right
New Flex-Pen with KLC Roasted Soybeans t nutritionis Ask your sted soybeans, roa for KLC le for substitutes. don’t sett
Quality
Consistency
Our soybeans have what your dairy ration needs: • Energy • Protein • Amino Acids • Bypass Protein
KLC Farms Roasting, Inc. 1-877-738-2326 877 738 232 Visit www.roastedbeans.com
Designed and tested by 3rd generation dairymen. MFG Co.
P.O. Box 40 Loyal, WI 54446
FREE 92-Page Printed Catalog FREE 80-Page Printed Catalog
1-800-472-2341 1-800-472-2341 E-mail: info@loyal-roth.com www.loyal-roth.com
Rugged Equipment... Priced Right... Since 1956!
Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
WASHABLE TOWELS
Use washable terry towels instead of paper towels for teat and udder cleaning and save money!
Our old customers are faithful and our new customers we appreciate.
-$83)#'8 3>'£9
14x1 [ Stripe Microfiber Towel, Case Pack=20DZ(MICROTWLSTRP.................. $6.75/DZ 12x12 Poly/Micro Dairy Towel, Natural, Case Pack=100DZ (1212DAIRY)......................... $4.25/DZ
Ready to farm
!9,!#£' 3>'£9
White, #1617, 100% Cotton, 12x12in, hemmed 16oz, Case Pack=100 DZ............................. $2.40/DZ White, #1610, 100% Cotton, 12x12in, hemmed 12oz, Case Pack=100 DZ............................. $1.80/DZ White, #1517, 100% Cotton, 12x12in, overlocked premium 16oz, Case Pack=100 DZ........... $2.40/DZ White, #1551, 100% Cotton, 12x12in, hemmed premium 12oz, Case Pack=100 DZ.............. $2.45/DZ White, #1616, 100% Cotton, 12x12in, hemmed premium 16oz, Case Pack=100 DZ.............. $3.12/DZ White, #ADI212BLD, premium blend 86/14, 12x12in, overlocked 16oz, Case Pack=100 DZ.. $3.70/DZ White Premium, #UTE1212, 100% Cotton, 12x12in, overlocked 16oz, Case Pack=100 DZ... $3.30/DZ White Premium, #1554, 100% Cotton, 12x12in, overlocked 12oz, Case Pack=100 DZ.......... $2.45/DZ White Premium, #F1313PREM, 100% Cotton, 13x13in, 1.5 lbs, Case Pack=100 DZ............. $4.99/DZ White, #4155L, Poly/Cotton Blend Laundry Bag...................................................................... $2.50/EA Metal, #7353, Non-Coated Laundry Bag Stand ....................................................................... $8.50/EA #7759CLR, 100% Spun Poly Apron with 3 pockets. Available in Black, Navy, Forest Green, Royal Blue, Brown, Red, Maroon & White.........................................................$3.00/EA #855XLA, Heavy Duty Vinyl Apron with no pockets. Available in Brown. 26”x42” $8.26/EA
#855A, Heavy Duty Vinyl Apron with no pockets. Available in Brown and Red. 26”x28” $6.30/EA
Prices are subject to change without notice due to unstable cotton and polyester cost, shortages and unforseen market conditions. Sizes are cut sizes.
Other Sizes are Available
Contact Karim Patel: kpatel@americandawn.com Cell: 310 990 9557 Toll Free: 800 419 7186 (direct line) Fax: 310 223 2003 (direct line) Customer Service: 310 223 2000 800 821 2221
5 shipping locations: California, Texas Illinois, Georgia and New Jersey We accept Visa, Mastercard Discover and American Express
401 West Artesia Blvd., Compton, CA 90220
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
CO N CRETE Innovation, Quality and Service Since 1965
Maximize Your Harvest Nutrition 5 Heights to choose from: 6’ to 16’
VERSATILE, MOVABLE, RELIABLE PRECAST BUNKER SILO WALLS!
Call today for your custom bunker plan designed to fit your needs and budget! 1-800-325-8456 Visit us on the web:
www.wieserconcrete.com
Derek Borth manages a 60-cow dairy on a rented farm site near Osage, Minn. The 21-year-old started milking Oct. 21.
Borth starts dairying career at 21
But, I still have a lot to learn.” At the age of 15, Borth began pouring concrete, in addition to the eldwork and farm chores he was expected to complete on his parents’ dairy near Menahga, Minn. He continued in that line of work for ve years; then in 2016, he returned to his family’s By Jennifer Coyne farm full time. jenn@dairystar.com “I enjoyed working in construction, but I didn’t love it. I loved farming,” Borth said. OSAGE, Minn. – Like many dairy farmers, While Borth worked for his parents, Daran and Derek Borth was only a child when he knew he Christy, he built equity by selling 15 of his own cows wanted to milk cows for a living. It was a dream of to his younger brother and purchased equipment he his he adamantly pursued. would need to operate his own farm one day. Now, at the age of 21, Borth is living his dream, “My parents are still young, and there’s not as he milks 60 cows on a rented farm site in Becker an option to take over the farm in the near future. I County near Osage, Minn. needed to get things rolling on my own and see what “Ever since I was little I wanted to dairy farm. happens,” Borth said. Last spring, I began planning. I planted crops, so by By the spring of 2017, Borth entered a rental fall I would have feed and then could start milking agreement for the farm property and surrounding land, cows,” said Borth of the time leading up to his rst and then began preparing the site for animals. While milking, Oct. 21. the parlor and holding pen, both built in 2009, were Borth lives on the property with his wife, Layla, ready to use, Borth needed to nd a place to house his where the milking herd is housed in a hay shed cattle. retrotted into a bedded pack and milked in a swing-9 The property included a building, which was parlor. The Borths are also renting 160 tillable acres previously used as a hay shed and garage, Borth and 40 acres for pasture. envisioned as a barn. While Borth’s wife maintains a job off the farm, “I put a feed lane in on the lean-to part of the shed the young dairy farmer takes care of all the on-farm and then started packing,” Borth said. responsibilities, such as milking, mixing feed, feeding The pack is built of mostly sawdust. However, on calves, bedding and repairing machinery. days when the temperature drops below 0, Borth will “I’m a one-man show,” Borth said. “Growing up top dress the pack with straw. on a farm, I learned to take care of the animals, plant One of the nal preparations Borth completed crops and take care of the day-to-day responsibilities. before cattle arrived was installing a water line to the bedded pack and putting up gates from the bedded pack to the holding area. He nished by the season’s rst snowfall. “I got the big kinks worked out. Although, there are always plenty of kinks to deal with,” Borth said. With the farm site ready, Borth called the neighbor and offered to buy 20 cattle. The following day, he was moving the herd from one pasture to the other. “Every month after that, I’ve bought 10 JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR cows here and there. The The milking herd is housed in a hay shed retroƩed into a bedded pack. Derek farthest I traveled for a Borth beds the pack with sawdust and straw. Turn to BORTH | Page 11
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 11
ConƟnued from BORTH | Page 10 rather than 20 minutes running into source. “I’m striving to get better, and town and spending money on a new hopefully these part, that’ll help investments will get you started,” make the farm Borth said. “You better and my life have to pinch easier,” Borth said. pennies when you With the can.” support of others, As Borth looks toward Borth is optimistic the future, he about his future in the dairy industry. wants to improve “I’m not a reproduction. Borth plans to young punk. I ovsynch the herd really want to DEREK BORTH, DAIRY FARMER at 60 days and then make it this way, use sexed semen and without my at rst service, following that practice family, friends and neighbors, I’d still until he can purchase heat detection be wondering how to get started,” technology. Borth said. “I’m young, but I’m using it He is also considering double- to my advantage. I have plenty of years cropping next fall as an additional feed to keep milking.”
“I really want to make it this way, and without my family, friends and neighbors, I’d still be wondering how to get started.”
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Derek Borth milks in a swing-9 parlor. The rented farm site had all of the buildings and milking equipment Borth needed to start his dairy. sale was a half hour,” Borth said. With four months under his belt, Borth has dabbled in his longtime dream while also experiencing farming’s greatest challenges – the dreadfully cold winter and herd health and facility setbacks that come with that, but also the low milk prices. Despite any setbacks Borth has faced, he remains committed to the dairy industry. “I get to see God’s beauty in farming. Sure, it has its days. One day you’re in the valley and the next you’re on the mountain, but every day you learn something new,” Borth said. Whether speaking with fellow dairy farmers or listening to those who
are now retired, Borth is improving his dairy. “Getting coffee at the neighbors is the key to it all. I like to listen when they throw in their two cents and I can learn from their mistakes,” Borth said. After dealing with a bout of frozen teat ends, Borth began applying an essential oil post milking to cows with chapped or frozen teats – a trick he gathered from a friend. Taking time to make repairs, rather than making new purchases, has also benetted Borth. “I like taking used equipment others would think is junk and xing it. I’ve been like that my whole life. If you can spend one hour working on something
Your Cow Comfort and Barn Equipment Specialists
THAT BULL HAS BRED EVERY COW IN THE COUNTRY This cow is featured in a Youtube Boumatic promotional video for the Flo-Star Max. You will find cows like this in every herd in the country milked with a conventional system. The industry experts like to blame this on breeding – if that is the case that bull has bred every cow in the country. The real cause is your conventional milking system is shoving bacteria up the canal to cause mastitis and destroying the teat canal causing slow quarters. CoPulsation™ solves those problems!
CoPulsation™ Milking System 607-849-3880
Twitter @CoPulsation
www.CoPulsation.com www.Facebook.com/CoPulsation www.Youtube.com/CoPulsation
SINCE 2003
Stop and visit with us at one of these upcoming shows: + Central Minnesota Farm Show St. Cloud, MN - Feb. 27 - March 1 + Agri News Farm Show - Rochester, MN March 13 & 14 + North American Farm & Power Show Owatonna, MN - March 15 - 17 + Central Plains Dairy Expo Sioux Falls, SD - March 27 - 29
www.dccwaterbeds.com
Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Dairy Pricing Association works to increase milk price
Producers pool money to purchase, donate cheddar cheese By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
BLACK RIVER FALLS, Wis. – An idea that began nearly 10 years ago is starting to gain steam as more dairy farmers are becoming frustrated with milk prices that fall far below cost of production. When frustration begins to lead to action, change can be affected. Over 300 interested dairy farmers took part in a conference call hosted by the Dairy Pricing Association (DPA) earlier this month to learn more about this grassroots-based organization with the goal of helping improve markets. The groundwork for the DPA was laid in 2009 during a phone call between Black River Falls, Wis., dairy farmer Tom Olson and Darlington, Wis., dairy farmer Robin Berg. Today Olson, who milks 33 Holsteins on his Jackson County dairy farm, is spearheading the group and working to affect not only milk prices but helping to feed hungry Americans. Olson said many farmers don’t know how milk price is dictated, which Olson describes as a scary situation. “Small farms are blaming big farms for overproduction, and all farmers tend to blame processors for the price they receive,” Olson said. “If you’re in a Federal Milk Marketing Order
DANIELLE NAUMAN/ DAIRY STAR
Tom Olson is spearheading the Dairy Pricing AssociaƟon, which is working to bring dairy farmers together to improve milk price and help ght hunger in the United States. Olson milks 33 cows near Black River Falls, Wis. (FMMO) they both are wrong. Once you understand how pricing works, then all this makes sense.” Olson said each month the National Agricultural Statistics Survey (NASS) looks at how cheese is trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and that cheddar cheese is the driving force. “In January, the Federal Order Class III price, based on 3.5 percent
butterfat, was announced at $14/cwt,” Olson said. “They arrive at the price by going to the CME and looking at the cheese trade for January.” He went on to explain that on the CME, the 40-pound blocks traded at $1.49 and the 500-pound barrels traded at $1.33. Those prices are averaged to come to $1.41. “Because cheese yields 10 pounds of cheese per every 100 pounds of milk,
you multiply that to get the milk price per hundred-weight,” Olson said. As a point of reference, in 2013 and 2014, cheese on the CME was trading over $2 per pound, and milk prices were over $20/cwt. “All of this information is out there and available,” Olson said. “It’s no secret.” Olson urges producers to use the information available to become more informed and aware of how milk is priced and factors that affect it, including information about the FMMO pricing (www.ffma30.com) and cheese trading (www.cheesereporter.com). The premise of the DPA is for producers to pool their money to purchase cheese to help affect the price of cheese trading on the CME and ultimately the base price for milk. The Dairy Pricing Association works by advertising to purchase cheese at a higher market price, urging processors to come to DPA to sell their product. “We gure that we need to purchase a load of cheese a week to positively affect milk prices,” Olson said. “In order to support $2 cheese, and in turn $20 milk, we gure that we would need just 2 percent of the milk produced in this country to be enrolled in DPA.” Olson calculates that purchasing a 40,000-pound load of cheese, at $2 per pound, would cost $80,000. Purchasing a load each week would require $4.16 million. Based on the 2016 gure of 212 billion pounds of milk produced in the U.S., 10 cents per hundredweight on just 2 percent of the milk produced Turn to DPA | Page 13
BYRON SEEDS Presents 2018 Winter Forage Seminars Don’t Miss It!
Tuesday, March 20 Cabela’s 3900 Cabela Dr NW Owatonna, MN
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, March 21 March 22 March 23 Freeport Pizza Ranch Community Center 106 Jefferson St S 307 7th St SE Freeport, MN
Wadena, MN
The Oaks @ Eagle Creek
1000 26th Ave.NE Willmar, MN
All seminars start promptly at 10 a.m. and end exactly at 3 p.m. Lunch is provided.
Minnesota Seminars Featuring:
• Jim Paulson - Retired Extension Dairy Educator • Mike Velde - alfalfa breeder and marketing manager with Legacy
These are Educational Seminars, not sales pitches, free to all Livestock Owners, Nutritionists and Agronomists. These sessions will be worth your time!
For Minnesota seminar details, Call Rick Tamm 320-267-5021 or rtamm@albanytel.com Burkholder Seeds
For more info or dealer Claremont, MN inquiries - please call: Dwight
Rick Tamm
NW Territory Manager
320-267-5021 Brad DeBauche
NC Territory Manager
920-660-7974 Larry Hawkins 608-516-0101
507-279-0292 Justin 507-456-0006
Gerard Becker
Long Prairie, MN (320) 290-9261
Hy View Feeds 507-493-5564 Mabel, MN
Valley View Ag Russ Funke Dyersville, IA (563) 590-6939
Schueler Farms
Greenwald Elevator
Sherman Schueler 330-987-3159 Willmar, MN John Dockendorf (320) 894-4808 Greenwald, MN (320) 290-1240 Cleeson Mill Travis Schlosser Altura, MN Miltona, MN (507) 458-5907 218-639-1727
Luxemburg Feed Service
Luxemburg, MN (320) 252-1513
Jack Stamschror Kellogg, MN (507) 259-0269
Timberline Dairy Service Joe Graber Kalona, IA (319) 656-3527
Dale Ommodt, CCA Crop & Livestock Nutrition Atwater, MN (320) 212-3190
Winscher Seeds Mike Winscher 320-282-6748 Shawn Winscher Royalton, MN (320) 420-4516
Lee Kurtenbach
Mechanicksville, IA (319) 241-5105
Peak Forage Products LLC
Benjamin Arlt
Natures Best
Tim Huffman 608-574-7918 Nelson Horst Adam Decker 608-988-6855 Canton S.D. Kevin Zimmerman (605) 359-0765 608-574-7918
Natures Best
Big Stone City S.D. (651) 331-8865
Jason Mickelson Frazee, MN 218-849-3137
Mervin Beachy St. Ansgar, IA (641) 381-0054
DJ Cattle Co.
Daryn Yoder Leon, IA (641) 344-6002
Chad Tesch Canton S.D. (605) 759-5622 Dan (Boone) Uphoff, Sioux Falls S.D. (605) 321-1862
Natures Best Roger TeSlaa
Inwood, IA
(605) 370-2249
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 13
ConĆ&#x;nued from DPA | Page 12 would accomplish that. “For example, if we wanted to purchase everything that was traded at Chicago in 2017, at 10-cent participation, we would need less than 10 percent of the milk produced,â€? Olson said. Today there are over 400 members spread throughout 10 states who contribute to DPA at a base share of 10 cents per hundredweight. Those producers ship milk through 27 milk handlers. “We’re not allowed to go to the CME with our dollars because that is price-ďƒžxing because we are producing the product,â€? Olson said referring to the Capper-Volstead Act of 1922, which allows producers to form associations to compete together in the marketplace. “What we can do is advertise for a load of cheese,â€? Olson said. “Forty-thousand pounds is a trade on the CME.â€? In 2017, the DPA purchased three loads of cheese, one in April at $1.65,
“We never take possession of the cheese we buy. We don’t have to store, we don’t have to cut it up or distribute it.� TOM OLSON, DAIRY FARMER
in July at $1.61 and in October at $1.84. The purchases were made because those were the time frames when DPA had enough money available to make the purchases. “One purchase of 40,000 pounds of cheese is the equivalent of eight truckloads of milk,� Olson said. “We can move a lot of cheese and a lot of milk off the market doing this. We can get the most bang for our buck.� When the DPA makes a cheese purchase, the cheese is donated to food pantries and soup kitchens. “We never take possession of the cheese we buy,� Olson said. “We don’t have to store, we don’t have to cut it up or distribute it. All the organizations we donate it to are responsible for that.� DPA works with groups such as Hunger Task Force and Feeding Amer-
ica to donate and distribute the cheese they purchase. The need for this product to feed hungry and homeless Americans is great, with nearly 49 million people in this country going hungry. “When we started this and were explaining this to Feeding America, they told us that if there was a zip code where we made a purchase, they could pick it up and make use of it,â€? Olson said. In addition to using cheese purchases to help ďƒžght hunger in the United States, the DPA is beginning to develop a partnership with Christian Aid Ministries to take whole milk powder overseas to help ďƒžght hunger globally. Some farmers fear losing their market if they join DPA, but Olson is quick to allay those fears. “First off, we aren’t taking milk away from the plant or disrupting ďƒ&#x;ow to the plant,â€? Olson said. “It’s not money from the processor’s pocket. We’ll contact the plant and make sure they understand what is the DPA and how it works.â€? Another project DPA is working on is the design and patenting of a country of origin label that processors can apply to use, free of charge, provided they meet the criteria. “We think that consumers will go crazy about that,â€? Olson said. “It’s really important to make sure they know that their dairy products are made here in the United States.â€? The dairy crisis is not good for cheesemakers either. “Without my dairy producers, all I have is a building of scrap stainless steel,â€? said Ken Heiman, Nasonville Dairy master cheesemaker, during the DPA conference call. “Truly their purpose is two-fold, they are taking commercial product off the market,â€? Heiman said of DPA. “But you really have to look at the bright side of what they are doing, shipping cheese to hurricane victims and to food pantries across the country. I’m very proud to be able to be associated with them and able to sell them product.â€? Heiman has had a working relationship with the DPA for over three years and has sold cheese to the group several times. “There is really no downside to this,â€? Olson said. “Even if we never move the market a penny, we’ve helped feed all these needy people.â€?
“Only treating one cow for mastitis.� Dan Ziegler
Ziegler Dairy Farm MIDDLETON, WI
“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.�
OU TO FIND
T MORE, CONTACT : 1-800-887-4634 (608) 723-4634
No one knows your equipment better.
Keep It Genuine.
WATERPROOF WAT A ER WORKWEAR THUMBHOLE SLEEVE T JACKETS - WEAR YOUR GLOVES OVER THE TOP - KEEPS WATER FROM RUNNING DOWN YOUR ARMS - MACHINE WASH & DRY
SHOP ONLINE: WWW.UDDERTECHINC.COM UDDERTECH 888-438-8683
Your AGCO Parts Dealer has the quality OEM parts you need when you need them. Everything you need from hardware, chain and batteries to tillage, belts and cutting parts are available from your AGCO Parts Dealer. Along with the help of our highly trained service personnel at AGCO Parts to make it allParts comeDealer together, you can rest easy. Stop your AGCO Your AGCO hasso the quality OEM parts youinto need when you Parts Dealer and get the partsyou andneed services need tochain “Keepand youbatteries in the Field� need them. Everything fromyou hardware, to this season. Find and out more at parts AGCOParts.com. tillage, belts cutting are available from your AGCO Parts Dealer. Along with the help of our highly trained service personnel at AGCO Parts Š "($0 $PSQPSBUJPO "($0 UIF "($0 MPHP BSF SFHJTUFSFE USBEFNBSLT PG "($0 $PSQPSBUJPO
DEIKE IMPLEMENT CO.
P.O.Box 834, Waverly, Iowa 50677 • email: information@deikeimplement.com
Sales Phone: 319-352-3731 • General Phone: 319-352-1117
USED TRACTORS - Low rate ďŹ nance Available MF 8650, FWA, 950 hrs, CVT, auto guide, 2014........$149,500 Fendt 820 FWA, 33 mph CVT, air-ride cab, TMS .........$79,900 Kubota M125X, FWA, 16-sp PS, 125 HP, 3000 hrs .....$37,900 CAT 416 loader/backhoe, cab, shuttle, 4x4 .................$26,500 JD 420 2-cyl, sharp, 3 pt, sickle mower, 2nd owner......$6,750 Kubota BX1500 FWA, hydro, 600 hrs, 48â€? deck, 3 pt....$5,450 Farmall Super C recond, 1 remote, sickle mower ..........$4,750 TILLAGE & PLANTING EQUIPMENT Landoll 2227 11-shank disc/chisel/disc, hyd. depth....$21,500 JD 980 31’ ďŹ eld cult, all tandems, 3-bar coil tine ........$12,500 Landpride DH1572 3 pt. disc, 6’ adj. gangs ..................$1,550 White 8524 24-30 central ďŹ ll, t.wipers, shutoffs .........$67,900 White 8222 12-30 ex frame, t.wipers, low acres .......$39,900 White 8202 12-30, 2013, 1-owner, dig. monitor .........$39,900 White 8202 12-30, liq. fert. dig. monitor .....................$28,900 Bobcat 72â€? seeder, 2014, 3 pt. or skidloader, little use .$5,350
Store Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30-5:00 Saturday 7:30-noon
www.deikeimp.com
HARVEST EQUIPMENT AGCO S67, 700 hrs, tilt, duals, 390 bu.power bin .....$184,500 AGCO R65, tilt, monitor, 285 hp Cummins,chopper....$89,500 AGCO R52, 1998, 1600 hrs, AgLeader, Cummins .......$48,500 AGCO R630 hugger, 2008, poly, electric strippers ......$21,500 AGCO R830 hugger, poly dividers, elec.strippers ........$22,500 AGCO R636 hugger, 2013, 800 acres, a steal at..........$15,900 AGCO 8200 35’ ex, SCH sickle, power fore & aft ......$21,900 Gleaner 800 30’ and 20’, choice at ..............................$12,500 Gleaner 500 25’ and 20’, SCH sickles w/rollers,choice .$5,950 MISC. EQUIPMENT Bobcat T770, cab, air, 2-sp, joystick, air seat,1300 hrs ... $52,500 New Idea 3632 spreader, 320 bu. tandem, endgate ......$6,750 Landpride AFM 4211, 11’ batwing ďŹ nish mower ...........$7,950 JD X729, JD X724, Kubota ZG327 60â€? zero-turn mowers.. CALL New Snowblowers, Blades, Pallet Forks, Bale Spears ..... CALL Kubota RTV 1100, cab, air, heat, radio ..........................$9,750 NEW Sunower and Landoll Tillage ................................ CALL
Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
ng and Ma eedi nu F t re s e
Come see us at the Central mn farm show in st. cloud
Feb. 27 - Mar. 1 Booth #s 612-622, 700-710
If y
ion .
Minnesota’s L
ing Dealer nd l Ha
ar g
It’s Farm Show Season!
ou
h
ut
l
so wwave a a w.d barn, we have y.com airylandsuppl
Available In Sizes From 350 Cu. Ft. To 1,660 Cu Ft. Penta 4430
Bedding Spreader
NEW!
MENSCH
Designed to Suit your Needs
ROVIRANGER
MANUFACTURING
Bucket SideShooter
FEED PUSHER
SELFPROPELLED BEDDING CHOPPER
EYS Separator: A Separator ahead of its time...
Easily separates solids from liquid portions of Àbrous manure.
Spreading Excellence
• Self-guided robot replaces the ration multiple times a day • Compact and easy to use • Full consumption of ration Increases milk yield by 7%
This is, quite simply, the most advanced, best-built manure spreader you’re ever going to see. Now, do you need one this tough? Well, that all depends on how often you like to buy them.
Supreme 500T
HYDRA-SPREAD
Delivers Performance
Choice of Heavy Duty Vertical or Horizontal Beaters
LIQUID D MANURE REE PUMP
Manufactured by
EXCEEDING INDUSTRY STANDARDS THROUGH SUPERIOR DESIGN!
Conventional centrifugal pumps only have one discharge on the housing. That means that for every rotation of the fan, the pump is wasting power by trapping manure and not allowing it to easily get out of the housing. By adding multiple outlets, the manure is able to get out of the housing faster, resulting in pumping greater volumes with less horsepower.
AVAILABLE IN 12”
PS242
NEW MODEL!
ELECTRA-STEER SPREADER LINE
SBX Spreader
SB Series
according to Journal of Animal Science • Fixed magnet strip offers reliable and safe precision route in your barn • No Risk of loss of control
Available In Sizes From 275 Cu Ft. To 1,475 Cu. Ft.
• Very safe and stable steering technology • Steer angle is automatically reduced with faster travel speeds • Steers while backing up
The new KUHN Knight PS 235 and 242 ProSpread® apron box spreaders preaders are non-commercial spreaders that provide id an affordable ff d bl option for producers without sacriÀcing quality.
tele-skids • A forward reach of 8 feet allows access through and over obstacles for the Ärst time • 1,347 lb rated operating when fully extended • 270 degree Äeld of vision • Reach around 7 feet below the ground • 33 percent larger than average cab
Maximum Engine Power
125 hp
Maximum Lift Capacity
7,451 lbs
Maximum Lift Height
17 Feet
Combines wheel loading shovel with the benefits of a telescopic boom
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 15
From Our Side Of The Fence Why should young women get involved in princess programs?
Jessica (Stamschror) Hammell Decorah, Iowa Winneshiek County Years served as a dairy princess: 1995-96, 1998-99 Ofcial titles during those years: 1995 Wabasha County Dairy Princess, 1998 Wabasha County Dairy Princess Attendant, 1998 Region 10 Dairy Princess Runner Up for Wabasha County, Minn. Why should young women get involved in their dairy princess programs? It is a great way to gain communication skills while promoting something you have been a part of your whole life. What were the most unique or thought provoking questions you were asked as a dairy princess? I can’t remember any unique or provoking questions from when I was a dairy princess. It may be because that was more than 20 years ago, or the fact that I have three kids and sleep deprivation has erased those memories, but nothing stands out anymore. If you were the coordinator of a dairy princess program now what type of events would you incorporate? I would incorporate more technology and technology training. Dairy princesses could give speeches via Facebook live or do video segments highlighting areas of the farm or ways to use dairy products. People are so connected to their phones or computers that this is probably where our messages can be seen the best. What is the most important message people now need to hear about the dairy community or dairy products? Dairy farmers produce one of the safest and most nutritious foods that can be found in the supermarket, and that is due to their commitment and dedication to their consumer and their cows. The cows will be cared for and delicious milk will be harvested through snowstorms, heat waves, natural disasters, farm accidents or medical conditions. My dad told me, “Farming is a disease. It gets into your blood and you die doing it.” Dairy farmers don’t retire at 65. They may not be the one making all the decisions anymore, but they are on the farm every day. My father just had open-heart surgery, and the rst thing he did after being released from the hospital was to go to the barn. This passion shows through in the milk their cows produce. How do you continue to promote dairy in your life? My promotions are low key and one-on-one. Being a veterinarian, I have conversations with other moms at the daycare center or when I am stopped by someone at Walmart as I’m walking around in my green coveralls. My promotions are more random, but hopefully I still convey my passion for the dairy industry through these discussions. Tell us about yourself. I am a large animal veterinarian at Postville Vet Clinic in Postville, Iowa. My husband, Ryan Hammell, is also a veterinarian at Waukon Veterinary Services in Waukon, Iowa. We both enjoy our work and the producers we work for. We have three kids: Jack, 9, Taylor, 5, and Isaac, 2. Our poor children have a skewed view of life having two
Melaine (Molitor) Myklebust Rockville, Minn. Stearns County Years served as a dairy princess: Served as a dairy princess from 2004-2005 Why should women get involved in their dairy princess program? The dairy princess program provides women with the opportunity to grow in professionalism and gives them a voice in the local community. I acquired many skills as a dairy princess that served me well later in life. The interviewing process during the competition helped me ne-tune my interviewing skills, which later helped me get a job after college. The presentations I did as a dairy princess at local elementary schools built my condence as a public speaker. The public engagements I was asked to do as a dairy princess pushed me out of my introverted comfort zone. When I was serving ice cream at the local banks, I learned how to hold a conversation with a variety of personality types, which was not something I would have been comfortable doing prior to my involvement in this program. If you were the coordinator of a dairy princess program now, what types of events would you incorporate and why? I would include partnerships with local elementary schools and libraries. There was a huge disconnect when I was teaching. My students were from an urban city and didn’t realize that the milk they were purchasing from the grocery store rst came from a family farm. Partnering with schools and libraries can bridge the gap from the farm to the city. Dairy princesses show the local communities that there are real families working hard to make sure the dairy case at the local grocery store is well stocked. What is the most important message people need to hear about the dairy industry or dairy products? The dairy products we purchase at the grocery store are available to us because of hardworking American farmers. When you throw a package of string cheese in your shopping cart, you are supporting a family like mine. Tell us about yourself. After serving as a Stearns County dairy princess, I went to Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. I earned a degree in elementary education in 2008 and a master’s degree in education from St. Catherine University in 2014. I spent ve years as an elementary classroom teacher in Minneapolis, and I am now taking a break from the classroom to raise my children. My husband and I have been married for ve years and we have three kids ages 4.5, 3 and 1. We live across the street from my dad’s dairy farm, and I am so happy to be able to let my kids grow up in a farming community where they can learn the value of hard work. parents who are veterinarians. They have seen more manure and blood than most kids their age and our daughter, Taylor, will gladly tell people Daddy works on cow butts all day. Between the kids and work our lives are busy, but we feel blessed to be able to raise our kids and be a part of a farming community.
Emily (Jungemann) Stahl Wolsey, S.D. Beadle County Years served as a dairy princess: 2010-2011 Ofcial titles during those years: 55th South Dakota Dairy Princess Why should young women get involved in their dairy princess programs? It is a wonderful way to share your experience of being raised and/or working on the dairy farm and all the wonderful aspects of the dairy industry to the general public, which don’t have knowledge in this area of agriculture. It is also a wonderful way to strengthen public speaking and leadership skills, meet more people and experience different aspects of the industry. What were the most unique or thought-provoking questions you were asked as a dairy princess? I was surprised at how many people asked how the dairy industry impacted the local and state economy. If you were the coordinator of a dairy princess program now, what type of events would you incorporate? I would do a farm to table event at a local dairy to show people not associated with agriculture how we produce milk and be able to discuss with them any questions or concerns they have. What is the most important message people now need to hear about the dairy community or dairy products? I think the most important message is how dairy is good for your health and how dairy farms are still family farms. How do you continue to promote dairy in your life? I am from a dairy farm and am always available to answer questions or give tours at my parents’ farm. I still enjoy working with my parents when I go home to do pregnancy checks and the veterinary work for the cattle. Tell us about yourself. I live by Bridgewater, S.D., and am married to my husband, Cody. Together we have a cow-calf and heifer development operation. I am a mixed animal veterinarian in Mitchell, S.D., at Creekside Veterinary Clinic. Cody and I are expecting our rst child in May.
Target Your Customers! The Dairy Star is sent only to DAIRY FARMERS!
If you would like to advertise in the DAIRY STAR, call 320-352-6303 for more information.
55th Annual Eau Claire, WI Farm Show Tuesday and Wednesday, March 6-7, 2018 FREEing,
Free Park Admission, t& Entertainmen s ic Health Clin
Chippewa Valley Expo Center (Menards Conference Center) Eau Claire, WI Show Hours: 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. daily
• Over 150 exhibitors • Free Health Clinics by St. Joseph & Sacred Heart Hospital HSHS, EC health Dept.
Creature Encounter with Marthe Herbert on stage 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
The “Granddaddy” of farm shows salutes all farmers and family members. embers.
Coordinated by: North Country Enterprises • Phone: 715-289-4632 • nceinfo.4632@gmail.com
Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Angela Sellner Rock Valley, Iowa Sioux County Years served as a dairy princess: 2009-2010 Ofcial titles during those years: Brown County Dairy Princess 2009 and 2010, Princess Kay of the Milky Way Finalist 2010 Why should young women get involved in their dairy princess programs? The new experiences and memories made as a dairy princess make it all worthwhile. The dairy industry has many facets, from the nutritional benets of milk to the role a dairy farm plays in the community. You gain knowledge, condence and professionalism from connecting the producer to the consumer. What were the most unique or thought-provoking questions you were asked as a dairy princess? My fondest memories were made during classroom visits. I remember one young man asked me, “How old will I be when I have to stop drinking milk?” Needless to say, I was caught off guard by that one. I told him that milk is made for all ages and that we are never too old or young to drink it. He was glad to realize that even after growing up he’d still be able to drink milk. If you were the coordinator of a dairy princess program now, what type of events would you incorporate? A lot has changed since I was a dairy princess, but the importance of making personal connections between consumer and producer has not. I know many counties utilize on-farm tours, which are important. Education has always been the cure for ignorance and putting a real person, farm and message behind our product is key. What is the most important message people now need to hear about the dairy community or dairy products? The pride, determination and genuine love the dairy community has for what they do. There are many inspiring and resilient people within this industry, and they have amazing stories to share. Unfortunately, this message can be hard to convey because it lives and breathes within the dairy community. You can’t fully capture our passion and daily devotion with a social media post or the written word. This passion shows in our actions towards one another, our stewardship for the land and the incredible product we produce. That honesty and pure respect for our livelihood is what I feel the public needs to hear and see. How do you continue to promote dairy in your life? I manage the Autumn Breeze Dairy Facebook page. I hope to educate, entertain and have fun sharing our family’s story. I also love sharing new dairy products with my co-workers. It leads to engaged conversations and new recipes. For June Dairy Month, I’ve been known to buy yogurt and cheese sticks for the ofce. Celebrating June Dairy Month is a must. Tell us about yourself. I work at Trans Ova Genetics as a client service representative for the Great Lakes region. My weekends are spent working on the family farm. I am involved with the calf/heifer rearing, record keeping and the genetics of our herd. In 2016, I started my small herd of registered Holsteins. April (Johnson) VonRuden Dodge Center, Minn. Steele County Years served as a dairy princess: 2008-2011 ofcial titles held during those years: Cottonwood County Dairy Princess and Princess Kay of the Milky Way nalist Why should young women get involved in their dairy princess programs? The program is an excellent opportunity to develop lifelong skills while developing lasting relationships. I enjoyed the dairy princess program because it gave me the opportunity to meet other young women with similar values and interests. I have been able to stay in-touch with many of these people. The education and training through the program has helped me throughout my career, especially the media training. Improved job interview skills were another important take-away from being a dairy princess. What were the most unique or thought-provoking questions you were asked as a dairy princess? I was asked if the Minnesota dairy princess program should be expanded to include young men. At the time, this question caught me off-guard; but it was one that made me think. While I think our dairy princess program has a rich history and is an important part of our state, I think it would benecial to include young men to promote our industry, too. Maybe not in the same capacity as dairy princesses, but I think a dairy ambassador program for young men would be something Minnesota’s dairy industry could benet from. If you were the coordinator of a dairy princess program now, what type of events would you incorporate? I would focus on programming for youth. The youth are the future consumers, and they may not yet have been inuenced by others telling them not to eat dairy. School visits, library visits and dairy day camps would be at the top of my list to help the dairy princesses coordinate. What is the most important message people now need to hear about the dairy community or dairy products? Dairy products are an important part of a healthy diet. These products are produced by people who take great pride in producing safe products while providing their animal’s top-notch care. How do you continue to promote dairy in your life? I enjoy staying connected and nding ways to promote the dairy industry. I like to focus on the small things I can do to promote the industry. I’m at the age where many of my friends are getting married or having babies. “The Dairy Good Cookbook” makes a great shower gift and children’s books about dairy farming makes a great baby gift. Dairy makes a great snack when selecting snacks as a 4-H program coordinator for 4-H events. Also, I like to handout cheese on Halloween and cheese makes a great Christmas gift. Milk compliments a meal well so I like to encourage milk to be served at banquets, meetings, church dinners and other events I attend. I like to tell the dairy story and tell about my parent’s dairy farm, whether in-person or through social media. Tell us about yourself. My husband, Zach, and I live near Dodge Center, Minn. We raise hogs, dairy steers and beef cattle while farming corn and soybeans alongside his parents, George and Karen. I work as the Mower County 4-H Program Coordinator, where I enjoy working with 4-H youth and developing programming. Coaching 4-H dairy judging teams is one of my hobbies that helps me stay connected to the industry.
Lindy (Hintzen) Legatt St. Cloud, Minn. Sherburne County Years served as a dairy princess: 2008 Ofcial titles during those years: Douglas County Dairy Princess Why should young women get involved in their dairy princess programs? The dairy princess program presents opportunities for young women to develop leadership and public speaking skills, to network with others, and to provide education about the dairy industry. What were the most unique or thought-provoking questions you were asked as a dairy princess? Other than the old standby of where does chocolate milk come from, I don’t recall a unique question from when I was a county dairy princess. If you were the coordinator of a dairy princess program now, what type of events would you incorporate? Classroom education, dairy eld trips and media training. What is the most important message people now need to hear about the dairy community or dairy products? Consumers need to know that dairy is a natural, wholesome and nutritious product. In addition, it is important to correct misconceptions and provide education around the production of dairy products. How do you continue to promote dairy in your life? As a registered nurse, I use the resources provided by Midwest Dairy Association to promote consumption and health benets of dairy products. On occasion, I provide milking relief for my father on our family’s dairy farm. Tell us about yourself. My husband, Nathan, and I have 1.5-year-old daughter, Grace. This past summer we bought a house in St. Cloud, Minn., and are enjoying living in the country once again. I work as the community education and early childhood screening nurse for the St. Michael-Albertville School District. In my spare time, I enjoying being a 4-H judge, spending time with family, reading and cross stitching. Stacy (Brogan) Shones St. Charles, Minn. Winona County Years served as a dairy princess and ofcial titles held during those years: One year as a dairy princess; 2005 Winona County Dairy Princess Attendant; 2005 Princess Kay of the Milky Way Finalist Why should young women get involved in their dairy princess programs? A majority of our population thinks farming is a man’s job. I know as a farmer’s daughter that is not the case. The dairy princess program allows woman to not only share their passion, but showcase their hard work producing an amazing product. The greatest thing about the dairy industry is it is a team job of men, women and children of all ages. And to think of all the people who benet from that type of teamwork is amazing. Why wouldn’t you want to be a dairy princess and brag about this amazing industry? What were the most unique or thought-provoking questions you were asked as a dairy princess? I don’t remember. But, my 4-year-old thought her daycare provider, whom she calls Grandma Mary, made milk. I snickered and told her not to tell Grandpa Moo Cow. She still has a lot of educating on the farm to go through. If you were the coordinator of a dairy princess program now, what type of events would you incorporate? Our grandparents would tell us it was critical for the milkman to leave bottles of milk on the front step every morning. They had milk for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between. Adults need to be educated on the importance of consuming dairy products and the health benets that it brings in their lives. If I were a dairy princess coordinator, I would be focusing on events in public areas to target adults including grocery stores, public fairs and health education listening sessions. Even if only two people stopped by, that is better than where we started. What is the most important message people now need to hear about the dairy community or dairy products? The dairy industry needs the community support. Milk prices are extremely low causing farmers to quit or lose their business. People need to understand that dairy farmers supply their milk in their cereal, their butter on their bread, their yogurt snack, their sour cream on their taco and their ice cream dessert. Support the dairy industry by continuing to buy dairy products. If people are unsure about the health benets of dairy, people should stop by a farm and talk to the people behind the product. How do you continue to promote dairy in your life? I am a member of the Winona County American Dairy Association. As a committee, we work to promote the industry by hosting events, running dairy related promotions and supplying dairy products to local groups and activities. At home, my family has a glass of milk at the breakfast, lunch and dinner table. In addition, cheese is the main ingredient in every dish, and we can never have Mexican food without sour cream. Tell us about yourself. My husband, Reggie, and I bought a home 1 mile down the road from my parents’ dairy farm outside of St. Charles, Minn. We love being able to drive down the road with our two girls, Amira and Piper, to help feed the calves, assist in milking or ride around the eld with my dad, Grandpa Moo Cow. I work at a non-prot organization in Rochester called PossAbilities of Southern Minnesota as a marketing and communications coordinator. PossAbilities works with children and adults with disabilities. We hold an event every summer during Rochesterfest called PossAbilities Ice Cream Social. Kemps has been a long-time sponsor of the event and provides ice cream for all of the attendees. We also have an ice cream eating contest and invite Princess Kay of the Milky to compete. Along with my day job, I am actively involved on my daughter’s preschool board, St. Matthew’s Preschool. I am also a member on the Winona County American Dairy Association board. During the Winona County Fair, I can be found volunteering in the show ring and emceeing the beef show.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 17
We provide for them because they provide for us. We believe you get the best out of every animal by putting the best into every animal. That’s why we’ve expanded our portfolio of cattle health solutions. Because cattle are the reason we’re here. And when you put cattle first, everything else comes second.
: , , 6 < 9 < 7 + ( ; , + 7 6 9 ; - 6 3 0 6 6 - 7 9 6 + < * ; : ( ; ) 0 * ( ; ; 3 , - 0 9 : ; * 6 4
Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Repro Leaders
McNeelys improve protocols for a 43 percent pregnancy rate Jim, Jeff and Jamison McNeely Brooklyn, Wis. Green County 190 milking, 215 with dry cows
We had an audit of our practices and changed many of our protocols including an A.I. refresher. Following the changes we made, everything started to click.
What was your average pregnancy rate last year? When we won the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council award last year, we were at 42 percent, and now, on our last DHI sheet we are at 43 percent. Just a couple years ago, we were down around 18 percent, and I (Jeff) decided to look into why.
What is your voluntary waiting period for cows? For heifers? We backed our VWP for cows up to 78 days, which is about a week later than we used to practice. I will not breed a cow before that. As far as heifers, we start breeding them at 14 months and if they aren’t pregnant by 15 months,
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
The McNeely family (from le�) – Jamison, Jim and Jeff – operate Rollin Green Farms near Brooklyn, Wis. By re-evalua�ng management prac�ces, they have achieved a 43 percent pregnancy rate in their 190-cow herd. they go in with a clean-up bull.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Increases in the farms pregnancy rate have meant more consistent calving intervals and more calves being born to use as replacements.
What is your rst service conception rate? Our rst service conception rate is consistently over 60 percent. We’ve had good luck at getting them pregnant on the rst service. With the higher rst service
conception rate and ramping up heat detection at the 21 day interval, it has gotten to the point that if I have an open cow on pregnancy check day, I’m disappointed in myself.
chronization program? We use double-ovsynch for the rst service, starting the rst one at about 50 days. We aggressively heat detect after that. If a cow shows up open on
What is your reproduction program? Do you use a syn-
Turn to ROLLIN GREEN | Page 20
SEE US AT THE AGRI NEWS FARM SHOW in Rochester, MN Your Local Meyer Mfg TMR Dealer!
Century Bull Mineral Feeder
• 3-year Warranty on plastics • 1/2” rubber Áap • Holds 250 lbs.
Century Cone Feeder
• 7 yr Warranty • Proven “bull tough” • Lightweight
SIDE WALL TIRE SHOOTER MAKE COVERING SILAGE PILES A BREEZE! Great for covering silage piles with sidewall tires. Pick up sidewalls on ground and unload on bunker pile.
• 15 ft Boom • Skid Steer Quick Attach • Hydraulic Drive Chain • Good for Skid Steers with 2500 lb. lift
Stretch-O-Matic Bale Wrapper
WINGERT SALES & SERVICE Plainview, MN • (507) 534-2285
#8400 A230 MRC
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 19
Need Crop Insurance?
Let ett our o experts expe t gui guide g ide you ou to the the bestt product. product prod
Carrie Goebel CISR 7 Years Experience
GREENWALD
INSURANCE AGENCY Small Town Service. Big Town Values.
Paul Olberding CIC, CISR 20 Years Experience
Ruth Heinen CISR
Stop by or call us today!
50 5th Street North, Greenwald, MN
987-3223 or 800-866-3085 www.greenwaldinsurance.com
Never underestimate edema.
Dairy producers encounter many challenges when transitioning fresh cows to milking. A challenge that can be underestimated is udder edema, which is considered to be a contributing factor in udder scald. When impacts of udder edema and udder scald are combined, economic studies showed more net effect on milk losses in the first 30 to 50 days in milk than other post-partum conditions. Dairy managers, who put a high priority on animal well-being look for ways to prevent udder edema and pay attention to mammary comfort. At Beer Cattle, Berne, Indiana, 200 heifers are calved monthly and milked a couple weeks before going to new homes. For 2 years, they’ve been using Udder Comfort™ for all fresh heifers with a light application 2x/day for 7 days after calving. “Heifers reached peak production faster with softer, more pliable udders and a production increase averaging over 3 pounds with collaborative SCC below 200,000,” says Keith Beer. He recently compared 2x/day with a heavier amount of Udder Comfort for shorter periods (3 days). “We saw very good results on 90 to 95% of nearly 200 heifers receiving this method. Milk flow increase was in the same range, averaging over 3 pounds additional milk by 2 weeks after calving and similar udder quality,” he says.
At Sandy Valley Farms, Scandinavia, Wisconsin, beautiful productive udders are hallmarks of elite genetics and attention to cow comfort. All first and second lactation ladies (top photo) get Udder Comfort spray daily prefresh for one week before calving. The 400 cows are milked 2x/day with a recent test of (2x) 88 lbs 4.2F 3.2P and 53,000 SCC. That’s a lot of quality milk!
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 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Con�nued from ROLLIN GREEN | Page 18 pregnancy check day we will use either Re-synch or CID-R synch. Beef semen is used by the third or fourth service. How do you observe for heat? Every Monday, I paint the tailheads of the 21-day cows, and rotate the color I use each week. This makes it easier to nd those cows. I print off a list of those cows that I keep in my pocket. I walk the freestall pens three times a day and physically look for each cow on the list. I walk the pens after morning milking, at noon and after night milking. This also helps me catch any sick cows. How do you conrm pregnant or open cows? We ultrasound for pregnancy at about 32 days for the rst check, recheck at 45 days and again at 100 days. What is your breeding philosophy? How do you select bulls? What traits do you focus on? Does fertility play a role in bull selection? We use a lot of young sires, and we have found that with genomics, those bulls are better. We look at traits like NM$, UDC, FLC, PL, DPR and put some emphasis on TPI. We look for a balanced bull that is not too extreme on either type or production. The young sires are more consistent now with genomics, and I think the 2-year-olds we are calving now are light-years
ahead of the 2-year-olds we calved 10 years ago. How are cows and heifers bred? Do you have a different philosophy for breeding both? Cows are bred A.I. and heifers are bred A.I. at 14 months. If they are not conrmed pregnant by 15 months they are put in with a bull. We look for calving ease scores below seven for our heifers. We have a camera in the calving pen, but there isn’t labor around the clock to deal with hard calvings. When selecting a clean-up bull, we buy from outside the herd and nd an outcross to the genetics that we have. What do you do to settle hard breeders? If they don’t settle after two-three services, we start to use CIDR-synch and beef semen. With the pregnancy rate where it is, we don’t mess around with problem cows for very long. How many times do you try to breed a cow before you sell her? If a cow goes past four or ve services, we code her as a do not breed and eventually cull her. We won’t breed cows anymore after they are over 180 days open. Extended lactation or extended dry period cows tend to have problems in the fresh pen when they nally do calve again.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Jeff McNeely paints tailheads each week on the 21-day cows, and carries that list with him for the week. He walks through the freestalls three �mes each day, watching cows. Is there anything you have done or changed that brought about a signicant improvement in your reproductive program? We had an audit done to determine where we could improve our protocols. The VWP was raised to 78 days, 21-day interval cows are tail painted and pens are walked three times a day, two prostaglandin shots are given during ovsynch and A.I. retraining. Everything we changed worked together to
substantially improve our reproduction program. Tell us about your farm. My grandparents, Bob and Pat McNeely, bought the farm in 1973. I (Jeff) manage the cows, my dad, Jim, manages the crops and my brother, Jamison, maintains the machinery and is in charge of feeding. We milk 190 cows, raise all of our replacements and also nish out our steers. We crop 1,700 acres
BALE FEEDERS
raising corn, beans, wheat and alfalfa. Our goal is to be diversied in our operation. We have two full-time employees, one who works with calves and one who does eld work and milks. We also have a half dozen high school students that help with milking and calf feeding. Grandma Pat still feeds calves in the mornings and does the farm books. Our RHA is at 27,300 on 2X, up from 25,000 just over two years ago.
CATTLE HANDLING EQUIPMENT
CALL FOR DETAILS
ORAL ELECTROLYTE AND N NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT
SAVE TIME SAVE CASH SAVE CALVES Advantages A d of Sx Calf • Premixed Solution • Rehydrates the calf and improves fecal consistency more quickly than any other product • Balances the microbiota of the calf and supports natural immunity • Requires only one 50 ml oral feeding.* • Reduces mortality / morbidity up to 75% versus other products • Saves time and labor expense • Non-antibiotic / No VFD required
* IN UP TO 90% OF CASES
iinfo@ecoplanetearth.com f @ l h
•
www.ecoplanetearth.com www.eco
•
406.585.1122
Heavy Duty Poly Round Bale Feeders
5 year warranty on pipe, 30 year life expectancy
SKID STEER ATTACHMENTS AVAILABLE
IN STOCK head locking Series 3 & 6 Automatic Head Gate Chutes available
715-644-2350
Chippewa Valley Dairy Supply
6053 CTY. HWY. G • STANLEY, WI 54768 • Andrew Zimmerman
Order Your Silage Bags Direct and SAVE $$$ Ipesa Silage bags are designed to be the strongest bags on the market today. Our bags are made from the highest quality, state-of-the-art raw materials, and are 100% virgin resin. This allows us to produce a silage bag with superior strength, better tear resistance, and extreme durability.
www.ipesausa.net
Greg Wacker, Ipesa USA Rep 507-581-1169
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 21
1.9% for 60 Months on qualiÀed self-propelled forage harvesters* See our complete S l t iinventory t with ith pictures i t and dd descriptions i ti at: t
www.mmcjd.com
Visit one of our 17 locations in Central Minnesota!
L
EL
E ST
(1) = GLENCOE
*Followed by standard qualified rate, approval through John Deere Financial, some restrictions apply, see dealer for details. Offer ends January 31, 2018.
L
A DE
EL
E ST
L
A DE
EL
E ST
A DE
320-864-5571 4561 Hwy. 212
(2) = HOWARD LAKE 320-543-2170 5845 Keats Ave. SW
199,500
(3) = STEWART
JD 9560RT, 2093 hrs., $ 2012, #140934
320-562-2630 78412 Co. Rd. 20
320-252-2010 1035 35th Ave. NE
(5) = GLENWOOD 320-634-5151 1710 N. Franklin
(6) = SAUK CENTRE 320-352-6511 1140 Centre St.
(7) = ALEXANDRIA 320-763-4220 5005 Co. Rd. 82 SE
(8) = PAYNESVILLE 320-243-7474 725 Lake Ave. S.
(9) = PRINCETON
763-389-3453 3708 Baptist Church Rd.
(10) = LITTLE FALLS 320-632-5469 16069 Hwy. 27 E.
(11) = WADENA 218-631-2311 62505 US Hwy. 10
(12) = AITKIN 218-927-2140 1120 2nd St. NW
(13) = BAXTER 218-829-5356 7045 Foley Rd.
(14) = ELBOW LAKE 218-685-4438 110 2nd St. NE
(15) = MORRIS 320-589-2011 23604 State Hwy. 9
(16) = BENSON 320-843-2610 380 Atlantic Ave.
(17) = MADISON 320-598-7575 516 1st St. E
ARTICULATED 4WD TRACTORS 7 JD 8640, 1987, 10435 hrs., #137151 ............................................... $20,350 6 JD 9400, 1996, 6332 hrs., #134367 ............................................... $55,000 3 JD 9400, 1997, 6450 hrs., #143813 ............................................... $73,000 7 JD 9620, 2006, 6120 hrs., #138706.............................................. $85,000 10 NH TJ280, 2007, 2766 hrs., #145092 .............................................$107,000 6 JD 9320, 2004, 5573 hrs., #144041 .............................................$112,500 16 JD 9400, 2001, 3624 hrs., #144488 .............................................$117,500 7 NH T9020, 2009, 2905 hrs., #142873 .............................................$129,000 5 Caterpillar MT945C, 2009, 2805 hrs., #143742 .............................................$159,000 15 JD 9560R, 2013, 3184 hrs., #145194 .............................................$165,000 15 JD 9630, 2009, 3600 hrs., #144489 .............................................$165,500 17 JD 9230, 2010, 581 hrs., #144487 .............................................$195,000 6 JD 9460R, 2014, 2656 hrs., #141947 .............................................$199,500 10 JD 9410R, 2013, 1760 hrs., #143197 .............................................$209,500 3 JD 9410R, 2014, 1525 hrs., #143772 .............................................$230,000 7 JD 9560R, 2012, 1135 hrs., #143874 .............................................$249,900 3 JD 9470R, 2015, 693 hrs., #143840 .............................................$259,500 3 JD 9620R, 2015, 1975 hrs., #145223............................................$295,000 8 JD 9520R, 2017, 350 hrs., #142212 .............................................$329,500 3 JD 9620R, 2015, 693 hrs., #125913 .............................................$365,000 5 JD 9620R, 2015, 561 hrs., #137678 .............................................$365,000 BOX DRILLS 2 JD 455, 1992, #137165 ................... $14,500 2 JD 455, 1996, #132155 ................... $15,900 11 JD 455, 2004, #141660 ................... $20,700 8 JD 455, 2017, #139188 ................... $49,900 11 JD 455, 2017, #131015 ................... $59,900 FIELD CULTIVATORS 1 JD 980, 1998, 44 ft, #143425........ $14,900 16 Wil-Rich QUAD 5, 50 ft, #144479. $14,900 2 JD 985, 1998, 54 ft, #138937........ $15,000 17 JD 980, 1996, 38 ft, #144447........ $15,500 15 JD 980, 2001, 45 ft, #144448........ $15,900 2 JD 985, 1995, 55 ft, #130971........ $18,000 5 Wil-Rich Quad X, 2005, 55 ft, #138553 ............................................... $20,900 7 Case Tiger Mate II, 50 ft, #143937 ............................................... $21,450 16 Case IH 110, 2013, 50 ft, #49666 ................................................. $21,500 8 JD 985, 1998, 59 ft, #135905........ $21,500 3 JD 985, 1998, 49 ft, #143979........ $22,000 3 DMI Tigermate II, 50 ft, #145252 ..$23,500 16 JD 2210, 2008, 31 ft, #144457 .....$24,500 6 JD 2200, 2003, 46 ft, #142441 ..... $26,000 7 JD 2210, 2013, 27 ft, #143876 .....$28,500 9 JD 2210, 2013, 26 ft, #143846 .....$28,900 5 JD 2210, 2013, 33 ft, #143827 .....$29,000 9 JD 2210, 2005, 46 ft, #120515 .....$29,500 7 Wil-Rich, Quad X2, 2011, 55 ft, #138552 ............................................... $29,500 11 Wil-Rich Quad X2, 2009, #145302 ............................................... $35,500
A DE
White 8200, 2013, 12R30, #137538
JD 9620, 2006, 6120 hrs., #138706
85,000
$
37,000
$
4 JD 330G, 2016, 600 hrs., #140027 ............................................... $53,000 5 JD 332E, 2016, 390 hrs., #139118 ............................................... $54,500 TRACK TRACTORS 7 JD 9620T, 2005, 6191 hrs., #145278 ............................................... $89,500 17 JD 9620T, 2005, 4267 hrs., #144569 .............................................$108,500 2 Challenger MT865, 2003, 5791 hrs., #138939 .............................................$109,000 7 JD 8295RT, 2010, 3921 hrs., #145277 .............................................$138,900 14 JD 8295RT, 2010, 2900 hrs., #145188 .............................................$139,000 9 Caterpillar MT765C, 2012, 1820 hrs., #136810 .............................................$163,000 6 CIH 535, 2010, 5115 hrs., #145258 .............................................$167,500 4 JD 8335RT, 2012, 3200 hrs., #143521 .............................................$169,000 15 JD 8335RT, 2013, 2110 hrs., #144548 .............................................$189,500 16 JD 8345RT, 2014, 1786 hrs., #144550 .............................................$195,000 3 JD 9560RT, 2012, 2093 hrs., #140934 .............................................$199,500 15 JD 8310RT, 2014, 941 hrs., #144546 .............................................$219,500 16 JD 9560RT, 2012, 2000 hrs., #144563 .............................................$229,000 3 JD 9510RT, 2013, 1490 hrs., #141091 .............................................$249,500 15 JD 9560RT, 2013, 1316 hrs., #144562 .............................................$255,000 15 JD 9560RT, 2013, 1266 hrs., #144564 .............................................$255,000 15 JD 9460RT, 2014, 920 hrs., #144557 .............................................$257,000 6 JD 9510RT, 2014, 1429 hrs., #142684 .............................................$262,500 15 JD 9560RT, 2014, 1892 hrs., #144565 .............................................$264,000 14 JD 8320RT, 2017, 120 hrs., #145238 .............................................$268,000 17 JD 8345RT, 2015, 948 hrs., #144551 .............................................$269,500 16 JD 9560RT, 2014, 1005 hrs., #144560 .............................................$270,000 16 JD 9460RT, 2013, 577 hrs., #144555 .............................................$275,000 15 JD 9460RT, 2014, 525 hrs., #144556 .............................................$279,500 14 JD 9470RT, 2015, 959 hrs., #144558 .............................................$279,500 16 JD 9560RT, 2014, 890 hrs., #144561 .............................................$299,500 16 JD 9560RT, 2014, 648 hrs., #144566 .............................................$309,500 8 JD 8370RT, 2017, 408 hrs., #143196 .............................................$315,000 14 JD 9570RT, 2015, 741 hrs., #144568 .............................................$361,500 16 JD 9570RT, 2015, 657 hrs., #144567 .............................................$365,500 4 JD 9520RX, 2016, 946 hrs., #143518 .............................................$369,000 5 JD 9620RX, 2016, 350 hrs., #142273 .............................................$459,000 14 JD 9620RX, 2017, 261 hrs., #145235 .............................................$459,000 11 JD 9620RX, 2017, 262 hrs., #135324 .............................................$459,000
AL
AL
E LD
EE
ST
10 JD 260-II, 2003, 1355 hrs., #144042 ............................................... $20,900 7 Bobcat S70, 2015, 218 hrs., #145275 ............................................... $21,995 4 JD 318D, 2012, 2346 hrs., #143720 ............................................... $23,500 10 NH L218, 2013, 1767 hrs., #145300 ............................................... $23,900 10 Bobcat S510, 2014, 1578 hrs., #145271 ............................................... $25,900 6 JD 318E, 2015, 2811 hrs., #140525 ............................................... $25,900 10 JD 318E, 2015, 2336 hrs., #135979 ............................................... $26,500 11 NH L230, 2011, 3300 hrs., #139121 ............................................... $27,300 10 JD 320E, 2016, 2489 hrs., #143842 ............................................... $27,500 11 JD 320D, 2013, 1023 hrs., #133492 ............................................... $28,900 9 JD 318D, 2013, 925 hrs., #135024 ............................................... $29,500 16 JD 320E, 2015, 1734 hrs., #134169 ............................................... $30,900 11 JD 318E, 2014, 762 hrs., #135937 ............................................... $33,500 8 JD 318E, 2015, 335 hrs., #142491 ............................................... $34,000 3 Caterpillar 272D, 2015, 1475 hrs., #145200 ............................................... $34,500 5 JD 320E, 2014, 1101 hrs., #135139 ............................................... $34,900 4 JD 320E, 2014, 475 hrs., #135901 ............................................... $35,900 5 JD 320E, 2014, 470 hrs., #142118 ............................................... $35,900 11 Bobcat S650, 2013, 859 hrs., #140188 ............................................... $37,500 8 JD 320E, 2015, 645 hrs., #138375 ............................................... $37,600 4 JD 320E, 2015, 145 hrs., #142683 ............................................... $38,500 3 JD 326D, 2012, 318 hrs., #135015 ............................................... $38,500 6 JD 326E, 2016, 1105 hrs., #141601 ............................................... $38,900 16 JD 332E, 2014, 1408 hrs., #132664 ............................................... $38,900 1 JD 328D, 2010, 410 hrs., #141011 ............................................... $38,900 1 JD 326E, 2015, 537 hrs., #134033 ............................................... $39,500 6 JD 320E, 2016, 79 hrs., #140280 ..$39,900 7 JD 326D, 2012, 210 hrs., #135673 ............................................... $40,500 12 JD 326E, 2015, 387 hrs., #118578 ............................................... $40,900 10 JD 332D, 2012, 812 hrs., #127231 ............................................... $41,900 4 JD 326E, 2016, 347 hrs., #138363 ............................................... $42,000 4 JD 320E, 2015, 260 hrs., #143386 ............................................... $42,900 15 JD 320E, 2017, 64 hrs., #144216 ..$43,900 11 JD 324E, 2016, 104 hrs., #137786 ............................................... $45,000 12 JD 326E, 2016, 65 hrs., #126370 ..$45,900 4 JD 326E, 2016, 150 hrs., #142477 ............................................... $46,000 4 Bobcat S850, 2013, 550 hrs., #140039 ............................................... $48,900 11 JD 332E, 2015, 168 hrs., #135560 ............................................... $49,500 6 JD 332E, 2015, 511 hrs., #138924 ............................................... $51,900
5 Case IH 200, 2012, 60 ft, #135767 ............................................... $41,900 14 JD 2210, 2005, 60 ft, #144458 ....$42,900 14 JD 2210, 2011, 56 ft, #144450 .....$43,900 17 JD 2210, 2008, #144459 ................ $44,500 8 Case IH Tigermate 200, 2010, 50 ft, #140723 ............................................... $45,000 15 JD 2210, 2011, 60 ft, #144451 .....$45,500 14 JD 2210, 2010, #144461 ................ $53,900 6 CIH 200, 2011, 60 ft, #129150......$55,000 15 JD 2210, 2014, 56 ft, #145264 .....$56,000 17 JD 2210, 2013, 51 ft, #144454 .....$57,500 16 JD 2210, 2014, #145295 ................ $57,780 15 JD 2210, 2014, 56 ft, #144456 .....$58,000 17 JD 2210, 2012, 46 ft, #144452 .....$59,500 7 JD 2210, 2013, 56 ft, #140858 .....$59,500 16 JD 2210, 2012, 48 ft, #144453 .....$61,000 16 JD 2210, 2012, 48 ft, #144455 .....$61,000 PLANTERS: DRAWN 10 JD 7200, 1986, 12R30, #136880 ..$14,985 17 JD 1760, 1997, 12R30, #144407 ..$23,500 9 White 8186, 2005, 16R30, #139731 ............................................... $26,000 3 JD 1760, 1996, 12R30, #140452 ..$27,500 15 JD 1760, 2004, 12R30, #144405 ..$27,500 7 JD 1760, 1997, 12R30, #137790 ..$28,050 17 JD 1760, 1998, 12R30#144408 ....$29,500 4 JD 1750, 2014, 6R30, #141859 ....$32,000 9 JD 1750, 2013, 8R30, #131524 ....$33,000 8 White 8200, 2013, 12R30, #137538 ............................................... $37,000 8 Wil-Rich, 24-22, 2009, 24R22, #139224 ............................................... $53,900 17 JD 1770NT, 2008, 24R30, #144416 ............................................... $56,000 4 JD 1770, 2011, 12R30, #132629 ..$59,000 16 JD 1770NT, 2008, 24R30, #144417 ............................................... $62,000 11 White 8524, 2013, 24R30, #140624 ............................................... $67,000 8 JD 1765, 2015, 12R30, #140333 ..$72,900 4 JD 1765, 2015, 12R30, #138495 ..$79,900 15 JD 1770NT, 2014, 16R30, #144409 ............................................... $85,000 16 JD DB44, 2008, 24R22, #144423 .$85,000 9 JD 1770NT CCS, 2013, 16R30, #142692 .............................................$103,000 7 JD 1790, 2013, #140721 ..............$104,900 1 JD 1770NT, 2014, 16R30, #140214 .............................................$109,000 3 JD DB66, 2005, 36R22, #141473 .............................................$125,000 14 JD DB66, 2013, 36R22, #144426 .............................................$155,000 16 JD DB44, 2017, 24R22, #144422 .............................................$207,500 15 JD 1775NT, 2015, 24R30, #144419 .............................................$209,500 7 JD DB66, 2016, 36R22, #140442 .............................................$239,500 5 JD DB44, 2017, 24R22, #141612 .............................................$255,000 SKID STEER LOADERS 3 Gehl SL4835SXT, 2003, 1685 hrs., #143757 ............................................... $14,850 12 JD 240, 2000, 1383 hrs., #138075 ............................................... $14,900 10 JD 318D, 2011, 5895 hrs., #143844 ............................................... $16,500 7 Bobcat S185, 2003, 1550 hrs., #141064 ............................................... $18,900 8 JD 318D, 2013, 2447 hrs., #143873 ............................................... $19,250 13 JD 325, 2008, 3177 hrs., #138043 ............................................... $19,900
AL
L
EL
165,000
$
Over 1200 items with pictures updated daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com
(4) = ST. CLOUD
E ST
JD 9560R, 2013, 3184 hrs., #145194
E LD
EE
EE
ST
56,000
JD 1770NT, 2008, $ 24R30, #144416
JD 2310, 45’ 9”, 2008, #124769
E LD
ST
32,500
$
JD 2210, 45.5’ 2005, #120515
29,500
$
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
FEED BUNKS
• H-Bunks • Fenceline Bunks • 115 Bu. Steer Stuffer • Individual Yard Bunks • Bunker Silo Backed by over 40 years proven experience!
PRECAST SYSTEMS
2013 Used Kuhn Knight 8141
2014 Kuhn Knight 8124 1,000 PTO, New hammers, gone thru shop, very good shape $21,000
1,000 PTO, Very good condition, Call for details - $38,000
W.H. Lien Inc.
Hwy. 12, Darwin, MN 55324
N8974 Pole Grove Rd. • Hixton, WI
715-963-4211
1-888-693-8440 • www.darwinconcrete.com
Put the PLUS+ in your herd productivity Save time to milk additional cows per day and increase milk production
Sales & Service of New & Used Farm Machine ry
™
More milk per cow
Greater labor efficiency
Potential to save water and energy
Impact on feed cost and downtime
Products in concentrated forms that use less packages, formulated to your needs
Your partners in dairy production We offer a complete range of products to our customers. We service what we sell to help keep your farm in top shape. Our goal is to make you more profitable and more efficient through innovative equipment, aftermarket solutions, scheduled maintenance and 24 hour emergency services.
www.delaval.com
Contact one of the following dealers to learn more: IOWA Kramer Bros. Monticello, IA 319-465-5931 Prairie Land Ag Supply Inc. Rock Valley, IA 712-476-9290 United-Suckow Dairy Supply West Union, IA 563-422-5355 Postville, IA 563-864-7417
WISCONSIN Advanced Dairy/Bob’s Dairy Supply Spring Valley, WI 715-772-3201 Ederer Dairy Supply Plain, WI 608-546-3713 Joe’s Refrigeration Inc. Withee, WI 715-229-2321 Mlsna Dairy Supply Inc. Cashton, WI 608-654-5106 Professional Dairy Services Waunakee, WI 608-849-5043
Mondovi Dairy Systems Inc. Mondovi, WI 715-926-5777 West Salem, WI 608-769-2113 The Scharine Group Inc. Whitewater, WI 800 472-2880 Mt Horeb, WI 800-872-3470 MINNESOTA & SOUTH DAKOTA D&D Ag Supply Pennock, MN 320-599-4466
East Central Dairy Supply Mora, MN 320-679-1029 Genex Farm Systems Melrose, MN 320-256-3276 Watertown, MN 605-886-7401 Sioux Falls, SD 800-284-0015 S&S Dairy System LLC St. Charles, MN 507-932-4288 Professional Dairy Systems Wadena, MN 218-632-5416
is a registered trademark of Tetra Laval Holdings & Finance S.A. and “DeLaval” is a registered trade/servicemark of DeLaval Holding AB © 2018 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. www.delaval.com
Shaping future dairy leaders to ensure long-term success
As consumers become further removed from agriculture, yet more demanding of transparency in how their food is produced, it has become important to prepare future leaders in the dairy industry. Just as sustainable practices on the farm are critical to long-term success for the industry, so is the shaping of young dairy advocates to ensure consumer trust in dairy is carried into the next generation. Midwest Dairy has a long tradition in shaping dairy advocates through Dairy Princess By Bob Lefebvre programs in North Dakota, South Senior VP Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa and Midwest Dairy Minnesota. Every year, hundreds Agriculture Affairs of high school and college women who have a background or interest in dairy – whether they grew up on a dairy farm, are studying dairy science in school, or aspiring to work in the dairy industry – show interest in becoming the face for dairy. Princess candidates attend trainings designed to hone leadership and communication skills, then put their training into practice by interacting with consumers and seeing rsthand how important and effective it is to engage in these conversations. Upon completion of the program, they are stronger dairy advocates and show a desire to stay engaged in the industry. This year, as Midwest Dairy embarks on a new consumer-focused strategic plan designed to give consumers an excellent dairy experience, we’ve evaluated the work we do with young dairy leaders to determine how we take a proven body of work to the next level. In addition to continuing the princess programs, we are expanding our college-age Dairy Ambassador program, which was piloted two years ago through a partnership with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Extension. Through the Nebraska Dairy Ambassador program, ve college students with an interest or background in dairy were immersed in industry functions, learning not only the ins and outs of dairy production, but also taking the rst steps to build relationships within the industry. By attending events including the Nebraska Dairy Convention and a Midwest Dairy board meeting, they networked with dairy leaders and saw rsthand interesting points of collaboration within the industry. Ambassadors also participated in trainings to develop speaking, writing and social media skills, then engaged in dairy conversations with consumers at events, including the state fair, and other consumer facing events. Through their experiences, the Dairy Ambassadors fostered a sense of dairy advocacy. In gratitude for their commitment, the students received scholarships to help further their university education. The Nebraska Dairy Ambassador program was successful on multiple levels and resulted in students’ leadership development as well as stronger relationships. This year, we are pleased to expand the Dairy Ambassador program to other states across the Midwest Dairy region, making sure each program is designed to t each state’s diverse consumer. Midwest Dairy kicked off its 2018 Dairy Ambassador programs in South Dakota and Nebraska earlier this year. Dairy Ambassador programs in Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri and Illinois will be kicked off in the months ahead. In the future, our efforts to shape young dairy leaders will include working with high school students. Midwest Dairy has long been supportive of the outstanding work already underway through programs such as FFA and 4-H, and we envision taking our partnership with these organizations to a higher level. Additionally, we will set our sights on farmers just out of college to engage them in leadership opportunities such as serving on local, county or state and regional boards. We will also equip them with tools critical to their farms’ success as well as encourage interaction with consumers through events and social media. After all, no one else can give consumers an excellent dairy experience better than dairy farmers leaders who actively share their stories. For more information on Midwest Dairy’s princess and ambassador programs and other leadership opportunities, visit the “For Farmers” section on MidwestDairy.com.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 23
Counting on their components
Baiers’ herd testing at 4 percent butterfat By Brittany Olson
brittany.o@dairystar.com
EAU GALLE, Wis. – With strong butter prices and shrinking premiums on top of lackluster class III prices, many dairy farmers are focusing on maintaining or improving the amount of milk solids leaving the farm in the milk truck. While genetics are an important piece of the milk production puzzle, environment – including high quality feed and cow comfort – help to unlock a cow’s genetic potential. That nature-and-nurture philosophy is on display at Baier Creek Farms, where father and son, Charlie and Trevor Baier, along with Charlie’s brother and nephew, Rod and Steve, milk 400 cows near Eau Galle, Wis. The Baiers’ herd of mostly Holstein cows, with a few Jersey crosses, averages 99 pounds of milk every day with 4 percent butterfat and a somatic cell count between 30 to 40,000. “We try to stay around a 3 to 3.1 percent protein,” Trevor said. “We ship two loads of milk a day, and those two loads are typically between a 4 to 4.1 fat.” Because their milk goes toward cheese production, the Baiers also keep a close eye on their herd’s cheese yield,
BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR
Trevor (leŌ) and Charlie Baier’s herd of 400 cows has a daily milk yield of 99 pounds per day with a 4.0 percent fat, 3.0 percent protein, and somaƟc cell count between 30 to 40,000 at Baier Creek Dairy near Eau Galle, Wis. Not pictured are Rod and Steve Baier. which is around 3,379 pounds per cow throughout the lactation period. “Our herd average is slightly under
33,790 pounds, or 10 times our cheese yield,” Trevor said. After their cooperative nixed the
use of rBST by its members at the beginning of 2018, the Baiers weren’t sure what to expect as far as total milk Turn to BAIER | Page 25
Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 25
ConƟnued from BAIER | Page 23 loss. However, they have noticed an uptick in butterfat production with losing volume. “Before we went off rBST, our fat was around a 3.85 to 3.9. Going off of it has come back to bite us a little bit as far as overall pounds shipped, but the increased components are paying for the loss in milk,” Trevor said. “We’re getting paid on a component basis so it helps.” Genetics play a large role in high-producing dairy cows. Trevor said their breeding philosophy, particularly in the past year, has shifted from selecting for functional type to choosing bulls from proven high component cow families. “Instead of worrying about feet and legs, for example, components are going to take our herd to the next level,” Trevor said. Keeping their cows clean and comfortable in their sandbedded freestalls with fresh air moving throughout the barn at all times is a top priority for the Baiers. Stalls are raked and cleaned every milking, and the barn was built to prevent overstocking with one stall for every cow. On top of keeping their cows’ living quarters clean, the Baiers are also looking to minimize their cows’ time going to and from the milking parlor so they can get back to eating and resting as soon as possible.
BRITTANY OLSON/DAIRY STAR
The Baiers’ new transiƟon barn, along with how they feed transiƟon cows, has contributed to cows peaking earlier in their lactaƟons and sustaining their lactaƟon curves for a longer period of Ɵme. “Cow comfort locks in genetics,” Charlie said. “Laying down for 14 hours a day is the key.” Consistently producing quality feed is also top of mind during the cropping season. “Until we corrected ourselves and started to make perfect feed, we weren’t really producing at the level we wanted to,” Trevor said. “We’re maximizing our forages so we don’t have to buy corn to add energy or soybean meal to add protein, and our feed efciency is better that way.”
Alfalfa is harvested for haylage every 28 days throughout the season to capitalize on protein content and ber digestibility. The Baiers are also outstanding growers of brown-midrib corn silage, as exhibited by their championship win at the 2017 World Forage Analysis Superbowl. “I am a big believer in BMR corn,” Trevor said. Bypass fat is also added to the ration to improve milk fat, as well as molasses. The two working together in the ration,
on top of the high-quality forages, have played a large role in keeping fat tests high. “The bypass adds extra butterfat and it keeps rumen acidity down, too,” Trevor said. “Feeding molasses has been our ticket to higher butterfat, too. It binds everything up.” The cows are fed once a day, and feed is pushed twice every milking leading to a total of six pushes per day. Paying close attention to how they are feeding transition cows in the post-fresh period has not only improved milk
component production, but milk production overall. “The feed has to be fresh,” Charlie said. “The way we feed transition cows has really helped, too.” Trevor echoed his father, adding that getting their cows to peak earlier in the lactation sustains their lactation curves throughout the 305 days they are in the milking string. “We don’t want their lactation curves getting thrown off,” Trevor said. “We don’t want to take away bypass and molasses coming into the milking string and affect peak milk and lactation curves.” The Baiers’ advice for farmers looking to improve butterfat production includes keeping a close eye on feed storage and consistently keeping cows comfortable and eating good feed. “Talk to your nutritionist about adding something to the ration with value,” Trevor said. “Keep in mind that every farm is different, and that cows don’t like change.” Charlie agreed. “You’ve got to manage your bunkers. Overlling them can lead to problems like mold in the feed,” Charlie said. “You’ve got to switch your thinking to cow comfort, too. We spend a lot of time making sure they eat as a group and lay down as a group and try to prevent overstocking. Just take care of your cows.”
RECOVER YOUR SAND! Patented P atented Dual Dual Flight Fligh Design
WAT E R & F
IBE R
SA ND With flights attached to the inside wall wal a l of the tube, sand settles in the process of rotating to the top. Fibre floats in the water d flights fli hts that slips through the upper split flights and cascades over the standard down the core of the tube, leaving the sand to exit the tube into a neat stack below. Once the fibre and water reach the lower double flight, it exits the tube.
The Sand Cannon and One Shot sand separator systems produce, by far, the highest quality sand in the industry!
www.daritech.com
For more information, contact a local dealer near you ...
Koster Farm’s Sand Recovery System
Midwest Livestock
Foxland Harvestore ar estore
www.midwestlivestock.com
www.foxlandharvestore.com
Serving Minnesota, Iowa and South Dakota
Serving East & Central Wisconsin
Komro Sales
Serving West & Central Wisconsin
www. komrosales.com
Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
ARC/PLC signup, marketing loan reminders
As a friendly reminder, we are asking that you please inform our ofce of any changes to your farming operation as soon as you can as we are preparing for the 2018 crop year. This can be a change of address, business name or type (corporation, LLC, partnership, FSA News & Notes etc.) or adding land to your operation whether by lease or purchase. For the ofce to make a land change, we require the producer provide a signed lease agreement or a recorded deed to show purchase. 2018 ARC/PLC signup is underway, so stop in the ofce and take care of this By Ryan Brunn before eld work begins. Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. We can email or fax them for signatures as well if that is more convenient. Take care of this task now to avoid adding time to your trips to the ofce later in the year. This fall, many producers utilized our Marketing Assistance Loan program and took a loan on their 2017 corn, soybeans or small grain. Since it has been a few months, I wanted to remind these producers of their responsibility to maintain their grain and the proper way to dispose of any grain that is being used as collateral to remain in compliance with the program and avoid any penalties. Bins are ideally designed to hold a level volume of grain. When bins are overlled and grain is heaped, airow is hindered, and the chance of spoilage increases. Producers who take out marketing assistance loans and use the farm-stored grain as collateral should remember that they are responsible for maintaining the quality of the grain through the term of the loan. This includes preventing any insect infestations that could lead to unmarketable grain. If loan grain has been disposed of through feeding, selling or any other form of disposal without prior written authorization from the county ofce staff, it is considered unauthorized disposition. The nancial penalties for unauthorized dispositions are severe and a producer’s name will be placed on a loan violation list for a two-year period. Always call before you haul any grain under loan and let us know where you are selling. If you are planning on feeding the grain, you must buy back the bushels before you feed. 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.
We BUY, SELL, TRADE used dairy equipment and milk tanks WE SPECIALIZE IN USED DAIRY EQUIPMENT.
Milking machine equipment, bulk milk tanks and cooling equipment. Give us a call, we will be glad to help you with any of your milking machine or bulk tank needs.
We also BUY your used equipment and milk tanks.
SALVAGE HOUSE
424 Third Street, Fullerton, NE 68638 • 800-844-5427
FOR SALE:
200 good quality Holstein heifers, 6-8 months bred, for sale at all times, shots & trucking included.
MILLER CATTLE 612-201-1613
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 27
Learning how to deal with frustration The Transition Pen
By John Rosenhammer & Laura Scholtz Father/Daughter Farming Duo Leaving the farm for 10 days in January made me nervous. I rushed to nish entering records into PCDart, instructing my dad and sister how to use our rumination and heat activity system on their own. I made lists of vaccines and ovsynch shots to be given on specic days. I gave instructions on feeding calves and made sure all bills were paid before I left. My dad and I had been debating during the week about which cows to sell but hadn’t come to an agreement. As I ran out of time, I wrote down a list of about six cows and told him to choose a few, and we would deal with the rest when I returned. I wanted each of the six cows gone and each had their reasons. Apple was No. 1 on my list. She has a history of getting pregnant and instantly dropping in milk production well before her dry up date and this lactation was no exception. I knew she was one of dad’s favorites, and he certainly wouldn’t sell her. As I drove away from the farm, I dreaded coming back because I knew Apple would still be there, still be a low producer, and I’d have to convince my dad her time was up. Fast forward 10 days. Monday morning, I woke up early, eager to see all the new calves, fresh heifers and other changes since I’d been gone. First, I walked through the calf barn, many healthy new calves greeted me, and a few older ones frustrated me as I could tell they weren’t as aggressive as they had been when I left. Next, I went to the barn and saw a list of low milk cows that I knew wasn’t good. I helped with milking, anxiously watching for each of the cows on my cull list to gure out who Dad had sold. Finally, I nished milking and had time to investigate. I checked over the calves and gave them treatments. Then, I went through the list of cows with low milk and decided who to treat and who needed to be culled, as without rBST as an aid I knew a comeback wasn’t in the future for the open, late lactation cows. At last, I found time to check on the fresh cow. I was informed they didn’t know what was wrong. She couldn’t get up but hadn’t fallen down and wasn’t responding to any treatment. No. 892 didn’t even inch as I walked in, took her temperature, which was low, indicating she was shutting down. Frustration lled my mind and my body lled with anger. My dad had already given 892 each treatment I would’ve tried. We had planned on lack of rBST causing us to cull a few cows, but not all at once. I knew I could nurse the sick calves back to health, but their slow down in growth costs money and additional labor. To be completely honest, the millennial in me wanted to scream, blame my frustrations on everyone else and make excuses. I knew if I didn’t take action to calm myself, I would say something I would regret. I stayed in my ofce all afternoon, getting caught up on records and orga-
Monahan
HOOF TRIMMING Since 1997
Trimming commercial and show cattle
We use a hydraulic upright chute for less stress. “Our two man crew allows us to complete the job in a timely manner with less disruption of your herd’s daily routine.”
Call Dan at
507-272-3447
nizing my ofce. Getting these simple tasks accomplished improved my mood. I accepted that 892 wasn’t anyone’s fault. I checked our heifer numbers, and we had plenty of replacements to justify culling a few more cows. I again made a list of cows to cull. My dad agreed we needed to cull a few and called the trucker for the next morning. We had a list of ve cows and agreed we would sell at least four. As Tuesday morning came around, I told myself I would not let myself become frustrated again. At the beginning of milking, my dad and I discussed the cows and of course Apple was the one he didn’t want to budge on. I calmly showed him her production records as evidence. I knew if he didn’t agree to sell Apple this week, I’d have to again bring her up the next time we sell cows. He said he would think about it as we milked cows. I knew continually talking to try and make my point clear wasn’t a way to get through to my dad. I wrote down each of the cows on our white board and listed their reasons. Oddly enough, this
gave me peace that I had stated my opinion and it had been heard. Later in the morning, the trucker came. I found my dad and as calmly as I could, stated my reasoning and this time, he nodded and we started sorting cows. That moment was the highlight of my week, not because I got my way but because I managed to keep my calm, got a huge weight off my shoulders and handled the situation like a mature adult. It is far too easy to let our emotions get the best of us, to make excuses, to argue, to rush judgement and blame others. Dairy farming has no time for that. Each day presents challenges creating many reasons to be upset or take on a negative attitude. I cannot control what happens each day. Cows will die unexpectedly and calves will get sick, but I can control my attitude and react in a positive way. Laura Scholtz farms with her father, John Rosenhammer, and uncle, Greg, on Roseview Dairy near Sleepy Eye, Minn. They milk 200 Holsteins and run 580 acres of cropland.
Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Betty Berning bberning@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@umn.edu 612-625-3130 Hugh Chester-Jones chest001@umn.edu 507-835-3622 Gerard Cramer gcramer@umn.edu 612-625-8184 Marcia Endres miendres@umn.edu 612-624-5391 Sandra Godden godde002@umn.edu 612-625-8177 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 Les Hansen hanse009@umn.edu 612-624-2277 Brad Heins hein0106@umn.edu 320-589-1711 Kevin Janni kjanni@umn.edu 612-625-3108 Karen Johnson ande9495@umn.edu 320-484-4334 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 Brenda Miller nels4220@umn.edu 320-732-4435 Kota Minegishi kota@umn.edu 612-624-7455 Randy Pepin pepin019@umn.edu 320-333-1369 Erin Royster royster@umn.edu Jim Salfer salfe001@umn.edu 320-203-6093 M. Scott Wells mswells@umn.edu 612-625-3747 Emily Wilmes krek0033@umn.edu 320-255-6169
www.extension.umn.edu/dairy
Managing dairy farms with tight margins Most dairy farmers would agree that they have become accustomed to volatile milk prices over the past few decades. As dairy farm prot margins tighten, farmers become more vigilant in managing input costs while considering ways to improve revenue. The question many dairy farmers are asking is, “How low is the price going to go and how long can I hold on?” While this question can’t be answered 100 percent, dairy farmers should be evaluating their cost of production to survive a period of tightening margins. Using the most recent FINBIN data, Minnesota dairy farms reported an average total cost of production equal to $14.90 By Joleen Hadrich per cwt in 2016. Operating expenses were Assoc. Professor & reported at $12.19 per cwt while ownership Extension Economist expenses were $2.71 per cwt. Including a labor and management charge increased the cost of production to $16.68 per cwt which was $0.35 per cwt more than the milk price at $16.33 per cwt. This illustrates an important point; if the dairy farmer was not including a charge for labor and management, they netted a positive prot in 2016 ($1.43 per cwt). In reality, they were breaking even or losing money since they were paying for their management and labor through family withdrawals. With Class III milk price futures trading around $13.60 per cwt (March 2018) to $15.80 per cwt (Dec. 2018), dairy farmers are hoping to break even. Many dairy farmers will experience negative margins, especially in the rst half of 2018. As a farm manager, your goal is to identify ways to minimize or recoup your losses. While making $0 per cwt is not ideal, it is still better than a negative margin. Operating expenses are the rst line of defense to break-even in the short-run. In 2016, feed cost was 64 percent of total operating expenses. Of the $7.74 per cwt for total feed, $4 per cwt was dedicated towards protein, vitamins, minerals and complete ration formulations. Decreasing feed costs by as little as 10 percent decreased overall operating expenses by $0.77 per cwt, which more than covers the $0.35 per cwt shortfall. However, it is important to remember that input changes should not cause long-term milk yield decreases or health concerns for the dairy cow. Dairy supplies are one of the top three costs for dairy farms. In 2016, they were estimated at $0.91 per cwt. Larger farms are able to buy many of their supplies at wholesale prices, while smaller dairy farms tend to buy the majority of their supplies at retail prices. Working with your neighbors
OPEN HOUSE
and input suppliers to purchase larger quantities of inputs at wholesale (or close to) prices may allow you to capitalize on lower input costs for supplies. With tightening margins, every small decrease in your overall input costs helps your bottom line. In the long-run, all expenses become variable, but it is important to manage intermediate and long-term assets taking into consideration today’s economic conditions. It is difcult to directly connect prot changes to assets, but increased efciencies should improve yield and prot. In 2016, dairy farm machinery and building depreciation was 26 percent of total ownership expenses. While depreciation is not a cash expense, it does represent the wear and tear on intermediate and long-term assets. As prot margins tighten, machinery and building investment tends to decrease while repairs and maintenance increase. Every farm is different, and not all of these strategies will work for everyone. However, one thing that is important when prot margins become this tight is knowing your cost of production and how it compares to similar farms in your region. This allows you to evaluate your operation and nd strategies to remain competitive in a volatile market. A few resources exist to benchmark your cost of production to others. Through collaboration between Minnesota state colleges and universities and University of Minnesota Extension, the FINBIN database is publicly available which allows you to generate benchmark reports for different enterprises (nbin. umn.edu). Benchmark reports can be personalized based on your current region, number of cows, as well as production practices (3X milking, robotic milking, etc.) Your lender may also have a benchmark report already generated for your farm, since this is typically completed prior to renewing operating loans. When farmers are asked what trait has allowed them to be successful when margins tighten, they have described the importance of being nimble. They appreciate they work in a commodity industry where volatility is part of their daily job and prices are just as likely to increase as well as decrease. A nimble producer is closely evaluating their cost of production on a regular basis to identify ways to adjust their operating costs as selling prices change. Through this process they might nd a more efcient strategy that allows them to have a larger margin once prices go back up. While there isn’t one specic answer to survive a period of tightening margins, it is important to ask for help and utilize the resources available through extension and your agricultural communities.
Express Pressure Washers, Inc. 15880 SE 74th Ave. Blooming Prairie, MN 55917 507-583-2703
Mon.-Fri., March 12 - 16 Refreshments & Coffee
DEALER REP SCHEDULE Tuesday 13th: McCormick & Vermeer Wednesday 14th: Agco & Gehl Thursday 15th: Bobcat
March 12-30 Special ~~ 15% OFF Farm Oyl & 10% OFF Tillage parts During Open House Week Only - 10% OFF parts & Lubricants (Excludes stove parts) 5% OFF Sunfilm and Vermeer Netwrap
19828 US Hwy. 10, Verndale, MN 56481 218-445-5430 • www.aldrichtractor.com
Check out our Used Equipment at
www.expresspressurewashers.com PARTS * ACCESSORIES * SOAP REPAIR * ON-SITE SERVICE
ALL OUR MACHINES CARRY OUR 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE Open Monday to Friday 8:00 to 5:00 Saturday 8:30 to 12:00 / Fax: 507-583-2060 Email: service@expresspressurewashers.com Join us on Facebook!
How are you managing stress?
N FL O O AR
you a few minutes of mindfulness. Our physical health is important to stress management. Just as important is our mental health and awareness. It is natural for us to react to stressors, but how we react makes a difference. Try to keep in mind that there are things that are simply out of our control. We cannot control the weather. We cannot control the markets. We cannot control what other people do. We can control our actions. We can control our attitudes. By focusing on what we have control over, we feel more in control and less stressed. Part of being in control includes planning. For each day or week, make a quick written plan. Be sure to do this in advance so you have time to determine if you need anything for planned tasks. Having time to prepare will reduce stress in the moment. Keep in mind that even the best laid plans may not come to fruition. Speaking of control, I mentioned how you can’t control other people. However, you can control how you interact with them. In any situation, open communication is vital to a good farm culture and to stress management. Talk with your family and employees you work with on the farm. Let them know what is happening and what needs to be done. If issues arise, let them be a part of the solution. You should also have open communication with your consultants, vendors and lenders. The best relationships are those where communication is open and happens often. Lastly, communicate with friends or family outside of the farm. We all need to let off some steam, and having someone we can talk to is a great way to relieve stress. You can also manage your stress by controlling how you react. Relaxation techniques may seem like something for a yoga studio, but they should be used everywhere for everyone. Use that as a way to disconnect when you feel like you may have a negative reaction to something. Also, just sitting quietly and focusing on breathing can help slow down a racing mind. Do whatever works for you. The important thing is to do something. Managing stress may seem like another thing for which you do not have time. However, you should make the time for it. Knowing how to take care of your physical and mental well-being will help you feel less stressed and likely more productive. If you still feel like something is not right or you can’t get a handle on your stress, do not be afraid to ask for help. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture has launched the Farm and Rural Helpline for anyone involved in agriculture who needs someone to talk to. The helpline is free and completely condential. The helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (833) 600-2670.
PREVENT YOUR COWS FROM DOING THE SPLITS PRE
R
B
There is no question that farming can be a stressful business. There is an ever-changing schedule to manage, plants and animals to care for and a million things to keep track of. A problem in this equation is, while farmers are so busy caring for everything else, farmers sometimes forget to care for themselves. I know that stress, like many things, is just a part of the job. However, our ability to manage By Emily Wilmes stress can make a U of M Extension difference in how we react to the various aspects of farming. Stress management may not seem like the most important topic to farmers, but it is critical to your health and your success. While stress management is a part of your mental health, it actually starts with attending to your physical health. If we do not feel good physically, it only compounds our stress and makes our physical ailments worse. I know “get enough sleep and eat balanced meals” can sometimes feel like a laughable piece of advice, but it is important. Sleep is our body’s chance to recharge and recover from a day’s worth of demanding physical work. It also gives our brains a much-needed rest. Adults should get seven to nine hours of sleep every night. When it comes to diet, avoid excessive coffee, pop and candy bars. Yes, they are a quick x and easy to grab and go, but they have few benets. Extra sugary foods especially can lead to a sugar crash and leave you feeling more exhausted than you did before. Caffeine is a stimulant and can be responsible for headaches, decreased sleep and lack of calmness. Swap the bad drinks and snacks for milk and well-balanced meals. This may seem impossible, but your body and brain need a break anyway, so taking 10 minutes to stop and eat a sandwich will help your physical and mental health. One nal step in your physical health is exercise. This may seem a little counter intuitive, as farmers are on their feet and active all day. However, that is part of the job, not necessarily something you are choosing to do for your health. Exercise does not need to be anything long or strenuous. Try to squeeze in a 10 minute walk around the yard or down the driveway. Take the time to make this about your health and well-being, however difcult that may seem. Another way you could exercise and help your body feel better is doing stretching. Just learning a few simple stretches and doing them throughout the day can reduce soreness and give
AND
G
RO
OVI
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 29
Commitment. Relationships. Trust.
Professional Dealers for: • Bulk tanks • Chiller systems • Plate coolers • Fre-Heater®
• Automated milking systems • Automated feeding systems • Robotic manure scrapers
• Tie-stall & stanchion barn equipment & automation • Parlor equipment & automations • Automated milking systems
• Tie-stall & stanchion barn automation • Centrus rotary platforms • Parlor detachers • Milk weight systems
• Parlor detachers • Milk weight systems
Turner, Inc
Parlor stalls – new install & retrofits
Ventilation systems
DCC Waterbeds® for tie-stall & free-stall barns
Super stall foam mattress systems & more
• Headlocks for all sizes of animals • Free-stall systems
• Prevents future concerns and frustrations • Reduces chance of downtime at inconvenient times (nights/ weekends) • Minimizes need to fix future breakdowns; saves you money in the long run
Sign Up for Our Maintenance Service* 9 Condenser cleaning with Foam-Brite advanced cleaning agent 9 Checkup for starting component; run assessment 9 Fan motor and compressor amp draw 9 Top off Freon; replace filters as needed • If Freon charge is low, leaks located and fixed
Chris Kennedy
Refrigeration Technician
209.202.8649
Feed bins & auger systems
ckennedy@Leedstone.com
Automatic waterers
• Individual calf pens • Calf hutches • Group housing
Jerry Pudlick
Refrigeration Technician
763.458.7029
gpudlick@Leedstone.com
• Calf hutches • Group housing
Contact us to discuss package options! • H & L automated feeding system • H & L milk taxi systems • Pasteurizers & milk cooling systems
Holding Pens • Milk Parlors • Yards • Alleys • Free Stalls
No job too big or small, I groove it all!!!
Early Spring is the time for an annual maintenance check on your bulk tank compressor to make sure your milk stays fresh and cool this summer. A yearly refrigeration checkup helps you keep your tanks and coolers functioning properly.
Dealers Livestock Equipment
• We Double Cut to Prevent Slippage in All Directions • Reasonable Rates We accept credit cards with no additional fees.
Visiti our website Vi b i at www.PandDBarnFloorGrooving.com P dDB • 608-225-3595 (Doug) g)
Minimize Refrigeration Downtime
• Headlocks for all sizes of animals • Free-stall systems • Curtain sidewall systems
Cattle head-gates & chutes
NG
SAVE TIME, FRUSTRATION & MONEY
Jake Moline 320.761.9630
jmoline@Leedstone.com
dbrower@Leedstone.com
Randy Arnhalt 320.267.3235
Paul Becker 320.510.0200
rarnhalt@Leedstone.com Gates & livestock equipment
Don Brower 320.267.1604
pbecker@Leedstone.com
*To perform these tasks, tank must have water or milk at a temperature at 40 to 45 °F. Scheduled maintenance takes roughly 2 hours.
Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Braving a blizzard
The windshield of my pickup suddenly became a regarding those who had stupidly become stranded in wall of opaque whiteness. Just as abruptly, I perceived their vehicles during blizzards. “Those idiots,” I said a total loss of forward momentum and the cab of the to anyone who would listen. “What morons. It would truck began to recline at a nerve-racking angle. The serve them right if they were charged the full cost of pickup’s engine died. There their rescues. We could call was no sound save for the it a voluntary imbecile tax.” unrelenting roar of the wind. M And now – oh, the My courage thus h steeled, l dI My goal had been simirony – here I was in that ple. All I wanted to do was opened the door and stepped same pickle. drive the two miles from into blinding fury of the storm. I calmly assessed Mom’s farm (where we kept the situation. Night had our herd of Holsteins) back fallen and the temperature to my house, so I could have was expected to plummet to supper with my wife and our two sons and sleep in my 20-some below zero. My pickup was low on gas. On own bed. Not too much to ask, I told myself. And it the plus side, I was dressed quite warmly. Even so, I wasn’t, except in the midst of a howling Dakota bliz- could probably expect frostbitten ngers and/ or toes zard. by morning. I had long been disgusted by the stories I’d heard The distance to Mom’s house was only three-
Priority IAC
TM
the Smart bacteria & Nutrition Company
TM
the P-One Program
TM
- the
1st Ingredient
TM
EZ OPEN – Hold Wide Tape…Pull Small Tape
For Healthy Cows
®
Contains a source of o live (viable) naturally occurring microorganisms, Amylase which can hydrolyze starch, Protease which can hydrolyze prote proteins, beta-Glucanase which can hydrolyze ß-glucans (a type of non-starch polysaccharide), Hemicellulase
Analysis
Total Propionibact Propionibacteria (minimum) ...........................................................................16 billion cfu/pound (35 million cfu/gram) (Propionibacterium freudenreichii) freud
Total Yeast Y (minimum) (minim ..........................................................................................300 billion cfu/pound (661 million cfu/gram) (Active Dry Yeast Y Sacch Saccharomyces cerevisiae)
Enzyme Activ Activity (minimum)
Bacterial Amylase y (Bacillus ( subtilis)................................................................................................................. 118,000 BAU*/lb. *Bacterial amylase BAU = one on bacterial amylase unit (BAU) is the quantity of enzyme that will dextrinize starch at the rate of 1 mg/min at pH 6.6 and 30°C.
Fungal g Amylase y (Aspergillus ((A oryzae)................................................................................................................. 95,250 SKB*/lb. *Fungal amylase SKB = number num of grams of soluble starch dextrinized, in the presence of excess ß-amylase, per hour at pH 5.0 and 400C.
Fungal g Protease (Aspergillus ((A oryzae) ................................................................................................................ 68,000 HUT*/lb. *Fungal protease HUT = the amount of enzyme that produces, in 1 minute at pH 4.7 and 400C, a hydrolysate whose absorbance at 275 nm is the same as that of a solution containing 1.10 ȝJ perr m yrosine in 00.006N hydrochloric acid. mll off ttyrosine
beta-Glucanase (Trichoderma ((Tr longibrachiatum) .....................................................................................................900 BGU*/lb. *Beta Glucanase BGU = the amount of enzyme which, liberates glucose to 1 mol glucose per minute at pH 6.5 and 40°C.
Hemicellulase (Aspergillus (Asp p niger) ............................................................................................................................225 HCU*/lb. *Hemicellulase HCU = one hemicellulase hem unit (HCU) is defined as that activity that will produce a relative fluidity change of 1 over a period of 5 min in a locust bean gum substrate at pH 4.5 and 40°C
Ingredients
Sodium bentonite bentonite, plant protein products, mineral oil, dried Bacillus subtilis fermentation extract, dried Aspergillus oryzae fermentation fermentati extract, dried Trichoderma longibrachiatum fermentation extract, dried Aspergillus niger extract, dried Propionibacterium freudenreichii fermentation product, sodium silico aluminate. fermentation extra
Directions for fo Use
Pre-fresh Cows ((or Lactating Cows): Feed DCP™ at 1 ounce per head per day for 14–21 day period to colonize and act as a lactic acid utilizer. Follow with feeding P-One™ (see P-One™ label for proper use). One group - dry g group, with no close-up group: Feed 1 ounce DCPTM the ¿ rst 14 days of each month.
Branded Strains of Smart bacteria: A4000h™ ......................Pediococcus pentosaceus A2020™ ..................................... Lactococcus lactis 2E-1™ ..................................Enterococcus faecium EF141™ ...............................Enterococcus faecium LC222™ .................................... Lactobacillus casei LBR1000™ .............................. Lactobacillus brevis LP100™ ............................ Lactobacillus plantarum Found Only in Priority IAC Products
For optimum syn synergy feed with P-OneTM and TracePac GoldTM Smart Release CrystalsTM Progr (the P-One Program™).
Storage Reco Recommendations Store in a cool dry area out of direct sunlight.
Priority IAC
TM
3504 County Road CR Manitowoc, WI 54220 USA forhealthycows.com info@forhealthycows.com 920-682-0264
Net wt. 30 lb. (13.64 kg) FULL WARRANTY/DISCLAIMER INFORMATION AT forhealthycows.com 03130.30.05232017
Smart bacteria Smart microbiome - Stabilize and maintain pH - Optimize energy transport through efficient carbohydrate metabolism
The microbiome in every cow is different, yet all are fed the same TMR and expected to perform the same. The branded strains of Smart bacteria, found only in the P-One Program™, optimize energy transport through efficient carbohydrate metabolism. This stabilizes and maintains rumen pH, making the P-One Program™ - Your First Ingredient.
888-444-2030 | forhealthycows.com or an Authorized Reseller
fourths of a mile. Should I try to hoof it? So what if I didn’t have a ashlight? Didn’t I know the lay of this land like the back of my hand? I thought of how my Norse ancestors had set forth from their frozen haunts to conquer and colonize. Dear County Agent Guy Would they have let a little wind and snow put a crimp on their creative merger and acquisition methods? Heck, no. My courage thus steeled, I opened the door and stepped into blinding fury of the storm. That wind! It could rip the very breath from your lungs. The By Jerry Nelson wind chill was nearly 50 Columnist below. How long could it take to walk threefourths of a mile? Ten minutes? Surely I could endure it for that brief while. I set off in the direction of Mom’s house – northward and into the teeth of the blizzard. My forehead felt as if I had an ice cream headache. I held a gloved hand up by my face to serve as a windbreak. The hand quickly became numb. “Follow the road,” I thought. A simple enough task, except there was nothing to follow in the snowchoked darkness. Not a single landmark nor yard light was visible; nothing but an inky, windy void. What if I strayed from the road and became lost? I knew what they would say when they found my frozen carcass: “That idiot. What was he thinking, trying to walk through a blizzard at night?” As a child, I had always feared the dark. I imagined carnivorous monsters lurking in the shadows, waiting for little boys who were foolish enough to get up for a drink of water in the middle of the night. Now, an all-encompassing darkness clenched me in its cold-hearted st. The wind spoke to me in gibbering voices that taunted and beguiled. “Imbecile,” said the gale, “Even the Vikings knew better than to walk out into a blizzard after dark.” And, as the snowstorm sunk its icy talons deeper into my esh, it whispered seductively, “Stop. Rest for a bit and you’ll feel refreshed. Just lie down for a moment.” Ignoring the voices, I pressed onward. Would this night, this winter never end? Am I forever trapped in this lightless and frozen purgatory? I stumbled over a growing snowdrift and nearly fell. Or, was the Grim Reaper merely messing with me by tripping me with his scythe? On and on I trudged. Surely I should have gotten there by now. How long had I been walking? Was I lost? Lord, it was cold. The wind seemed to be gradually letting up. Or was my imagination playing tricks on me again? I lifted my eyes and beheld a most wondrous sight: the milky smudge of our farm’s yard light. I’d made it. Shoot, that was a piece of cake. I walked into Mom’s house as nonchalantly as if I had been out for a pleasant summertime stroll. As expected, I received a severe tongue-lashing for causing everybody so much worry. I was ordered to call my wife, who was reported as being beside herself. “That’s the trouble with womenfolk,” I thought as I dialed the phone, “They always imagine the worst.” Jerry is a recovering dairy farmer from Volga, S.D. He and his wife, Julie, have two grown sons and live on the farm where Jerry’s great-grandfather homesteaded over 110 years ago. Jerry currently works full time for the Dairy Star as a staff writer/ ad salesman. Feel free to E-mail him at: jerry.n@dairystar.com.
Novak Welding & Repair
REMODELING • RETROFIT • CUSTOM • Portable Welding
• Gates and fencing for livestock facilities, parlors & loading areas • Access to high quality headlocks and freestalls
JEFF NOVAK 608-929-1161
Priced Right!
4736 State Rd., 80 Highland, WI 53543
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 31
Cold stress in dairy cows Timing for this column is a bit delayed as the days are getting longer and we’ve recently seen a few days above freezing; however, we know it’s been a cold winter in the Midwest, and we still have cold days in front of us. A signicant amount of information focuses on the benets of Something to Ruminate On heat abatement as we reach the upper critical temperature-humidity index around 68 degrees F. Little research, however, focuses on cold stress in dairy cattle. Mature dairy cattle produce an incredible amount of heat By Barry Visser through rumination Nutritionist and the digestion of feedstuffs, and thus withstand weather conditions that we might nd unbearable. While most cows in the Midwest are sheltered, experts have suggested the lower critical temperatures at which cows might eventually sacrice milk production may fall between freezing and zero degrees F. At this threshold, cows begin to expend extra energy to maintain body temperature. This is dependent on many variables, including air movement in a barn, humidity, extent of winter hair coat, production level, and bedding type and condition. Dry matter intake (DMI) can often be a limiting factor on production for lactating dairy cows. While cows have a mild capacity to increase energy intake through extremely cold weather, there are limitations. Forage quality and rate of digestion will impact rumen ll. Work with your nutritionist to adjust DMI and energy density during extremely cold weather. Feed bunk management practices, such as feeding frequency, feed pushup and distribution, are more critical than ever during cold months. In addition, we deal with frozen chunks of silage and other moist feeds in the TMR, and feeds are consumed at a temperature much cooler than the standard environment of rumen microbes. Water consumption is critical to maintain DMI even in cooler temperatures. While winter water consumption is lower than summer, high-producing dairy cows still benet from a minimum of 2 linear inches of available water space. In addition to frozen water, ice buildup can limit water access. Techniques with salt or sand can reduce this challenge, but take advantage of breaks in the cold to remove this ice and accelerate the process. Cleaning waterers in the winter months can also be a challenge. Again, take advantage of warmer periods to focus on this task. The primary challenges with prolonged cold stress often go beyond nutrition. Frozen, chunky bedding results in compromised lying surfaces and impacts stall usage. Extra effort should be made to keep stalls lled, groomed, clean and dry. Frozen manure in alleys and slippery oors can be a concern for cow movement and injury. Footbath usage often decreases (for obvious reasons) during periods of cold weather, resulting in increased lameness. Teat health can be compromised. Drying and dipping strategies are often adjusted to reduce the risk for mastitis. Consideration needs to be taken as we enter the next few months of transitioning weather patterns. A quick removal of the long, winter hair across the topline of incoming heifers and sometimes dry cows is benecial to a smooth facility transition. Monitor air quality in the barns. Often, we have walls or doors buttoned up tight in the dead of winter and may need to reevaluate with warmer daytime temperatures. Fan and sprinkler maintenance will also follow in the next couple months. Despite what the groundhog might indicate, winter will come to an end soon. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
• Facility Design
• Ventilation
• Construction Services
• Grain Storage
• Sand/Solids Separation
• Crop Irrigation
• Manure Handling
• Equipment Sales
See us at the Eau Claire Farm Show, March 6 & 7 W4666 State Hwy 85 Durand, WI 54736 715-672-4263
www.komrosales.com
36275 Tower Drive Whitehall, WI 54773 715-538-1495
How to make your cows disappear...
Sell it in the classieds!
320-352-6303
Feeding Flexibility & Durability in One Mixer 9 Different Sizes to choose from 175 cu. ft. - 1,300 cu. ft.
STAINLESS STEEL CONVEYORS Go to www.cloverdaletmr.com for more information.
5 YR. OR 5,000 LOAD WARRANTY ON MIXING TUBS, AUGER,, FLOOR AND FRAME.
Contact your local dealer to learn more! Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equipment of MN, Inc. Pipestone, MN 507-825-3271
Isaacson Sales & Service, Inc. Lafayette, MN 507-228-8270 888-228-8270
Ross Equipment Co., Inc. Lonsdale, MN 800-645-7677 507-744-2525
Hartung Sales & Service, Inc.
Freeport, MN 320-836-2697 Chris: 320-630-5143
Brynsaas Sales & Service, Inc.
“We had used a three auger horizontal mixer for the last 7 or 8 years and knew we had to look at a vertical mixer. The belt discharge on the first vertical we tried, didn’t work like we wanted. Another vertical we looked at didn’t have the stainless steel conveyor or walking tandems and was a lot more money. Everyone we talked to liked the Cloverdale. The best thing now is the consistency of our mix, from the first 100 lbs. to the end of the bunk.” - Steiner Farms, Eden, SD - Brandon and Nathan Steiner
Decorah, IA www.brynsaas.com 563-382-4484
Anibas Silo & Equipment
Arkansaw, WI 715-285-5317 DEALERS STOCK REPLACEMENT PARTS FOR OTHER BRAND MIXERS
Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
A couple good stories
I’m Irish, and I love stories. I love to hear stories. routine, and he thought we needed a diversion. He I love to share stories. I guess that is why I enjoy said, “Should we go out for a Valentine’s Day dinner?â€? sharing my thoughts with you. Here are a couple of Now, most wives would jump for joy at the thought stories to love, laugh at, nod that their husband came up your head in agreement and with this novel idea all on even sigh out loud at. their own. I kept bedding When iis the Wh h b best time i ffor a A couple of weeks ago, cows and not missing a Mark stopped in the barn to farmer to be down and out of beat said, “Which co-op ask me a question. We were commission? Most would say is serving a dinner?â€? Our struggling to get through the area Select Sires meeting morning chore routine after never, but sometimes we don’t was that day. I didn’t go to another night of sub-zero have a choice. the meeting and when Mark temperatures. I was babying got there, they were at the the silo unloaders as they bottom of the pans for food. chiseled away at frozen Karma. silage. Mark was pounding on barn cleaner ďƒ&#x;ights so The real reason I didn’t want to go out for dinner they could make it around the reverse curve without was because I didn’t want to be inadvertently exposed breaking. We were both getting tired of the same old to the ďƒ&#x;u bug that is going around. When there is a
We have the right hut to fit your needs from the Mini Dome to the Mega Hut.
M INI D OME for smaller breeds or goats
W ARM C LIMATE H UT super ventilated
C ONVERTIBLE H UT for indoor or outdoor use
H IGH D OOR P OLY D OME for use with fence panels
O NE -P IECE H UNTING B LIND a completely customizable do-it-yourself blind
P OLY D OME the Nursery that ingnited an industry
M EGA H UT Expandable for large animals
P OLY S QUARE has multiple feeder options
All PolyDome shelters are made from high-impact UV stabilized polyethylene making them light enough to move easily, yet sturdy enough to withstand the elements.
& 91-03" t% 0.& the aordable backyard observatory
Now you can sit inside a true observatory sheltered from the wind and annoying neighbor's porch lights. Made from virtually indestructible, UV stabilized polethylene.
"TL GPS PVS DPNQMFUF DBUBMPHT GPS "HSJDVMUVSBM 1SPEVDUT "RVBDVMUVSF &YQMPSBt%PNF PS )VOUJOH #MJOET
Many other farm products available. Visit www.polydome.com for more.
1-800-328-7659 • AG VENTURE FEED & SEED Watkins, MN • 320-764-9910 • LINDELL SALES & SERVICE Cannon Falls, MN • 651-258-4311 • MCINTOSH DAIRY McIntosh, MN • 218-563-3740 • ADKINS EQUIPMENT Detroit Lakes, MN • 218-847-2079 • GALEN FICK Boyden, IA • 712-439-1359 • INWOOD HATCHERY Inwood, IA • 712-753-4736
• DAIRYLAND SUPPLY Sauk Centre, MN • 1-800-338-6455 • STEARNS VETERINARY OUTLET Melrose, MN • 1-800-996-3303 • FLOODWOOD FARM & FEED Floodwood, MN • 218-476-2233 • GERTKEN’S SALES Richmond, MN • 320-597-2207 • TESKE FARM SERVICE Avon, MN • 320-356-7211 • BJERGA FEED Motley, MN • 218-352-6383 or 6379
www.polydome.com • FARMERS CO-OP OF LAFAYETTE Lafayette, MN • 507-228-8224 • SIOUX NATION VET SUPPLY Marshall, MN • 507-532-3716 • FEDERATED CO-OPS Princeton, MN • 763-389-1567 • NEW ULM FEED STORE New Ulm, MN • 507-359-7500 • PIERZ CO-OP Pierz, MN • 320-468-6655 (Randy) • MICHAEL MACK Watertown, SD • 605-881-0365
• GORTER’S CLAY & DAIRY EQUIPMENT, INC. Pipestone, MN • 507-825-3271 • STEVE’S FEED Sleepy Eye, MN • 507-794-3831 • ROBERT FAUST Strawberry Point, IA • 563-933-6561 • SE MN SILO EQUIPMENT St. Charles, MN • 507-932-4560 • SHELDON FARMERS MARKET Sheldon, IA • 712-324-3721
ďƒ&#x;u epidemic, being stuck on the farm with chores and problems can look like a good option. I needed to stay healthy so I could have a surgery. The reason behind the operation is a story in itself. I don’t remember how the kids got all the cattle Just Thinking Out Loud down to a state show that summer, but somehow they couldn’t get them all home in one load. They had made all the trucking arrangements, and I was their backup plan if things didn’t work. I think I was really their original and only plan of how to get all the cattle home. They could get the heifers up to By Natalie Schmitt Howard Lake, but I would Columnist need to bring them the rest of the way home. No problem. I hooked the trailer to the truck and took off to get the show heifers. After about a 45 minute drive on curvy back roads around several lakes, I ďƒžnally made it to Groos’ farm. No one was home; there was a breakfast they were helping with that day. I had instructions as to where I would ďƒžnd the heifers in the side pen of the parlor. Sure enough, that is where I found them. Only, they didn’t have their halters on. I was going to have to catch them. One of the heifers was Jonathon’s yearling by the name of Ralma Gold Crush because she was such a monster and if she stepped on your foot, it was going to hurt. Do you see where the story is going? The Goldwyn bloodline in her also made her a little on the nervous side, and she was not about to be haltered up again. We danced around the pen for a couple of turns before I ďƒžnally got close enough to snag her ears and loop her nose in the halter. Then it happened. She lived up to her name. She put all her weight on the top of my foot as she tried to spin away from me. I dropped to my knees and rolled my eyes as I tried to take in enough air through my nose to keep me from yelling. I wasn’t thinking when I left home that I would need to put on my work boots because I was just picking up show heifers. I had slipped into a pair of tennis shoes. I struggled to stand on my foot, but knew I had to because there wasn’t anyone else around to help. I had to walk it off. As my dad would say, “It’s a long ways from your heart.â€? I hobbled with Crush to the trailer and was able to load the smaller calves with no problems. Now, I just had that winding drive home. Did I mention it was my right foot that Crush crushed? My foot throbbed with pain as I tried to accelerate and brake. I couldn’t put the truck on cruise control because of the curvy roads. Needless to say, it was a long drive home. Now, since there was no blood, no foul. I didn’t go to the doctor, and eventually my foot began to feel better. Fast forward 10 years. When is the best time for a farmer to be down and out of commission? Most would say never, but sometimes we don’t have a choice. At least I could choose when I wanted to be laid up for a couple of months. I picked February and March to be stuck in the house. Most of the sub-zero temps are over, and the daily routine should be steady with fewer breakdowns. I can’t be in the garden yet, and we won’t be in the ďƒželds for a while. This is as good of a time as any, I guess. For the next two months, I have to keep my weight off of my foot. When Crush stepped on it, she really did crush the bones in the top of my foot and now they need time to fuse together. Since I was already under the knife and the doctor was in the area, he also ďƒžxed my bunion. It was a two for one deal. It is kind of like a remodeling project. Since you’re already ďƒžxing up the kitchen, you might as well do the bathroom, too. If you’re going to make a mess, make one big mess. I won’t be able to tell you what is going on in the barn, but I don’t think being laid up will keep me from ďƒžnding new stories to share with you. Natalie, Mark and his brother, Al, Schmitt farm together near Rice, Minn. They milk 100 registered Holsteins under the RALMA preďƒžx. Their four children are great help around the farm and are pushing Natalie out of several jobs. Therefore she is thankful to have something else to do. For questions or comments please e-mail Natalie at mnschmitt@jetup.net.
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 33
A cup of tea
A NEW WORLD DEMANDS NEW HOLLAND.
I love tea. As a dairy farmer, it almost seems sacrilegious to write those words. Of course, I love milk and drink my fair share every day. But I drink a lot of tea every day, too. Dairy Good Life I drink tea because I love the taste, I appreciate the health benets, and I need the caffeine. Caffeine helps me manage my ADD. (Speaking of caffeine, why don’t we have caffeinated milk yet? Think chocolate milk for grown-ups. My favorite vegetable juice offers a version supplemented with caffeine; chocolate milk could, too.) One of the most delightful parts of drinking tea is the great variety of avors available. (Bottled milk marketers, are you reading this? More avors lead to more consumption.) If you ask my mother, though, she would tell By Sadie Frericks you I have a tea problem: too many varieties to choose from. I believe Glen shares her thoughts. Columnist When a visitor recently asked if we had tea, Glen ung the cupboard doors open so he could conspicuously gesture to the entire cupboard shelf I have dedicated to tea storage. I do have an expansive collection: green teas, black teas, herbal tisanes, loose leaf, teabags, and silken pyramids. They are all packaged in assorted boxes, bags, jars, and tins. I just counted my teas out of curiosity. I have over 40 varieties of tea. (Do we offer our customers even four varieties of avored milk?) Plus, I like to mix and match varieties – blackberry green tea with raspberry black tea, or lemon ginger herbal tea with Chinese green tea. The combinations are heavenly. Mixing tea varieties works well because I steep 16 ounces of tea at a time. Over the years, I’ve become a more utilitarian tea drinker. I don’t sit and sip a small cup of tea. Instead, I steep a double batch in a 16-ounce, stainless steel insulated travel mug. My tea mug follows me around the house, out to the barn, or in the van. The mug is covered so I can drink on the go without worrying about jostling my cup and spilling hot tea. In spite of my utilitarian tea habit, I still enjoy the ritual of boiling the water, steeping the tea, and slowly drawing in the rst sip (even if it’s only to make sure the tea isn’t too hot). I often stretch or do my REACH exercises while waiting for the kettle to steam or the tea leaves to release their nuanced avors into the hot water. A couple weeks ago after speaking to a group of college students at my alma mater, I spent a couple hours catching up with a good friend who lives near campus. As soon as I walked into her kitchen, she offered me a cup of tea. One of the many things we share is our love of tea. We sat together, sipMy tea mug ffollows M ll me ping our tea, sharing stories. around the house, out to the It was a wonderful visit. On the drive home, I barn, or in the van. reected on our time together and realized I had forgotten how soothing it is to wrap my hands around a warm cup of tea and just sit for a moment. My insulated steel mug simply isn’t as comforting as a colorful ceramic teacup. It doesn’t warm up the same. Sipping isn’t the same. After that revelation, I resolved to enjoy my tea more. Now, in the evening, I make my last cup of tea for day in one of my beautiful teacups. I still rarely sit down to drink it – the bedtime hours are just too crazy in our house – but I do wrap my hands around the warm cup and let the warmth soothe my soul while I sip the hot brew. It’s remarkable how even these short moments of peace at the end of the day help me feel more calm all the next day. I sent my friend a note thanking her for helping me remember one of my favorite parts of drinking tea. Life truly is better when we connect with our friends. When we make time for soothing rituals – whether that’s sipping hot tea or some other way to be mindful. And when we nd joy and peace in small comforts. 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
MANCHESTER Livestock Auction, Inc.
(40 miles west of Dubuque, Iowa on 4 lane Highway 20)
DAIRY SALES 2nd Fridays Monthly at 11:00 AM Selling 150 to 250 Head
Sheep and Goats sell at 9:30 AM
563-927-2540
www.manchesterauction.com
Dairyland Pest Control Specializing In Farm Fly, Rodent & Bird Control FARM • COMMERCIAL RESIDENTIAL
EQUIPPED FOR A NEW WORLD™
The word “powershift” isn’t adequate to describe the NEW industry-leading T6 Dynamic Command™ transmission. With this 3-range, 8-step transmission, you get a full 24 gears in both forward and reverse. You‘ll breeze through a full day of intense work with smooth, uninterrupted power and a host of new time-saving functions. • A true power shuttle with 3 aggression levels to match your needs • Dynamic StartStop for smooth, no-clutch loader work or transport— just press the brake to come to a standstill, release to put the tractor in motion • Kick Down for the most rapid acceleration when you press the throttle EQUIPPED FOR A NEW WORLD Learn more about these 95 to 120 PTO HP tractors at www.newholland.com ™
©2018 CNH Industrial America LLC. All rights reserved. “New Holland” is a trademark registered in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates. “Equipped For A New World” is a trademark in the United States and many other countries, owned by or licensed to CNH Industrial N.V., its subsidiaries or affiliates.
‘14 New Holland L218
‘12 New Holland L220
‘12 New Holland L230
Cab, Heat, AC, Air Seat, Hand and Foot Controls, 10x16.5 Tires, 72” Bucket
Cab, Heat, AC, 2 Speed, Performance Package, Air Seat, 12x16.5 Tires
Cab with AC & Heat, Hyd. Detach, 84” bucket (new), 2 speed, radio, mirrors
28,500
$
29,500
$
36,900
$
USED EQUIPMENT SAUK CENTRE TRACTORS NH Boomer 54D, Cab, Ldr, 74” front blower... $49,900 NH TC33D, Super Steer, Ldr, 72” mower ........ $14,250 NH T7000 Front PTO/3 Point Kit ...................... $6,500 SKID LOADERS NH L230, Cab Heat, A/C, Air Seat ................. .$36,900 HAY TOOLS NH 1475, 14’ Haybine ..................................... $13,500 NH 1431, 13’ Discbine, Std Hitch ..................... $9,500 NH H7450, 13’ Disbine, Drawbar Swivel ......... $27,900 BALERS NH RB460, Dry Hay, 4’x6’, 1070 Bales ........... $32,900 NH BR780A, Twine/Net, Wide P/U .................. $11,900 BR7070, Silage Special, 4’x6’, Clean .............. $26,900 Vermeer 605M, Silage, Twine .......................... $12,900 TILLAGE Salford 8214 Plow, 14 Bottom ........................ $53,500 FORAGE Krone EC7500 ................................................. $29,500 MANURE SPREADERS Gehl 1287, End Gate, Upper Beater ................. $9,900 MISCELLANEOUS Messer Attachments and Rock Wagons ........In Stock! PIERZ TRACTORS NH TC40DA, Super Steer, Loader, Hydro ....... $15,500
SKID LOADERS NHL225, Cab, Heat, A/C, Perf Package ......... $31,500 NH L218, Cab Heat, A/C ................................. $26,500 NH L220, Cab Heat, A/C, Hi-FLow, Air Seat ... $29,500 NH L218, 2 Speed, Cab, Heat, A/C...................Just In! NH L220, Cab, Heat, A/C, Hand Controls .........Just In! HAY TOOLS NH 166 Inverter, Hyd Drive, RH Table Ext ......... $5,700 NH 488, 9’ Sickle, 2015 Model, Nice .............. $12,900 NH 1431, Nice Consigned ............................... $14,000 NH 1465 Haybine, Hyd. Lift, Stub Guards ........ $9,350 New Idea 5209, 9’ Discbine .............................. $7,800 BALERS NH BR750A Net/Twine, Wide P/U ................... $17,800 NH BR780, Auto-Wrap, Bale Ejector............... $11,900 NH BR780, Net/Twine, Bale Command .......... $17,500 NH BR7090, Net Only, Wide P/U .................... $27,900 NH BR7060, Roto-Cut, Net/Twine................... $27,250 NH BR7060, Silage, Net/Twine, 540 PTO ....... $22,000 NH BR7060, Net/Twine, 4500 bales, Clean..... $21,000 Vermeer 505I, 5x5 Bale, Electric Tie, Twine....... $3,900 NH 851, Auto-Wrap ........................................... $2,000 TILLAGE JD 3710, 10 Bottom Plow, Nice, 2013 Model . $29,500 FORAGE NH FP230, 27P HH, 3PN CH, KP.................... $39,500 NH FP240, 29P HH, 3PN CH, KP.................... $35,500
PIERZ, MN
320-468-2161 Hwy. 27 West
Toll 507-359-1123 Free 800-826-7380 • New Ulm, MN Dayle Besemer, owner/operator
The FR920 Forage Cruiser self-propelled forage harvester maximizes your tons per hour with 911 max horsepower, unmatched crop flow and state-of-the-art control. You create the highest-quality feed with best-in-class chop quality due to the widest crop channel, HydroLoc™ feedroll technology and new, fully enclosed Adjust-O-Matic™ knife sharpening system. • Ultimate power and torque from the FPT V20 8-cyl engine and reinforced main drives • Top processing performance from new DuraCracker™ or DuraShredder™ crop processors • Lower operating costs with simple maintenance and fuel-efficient engine Learn more about the 911-hp FR920 Forage Cruiser at www.newholland.com
SAUK CENTRE, MN tfn
320-352-6543 Hwy. 71 South
www.modernfarmequipment.com
Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Channeling their inner Olympian
Johnson brothers part of local curling club By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
DETROIT LAKES, Minn. – For at least one night a week, brothers Adam and Dana Johnson get to channel their inner Olympian. Every Tuesday as members of the 100-plus member Lakes Curling Club, the Johnsons curl in one of the club’s many evening leagues on two separate teams. The dairy farmers from Pelican Rapids, Minn., took interest in the sport when their veterinarian, Dr. Mike Magnusson, invited him them to join the club. “We had watched curling on TV during the Olympics and talked about it with him (Magnusson) for a number of years – way longer than we should have,” Adam Johnson said. “He was out to our farm on a Tuesday and asked us to come watch that night so we said, ‘Let’s go.’” Each game in the sport consists of two teams each with four players, who take turns throwing stones across a 150-foot sheet of ice towards a scoring ring. Points are scored based on how close the stones are resting in proximity to the center of the scoring ring, also called the button. There are
VICKI GERDES/ DAIRY STAR
Dairy farming brothers, Adam (second from leŌ) and Dana (second from right) Johnson, along with their veterinarian, Dr. Mike Magnusson (leŌ) and sister, Greta, are members of the Lakes Curling Club in Detroit Lakes, Minn. The Johnson family milks 75 cows on their dairy near Pelican Rapids, Minn.
16 throws in one round and either eight or 10 rounds each game. These rounds are called ends. “An end is like an inning in baseball,” said Johnson, whose league plays 8-end games. “Usually pros play 10-end games.” A stone that lands on the button will, often times, automatically win
the points in the end. Strategy lies in each move of the game. Each team designates one person as the strategist, otherwise known as the skip, which Johnson equates to as the quarterback. “There’s kind of a chess aspect to the sport with the strategy,” said Johnson, who is the skip of his team.
“But then you actually have to execute the shot. That’s the tough part. You can have the perfect plan, but if you don’t throw good shots then it doesn’t matter.” While the rest of the team is throwing stones from one end, the skip is on the other end of the ice deciding for his or her team what type of shot to throw or the direction the stone should travel. “I usually confer with another teammate on what we should do. There’s no cut and dry way to always do things,” Johnson said. “Most of the time you have two or three options and it’s just a matter of what you want to do to try to counter what the other team is doing. You’re never going to run in to the same situation twice necessarily. It can change so much. You have to be able to think on your feet and adapt.” The two teammates who are not the skip or not throwing the stone at the moment, are sweepers. The objective of sweeping is to try to make the stone go further and straighter, Johnson said. The sweepers use stop watches to time the stone to get an idea of how fast it is going and where they want it to stop. “In general, if you’re trying to throw a nesse shot, you’re better off trying to throw a bit soft and let the sweepers carry it an extra ve feet or however far you need,” Johnson said, explaining how sweepers help in the game. “You can’t stop a stone, but you can make it go further. It’s Turn to JOHNSONS | Page 35
BY
JOZ - Moov Feed Pusher
You can program an unlimited number of routes. This makes it possible to push feed for more than one feed group individually.
De/aval Voluntary Milking System Designed with you in mind
Work smarter not harder. DeLaval VMS is designed to make your life and work easier.
Westwaard Calf Milk Pasteurizers With affordable, well built, and easy-touse equipment, Westwaard pasteurizers can be a great tool to increase the proÀtability of your dairy.
DeLaval Swinging Cow brush
The unique brush which rotates at an animal-friendly speed, swings freely in all directions, smoothly up, over and alongside the cow to provide comfort all around.
Stop by and see us at the Agri News Farm Show!
119 West Circle Drive, St. Charles, MN 55972
507-932-4288
Emergency Service 507-208-9465
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 35
ConƟnued from JOHNSONS | Page 34
712-722-3626
SERVICE AFTER THE SALE VICKI GERDES/ DAIRY STAR
Adam Johnson throws a stone during a Tuesday-night league game at the Lakes Curling Club in Detroit Lakes, Minn.
just as important for me to make a good throw as it is for the sweepers to sweep correctly. There’s a lot of teamwork involved in making good shots.” Since the rst night the Johnsons attended the curling club ve years ago, they have only rarely missed a Tuesday night league game. The rst year, the brothers practiced throwing stones or played as a sub for one of the teams. But their second year, they became a members of a team and eagerly joined the Tuesday night league. While younger brother, Dana, had success on his team early on, this year, his older brother’s team has nally
“I like the social and mental aspects of it. It’s denitely something I look forward to every week.” ADAM JOHNSON, DAIRY FARMER
found themselves on the winning side. The foursome has the best record in the Tuesday night league so far. “I enjoy it and I get to do it with my friends,” said Johnson, who recruited others to the club after his rst year. “I like the people in the club that we play against. I like the social and mental aspects of it. It’s denitely something I look forward to every week.”
The curling season starts just after Thanksgiving and runs until the beginning of April. “Curling starts when golf is done and ends when golf is supposed to start again,” Johnson said, quoting how Magnusson describes how the two sports intersect. Prior to curling, Johnson played basketball during the winter; however, issues with his shoulder forced him to quit. He also had to stop playing softball in the summer. “I started playing golf and curling, and that has satised me even more than what I was doing before. I found out I like these [sports] better,” Johnson said. Despite being in an evening league, the Johnsons don’t have to nd chore help on Tuesdays. The Johnson family milks 75 cows on two farmsites. The brothers have a schedule that allows them to nish evening milking by 6 p.m. for the 48 cows they care for in a tiestall barn, while their dad milks the rest of the herd in another barn. “With our barn, chores are pretty efcient,” said Johnson, who starts evening milking around 4:45. The Johnsons hope to continue curling for years to come. “It’s a sport you can do from when you’re big enough to throw a rock down the ice until old age. There are a lot of sports where you can’t do that,” said Johnson, whose Tuesday night league has one team with an average age of about 80. “I really enjoy it. I think it’s a sport that is underrated.”
PRODUCT & PACKAGING GUIDE Bale Wrap Flavorseal (1 mil) 24/Pallet Flavorseal (1.2 mil) 24/Pallet Flavorseal (1.5 mil) 24/Pallet Flavorseal (20” 1 mil) 24/Pallet Ultra 5 24/Pallet 3X Super Wrap (1 mil) 24/Pallet 3X Super Wrap (1.2 mil) 24/Pallet 3X Super Wrap (1.5 mil) 24/Pallet 3X Super Wrap (20”) 24/Pallet Agri Seal (1 mil) 24/Pallet Agri Seal (1.2 mil) 24/Pallet Agri Seal (1.5 mil) 24/Pallet Agri Seal Black 24/Pallet SunÄlm Gold 24/Pallet Bale Tubes 73 x 150 73 x 220 82 x 220 87 x 150 87 x 220
40/Pallet 40/Pallet 32/Pallet 40/Pallet 32/Pallet
End Caps 93 x 72 110 x 72
25/Pallet 25/Pallet
Poly Twine 20000/110 SB 80/Pallet 20000/110 Solar 80/Pallet 20000/130 DB 50/Pallet 9000/140 DB 48/Pallet 9600/170 DB 48/Pallet 6500/210 SB 48/Pallet 4000/350 SB 48/Pallet 4000/440 SB 48/Pallet 4000/550 SB 48/Pallet 3800/600HD SB 48/Pallet Sisal Twine 9000 50/Pallet 7200 50/Pallet 16000 50/Pallet 20,000 Binder 40/Pallet 26,000 Binder 40/Pallet Net Wrap 48” x 9840’ 16/Pallet 48” x 13200’ 16/Pallet 51” x 9840’ 16/Pallet 51” x 12100’ 16/Pallet 64” x 7000’ 16/Pallet 64” x 9000’ 16/Pallet 64” x 9700’ 16/Pallet 67” x 9000’ 16/Pallet
Silage Bags 7 x 150 10 x 150 7 x 200 10 x 200 8 x 100 10 x 250 8 x 150 10 x 300 8 x 200 10 x 500 8 x 250 12 x 200 8 x 300 12 x 250 9 x 150 12 x 300 9 x 200 12 x 500 9 x 250 14 x 300 9 x 300 14 x 500 Grain Bags 10 x 300 9.5 mil 10 x 500 9.5 mil
Propionic Hay Acid 480 lb Drum 4/Pallet 2400 lb Tote 1/Pallet *No Deposit Required
Transfer Pumps/ 5 Gpm Applicators Inoculants - Liquid or Dry Repair Tape/6mil 3” x 108’ 16/Case 6” x 108’ 8/Case
Bunker Covers/6 mil 24 x 100 66 x 200 24 x 150 66 x 1200 24 x 200 80 x 100 24 x 1200 80 x 150 32 x 100 80 x 200 32 x 150 80 x 250 32 x 200 80 x 300 32 x 1200 80 x 1000 40 x 100 100 x 100 40 x 150 100 x 150 40 x 200 100 x 200 40 x 1200 100 x 250 50 x 100 100 x 300 50 x 150 100 x 1000 50 x 200 120 x 200 50 x 1200 120 x 250 60 x 100 120 x 300 60 x 150 120 x 500 60 x 200 120 x 800 60 x 250 132 x 250 60 x 1200 132 x 600 66 x 150
WE SHIP DAILY! NOW ACCEPTING:
Underlay/Barrier Film 40’ x 150 60’ x 200 40’ x 200 60’ x 1200 40’ x 1200 66’ x 200 50’ x 200 66’ x 1200 50’ x 1200 2 in 1 Combo 40 x 200 60 x 200 50 x 200 60 x 1000 50 x 1200 6 mil. String Reinforced CALL FOR SIZES THE ORIGINAL
COVER
Fortress Gravel Bags Size: 5” x 40” 20 pk 200 pk
Fortress Covers Sizes Meters
4 m x 16 m 8 m x 13 m 8 m x 14 m 8 m x 16 m 8 m x 17 m 8 m x 18 m 8 m x 20 m 8 m x 22 m 8 m x 25 m 8 m x 32 m 8 m x 36 m
Feet
13 x 52 26 x 42 26 x 45 26 x 52 26 x 55 26 x 59 26 x 65 26 x 72 26 x 82 26 x 105 26 x 121
Here For You...Yesterday, today and tomorrow
www.bluelakeplastics.com VICKI GERDES/ DAIRY STAR
Dana Johnson sets up to shoot his stone down the ice during a curling game on Feb. 20.
320-333-9255 Sauk Centre, MN
We accept Visa & MasterCard
DEALERS WELCOME!
Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Women In Dairy Amy Saehr Pierz, Minn. Morrison County 170 cows Family: I am married to Darrel. We have two children, Randy, 21, and Holly, 18. Tell us about your farm. We milk 170 cows twice a day in a double-12 parallel parlor. We raise our own heifers and sell the bull calves. We raise corn, soybeans and alfalfa, and also custom raise hogs. What’s the busiest time of day for you? Mornings are always busy with milking, feeding and bedding, while planting through harvest tends to keep the whole day occupied. When you get a spare moment what do you do? I like to spend time with my family, friends and catch up with book work, while usually sneaking in a nap. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. In 2012, we built a new freestall barn and parlor, which resulted in quite a bit of family time working together. As well as the rst week in the new parlor, trying to work out all the kinks of the new facility. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I like to milk cows and care for calves. With my parents running their own dairy farm, I grew up with the lifestyle all around me. I attended Hutchinson Vo-Tech for dairy herd management How do you stay connected with others in the industry? We have with the goal of working in the dairy industry or something ag related. family and friends who are involved in the dairy industry. When we cross paths there is always something to talk about. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? My parents and my in-laws have been examples of hard work and determination. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? Although I’m not a big fan of Oprah, she is very one-sided and has much inuence on the non-ag society. I would be more than willing to give her a tour of our farm and display how the dairy industry works to provide quality dairy products while caring for our animals and the cleanliness of our land and water. On top of that, I would like to explain how the dairy industry keeps businesses striving. For example, feed stores, co-ops and vets.
FARM INFORMATION STATION Joe Gill • Farm Director
What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken? The best vacation I’ve taken was last December. I went to Idaho for three days with my daughter to visit family.
SERVING CENTRAL MINNESOTA FOR OVER 50 YEARS Catch the Dairy Star’s Mark Klaphake with Joe Gill at 6:45 a.m. the 2nd & 4th Fridays of the month on KASM!
PO Box 160, Albany, MN • (320) 845-2184 • Fax (320) 845-2187
What are some words you like to live by? Today will be what we make of it, and we’ll take tomorrow when it comes.
tfn
FREE Calf Housing Video!
Do you need to Plan for Retirement and Farm/Business Succession? LEGAL TOPICS FACING FARMERS February 27th at 1:00 p.m. ST CLOUD RIVER’S EDGE CONVENTION CENTER
See what JanAire curtains can do for your calf housing! See 10 different barns housing 14 to 200 calves, featuring individual and group penning and automatic calf feeding. Dealer Inquiries Welcome North¿eld, MN
Call 800-246-5387 for a FREE Dairy Video or email: sales@janaire.com
By Callyn Bedker of Pluto Boes Legal, PLLC
Get a crash course on the specific challenges and opportunities farm/business owners face in planning their estates. EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE IN THESE KEY PRACTICE AREAS: • Help farm/business owners protect their • Passing the farm/business onto the business and personal assets and plan next generation. for the future. • Treatment of Heirs—Fair or Equal? See us in • Explore the most common and effective methods booth A313! of business transfers/sales - before and after death. • Review tax and valuation issues involved in estate plans, including income and gift tax considerations. • What are your Goals?
100 E. Highway 14 • Tyler, MN 56178
www.plutoboeslegal.com
Toll Free: 1-866-457-3131 • Local: 1-507-247-5900
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 37
Gov. Dayton requests additional $20 million for RFA If approved, money could be used for low-interest beginning farmer, restructuring loans
The high cost of entering farming has prevented young producers from starting their careers, he said. “This has a crippling impact on the health of our main streets, schools, transportation funding and other aspects of our rural economy,â€? Fredrickson said. The RFA was created by legislature in 1986 as a way to help farmers through the crisis in the 1980s. By Krista Kuzma “It certainly was a lifeline for krista.k@dairystar.com those trying to meet the demands of ST. PAUL, Minn. – Minnesota paying off debt in the early ‘80s by farmers could have more low-interest restructuring outstanding loans. That loans available to them after the up- continues to be the case today,â€? Fredrickson said. coming legislative session. Rather than making a loan diGovernor Mark Dayton has made a bonding request for an additional rectly to the farmer, the RFA partners $20 million for the Rural Finance Au- with over 400 community banks, farm thority (RFA). This would be in addi- credit systems and the Farm Service tion to the $35 million allotted to the Agency to distribute the credit. FredRFA after it was proposed by Dayton rickson said the loans made available and approved by the legislature last through the RFA have interest rates between 3 to 3.5 percent. year. Since 1986, over 3,000 loans have This year, there has been an increase in demand for loans through been issued under the program. “Most participants, in many casthe RFA by nearly 60 percent when compared to the previous ďƒžve years. es, would not be able to secure loans At this time, about $25 million of the to continue their operation or expand $35 million available through RFA if it weren’t for the partnership of the RFA,â€? Fredrickson said. has been used. Right now, Minnesota’s farm “This is largely due to sustained low commodity prices, rising inter- economy needs programs like this to est rates and increased interest among help, Fredrickson said. “Things are not good in farm young men and women wanting to pursue agriculture as a career,â€? said country. We are seriously concerned Dave Fredrickson, Minnesota Com- about the dairy industry. We’re serimissioner of Agriculture, during a ously concerned about cash ďƒ&#x;ows for media conference call on Feb. 15. those that are raising major program “Without this additional $20 million, crops,â€? Fredrickson said. “What I’m the program would no doubt run out more concerned about is the federal approach to farm policy right now. of money by mid year.â€? There are four loan usage pro- ‌ The President’s budget doesn’t grams through RFA. They are for be- line up with the problems we are exginning farmers, ag improvements, periencing across rural Minnesota or livestock expansion and restructur- rural America. ‌ We can’t solve the ing. Of the 121 loans that have been problems at a state level. We can do distributed so far, over 50 percent of programs that will assist, but a major the dollar amount is going to begin- effort has to become part of the farm bill.â€? ning farmers. Fredrickson hopes the legislature “It is well known that we have twice as many Minnesota farmers will approve the $20 million addition over the age of 65 than we do under to RFA. “I appreciate the governor’s supthe age of 35. So we need to make sure young and beginning farmers have an port as this impacts all of Minnesota,â€? opportunity to be on the land,â€? Fred- he said. rickson said.
6$8. &(175( 01 ZZZ PPFMG FRP
3KRQH $VN IRU 5DOSK RU 6WHYH
³Â§à ŒâoĂ”oĂ˜Ă˘ Â’ÂŚAÂŚ\’Œ† ĂťA’›AR›oc Ă? <oAĂ”Ă˜
tĂ?Ä„Ä„cĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„ÂłĂ?cĂ&#x;Ăœt Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: cĂ&#x;:AÔÔAŒâÞĂ&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lä §cÄ„Ä„Ä„ +UV 5:$ :DUUDQW\ &RPLQJ ,Q tĂ?Ä„Ä„cĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„ÂłĂ?cĂ&#x;³„tĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: cĂ&#x;:AÔÔAŒâÞĂ&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ l„Ą§c ĄĄ +UV 5:$ :DUUDQW\ tĂ?Ä„Ä„cĂ&#x;êĄ³ cĂ&#x;„äĂ?Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: cĂ&#x;:AÔÔAŒâÞĂ&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ l䄧cÄ„Ä„Ä„ +UV 5:$ :DUUDQW\ t ĄĄcĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„ÂłĂ?cĂ&#x;Ă?Ă? Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: cĂ&#x;:AÔÔAŒâÞĂ&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ ¥’Œ†Ă&#x; ÂŚ{ +UV 5:$ :DUUDQW\ t ĄĄcĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„ÂłĂ?cĂ&#x;ê„tĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: cĂ&#x;:AÔÔAŒâÞĂ&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lää cÄ„Ä„Ä„ +UV 5:$ :DUUDQW\ t³ĄĄcĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„ÂłĂ?cĂ&#x;ĂŞÂ Ä„Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: cĂ&#x;:AÔÔAŒâÞĂ&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lê §cÄ„Ä„Ä„ +UV 5:$ ĂœĂœtÄ„cĂ&#x;êĄ³„cĂ&#x;³äĄ³Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lêä§cÄ„Ä„Ä„ +UV 5:$ ĂœÂ tÄ„cĂ&#x;êĄ³äcĂ&#x;Ă?³ĄĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lê §c ĄĄ +UV 5:$ ĂœÂ§Â Ä„cĂ&#x;êĄ³êcĂ&#x;Ă?§„Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lĂŞĂœÂ„c§ĄĄ +UV 5:$ Ăœt ĄcĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„Ä„tcĂ&#x;ÂłĂ?Ä„Ä„Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lÂłĂœÂ§c ĄĄ +UV 5:$ ĂœÂ Â Ä„cĂ&#x;êĄ³êcĂ&#x;ÂłtĂŞÂ Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lĂŞÄ„Â cÄ„Ä„Ä„ +UV 5:$ ĂœÂ Â Ä„cĂ&#x;êĄ³ĄcĂ&#x;³ä„„Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lêĄ§c ĄĄ +UV 5:$ ĂœÂ Â Ä„cĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„Ä„tcĂ&#x;³ä §Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lÂłt§c ĄĄ +UV 5:$ ĂœÂ„Â Ä„cĂ&#x;êĄĄ§cĂ&#x;³  ĄĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lÂłt§c ĄĄ +UV 5:$ ĂœÂ„Â Ä„cĂ&#x;êĄ³ĄcĂ&#x;ê§t Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ l³ä§cÄ„Ä„Ä„ +UV 5:$ ĂœĂ¤Â Ä„cĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„Ä„tcĂ&#x;ꧠĄĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ l³„§cÄ„Ä„Ä„ +UV 5:$ ĂœtÄ„Ä„cĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„Ä„ĂœcĂ&#x;Âłtt Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ l³ §c ĄĄ +UV 5:$ ĂœĂœÄ„Ä„cĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„Ä„ĂœcĂ&#x;ÂłÂ ĂœÄ„Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lÂłĂ?§c ĄĄ +UV 5:$ ĂœÂ Ä„Ä„cĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„Ä„Â cĂ&#x;ê„êäĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ l³ä cÄ„Ä„Ä„ +UV 5:$ ĂœÂ Ä„Ä„cĂ&#x;êĄĄäcĂ&#x;ä³ĄĄĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ l³êtcÄ„Ä„Ä„ +UV 5:$ ĂœÂ„Ä„Ä„cĂ&#x;êĄĄ„cĂ&#x;꧳tĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ Ă‚l³ê„c§ĄĄ +UV 5:$ ĂœĂ¤Ä„Ä„cĂ&#x;êĄĄäcäĂ?Ă¤ĂœĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lĂœÂ§cÄ„Ä„Ä„ +UV 5:$ Ă?t ĄcĂ&#x;³§§§cĂ&#x;ä³êĄĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lĂœÂ§c ĄĄ +UV :' Ă?t ĄcĂ&#x;³§§tcĂ&#x;ä³ĄĄĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;ĂŞ: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lĂœÂ„c ĄĄ
Ă?ĂœÂłÄ„cĂ&#x;³§§ cĂ&#x;ê§ĄtĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lĂ?tc ĄĄ +UV 5:$ Ă?ĂœÂłÄ„cĂ&#x;³§§äcĂ&#x;ê³³Ă?Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;ĂŞ: Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ ¥’Œ†Ă&#x; ÂŚ{ +UV :' &RPLQJ ,Q  täĄcĂ&#x;³§§³cĂ&#x;Ă¤ĂœÄ„Ä„Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ Ă‚lä§c§ĄĄ +UV 5:$ Â ĂœĂ¤Ä„cĂ&#x;³§tĂ?cĂ&#x;„§tÄ„Ă&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lä c§ĄĄ +UV 5:$
›AAĂ˜Ă&#x;Â§ĂœÄ„cĂ&#x;êĄ³³cĂ&#x;³Ą ĄĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ lÂłĂ?§c ĄĄ &ODDV +UV 5:$
›AAĂ˜Ă&#x;Â§ĂœÄ„cĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„Ä„tcĂ&#x;䥥ĄĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ Ă‚lÂłĂœÂ cÄ„Ä„Ä„ &ODDV +UV 5:$
›AAĂ˜Ă&#x;§ĄĄcĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„Ä„Â cĂ&#x;ĂŞt„tĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ l³³ cÄ„Ä„Ä„ &ODDV +UV
›AAĂ˜Ă&#x;t§ĄcĂ&#x;ĂŞÄ„Ä„ĂŞcĂ&#x;êê§ĄĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: Ă&#x;Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚Ă‚ l³ê§cÄ„Ä„Ä„
&ODDV +UV 5:$ $OO KRXUV OLVWHG DUH ´FXWWHU KRXUV¾
ĂœÂ tÄ„
êĄ³äcĂ&#x;Ă?³ĄĂ&#x; Ă”Ă˜cĂ&#x;/: cĂ&#x; ’†Â?Ă&#x; Ă”\Â?Ă&#x;0ŸĂâcĂ&#x;-ԍĂ&#x; /YZ 9>( /7 27
ԒÝocĂ&#x; -cĂ&#x; Ă⍛ĂRocĂ&#x; AÔÝoĂ˜Ă˘Ă&#x; ARĂ&#x;/oAfĂžĂ&#x; /PNO (YJO :WV\[ )\TWLY
jè ¼a ĄĄ
@™™ à Šd@Ăž {ŠÒ dmĂ @Â?™Ö Š¤ ŠÍÒ @Ă–ĂžÂ? m@Ă–m |¤@¤ZÂ?¤„y $âÂ?oĂ” ÂĄA\Â?Â’ÂŚoĂ˜ AĂťA’›AR›o }ÂŤĂ” ›oAĂ˜o AÂ›Ă˜ÂŤĂ‚ 0ĂR™o\â ⍠\Ă”of’â AŸŸÔÝA›Â A›› }ÂŤĂ” foâAÂ’Â›Ă˜Ă‚
/ Â?ÂƒÂ˛ssÂŚĂŁÂ?²
LOOKING TO ADVERTISE? In Northern/East Central Minnesota Call: Jeff Weyer
OfÀce 320-352-6303 Cell: 320-260-8505 jeff.w@dairystar.com
In Central, South Central Minnesota Call: Mike Schafer
320-894-7825 mike.s@dairystar.com
BERGMAN Automatic AGRi-Speed HITCH 1
2
In Southeast Minnesota Call:
3
Laura Seljan
507-250-2217 laura.s@dairystar.com
In Southwest Minnesota, Northwest Iowa, South Dakota Call:
E A SY a s 1 - 2 - 3 Simple drawbar mount Easy to operate day or night PTO compatible Increases efÀciency, only need 1 person
Gilman Co-op Creamery FEED & FARM SUPPLY STORE
Jerry Nelson
• Fast, reliable, safe • Easily pulls more than the D.O.T. allows on the highway • Available for pick-ups, choppers, tractors, wagons, etc.
www.bergmanmfg.com Gilman, MN • 320-387-2770
605-690-6260 jerry.n@dairystar.com
CA-May19-1B-JW
• • • •
In Eastern Iowa Call: Lori Menke
563-608-6477 lori.m@dairystar.com
DAIRY ST R
Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO
Visit one of our dealers today for all your snow removal essentials.
3-YEAR, 3,000-HOUR LEASE A NEW 0% APR DRIVELINE WARRANTY* BOBCAT FOR UP TO 48 MONTHS* FOR BOBCATSKID-STEER LOADERS SKID-STEER LOADER Purchase a new Bobcat skid-steer loader For a limited time, receive a 3-year up to ®
With a lease, you’ll have fewer upfront costs, lower monthly payments and flexible contract terms.
IOWA
Bobcat of Cedar Rapids Cedar Rapids • 319-393-2830 Bobcat of Quad Cities Davenport • 563-381-1200 Bryan Heavy Equipment Oelwein • 319-352-6467 JP Scherrman, Inc. Farley • 563-744-3393 Reiser Implement, Inc. Waukon • 563-568-4526
SOUTH DAKOTA
Bobcat of Brookings, Inc. Brookings • 605-697-5544 Pfeifer’s Implement Sioux Falls • 605-338-6351
from a participating dealer and receive 0% APR for up to 48 months or in lieu of financing rebates up to $2,600*.
3,000 hour driveline warranty* when you purchase a new Bobcat® skid-steer loader from participating dealers.
AUTHORIZED BOBCAT DEALERS
MINNESOTA
Aldrich Tractor, Inc. Verndale • 218-445-5430 Alex Power Equipment Alexandria • 320-763-4994 Bobcat of Mankato Mankato • 507-625-4511 Bobcat of Otter Tail County Fergus Falls • 218-739-4505 Bobcat of Rochester Rochester • 507-285-0753 Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. Dassel • 320-275-2737 Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. St. Cloud • 320-240-2085 Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. Willmar • 320-235-3672
Lano Equipment, Inc. Anoka • 763-323-1720 Lano Equipment, Inc. Loretto • 763-472-8200 Lano Equipment, Inc. Shakopee • 952-445-6310 Lano Equipment of Norwood Norwood Young America • 952-467-2181 Lund Implement Company Madison • 320-598-3150 Miller Sellner Slayton Slayton • 507-836-8571 Sanco Equipment Albert Lea • 507-373-4490 Tri-State Bobcat Burnsville • 952-894-0894
Visit Bobcat.com/Offers or stop by today for details. *Offer ends 2/28/2018. Available at participating and eligible dealers only. Offer may vary by product type, series, model and select units in dealer inventory. Offers available on new equipment in US and Canada only. Some restrictions apply. Length of contract may vary. See dealer for details. Financing provided on approval of credit by authorized Bobcat finance providers to well-qualified buyers. Administrative fees may apply. Offer not available to government accounts, national accounts and municipal/utility bid customers. Non-commercial customers may not be eligible for low rate financing. Bobcat Company reserves the right to extend or discontinue any of these programs at any time without prior notice. Bobcat®, the Bobcat logo and the colors of the Bobcat machine are registered trademarks of Bobcat Company in the United States and various other countries.
Tri-State Bobcat Little Canada • 651-407-3727 United Farmers Cooperative Lafayette • 507-228-8224
WISCONSIN
Bobcat of Janesville Janesville • 608-756-0000 Carter & Gruenewald Co., Inc. Juda • 608-934-5201 Komro Sales & Service Durand • 715-672-4263 Komro Sales & Service Whitehall • 715-538-1495 Tri-State Bobcat Hudson • 715-531-0801
Dairy prole
Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018 • Page 39
sponsored by
Matt Thomas Lakeville, Minn. Scott County 50 cows How did you get into farming? It’s a family operation. I farm with my dad, Clayton, who is now semi-retired. I have been here full-time since I graduated from high school in 1999, but I also grew up doing chores. After I graduated, I also worked off-the-farm jobs to see if that was my liking. I always determined I like farming, but continue to do other jobs on the side. A mix of employment isn’t a bad thing. It makes you realize what you have here – the good and bad aspects. I do some snowplowing and haul cattle. I also have a custom baling service. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? Obviously, No. 1 is milk price. But, I am also concerned with how to treat large and small dairies fairly with the current milk oversupply issue. Is a quota system right? Or, should we try to get people to cut down on production? I don’t know the answer. I think once the prices overcome this low point, it will have taken out people who aren’t as good on the management and quality side of dairying, which results in a higher quality product. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? I have tightened up efciency in eld management, trying not to waste seed and not over apply chemical. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? I have looked at the nutrition and ration of the herd. I want to make sure I see positive results from additives in the feed from a cost standpoint. Because of this, I have pulled a large portion of soybean products and am using a different protein source. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? I question whether I need to take the night off and pay someone else to do the work for me. We have seasonal employees that are here from spring to the fall, and then whenever we need a night off. They are mainly college-aged students. How do you retain a good working relationship with your employee(s)? I try to make working here entertaining. I also realize that everyone makes mistakes and if there is a problem, I will work with them to get through it. I try to be a mentor, not a boss. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I am good at communicating with other family members, with the employees and other people I work with, such as the vet. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I like the camaraderie of the dairy community. I like getting out and talking to other dairy farmers
to learn different technologies and what works for them. I also like talking to the public about our products and what we do on the farm every day. I like answering their questions. What advice would you give other dairy farmers? As my neighbor, Ray Deutsch says, “The sun will come up tomorrow. We’ll get through it one way or another.” What has been the best purchase you’ve ever made on your farm? The big square baler. It has given us more options for feed storage and has been a form of second income for me since I bale hay for other people. I have over a dozen clients. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Improving the herd from what it was in 1999. I am not seeing cows leave prematurely as much anymore. Before, cows would leave the farm because of feet and leg issues. We have since improved genetics. I also learned how to A.I. and switched the herd to 100 percent A.I. Before that, we were using a herd bull. What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? In the upcoming year, I plan to survive and maintain. Within ve years, I would like to rst build a calf barn. Right now, the calves are in an old corn crib that has been renovated for animals. It works, but its time clock is ticking. After that, I would like to do other structure improvements, such as a freestall barn and parlor.
How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? We like to visit my in-laws for the weekend. They live on the east side of Wisconsin. We also like to get together with friends. My wife, Jackie, and I have two kids: Calvin, 5, and Miranda, 2.
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.
1919 Riley Road Sparta, WI 54656 | 800.462.4125
Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, February 24, 2018
Used Henke Kwik Cutter 2209, #3673 - $2,900
Used Knight 3030, #3504 - $11,900
New Patz V500, #4044 - Call
New Patz V650 Call
New Kuhn Knight VT156, #2993 - Call
New Patz V350, #4043 - Call
New Patz V420, #4090 - Call
Used H & S 310, #4026 - $8,900
Used Knight 8114, #4036 - $7,250
Used Knight 8118, #4032 - $13,900
Used Knight 8124, #4057 - $14,700
Used Knight 8124, #3699 - $18,900
Used Knight 8132, #3605 - $25,900
Used Knight 8132, #3946 - $26,900
Used Kuhn Knight 2044, #4035 - $14,900
Used Kuhn Knight 8114, #4037 - $12,500
Used Kuhn Knight 8124, #4097 - $24,900
Used Kuhn Knight 8124, #4079 - $14,900
Used Kuhn Knight 8132, #3609 - $29,900
Used Kuhn Knight SLC 141, #4098 - $49,900
Used Kuhn Knight SLC 150, #4105 - $64,900
Used Meyer 7500, #4047 - $14,500
Used New Holland 165, #4005 - $7,200
Used New Holland 195, #4033 - $11,800
Used New Holland 195, #4051 - $12,900
Used New Holland 195, #4061 - $12,900
Used Calumet 3250, #3992 - $12,500
Used Jamesway AT5600, #3959 - $28,500
Used Kelly Ryan 5X12, #4075 - $7,900
Used Valmetal H5600, #3650 - $18,900
Salesmen: Shawn Martin (608) 778-4554 or Joe Ryan (608) 778-2900
4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI
Office: (608) 348-9401 or Toll Free: 1(888) BUY-Patz www.steinhartsfarmservice.com
4116 Hwy. 80 S. Platteville, WI