Sign up for our New Newsletter
Dairy St r Milk Break
Email andrea.b@dairystar.com to sign up.
DAIRY ST R
Volume 20, No. 7
“All dairy, all the time”™
May 26, 2018
Another carton, Next generation keeps farm alive please “I’ve always wanted to come back and I’m glad I did.” – Dylan Youngren
Douglas County ADA promotes milk in schools By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
ALEXANDRIA, Minn. – During the month of May, 5,500 students in west central Minnesota were encouraged to grab an extra carton of milk during lunch, courtesy of the Douglas County American Dairy Association (ADA). The rst and second Tuesday of the month, May 1 and 8, were dubbed Two Milk Tuesdays as students in all 19 schools throughout Douglas County were offered a free carton of milk, in addition to the one that already comes with their meals. “We really went full force with this and provided milk to all schools throughout the county. … It was a big hit,” Jessica Klimek said. Klimek is treasurer and princess coordinator for the Douglas County ADA and milks 90 registered Holsteins with her husband, Alan, and their three children on their dairy near Alexandria, Minn. Throughout the days, students in kindergarten through high school consumed an additional serving of dairy at the cost of the Douglas County ADA. While most students gladly accepted their extra carton during the lunch hour, some elementary classes were offered a carton of milk during snack time. “My son’s class had their milk during a break,” Klimek said. “They had white and chocolate milk available with their snacks. We know young kids don’t always have the caTurn to MILK | Page 5
MARK KLAPHAKE/ DAIRY STAR
Kim, ScoƩ and Dylan Youngren milk 122 cows near Waverly, Minn. The Youngrens renovated a bedded pack into a freestall barn in order to accommodate a larger milking herd for Dylan’s return to the farm.
Youngrens update housing facilities, improve herd health By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
WAVERLY, Minn. – Scott Youngren would be a retired dairy farmer if it were not for his son’s return to the farm. “Honestly, I’d be done if he did not come back,” Scott said. “To milk the number of cows we needed to support us, I couldn’t have done it by myself much longer.” In 2016, Dylan Youngren joined his father on their 122-cow dairy near Waverly, Minn. Since the return home, the duo has made notable changes to the farm, which have aided in improved cow comfort and overall herd health. The Youngrens milk in a 60-cow tiestall barn and house half of the herd in a 60-stall freestall barn, which sits adjacent to the milking facility. A younger, smaller statured group of cows are housed in the tiestall barn and milked rst. Once they are done milking, the group is moved to the freestall barn as the second group of cows – larger, mature animals – leaves the freestall barn and enters the tiestall barn for milking. Milking the herd takes two hours. “We then kick out the second group to a feeding area while we clean the barn,” Dylan said. Turn to YOUNGRENS | Page 6
MARK KLAPHAKE/ DAIRY STAR
Dylan Youngren moves cows out of the freestall barn and into the Ɵestall barn May 21 at his family’s farm near Waverly, Minn.