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Volume 19, No. 2
“All dairy, all the time”™
March 11, 2017
A fuller Reaching the golden standard load
Proposed bill alleviates milk truck weight restrictions By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
Milk truck drivers across the state of Minnesota are looking for relief from current weight hauling restrictions. A coalition of cooperatives and Minnesota Milk are pushing for two separate pieces of legislation that would provide relief for milk trucks. Due to how they are regulated, one addresses trucks on interstates while the other addresses single unit trucks. For the larger trucks, Minnesota’s interstates have been limited to 80,000 pounds for decades. The issues rose to the surface in 2016, with inconsistencies between states for multi-state cooperatives that saw different rules between states. Then, haulers were issued overweight tickets after hauling milk the same way for decades. The federal government decided to standardize interstate weight limits in 1974. But the federal FAST Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in December 2015, characterized milk as a non-divisible load, which allows states to distribute permits that excludes milk trucks from federal weight limits. “Like a big piece of construction equipment, you have to haul milk all at once,” Josh Finnesgard said. Finnesgard is the co-owner of Finnesgard Trucking out of Goodhue, Minn. Unlike regulations in Wisconsin and Iowa, which alleviate the federal 80,000-pound weight limit for milk trucks, Minnesotans must continue to abide by that law or be issued a hefty ne for not doing so. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) included the change to its Department of Transportation bill, which will next be heard in committee as of this writing on Turn to LOADS | Page 13
Calvert averages 38,000 SCC in third year dairying By Cassie Olson
cassie.o@dairystar.com
MINERAL POINT, Wis. – When Kyle Calvert decided to purchase a dairy herd and resume milking cows on his home farm near Mineral Point, Wis., he did so without expectations. Just three years into his dairying career, Calvert has found his rhythm, milking 70 cows twice per day. At the age of 27 and with an average somatic cell count of 38,000, he was the youngest producer to recently receive a Gold National Dairy Quality Award. If there is a secret to his success, Calvert said he has not discovered it yet. “Honestly, I don’t know that I’m doing anything special,” Calvert said. “I just take my time and careful care while milking the cows.” Calvert began his solo dairying adventure in 2014. His parents, Dave and Cathy Calvert, had milked cows on his home farm until 1996 when they made the decision to sell the herd. For 18 CASSIE OLSON/DAIRY STAR years, the freestall barn and parlor sat vacant, but Calvert never lost his love for the business as he Kyle Calvert milks 70 cows on his farm near Mineral Point, Wis. Calvert recently became the youngest person to receive a Gold NaƟonal Dairy Quality Award Turn to CALVERT | Page 7 with an average somaƟc cell count of 38,000.
A band of brothers
MIKE KOSIK/DAIRY STAR
The O’Reilly family – (front, from leŌ) Ethan, Maddox, Kaleb, Baxter; (back, from leŌ) Kelby, Bailee, Dorothy and Zach – cheered on Kelby and Bailee at the state wrestling tournament March 3-5 in St. Paul, Minn. Five O’Reilly brothers parƟcipate on the Goodhue varsity wrestling team.
O’Reilly family shares time on farm, mat By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
GOODHUE, Minn. – As the Minnesota state high school wrestling tournament came to an end March 4, the bands of brothers dispersed for another year, but for the O’Reilly brothers, that band reaches far beyond the wres-
tling mat. Five brothers, Bailee, 17, Kelby, 16, Kaleb, 16, Baxter, 14, and Maddox, 13, O’Reilly – ranging from a senior in high school to a seventh grader –, are all on the Goodhue Wildcats varsity wrestling team, and also reliable farm help on their family’s 280-cow dairy near Goodhue, Minn. “Dairying and wrestling are actually very similar,” said the brothers’ dad, Zach. “Whether it’s farming or the sport, you have to be committed, consistent and keep things simTurn to O’REILLYS | Page 5