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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 21, No. 4
Hopeful for higher prices Sharp outlines predictions in the dairy market By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Sarina Sharp gave dairy farmers a glimmer of hope during her presentation, “Better Times Ahead?” March 27 at the Central Plains Dairy Expo in Sioux Falls, S.D. “I am as optimistic about prices as I have been in years. I think we are through the worst of it and will see much better times ahead,” said Sharp, dairy market analyst for Daily Dairy Report. During her presentation, Sharp addressed international and domestic dairy markets along with feed markets. On the domestic market side, Sharp said she needed to look back before looking ahead. “It’s been a pretty rough four years,” she said. “You are not alone, and we’re setting the stage for a recovery.” Within the last year, there has been a reduction in the country’s dairy herd by about 79,000 head, Sharp said. “Dairy cow slaughter is at unprecedented highs. We are setting new records every week,” Sharp said. Despite the shrinking dairy herd in the United States, milk production has not decreased yet. “I think we will start to see those numbers change a little bit. Culling is going to remain high even as milk and springer prices start to recover,” Sharp said. Dairies across the country are shutting their doors, she said. The most trouble is in areas with extremely hot weather conditions and where producers are losing their premiums. “The pain is widespread. It is not limited to one area,” Sharp said.
Turn to SHARP | Page 6
April 13, 2019
A healthy kidney for Koehler Ups, downs of a decade-long organ transplant journey By Danna Sabolik
danna.s@dairystar.com
NEW YORK MILLS, Minn. – April is National Donate Life Month, something that is near and dear to the Koehlers. This June, Justin Koehler will be celebrating a decade of a successful kidney transplant. Justin operates a 400-cow dairy with his parents, Roy and Ronda, and brother, Matt, near New York Mills, Minn. In 2008, Justin was gearing up for his rst kidney transplant after being diagnosed with Membranoproliferative Glomerunlonephritits (MPGN). “I knew something was wrong,” Ronda said. “He Turn to KOEHLERS | Page 5
DANNA SABOLIK/DAIRY STAR
Roy, Jus�n and Ronda Koehler are celebra�ng 10 years of Jus�n’s successful kidney transplant this June. The Koehlers dairy farm together, along with Jus�n’s brother, Ma�, near New York Mills, Minn.
AGRI gives $51,000 to schools
Grant funding places milk in hands of students By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Students grab cartons of chocolate milk during lunch at Kimball High School in Kimball, Minn. The school district used grant funding from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to purchase new, more efficient milk coolers for the elementary and high schools.
KIMBALL, Minn. – For the rst time, students within the Kimball School District have quality milk available for them during food service hours. The district installed two milk coolers – one at the elementary and one at the high school – with funding from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Growth Research and Innovation Program’s Milk Cooler Grant. “Students have complained about the quality of milk they have available to them,” Sherry Hanson said. “In previous years, the milk cartons would freeze or be too warm because of temperature uctuations of the coolers. Now, even with the high usage, we don’t see the quality of milk change.” Hanson is the food service director with Taher Inc., a food serTurn to AGRI | Page 7