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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 19, No. 5
April 22, 2017
“I haven’t even opened it yet and I don’t think I’m going to.” - Terrance Pfaff
Time is running out
Dairy producers dropped by processor scrambling to nd home for milk by May 1 By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
LA CRESCENT, Minn. – As the third generation on his family’s dairy near La Crescent, Minn., Richard Johnson is proud to have his sons transitioning in as the fourth generation to care for the cows and manage the land; however, if the Johnsons don’t nd a processor to take their milk by May 1, their family dairy history could come to a halt. Their dairy is one of many in Wisconsin and Minnesota that has been dropped by its processor, Grassland Dairy Products, Inc. Maureen Lee, marketing and communication director for the Wisconsin-based processor, said she could not give out the number of producers dropped and where they are located. “We want to keep that quiet because we think it would negatively impact their ability to nd a new processor,” Lee said. Lucas Sjostrom, executive director for the Minnesota Milk Producers Association, is working to help the dropped producers in Minnesota. Based on testing cooperatives, Sjostrom said 19 farms from
Turn to FINDING A HOME | Page 5
Beginning farmer tracks monthly costs to guarantee prot
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Terrance Pfaff holds the unopened le�er he received from his processor, Grassland Dairy Products, Inc., that was sent to him and a number of patrons in Wisconsin and Minnesota, informing them the processor would no longer accept their milk on May 1. Pfaff milks 445 cows on his dairy near Preston, Minn.
Zilka: The numbers man
By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
PIERZ, Minn. – With the cows fed and the milking units running, Alex Zilka is most likely found looking on his phone – not perusing the Internet, but punching in numbers and estimating gures. Zilka began dairy farming in October 2014, and has worked tirelessly to remain in the black in order to withstand the tumultuous dairy market. “When I rst started, I had two months when milk was $22, and then it plummeted,” Zilka said. “Knowing my cash ow tells me what I’ll make for the month, so when I go to pay bills or make investments, I don’t short myself.” The beginning farmer milks 62 cows under a contract for deed from retired farmer
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Alex Zilka milks 62 cows on a contract for deed from re�red dairy farmers Chuck and Pat Tax, of Pierz, Minn. By closely managing his expenses, Zilka has been able to withstand the poor milk market.
Chuck Tax of Pierz, Minn. Zilka rents the facilities and purchases feed from Tax, but is acquiring equipment to run his own 100 acres for feed. “Chuck and his wife, Pat, and Steve Kaul helped me get started with the cows and springing heifers,” Zilka said. “I cannot thank them enough for having given me the opportunity to dairy farm.” As an adolescent and after graduating college, Zilka worked on various dairy farms and gathered a sense of what worked well on each operation and what did not. The commonality was tracking expenses and understanding the nancial possibilities of the farm. “When I started, I was dead broke. That rst year was ungodly stressful and terrible,” Zilka said. “If a belt needed repairs, I hardly had enough money for gas to get into town to x it.” Despite the grim outlook the dairy industry had when Zilka entered the venture, he was determined to ride out the Turn to ZILKA | Page 6
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
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 - Managing Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Krista Kuzma - Assistant Editor (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Ron Johnson (608) 874-4243 ron.j@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Jennifer Coyne (320) 352-6303 jenn@dairystar.com Cassie Olson (715) 245-6848 cassie.o@dairystar.com Brittany Olson (320) 352-6303 brittany.o@dairystar.com
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.
North America dealers. A glance at what’s inside
Dairy Proďƒžle brought to you by your
Earth Day is celebrated in April. Since we know dairy farmers are some of the most conservation-minded people, we decided to focus this issue’s “From our side of the fenceâ€? feature on environmental protection practices and sustainability. Read on pages 15-16 in ďƒžrst section about what other farmers do on their farm to keep it protected for future generations. With spring planting just around the corner, many dairy farmers are pulling equipment out of winter storage and preparing it for ďƒželdwork. A dangerous profession in By Mark Klaphake itself, dairy farming becomes more risky during this time of year as machinery is used and family members are Editor eager to help with chores. Review the safety tips found on pages 12-13 in ďƒžrst section to ensure a rewarding planting season. Spring is also a welcome sight for Kevin, Ken and Mary Mahalko, who milk 42 cows near Gilman, Wis. It’s the time of year when their cows can go out to pasture again. The family began grazing their herd in 1995 and became certiďƒžed organic in 2011. Over the years, they’ve learned how to manage both aspects of their farm and mold them together. Read on pages 10-11 in third section about their dairy and how they manage grazing. Alan and Jessica Klimek have been focusing on reproduction on their farm, achieving a 27 percent average pregnancy rate last year for their 80-cow dairy near Alexandria, Minn. They are able to get cows bred by watching for heat during chores in combination with an ovsynch program Their breeding program revolves around high type and trying to ďƒžx a cow’s ďƒ&#x;aws. Read more about their reproduction program on pages 18, 20 in ďƒžrst section. The brutally cold winter of 2013-14 went down in Minnesota’s record books as one of the coldest winters in decades. Dairyman Nick Aho knew he never wanted to experience another winter like that on his farm near Menahga, Minn. To stay dairying, Aho constructed a new 87-stall freestall barn in 2014. Read how the facility has improved his herd and his outlook on dairying. In our newest feature, “Family ties,â€? read on pages 8-9 in second section about how four of the Buck siblings have each gone on to pursue their dairying careers after growing up on a dairy near Goodhue, Minn. Enjoy reading this issue and if you want to give us input on what you like reading, email me at mark.k@dairystar.com.
Favorite quotes from this issue:
“Our only options were burning it or burying it. It was a bigger problem that anyone realized. So recycling it will be a win-win.â€? - Je Palubicki, Page
25 First Section
“Air has always been my biggest focus. It’s always comfortable in here, and it shows in how the calves perform.� - Matt Ziegler, Pages 23-24
Second Section
By the Numbers
number of years the 134: The Derousseau family has been
farming near Rice Lake, Wis. (Pages 16, 18 Second Section)
5-7:
Percent of dry matter in the ration that should be sugar. (Pages 12-13, Third Section)
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 3
It’s all inside...
FIRST SECTION
Sartell
First Section: Page 25
First Section: Pages 10 - 11
First Section: Pages 15 - 16
From Our Side of the Fence
Roseau
Beltrami
or n
THIRD SECTION
Douglas Charles Mix
n nso
Lake
Moody
McCook Minnehaha
Carver Scott
Nicollet Brown
Rock
Nobles
First Section: Pages 35, 37
sey
Dakota Goodhue
r
Redwood
Sioux Center
Dykshorns’ farm star of Midwest Dairy Association video
Washinton
Hennepin McLeod Sibley
Murray
Kanabec
Wright
Rice
Wabasha
Cottonwood Watonwan Blue Earth Waseca Steele Dodge Olmsted Jackson
Martin
Faribault
Freeborn
Mower
Winona
Fillimore
Houston
La Crescent
Ha
Da
vis
on
Sa nb
Miner
Brookings
Meeker
Renville
Yellow Medicine Lyon
Isanti
Anoka Kandiyohi
eu
Kingsbury
Deuel
Second Section: Pages 3 - 4
go
Hamlin
Stearns
Chippewa
Lac Qui Parle
Codington
Clark
Benton
Petzels named 2016 Sibley County Farm Family of the Year
isa
Mid-American Hay Auction Results Pages 26 - 27 Crop and weather reports Pages 30 - 31 Dairy Recipes
Mille Lacs
Sherburne
Swift
Henderson
Pine Morrison
Pope
First Section: Page 36
Carlton
Crow Wing
Douglas
Stevens
Grant
Page 25
Aitkin
Todd Grant
Women in Jeans: Jennifer Brandes
Ch
Roberts
Day
Multiple updates contribute to Ziegler Dairy’s healthy calves
Big Sto Stone
Cass
Su
Marshall
New Ulm
Le
rse
Third Section: Pages 18 - 19
Hubbard
Ottertail
Wilkin
Caring for newborns
Itasca
Wadena
Becker
Clay
Sioux Falls
en
nom
Mah
Clearwater
Polk Norman
Third Section: Pages 2 - 3
St. Louis
Red Lake
First Section: Pages 18, 20
First Section: Pages 1, 6 - 7
Montags carry dairy interest into fourth generation
Koochiching
Pennington
Observation key to reaching 27 percent pregnancy rate for Jassel Holsteins
Sauk Rapids
Lake of the Woods
Marshall
Alexandria
Pierz
Beginning farmer tracks monthly costs to guarantee prot
Ra m
Kittson
Pages 20 - 22 DHIA Annual Rolling Herd Averages Report Pages 23 - 24
Pages 4, 8 Kleins’ dairy retirement didn’t last long Page 6 Lots of good deals at Barron Spring Classic Pages 10 - 11 Mahalkos longtime advocates of dairy grazing Pages 12 - 13 Feeding as an art, science Page 15 Dairy’s Star Youth: Haylea Noltner Pages 16 - 17 Kids Corner: The Gauls Pages 20 - 21 Some Udder Stuff Page 22 Dairy Calendar Pages 24 - 30 Classieds
Aho opts for housing to continue dairying
Lincoln
Pages 5 - 6 Johnsons going organic to make room for sons Pages 8 - 9 Family Ties Pages 10 - 11 The “Mielke” Market Weekly Page 12 Dairy markets Page 13 Area hay auction results Pages 14 - 15 Dairying Around the World Pages 16, 18 Derousseau Dairy celebrates 134 years milking cows
Menahga
More producers able to recycle plastic
Pipestone
SECOND SECTION
Perham
Tra ve
Page 9 Ag Insider Pages 12 - 13 Safety during the spring scramble Page 22 Midwest Dairy Elects New Leadership Page 23 Nourishing dairy for child health Page 26 FSA News & Notes Page 27 The Transition Pen Page 28 Do the right thing, use your employee handbook Page 29 Managing risk in today’s dairy markets Page 30 Dear County Agent Guy Page 31 A day in your life Page 32 Just Thinking Out Loud Page 33 Dairy Good Life Page 34 Something to Ruminate On
Hutchinson
Turner
Bon Yankton Homme
Lincoln Clay
Union
Lyon
Osceola Dickinson Emmet
Sioux
O’Brien
Clay
Palo Alto
Kossuth
FROM OUR SIDE OF THE FENCE: What does environmental protection mean to you?
Dairy producers dropped by processor scrambling to nd home for milk by May 1 First Section: Pages 1, 5
Pages 15-16
Plymouth
Owatonna, Minn.
Zone 1
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Dairy Prole: Dale Spindler Page 39
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Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 5
Con�nued from FINDING A HOME | Page 1
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KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Although Terrance Pfaff was dropped by his processor because of the change in Canadian milk pricing, he was able to secure a spot with an Iowa-based processor about 90 miles from his farm. Minnesota have to nd a new home for their milk. In Wisconsin, 58 dairy farmers have contacted the Farm Center through the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection asking for help to nd a new processor. Lee said the reason for no longer accepting milk from these producers is because of the change in Canadian dairy pricing policies, which halted the northern country from importing ultra ltered milk from U.S. dairies. “We’ve been talking to our legislators and our producers over the past year that this was an issue coming down – that Canada wanted to raise the price on U.S. dairy imports and that would really affect 1 million pounds of our business daily. Once this came into affect we tried to see what other product lines this milk could be put into, but as you can imagine 1 million pounds is a lot,” Lee said. With no home or end product for the milk, Grassland chose producers to let go and sent them a letter dated April 1. Lee said these producers were chosen based on their location. “… they were in areas where we thought they could be picked up by other processors. Aside from our forward contracts, there are no milk contracts with any of our producers. It’s an at-will relationship,” said Lee, who conrmed that any producers who had forward contracts through Grassland were not dropped. But Johnson, who milks 130 cows with his wife, Linda, and their three sons, Paul, Luke and Ryan, is not nding any processors taking milk in an alreadysaturated market. “I had no idea there was this much milk around,” said Johnson, whose family has contacted close to 100 processors in Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin and South Dakota. Terrance Pfaff hadn’t even received the letter yet when he found out from his milk hauler that milk from his farm would no longer be taken by Grassland beginning May 1. “I haven’t even opened it yet and I don’t think I’m going to. I think I’m going to write return to sender on it,” Pfaff said in frustration. The Preston, Minn., farmer said his dairy, where he now milks 445 cows, has been a patron of Grassland’s for 15 years. After receiving the news about needing a new home for his milk, Pfaff called numerous processors in the area only to be rejected. But a call to Wapsie Valley Creamery in Independence, Iowa, gave him hope. “I called them on Tuesday at about 10 a.m. They are 90 miles away and they were here by 1 p.m. It wasn’t even 100 percent [yes]. It was a slight maybe because they’re full,” Pfaff said. After a nerve-racking few days, Pfaff received a call from the creamery conrming his farm’s new processor. “I felt pretty good about this place
because it’s a father-son business and it’s fourth generation now,” Pfaff said. “If they’re willing to make room for us, that’s a class act.” Legislative leaders in Minnesota and Wisconsin have reached out to President Trump in an effort to restore trade with Canada. On a grassroots level, dairy producers have started a campaign on social media urging people to ask their processors to “Just take ve” dairy farmers who need a processor by the beginning of next month. Mullins Cheese, a processor in Mosinee, Wis., conrmed it has taken on eight dairies that needed a home for their milk. Despite these efforts for short-term solutions, producers who still have a processor for their milk are nervous about their future and what the reduction in the Canadian export market means for the industry in the long term. Michelle Hentsch and her husband, Scott, were selling milk from their 150-cow herd near Hixton, Wis., to Grassland at the time the letters were sent. “We hadn’t received a letter yet, but my milk hauler told me we were dropped and my eldman couldn’t tell me any different. A lot of other people on our route thought the same thing. We were freaking out,” Hentsch said. A letter never came and the Hentsch family’s dairy was not a part of the cut. “They may not have dropped us now, but there’s no promising … later,” Hentsch said. Through word of mouth, the Hentsches heard a nearby farm that sold milk to Lynn Dairy was dispersing. They called the creamery to see if they could get on their route. “For piece of mind we wanted to go to a different plant. … If [our processor] would have handled things a little bit better a month ago when I thought I was getting dropped, maybe I would have stuck with them. We had the chance to change so we decided to go,” Hentsch said. Lee said the processor has known for about a year there was a possibility of losing its ultra-ltered market in Canada. “We had conversations with our legislators, we were talking to farmers about this. We tried to keep this in the public eye for quite some time,” Lee said. Pfaff said he hadn’t heard about the trade situation from his processor. Neither had Johnson. “They never said a word. I did not hear anything before [April] 3. Never a hint. I didn’t even know there was an issue with Canada,” Johnson said. Now Johnson must deal with the aftermath, and nd a place for his milk before their time runs out. “I don’t know what we’re going to do,” Johnson said. “Obviously we can’t afford to dump milk for very long.” It could put an end to his dairy and many others in Minnesota and Wisconsin if a solution isn’t brought forth and they don’t nd a home for their milk.
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
ConƟnued from ZILKA | Page 1
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Alex Zilka uses an electronic database to record all of his monthly expenses and predicted prots.
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poor milk prices. Zilka established a spreadsheet on his computer, which synchronizes with his phone, to track all expenses and estimate a monthly prot. Each month, Zilka records the feed, equipment repairs and fuel costs, among other farm-related expenditures, in addition to living expenses, such as groceries and utilities. He also inputs the forecasted milk price and a respectable amount he could be paid for components from the creamery. “If I know what my costs are and what my prots can be, I know what I have left over for savings and investments,” Zilka said. “It’s nice seeing the money on paper before it comes. That’s what drives me to keep going, because I know it’s coming.” Zilka’s progress not only came through monitoring his cash ow, but also by focusing on herd improvement. When Zilka began milking, his herd was averaging 70 pounds of milk each day and struggling with mastitis cases all too frequently. To correct the problem, in October 2015, Zilka implemented a 3X-milking schedule in the 62-cow tiestall barn. “It’s really a headache of sorts,” Zilka said. “You get more milk, but it’s more work. At the same time, it’s healthy for the cows – easier on their udders and less stress for them.” For the milking schedule to work,
Zilka hired two part-time employees to pick up the afternoon and some weekend shifts. “With three milkings, it became affordable to hire employees on a 60-cow dairy,” Zilka said. “I penciled out the costs and once I saw that it would work, because of the increase in production and lower somatic cell count, I red up to 3X.” Now, Little Falls High School student Tegen Dalen milks the 4 p.m., shift ve days a week, and a second employee takes care of two milking shifts on each day of the weekend. “I found the job on Craigslist,” said Dalen, who uses an early-release school program to work for Zilka. The additional help has allowed Zilka to focus more on his herd, rather than constantly running to complete chores. “That rst year, I worked 16 hour days and was just getting the things that had to get done, done,” Zilka said. “I’m moving towards 12-hour days where I can still get the mandatory things nished and nd time for side jobs.” With the change in milking routine, purchasing used mattresses and a cow monitoring system, Zilka improved his herd’s breeding program and milk production. The herd now averages 85 pounds per day. Turn to ZILKA | Page 7
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Zilka mixes feed during aŌernoon chores April 12. Since Zilka started milking cows, he has acquired used equipment to help do chores with the intenƟon of farming his own land one day.
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 7
ConƟnued from ZILKA | Page 6 Commitment. Relationships. Trust.
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LiƩle Falls High School Student Tegen Dalen milks cows on the evening of April 12. Dalen is responsible for evening chores ve days a week at Zilka’s farm. “It’s not a 100-pound tank average and it’s not perfect,” Zilka said. “But I’m doing what’s best for the cows with what I have and can do. Considering where I’ve been, I’m pretty proud.” Every morning begins at 7 for Zilka as he carries out the rst milking shift, followed by chores. The secondary milking begins at 4 with Dalen, and
“But I’m doing what’s best for the cows with what I have and can do. Considering where I’ve been, I’m pretty proud.” ALEX ZILKA, DAIRY FARMER
Zilka completes the day with the nal shift at 11 p.m. “I do get to sleep in and it’s light out when I wake up,” said Zilka, laughing. As Zilka pushes through his third year as a dairyman, and two years into his contract for deed, he is focused
on his long-term goals and watching his spreadsheet to know how he can achieve them. To ensure Zilka remains protable, he keeps his milk components consistent, and in December, locked in onethird of his milk through September. “Now, I’m riding the top of the graph, not falling below it,” Zilka said. “It’s taken a while, but now I’m able to do more than just make payments.” Recently, Zilka purchased used equipment, such as a TMR mixer and tractor, feed cart and bedding chopper. In two years, Zilka wants to have a full line of equipment to crop farm on his own. “That way, when my contract for deed with the cows is over, I can focus my worries on the land and facilities – in ve years, having a farm and in 10 years, maybe milking in a parlor,” Zilka said. As a beginning farmer, Zilka has great ambitions and is condent in his ability to establish a lifelong career in the dairy industry. “If this works,” said Zilka, pointing at his phone, “then I know [the farm] will work.” And Zilka should have no doubts, for sticking to the plan on paper has not failed him yet.
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Canadian dairy policy will eventually impact all U.S. dairy farmers Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
Canada has implemented new pricing practices that prevents U.S. dairy farmers from exporting ultraďƒžltered milk across the border. The National Milk Producers Federation, U.S. Dairy Export Council and International Dairy Foods Association is asking the Trump Administration and states to retaliate against Canada. Shawna Morris, who is the vice president of trade policy for the Dairy Export Council and National Milk, said the Upper Midwest and the Northeast are the ďƒžrst to feel the impact of the new Canadian policy. “The new Class 7 program in Canada is aimed at not only bilateral trade and what we can export into Canada, but, also to help Canada off load a lot of its excess milk powder into global markets. That is going to be a concern for farmers across the country given the importance of U.S. milk powder exports.â€? Morris
said it is not reasonable for Canada to beneďƒžt from trade with the U.S. while applying new protectionist policies against the U.S. dairy industry. “We’d like to remind the Canadians just how reliant they are on the U.S. market and that they understand that trade is a door that swings two ways.â€? Dairy farms lose contracts with processors Canada’s new pricing policy limits U.S. access to this important market. As a result, dairy processors in Minnesota, Wisconsin and the Northeast have terminated contracts with some dairy farmers. The Minnesota Milk Producers Association reports at least 19 state dairy farms have been impacted by this decision. In central Wisconsin, Grassland Dairy has informed 75 farmers that it will not accept their milk
after May 1. This comes at a time when Midwest dairy processors are operating at capacity and are unable to take on additional milk supplies. Former Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who now leads the U.S. Dairy Export Council, wants state and federal ofďƒžcials to take action. “This is really unfortunate because these producers have made Ag Insider investments and made plans based on this longterm relationship and are being told in a relatively short time that it is over.â€? Vilsack said ongoing negotiations between the United States, Canada and Mexico through NAFTA may be the next best option to address this trade issue.
Intervention sought By Don Wick over Canadian pricing Columnist strategy Lawmakers at the state and federal level are asking the Trump Administration to intervene in the dairy trade dispute and engage with the Canadian government to enforce trade law. In a letter to President Trump, Minnesota Senators Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken and Representatives Collin Peterson and Tim Walz have asked the administration to negotiate with Canada to put a hold on its new dairy pricing strategy. The lawmakers describe this as an emergency situation that needs immediate attention. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is also urging USDA to make purchases of surplus dairy products to ease supply issues. MN dairy farmers impacted by Canadian pricing system A new pricing system in Canada has effectively shut down imports of ultra-ďƒžltered milk from the United States. Dairy processors in the northern border states are feeling the impact. A Wisconsin company, Grassland Dairy, has notiďƒžed 75 dairy farmers that they will no longer take their milk after May 1. Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Dave Frederickson indicates 19 Minnesota dairy farms are left without a market because of this announcement. “We’ve been struggling at the department to see if we can’t ďƒžnd a home for the milk those folks have produced. I’m writing to the ag consulate in the Canadian embassy to request a meeting so we can sit and talk about this. We don’t want this to turn into a full-blown trade war.â€?
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More money needed for MPP revision The cotton and dairy industries are seeking changes in the next farm bill. National Farmers Union President Roger Johnson said a revision to the Margin Protection Program will require more money. “Dairy has almost no baseline. That’s a $1 billion-to-$3 billion ďƒžx. You’ve got to have new money, because if you don’t and if you take money out of Title I and cut reference prices for PLC down signiďƒžcantly, that is not going to work.â€?
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Midwest Dairy Coalition seeks changes The Midwest Dairy Coalition is seeking changes in the next Farm Bill to improve the safety net for dairy farmers. In particular, the coalition wants adjustments made in the feed-cost formula for the Margin Protection Program. Associated Milk Producers, Incorporated Chairman Steve Schlangen said there is also support for the Dairy Pride Act. “That’s a bill introduced to enforce a law that’s been in place for many years about the identity of milk and what you need to have to call something milk. We don’t think the plant-based beverages measure up to milk in anyway, but they are using our good name to sell their products.� This bill would prevent beverages made with soybeans, almonds or other plant-based crops to be labeled as milk. Making hay Stearns County in central Minnesota is the largest alfalfa producing county in the state. Otter Tail County is ranked second. The Minnesota Agricultural Statistics Service said the state average hay yield was Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 9
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 3.4 tons per acre last year. That’s up from 2.8 tons per acre in 2015.
International company ofcials said that is confusing for the marketplace.
Check alfalfa for winterkill For many areas, the end of the winter was warmer than normal. When alfalfa goes into the winter in wet soil conditions, the crop can struggle in the spring. That’s especially common with older alfalfa stands. DuPont Pioneer alfalfa business manager Dan Wiersma is encouraging farmers to start digging up plants as soon as the elds start to green up and look for winterkill. “If you see a lot of black or brown decay in those roots and crowns, it is not a good sign. In addition, if it is somewhat white, but looks like string cheese, that is also a bad sign. Essentially, the carbohydrate reserves in the root have been used up to try and create the initial spring growth and it doesn’t have the energy to produce much of a plant.” If that alfalfa stand is not up to par, Wiersma recommends rotating to corn. Residual nitrogen from the alfalfa plant will benet the corn crop.
Former AMPI executive passes A longtime leader in the Midwest dairy industry has died. Don Gregg, 97, was a former manager for Associated Milk Producers, Incorporated. Gregg had a leadership role with the dairy cooperative in the 1970s and 1980s.
Alfalfa lawsuit led Forage Genetics International has led a lawsuit against Alforex Seeds with allegations of false and misleading advertising. The suit claims Alforex inaccurately promotes its HiGest alfalfa as a low-lignin variety that is comparable to FGI’s HarvXtra alfalfa. In reality, the Hi-Gest alfalfa is only comparable to conventional alfalfa varieties and Forage Genetics
MN DHIA honors Fritsche The Minnesota Dairy Herd Improvement Association honored Paul Fritsche with its Distinguished Service Award. Fritsche farms at New Ulm and has served on the state and national DHIA boards. Fritsche has also been active with the dairy checkoff program and the Guernsey breed association. Trivia challenge National Blue and Corn Gold are the ofcial colors of the FFA. That answers our last trivia question. For this week’s trivia, we’re focused on FFA. The new agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue has been a governor. Can you name the state where Perdue was in that role? 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.
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Nick Aho (leŌ) walks through his barn with his brother, Micah, on his farm near Menahga, Minn. Aho built the facility in 2014 aŌer a brutal winter forced him to sell one-third of his 100-cow herd.
Aho opts for housing to continue dairying
tis issues.” Aho said he felt hopeless and decided he was going to build a barn or be done dairying. MENAHGA, Minn. – The brutally cold winter “We shipped a lot of young, good cows,” Aho of 2013-14 went down in Minnesota’s record books said. “There was no future the way it was. I just didn’t as one of the coldest winters in decades. It also went want to do it anymore.” down in Nick Aho’s mind as one he never wanted to Despite the desperate situation he found himself experience as a dairy farmer again. in, Aho was fortunate the slaughter price was good at “I know outwintering cows works well for some the time. He was able to pay down debt on his herd. people, but it’s cold here and with our northwest pre“It worked out well, but selling my good cows as vailing wind – there’s no natural windbreak [on our cull wasn’t what I wanted,” Aho said. farm site],” Aho said. Aho has always enjoyed dairying, so he was willThe elements forced Aho to construct a new, ing to look at other avenues to continue the trade he 87-stall freestall barn only ve years after starting his grew up with and continues on his family’s farm. dairying career in 2009. By spring 2014, Aho received the go-ahead from “I wasn’t envisioning doing a barn this soon, but his lender and began visiting area farms to compile that cold winter pushed me to do something,” Aho ideas for a freestall barn. said. His focus was to get a roof over the cows and to In the winter of 2013, Aho was milking 100 cows get them on concrete. in a swing-9 parlor. The parlor had been remodeled in In November 2014, Aho moved his herd into a 2011 from a at parlor. The cows were kept on a bed- newly constructed 160- by 72-foot freestall barn with ded pack with a feed lane and a man-made windbreak. 14-foot sidewalls. The barn was built adjacent to his The onslaught of the winter of 2013-14 wreaked parlor facility and incorporated Aho’s current feed havoc on Aho’s herd, forcing him to cull 30-40 cows. lane poured three years earlier. The feed lane was add“We ruined a lot of cows,” Aho said. “Teats never ed on to make a 16-foot drive through feeding lane. froze, but they were damaged enough to cause mastiTo maximize cow comfort, the stalls were custom-measured. “I had a company representative come measure one of my cows,” Aho said. “The stalls were designed for my ideal cow. We do have to clean the stalls because they are a little big for heifers, but we are catering to the older cows.” Some stalls were tted with waterbeds and all 87 stalls are bedded with sawdust. Aho said he has noticed his cows are not beat up and their legs look good. Despite the increase in cow comfort, Aho’s cull rate did not drop right away. His initial herd included older cows that were accustomed to a MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR bedded pack and did not Aho’s barn features a California ridge, which keeps rain and snow from coming into the barn. Aho said he also blocks two-thirds of the ridge during winter Turn to AHO | Page 11 months to keep out cold air. By Andrea Borgerding andrea.b@dairystar.com
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 11
ConƟnuted AHO | Page 10
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Nick Aho farms with his wife, Megan, and their four children – (front, from leŌ) Norah and Melory; (back, from leŌ) Marshall and Courtney. transition well into a freestall. “Seven to eight older cows had to be sold along with several cows that wouldn’t lay in the stalls,” Aho said. In place of 30 stalls in the barn, Aho designed a maternity pen and calf pens. The maternity pen includes a chute to treat cows and pull calves. The calf pens house starter calves up to 6-month-old calves. “We had no calf facilities when we started out in 2009,” Aho said. “I wanted something inside so I don’t have to
“This is a strip model barn. But it’s the best thing that ever happened here.” NICK AHO, DAIRY FARMER
feed calves outside. Our death loss is now 2-3 percent.” To manage the manure, Aho scrapes the alleys with a skid loader twice a day into a gravity ow pit. Aho said milk production has increased 15-20 pounds from the considerably low tank average he had prior to the new facility. “That winter, we were milking 80 cows and had 16 bucket cows,” Aho said. “So when you pull all that milk out of the tank, my average was really low.” Managing the facility in the summer months has also been positive for Aho. Curtains are rolled up for natural ventilation and panel fans were added last summer. “The rst summer we didn’t have
fans, and we didn’t spray for ies so the cattle were bunching up,” Aho said. “Last summer, they didn’t do that, but it also wasn’t a hot summer.” The barn was designed with a California ridge, which allows airow but blocks rain or snow from coming in. Aho said he blocks two-thirds of the ridge during the winter to keep it from getting too cold. He said the coldest air temperature in the barn was 20 degrees this past winter. Not wanting to go too far into debt, Aho said his nancial situation is manageable despite remodeling the parlor and building a freestall within a threeyear span. The entire project came with a $250,000 price tag. “There are things I would like to have, like alley scrapers and tunnel ventilation, but that all comes at a price,” Aho said. “This is a strip model barn. But it’s the best thing that ever happened here.” Aho’s brother, Micah, works fulltime for his brother while building and adding cows to his own herd. The two brothers arrange work so both know all aspects of the dairy’s daily operations. “I’ll milk mornings while he feeds and scrapes. He’ll milk evenings while I feed and scrape,” Aho said. “We both know what is going on all the time.” Aho dairies with his wife, Megan, along with four children: Courtney, 7, Marshall, 6, Norah, 4, and Melory, 1. Looking back at his short dairying career, Aho feels fortunate with the challenges and decisions he’s had to face. “It’s been nothing but a positive direction since being in this barn,” Aho said. “It’s gone well; we’ve been blessed.”
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Nick Aho retroƩed a swing-9 parlor where a at parlor was located. Aho completed the retrot in 2011.
Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
A closer look by Jennifer Coyne
Industry news addressed with help from your neighbors
Safety during the spring scramble
Mindful tips for physical, mental wellness
Spring has sprung – and so have the increased risks of on-farm injury and death. Agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States, with the occupational fatality rate 800 percent higher than other industries, according to the National Tractor Safety Coalition. As producers prepare their equipment for eldwork, handle hazardous chemicals, and share the farm experience with youth, it is important to keep safety at the forefront of every action. “There is always a concern for safety on the farm, but the concern is heightened now when there are greater risks for injury and death because of machinery,” said Marsha Salzwedel, agriculture youth safety specialist for National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. The risks of farming With eldwork equipment brought out of storage from the long winter months, tractor-related accidents
continue to be the most common cause of injury or death on farms. Injury and death can occur during maintenance of these machines and while operating in the elds and on public roadways. Before operating the equipment, a safety inspection and maintenance is likely needed. While a common practice, this time often presents unforeseen risks for those operating the machinery and those standing by. Marsha Salzwedel “Many times, Ag youth safety incidents happen specialist when something breaks, there’s a time pressure to get things done, and we’re tired or stressed,” said Cheryl Skjolaas, agricultural safety specialist for University of Wisconsin Extension. During the spring, soil conrmation is particularly variable as the frost leaves the ground and the land begins to dry out. If approaching this type of uneven ground from an unsteady angle, tractor rollovers are likely, crushing or trapping the driver. Across the nation, these rollovers account for 96 deaths each year. “Those involved in the accident are more often using older tractors
that don’t have cabs or a bar that serve as rollover protection,” said Emily Wilmes, University of Minnesota Extension Educator. Additionally, operating the machinery on public roads presents safety challenges in itself. While each state has their own set of rules regarding farm equipment use on roadways, speed differences in farm equipment and motor vehicles, as well as left hand turns are the major Emily Wilmes factors in a crash. U of M Extension Unfortunately, children are often the innocent bystanders when an accident occurs surrounding farm equipment. Every day, 33 children are injured in agricultural-related incidents, and of the leading causes of on-farm deaths, machinery accounts for 25 percent, according to the National Children’s Center for Rural and Agricultural Health and Safety. “The biggest issue is that children are the extra riders in tractors,” Salzwedel said. “I’ve seen too many cases where people thought if the tractor had a cab, it was safe. But that didn’t make a difference when the child
fell through the door or the windshield broke.” Do’s, don’ts when caught in an accident While each incident will vary in severity, there are steps producers should consider when presented with an accident to lessen the negative implications, whether they are the ones affected or assisting in a recovery effort. If the one Cheryl Skjolaas involved in the UW Extension accident is able, they should call 911 and try to get to safety if the scene of the accident is prone to explosion or re. At this point, it is also vital to evaluate injuries and stop any bleeding. “If it’s something like a tractor overturn or a person crushed, do not try to move the equipment until emergency medical services are on-site to address injuries,” Skjolaas said. Wilmes agreed. “If you are not the victim, serve in an advising role for medical help who are likely not familiar with farm equipment,” she said. Turn to SAFETY | Page 13
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 13
ConĆ&#x;nued from SAFTEY | Page 12
Prepare for the worst with prevention Being aware of the dangers of spring ďƒželdwork and understanding the necessary course of action to take when presented with an accident are important. However, preparing for those incidents will help prevent them. When ďƒžxing machinery, make sure the power source is entirely disconnected; and before operating machinery, have a complete understanding of how to properly run the equipment. “Be aware of your surroundings and be careful,â€? Wilmes said. “You could have done something a million times, but it only takes a second for a hand or shoelace to get caught.â€? In agriculture, accidents involving working youth under the age of 16 are consistently greater than any other industry, because they are often confronted with tasks that are inappropriate for their age or skillset, Salzwedel said.
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“You could have done something a million times, but it only takes a second for a hand or shoelace to get caught.� EMILY WILMES, U OF M EXTENSION
overestimate our kids’ abilities, too.� Although reviewing operating manuals of machinery, being aware of the surroundings, taking on responsibilities appropriately given by age and skillset, and creating a plan in case of an accident will deter on-farm incidents from occurring, the strategy is not fool proof. In addition to the hands-on precautions producers should practice, taking care of their mental health is essential. “Spring is a stressful time for farm management,� Wilmes said. “It’s important to take time for yourself, because mental health is just as important as physical health.� Maintaining a balanced diet, taking breaks from the farm work and getting at least seven hours of sleep each day will all aid in healthy mental well being. Through the years, on-farm safety has become more commonplace, but there remains room for improvement. With continued awareness for proper safety measures, farming becomes more than a staggering statistic of danger. “Safety has become a part of growing up for today’s generations,� Salzwedel said. “They’re more open to listening and adopting safety strategies, but we cannot stop educating and promoting.�
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“Farms are a wonderful place to grow up, but as kids, they overestimate themselves and are always apt to trying something more or bigger,� Salzwedel said. “Research has shown that, as farm parents, we tend to
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Page 14 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 15
What does environmental protection mean to you?
Roys Traut Sartell, Minn. Stearns County 70 cows
Aaron Schroht Owatonna, Minn. Steele County 76 cows
Michele and Jason Schroeder Courtland, Minn. Nicollet County 55 cows
Wade, Troy and Dave Kallemeyn Holland, Minn. Pipestone County 112 Cows
What does environmental protection mean to you? Being aware of our limited natural resources and doing what one can to protect them. It’s essential that everyone considers how what they do will impact the air and ground water. It’s for this reason that we need regulations. Across the board, education and awareness is needed. What things do you do on your farm to protect the environment? First, I do what I can to avoid soil erosion. I use reduced tillage and plant rye as a cover crop. We practice crop rotation to improve the soil, and alfalfa is integrated on some of our highly erodible land. We also maintain windbreaks to help with erosion and wildlife habitats. Second, I monitor nitrogen use. I do this by doing side-by-side comparisons of nitrogen to avoid over-application without impacting yield. I also do soil testing for nutrient management, along with manure sample testing to check for nitrogen and phosphorus levels. Additionally, I use split application of nitrogen to reduce leaching into ground water. Lastly, we’ve tried to reduce our impact on the environment. We use computer software for irrigation scheduling. We’ve installed variable frequency drives (VFD) on the pivots of our irrigators. In the barn, we’ve switched to LED lighting. Around the farm and home, we’ve been recycling anything we can, and we most signed up with a service to recycle bale wrap. What concerns do you have about the environment? Air quality along with the availability and quality of our ground water. I agree with the old Native American saying that we should treat the earth well because it’s on loan to us by our children. I like the idea of leaving a place better than when I found it. Which environment protection guidelines do you support? Are there any you feel need to be changed? I support the buffer zone initiative in Minnesota because it will protect our lakes and rivers. I support these buffers because they serve as lters for any extra nutrients or chemicals that could leach into the water. The buffers also provide more wildlife habitat. If you could add one sustainable or environmental-friendly practice to your farm tomorrow, what would it be? Convert to solar. It wouldn’t have a huge impact on the environment, and we’d like to reduce our ecological footprint as much as possible. Tell us about your farm. I grew up on our farm and started in a partnership with my uncle in 1984. After leasing the farm from my parents for those 10 years, my wife, Mary, and I purchased it in 1994. My uncle retired four years later, and we purchased his half of the
What does environmental protection mean to you? Environmental protection means leaving the land in better shape than when we started. What things do you do on your farm to protect the environment? We use cover crops and green manure crops along with composting winter corn stalk packs for future fertilizer use. We also try to mob graze as much as possible during the grazing season. What concerns do you have about the environment? I have concerns about trying to t a universal one-sizets-all plan on everybody. Every situation is different and therefore needs to be treated as such. Which environment protection guidelines do you support? Are there any you feel need to be changed? I support the EQIP program through the value added plans for farms. I think the land use and management rules need to be evaluated so farms have the ability to grow and prosper where they are at, in the country. If you could add one sustainable or environmental-friendly practice to your farm tomorrow, what would it be and why? I would like to try to grow and use forage varieties that produce high energy and protein silages that require minimal tillage and cultivation while feeding for higher milk production and weight gains. Tell us about your farm. On our farm, I live with my children, Adeline, 9, Weston, 5, and August, 4. I farm with help from my parents, Randy and Audrey, and brothers, David and Thomas. Our milk is shipped through Organic Valley and the herd consists of mostly Holsteins with some Brown Swiss, Jersey and crossbred cows. This fall, we are switching to seasonal calving starting the end of August. As a result, we will be drying the cows up during the summer heat and ies, thus having more time dedicated for family this summer. We also crop organic corn, soybeans, oats and alfalfa.
What does environmental protection mean to you? To us, environmental protection means doing our part to ensure a good environment for future generations. What things do you do on your farm to protect the environment? In 2005, we utilized EQIP Program funds and a state grant through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to bring our farm up to code with Minnesota’s feedlot rules (7020 feedlot rules). This entailed building a new earthen manure basin, diverting manure run off from feedlots and sending milkhouse waste water to the earthen basin. We recently signed up for an agriculture bag dumpster to be placed on our farm. What concerns do you have about the environment? Michele is concerned about the landlls. The neighboring county just purchased more land to increase their landll size. What will happen to all that garbage in the future? When is a landll big enough? Jason is concerned about erosion and the loss of topsoil. He does what he can to prevent both. We hope renewable fuels like ethanol, biodiesel, solar and wind energy, etc., will continue to help ensure a clean environment. Which environment protection guidelines do you support? Are there any you feel need to be changed? In our township, we’ve seen the environmental guidelines used for the construction of new hog nishing barns. The guidelines are in place not only to protect the environment, but to protect the farmers, our city neighbors and our rural economy. We support the need for feedlot permitting, CAFO permitting and the need to keep feedlot permits for production agriculture up to date. We feel that the new state buffer strip law needs to be changed. It’s not that we are against the law, rather, we do not like how it was voted on and implemented by our state government. The rules, funding and enforcement needed to be clear before it became a law, which did not happen. If you could add one sustainable or environmentally friendly practice to your farm tomorrow, what would it be? We would add solar panels to help generate renewable energy and reduce our electricity costs. Tell us about your farm. Jason farms in partnership with his parents, John and Bev. They farm 330 acres raising corn, soybeans, alfalfa and oats. Besides the 55 cows, the farm raises replacement heifers and feeder steers. The farm has been in the family for 135 years with 90 years of raising registered Holsteins. Michele is a rural property appraiser with Upper Midwest Management Corporation in New Ulm. We have three young children, Alex, 8, Aiden, 4, and April, 2.
What does environmental protection mean to you? Preserving the organic matter in the soil for future generations. What things do you do on your farm to protect the environment? We farm organically, so we don’t put any pesticides into the environment. Our milk buyer, Organic Valley, helps us keep track of the carbon emissions that we save. We have found we can live with a little quackgrass between our corn rows. This helps us prevent soil erosion. What concerns do you have about the environment? Why? One concern is that synthetic chemicals will cause so many problems with the soil that it will become hard and sterile, and will lose its organic matter. We worry the use of nonselective insecticides can kill both the bad and the good insects, such as bees. Another concern is that the overuse of antibiotics will cause problems in animals and in people. We have found the right combination of herbs will usually cure mastitis. Which environment protection guidelines do you support? Are there any you feel need to be changed? We would like to see the regulations regarding manure application be enforced equitably. There should be a rule that hilly ground be planted to crops that hold the soil. We are letting too much of our black dirt run down into the creek. If you could add one sustainable or environmental-friendly practice to your farm tomorrow, what would it be and why? It would be nice if we could have more rows of trees. We could use more wind protection and the trees would increase the amount of environment available for wildlife. Tell us about your farm. This farm has been in our family since 1934. We have been operating it as an organic dairy for 11 years. We raise corn, barley, soybeans, alfalfa and sunowers. We have learned if you give your animals organic feed, mastitis pretty much becomes a thing of the past. Our only source of fertilizer is our manure, yet we still manage to raise 200-bushel corn. In the summertime, we burn 100 percent soybean oil in our tractors as a way to support our local farming community.
dairy operation. Mary teaches but keeps our books throughout the year and helps in the summers. Though our oldest son, Matthew, has a full-time job, he’s involved with the management and operation of our cropland. Our youngest son, Rory, is studying abroad to obtain a master’s degree. With the help of a full-time employee, Todd Studniski, and some part-time help, we milk 70 cows, and we nish our Holstein steers. We crop 400 acres of corn, alfalfa, soybeans and rye.
Turn to FENCE | Page 16
Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
ConƟnued from FENCE | Page 15
Steve Leatherberry Viola, Wis. Richland County 70 cows
Glen Wohlk Almena, Wis. Barron County 65 cows
Cory Leis Cashton, Wis. Monroe County 350 cows
What does environmental protection mean to you? Preserving our natural resources for future generations.
What does environmental protection mean to you? My goal is to leave the environment better than when I started. If we don’t protect it, it’s not going to
What does environmental protection mean to you? To me, it means taking care of the land and making sure it is there for the next generation.
What things do you do on your farm to protect the environment? We have contour strips and waterways. I only put corn in for two years in elds that have any kind of slope. Then, I try to keep them seeded back down, so we keep as much soil as we can. We also have a concrete cow crossing across Bear Creek, which was done in 2003. What concerns do you have about the environment? Soil erosion comes to mind. There’s only so much good topsoil. When it’s gone, it’s gone. Which environment protection guidelines do you support? Are there any you feel need to be changed? I’m a little familiar with the Clean Water Act. But, I have more experience with my own farm and its needs. If you could add one sustainable or environmentally friendly practice to your farm tomorrow, what would it be? I’d like to be able to build six months’ worth of manure storage, because I’m hauling nearly every day. Tell us about your farm. My wife, Laura, and I own 120 acres, with 30 tillable. We rent 100 acres of cropland and grow corn, alfalfa and soybeans. Along with our dairy herd, we have a few beef cattle. We have three children: Ashley, 25, Cole, 18, and Karlee, 16.
be there.
What things do you do on your farm to protect the environment? We’ve been doing continuous no-till for 18 years. We’ve also started using cover crops, eld borders for erosion, and wetland restoration. All of our restoration projects have been self-funded. What concerns do you have about the environment? We’re going to ruin our farmland and resources like wildlife and habitat. If it’s gone, it’s gone. We’re obligated to take care of it. It makes things more interesting when you have more wildlife on the farm. Now that we’ve restored our wetlands, we have geese nesting on the farm for the third year in a row. Which changes in federal and state environment protection policies do you support? Are there any you feel need to be changed? I’m not a regulation guy, and my general opinion is farmers in general don’t like regulations. They know what works best on their farm. We knew what had to be done and did it. If you’re going to cost share, you’re at the mercy of the government agency that you’re working with and that can be harmful on a small farm. My theory is the government is trying to clean up the ocean in a day, and we need to take care of a drop of rainwater rst. As far as specic regulations, I don’t pay attention too much, but I do what I have to do. If you could add one sustainable or environmental-friendly practice to your farm tomorrow, what would it be? I would probably build a catch basin at the base of three waterways coming through our farm to let the water lter out.
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Tell us about your farm. My wife, Susan, and I, with our sons, Clayton and Kurt, crop 350 acres on our 65-cow dairy. We plant grain corn, corn silage, alfalfa and soybeans. Everything is no-till.
Email andrea.b@dairystar.com
What things do you do on your farm to protect the environment? We plant cover crops and practice no-till. By doing so, erosion is kept under control and the soil loss is minimized. Over the last 20 years, they both have denitely beneted our land. What concerns do you have about the environment? The amount of tillage around our area. I try to minimize tillage as much as possible. Minimizing erosion is my biggest concern because of the hills and valleys in our area. Which environment protection guidelines do you support? Are there any you feel need to be changed? I use the best management practices for our land, and what UW-Discovery Farms have taught us, too. It has showed us that what we do is working as compared to what others are or are not doing. Having a network of other farmers and professionals who are just as concerned as we are helps us to know if what we are doing is right, and if not, ways we can better what we are doing. Twenty years ago, you never worried if what you were doing was right; you just did it because it was what your family did for 30 years. Now, someone comes across, shares their idea and you can exchange what works for one another. If you could add one sustainable or environmental-friendly practice to your farm tomorrow, what would it be? A minimum-till manure application system. Instead of broadcasting, if you could do a minimum incorporation with the least amount of soil disturbance. It would provide more protection from rain and runoff. Tell us about your farm. We milk 350 cows in a double-8 parlor. We raise our own youngstock. We have an automatic calf-feeding barn that we put up two years ago. We raise our own feed on 1,600 acres. I am the third generation on this farm, working with my sister and her husband. We have some beef on another farm, raise a few steers and have some cattle at my father-in-law’s farm.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 17
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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
Repro Leaders
Observation key to reaching 27 percent pregnancy rate for Jassel Holsteins Alan and Jessica Klimek Alexandria, Minn. Douglas County 80 cows What was your average pregnancy rate last year? 27 percent. What is your voluntary waiting period for cows? For heifers? For cows, it is 50 days for cows and for heifers it is 13 months. What is your ďƒžrst service conception rate? 54 percent. What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? First, we watch for heat on both cows and heifers. Most of the heifers are bred by us just paying attention to what’s going on in the pen every day during chores. The cows are watched during milking, or again just being attentive whenever we are in the barn. For cows, if they haven’t shown heat by 50 days they will go on the herd health vet list. We have the vet out for herd health every two weeks. When open cows are checked, they go on the ovsync program and get a CIDR if they are in
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Alan and Jessica Klimek milk 80 cows on their farm near Alexandria, Minn., in Douglas County. The Klimeks closely monitor and manager their registered herd to maintain a pregnancy rate of 27 percent and ďƒžrst service concepĆ&#x;on rate of 54 percent.
Turn to KLIMEKS | Page 20
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USED TRACTORS - Low rate ďŹ nance MF 8650, FWA, 950 hrs., 2014, CVT, Auto Guide ......$153,500 Fendt 820, FWA, 33 mph, CVT, air-ride cab .................$87,500 Kubota M125X, cab, FWA,16-sp., PS ..........................$39,900 Kubota B2301, FWA, hydro, 15 hrs .............................$12,500 Case 3220, 965 hrs, 52HP diesel, 3 pt ..........................$9,950 TILLAGE & PLANTING EQUIPMENT Landoll 2227-11 shank Disc/Chisel/Disc .....................$25,900 White 8524 24-30 central ďŹ ll, TW ...............................$74,500 White 8222 12-30 ex, low acres................................$39,900 White 6100 12-30, no-till, shutoffs .............................$11,675 HARVEST EQUIPMENT AGCO S77, 390 bu., power bin, loaded, 289 hrs .......$239,500 AGCO R65, Duals, Ag Leader Mon., Chopper............$109,900
Holstein Steers • Lean Cows • Bulls • Fed Cows
Bill Bartusch • 877-300-9298 Long Prairie, MN Lean Cows • Bulls
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Bruce Belter • 507-429-0359
Store Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30-5:00 Saturday 7:30-noon
Dean Derricks • 920-655-4730 Green Bay, WI Holstein Steers • Fed Cows • Lean Cows
www.deikeimp.com
AGCO R62, 285 hp Cummins, 2002, Y Monitor ..........$34,900 AGCO R52, 1998, 1605 hrs, Lateral Tilt, Chopper .......$66,500 CORN HEADS AGCO R630 hugger, 2008, poly, elec. strippers ..........$23,500 AGCO R830 Hugger, poly dividers, electric strippers ..$22,500 AGCO R636, 2013, poly, e. stripper, 800 acres ...........$17,900 Harvestec 4308C, 8x30, chopping knives ...................$18,400 GRAIN HEADS AGCO 8200-35’ Flex; SCH sickle, Forth & Aft reel .......$26,500 AGCO 8200, 25’ ex, SCH sickle, Forth & Aft. reel ......$19,500 SKID LOADERS Bobcat T770, 2 spd., joysticks, hi-ow, 2012 .............$52,500 Bobcat T650, cab, air, 2-sp, 700 hrs ....................... Coming In Bobcat S650, cab, air, 2-sp, joysticks .........................$29,900
Jim Ryan • 605-668-4275 Yankton, SD Lean Cows • Bulls
Mike Baczwaski • 800-445-0042 Gibbon, NE Fed Cows • Lean Cows • Bulls
Hutchinson Buying Station
Ricky Schiefelbein • 320-304-2346 Hutchinson, MN
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 19
“... a must for every fresh animal.” — Stanley Haedge
KOW CASTLE HOLSTEINS, HICO, TEXAS Stanley and Brenda Haedge, 220 cows 24,500 lb, SCC 180,000, BAA 106.8, 10 EX, 50 VG
“Udder Comfort™ is a must for every fresh animal to knock out swelling quickly, so they feel and do better. We now have very few udder issues to manage in our fresh cows,” says Stanley Haedge, Kow Castle Holsteins, Hico, Texas. Stanley and Brenda strike a balance between the commercial herd and the family’s competitive love of showing at San Antonio. They like the Udder Comfort Spray Gun for convenience. They spray every fresh udder, focusing on the center cleft from front to rear, after each milking for the first 3 to 7 days post-calving. “With this routine, our first calf heifers adapt faster to the milking process without interventions,” says Stanley. He breeds for type and good udders for longevity.
“That’s also why Udder Comfort is a big part of our fresh cow routine. We want to remove udder stress at calving to start them right on a great lactation and to maintain the quality of the udders for future lactations.”
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, April 22, 2017
ConƟnued from KLIMEKS | Page 19
the right reproductive stage. At 30 days after breeding, our veterinarian checks them for pregnancy using ultrasound. Then they are rechecked at 70 days to reconrm pregnancy. How do you observe for heat? We watch during chores as described above. How do you conrm pregnant or open cows? We use ultrasound during our herd health checks. What is your breeding philosophy? How do you select bulls? What traits do you focus on? Does fertility play
a role in bull selection? The No. 1 thing is to nd a bull to x the cow’s aws. We use high type bulls. We do not use bulls that are negative on foot angle or teat placement because those traits will show up right away. Really, we look at all the traits as they all have importance, only some things become more important when trying to improve the cow. We watch for inbreeding. If we buy a bull and don’t get any cows pregnant from him, we will not buy him again. How are cows and heifers bred? Do you have a different philosophy for breeding
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Alan and Jessica Klimek walk past a group of young heifers looking for signs of heat.
both? They are all A.I. bred. We use bulls with good calving ease on the heifers. What do you do to settle hard breeders? We will choose a higher fertility bull.
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
The Klimeks use high type bulls on their dairy herd near Alexandria, Minn.
How many times do you try to breed a cow before you sell her? This depends on the cow and if she has any other strikes against her. It is rare we have to sell a cow because
Join us at the University of Minnesota from June 11-13 for the 2017 Gopher Dairy Camp! Campers, grades 6-9, will enhance their fitting and showmanship skills as well as broaden their knowledge of the dairy industry through hands-on workshops. Gopher Dairy Camp will also spend an evening at CHS field to cheer on the St. Paul Saints, tour a local dairy farm, and step foot on Minnesota Gopher Football’s home field, TCF Bank Stadium! Sign up today!
$90 registration closing on May 22nd
Organized by:
University of Minnesota Gopher Dairy Club
Minnesota State 4-H Dairy Committee
Minnesota Livestock Breeders Association
of reproduction issues. It’s usually something else. Is there anything you have done or changed that brought about a signicant improvement in your reproductive program? No. Tell us about your farm. We have 80 cows and 92 heifers, all registered Holsteins. We raise our heifers for our replacements and sell extras.
We milk twice a day in a tiestall barn. Our farm is on 165 acres that we own, and we rent an additional 217 tillable acres. We grow corn, alfalfa and small grains for feed. We have been working together on our farm since we were married 15 years ago. This is Alan’s home farm so he’s been farming his whole life. We have three kids: Lexi, 13, Hailey, 12, and Derek, 8.
June 11th-13th For more information: http://z.umn.edu/gdcamp or Contact Gabriella Sorg at 651-387-5598 or sorgx013@umn.edu
Thank You to Our Sponsors!
ABS Global - AMPI - Culbertson Land & Cattle LLC - MN Farm Bureau - Munson Lakes Nutrition Plainview Milk Products Cooperative - Semex United Farmers Cooperative
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 21
Low Rate Financing Available See our complete inventory with pictures and descriptions at:
www.mmcjd.com
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Visit one of our 13 locations in Central Minnesota! JD 569, 2014, #124210
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(12) = AITKIN 800-732-1129 1120 2nd St. NW
(13) = BAXTER 800-568-4338 7045 Foley Rd.
JD 7630, 2007, $ 3782 hrs., #131106
38,900
$
119,900
JD L330 $ 2015, #119685
JD 333E, 2015, #125621
61,900
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Over 1200 items with pictures updated daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com ARTICULATED 4WD TRACTORS 5 JD 9300, 1997, 4445 hrs., #132726 .............................$79,000 8 JD 9400, 1996, 6173 hrs., #134367 .............................$79,000 7 JD 9520, 2006, 3109 hrs., #135259 .......................... $139,000 6 JD 9620, 2006, 4700 hrs., #134870 .......................... $148,000 5 JD 9630, 2008, 3004 hrs., #135019 .......................... $169,000 11 JD 9560R, 2012, 1681 hrs., #133796 .......................... $249,000 1 JD 9560R, 2013, 2302 hrs., #127914 .......................... $235,000 3 Challenger MT965B, 2009, 3800 hrs., #137356 ....... $135,000 FIELD CULTIVATORS 6 CIH 200, 2011, #129150 .............................$55,000 7 CIH 200, 2012, #135767 .............................$52,000 8 JD 985, 1998, #135905 .............................$21,500 2 JD 985, 1995, #130971 .............................$18,000 1 JD 2210, 2005, #120515 .............................$39,500 6 JD 2210, 2006, #137410 .............................$22,900 LARGE SQUARE BALERS 4 JD L330, 2016, #125100 .......................... $122,900 10 JD L330, 2015, #119685 .......................... $119,900 MOWER CONDITIONERS 11 JD 635, 2013, #134300 .............................$21,900 9 JD 830, 2015, #134944 .............................$25,900 10 JD 835, 2015, #133943 .............................$26,500 10 JD 835, 2012, #130580 .............................$24,000 2 JD 946, 2014, #126997 .............................$32,000 7 JD 946, 2014, #126629 .............................$30,900 8 JD 946, 2009, #132018 .............................$23,500 11 JD 946, 2005, #130363 .............................$17,500 10 JD 956, 2013, #121134 .............................$28,900 1 JD 956, 2011, #126054 .............................$27,900 6 NH H7150, 2012, #126620 .............................$24,500
98,900
10 NH H7150, 2011, #122976 .............................$19,900 PLANTERS: DRAWN 9 JD 1750, 2013, #131524 .............................$33,000 12 JD 1750, 2001, #127462 .............................$20,500 6 JD 1760, 2011, #137366 .............................$44,900 6 JD 1760, 1996, #135809 .............................$21,750 4 JD 1770, 2011, #132629 .............................$72,500 1 JD 1770, 2000, #136716 .............................$29,900 2 JD 1780, 2001, #134553 .............................$42,500 5 JD 1780, 2001, #136764 .............................$32,900 9 JD 1780, 1997, #127222 .............................$28,500 10 JD 7200, 1986, #136880 .............................$14,985 8 White 8200, 2013, #137538 .............................$49,900 4 JD 1770NT, 2014, #134722 .......................... $127,330 4 JD 1770NT, 2010, #131019 .............................$75,000 8 JD 1770NT, 2006, #135018 .............................$64,000 4 JD DB44, 2005, #134620 .............................$59,900 PULL-TYPE SPRAYERS 5 Redball 570, 2006, #136150 .............................$14,900 3 Redball 580, 2006, #136873 .............................$17,500 5 Hardi COMMANDER 4400, 2011, #135264 .............................$37,900 4 Hardi NAV 1100, #137542 .............................$17,000 4 Hardi NAV 1100, #137543 .............................$17,000 8 Hardi NAVIGATOR 4000, 2012, #137537 ............................$36,500 3 Top Air TA1600, 2013, #134895 .............................$52,000 SKID STEER LOADERS 1 JD 315, 2014, 27 hrs., #113452 .............................$28,900 1 JD 315, 2014, 42 hrs., #113451 .............................$28,900 10 JD 332, 2005, 6931 hrs., #131737 .............................$16,500 13 JD 317G, 2016, 147 hrs., #133454 .............................$47,900 9 JD 318D, 2011, 389 hrs.,
86,900
2013 JD 6125M, $ 125 hp., 243 hrs., #123591
#134073 .............................$30,900 7 JD 318D, 2010, 350 hrs., #126439 .............................$28,900 4 JD 318E, 2015, 45 hrs., #118133 .............................$37,900 8 JD 318E, 2015, 46 hrs., #134905 .............................$36,900 8 JD 318E, 2015, 478 hrs., #136780 .............................$33,500 8 JD 318E, 2014, 664 hrs., #125356 .............................$31,900 8 JD 318E, 2015, 2200 hrs., #135979 .............................$26,500 12 JD 319D, 2010, 463 hrs., #130278 .............................$33,900 8 JD 320D, 2013, 1020 hrs., #133492 ............................$32,900 6 JD 320D, 2013, 4240 hrs., #137567 ............................$18,250 8 JD 320E, 2015, 115 hrs., #130568 .............................$39,900 3 JD 320E, 2014, 115 hrs., #121065 .............................$38,900 2 JD 320E, 2015, 178 hrs., #115882 .............................$38,465 10 JD 320E, 2015, 30 hrs., #126180 .............................$37,900 4 JD 320E, 2014, 601 hrs., #134794 .............................$34,900 10 JD 320E, 2014, 1026 hrs., #135139 .............................$34,900 4 JD 320E, 2015, 142 hrs., #127651 .............................$30,900 6 JD 320E, 2015, 1591 hrs., #134169 .............................$30,900 5 JD 320E, 2014, 1813 hrs., #125994 .............................$28,900 10 JD 320E, 2015, 2290 hrs., #135972 .............................$26,900 10 JD 323D, 2011, 1050 hrs., #134454 .............................$37,900 10 JD 323E, 2015, 165 hrs., #130570 .............................$57,000 6 JD 323E, 2015, 147 hrs., #134295 .............................$56,300 8 JD 323E, 2015, 334 hrs., #129368 .............................$49,500 7 JD 326D, 2012, 210 hrs., #135673 .............................$40,500 7 JD 326D, 2012, 250 hrs., #135015 .............................$38,500 9 JD 326E, 2016, 65 hrs., #126370 .............................$45,900 12 JD 326E, 2015, 136 hrs., #118578 .............................$44,900 2 JD 326E, 2015, 150 hrs., #128590 .............................$40,900 3 JD 326E, 2014, 465 hrs.,
23,900
JD LW1166, 2012, $ #132344
#125552 .............................$37,900 4 JD 326E, 2014, 860 hrs., #127652 .............................$37,500 2 JD 326E, 2014, 1951 hrs., #126744 ............................$29,900 4 JD 328E, 2016, 200 hrs., #131549 .............................$51,000 11 JD 328E, 2014, 531 hrs., #127230 .............................$46,900 5 JD 329E, 2014, 240 hrs., #131459 .............................$61,900 8 JD 329E, 2014, 419 hrs., #128337 .............................$54,500 13 JD 329E, 2013, 424 hrs., #121156 .............................$53,900 4 JD 332D, 2012, 612 hrs., #127231 .............................$46,000 11 JD 332E, 2015, 122 hrs., #135560 .............................$55,000 8 JD 332E, 2014, 1345 hrs., #132664 .............................$42,900 4 JD 333D, 2012, 690 hrs., #130565 .............................$51,900 12 JD 333D, 2011, 2128 hrs., #135354 ............................$44,900 13 JD 333E, 2016, 205 hrs., #134366 .............................$69,900 13 JD 333E, 2016, 230 hrs., #134365 .............................$69,900 2 JD 333E, 2014, 870 hrs., #135021 .............................$59,900 12 JD CT322, 2006, 3290 hrs., #131411 ............................$22,900 4 Gehl RT-175-GEN-3, 2016, 202 hrs., #137239 ............$37,000 11 Bobcat S130, 2008, 252 hrs., #136868 ............................$27,300 7 Bobcat S185, 2008, 5666 hrs., #134431 .............................$18,900 2 Bobcat S590, 2013, 757 hrs., #131472 ............................$35,900 12 CIH TR270, 2016, 17 hrs., #132330 .............................$47,000 WINDROWERS 2 JD 4995, 2009, 1450 hrs., #132150 .............................$82,500 7 JD A400, 2012, 1127 hrs., #132348 .............................$74,900 5 JD W235, 2014, 584 hrs., #134973 .......................... $145,000 6 JD W235, 2014, 580 hrs., #135622 .......................... $142,500 6 JD W235, 2014, 865 hrs., #133186 .......................... $139,000 8 JD W260, 2015, 417 hrs., #132464 .......................... $162,000
JD 6140D, 2013, $ 140 hp., 378 hrs., #131138
62,500
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
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Contact one of the following dealers to learn more: 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
South Dakota dairy farmer is new chairman Allen Merrill, a dairy farmer from Parker, S.D., is the new chairman of Midwest Dairy Association, elected during the organization’s annual meeting held in conjunction with the Western Dairy Forum in Phoenix, Ariz. Merrill previously served as rst vice chairman. He replaces Jerry Messer of Richardton, N.D., who stepped down after serving as chairman for nine years. New members of the Corporate board ofcer team are Charles Krause, Buffalo, Minn., rst vice chairman; and Lowell Mueller, Hooper, Neb., secretary. Bill Siebenborn, Trenton, Miss., was reelected second vice chairman while Dan Grunhovd, Gary, Minn., was re-elected treasurer. New members elected by their Divisions to the Midwest Dairy Corporate board include: Alan Feuerhelm, Le Mars, Iowa; Lloyd Gunter, Conway, Miss.; Corrine Lieser, Belgrade, Minn.; Larry Shover, Delhi, Iowa; and Kristine Spadgenske, Menahga, Minn.. Division board ofcers and new members are as follows: Iowa Division Chairman – Dan Hotvedt, Mabel, Minnesota; Vice Chairman – Bruce Brockshus, Ocheyedan; Secretary – Pam Bolin, Clarksville; and Treasurer – Larry Shover, Delhi. Ken Birker, Vinton, and Melissa Blood, State Center, were seated as new members of the Iowa Division board. Minnesota Division Chairman – Barb Liebenstein, Dundas; Vice Chairman – Charles Krause, Buffalo; Secretary -- Suzanne Vold, Glenwood; and Treasurer – Tom Walsh, Murdock. The Minnesota Dairy Promotion Council, a quasigovernmental group with the same board members, elected the following: Chairman – Kathleen Skiba, North Branch; Vice Chairman – Keith Knutson, Pine Island; Secretary – Debi Clasemann, Long Prairie; Treasurer – Christine Sukalski, LeRoy; and Executive member at-large – Peter Ripka, Ogilvie. Doug Popp, Royalton, and Margaret Johnson, Fountain, were seated as new members of both the Minnesota Division board and the Minnesota Dairy Promotion Council. Nebraska Division Chairman – Lowell Mueller, Hooper; Vice Chairman – Joyce Racicky, Mason City; and Secretary/Treasurer – Dean Engelman, Jansen. Neil Hochstein, Wynot, was seated as a new member of the Nebraska Division board. Marshall Reece, Associated Milk Producers Inc., was appointed as a new ex ofcio member.
www.delaval.com
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
Midwest Dairy elects new leadership
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 © 2017 DeLaval Inc. DeLaval, 11100 North Congress Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri 64153-1296. www.delaval.com
North Dakota Division Chairman – Jerry Messer, Richardton; Vice Chairman – Terry Entzminger, Jamestown; Secretary – Rita Mosset, Linton; and Treasurer – Lilah Krebs, Gladstone. Sue Kleingartner, Gackle, was seated as a new member of the North Dakota Division board. South Dakota Division Chairman – Jim Neugebauer, Dimock; Vice Chairman – Mike Frey, Claremont; Secretary – Allen Merrill, Parker; and Treasurer – Gary Jarding, Alexandria. Kim Maher of Davisco Foods International was appointed as an ex ofcio member of the South Dakota Division board.
Nourishing dairy for child health
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 23
This month marked the Did you know 6 billion one-year point for me as your pounds of dairy passes through Midwest Dairy CEO, and school meals, consumed by while I’ve had many experi- more than 30 million students ences during that time, events in the country who eat school where I see how dairy checkoff lunch every day and another is making an impact 14.8 million who eat in schools are ones school breakfast? that really get me exWhat’s more, school cited. meals teach children Most recently, lifelong nutrition habMidwest Dairy was its, and having dairy part of the Nourish to on the plate shows Flourish conference its importance as part in Chicago, where of every meal, given your Dairy Council its strong nutritional joined forces with By Lucas Lentsch benets. the Urban School Midwest Dairy One of the Food Alliance for a Association CEO people I spoke with discussion on how to during the conference improve school meals. The Al- plans meals for 232 schools liance is a nonprot coalition across the Dallas-Ft. Worth, of some of the country’s larg- Texas area. When people like est school districts, and believe her come together and talk me, the students who attend about serving milk cold, having those schools are the ones for continuous access to dairy, and whom dairy can make a huge diverse products from which to difference. choose, it causes people to act. Former Agriculture SecreNot only did the national tary Tom Vilsack, now CEO of checkoff CEO, Tom Gallagher, the U.S. Dairy Export Council, speak at this conference, but was among the speakers. He Midwest Dairy brought Fuel said it best when he claimed Up to Play 60 students and that, out of the thousands of three program advisors to the meetings taking place that day event, along with an Arkansas across the country, none were dairy farmer and school decimore important than this one. sion makers from our territory. Children can’t learn and can’t Thanks to the work of Dairy behave well when they’re hun- Council, you are represented at gry, and a huge number of chil- the table when these important dren get a lot of their nutrition discussions about school meals at school. take place.
Despite that, we also heard about efforts to move school meals toward more plant-based proteins. Each one of us needs to understand how to speak out about the importance of dairy protein and how the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
do not recommend replacing three servings of dairy each day with plant-based protein. The recommendations in the Guidelines do talk about plantbased diets, but the diets they recommend include milk, eggs, sh, poultry and meat,
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Lucas Lentsch and the Food & Families Program Director for SDSU Extension, Suzanne Stluka, parƟcipate in the Nourish to Flourish conference in Chicago, Ill.
etc. The Guidelines simply say we should get more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, but say nothing about eliminating animal protein. I nd it interesting that, even with all the obvious marketing of nondairy alternative beverages, only about 6 percent of the market belongs to them, and it has remained the same for several years. Research shows people prefer the taste of cows’ milk and the innovation in our industry is helping to meet the changing needs of our consumers. At Nourish to Flourish, about 240 participants created 16 project areas that will enhance school meals and increase participation. Dairy advocates will be right there with them, making sure you’re represented in discussions and collaboration, securing your future market with America’s children. Lucas Lentsch was named CEO of Midwest Dairy Association in April 2016. In that role, he serves the dairy farm families of 10 states including Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. Midwest Dairy works to foster innovation and inspire consumer condence in dairy products and practices.
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
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AUTHORIZED BOBCAT DEALERS
IOWA
Reiser Implement, Inc. Waukon • 563-568-4526 JP Scherrman, Inc. Farley • 563-744-3393
MINNESOTA
Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. St. Cloud • 320-240-2085 Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. Willmar • 320-235-3672 Lano Equipment, Inc. Anoka • 763-323-1720
Aldrich Tractor, Inc. Verndale • 218-445-5430
Lano Equipment, Inc. Loretto • 763-472-8200
Bobcat of Otter Tail County Fergus Falls • 218-739-4505
Lano Equipment of Norwood Norwood Young America 952-467-2181
Farm-Rite Equipment, Inc. Dassel • 320-275-2737
Lano Equipment, Inc. Shakopee • 952-445-6310 Lund Implement Company Madison • 320-598-3150 Miller Sellner Slayton Slayton • 507-836-8571 Tri-State Bobcat Burnsville • 952-894-0894 Tri-State Bobcat Little Canada • 651-407-3727 United Farmers Cooperative Lafayette • 507-228-8224
Visit Bobcat.com/Offers or stop by today for details. *Offer ends 5/31/2017. 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. Prior purchases not eligible. 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.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 25
More producers able to recycle plastic Dumpsters given to 500 dairy farmers in west central Minnesota By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
PERHAM, Minn. – Jeff Palubicki and his family have always tried to recycle as much as they can on their farm; so, when recycling their agricultural plastics became an option, they were excited. “Our only options were burning or burying it. It was a bigger problem than anyone realized. So recycling it will be a win-win,” said Palubicki, who milks 45 cows near Perham, Minn. Palubicki was one of 500 farmers in west central Minnesota who received a dumpster from Revolution Plastics to collect and recycle ag plastics free of charge. Four hundred dumpsters were given to farmers April 3-6 at the Pope County Fairgrounds in Glenwood, Minn., while 100 dumpsters were distributed to pre-selected farmers on April 7 at the West Otter Tail County Fairgrounds in Fergus Falls, Minn. On Palubicki’s dairy, his herd is fed round and square bales of hay which are wrapped in ag plastic and all the dairy’s corn silage is under ag plastic in 150-foot piles. “It’s become a necessary by-product of wrapping these bales. It’s a newer problem,” Palubicki said. According to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, about 15 to 20 pounds of agriculture plastic is attributed per year to each cow in the state. www.albanychrysler.com
MARK KLAPHAKE/DAIRY STAR
Jeff Palubicki stands next to the dumpster he received from Revolu�on Plas�cs to collect and recycle agricultural plas�cs free of charge for his 45-cow dairy near Perham, Minn. Since making these distributions, the company now has 2,700 dumpsters on farms in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa. Before moving into Central Minnesota, the company had been recycling up to 100 million pounds of plastic per year. In Wisconsin and Winona County in Minnesota alone, the
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ers, bale wrap and oxygen barriers in the dumpsters. Polypropylene net wrap and plastic twine are not accepted. To sign up for the program, farmers should visit RevolutionPlastics.com or call a representative toll free at (844) 490-7873.
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company is recycling 1 million pounds per month. “We all try to keep the farm looking tidy. This is just another tool to keep the farmstead cleaned up,” Palubicki said. “It’s a good deal.” Farmers are reminded to only put polyethylene silage bags, bunker cov-
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Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
USED EQUIPMENT SPECIALS Tractors
‘09 CIH 1250, 24R30” Planter ............................. $75,000 ‘14 CIH 1265, 36R22” Planter ........................... $169,000 CIH 4700, 30’ Field Cultivator w/3 Bar Mulcher ..... $5,900 CIH 4700, 36’ Field Cultivator w/3 Bar Mulcher ..... $7,900 ‘07 CIH Tigermate-200, 47’ Field Cultivator ......... $39,500 ‘15 McFarlane Incite 5032, 32’ Vertical Universal Tillage Machine, New Demo Unit ................... $72,500 ‘11 JD Plow 10 Bottom........................................ $34,000 Sunflower 4411, 12’ Disk Chisel .......................... $10,500 Flexicoil 340-36’ chisel plow w/drag.................... $21,000 Krause 4800 - 17’ disk chisel ................................. $7,900 CIH 730B Ecolotiger w/leads................................ $14,000 CIH 730B Ecolotiger ............................................ $15,000 ‘10 Case-IH 870 - 22’ w/o Drag, nice .................. $42,000 ‘13 Case-IH 870-22’ w/ Spike Harrow, Nice ........ $59,000 CIH MRX 690 Ripper (7 Shank) ........................... $17,000 Ezee-On 4600 38’ Disk ........................................ $32,750 ‘13 Summers 2510 DT 38’ Diamond Tillage Disk w/baskets & Caster Hitch, Rental Unit ............ $89,000 ‘16 McFarlane HDL1050-16 Bar Drag, Nice Unit.. $29,900 Tillage/Planters CIH 1200, 8R30” Planter ..................................... $12,000 ‘14 McFarlane Reel Disk 4135, 36’ w/ Baskets, New Demo Unit .............................................. $68,500 CIH 1200 units on 36R20,” Friesen Frame .......... $25,000 ‘06 CIH MX285 w/Front Duals, 3 Pt Hitch & PTO, 5000 hrs......................................................... $86,000 ‘93 CIH 9250, 4WD, 6900 hrs, very nice .............. $55,000 ‘94 CIH 9250, 4WD, 7300 hrs .............................. $45,000 ‘96 CIH 9350 Tractor .........................................Coming In ‘09 CIH STX485 Quadtrac, 2850 hrs .................. $219,000 ‘11 CIH STX535 Quadtrac, 2924 hrs .................. $229,000 ‘13 CIH Steiger 500 Quadtrac, 1014 hrs ............. $295,000 ‘12 CIH Steiger 550 Quadtrac w/guidance & PTO 3637 hrs....................................................... $249,000 ‘12 CIH Steiger 550 Quadtrac w/ Guidance, 3200 hrs ...................................................... $239,000 ‘12 CIH Steiger 550 Quadtrac, 2824 hrs ............. $259,000 ‘13 CIH Steiger 550 Quadtrac w/ PTO, 1622 hrs $279,000 ‘12 CIH Steiger 550 Quadtrac w/ PTO, 2200 hrs $259,000 ‘12 CIH Steiger 600 Quadtrac w/PTO, 2335 hrs . $285,000 ‘99 Case 75XT Skidsteer, 4351 hrs....................... $18,000 ‘11 Case SV250 Skidsteer, 2731 hrs ................... $27,000
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Agriculture census, FSA volunteers
America’s farmers and ranchers will soon have the opportunity to strongly represent agriculture in their communities and industry by taking part in the 2017 Census of Agriculture. Conducted every ve years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the census, to be mailed at the end of this year, is a complete count of all U.S. farms, ranches and those who operate them. FSA News & Notes The Census of Agriculture highlights land use and ownership, operator characteristics, production practices, income and expenditures, and other topics. The 2012 Census of Agriculture revealed that over three million farmers operated more than two million farms, spanning over 914 million acres. This was a 4 percent decrease in the number of U.S. farms from the previous census in 2007. However, agriculture sales, income and expenses increased between 2007 and 2012. This telling information and thousands of other agriculture statistics are a By Ryan Brunn direct result of responses to the Census of Agriculture. Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. Producers who are new to farming or did not receive a Census of Agriculture in 2012 still have time to sign up to receive the 2017 Census of Agriculture report form by visiting www.agcensus.usda.gov and clicking on the ‘Make Sure You Are Counted’ button through June. NASS denes a farm as any place from which $1,000 or more of agricultural products were produced and sold, or normally would have been sold, during the census year (2017). If you are a student and are looking for an unpaid internship or need in-ofce experience to complete your degree, FSA offers a volunteer program to work in a FSA ofce. It is a great opportunity to build customer service skills and work with our local farmers. You will also get computer system experience unique to FSA. The volunteer will need to go through a background check and will gain access to computer systems and will be able to assist the ofce through crop reporting season and other program signups. This is also available to other citizens who feel they have the ability to assist the ofce during our busy seasons. If you are interested, please contact your FSA ofce. 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.
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Where do I go from here?
on our DNB list, a cow must have a major issue, such as terrible feet and legs, a wide udder that is a pain to milk, a very low production index, or has a reproduction issue, such as being bred too many times. I’ve learned from experience that these cows should be culled sooner rather than later, because they require so much extra attention, making more trips to the hoof trimming chute or requiring additional patience in the parlor. A few weeks ago, my dad and I discussed the need to sell a few more cows. He mentioned selling springers at the auction market, but noted the price had gone down. I advocated for culling our DNB cows sooner, so we could make room for the heifers that are calving in, as they are our best genetics. I realize cull cow prices aren’t so great either, but I feel the benet of the better genetics coming will position us for more milk when the prices do turn around. I must also note that we already sold a group of six heifers
The Transition Pen
By John & Laura Rosenhammer Father/Daughter Farming Duo When I left my job at Gar-Lin Dairy, the herdsman’s advice to me was, “Get your repro in order and the rest will follow.” So, I made reproduction my top priority. First, I enrolled all the cows on an ovsynch schedule. Next, I worked with a consultant to develop a set of traits I was looking for in service sires and we developed a list of bulls that were best for our herd. We also mated each cow and heifer individually to one of these bulls. Since then, I’ve simply been making adjustments. Moving our voluntary waiting period to where conception is best, selecting ovsynch protocols based on lactation, and constantly reviewing our data to make sure we are on track. These decisions made a huge impact in our herd. Our days in milk dropped, our pregnancy rate increased, we are more efcient in services per conception, have a shorter calving interval, and, after convincing my dad to give Angus semen a try on our difcult breeders, we are also culling fewer cows for reproduction issues. For me, the biggest reward has been saving cows that would’ve been culled for not being pregnant. With more cows getting pregnant sooner and a shorter calving interval, management decisions need to be made faster in order to keep our number of cows milking at a manageable level. With 60 percent of the herd currently pregnant, our dry cow numbers are rising and milk cows decreasing consistently until fall, then the opposite will happen. Our milking herd numbers are predicted to go from 199 down to 182. This will drop us from 15 percent overcrowded to around 8 percent in the lactating groups. The dry cow pen will be expanded, taking up a few milking herd stalls, and the dry cows will gain a pasture lot, so they won’t need as many stalls. I believe this situation over summer will be a godsend. Cows won’t be so crowded, so they will be under less stress, have more lying time, and be easier to keep cool. Knowing our herd numbers are very healthy, I am striving to make the best decisions when culling cows, so our herd can weed out the poor producers. I have a list of low producers each month, based on their relative value. Last month, I was able to cull the two lowest cows, and as long as we don’t have too many cows die unexpectedly, I can keep culling the open or high SCC cows from this list. Besides this, rather than giving almost every cow at least one chance to be bred back, we have been marking a DNB cow within the rst 60 days of her lactation. To be put
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 27
in March that I picked out as undesirable for our herd, so the heifers that we chose to keep are ones that I am hopeful for. Without a doubt, focusing on reproduction has paid off. Now, my challenge is maintaining our reproduction goals, while trying to make decisions that keep pushing our herd forward. With the low markets, I often feel like I am not moving forward, but rather I’m on a treadmill, getting healthier by burning calories and getting my heart rate up, but not getting to my destination. However, my vet informed me that another client of his pointed out that is exactly what dairy farming is right now, “We’re just doing it (dairy farming) for the exercise.” Laura Rosenhammer farms with her father, John, 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, April 22, 2017
Betty Berning bberning@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Rafael Bisinotto rbisinot@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 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 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
Use your employee handbook
Does your farm have an employee handbook? I talked to many dairy farmers about employee handbooks this last winter. Many farms have a handbook, which is great. However, farmers tell me they are unsure of how to use the handbook once it is written. Too often, employees do not look at the handbook or farms forget and the handbook collects dust on a shelf. An employee handbook can be a valuable communication and labor management tool. I would like to propose four reasons why your farm needs to not only have an employee handbook, but also needs to actively utilize it. An employee handbook communicates what your farm is about. In other words, what is the culture of your farm? Business By Betty Berning culture can be dened as values, beliefs and behaviors typical of your farm. For example, U of M Extension if being on time is an important behavior on your farm, your handbook should reect its importance. You might have a rm policy on tardiness and missed work that is included in the handbook. Perhaps the farm’s culture is to keep things simple. Your handbook might be succinct with only a few critical policies included. Every farm has a culture. The way in which you write and the topics you choose to include in the handbook will send a strong message about your farm’s culture. This will provide clarity to your employees because they will understand what is important to you and how they can be successful on your farm. Clarity is critical in labor management because it helps employees understand your expectations and, in turn, meet them. A handbook highlights the most important policies on your farm. Are there certain behaviors that would cause immediate termination? These unacceptable behaviors and their consequences must be listed in your employee handbook. If employees engage in one of these behaviors, and they have read and signed off on the handbook, there will not be any question as to why they were terminated. This protects your farm and you. An employee handbook can be a powerful tool for human risk management. Are you concerned about an employee mishandling an animal? Maybe you worry about an employee having an accident with equipment? You need to create policies on farm safety, animal welfare and any other risks associated with employees. These policies need to be in your employee handbook. Furthermore, these policies need to be reviewed with employ-
ees. Provide training on these policies to your employees, so the expectations are completely clear. This is managing your risk. All employees should sign that they read the policy and received training. If an unfortunate event happens on your farm, you will have the documentation to show that you did your due diligence. There still may be ramications, but having a written policy and training (and re-training) can lessen the blow of an event. More importantly, a policy that has been explained well can prevent an event from occurring on your farm. As you write, update and utilize your handbook, you build your leadership and business skills. This is a strategic activity, as opposed to being a day-to-day activity like milking and feeding cows. Every time you look at the handbook and review your policies, you are spending time on your business and setting its direction. You are thinking about the type of farm you want to have and what its future might look like. I encourage every farm owner to spend time each week (30 to 60 minutes once per week is a good place to start) on strategic activities like the employee handbook, business plan, goal setting, transition plan, etc. Anything that will have a big impact on your future, but does not feel as urgent as milking cows, is something that you can work on during this time. Put the time on your calendar and hold it; do not let other activities creep in. Take the time to shape your farm’s culture and future. If you have gotten off track and have a handbook, but have not looked at it in a while, it is OK. Just pick up where you left off. If it needs to be updated, do that rst. Then begin to ask your current employees to read it. Implement the best practice of requiring new employees to read the handbook within a certain time period of their hiring. Have employees sign off after they have read and provide time for your employees to read it. If you have staff meetings, review sections of it during your meetings. Provide training and re-training on the most important policies. It might seem redundant, but this will ensure that even your more seasoned employees are reminded of your farm’s culture and policies. Employee management is challenging. The entire workforce in Minnesota (not just the agricultural workforce) is facing a shortage. There is no silver bullet solution. You have a choice, though, in how you want to manage your employees and business. Choose to be proactive and do the right thing. Over time doing the right things, like utilizing an employee handbook, will provide great results back to your farm.
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Managing risk in today’s dairy markets “Every time the milk truck comes to pick up my milk, I send a check with the milk man,â€? said a local dairy farmer. As dairy farmers, we are realizing that it is becoming more difďƒžcult to make a dollar at the end of the day. Not only do farmers need to be outstanding stewards and caretakers of the land and animals, but now we need By Karen Johnson to focus on how U of M Extension to get the most out of the valuable milk we produce. On top of this, some farmers are facing unpredictable situations when their processors suddenly decide to no longer accept their milk. Knowing the markets and your options for risk management is necessary for today’s dairy economic scenario. Take time to look at the overall expenses for your operation. How much does it cost your farm to produce milk on a cost per hundredweight basis? Take a close look at each item included in your farm expenses. What items are working for you? Which items are not? Before you decide to cut any corners with your expenses, make sure to think through how it may affect your farm in the long term. Include consultants such as nutritionist and veterinarians in these types of decisions to help guide wise spending without compromising milk production or herd health. A powerful resource is the FINBIN database at www.ďƒžnbin.umn.edu. FINBIN can be used to summarize farm ďƒžnancial and production benchmark information; you can use these summaries to evaluate how your farm compares to others. This information may be useful to identify expenses to trim or work with to determine an alternative method of purchase to help reduce costs. Over the last couple of years, we have seen increasing variability in milk price. The highs are getting even higher and the lows even lower. The overall economic concept of supply and demand holds true today as we watch both domestic and international need and supply of dairy products. Seasonality also plays a role in the
market. In most cases, milk price is lower in the spring and higher in the fall as seen in Figure 1 which shows the ďƒžve-year all-milk price on $/cwt by month. In addition to managing expenses, there are a number of opportunities to potentially increase the farm’s overall income. The past prices for milk are already set and paid. However, the futures market creates options that, if managed correctly, can reduce your farm’s milk price variability. Take time to watch and understand the future markets. By knowing your cost of production and ebb and ďƒ&#x;ow of the futures market, you may be able to work with your processor or other milk marketing professional to utilize futures or options strategies. Each farm and family is different. A proactive risk management strategy is essential to be competitive in the current dairy economy. For more information about dairy markets, visit the University of Wisconsin website at http://future. aae.wisc.edu. If the dairy economy does not improve, farms may need to look for other options such as additional insurance or alternative ways to increase income. Dairy farming is not as simple as it once was. Farmers need to take the necessary steps to proactively manage both income and expenses. Take the time to understand your cost of production, markets and ways to effectively manage risk for ďƒ&#x;uctuating prices. In the big picture of farming, there is no silver bullet to farm profitability. It is the small, incremental changes that result in a few cents here and there which ultimately have the biggest impact. Resources: Gould, Brian W., and Marin Bozic. “Understanding Dairy Markets.â€? Understanding Dairy Markets. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2017.http://future. aae.wisc.edu/index.html Rudstrom, Margot. “Milk marketing: Things to think about, Part IIII.â€? Milk marketing: Things to think about, Part I: Dairy Extension : University of Minnesota Extension. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2017.http://www. extension.umn.edu/agriculture/dairy/ marketing/
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 29
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‘06 MF8460,MFWD, CVT, 2025 Hrs ..................... $92,500 ‘02 MF8280, MFWD, 2300 Hrs............................. $60,000 ‘14 MF 6615 MFWD, New Demo unit ................... $82,500 ‘94 White 6175 2WD, 5300 Hrs ........................... $39,750 ‘12 Challenger MT545B, MFWD, CVT, Duals, 4350 Hrs ............................................................ $59,500 Oliver 1850, 2WD, Dsl............................................ $5,500 ‘53 Farmall M ........................................................ $2,165 ‘80 Massey Ferguson 2745, 2WD, 4563 Hrs........ $11,500
TILLAGE
John Deere 980 15’, 3 bar CT harrow .................... $6,900 Case IH MRX 690 disc ripper 5 shank.................. $19,500 Wilrich 2900 5X18 Plow ....................................... $1,750 Krause 4991WR Tandem Disc, 30’ cushion gang $15,950 IH 710 5X18 Plow ................................................. $1,650 2011 Sunower 4213-11 Coulter chisel ............... $19,445
PLANTERS
Figure 1. 5-year All- Milk Price on $/cwt by month.
HAY EQUIPMENT
‘13 MF/Hesston 1375 Disc Mower Cond. 15’3� ... $27,700 ‘12 MF/Hesston 1375 disc mower cond. 15’3� .... $25,500 Owatonna 280 winrower, 14’ draper head .............. $3,900 ‘05 Vermeer MC840 Disc mower cond................... $9,500 ‘02 Macdon 5020 Mower cond., 14� ...................... $9,750 ‘99 Case IH 8340 9’ mower conditioner ................. $7,225 Pottinger 851A Rotary Rake................................. $22,000 Enorossi RT9 inline rake ........................................ $2,250 ‘08 MF/Hesston 2150 Baler, (3X3) ....................... $52,500 ‘07 Krone BP890 Baler, (3X3), Tandem ................ $45,500 ‘15 MF/Hesston 2956 Round Baler, 6X5, ............ $29,995 ‘08 Case IH LBX332RT baler, 3X3 bale,................ $45,500 ‘99 Hesston 4910 baler 4X4 bale ......................... $27,000 ‘06 New Holland BR740 Round Baler 5X4 ............. $9,750 ‘07 New Holland 575 baler, belted thrower........... $16,650 ‘89 Hesston 560A Round Baler, (6X5) ................... $5,000 Case IH 3650 Round Baler (6’x5’) ........................... $5,275
SKID STEERS
‘95 Mustang 2060, dsl, B, 5770 hrs. ................... $11,665 Great Plains 2020P 8/30 planter, twin rows ......... $16,000 ‘09 Mustang 2044, Dsl., 4400 Hrs. ...................... $15,575 ‘13 White 8816 16/30 planter, 16/30 LF, RC, ‘12 Mustang 2044, Dsl, T-bar, B, 2175 Hrs .......... $17,775 ex drive ............................................................ $89,500 ‘11 Mustang 2056, Cab & Heat, 2422 Hrs............ $20,950 ‘04 White 8202 12/30 planter, LF. Monitor ........... $37,500 ‘13 Mustang 2054, Dsl, 3200 Hrs ........................ $18,500 ‘13 Gehl V400, Cab & heat, 2910 Hrs .................. $29,500 66â€? Midsota Bucket, Mustang single pin................... $390
The purse
Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
Astronomers tell us that in the innity of outer lical miracle of the sh and loaves of bread. space there reside curious objects known as black When our two sons were grade school age, we holes. Formed during the collapse of super-huge stars, decided to go on a short vacation in our family sedan. these things are so massive and their gravity so in- We stopped to admire the scenic splendor of a roadtense that nothing – not even Harry Houdini – can side rest station and avail ourselves of its facilities. escape their powerful grip. Our boys quickly nished their business and began to When I rst heard about black holes, I was over- tear around in a nearby picnic area like the maniacal come by that weird feeling known as déjà vu. I thought little madmen that they were. One of them took this the astronomers were describing my wife’s purse. opportunity to practice his free-fall technique by tumIf women are an enigma wrapped in a mystery, bling off the top of a tourist information sign that had then their purses fall into the bbeen conveniently placed realm of the totally unknowtthere for just such a purpose. able. As any married man Th Upon hitting the ground, the That did iit. Th The purse h had d will tell you, a look into his child clutched his leg and bewife’s purse is a journey into won my undying respect and gan to wail at the top of his a labyrinthine netherworld, a admiration. lungs. It took both his mother place where an unsuspecting aand I to pry his hand from his husband could become lost lleg. When he saw the tiny and never be seen again. trickle of blood issuing from the small scratch, the For example, Jimmy Hoffa mysteriously disap- volume of his cries increased several fold. It probably peared in 1975. His wife, coincidentally, owned a didn’t help when I told him that amputation might be purse. Just saying. the best option. I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of glamorous modMy wife ordered me to fetch her purse while she els in glitzy fashion catalogs such as J.C. Penney’s comforted the lad. I returned with the purse several where a tall, willowy woman is clutching a tiny, el- minutes later, hufng and sweating and convinced egant handbag that has the capacity to hold approxi- that I had suffered a double hernia. mately one tightly folded Kleenex. These women are “What do you have in there, an anvil?” I said. obviously single. She began to rummage through her purse. “Why, Think about it. Would an average guy marry a do you need one?” she said in a tone of voice which gal whose constant companion is a satchel that’s so implied that she may actually have not only an anvil, massive that it generates its own gravitational eld? I but a complete blacksmith’s shop somewhere in the think not. purse’s depths. I am endlessly amazed by the wonders my wife’s In no time at all the boy was bandaged, adminispurse can produce. Some are eerily similar to the Bib- tered chewable aspirin and was happily munching a
THANK YOU We would like to thank the following businesses and orginizations for providing door prizes at our annual meeting: ABS Global, Inc. AMPI Arnold’s, Inc. Arnzen Construction, Inc. Belgrade Cooperative Association Blue Lake Plastics, LLC Central Livestock Association Central Minnesota Credit Union Centre Dairy Equipment and Supply, Inc. Dairy Star Dairyland Supply, Inc. First District Association Freeport Farm Center, Inc. LABOR Freeport Roller Mills, Inc.
Freeport Veterinary Service KLC Farms Roasting Land O’ Lakes, Inc. Leedstone, Inc. Mayers Repair, Inc. Melrose Ag Services, LLC Midwest Machinery Company Minnesota National Bank Modern Farm Equipment, Inc. Mondlock, Inc. Randall Veterinary Service Sauk Centre Country Store St. Joe/Cold Spring/Paynesville Veterinary Clinic
DHIA ATORIES
Stearns Dairy Herd Improvement Association
granola bar. We resumed our journey with only a few minutes’ delay. I was impressed by the purse’s conjuring abilities, so I decided to put it to the test. As we drove along, I said, “I think we might be lost. I sure wish we could gure out where we are.” In a matter of seconds, the purse coughed up a map. Pretty good. “I’m kind of hungry,” I said a few minutes later, “But we’re already running late as it is.” A Dear County Agent Guy roll of Life Savers was promptly placed in my hand. Impressive. I decided to give the purse to the ultimate challenge. “Dang it!” I said, pounding the steering wheel for emphasis, “I forgot to x the spare! I sure hope we don’t get a at tire.” A roll of duct By Jerry Nelson tape was promptly Columnist tossed onto my lap. That did it. The purse had won my undying respect and admiration. I deeply regretted having teased my wife about hauling it around with her everywhere she went. But the next morning, our vacation was delayed by an hour (or so it seemed.) My wife’s purse had swallowed our car keys and was refusing to give them back. As my wife rummaged about in the purse’s innards, she would occasionally mutter things like, “Hey, here’s my blue hair brush!” or “Whose teddy bear is this?” or “An anchor? We don’t even own a boat!” At length, she became frustrated and gave up. Handing me her purse, my wife said, “Here! You look for a while!” “No way!” I said. “I heard about what happened to Mrs. Hoffa’s husband!” 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.
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A day in your life
Spring is a wonderful time of year for the farming community – the frost rises from the ground, tractors are primed for eldwork, and the days are a bit longer to tap into the never-ending to-do list we are anxious to dwindle. Spring is a wonderful time for Dairy Star, too. This time of year kick-starts our unique feature, “A day in the life.” It’s one of my favorite features we put together, giving us the opportunity to work alongside dairy producers and showcase your day-to-day responsibilities in a photo collage article of sorts. This year, our rst “A day in the life” featured Rick Lundgren, of Randall, Minn., and how he and his two fulltime employees balance each workday. March 30 began at 6 a.m., as I entered Lundgren’s milkhouse, following the clattering of milking units hanging on the pipeline to nd Lundgren at the far end of the tiestall barn. Lundgren was gathering a bucket-full of fresh milk that would later be used for the newborn calf. Walking alongside Lundgren, as he moved onto the By Jennifer Coyne next fresh cow, I learned more about the dairy producer’s Staff Writer life as he proudly told me how the farm began, what improvements were made in the past, and what lies ahead. Soon after, I watched the sunrise over the feed bunk as Lundgren’s employee, Jamison Henderson, carried on his responsibilities in the skidloader. At this time, I snapped photos of the hay falling from the bucket and the animals gathering against the neck rail. Back inside the barn, Nicole Meyer was washing the milking units as Lundgren cleaned and bedded the stalls. In between wash cycles, I was able to converse with Meyer and learn about her role on the dairy. As those on the farm parted ways for breakfast, so did I – heading back to the ofce to further develop the article. Later that afternoon, Mark Klaphake arrived on the farm, where he spent the remainder of the day as a bystander to Lundgren, Henderson and Meyer, as they cleaned calf pens and repaired equipment. Because Lundgren opened his barn doors to Mark and I, we had the opportunity to portray Lundgren’s day through an article and a series of photos – from sunup to sundown. March 30 was an ordinary day for Lundgren, but for us, it was so much more. While days on the farm may seem mundane, in our eyes there is always a story to tell. In years past, we’ve spent hours with families cutting rst-crop hay, moving cows into a new barn, attending an auction or being a part of one, and even rode along with a cheesemaker who started his day collecting milk from his patrons. With each picture captured in the camera and quote jotted down on paper, “A day in the life” develops from the simplest of tasks. But – like most articles in our paper, this feature is not possible without the help of dairy farmers, like you. As we carry on through the next season of farming, please let us know if you could be our next “A day in the life” – whether you’re planting cover crops, pitching manure or participating in a local dairy promotion event, we’d relish the opportunity to walk with you through your day.
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 31
EQUIPMENT ON HAND
USED TRACTORS CIH 8930, FWA, 3600 hrs., 540/1000 pto ...$76,000 CIH 7230, 2WD, 4200 hrs ...........................$53,000 CIH 7230, 3500 hrs., new rubber, nice ...........................................................$72,000 ‘96 CIH 7220, 2WD, 540/1000 PTO, 6000 hrs, nice ..................................................Call CIH 7220, 2WD, 2300 hrs, 18.4x42 ............$71,000 CIH 7150, FWA, new motor.........................$58,000 CIH 7120, 3600 hrs., FWA ...................... Coming In IH 5488, 2WD, 540 & 1000 pto ..................$21,000 CIH 5240 Maxxum, FWA w/loader ..............$48,000 CIH Maxxum 125 Pro, FWA, 950 hrs, very nice, coming in ................................$68,000 IH 3688, exc. shape, 540/1000 pto .............$17,000 IH 986, exc. cond. .......................................$17,000 IH 856 w/cummins engine ..........................$21,000 IH 766, new motor, cab ...............................$12,500 IH 856 ........................................................$13,000 Farmall Super M, exc. cond., new tires .........$2,500 TILLAGE CIH Tigermate II, 24’ w/ rolling basket ........$13,500 CIH Tigermate II, 28’ ...................................$18,000 CIH 4800, 28’ & 26’ ......................................$8,500 CIH 4800, 28’ w/IH mulcher..........................$8,500 CIH 4300, 36’ ..............................................$10,500 CIH 4300, 30’ ................................................$9,500 CIH 3950, 25’, nice shape ...........................$17,500 CIH 530B ripper w/lead shanks ...................$17,000 CIH 530C.....................................................$28,000 CIH 496 21’ cushion disc ...................................Call CIH 496 cushion gang w/mulcher ...............$13,500 CIH 496, 25’ cushion gang, no mulcher ......$11,000 CIH 3900 19’ cushion gang disc ................$13,500
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Advice from an old farmer Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
The big question this spring, as with every spring before, is did the alfalfa elds make it through the winter? The warm February and freezing cold March sent mixed signals to the alfalfa crowns. Should they start to bud or should they wait? Just driving past the elds on either side of the driveway, I can see green undertones giving life to the dead stems of last fall. We are keeping our ngers crossed the crowns will have enough energy to push through to another year of production. We’ve been through these season swings before with mixed results. Some years it looked like the alfalfa made it only to run out of stored energy before the plant grew enough to produce its own energy to survive. Other years, you swore it was dead only to be revived by perfect warm spring rains and bright sunshine. We can’t worry about it, but we can be ready to revamp our planting plans just in case. It seems most of the stuff we worry about isn’t ever going to happen. We just have to do our best and let God
do the rest. It seems as farmers, we tend to say quite a bit in a just a few words especially when we become an old farmer. The wisdom and insight these old farmers have learned through the years can help us to temper our anxiety. They have seen it, lived through and most often, survived it. Even though technology has changed the landscape of agriculture, the basic struggles are the same. There are things we can control and things we can’t. We have to be wise enough to recognize the difference and act accordingly. We recently lost an old farmer in our family. This will be the rst spring without my 99-year-old grandfather. Grandpa was a tall, solemn and quiet man. As kids, we swore if he wore a stove-pipe hat he would look like Abraham Lincoln. Grandpa didn’t say much, but when he spoke you listened with not only your ears but with your heart and head. He always gave us something to think about. Grandpa was happiest
“Our production has come up quite a bit. We’ve seen an increase of 10-15 pounds in our cows, and our milk quality has gone up, too.” - Brad, Luettel Dairy Adrian, MN
in his gardens. He was running at least three gardens in his early 90s. He gave away most of his produce to anyone who needed something to eat. It is a tradition I continue and have passed on to my children as well. Most of our time with Grandpa was spent on the back porch sitting in the glider, rocking in a Just Thinking Out Loud calming steady rhythm. Age brought us closer to one another. As kids, we matured and settled down while Grandpa softened up and began to share his stories and adventures. These sermons in a sentence may not have come from Grandpa, but they remind me of him and my dad as By Natalie Schmitt they share their advice Columnist from old farmers. Advice from an old farmer. Sermons in a sentence or two. • Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong, or at least a very strong electrical current pulsing through a single hot wire. • Keep skunks and bankers at a distance if possible, or handle with extreme care. • Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled. Just like a soft spring rain that pulls out the winter frost. Down pours tend to run off through ditches and don’t do any good. • Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads. • Don’t corner something that you know is meaner than you. • It doesn’t take a very big person to carry a grudge. • You cannot unsay a cruel word. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer. • When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty. • Letting the cat out of the bag is a whole lot easier than putting it back in. • If you get to thinking you’re a person of some inuence, try ordering somebody else’s dog around. • Timing has the most to do with the outcome of a rain dance. • If you nd yourself in a hole, the rst thing to do is stop digging. • The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with watches you from the mirror every morning. • Always drink upstream from the herd. • The window of opportunity is the time between morning and evening chores. Make the most of those precious hours. • Every path has a few puddles. Be like a little kid and enjoy splashing through them. • The best sermons are lived, not preached. • Most of the stuff people worry about isn’t going to happen anyway. • Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment. • Don’t judge folks by their relatives, good or bad. Not everyone falls off the same apple tree. • Live a good, honorable life … Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time. • Most times it just gets down to common sense. • Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God. Natalie, Mark and his brother, Al, Schmitt farm together near Rice, Minn. They milk 100 registered Holsteins under the RALMA prex. 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.
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Yellow jellybeans and Earth Day
Daphne’s basket was by the swing set – she recently ďƒžgured out how to swing by herself so she’s been spending hours each day soaring through the air. Monika’s basket was tucked inside the bag of rabbit pellets next to the rabbit hutch; Monika is in charge of taking care of our rabbit. Dan’s basket was hidden Dairy Good Life in his fort in the windbreak; he (along with anyone he can recruit to help) has built a structure out of branches, logs, and miscellaneous ďƒžndings that almost qualiďƒžes as a dwelling. The chocolate-peanut butter eggs in their Easter baskets disappeared almost immediately, leaving just jellybeans for Glen and I to snitch when the kids aren’t looking. The Easter Bunny also left a bag of jellybeans in the barn for Glen. When Monika got to the barn on Easter morning, she said she wanted to give the cows an Easter treat, too. Glen offered up his bag of jellybeans. “Cows don’t like jellybeans,â€? Monika dismissed. By Sadie Frericks “Are you sure?â€? Glen asked. What happened next was pure farm kid delight. Columnist Glen and Monika took the bag of jellybeans and set a couple in the manger in front of Star. Star is Monika’s favorite cow and she (strategically) has the ďƒžrst stall in the barn. Star gave the jellybeans a sniff and then gobbled them up. Monika let out a squeal of joy. Then Monika proceeded to feed Star jellybean after jellybean until she had determined that the yellow jellybeans were Star’s favorite ďƒ&#x;avor. “I can’t believe cows like jellybeans!â€? Monika said. We used the moment to explain that lots of cows eat candy. Our college friends incorporate gummy bears into their cows’ ration; some farmers feed their cows Skittles; other cows get chocolate. Candy that doesn’t meet speciďƒžcations for human consumption can often be an affordable and efďƒžcient source of energy for dairy cows. Plus, using below-spec candy in this way keeps it out of landďƒžlls. I didn’t explain this part to Monika, but incorporating candy into dairy cow rations is a great example of nutrient conservation. What’s nutrient conservation? Glad you asked. Nutrient conservation is the preservation of calories and other substances that are essential for life. In the jellybean example, the sugars in the candy were obtained from either sugar beets or sugar cane. Sugar beets and sugar cane both require plant nutrients and water to grow. When jellybeans end up in a landďƒžll, no living creatures beneďƒžt from those calories, with the exception of possibly bacteria. When below-spec candy is incorporated into dairy cows’ diets, those calories can be used by cows to fuel their bodies and produce milk. In effect, the calories are recycled. Thanks to the amazing and incredible populations of bacteria in cows’ rumens, dairy cows are some of the best nutrient recyclers on the planet. Beyond candy, rumen bacteria can use nutrients from an impressive variety of byproducts and below-spec foods intended for humans. Beet pulp, corn gluten meal, canola meal, distillers grains, citrus pulp, almond hulls, bakery scraps and below-spec produce are just a few of the food manufacturing byproducts cows can recycle into milk. Furthermore, a majority of the foods cows normally eat, like silage, grass and hay, can also be considered recycled. Cows eat feedstuffs that humans can’t eat and turn them into something we can. Here in Minnesota, our climate and much of our land is not suitable for growing fruits, vegetables, and other human foods on a large scale. But our climate and land are perfect for growing plants that cows can eat. Since today is Earth Day, there will be many conversations and much written about recycling, conservation, and food waste. Over 30 million pounds of food ends up in landďƒžlls every year. Think of how many calories we’re carefully growing, harvesting, processing and then throwing away. There is a lot of room for progress in nutrient conservation. And this progress isn’t optional. The World Resources Institute estimates our planet’s population will need nearly 70 percent more calories by 2050 than it consumes today. Reducing food loss and waste, which consumes 25 percent of all food calories, is essential for meeting world food needs. Just like the “reduce, reuse, recycleâ€? mantra used to encourage conservation of natural resources like trees and metals, we now need to apply this concept to nutrients. I’m supremely glad dairy cows are an important part of this recycling process. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 75 cows near Melrose, Minn. They have three children – Dan, 10, Monika, 7, and Daphne, 4. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail.com.
Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 33
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Increased protability starts with rst cutting
Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
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With lower-than-projected milk prices thus far in not account for the change in quality due to wilting, 2017, many farms are looking at ways to maintain mar- harvesting and storage. These losses will further lower gins. You might want to consider costrelative feed value by 15 to 25 percent. cutting strategies, such as alternative Something to Ruminate On Preharvest quality estimates have protein sources, byproduct feeds, differtheir greatest value for rst crop. Calenent grouping strategies, reducing feed dar date and visual maturity are useful refusal, and minimizing feed shrink. factors in gauging harvest time for later Don’t overlook the importance of forage cuttings. The early bud stage is optimal quality. for both yield and quality. New genetic Assess your alfalfa stands if you technologies with lower lignin alfalfa have not already done so. The earlier may allow us to maintain our quality you make a determination, the more posover a longer window of harvest, but this sibilities you have for corrective action. is a topic for another time. Reports from around the Midwest in the Let’s consider two farms feeding corn past couple weeks on viability of alfalfa silage and haylage at a 50:50 ratio on a dry matter basis. Diets are balanced at stands are mixed. If you are in the unsimilar levels for crude protein (CP), rufortunate position of dealing with a high By Barry Visser men degradable protein (RDP), rumen percentage of winterkill, work with your Nutritionist undegradable protein (RUP) and energy agronomist and nutritionist to devise a (NEL). Farm A is feeding the higherplan for alternative cropping ideas. When should you start rst cutting? No simple quality haylage (see table 1). guidelines apply every year or on every farm. GenerUsing current Midwest prices for corn, soybean ally, you can wait longer during periods of cooler tem- meal, canola meal and bypass protein sources, we can peratures and wetter conditions. Warmer springs with expect Farm B’s daily feed cost to be 15 to 20 cents higher temperatures and adequate moisture lead to fast- per cow higher than Farm A’s. This difference is based er growth and more rapid decline in ber digestibility. solely on forage quality. Plus, cows on Farm A conPlant maturity is the most important factor affect- sumed more forage, resulting in higher production and ing quality. With maturity comes more cell wall con- healthier cows. The maturity and quality of alfalfa silage at harstituents, including lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. Proportionally, we see a drop in the digestible cellu- vest is only one factor affecting the bottom line of your lar contents, such as soluble proteins, sugar, starch, dairy. However, harvesting top-quality alfalfa silage fats and pectins. Not only does neutral detergent ber should be a priority of your forage team. It’s in the best (NDF) increase and forage energy content drop with interest of your cows and your pocketbook. maturity, but also the accumulating Table 1: Nutrient analysis of alfalfa hay silage – 1st cutting 2016 NDF becomes less digestible. Scissor cutting is a tool that has been CP aNDFom uNDF240 RFV RFQ around for many years. A second tool, the Predicted Equation for Alfalfa Qual% % % ity (PEAQ) developed by the University 34 14 185 190 of Wisconsin-Madison, helps you make Farm A – Early Cut 22 your own eld estimates. Both measure- Farm B – Late Cut 18 42 21 125 120 ments evaluate the standing crop and do
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 35
Dykshorns’ farm star of Midwest Dairy Association video
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Stephanie and Paul Dykshorn milk 500 cows on their farm near Sioux Center, Iowa. The Dykshorns’ dairy operaƟon was recently featured in a Fuel Up to Play 60 video that was produced by the Midwest Dairy AssociaƟon. By Jerry Nelson
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SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – The Dykshorn family has given many tours on their farm, but none quite like the one they gave last November. Midwest Dairy Association asked if ve of their Fuel Up to Play 60 student ambassadors and their parents could tour Dykshorn Holsteins, while they simultaneously lmed the tour for a promotional video. “We were surprised at rst, but then we thought, why not?” said Stephanie Dyskhorn, who farms together with her husband, Paul, and Paul’s family on their 500-cow dairy near Sioux Center, Iowa. A lm crew recorded video while Paul and Stephanie showed the kids how their dairy operates. The children were given the opportunity to milk a cow by hand and were taken to the double-10 herringbone parlor where they attached milking units to cows. The Dykshorns explained the basics of a TMR to the kids and let them bottle feed baby calves. “We wanted the kids to have a very hands-on experience,” Stephanie said. “They asked a lot of good questions. I think the kids taught us as much as we taught them.” “Some of the parents had never been on a farm before and wanted to know all the ins and outs of dairy farming,” Paul said. “When the lming was done, the parents told us that they loved the experience. They said they had a great time and learned as much as their kids did.” During the day of the lming, one of the Dykshorns’ cows gave birth. “The kids were totally amazed by the birthing process,” Stephanie said. “One of the kids began to call our maternity facility the birthday barn.” Paul and Stephanie have learned to work with their respective strengths. “I am more comfortable with kids than Paul is, but he is better at explaining technical details to adults,” Stephanie said. An entire day of shooting was transformed into a ve-minute video. The video was shown to the public
for the rst time on March 28 during the Welcome Ceremony at the Central Plains Dairy Expo. After the video was screened, the student ambassadors, who hail from all across the Midwest, took to the stage and were asked questions about what they learned during their visit at Dykshorn Holsteins. “The day that they lmed was the longest tour we ever given,” Paul said. “But it was also the best one.” The tour gave the Dykshorn family an opportunity to also share their family’s dairy story. Cows have been milked on the Dykshorn family dairy for more than a century. While many things have changed over the past hundred years, the drive to improve their dairy and give back to their community have been constant factors for the Dykshorn family. Paul’s great-grandfather, Willem, purchased the farm in the early 1900s before losing the farm in the Great Depression. A cousin bought it and Paul’s grandpa, Edward, was able to bring it back into the family in the 1940s. A re that destroyed the Dykshorns’ dairy barn in 1963 would change the course of Dykshorn Holsteins. “After the re, Edward and my dad, Wayne, decided to build a new barn that featured a double-5 herringbone milking parlor,” Paul said. “Milking parlors were still a pretty new idea back then.” Despite the change to a parlor, the Dykshorns wanted to be able to milk their show cows the way they always had in the past. Paul’s brother, Alan, who is 10 years older than Paul, began showing dairy cattle as a teenager and taught Paul the ins and outs of exhibiting cattle in the show ring. “Alan and I put a few tiestalls in the barn for our show cows. The feed had to be hauled in by hand and the manure scooped out by hand, so that was an education in itself. We have shown cattle at World Dairy Expo almost every year since 1998.” After graduating from high school, Paul went to South Dakota State University and earned a degree in dairy production in 1997. He then worked for two genetics companies before beTurn to DYKSHORNS | Page 37
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
Women In Jeans Jennifer Brandes New Ulm, Minn. Nicollet County 110 cows
Family: My husband, Leslie, and I have three children, Noah, 14, Mason, 10, and Jackson, 4. Tell us about your farm. My husband and I operate and manage his family farm. We currently milk 110 Holsteins. The heifers are all raised for replacements. Leslie and his family also run 700 acres of land. What’s the busiest time of day for you? Sometimes it’s right after morning chores or right before evening chores. It seems that if you make plans to go anywhere, you can bet someone or something is going to need your attention, which is my excuse for being late to everything. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I have been doing photography for over seven years. It’s an expensive hobby, but I love that I can stretch my creative thinking and also get out and associate with the general public. I have always enjoyed meeting new people, and this allows me that opportunity without taking me too far from the farm. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. My favorite place in the yard is our close-up pen. I’m fascinated with the miracle of birth. We have some Red and White genes in our herd, and, one day, I was keeping a close watch on a girl who was due with twins. She had them both on her own with no complications. The fun part was that she had one red one and one black one. It’s one thing to witness a twin birth, but to also have them completely different colors was pretty neat. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? I love working with the animals. Not everyday is paradise, of course, but for the most part I can nd something to smile about. I truly enjoy the challenges and the continuous learning, and while not all the rewards are tangible, they are denitely something I can be proud of. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? Dairy expos and tradeshows, farm tours and social media have been sufcient means to stay in touch with others in the industry.
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In your opinion, what’s the importance of women in today’s dairy industry and how have you seen that change over the years? Women have a nurturing or instinctive connection to the animals. Maybe it’s the mothering intuition, or the fact that they can connect on the female level, but women tend to carry a high level of compassion for the animals. Growing up, it was generally the men of the farm who did most of the work. It’s nice to see those roles no longer have a distinct male/female expectation. In my experience, sometimes instinct is more benecial than strength. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? Ellen DeGeneres. As an advocate for animal rights activists’ groups, I would love to give her the opportunity to experience a day in the life of a dairy cow. She, among others, should have a good understanding of what it feels like to be discriminated against or slandered for something you love and believe in. It’s not a one size ts all label when it comes to agriculture, and while we don’t always have time or resources to positively promote our products, it would be nice to have less competition tearing it down. What is the best vacation you’ve ever taken? I have learned throughout the years that money cannot buy time. Family is so important to me, and while I love working with the animals, my children are my priority. Any vacation away with them is a treasure. My dream is to take them all to a beach someday, but for now we’ll settle for a few nights at a cabin on a lake. What are some words you like to live by? There is always something to be grateful for. Not every day is going to go as planned; besides, how boring would that be? When it gets tough, remember that you have more to be thankful for than most people. After all, what other occupation allows you to work day in and day out so closely with God’s creation?
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ConĆ&#x;nued from DYKSHORNS | Page 35 ing offered the position of herd manager for Plymouth Dairy in Le Mars, Iowa. “I enjoyed my time at Plymouth Dairy,â€? Paul said. “But after three years there, I realized that Dad was getting older. I thought, if I was going to do all that work, why not do it for myself?â€? In 2005, Paul joined his father and brother on their family’s dairy, which had grown to 275 head. In November 2006, the Dykshorns completed a new milking facility that included a double-10 rapid exit herringbone milking parlor. They also doubled the size of their milking herd to its present size of about 500 head. The Dykshorns had an eventful year in 2006. In addition to building a new dairy fa-
cility, Paul and Stephanie were wed in February. “My dad grew up on a dairy farm near Hull,� Stephanie said. “He joined the military as a young man, so I spent my childhood in a lot of different places. When Dad retired, he moved back to this area so I followed suit. I reconnected with an old friend from junior high and she introduced me to Paul.� “When I proposed, I asked her if she could put up with long hours,� Paul said. Stephanie said yes. “I help out wherever I’m needed,� Stephanie said. “I feed calves, run errands, whatever it takes to keep things going.� Stephanie, who has a degree in exercise science, is an
JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
In 2006, the Dykshorn family added a new milking facility that features a double-10 rapid exit herringbone milking parlor. AĹŒer experimenĆ&#x;ng with 3X milking, the Dykshorns recently went back to milking their 500 cows twice a day.
JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
A group of cows enjoys the bedding pack in a hoop barn at Dykshorn Holsteins. The dairy was recently featured in a Fuel Up to Play 60 video that was produced by the Midwest Dairy AssociaĆ&#x;on.
Advanced EMT with Sioux Center Ambulance. But that isn’t the only way the Dykshorns give back to their community. “We have friends whose kids wanted to show dairy cattle, so we decided to give them that opportunity by letting them show some of our animals,� Stephanie said. “We house the cattle, but the kids have to come out here and learn how to halter break the animals and get them ready for the show ring.�
“We want to keep the kids interested in learning about dairy farming,� Paul said. “They have to put work into their cattle, but we also try to keep it fun.� The Dykshorns are volunteers at the Sioux County Fair. They have given tours of their dairy farm to groups of schoolchildren and to groups from as far away as Germany and Japan. But, one of their most exciting tours was last fall with the Fuel Up to Play 60 ambas-
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sadors. “We have gotten a lot of nice comments about the video and it has been shared on social media numerous times,� Stephanie said. “Everybody wants to make a difference. The video helps us feel like we are doing that.� The Midwest Dairy Association video that was shot at Dykshorn Holsteins can be viewed on YouTube at: www.youtube. com/watch?v=7WCjSt-6iHo.
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017
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Dairy Star • Saturday, April 22, 2017 • Page 39
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Dale Spindler Owatonna, Minn. Steele County 44 cows How did you get into farming? I started working with calves when I was in sixth grade. At that time, we were a diversied farm with ducks, geese, cows, pigs and chickens. When I started farming full time, my brother and I farmed together with my dad until my dad retired. My brother took care of the dairy, while I took care of our 1,000-hog farrow-to-nish operation. In 1997, my brother left the farm, and I took over both entities until we sold the hogs in 2000 and started to focus on the dairy. I am the second generation on this farm. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? Like most dairy farmers, I’m concerned about the price. We were told we would see $18 for a good portion of the year, but it’s gone now. I just hope How do you retain a good workit will at least stay in the $16-$17 ing relationship with your emrange. ployee or employees? I have one full-time employee and one partWhat is the latest technology you time employee. I try to watch implemented on your farm and their needs and don’t over book the purpose for it? In 2010, we their time. On the weekends, I try built a 1-million-gallon manure to keep it simple and work strictly lagoon. We did this for environ- on essential chores. My full-time mental reasons and to save time. employee manages the feeding, It also helps with manure man- runs the silos and does the breedagement to maximize nutrients ing. I do all the milking and feed and reduce input costs for fertil- the young calves. We both care izer. Before we built, we hauled for the older youngstock. My manure daily or piled it during dad will also help with eldwork the summer. when needed. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? We focus on trying to get the cows bred and settled faster and shorten up their days in milk. We’ve been doing this by watching more closely for heats and managing our synchronization programs more efciently. So far, it’s been working.
Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. I’m patient with the calves and make sure to watch them closely for any sickness. I’m good at picking out if a calf is not acting normal or if it’s sick. I make sure they’re given the care they need. It’s important to keep them bedded and dry.
What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? I like milking. It gives me time to reect on my day – what I could do better, what I should have done and what I have yet to do. It helps me gure out what I need to work on to improve. I also like being my own boss and planning my own schedule.
over in 1997, I knew a little about dairying, but not a lot. One thing I changed was going from a tumble mixer to a vertical spiral mixer so I could mix the hay in and get better components.
What has been the best purchase you’ve ever made on your farm? The skidloader. I’ve pitched a lot by hand in the past and my back shows it.
How do you or your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? I am on the county dairy association’s board of directors. I coordinate the malt stand, which we use at the county fair, a Fourth of July festival and Owatonna’s Crazy Days. I also enjoy going to watch plays at the local theater.
What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? Right now, the dry cows are housed in one of our old hog What advice would you give oth- barns. I would like to build a new er dairy farmers? Do the best you facility that would allow better can and always have an eye on access to work with them and what you can improve. give them a better space.
What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? I’ve been able to learn about dairying in a short amount of time. When I stepped in to take
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