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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 20, No. 24
February 9, 2019
Frigid temps wreak havoc on dairies Farmers across Midwest battle extreme winter weather By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Emily Pieper feeds calves milk during aŌernoon chores Jan. 31 at her family’s farm near New Prague, Minn. Pieper dressed in extra layers to withstand the chilling temperatures.
FENNIMORE, Wis. – The Upper Midwest has long been known as a favorable farming region with a temperate climate ideal for raising livestock and growing crops. Unfortunately, plunging temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills Jan. 29-31 made daily chores agonizing for dairy farmers across the region. “This has been emotionally and physically exhausting,” Amy Scanlan said. “At one point our tractor wasn’t working to feed TMR, the waters were frozen, and the cows were bellowing. All I could do was ball myself.” Scanlan and her husband, Tim, prepared for the drastic weather, but are still dealing with the aftermath of the unusual conditions on their 125-cow dairy farm near Fennimore, Wis. Chilling temperatures as low as negative 40 degrees Fahrenheit, with wind chills dropping to 60 degrees below zero in parts of northern Minnesota, blanketed the Upper Midwest as a cold front moved in from Canada. As the weather passed through, people were encouraged to stay indoors and avoid unnecessary travel. “To put this into perspective, the National Weather Service only ever issues a wind chill warning at negative Turn to WEATHER | Page 5
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Snow blows around the Gamradt family’s dairy farm Jan. 29 near Sauk Centre, Minn. Temperatures as low as negaƟve 40 degrees Fahrenheit and wind chills dropping to 60 degrees below zero blanketed the Upper Midwest as a cold front moved through from Canada.
Bloomer organic farmers win outstanding young farmer award Seibels demonstrate excellence in progressive farming practices By Stacey Smart Contributing Writer
BLOOMER, Wis. – Adam and Chrissy Seibel, organic dairy and crop farmers from Bloomer, Wis., won the prestigious 2019 Wisconsin Outstanding Young Farmer award at the states’s OYF 65th annual awards weekend Jan. 25-27 at Comfort Suites in Johnson Creek, Wis. Pioneers of both organic farming and robotic milking, the Seibels are also dedicated conservationists and active members of their community, devoted to promoting and advancing agriculture. “I was pretty surprised they chose us,” said Adam Seibel. “The other nalists were just as deserving.” Adam and Chrissy are partners with Adam’s parents, Chuck and Diane Seibel, on the 140-cow, 1,100-acre Seibel’s Organic Dairy in Chippewa County. Adam is the fth generation of Seibels to run the family farm. The Seibels have been successful with organic farming, achieving yields that mirror those of conventional farming. “Organic doesn’t always get the credit I feel it deserves, so it’s a great honor to win this award,” Seibel said. The dairy became certied organic in 2001. “We were one of the rst dairies to jump into the organic movement and were certied long before it was popular,” Seibel said. In 2005, the Seibels began an expansion project, building a three-row, 150-cow freestall barn, followed by calf and heifer facilities as well as feed and grain storage. In 2011, the Seibels became one of the rst organic dairy farms in the United States to install a robotic milking system. With no blueprint to follow, the Seibels faced a variety of challenges in meshing robots with organic farming. “Organic cows have to pasture,” Seibel said. “And in summertime, they must consume 30 percent of their dry Turn to SEIBELS | Page 7