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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 20, No. 7
Riley selected as 2018 Alice in Dairyland
May 26, 2018
“It was a really long debate – sheep or goats – for a couple months.” – Amber Tews
A different type of dairy
Young woman reigns Tews family starts from Jersey farm in milking sheep Crawford County By Ron Johnson
ron.j@dairystar.com
GAYS MILLS, Wis. – A dairywoman is Wisconsin’s new Alice in Dairyland. Kaitlyn Riley, 25, from Gays Mills, Wis., was selected for the honor the night of May 19 during the Alice in Dairyland Finals in Adams Wis. “Everything is a little surreal,” said Kaitlyn Riley Riley, the 71st Alice in day after Dairyland the nals. “I don’t think it has sunk in yet.” Her parents, Jody and Paulette Riley, milk 70 registered Jerseys and grow corn, alfalfa, soybeans and cover crops on their 200-acre farm in northern Crawford County. As the state’s 71st Alice in Dairyland, Riley succeeds the 2017 Alice, Crystal Siemers-Peterman from Cleveland, Wis. This is Crawford County’s second Alice in Dairyland. The rst was Cheryl Ann O’Brien from Eastman, Wis., who earned the title in 2009. Riley was chosen over ve other nalists: Kristen Broege, Janesville, Wis.; Sydney Endres, Lodi, Wis.; Alexus Grossbier, Elk Mound, Wis.; Jacqueline Hilliard, Wisconsin Dells, Wis.; and Megan Schulte, Hammond, Wis. Riley will start her Alice in Dairyland duties June 4. She will work as a communications professional within the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Riley said she is looking forward to living and working Turn to ALICE | Page 5
By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ORFORDVILLE, Wis. – Despite their childhoods of growing up on cow dairies, Amber and Kyle Tews wanted to take a different route when it came to being involved in the industry. “It was a really long debate – sheep or goats – for a couple months,” Amber said. In January 2017, the couple started milking sheep on their 40-acre farm, Tews Ewes, near Orfordville, Wis. Amber does most of the work on the dairy, milking their 132 ewes, while Kyle helps where he is needed and works together with his parents on their cow dairy a few miles down the road. “I like the sheep, and now KELLY KENDALL/ DAIRY STAR we’re glad we didn’t go with Amber and Kyle Tews along with their daughters – (from leŌ ) Dorthy, Liza and Vera – milk 132 goats because … [the dairy goat milk market] is getting sheep on their dairy near Orfordville, Wis. more saturated,” Amber said. “And sheep are just so different. Milking them is unheard of in this part of the state. It’s more common in the western side and up north.” Before their venture, the Tews family had no experience with sheep. “We jumped right in,” Amber said. “Most people thought we were crazy …” The biggest challenge was their lack of a milking facility. Sheep started lambing before their parlor was nished. Amber milked two by hand on a goat stand before deciding to borrow a bucket milker from a dairy goat neighbor when the third one freshened. By the time the parlor deck was ready, Amber was milking 30 sheep. When the pipeline became operational, there were 80 fresh sheep milking. Milking had been taking four hours. Now Amber milks in a single-12 parlor stand with six milking units. “This year was a breeze,” Amber said. “This year we also started running yearlings through the parlor in December [before they freshened] so I didn’t have to train any to go through.” Milking ewes receive grain in the parlor. The Tewes have been learning the most about management of sheep while working day-to-day with the animals. How to sort the sheep is one lesson they learned right away. “When you chase sheep or try to sort sheep you throw everything you know about cows away because they’re very different KELLY KENDALL/ DAIRY STAR to handle,” Amber said. “With sheep you can’t really sort one out Amber Tews dips a ewe during a recent milking. The Tews famfrom the rest. They know if you’re after them. They’re a little ily milks their ock of sheep twice a day in a single-12 parlor more skittish. They don’t want to be separated.” stand with six milking units. Turn to TEWS | Page 6
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
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 - Associate Editor (320) 352-6303 • andrea.b@dairystar.com Krista Kuzma - Assistant Editor (507) 259-8159 • krista.k@dairystar.com Jennifer Coyne - Assistant Editor (320) 352-6303 • jenn@dairystar.com Ron Johnson (608) 874-4243 ron.j@dairystar.com Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Brittany Olson (320) 352-6303 brittany.o@dairystar.com Danielle Nauman (715) 245-6848 danielle.n@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 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.
From the editorial team Raise a glass for dairy We all know dairy farming is a tough job; one that is often not rightfully acknowledged by the pubic for the vital contributions of wholesome, nutritious foods to society. As we approach June Dairy Month, it is our opportunity to show appreciation for your work as dairy farmers. We’ve already learned of a few area businesses who have come up with simple, yet effective, ways to recognize dairy farmers, while at the same time encourage more dairy consumption. A restaurant in southern Minnesota is providing customers with a free glass of milk and ice cream with dinner and dessert purchases. In Wisconsin, a greenhouse offered cartons of milk to customers as they shopped for plants. These are two of many ways businesses can support the dairy industry, especially during this market bout. Over the last several years, dairy product consumption across the nation has risen to 646 pounds per person, according to data released by the United States Department of Agriculture. However, while cheeses, yogurts and frozen dairy products continue climbing in popularity, ďƒ&#x;uid milk consumption has decreased year over year since the 1970s. At Dairy Star, we’re eager to celebrate June Dairy Month in a way that encourages drinking a glass of milk, much like other businesses have already done. We’ve partnered with the local Dairy Queen in Sauk Centre, Minn., to offer a free small ice cream cone with any meal purchase that includes a glass of milk throughout the months of June and July. We’re also holding a promotion with Schaefer’s Market in Sauk Centre, Minn., and Stony Creek Dairy. For every Saturday in June, Schaefer’s Market is offering two free gallons of Stony Creek Dairy milk with any in-store purchase of $10 or more, with a cap of 100 gallons given out each Saturday. Next month, and throughout the year, we hope others in our ag community ďƒžnd ways to support our local farmers and raise a glass for dairy.
– The Dairy Star Editorial Team
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Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Pages 8-9 First Section
We are the dairy farmers of WI
Cashton
Pittsville
First Section: Pages 13
First Section: Pages 15 - 16
Last day to enroll in MPP-Dairy June 1
Page 37 First Section
Visit a Breakfast on the Farm Near you
From Our Side of the Fence
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
The Transition Pen
Madison
Page 27 First Section
Douglas
Viroqua
Dairy Prole: David Hornby
n Burnett
Polk
Something to Ruminate On
Page 32 First Section
Dairy Good Life Page 33 First Section
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Sawyer
Price
Eldorado
From Our Side of the Fence
Rusk
Barron
First Section: Pages 15 - 16
Taylor
Elmwood
Colbensons take on Pierce County Dairy Breakfast less than two months out
St. Croix Pierce
First Section: Pages 10 - 11
Chippewa
Dunn
Marathon Clark
Eau Claire
Pepin Buffalo
De Soto
Wall-Stone Holsteins hosting Vernon County June Dairy Breakfast
Trempealeau
Just Thinking Out Loud
Iron Ashland
First Section: Page 39
Page 30 First Section
Page 31 First Section
First Section: Page 12
ur
Ramblings from the Ridge
Bayeld
hb
Page 22 First Section
W as
Rural Roots
Looking for solutions to the dairy crisis
Wood Jackson Adams
La Crosse Monroe
Juneau
First Section: Pages 23, 25
Vernon
Pages 10 -11 Second Section
ford
Richland
Sauk
Craw
Iowa
Gays Mills
Riley selected as 2018 Alice in Dairyland
Zone 2
First Section: Pages 1, 5
Fond Du Lac Columbia
Dane
Grant Lafayette
Green
Dodge
J
on
rs
e eff
Rock
Orfordville
Tews family starts milking sheep First Section: Pages 1, 6
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
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ConƟnued from ALICE | Page 1 in Madison, Wisconsin’s capital, where the state agriculture department’s ofces are located. She has been living on her parents’ farm, about 100 miles west of Madison, pitching in with the work, including caring for the calves. Riley graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2014. She majored in strategic communications and broadcast journalism. While in college, Riley started the university’s rst agricultural radio talk show, called AgChat. She was an ofcer of the Association of Women in Agriculture and Badger Dairy Club. After graduating with honors in 2014, she served as another sort of ambassador. As the 48th Wisconsin Fairest of the Fairs. Riley said her year representing Wisconsin’s state and county fairs helped prepare her for her duties as Alice in Dairyland. She was able to work on her public speaking and organizational skills. And, her time as fairest let her meet people and expand her social network, she said. Along with people in the livestock industry, she met and worked with the state’s honey producers and apple growers. Riley gained more valuable experience last year as one of the Alice in Dairyland nalists. Even though she did not exit the stage wearing the tiara and sash that year, she was able to use the opportunity to develop personally and professionally, Riley said. Using her broadcasting knowledge, Riley worked at a radio station in Prairie du Chien, Wis. She has also been a multimedia journalist for a television station at Eau Claire, Wis. This year’s Alice nals consisted of three days of activities. Riley and the
other ve nalists participated in tours of agribusinesses. One agribusiness Riley and the other nalists visited was Heartland Farms. “They grow enough potatoes to ll (the Green Bay Packers’) Lambeau Field 200 feet high,” Riley said. What was the toughest part of the nals? Riley said it was writing a speech about one of the agribusinesses the nalists toured. Each young woman drew a number and had to write about the business the number represented. In addition, the nalists had to write their speeches during the bits of free time they had between Alice in Dairyland activities. One more challenge was that each speech had to be a mere oneminute long. “You just wanted to throw everything in and tell everything you learned,” Riley said. She said she was nervous during the three-day selection process. “You should always have butteries going into it, because you’re representing not only yourself, but also the entire industry,” Riley said. “There are people outside of agriculture who are tuning in, so you want to put out the best face of Wisconsin agriculture.” As Alice, Riley will travel about 40,000 miles, speaking at events and giving media interviews. In addition, she will present lessons in more than 100 Wisconsin classrooms in partnership with Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin. People are invited to follow Riley at facebook.com/DATCPAliceinDairyland. To schedule Riley for a classroom visit or to attend an event, telephone program manager Ti Gauger, 608-2245115.
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ConĆ&#x;nued from TEWS | Page 1
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Although this requires more calculated moves during chores, it can also come in handy. “If one gets out then nobody else follows it,â€? Amber said. “A sheep will try so hard to get back in the pen because she doesn’t want to be separated.â€? The sheeps’ demeanor is different than that of goats. “Sheep are more standofďƒžsh,â€? Amber said. “They won’t chew on me, and they won’t try to climb on me. They’re more like cows in the sense that there are the friendly ones that will come up to you, but the whole herd doesn’t try to eat you.â€? Amber seasonally breeds her ďƒ&#x;ock, with lambing starting in early February. “Lambing season is crazy,â€? Amber said. This year, Amber had 92 ewes freshen within a 10-day span. The lambs are put in their own pen right away and tube-fed colostrum for the ďƒžrst three feedings. “With that many lambs at one time, I don’t have time to bottle feed them all, especially with my three girls with me,â€? Amber said. Most days, Amber and Kyle’s three children, Vera, 5, Dorthy, 3, and Liza, 9 months, accompany Amber during chores. “They really like the lambs,â€? Amber said. “Vera can tube feed them by herself as long as I hold the lamb for her. They love to go pick them up, too.â€? Having their kids with them on the farm also factored into the Tews’ decision to milk smaller animals rather than cows. “I like that the kids can handle them,â€? Amber said. The sheep are bred around 7 months old and freshen at about 12 months of age. Amber milks twice a day in a parlor stand they made in their barn. The ďƒ&#x;ock is averaging about 4.5 pounds per ewe per day. “We have quite a few yearlings milking right now, though,â€? Amber said. As the ewes mature, they average about 6 pounds of milk per day. One learning curve came last year when they shipped a load of hot milk. “It wasn’t from antibiotics,â€? Am-
ber said. “We were bedding with corn fodder and it had moldy corn left in it. We couldn’t ďƒžgure it out. It took us two weeks of dumping milk until we ďƒžgured out what was going on.â€? Plus, mastitis detection is different in sheep than cows. “They won’t have a hard half, and they won’t have chunks,â€? Amber said. “It’s all subclinical.â€? To help ďƒžnd sheep with a high somatic cell count, the Tewses test every 30 days through DHIA, which also helps them keep milk records. The Tews family is also starting to breed a few of their sheep with artiďƒžcial insemination. They used Assaf semen imported from Spain on a few yearlings last fall. Record keeping and A.I. breeding is not always a high priority for other dairy sheep producers, Amber said. In addition to their three sheep of the Assaf breed, the Tews family mostly raises East Fresians, which are the most popular and known for high milk production; Awassi, which are more hardy and tolerant of disease; and Lacaune, a French breed that produces higher components and have no wool on their bellies. Tews Ewes is the sole patron for Landmark Creamery in Belleville, Wis., which makes milk into artisan cheese. Finding a market for their milk was one of the Tews’ initial struggles. “When we were breeding the sheep that fall [of 2016], we still didn’t know if we would milk them or leave the lambs on them because we still didn’t know if we had a market,â€? Amber said. “It was hard that year.â€? But now the Tewses have established their dairy and are happy with the way their farm is progressing. Their goals this year include selling 100,000 pounds of milk, continuing to keep records, breeding a few more animals and selling a few breeding rams. At this time, they have no plans to expand the size of their ďƒ&#x;ock, but would consider upping the numbers if they decide to go to year-round lambing. Overall, the Tews family is happy with their choice in sheep. “I knew it was a very small and young industry,â€? Amber said. “We got in at a really exciting time.â€?
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 7
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Does anyone really care for the dairy farmers? Who will pick up their milk? A $20 oor price would help the small farmer but promote more growth for the big farms. The only way I see possible to save the small family farm is a two- or three-tier pricing system set by cow number prots and no more milk! What did the small farmer do to over-supply the dairy industry? Our pride and perseverance has allowed us to survive the hardships of the past; however, we need action and answers now more than ever. Price collusion, racketeering and market manipulation by dairy giants must stop. Dairy farmers do not want government handouts; we want a fair price from the marketplace. The new dairy program is another failure for ag departments. It doesn’t relieve anything. To go to bed scared and wake up scared of losing the farm everyday – Is this the end of the small family farm? We need help now. Is anybody listening? Does anyone really care?
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Dairy farmers are required to make a sustainable income for all that are involved rst even if it ends up leaving the farmer with $0 on his paycheck. We pay CEOs, presidents and chairpersons, and for new facilities, technologies, surcharges, new ideas, etc. This matter is in need of immediate attention, due to the continuation of a sustainable prot for everyone in the dairy industry except the farmer. Hauling rates have doubled because the over-supply is our fault?! Promotional fees, that take millions of dollars from dairy farmers, do nothing to change the price of milk. A previous milk hauler was given a raise and come to nd out he bought a new $70,000 pickup truck. A new milk hauler came in with an old banged-up truck a few months ago and recently drove in with a new one! Our milk company just hired a new employee. How can all this be? Because everyone else is rst! It is not only the depressed milk prices; it’s the constant handsin-our-pocket-books. Milk processors are making unheard of prots from our low-priced milk. Now Wisconsin has thousands more dairy cows coming to help saturate the milk supply problem.
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Dairy Star Newspaper welcomes letters to the editor. Every letter for publication must be 500 words or less, contain the author’s signature, address and telephone number. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and brevity. Letters can be mailed to Dairy Star, Letter to Editor, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378 or e-mail: mark.k@dairystar.com.
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
House farm bill goes down in defeat There has been no shortage of farm bill drama Resolution to improve Margin Protection Program. on Capitol Hill. After more than 100 hearings and “This year, dairy farmers will get a payment because listening sessions across the country, the farm bill it was retroactive. There is $8 coverage that was in was defeated 213 to 198. The Freedom Caucus joined the CR deal, but next year there will be no payment.” Peterson advocated a workable plan for with Democrats to bring down the bill. Ag Insider the new farm bill debate. “I know we can Those conservative Republican members do that without any cost so we can x that leveraged the farm bill vote to bring with a (farm bill) extension. immigration reform to the House agenda. Immediately after the farm bill was Raw milk amendment included in rejected, House Speaker Paul Ryan made a motion to reconsider, which means the farm bill debate farm bill will come up for another vote. While the farm bill was rejected, The timing of that vote is not yet known. the House considered an amendment to allow the interstate transport of raw milk. A game of chicken Kentucky Republican Representative The May 18 farm bill vote was Thomas Massie offered the amendment. a game of chicken between Speaker “It is a common-sense amendment,” Paul Ryan, Majority Leader Kevin Massie said. “There are millions of By Don Wick McCarthy and the Freedom Caucus. people who drink raw milk and believe Columnist Policy Solutions President and CEO Jay it is healthier for them than pasteurized.” Truitt said the Freedom Caucus played Massie said this is a states’ rights issue it all the way to the end. When the bill failed, Ryan and urged lawmakers to “reject pasteurization without moved to reconsider. “Parliamentary procedure-wise, representation.” Agriculture Committee Ranking this means the bill can be brought up in the future Member Collin Peterson spoke against this proposal. after dealing with the immigration issue.” Truitt sees a “You’re 840 times more likely to get a disease or have bigger problem in the Senate. “I don’t think the Senate an issue by drinking non-pasteurized milk.” The raw can function as quickly as the House in the rst place, milk amendment was defeated 331 to 79. and they’re already behind. The odds of having a bill by Sept. 30 dramatically slipped. It takes weeks to get WI cheese makers oppose raw milk proposal back on the schedule and get back in line.” The Wisconsin Cheese Makers Association was among the groups opposed to the raw milk amendment. Another farm bill vote possible in June “Doctors and microbiologists have long recognized There is a possibility the House will vote on the substantial public health risks associated with immigration in June, followed by a farm bill vote later raw milk,” said John Umhoefer, executive director, in the month. House Agriculture Committee Ranking WCMA. “It’s troubling that any elected ofcial would Member Collin Peterson questioned the action by the ignore that potentially deadly threat.” majority party. “I don’t get what they’re up to; the Senate will not do this. I warned them not to go down NY senator seeks emergency dairy relief this path.” Peterson said the Democrats are willing to New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is asking work with the Republicans to make changes in the farm USDA to authorize $300 million in emergency bill, including food stamp reform. Regarding dairy assistance for dairy farmers. Gillibrand said the dairy policy, changes were made in the latest Continuing industry is suffering from low prices and taking on
additional debt. Earlier this year, USDA provided direct nancial assistance to cotton farmers.
Trade war put on hold In the words of Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin, the trade war between the U.S. and China has been put “on hold.” Neither country will impose tariffs while they nalize a deal to reduce China’s huge trade surplus with the United States. Few other details are available, but Mnuchin said U.S. agriculture can expect to see an increase in exports to China of 35 to 40 percent. More work remains on NAFTA National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Jim Mulhern said there is still work that needs to be done in the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations. “Until they get an agreement on rules of origin, I don’t think much else will fall into place. When they get an agreement, there are still big issues to be addressed.” With this being the middle of May, a congressional vote on a nal agreement by the end of the year could be slipping away. Mulhern said this does not mean there will not be a NAFTA agreement. There will continue to be negotiations and taking off some of the articial deadline pressure could be helpful. The dairy industry is focused on Canada’s Class 7 milk pricing system. Nominal change in dairy output Milk production in the 23 major dairy states increased 0.7 percent in April. Wisconsin had a minimal decline in milk production. Compeer Financial wraps up rst quarter Compeer Financial reports rst quarter net income of $102.9 million and assets of more than $19.5 billion. Compeer Financial was formed with the merger of 1st Farm Credit Services, AgStar Financial Services and Badgerland Financial in 2017. Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 9
ConƟnued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 Wood takes IDFA role Bailey Wood is the new vice president of communications, public relations and marketing for the International Dairy Foods Association. Since 2014, Wood has been vice president of communications for the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association. Alice in Dairyland chosen Kaitlyn Riley has been crowned as Wisconsin’s Alice in Dairyland. Riley studied strategic communications and broadcast journalism at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Gays Mills woman will use that education in the next year, working as a communications professional for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.
Trivia challenge Provolone cheese originated in southern Italy and is light in color with a mellow taste. That answers our last trivia question. For this week, what dual-purpose cattle breed originated in northwestern France? 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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“It’s quick, simple and easy” What do you like about the DHIA pregnancy test? No sorting cattle. Otherwise, we have to sort them in a Áat parlor. How long have you using the DHIA pregnancy test? We have used the test for 4 years. Why did you choose to use it? It’s quick, simple and easy. It’s right there when you I have to test. How long have you been testing with DHIA? We have been testing with DHIA for 35 years. What are some other tests you use through DHIA? We use two other tests, the somatic cell count and Johnes. Why is testing with DHIA valuable to your dairy? It makes record keeping a lot easier. All my records are on DHIA, from breeding to butterfat and SCC, I just pull it up and I have all the information on the cow I need. I’d have to have a separate program if I didn’t have DHIA. Tell us about your farm. We farm 900 acres and milk 240 cows. I farm here my two sons, Tom and Jim and nephew, Ron.
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Tim Colbenson, pictured with his sons – (from leŌ) Ben, Brian and Brandon – along with their families, will host the Pierce County Dairy Breakfast on June 16 on their 240-cow farm, Ti-Shi Dairy, near Elmwood, Wis.
Colbensons take on Pierce County Dairy Breakfast on short notice By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ELMWOOD, Wis. – Despite already having a hectic spring with eldwork, the Colbensons decided to take on a June Dairy Month event less than two months before it happens. “It’s all for promotion and to educate people,” Tim Colbenson said. Tim and his wife, Shirley, and their four children – Brian and his wife, Felicia; Brandon and his ancé, Emi Trost; Ben and his wife, Danielle, along with their son, Hudson, 1; and Breanna and her husband, Conner Sieracki – operate Ti-Shi Dairy where they milk 240 cows near Elmwood, Wis. On June 16, Ti-Shi Dairy will host the ninth annual Pierce County Dairy Breakfast. “I’m excited to promote the educational points of dairy and the farm,” Tim said. “It’s up to us to make connections with people. This is one way to do it.”
But there is another reason the Colbensons are hosting this year. A different host farm had been chosen for 2018, but had to unexpectedly back out in April after a family member experienced health issues. That is when the dairy breakfast committee called the Colbensons. “It was helping a neighbor out,” said Brian, who works with his dad full time on the dairy. Tim agreed. “And not just helping the neighbors, but the committee, too,” he said. “We’re happy to take it on.” The Colbensons try to keep their farm in tour-ready condition any time of the year, so taking on an event in such a short period of time only adds a few details to the to-do list in order to spruce up for visitors; however, the Colbensons had planned to remodel a portion of a freestall barn, the milkhouse and another small project. “We’ll probably have to put the milkhouse on the back burner, but we’ve been putting in more hours trying to get the stalls done. We do the work ourselves,” Tim said. Despite the longer days and shorter nights until the event, the Colbensons are looking forward to people coming to their farm. They want to show the nonTurn to COLBENSONS | Page 11
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Most of the cows at Ti-Shi Dairy are housed in a sand-bedded freestall barn the Colbensons built in 2013.
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 11
ConƟnued from COLBENSONS | Page 10
KRISTA KUZMA/ DAIRY STAR
The Colbensons feel the freestall barn has improved cow comfort, which has helped increase producƟon and decrease somaƟc cell count. farming public how a modern dairy farm works. “It’s a good opportunity to open the doors and have vulnerability … and combat misinformation,” said Ben, who works off the farm full time, but helps out when he can. “I have lived in Eau Claire and Madison – more urban areas. One girl I met thought cows were on [milking] units for 23 hours per day.” The Colbensons want to show people where the milking process takes place, which takes a few minutes for each cow three times a day on their dairy. In 2002, the family retrotted a double-12 herringbone parlor into the tiestall barn. The parlor allowed the Colbensons to enjoy their life outside of farming. At that time, most of their children were middle school or early high school-aged. “We didn’t want to miss out on their growing up years. It allowed us to get where we needed to be. It was a quick in and out,” Tim said about being able to milk their herd faster. They also want to point out the comfort and care cows receive on their dairy, even if it looks differently than many non-farm people imagine. “People have this vision of a little
Ninth annual Pierce County Dairy Breakfast Hosted by Ti-Shi Dairy, Inc., the Colbenson family June 16 8 a.m. – noon N6182 290th St. Elmwood, Wis. Enjoy Dad’s Belgian Wafes, deep-fried cheese curds, Culver’s of Baldwin custard, sausage, milk and coffee. There will also be farm tours, educational displays and kids activities. New this year: More wafe irons and two lines for faster service. overcrowded in the old barn and needed more comfort. The production also plateaued at 22,000 pounds of milk and the herd started experiencing foot problems. “I always had this dream for a four-row, tail to tail freestall barn with headlocks,” Tim said. That’s exactly the type of barn the Colbensons built. “When you can comfortably say we should have done this years ago, you know you made a good decision,” Tim said. Since then, the cows have been healthier, and they are making more milk. Plus, there is less physical labor for the people. In the last ve years, the herd has increased its milk production to 30,261 pounds of milk with a 42,000 somatic cell count and a 32 percent pregnancy rate. Part of this is attributed to the new barn. “But we focus on the little things and doing them consistently,” Brian said. Plus, they feel dairy farming is part of their calling from God. “We are doing everything we do for the glory of God – from helping our employees to taking care of the land and animals we have,” Ben said. All this helps them achieve their goal of raising high quality animals that produce high quality milk. That is the part the Colbensons want to emphasize to the public on June 16 during the dairy breakfast. “If a handful of people reach out later and use us as their go-to farmer instead of the Internet, it will denitely be a worth-while event,” Tim said. “I would love to have that connection. But it will be a good event no matter what.”
“If a handful of people reach out later and use us as their go-to farmer instead of the Internet, it will denitely be a worthwhile event.” TIM COLBENSON, DAIRY FARMER
red barn with cows in the pasture and farming like we did 50 years ago,” Tim said. Although there are farms that still operate that way, the Colbensons house their cows in freestall barns with sand bedding and fans, along with curtain sides. “When it’s 90 to 95 degrees, it’s hot outside,” Tim said. “The cows are comfortable in here.” Likewise, the cows are also comfortable in the winter in the barn. The Colbensons built their newer and bigger freestall barn in 2013. Previous to that, they had been using a barn they converted into freestalls in 1998. The decision for a new barn came about because they wanted their cows to be more comfortable. Cows were
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
Looking for solutions to the dairy crisis Producers, leaders continue to share ideas By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. – As the U.S. dairy crisis continues to take its toll on producers, more people are looking to nd solutions. The Farm Family Defenders (FFD) hosted a media conference call, “Real Solutions to the U.S. Dairy Crisis,” May 9. The call was moderated by Sarah Lloyd, a Wisconsin dairy farmer who also is employed as the special projects coordinator for the Wisconsin Farmers Union (WFU). “The reason that we wanted to do this call is that we are in a crisis here in the dairy industry in the United States,” Lloyd said. “My husband and I farm with his family, milking 350 cows conventionally. ... It’s becoming very difcult to be viable as a business in our three-generation family farm.” Wisconsin dairy farmer Jim Goodman serves as the president of the National Family Farm Coalition (NFFC). He said this dairy crisis is not the rst of its kind. “I’ve been a dairy farmer all my life. … I farmed through the farm crisis of the ‘80s and a lot of the things that happened then are happening now,” he said. Goodman chose to convert from conventional to organic dairy farming because he saw it as a way to make a living remaining as a small dairy farmer. “The problem with conventional dairy production is there is just too much milk produced at too low a price for the producers to sustain,” Goodman
said. “… If you want to stay in the dairy business you need to get bigger. Bigger farms produce more milk, and they can do it at a somewhat lower cost.” Goodman said a recent move in organic production to the large dairy CAFOs [Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation] is causing supply problems much like in conventional production. He said the importation of organic feed from other areas of the world as being a driver in organic dairy expansion. “My wife and I are at the point where we’d like to retire, but it’s kind of difcult now,” Goodman said. “What young farmer would want to get into dairy production, be it conventional or organic? You can’t nd a market for organic milk, most organic processors have put quotas on and some have even dropped farms. It just doesn’t pay, and of course this has lowered the value of cattle and lowered the potential for a farm sale.” Goodman expressed concern for the impact that the loss of small farms has on the communities of rural America. “We’re seeing the effects now,” he said. “The rural communities are suffering, the tax-base is disappearing and schools don’t have enough money.” Goodman said several things can help alleviate the current crisis, if done immediately, particularly in the conventional sector. “We need an immediate $20 oor price for milk,” Goodman said. “This will keep farmers from going out of business and the USDA can purchase excess commodities for distribution in food banks. We need to look at the Farm Credit Service loan policy and ensure that small farms have access to credit.” Goodman said now is the time for the USDA and Congress to initiate hear-
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ings on the milk pricing system. He also urged consideration of a supply management system, referring to the Canadian milk quota system. To help alleviate the crisis in the organic sector, Goodman said the solution is simple: Enforce the current organic rules, making sure organic cattle are pastured; that only organic-certied cows are added to organic herds; and ensure feed being fed on organic farms is certied by the USDA.
conventional than they used to, in terms of the number of players available to buy the milk, and that pushes back upstream on the farmer prices,” Lovera said. Lovera said policy makers feel that xing dairy policy is too difcult an issue, and that the problems should be xed in the marketplace. “That is really tough for any food, but it feels impossible for an average consumer in dairy,” Lovera said. “… It’s not super clear where the milk that went
“We need an immediate $20 oor price for milk. This will keep farmers from going out of business and the USDA can purchase excess commodities for distribution in food banks.” JIM GOODMAN, NFFC PRESIDENT
Ed Maltby serves as the executive director of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA) and has spent 35 years milking cows, both organically and conventionally, in England, Europe and the United States. “Initially when the organic rules were passed back in 2002 and the national organic program came under the USDA, there was a working relationship between processors and organic milk buyers to ensure they wouldn’t take too much milk on ahead of their demand,” Maltby said. “As the industry grew those relationships suffered, and we are now in a situation with a surplus of organic milk. … We are seeing a lot of hardship, especially amongst the younger farms trying to transition into organic and those with a high level of debt.” Maltby referred to 2012-14 when there was a shortage of organic milk in the country. Large dairies transitioned their conventional animals into organic production. Maltby said that ooded the market, and organic buyers gained access to a supply of milk at lower prices. According to Maltby, organic producers saw their prices drop by 25 percent in a matter of months. Patty Lovera is the policy director for Food and Water Watch (F&WW) as well as serving as on the board of directors for FFD. “One of the most shocking things is the amount of volatility in these markets and what dairy farmers have to put up with in terms of lack of predictability and how you plan a business around that,” Lovera said. “In the last seven years, it hasn’t been volatility; it’s been a steady downward, permanent-feeling trend in prices. The prices reached a crisis-point a long time ago, and it’s reaching a crisis point for farmers in terms of what they can sustain after years and years.” Policy responses addressing the root causes of the dairy crisis are not being provided, Lovera said. “We need to have a long-overdue conversation about policies that we used to have in the United States that dealt with the over-supply and what that does with these markets,” Lovera said. “It’s important to talk about what policy responses need to be on the table.” Lovera sees a similarity in the issues facing both conventional and organic producers in the last two years. “The challenges in the organic sector sound virtually identical to what we hear in the conventional sector, and that was not always the case,” Lovera said. “Organic dairy used to a place of growth. We’re not hearing that anymore.” Lovera said there are several reasons for the downturn in the organic markets. “Organic markets look a lot more
into that cheese that you bought came from. There’s a lot of private label activity. It’s really hard for consumers to shop well in this market structure that is so convoluted and in a lot of ways so unfair at this point.” Lovera urges policy makers to use trade agreements to nd an outlet for the overproduction of milk in the United States. Ontario dairy farmer Ralph Dietrich serves as chairman of the board of directors for Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) and has spent time in Wisconsin speaking at public forums hosted by the WFU regarding Canada’s supply management system. “Supply management is 55 years old in this country, and the dairy farmers of today don’t remember what it was like,” Dietrich said. “What we witnessed from the people down there [in Wisconsin], I’m pretty sure from what I’ve been reading is what was happening in Canada as well.” Dietrich said supply management has allowed Canadian dairy farmers to become price-makers instead of being price-takers, giving them a constant production formula and allowing farmers to have a steady income. Dietrich said Canada is a net importer of dairy products, and the state of California alone produces more milk than all of Canada combined. “As soon as prices come up for your milk, what will happen?” Dietrich said. “The attitude and mentality down there … is to milk more cows. That’s not a solution. … Milking more cows will make your problem worse.” Dietrich urges people to look at what happened in Europe with the removal of their supply management system several years ago. “Farmers doubled in size and produced more milk,” Dietrich said. “You can talk to farmers over there right now, and they say they made a mistake. They wish they had their supply management back.” Dietrich said when supply management began in Canada there was no price for quota, but increased demand for available quota drove up the price, making it a valuable commodity. He said while not all are necessarily happy with supply management, the big picture is more important. “People have to learn to be satised with a certain level,” Dietrich said. “More is not always more, and in this case more production is actually less. … This mentality of grow, grow, grow is not going to work. We’re in a worldwide economy now and have other countries as competitors now.”
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 13
Last day to enroll in MPP-Dairy June 1
Recent changes make program more appealing By Ron Johnson
ron.j@dairystar.com
CASHTON, Wis. – Time is running out to sign up for the revised Margin Protection Program for Dairy. The last day to enroll at Farm Service Agency (FSA) ofces is June 1. Kathy Lewison, director of the Vernon County FSA, urged dairy producers to telephone the FSA ofce as soon as possible and make their signup appointments. At an MPP-Dairy informational meeting in Cashton, Wis. May 9, she worried farmers might wait too long, and FSA employees might not be able to accommodate the crunch of last-minute paperwork. MPP-Dairy is a voluntary risk management tool. It was authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill to run through Dec. 31, 2018. According to Mark Stephenson, an agricultural economist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the director of dairy policy analysis, the United State Congress’ Bipartisan Budget Act made changes to the MPP-Dairy for this year. They include an increase in the volume of milk a farm in the program’s tier one can cover. Another change was a substantial reduction to premium rates in tier one, Stephenson said. MPP-Dairy offers price protection
to dairy farmers when the difference between the all-milk price and the average feed cost, the margin, dips below a certain dollar amount. Each dairy farm chooses that dollar amount. An internet tool lets dairy farmers use their own numbers and variables to test nancial scenarios before they enroll in MMPDairy. The tool is available at www. fsa.usda.gov/ mpptool. Dairy farms eligible for the proMark Stephenson gram must provide proof of their milk UW-Madison production when they sign up. They cannot also be in the Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy Program at the same time. “The changes to the program for tier one are sufciently improved to more than justify giving the program a hard look,” Stephenson said. “It is widely expected that margins will be well below the $8 threshold and have a better than 50 percent probability of being below $7 through June. Expected margins show improvement in July and August, and the probability of payments for the last four months of the year are one out of four or ve at the highest, $8 level.” Stephenson said why Congress altered MPP-Dairy. “While it was certainly well intended, MPP-Dairy has not proven to be a particularly helpful or effective support for dairy farmers, who have suffered below-average returns since 2015,” he said. “In its rst two years of operation, farmers paid $96 million in fees
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and premiums, but only $12 million was paid in indemnities. Risk management experts would quickly point out that most people don’t take out insurance with the hopes of getting paid. You don’t want your house to burn or your car to be wrecked, but critics of the program would say, ‘My house did burn, and I didn’t get a payment.’” Because of criticism of the program, dairy industry advocates and sympathetic legislators looked for ways to make MPP-Dairy more helpful to dairy farmers. But doing so proved difcult, Stephenson said, because changes that make the program more helpful also make it more expensive for the federal government. There is an enrollment fee of $100 for each farm, and possibly a premium for the selected coverage. Some farmers can get an exemption from the $100 fee. These farmers include those considered socially disadvantaged, along with military veterans, beginning farmers and those with limited resources. The lowest level of margin coverage, at $4, does not require a premium payment. This coverage applies to 90 percent of a farm’s production history. For more protection, farmers can select coverage of 25 to 90 percent of their milk production histories, in 5 percent increments. This extra protection starts at $4.50 and tops out at $8. A farm’s premium is based on the level of coverage selected. There are two tiers of coverage. Tier one premiums cover a production history of up to ve million pounds of milk. Tier two applies to larger farms that produce more than ve million pounds. Farms with production histories of less than ve million pounds pay no
premium for margin coverage of $4, $4.50 and $5, according to the FSA. After that, premiums rise to a maximum of 14.2 cents, for $8 of coverage. Last year, that same coverage cost 47.5 cents. Farms with production histories above 5 million pounds pay no premium on $4 of margin protection. After that, the premium ranges from two cents at $4.50 of coverage, on up to $1.36 for $8 of coverage. The production margin is the difference between the national all-milk price and the national average feed cost. Margin protection payments are made whenever a farm’s production margin for a month is lower that the coverage amount that was selected. Here’s an example: A farm has a production history of three million pounds. The farm has chosen to cover 50 percent of its production at $7. If the farm’s margin is $5 for a month, that’s a $2 difference, so a payment will be triggered. The payment would be $2,500 ($2 multiplied by the 50 percent coverage, multiplied by 2,500 hundredweight). Stephenson said MPP-Dairy payments are subject to a 6 percent reduction. That reduction is due to a Congressional sequester order that dates to 1985. “Every farmer must evaluate their own risk level and make their own decision,” Stephenson said. “But the reductions in the tier one premiums warrant a second look at an enrollment and coverage decision.” For more information about enrolling in MPP-Dairy, contact the FSA ofce that serves your area.
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What have you learned about your cooperative since being involved?
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Janet Clark Eldorado, Wis. Fond du Lac County 160 cows What is the importance of being involved in your cooperative’s young producer program? It is important to have a voice in what matters. I value the experience I have gained being involved in my cooperative. I am trying to make a difference in our industry. As the number of young farmers entering the industry decreases, it is more valuable for us to be involved. I want to learn all I can from farmers who have more experience than I do. I don’t want to reinvent the wheel that our leadership has already created. What events have you participated in and which has been your favorite? My husband, Travis, and I had the privilege to represent FarmFirst Dairy Cooperative at the National Milk Producers Federation young cooperators y-in event in Washington, D.C. We lobbied to our elected representatives. I shared with them how their decisions impact our farm and its future. Dairy farmers have a great story to tell, and our elected representatives need to hear it. How has being involved in the young producer program beneted you as a person? The program has given me the tools to nd my voice. It has given me the condence to tell my story and know that it is valuable to share. What have you learned about your cooperative since being involved in your young producer program? I am thankful that I am involved in a dedicated grassroots cooperative. Their focus is creating a unied voice for dairy producers on dairy policy and marketing opportunities. Cooperative leadership is open and available to membership. They are here to support the dairy producer. How has the program assisted you in being a young dairy farmer in today’s industry? I have been able to connect with other young dairy farmers and network. Again, there are less dairy farmers starting than ever before. There are less of us to network with. Young farmers have to be intentional to create connections and networking. I enjoy sharing and problem solving ways to improve our dairy with other farmers. Why would you encourage others to get involved in their cooperative’s young producer program? The program is meant to serve as an opportunity for dairy producers to get involved, to serve as a resource for them to build relationships with producers who may become their friends, as well as mentors for new ideas and ways of thinking. It is an avenue to nd your voice alongside the best of our industry. Tell us about your farm. Vision Aire Farms, Eldorado, Wis., is owned and operated by Roger and Sandy Grade, Travis and Janet Clark, and David and Torrie Grade. Roger and Sandy are actively transitioning ownership and management over to Travis, David and Janet. Travis manages the dairy operation and David manages the cropping and custom harvesting. Janet manages the youngstock and nancials. The dairy consists of 140 registered milking Holsteins and 1,000 acres of owned and rented land. Vision Aire also does custom baling and harvesting for neighboring farms. The farm was awarded the National Milk Quality award from Hoard’s Dairyman in 2015 and 2016.
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Alan and Stephanie Hughes Pittsville, Wis. Wood County 60 cows What is the importance of being involved in your cooperative’s young producer program? Farmrst Dairy Cooperative Young Producer program has been an excellent way for us to learn more about the co-op and what our delegates and board members do for us. The young producer program has offered opportunities for us to build our leadership skills, network and connect with other members, and enhance our farm management skills to connect with consumers. What events have you participated in and which has been your favorite? We were selected to be a part of the committee from day one, which was organized in 2015. Our committee strives to provide educational and fun events for the young members (under 50 years) and their families throughout the year. We know and understand the challenge it is to get away from the farm, so we try to offer events that are local and accommodating. Past events we have organized and enjoyed included picnics, farm tours, dairy processor tours, bowling parties, and a bull collection and sorting facility. At our annual meeting, we have offered educational seminars and speakers on topics such as animal husbandry, social media presence and communication skills. We have enjoyed every event we have attended, but especially the farm picnic we hosted at our farm in 2016. How has being involved in the young producer program beneted you as a person? We have benetted the most from the growth and strengthening of our leadership skills. What have you learned about your cooperative since being involved in your young producer program? The older generation recognizes that the young cooperators are the future of the co-op, and they are dedicated to invest in and support our program to develop future leaders in the co-op. How has the program assisted you in being a young dairy farmer in today’s industry? It is always helpful to network with fellow farmers who can relate to our lifestyle. We can never learn enough. Why would you encourage others to get involved in their cooperative’s young producer program? It is an excellent opportunity to build your communication skills, network with other farmers, enhance your management practices and yet have fun with your family. Tell us about your farm. We, along with our sons Bryce, 7, Gavin, 6, and Derek, 1, own and operate Sunsett Dairy. We have approximately 60 head of registered dairy cattle and raise all the youngstock on the farm. We grow hay, corn and soybeans on 200 acres of land. We rotationally graze our herd throughout the summer. We also own and operate an aircraft maintenance business, Sunsett Aircraft Maintenance, LLC. Much of Alan’s knowledge and education for this business is obtained from his current role as an F-16 crew chief with the Air National Guard.
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Trent Erickson Viroqua, Wis. Vernon County 150 cows What is the importance of being involved in your cooperative’s young producer program? Being involved with DFA’s Young Cooperator (YC) program has provided me with a great opportunity to network with fellow farmers and industry professionals. What events have you participated in and which has been your favorite? I have been a member of DFA’s YC program since 2011. I have had the opportunity to attend numerous YC leadership conferences and DFA annual meetings. These events have allowed me to go on various processing plant tours, attend leadership and educational workshops, as well as listen to speeches and presentations from many prominent DFA executives and industry leaders. Along with all of the educational events, I’ve been able to attend social events such as a Royal’s baseball game, golfing, bowling and game nights. All of these events have allowed me to get away from the farm and travel to locations I otherwise would not have visited. My favorite part of these events has been the networking I have been able to do with DFA employees and fellow farmers from across the country. How has being involved in the young producer program beneted you as a person? It has allowed me to meet other young farmers from across the country and learn about their regional and farm specic advantages and challenges. This has helped me to realize that although we may be different, we are all still farmers just trying to make a living. What have you learned about your cooperative since being involved in your young producer program? I have gained an in-depth knowledge for how the cooperative operates, and all of the resources and programs it has to offer. I know it truly revolves around the farmer and is a grass roots organization with a board of directors consisting of farmers elected to the various positions. How has the program assisted you in being a young dairy farmer in today’s industry? This program has taught me we are not just farmers; we are advocates and need to share our stories with the consumer. It also made me to realize the importance of farmers becoming involved with the cooperative, our communities and legislation so our voice is heard and our farms can continue into the future. Why would you encourage others to get involved in their cooperative’s young producer program? It provides you with the opportunity to learn more about the dairy industry and what actually happens to your milk after it leaves the farm. It’s also a great way to take time away from the farm, meet fellow farmers and have fun. Tell us about your farm. My girlfriend and I are the fourth generation to live on my family’s farm, where we work along with my parents to milk our mixed herd of 150 cows. We also raise our own replacement heifers, steers and crops on 400 acres. We have been shipping our milk to DFA since the early 1990s. Along with being a member of the YC program, I’ve also had the opportunity to serve on the Area and Corporate Resolutions Committees since 2011.
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ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15 Brandon and Eva Urmanski Edgar, Wis. Marathon County 120 cows What is the importance of being involved in your cooperative’s young producer program? It connects me with other young producers from around the state. When we get together, we often talk about important current topics and issues in the dairy industry and ways we can get involved with our communities. I feel it is important to discuss these things to help promote dairy. What events have you participated in and which has been your favorite? The young producer program hosts many events throughout the year, including family bowling and summer picnics on members’ farms. Our favorite event has been the farm tour of Feltz Family Farms of Stevens Point, Wis. It was interesting learning about their robotic milking system. The tour wrapped up with an ice cream treat from their dairy store on the farm. How has being involved in the young producer program beneted you as a person? It has connected us with other young farmers like ourselves. We enjoy talking with other farmers and hearing how they run their operations. We often try to take something we learned from another farmer to implement on our own farm. What have you learned about your cooperative since being involved in your young producer program? We have learned many things about our cooperative since being involved in our young producer program. One thing we have learned is how our cooperative is actively working with government ofcials in always trying to improve the dairy market and industry. How has the program assisted you in being a young dairy farmer in today’s industry? By teaching us ways to use social media to our advantage by trying to educate the public on where their food comes from and proper animal welfare. We have learned to encourage the public to ask farmers questions directly as opposed to them reading false information online. Why would you encourage others to get involved in their cooperative’s young producer program? We encourage others to get involved in their cooperative’s young producer program to help establish a bright, strong future for years to come. The focus of this program is to develop future cooperative leaders today. Members active in the program will have the opportunity to participate in farm tours, plant tours, industry events and educational sessions among many others. Tell us about your farm. Urmanski Farms was founded in 1888. I, Brandon, am the fth generation to the farm. I farm with my parents, Rick and Ginger Urmanski, and my wife, Eva, helps on the side. My wife and I are expecting the arrival of our rst child June 2, a baby girl. We milk 120 cows with two Lely robots and raise over 100 youngstock. Our calves are raised on an automatic calf feeder. We crop over 500 acres of corn and alfalfa. You can like us on Facebook (@urmanskifarms) and follow us on Instagram (@ urmanski_farms) to stay up to date on the latest happenings on our farm.
Matthew and Julie Peterson Boyd, Wis. Chippewa County 70 cows What is the importance of being involved in your cooperative’s young producer program? Learning how the co-op is structured and how decisions are made by the board and management. What events have you participated in and which has been your favorite? We have attended plant tours at the Portage Cheese Processing Facility and New Ulm butter plant. These tour dates also included picnics and farm tours of local producer’s operations. We also toured the ABS Global Bull Facility. We get together each year for an Eau Claire Express Baseball game and district business meeting where ofcers are elected. Elected ofcers are then invited to the AMPI annual meeting in Minneapolis. Here we have the regional YC’s business meeting and attend the regular business meeting to learn how the co-op functions. My favorites are the plant tours and picnics as it gives us time to meet other young cooperators and learn about their operations. How has being involved in the young producer program benetted you as a person? We have gained new friends and a deeper understanding of how the dairy industry as a whole works. What have you learned about your cooperative since being involved in your young producer program? AMPI is fairly diverse and this has helped them to maneuver through this difcult year. They understand the importance of their patrons and have done a good job nding a home for everyone’s milk. Watching as other dairies in the area have dropped patrons because of the oversupply of milk, it is nice to hear directly from the CEOs that AMPI has a plan on where to go with our milk. How has the program assisted you in being a young dairy farmer in today’s industry? The YC program has given me an opportunity to learn how other producers operate and given us ideas for our operation moving forward. Why would you encourage others to get involved in their cooperative’s young producer program? It’s a great way to meet new friends who are in similar situations. It is a good outlet for time off of the farm to see how factory production works. Tell us about your farm. I (Matthew) farm 400 acres with my parents. We milk 70 cows and grow corn, alfalfa and oats. Julie works at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as a veterinary technician. She performs anesthesia on animals in the surgical wing. We have three sons: Isaac, Aaron and Ezra.
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Devin Schulze with Cooper Holland, Minn. Pipestone County 430 cows What is the importance of being involved in your cooperative’s young producer program? Dad was retiring from the Land O’Lakes board and nobody was showing interest in replacing him. I like to voice my opinions, so participating in the Land O’Lakes Co-op 101 Program enabled me to learn more about our co-op and eventually earn a seat on the board. What events have you participated in and which has been your favorite? I have participated in both the Co-op 101 and Co-op 201 programs. In Co-op 201, they sent my wife and I and our kids to Orlando, Fla., to sit in on the National Milk Producers Federation annual meeting. While there, we met dairy producers from across the nation. My wife and I became good friends with a dairy farm couple who are from California. We have remained friends with them ever since. How has being involved in the young producer program beneted you as a person? It has helped me mature. It has broadened my perspective of the world in general and how things work outside of Minnesota and the United States. I got to see many different aspects of the co-op that purchases our milk. What have you learned about your cooperative since being involved in your young producer program? You need to educate the public if you want to sell your product. A few days prior to the last Super Bowl, Land O’Lakes put on the Farm Bowl to help educate consumers about the dairy industry. The folks at Land O’Lakes are personable and are great at doing outreach. How has the program assisted you in being a young dairy farmer in today’s industry? It has helped me acquire a deeper understanding of how things work and has made me better at marketing my milk. I have learned to look at things from a different angle. A dairyman may have one point of view, but the company that buys your milk may have a different perspective. I also learned that consumer education and outreach are important. Why would you encourage others to get involved in their cooperative’s young producer program? It was a great experience and a way to meet and make friends with other dairy producers. It broadens your horizons and makes you look at things differently. It helps you become more mature and teaches you how to think outside the box. Tell us about your farm. Family is my top priority. My wife, Becca, and I were high school sweethearts. We have been together for 15 years and have been married for nine years. We have ve children: Collin, 8, Kadence, 5, Cooper, 4, and Leah and Lydia, 15 months. I farm with my father, Rod, and my brother, Chris. Our herd is registered Holsteins, although we do have a few registered Jersey show cows. We farm 900 acres and raise corn and alfalfa. A couple of years ago, we began to operate a custom manure pumping business.
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Visit Bobcat.com/Offers or stop by today for details. *Offer ends 12/31/2018. Available at participating and eligible dealers only. Offer may vary by product type, series, model and select units in dealer inventory. Must take delivery from dealer stock by 12/31/18. Offers available on new equipment in US only. Pricing does not include freight, prep or additional fees. 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, municipal/utility bid customers and non-commercial customers. Non-commercial customers may not be eligible for 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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Page 18 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
Repro Leaders
Team approach helps Skyview Dairy achieve 42 percent preg rate Skyview Dairy Hutchinson, Minn. McLeod County 1,400 cows What was your average pregnancy rate last year? 42 percent. What is your voluntary waiting period for cows? For heifers? Cows are 67 days in milk. Virgin heifers are 370 days of age. What is your rst service conception rate? 48 percent.
What is your reproduction program? Do you use a synchronization program? All cows at Skyview Dairy are enrolled in a pre-synch ovsynch program for rst service. After the second prostaglandin shot, cows are cherry picked if they show a standing heat. Open cows are either enrolled in ovsynch or a CIDR synch, depending on stage of cycle and structures. How do you observe for heat? Minnesota/Select Sires Co-op Inc. technician Mark
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Mark Bates (from leŌ), Dr. Tanya Olson, Nico Ojedu, GarreƩ Luthens and Marvin Hernandez are a part of the team at Skyview Dairy, Hutchinson, Minn., that helped the 1,400-cow dairy herd achieve a 42 percent pregnancy rate last year. Andrew Wilke, Russ Heckmann, Kourtney Miester and Brandon Thesing are also a part of the team, but not pictured. Bates walks and tail chalks all the cows eligible for breeding. He then veries with Cow Scout Activity Tags. JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Cows are marked with blue tail paint, which indicates they need to be checked for pregnancy.
How do you conrm pregnant or open cows? All cows are pregnancy checked with
ultrasound by the Lester Prairie Vet Clinic team of Andrew Wilke and Tanya Olson between 32 and 38 days since last being bred. What is your breeding philosophy? How do you select
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JD 9460R, 2013, 2160 hrs ..................$209,900 JD 8285R, IVT, 1333 hrs ....................$159,900 JD 8235R, 2013, 1983 hrs ..................$134,900 JD 8235R, 2012, 2416 hrs ..................$129,900 JD 8235R, 2012, 2213 hrs ..................$129,900 JD 7210R, 20/20, AQ, ILS, Duals ......$149,900 JD 7210R, 20/20, AQ, MFWD, Duals $139,900 JD 6175R, 20/20, AQ, MFWD ...........$119,900 JD 8120R,S10,000 OLD hrs............................$59,900 JD 6170R, w/loader ............................$104,900 JD 6170R, IVT ......................................$99,900 JD 6155R, 2016, MFWD, Loader.......$119,900 JD 6145R, 2016, MFWD, Loader.......$114,900 JD 6145M, 2016, loader, MFWD .........$89,900 JD 6140M, cab, MFWD........................$74,900 JD 6130R, 2016, loader, MFWD ..........$94,900 JD 5100M, cab, buddy seat ...................$51,900 JD 5065M, loader, cab, MFWD ...........$42,900 OLD PS .................................$16,900 JD 4440,S1982, JD 2750,Sw/loader, MFWD ...................$15,900 OLD JD 2750, 2-wheel ..................................$13,900 OLD JD 2040,SMFWD w/loader....................$13,900 NH T8030, front duals ..........................$89,900 Case 1570, cab, duals, PS, trans ...........$10,900 D SOLloader, IH 966, cab, 5560 hrs ................$10,900
bulls? What traits do you focus on? Does fertility play a role in bull selection? Skyview Dairy has developed a two-pronged genetic strategy to develop the best genetic offTurn to SKYVIEW | Page 18
COMBINES
JD S670, 2012, 1756 hrs .....................$169,000 JD S660, 2014 .....................................$239,900 JD S660, 2014, 870 hrs .......................$214,900 JD 9670, 2010, RWA, clean, 1000 hrs $169,000 JD 9660, 2006, RWA.............................$99,900 JD 9560, 2004, 2WD ............................$79,900 JD 9600, singles, clean..........................$29,900 JD 9500, 2001, 2WD ............................$23,900 Many heads to choose from ....................CALL
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JD W235, 2014, rubber .......................$129,900 JD W235R, 2016, tri lobe, 64 hrs .......$139,900 3) JD 569 Premium ........... Starting at $19,900 3) JD 569, surface wrap, big tires............................ Starting at $29,900 JD 568, twine ........................................$16,900 JD 566, surface wrap.............................$12,900 JD 530, twine ..........................................$4,500 JD 469 Premium, 2014 .........................$36,900 3) JD 469 SP, wrap, big tires Starting at $29,000 JD 459 w/wrap ......................................$28,900 JD 468 w/wrap LD SO......................................$20,900 Case IH 464, ................................$12,900 D SOLtwine 2) Vermeer 605SM, 2006, RWA ...........$25,900 NH BR780A, wrap................................$12,900 NH 330 Big Square, 2013 ....................$84,900 JD 3955, 2007 .......................................$12,900
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Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 19
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“Our SCC has never been lower.” — Bob Keefer
Bob Keefer with grandson Nick at Hard Earned Acres
HARD EARNED ACRES, Bob and Barb Keefer, SHIPPENSBURG, PA 660 cows, 92 lbs/cow/day, SCC 100 to 120,000, 2017 Pennsylvania Master Farmer
“Our SCC has never been lower, down 70,000 and averaging 100 to 120,000. The udder irritation is gone. Production has come up a bit. And we are not noticing any mastitis in our fresh cows. This all helps us with our milk quality and volume with virtually no discarded milk. Udder Comfort™ is about the only thing we added,” says Bob Keefer about his Hard Earned Acres, Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. Bob built his herd from 30 cows in 1977 to 660 today, growing internally since 1985. His attention to detail is evident in high production and quality. Always looking to improve, he tried the Udder Comfort fresh cow routine, and 2 months in, he saw SCC moving lower. Five months into using Udder Comfort on all fresh animals 2x/day 5 to 7 days after calving, Bob says: “I’m impressed. We try to do a lot of things right here. Udder Comfort is like a missing piece. We’ll keep using it because it’s worth it.”
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Keep the milk in the system 1.888.773.7153 1.613.652.9086 uddercomfort.com Call to locate a distributor near you. For external application to the udder only after milking, as an essential component of udder management. Always wash and dry teats thoroughly before milking.
Page 20 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
conĆ&#x;nued from SKYVIEW | Page 18
spring from the herd’s highestranking animals and effectively manage inventory. By using a Net Merit (NM$) composite formula to rank animals, we select the superior animals to breed to sexed semen and lower-end genetic animals are serviced to beef semen. Year after year, Skyview Dairy pushes the envelope on genetics used in the herd. Minnesota/Select Sires Co-op Inc. genetic consultant Russ Heckman visually inspects and corrective mates all cows, while also creating genetic ranking reports. Heckman uses a uniquely created genetic index speciďƒžc to the dairy’s goals to rank and select bulls. This allows for a selec-
tion of production and health traits to create the most well rounded, highly proďƒžtable next generation of cows. Now, we are using even higher-ranking sires because we can easily identify which animals to service to get the best return on investment. How are cows and heifers bred? Do you have a different philosophy for breeding both? Bates walks and tail chalks both cows and virgin heifers every day. Skyview Dairy uses a prostaglandin program to catch the highest percentage of heifers in a standing heat. If a heifer is diagnosed open and does not have a CL,
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Nico Ojedu, general manager at Skyview Dairy, looks through a list of cows that need to be checked for pregnancy May 15. she is enrolled in a CIDR sync program. The goal is to have all heifers calve between 21 and 24 months of age, and 95 percent of those heifers to calve between 21 and 23 months of age. What do you do to settle hard breeders? We have a counseling session, and then bring in the Zoetis representative Brian Kaslow and let him have a “Come to Jesus� moment with her.
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Dr. Tanya Olson conďƒžrms a cow pregnant using ultrasound May 15 at Skyview Dairy in Hutchinson, Minn.
How many times do you try to breed a cow before you sell her? Virgin heifers are given three services before becoming a do not breed, while the milking herd receives ďƒžve services.
Is there anything you have done or changed that brought about a signiďƒžcant improvement in your reproductive program? Starting in March, all animals are either bred to Elite Fertility Sexed semen or beef semen, using internal data from Select Sires Inc. Sires are not only selected on genetic merit, but also selected on high fertility. When it comes to genetic and reproductive progress, Garrett Luthens focuses on open and honest goals and expectations to move conversations forward. The dairy managers meet with genetic and reproductive professionals on a regular basis to establish goals and set plans for success.
Tell us about your farm. Skyview Dairy is a family-owned and operated dairy that has been in continuous operation since 1968. The dairy was ďƒžrst started by Daryl Luthens in June 1968 with seven cows. The feed storage facilities consisted of one stave silo. In the next 27 years, another stave silo was added, along with ďƒžve Harvestores. Over time, silos have been replaced by bunkers and drive-over piles, and ďƒ&#x;at parlors replaced by a double-20 parallel parlor. Recent improvements to the dairy include new and renovated dry cow, transition and pregnant heifer housing, as well as freestall additions to the dairy, which now houses 1,400 milking cows.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 21
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COMPACT TRACK LOADERS JD 323D, 2013, 726 hrs., #145718 ................. $34,900 JD 323D, 2013, 1015 hrs., #145251 ............... $39,995 JD 323E, 2017, 325 hrs., #140018 ................. $51,900 JD 323E, 2017, 90 hrs., #146360 ................... $53,900 JD 329D, 2012, 888 hrs., #145637 ................. $44,900 JD 333E, 2014, 1656 hrs., #145248 ............... $49,595 JD 333E, 2015, 805 hrs., #144217 ................. $57,500 JD 333E, 2015, 316 hrs., #143895 ................. $66,000 JD 333G, 2016, 402 hrs., #145717 ................. $69,900 JD 333G, 2016, 490 hrs., #143346 ................. $71,900 JD 333G, 2016, 467 hrs., #142414 ................. $71,900 JD CT322, 2008, 2690 hrs., #148766 ............. $19,900 Bobcat T770, 2014, #148520 ....................... $47,500 MOWER CONDITIONERS JD 535, 2005 #139187 .................................. $14,000 JD 630, 2015 #140003 .................................. $19,900 JD 630, 2015 #141908 .................................. $19,900 JD 635, 2013 #140618 .................................. $19,900 JD 830, 2015 #134944 .................................. $19,500 JD 935, 2000 #145273 .................................. $12,800 JD 946, 2014 #126629 .................................. $22,900 JD 946, 2009 #132018 .................................. $23,500 JD 946, 2016 #143740 .................................. $30,900 MF 1372, 2013 #141262 .............................. $21,450 NH H7460, 2013 #144344 ........................... $25,900 PULL-TYPE SPRAYERS Fast 7400, #130185 ...................................... $21,500 Willmar 765HT, 1994 #147782 ................... $28,000 Hardi COMMANDER 1200, 2004 #148536 .. $19,900 Hardi Commander 6600, 2012 #143849 ... $50,000 Hardi NAV 1100, #137542 ........................... $14,000 Hardi NAV 1100, #137543 ........................... $14,000 Hardi NAVIGATOR 4000, 2014 #106506 ..... $55,000 Top Air TA1600, 2017, #134335 .................. $48,500 Top Air TA2400, 2012 #145319 .............. $52,500 JD 430, 1991, Twine Only, Width of Bale: 4 Feet #143800 ............................................................$5,750 ROUND BALERS JD 430, 1984, Width of Bale: 4 Feet #140203 ............................................................$5,900 JD 457, 2005, Twine Only, Width of Bale: 4 Feet #148076 ......................................................... $12,900 JD 458, 2011, Twine Only, Width of Bale: 4 Feet #147870 ......................................................... $17,500 JD 466, 1997, Twine Only, #148779 ............... $11,900 JD 467, 2005, Twine Only, Width of Bale: 4 Feet #144341 ......................................................... $14,500 JD 467, 2002, Both Twine and Surface Wrap, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #148375 ...................... $18,500 JD 468, 2012, Both Twine and Surface Wrap, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #148136 ...................... $28,000 JD 535, 1991, Both Twine and Surface Wrap, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #139110 .........................$7,900 JD 569, 2015, Surface Wrap Only, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #134021 ...................... $31,900 JD 569, 2015, Both Twine and Surface Wrap, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #145624 ...................... $33,500
8 JD 569, 2014, Surface Wrap Only, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #148334 ...................... $35,500 4 JD 569, 2014, Surface Wrap Only, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #135360 ...................... $37,000 8 JD 569, 2012, Surface Wrap Only, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #134619 ...................... $37,900 6 JD 569, 2017, Surface Wrap Only, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #143801 ...................... $38,000 6 NH 678, 2001, Twine Only, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #145697 ............................................................$7,500 4 MF 2946, 2015, Both Twine and Surface Wrap, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #143367 ...................... $29,700 10 Claas 380 Variant, 2011, Surface Wrap Only Width of Bale: 4 Feet , #140005...................... $19,800 8 JD 569 Premium, 2014, Surface Wrap Only, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #148146 ...................... $26,900 8 JD 569 Silage Special, 2016, Surface Wrap Only Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #148333 ...................... $40,900 5 JD 569 Silage Special, 2015, Surface Wrap Only Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #134962 ...................... $41,900 11 NH BR7060, 2008, Twine Only, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #143774 ...................... $15,000 4 NH BR7070, 2010, Surface Wrap Only, Width of Bale: 4 Feet, #139987 ...................... $15,900 5 NH BR7080, 2008, Twine Only, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #140282 ...................... $12,900 10 NH BR7090, 2012, Both Twine and Surface Wrap Width of Bale: 5 Feet , #133944...................... $17,900 4 NH BR7090, 2008, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #143390 ............ $19,800 9 NH BR7090, 2008, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #143259 ............ $19,900 8 NH BR780, 2005, Wrapping: Both Twine and Surface Wrap, Width of Bale: 5 Feet, #140575 ............ $17,500 SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS 17 Ag Chem 1254, 2000, 80-Foot, 3676 hrs., #148842 ......................................................... $33,000 16 Case IH 4260, 90-Foot, 4093 hrs., #148930 .. $44,500 2 JD 4720, 2006, 90-Foot, 1673 hrs., #130054$109,000 7 JD 4730, 2013, 80-Foot, 937 hrs., #145736 . $169,000 16 JD 4830, 2014, 309 hrs., #145739 ............... $244,900 6 Miller Nitro 4240HT, 2011, 120-Foot, 1060 hrs., #148139 ...................................................... $175,000 8 Case IH Patriot 4440, 2015, 120-Foot, 643 hrs., #145199 ....................................................... $279,500 15 JD R4030, 2014, 90-Foot, 303 hrs., #144439 ...................................................... $219,500 8 JD R4038, 2017, 120-Foot, 182 hrs., #141223 ...................................................... $329,500 15 JD R4038, 2017, 445 hrs., #143961............. $346,500 SKID STEER LOADERS 4 JD 260, 2000, 1923 hrs., #147863 ................. $18,500 4 JD 320, 2004, 1145 hrs., #148318 ................. $16,900 9 Gehl 3725, 1472 hrs., #147858 ..................... $11,900 5 Gehl 3825, 1998, 1579 hrs., #148522 ..............$8,900 8 JD 8875, 1996, 3100 hrs., #146674 ............... $12,900 3 Caterpillar 272D, 2015, 1475 hrs., #145200 $34,500 1 JD 314G, 2016, 43 hrs., #126153 ................... $29,900 11 JD 318D, 2013, 2800 hrs., #148609 ............... $22,900 11 JD 318E, 2014, 815 hrs., #135937 ................. $28,900
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8 10 4 6 4 15 7 2 2 4 8 12 11 10 4 7 6 7 4 5 10 11 7 5 14 5 6 6 5 6 6 6
STEEL DEALS
JD 318E, 2015, 125 hrs., #148061 ................. $37,900 JD 320E, 2016, 2489 hrs., #143842 ............... $27,500 JD 320E, 2014, 705 hrs., #135901 ................. $31,900 JD 320E, 2016, 88 hrs., #140280 ................... $39,900 JD 320E, 2015, 295 hrs., #143386 ................. $42,900 JD 320E, 2017, 92 hrs., #144216 ................... $43,900 JD 326D, 2012, 210 hrs., #135673 ................. $40,500 JD 326E, 2015, 2328 hrs., #146698 ............... $29,850 JD 326E, 2016, 1162 hrs., #141601 ............... $38,900 JD 326E, 2016, 497 hrs., #138363 ................. $39,500 JD 326E, 2016, 75 hrs., #146359 ................... $44,000 JD 326E, 2016, 3 hrs., #126370 ..................... $45,900 JD 326E, 2016, 258 hrs., #142477 ................. $46,000 JD 328E, 2013, 567 hrs., #145635 ................. $41,500 JD 330G, 2016, 641 hrs., #140027 ................. $53,000 JD 332D, 2012, 858 hrs., #127231 ................. $36,900 JD 332E, 2015, 519 hrs., #138924 ................. $47,900 JD 332E, 2016, 438 hrs., #139118 ................. $49,900 Case 85-XT, 1998, 5278 hrs., #143885 .......... $15,500 Mustang 940E ROPS, 2343 hrs., #148523 ......$8,300 NH L230, 2013, 291 hrs., #146693 ............... $40,500 Bobcat S650, 2013, 862 hrs., #140188 ......... $33,900 Bobcat S70, 2015, 218 hrs., #145275 ........... $21,995 Kubota SVL75, 2013, 3311 hrs., #145817 .... $28,900 WHEEL LOADERS JD 544D, #146695 ......................................... $17,500 JD TC54H, 1998, 12551 hrs., #146271 ........... $39,000 WINDROWERS JD 994, 2005, #145340 ................................. $16,500 JD W235, 2014, 921 hrs., #140754 .............. $129,500 JD W235, 2014, 598 hrs., #134973 .............. $134,900 JD W235, 2014, 653 hrs., #135622 .............. $142,500 JD W260, 2015, 443 hrs., #132464 .............. $162,000 JD W260, 2014, 570 hrs., #140978 .............. $166,000
STEEL DEALS
11 Summers 9K4727, 2015, #129015 .............. $65,000 3 Case IH 370, 2014, #137899 ......................... $29,500 FIELD CULTIVATORS 2 JD 985, 1993, #138938.................................. $10,500 2 Wil-Rich QUAD X2, 2011, #138552 .............. $29,500 GRAIN CART 3 Brent 1594, 2011, #125547 ......................... $54,900 MISCELLANEOUS AG 2 Rite Way RR900, 2005, #130973 ................. $10,900 MOWER CONDITIONERS 9 JD 830, 2015, #134944.................................. $19,500 6 JD 946, 2014, #126629.................................. $22,900 11 JD 1600A, 1996, #131826 ................................$5,500 PLANTERS:DRAWN 11 White 8524, 2013, #140624......................... $67,000 RIPPERS 11 JD 2700, 2009, #118932 ............................... $19,900 17 JD 2720, 2013, #144468 ............................... $39,500 8 Case IH 730C, 2011, #135148 ....................... $21,900 ROUND BALERS 11 JD 535, 1991, #139110.....................................$7,900 10 JD 569, 2015, #134021.................................. $31,900 10 NH BR7090, 2012, #133944 ......................... $17,900 ROW CROP TRACTORS 3 JD 6145M, 2017, 145 hp., 208 hrs., #134658 ......................................................... $95,000 14 JD 6155R, 2016, 155 hp.,190 hrs., #144519 ....................................................... $122,000 16 JD 6155R, 2016, 155 hp., 221 hrs., #144517 ....................................................... $128,000 16 JD 6175R, 2015, 175 hp., 308 hrs., #144526 ....................................................... $129,000 9 JD 6175R, 2017, 175 hp., 88 hrs., #134664 ....................................................... $147,000 15 JD 8235R, 2013, 235 hp., 2882 hrs., #144532 ....................................................... $109,000 SELF-PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTER HEADS: ROTARY 6 JD 676, 1995, #108982.................................. $17,900 6 JD 710, 2007, #115310.................................. $33,000 SELF-PROPELLED FORAGE HARVESTERS 4 JD 5730, 1986, 4980 hrs., #124367 ............... $25,000 6 JD 6810, 1997, 3614 hrs., #142671 ............... $25,000 6 JD 7400, 2004, 427 hrs., #122051 ................. $99,000 SELF-PROPELLED SPRAYERS 2 JD 4720, 2006, 1673 hrs., #130054 ............. $109,000 SQUARE BALERS 12 JD 336, 1977, #140671.....................................$3,500 TRACK TRACTORS 16 JD 9560RT, 2014, 560 hp., 1006 hrs., #144560 ....................................................... $265,000 7 JD 9620T, 2005, 500 hp., 6191 hrs., #145278 $79,500 UTILITY TRACTORS 15 JD 6120R, 2016, 120 hp., 365 hrs., #144502 ....$88,000
ARTICULATED 4WD TRACTOR 7 NH T9020, 2009, 335 hp., 2905 hrs., #142873 ....................................................... $115,000 CORN AND ROW CROP HEADERS 14 JD 612C, 2010, #144255................................ $39,500 6 JD 893, 1998, #133187.................................. $13,900 1 Geringhoff RD830B, 2004, #132061 ........... $13,900 14 Case IH 3412, 2012, #144248....................... $32,900 COMBINES 6 JD S660, 2012, 1899 hrs., 1457 sep., #133738 ...................................................... $149,500 16 JD S680, 2012, 2943 hrs., 1865 sep., #144321 ....................................................... $139,500 15 JD 9550, 2001, 4165 hrs., 2914 sep., #144235 ......................................................... $44,900 16 JD 9770 STS, 2010, 3857 hrs., 2596 sep., #144241 ......................................................... $79,500 DISKS 1 Krause 8200, 2013, #131061 ....................... $24,000
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Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
When there’s no water, we check for ants
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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
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A shrieking by Jessica woke me at 5:30 a.m. Was the house ablaze? Worse yet, was a mouse in the house? As it turned out, neither. Rural Roots She had been in the shower, lathered up. Then the ow of water started to slow to a mere trickle. Then the water ceased entirely. That’s when my lovely bride got herself into a lather of a different sort. With no water, how could she nish her shower? That’s when she turned to (on) me. By Ron Johnson “Come out to the Staff Writer well,” she said. I knew all too well what that meant. Ants. Our well – or at least the electrical gizmo that makes it run – had been attacked. Jessica ducked into the basement while I pulled clothes on. She reliably located the circuit breaker for the well pump and ipped it off. We met at the well, me bleary eyed, she armed with a powerful weapon that would, hopefully, once again save the day against the marauding ants. I unscrewed the lone hex nut that holds a plastic cover over the pump’s outdoor electrical workings in a box atop a pipe that has insulated wires running way down toward the water pump itself. The papers that came with our 50-year-old A-frame tell me that it’s all of 380 feet from the surface of the ground to the top of the water table in the limestone rock. From there, it’s another 20 feet down to the pump itself, making the total distance into the dark earth 400 feet. I’ll readily admit that the well’s workings are mostly a mystery to me. I can understand the rst white residents building a square, concrete shelter over the spring just to the east of our house. The cold, clear, mineral-rich spring water bubbles up out of the sand in that shelter. The structure, built long ago by some former resident is in a small patch of trees. Someone fenced the area with barbed wire to keep cattle out. I suppose water was at rst lugged by buckets to the original farmhouse. Every trace of that building is long gone, but I’ve been told by people who saw it that the house stood some 100 yards southeast of ours. That would’ve been out past our two chicken coops and where my garden lies. Later, I guess, they rigged up a pipe so they could pump water to the house. And then came our modern, new-and-improved, ant-susceptible system. Here’s what the ants – teensy, weensy, red ones – do to bollix up our well. They scurry up from the ground and grass and onto the pipe that has the electrical wires in it and head to an important electrical component. I don’t know its technical name, but it contains circuits. Anyway, the tiny red ants get in there and crawl around and get between the calipers, as I’ll call them, for lack of a better term. When the ants do that, they keep the circuit from being completed. That simple act keeps electricity from traveling to the well pump. That shuts off our supply of water. We rst encountered this weird problem a few years ago. We telephoned the well guy and he found the trouble right away. The kind gentleman in overalls showed us how to clean the ants out of that small box. Now, when we encounter this trouble, Jessica shuts off the well’s circuit breaker and hollers to me, “Well off.” So, we know we are on the same page. I repeat the message so she knows I heard her. Then I remove the cover from that box. Jessica whips out her trusty emery board and scrapes ants, dust, bits of grass and other crud out of the calipers. With the lid back on the box, she switches the circuit breaker back on. I wait by the well, hoping and praying to hear the pump kick on. Sometimes I hear it; sometimes I don’t. But more important is the needle on the well’s pressure gauge. If all goes well (pun intended) it begins to wiggle and eventually stops at 50, signifying 50 pounds of pressure. That’s usually enough to do the job and bring water up 400 feet to our house. I know that having to shoo a few ants out of the well’s circuitry isn’t really much of a hassle. I know it beats pumping water by hand, and it’s easier than lowering a bucket into the spring and lugging the water to the house. But those blasted ants still bug me.
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 23
Wall-Stone Holsteins hosting Vernon County June Dairy Breakfast
Original farm steeped in local history By Ron Johnson
ron.j@dairystar.com
DE SOTO, Wis. – A dairy farm steeped in history is the site of this year’s Vernon County June Dairy Breakfast. The event will take place from 7 to 11 a.m. June 9 at Wall-Stone Holsteins, De Soto, Wis. The farm is 10 miles east of De Soto and 15 miles west of Viroqua, Wis. Wall-Stone is the farm of Kevin Walleser and his wife, veterinarian Anne Marie Elwing. Their identical twin sons, Will and Emil, are integral parts of the 400-cow operation. Will is out of college and works with the herd’s nutrition and feeding, along with crop work. Emil is nishing veterinary school and focuses on dairy cattle genomics and herd health. The farm’s history dates back 112 years to 1906. Dr. Christian Christensen bought land near the small community of West Prairie. Near the turn of the 20th Century, Christensen saw himself as a gentleman farmer. To turn that self-vision into reality, he bought the original land that is part of the 1,600-acre Walleser farm today. In 1906, the land Christensen
PHOTO SUBMITTED
The Walleser family – (from leŌ) William, Kevin, Anne Marie Elwing and Emil – milk 400 cows at Wall-Stone Holsteins near De Soto, Wis. The Walleser family will host the 2018 Vernon June County Dairy Breakfast June 9. bought cost all of $100,000. The rst building was a 38- by 100foot barn. It was larger than the standard barn of the time and gave farm employees more space to work with the cattle. The barn also incorporated ideas found on farms in Christensen’s native
Norway, including an alternative method of transferring and storing manure from the barn, according to breakfast organizers. Christensen died in 1919, and nancial hard times made worse by the Great Depression of the 1930s hit the farm.
Later, in 1960, Stanley and Vanessa Walleser moved from Iowa and rented the farm with an option to buy it. The parents of Kevin brought dairy cows and hogs. The Wallesers raised 15 chilTurn to WALLESERS | Page 25
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Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
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Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 25
ConƟnued from WALLESERS | Page 23 dren on the farm, while making major improvements. Besides the dairy herd, the farm is home to a beef herd of 180 cow-calf pairs. The cattle carry Hereford, Shorthorn, Angus and Charolais genetics. The calves are fed out and sold. Breakfast guests will get to go through the new freestall barn that went into use this past February, Kevin Walleser said. The 112- by 500-foot freestall barn has 300 sand-bedded stalls. It is climate controlled by a computer that regulates the speed of the overhead fans and automatically opens and closes the barn’s sidewall curtains. Wall-Stone Holsteins is a Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) gold standard dairy. That means it operates according to animal welfare guidelines, Will said. For example, the Wallesers have not docked their cows’ tails for years. And the dairy employs nutrition guidelines for its cattle. In addition, the 12 parttime employees and the 12 full-time employees are trained in proper animal movement and handling. Wall-Stone’s herd of registered and grade Holsteins and 10 Brown Swiss cows are milked three times a day in a double-12 parallel parlor. In midMay, the cows were each averaging 95 pounds of milk per day, Elwing said. The fat test stood at 3.85 percent with the protein test at 3.23 percent. The herd’s somatic cell count (SCC) was an enviable 72,000. Planning for the 38th annual Vernon County June Dairy Breakfast has been going on for about 10 months. Elwing said it takes many people to pull off an event of this size. She estimated 150 people are involved in some way. A good-sized crowd is expected. “We’re going to have food for 4,000,” Elwing said. “And we hope it
doesn’t rain.” On the menu are the ever-popular pancakes, plus scrambled eggs with or without cheese and ham. Dairy products available will be cottage cheese, Culver’s custard ice cream, milk and sliced Wisconsin cheese. Folks who would like a heftier meal can pre-order a steak. To do that, e-mail your name to Elwing, prairieview@mwt.net. Besides breakfast itself, the event will feature many rsts. “This year, we looked at changing things up a little,” Elwing said. “We actually began the planning phase many months ahead of previous years and wanted to make this event more than a breakfast. Our focus has been on building the event to include opportunities for visitors to purchase dairy goods through our new mercantile store and gain tips and tricks from cooking demonstrations by some of our region’s chefs. We will also be hosting a grilled cheese cook-off with our local FFA [chapters], and lots of kid’s games and entertainment will be offered. … It’s shaping up to be a great event for the whole family.” In addition, a farm employee will demonstrate cheesemaking at the breakfast. Elwing said samples of the fresh cheese will be served with crackers and homemade chutney. When asked what he hopes the breakfast accomplishes, Emil said, “We want to share with people what we do here. We invite people to come out, see a working dairy farm, enjoy a good breakfast, and, hopefully, leave with a little bit of education.” Elwing agreed. “We hope people learn that we really like and want to do the best for our animals,” she said. “And we want so much to produce a wholesome product.”
Sec. Harsdorf applauds new funding for producer-led projects Two more farmer-led groups will receive funding for soil and water conservation efforts, and 17 groups will receive additional funding as a result of a recently signed bill that triples funding for Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants through 2019. “We applaud the Governor for his leadership in calling for the increase in funding as part of his new initiative for rural communities,” said Sheila Harsdorf, Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. “We’ve now had three grant cycles, and each time interest has grown. Funding requests actually tripled in 2018 from the previous year. We commend the Legislature and Governor for recognizing the importance of these farmerled efforts in protecting and conserving our land and waters in ways that work for them.” The program previously received $250,000 a year for grants, with funds coming from DATCP’s overall soil and water allocation. In April, the Legislature approved and the Governor signed legislation to boost the total funding to $750,000 per year during the 2017-19 biennium. Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grants provide nancial support to groups of farmers willing to lead conservation efforts tailored to their own watersheds. The emphasis is on innovation and practices not already covered by other state and SHEILA HARSDORF, DATCP SECRETARY federal programs, and the intent is that participating farmers will reach out to other farmers to help them adopt conservation practices. Producer groups must work with DATCP, the Department of Natural Resources, a county land conservation committee, the University of WisconsinExtension, or a nonprot conservation organization. Groups may receive up to $40,000 a year. From 2015-2017, the department awarded a total of over $689,600 to 25 different groups. As a result of the new funding, the 17 groups that received grants in January will get full funding rather than the prorated amount. Two groups that did not receive grants then will now be funded. Those groups are Farmers for Lake Country, receiving $38,375, and Pecatonica Pride, receiving $30,500. For 2019, the department will again award up to $750,000. The department will begin taking grant applications in July for 2019 funding. For more information about producer-led project grants, visit the webpage.
“We applaud the Governor for his leadership in calling for the increase in funding as part of his new initiative for rural communities.”
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Last call for MPP-Dairy signup for 2018 as the nal date for enrollment is June 1. We will be issuing payments under this program for February and March to those producers who purchase a margin at $7, $7.50 or $8. To quickly review, FSA News & Notes the program protects dairy producers by paying them when the difference between the national all-milk price and the national average feed cost (the margin) falls below a certain dollar amount elected by a participating producer. Changes included are: By Ryan Brunn - The calculations of the Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. margin period is monthly rather than bi-monthly. - Covered production history is increased to 5 million pounds on the Tier 1 premium schedule, and premium rates for Tier 1 are substantially lowered. - An exemption from paying an administrative fee for limited resource, beginning, veteran and disadvantaged producers. Dairy operators enrolled in the previous 2018 enrollment period that qualify for this exemption under the new provisions may request a refund. Call your local ofce now to set up an appointment for MPP-Dairy by the June 1 deadline if you would like to participate for 2018. Marketing assistance available for 2017 corn and soybeans The 2014 Farm Bill authorized 2014-18 crop year Marketing Assistance Loans (MALs) and Loan Deciency Payments (LDPs). MALs and LDPs provide nancing and marketing assistance for corn and soybeans, as well as other commodities such as feed grains, other oilseeds, pulse crops, rice, peanuts, cotton, wool and honey. MALs provide producers interim nancing after harvest to help them meet cash ïƒ&#x;ow needs without having to sell their commodities when market prices are typically at harvest-time lows. The deadline to request a 2017 MAL on corn and soybeans is May 31. A producer who is eligible to obtain a MAL but agrees to forgo the loan may obtain an LDP if such a payment is available. To be eligible for a MAL or an LDP, producers must have a benecial interest in the commodity, in addition to other requirements. A producer retains benecial interest when control of and title to the commodity is maintained. For an LDP, the producer must retain benecial interest in the commodity from the time of planting through the date the producer led Form CCC-633EZ (page 1) in the FSA County Ofce. For more information, producers should contact their FSA county ofce or view the LDP fact sheet.
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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Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 27
Springtime, family time The Transition Pen
By Laura Scholtz & John Rosenhammer Father/Daughter Farming Duo Just ve weeks ago, we were experiencing the nasty April blizzard of 2018. The howling winds have nally been replaced by gentle breezes, snow has turned to rain and the temperature skipped right from winter to summer. On our farm, spring babies are arriving as well. One of my sister’s beef cows gave birth her rst day out on pasture, and we have a mama duck that is nesting in the heifer freestalls. We’ve gotten an abundance of rain, which has made our window of opportunity to get in the eld painfully slim. Luckily, my younger brother, Johnny, nished up college and took a two-week break to help us on the farm before starting his summer job. We have kept him busy with trucking corn, hauling manure, digging the elds, lling the planter and other tasks. Amongst all the hustling, I wanted our family to slow down to take a break from the farm and acknowledge the changes we are making as individuals. May is a big month for our family. On May Day, my sister, Becca, turned the big 2-1 and of course as her older sister, I did my chores early and took the rest of the night off to celebrate with her. May 2, Ava, the rst grandchild, turned 1. Ava lights up every room she crawls into and we all rush to spend time with her when she visits the farm. It has been amazing to watch my sister, Mary, and her ancé, Kyle, develop into amazing parents over the past year, and we are excited to celebrate their wedding next May. Next up, my mom’s birthday, Mother’s Day, and my grandparent’s 59th wedding anniversary all took place. Mom’s birthdays and Mother’s Day are especially monumental for my mom, who went through a breast cancer diagnosis a few years ago that certainly challenged her health; however, she is now a survivor in remission. One Saturday, I nished morning chores so Dad could leave for Brookings and see Mary walk across the stage for graduation. In return, he did my calf chores that evening so I could drive through a pounding thunderstorm to the Cities and see my best friend, Rachel, walk across the stage for her graduation from veterinary school. I can’t begin to express how proud of Mary I am for completing her degree and being an example for her daughter, Ava. Watching Rachel walk across the stage made me tear up, as we’ve spent many nights on the phone discussing how she could survive vet school. To round out the accomplishments, we needed to celebrate my brothers, Joe and Johnny. Joe, with tremendous help from Dad, has made huge progress and completely renovated his xer upper home. We are all proud of him for taking on such a big project rather than starting new, which he usually chooses. Johnny completed his rst year of college at Lake Area Tech and will be working on semi tractors this summer. His rst year included not only learning and making friends, but also being hospitalized for appendicitis and another trip to the hospital for a mono infection. Hopefully year two will bring better health. Though I texted everyone two weeks ahead of
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time to save the date for a night out, coordinated who would bring a cake, called for a reservation and told Dad to schedule extra help for evening chores, my efforts weren’t quite enough. Sunday morning, Dad admitted all our chore helpers had other plans, so we decided to move the party from the restaurant to my parent’s garage so it wouldn’t get so late. I texted everyone the update, delegated who would bring what food, and we were back on track. Then my brothers informed me they needed to nish a manure hauling job an hour away and with the impending rain, I let them off the hook. As my dad and I did chores, I felt frustration setting in, I had actually planned something in advance and it still didn’t work. As we walked from the barn to the party at about 8 p.m., all my irritation quickly melted away as I saw my sisters, Kyle, and his family all playing baseball on the lawn. Dad and I joined in, and it was clear that even though we all were looking forward to Carl’s Corner’s chicken
dinner and being waited on at a restaurant, a game of baseball and grilling out was a perfect substitute. This situation dealing with family is the same as I deal with on the farm each day. Sometimes its raining when I had planned on giving shots outside. Sometimes I’m the only one on the farm when I wanted to move cows across the yard. Sometimes I have long todo lists that get interrupted when a single cow needs all my attention. But I always try and come up with a different plan rather than get upset, or at least before getting upset. When plan A doesn’t work, call up plan B, and even plan C before just giving up. I changed my strategy and surrounded myself with people who had the same goal as me, and we made the best of our situation. Laura Scholtz farms with her father, John Rosenhammer, and uncle Greg, on Roseview Dairy near Sleepy Eye, Minn. They milk 200 Holsteins and run 580 acres of cropland.
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Page 28 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
Betty Berning bberning@umn.edu 320-203-6104 Luciano Caixeta lcaixeta@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 Joleen Hadrich jhadrich@umn.edu 612-626-5620 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 Claire LaCanne lacanne@umn.edu 507-332-6109 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
A few thoughts on dairy cattle welfare The domestication of cattle occurred about 10,000 years ago. The dairy cow has been referred to as the foster mother of the human race. Dairy cattle should be treated with care and respect, be provided with adequate shelter, feed and water, and have an overall good and comfortable life. Dictionary’s denition of welfare: the health, happiness and fortunes of a person or group. “They don’t give a [darn] about the welfare of their families.” Synonyms: well-being, health, comfort, security, safety, protection, By Marcia Endres prosperity, success, fortune. This denition was in relation to U of M Extension humans. What about animals? Would most of the denition still apply? Donald Broom (Cambridge University) denes good animal welfare as having a good life. Of course, the denition of a good life for an animal can have many interpretations. The Dairy Cattle Welfare Council is hosting its third annual symposium, this year in Scottsdale, Ariz. (details at: www.dcwcouncil.org/symposium) May 31-June 1. The program includes diverse topics related to dairy cattle welfare, in addition to a consumer panel and a talk by Carl Sana on animal emotions (his book focuses on elephants, wolves and killer whales – a way for us of thinking out of the box, so to speak). The council’s board of directors and membership are composed of veterinarians, academics, dairy producers and various industry representatives. It is a cross-section of many people passionate about cattle and the quality of their lives (or their welfare). The creation of this council shows that animal welfare has become an increasingly important topic for the dairy industry. There is a principle of mutual respect and acceptance of diverse views of animal welfare within the council, keeping in mind that animal welfare is not synonymous with animal rights. Animal welfare, as dened by the American Veterinary Medical Association, is a human responsibility that encompasses all aspects of animal well-being, including proper housing, management, disease prevention and treatment, responsible care, humane handling, and, when necessary, humane euthanasia. Animal rights is a philosophical view that animals have rights similar or the same as humans. True animal rights proponents believe that humans do not have the right to use animals at all. Animal rights proponents wish to ban all use of animals by humans. (Source: Animal Welfare Council.) David Fraser (University of British Columbia) has
suggested the three spheres of animal welfare – basic health and functioning, affective states, and natural living or expression of natural behaviors. It is easier for us in the dairy industry to understand basic health and functioning – this is somewhat measurable. Affective states, such as fear, pain, distress and contentment, are more difcult to measure. Providing for the expression of natural behaviors is also a bit more controversial. But a good life for an animal includes all three spheres of welfare. Treating animals in a calm and gentle manner using low stress handling can certainly help improve their affective state and it does not cost any money. If animals become fearful of humans due to inadequate handling, they may experience acute stress in the presence of humans or even develop chronic stress. Stress can lead to immunosuppression, which can also affect health of the animal. Inadequate human-cow interactions can create a cycle of low animal productivity and disease. Even if productivity were not affected by handling, it is agreed by all researchers that aversive handling can cause fear and consequently stress in cows. From an animal welfare perspective, it is essential to handle cows gently. It is the right thing to do. Cow handling also affects the public perception of the dairy industry. It is strongly suggested that low stress cow handling training sessions be implemented at all dairy operations. Check the UMASH (umash.umn.edu) or FARM program (nationaldairyfarm.com) websites for helpful training resources on this topic. Pain management for procedures such as dehorning/ disbudding or castration is also a topic that has gained more traction within the dairy cattle welfare organizations and the dairy industry in general. Research has shown that the use of anesthetics and analgesics during dehorning can effectively reduce the pain from the procedures, therefore, improving the animal’s affective state. Studies done at the University of Guelph have shown that even caustic paste for disbudding at an early age appears to be acutely painful for at least three hours. A cornual nerve block was shown to reduce the pain. Authors of the study recommended that calves disbudded with caustic paste should receive local anesthetic with a cornual nerve block as well as a nonsteroidal anti-inammatory drug to reduce acute pain. A study at the University of California Davis showed that hot iron disbudding wounds remained painful throughout healing. Wounds took 62 days to heal and were more painful than new epithelium throughout this time, regardless of whether the dehorning procedure occurred at 3 or 35 days of age. More emphasis will be placed on pain management in the near future.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 29
Can small-, medium-scale dairies compete? Can small- and medium-scale dairies compete? This is a question that carries enormous weight to many in the dairy industry. On average, economies of scale and labor management programs create a comparative advantage for large-scale dairies. Also, the scale of operation often inuences a farm’s bargaining power with its suppliers or contractors. The increasing presence of large-scale operations can cast a shadow over communities with small dairy farms in the Upper Midwest. To make matters worse, a general scarcity of information can mystify the competitiveness of large-scale dairies, adding to fear and confusion. Given the importance By Kota Minegishi of this topic, this comparison must be treated with caution. In particular, U of M Extension the following shortcomings may be noted. The comparison between different sources of data is not ideal, due to the complexity in dairy enterprise accounting that is inter-mixed with crop and youngstock enterprise budgets. Also note that the farms in the FINBIN tend to be more efcient than the overall dairy farms in the state. Finally, a more thorough nancial assessment would include the analysis of cash ow, risks in repayment ability and a more comprehensive economic accounting that may include the opportunity cost of land and any other productive assets. To alleviate these problems, I gathered average performance metrics from Genske, Mulder and Company (an accounting rm that works with large-scale dairies across the country) as well as FINBIN reports by the Center for Farm Financial Management in which the average herd size is smaller and more representative of the dairies in the Upper Midwest. Start with the competitiveness across prominent dairy states or regions within the large-scale dairy farms (Table 1). The Upper Midwest tends to be competitive in the income over feed cost compared to California, Idaho, Washington and Texas due to a comparatively favorable milk price and a low feed cost. However, the Upper Midwest tends to lag behind those states in the total cost of production. Historically, California and Washington have the lowest cost of production, followed by Idaho and Texas and then the Upper Midwest (Figure 1). The top 25 percent of these large-scale dairies had a lower cost of production by $0.90 to $1.90 per hundredweight in 2017. Some differences in cost levels across states can persist because of the differences in milk price, which depends on the mix of milk utilizations and varying conditions in consumer demands, processing capacity and regulatory framework. Now, compare the competitiveness of dairies, mostly in Minnesota, in the FINBIN data (Table 1). In terms of the in-
come over feed cost and the cost of dairy production, these smallto medium-scale dairies are generally competitive against large-scale dairies in the state. For smaller operations, it is important to account for the compensation for operators’ labor and management. For the FINBIN data, this is done consistently across farms by following a specic formula. Any remaining prot can be reinvested in the business or regarded as additional return on management. An operation may temporarily sustain losses within its equity or available line of credit, but the loss must be minimized. If the cost is met, but the operator cannot compensate properly, other sources of revenues may Figure 1. Cost of dairy production (in fourth quarters) excluding debt repayneed to be explored. In a time of consolidation, ment and owner withdrawals. Source: Genske, Mulder and Company. every farm should assess the viability of its operation. Upon may be harrowing. On the other hand, as long as possibilisuch assessments, consultants may recommend drastic chang- ties exist that small- and medium-scale dairies can compete, es in their business model or liquidating the business before these dairies should be given a fair chance of doing business. losing a signicant part of its value. From a business perspec- And those working in the industry should not give an imprestive, there is no shame in cashing in what one has built and sion that all dairies below a certain size scale are failing; this transferring assets to others who see higher economic values would propagate a misconception that would damage busiin those assets – from a personal perspective, such a decision ness opportunities for all. Table 1. Performance of large-scale dairies in selected states1 and typical dairies in Minnesota2 1 2 3 4 5 CA ID WA TX Upper Midwest MN – dollars per hundredweight – Income over feed cost 8.08 8.42 9.12 9.43 10.10 Milk sales 16.55 17.38 17.81 17.62 17.97 Feed cost 8.47 8.97 8.69 8.20 7.87 Cost of dairy producƟon3 15.38 16.79 16.58 15.90 16.98 3,4 Cost plus debt & draws 16.42 17.66 17.25 16.61 17.96 Cost plus labor & mgt charges3,5 – – – – – Herd size 2,291 2,266 3,189 2,501 2,039 Milk, lb./cow/day 76 76 78 72 77 BuƩerfat, percent 3.78 3.81 3.52 3.78 3.85 Protein, percent – 3.11 3.24 3.24 3.19 Number of farms 71 10 11 30 43
Sources: Genske Mulder & Company (average of quarterly reports from 2017 Q1 to 2017 Q4), columns (1) – (5). FINBIN livestock report, 2017, columns 6-7. Total cost of operaƟon minus non-milk revenue sources, such as the sales of livestock and crops. 4 Cost of dairy producƟon plus debt repayment and owner withdrawals. 5 Cost of dairy producƟon plus labor and management charges. 1 2 3
6 Top 20 percent MN
7
9.92 17.72 7.80 16.32 – 17.08 210 75 – – 279
10.98 18.19 7.21 14.34 – 15.24 247 78 – – 76
Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
Farm follies
The apple blossoms are popping, the orioles are inhaling grape jelly as fast as I put it out, and my darling hummingbirds have returned. I’m sure someone is nding morels. Sadly, they haven’t made it to my frying pan yet, so I pacify myself with oodles of asparagus. Rhubarb is sneaking its way into nearly everything I bake, so beware if you stop in; I have an arsenal of good recipes that pay tribute to the wonderful perennial vegetable. The tractor that was torn apart in the shop for months for an overhaul has been restored to its former glory and is once again back in the elds; a true credit to the many hours Tony V. and Peter put into it when the elds were too wet to work. Things around the farm are starting to buzz that busy song of springtime; when everyone is cheerful because the sun is nally out consistently and the work to be done outside is enjoyable. As we approach the end of the school year, I’m already meal planning in my head for these growing boys. We may need to up the beef poundage per meal if
I’m ever going to catch a break and get to have a meal of leftovers. The Schwan’s man stopped by last week with his truck full of frozen deliciousness, and I mentioned that it was getting closer to rock picking season now, so I would need more ice cream bars. He gave me a very befuddled look as he asked why we picked rock and wouldn’t they be gone after other people picked them before? Nope. We always have rocks to pick. The fact that the glacier forgot our area of the state sure makes for some sparkly treasures. Dad and Peter have been burning the midnight oil when it comes to planting corn, trying to get done before we need to chop a rapidly growing rst crop. The manure pits were getting to the scary level, so thank goodness for a few dry days that our custom hauler and his crew could come and work on at least one of the pits. Henry had to correct me on the implement that Tony V. had out in the eld churning up dirt and leaving a trail of dust. I’m not sure if his knowing it was a disc is a sign of farm genius or that I should be paying more
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attention. Don the Milkman has been mowing lawns for a few weeks now, and is always ready for a new recruit to join the ranks of humans able to mow and run the weed Ramblings from the Ridge whacker around here. Ira has been upgraded to running the zero turn lawnmower and Dane has the small mower. They can actually mow quite a big chunk when given the responsibility. We’re going to help make Don’s lawn area a tiny bit smaller this yea. We are planning a Farm By Jacqui Davison Garden. Some of our Columnist employees don’t have an area to garden where they live and have expressed interest in having a plot of dirt to work up. Our theory is to run it similar to a CSA, and have everyone that takes part in the garden be able to share the harvest weekly. I’ll keep you posted on our experiment. I’m hoping we won’t have any Little Red Hen incidents. Read the story, you’ll understand. The calf barn has been running much more smoothly in the past months. Now the girls are working on the delicate balance of fan speed with the opening of the curtain on the warmer days. They (the girls and calves) thrive on the consistency and routines that are set. I can see it in their smiles and the speed at which the calves put on weight. Pasture time will probably be this week now that the majority of the spring storms have passed. Careful examination of the list of pregnant heifers is a must; certain pastures come home earlier than others so we’re pretty particular about who goes where. Fences have been cleared to make way for easier crop planting, along with new ones being built for the neighbor’s cattle. Chasing wild heifers isn’t one of my favorite activities, so I always hope our fences hold fast. The end of the school year brings about concerts and eld trips for the boys. Dane heads to the International Crane Foundation and Devil’s Lake this week and takes Peter with as his chaperone. Ira gets to feed giraffes at the Timbavati Park and ride the Wisconsin Ducks the following week. Oliver’s class trip takes him to an indoor waterpark full of slides and fun. Ira blared away on his trumpet last week, with us in the stands rocking along to the fth grade’s rendition of ‘We Will Rock You.’ Finley, Henry, Cora and I have been plotting to go on a few adventures ourselves before those big boys are here every day. They’re fairly easily amused, so our trips will probably include the park and a few rummage sales before coming home for naptime. Cora explores a little daily. She’s so fast on her feet nowadays that I nd myself constantly reminding the boys that one second is far too long for her to be out of their sight. She may need an ankle bracelet of jingly bells. She’s also continuing her inoculation plan as she has discovered that cow pies are a wonderful thing to stomp in and run through. As many of you keep pushing to get your crops in the ground, knowing the rst crop will need to come off soon, stay safe out there. Take a break, get some sleep. Tired, crabby farmers are never help to anyone. Jacqui and her family milk 800 cows and run 1,200 acres of crops in the northeastern corner of Vernon County, Wis. Her children, Ira (11), Dane (9), Henry (4) and Cora (adventurous crawler), help her on the farm while her husband, Keith, works on a grain farm. If she’s not in the barn, she’s probably in the kitchen, trailing after little ones, or sharing her passion of reading with someone. Her life is best described as organized chaos – and if it wasn’t, she’d be bored.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 31
Wide swaths benet alfalfa A year ago, I shared comments in this column illustrating the value of harvesting topquality alfalfa silage both for your cows and your pocketbook. Harvesting at the right time is the rst step to achieving this goal. Plant maturity is the most important factor affecting quality. Scissor cuttings, Predicted Something to Ruminate On Equation for Alfalfa Quality (PEAQ) sticks and monitoring stage of plant maturity are all tools to determine when to start rstcutting hay harvest. How long it takes to complete the harvest – and how much quality is subsequently lost during harvest and fermentation – also By Barry Visser impacts the quality of Nutritionist silage available to the cow. When forage is cut, it usually has a moisture content of 75 to 80 percent. This freshly cut forage needs to be dried down to approximately 60 to 65 percent moisture for haylage and closer to 15 percent for dry hay. Exact numbers vary depending on storage structure and harvest method. Plants continue to respire during the wilting and drying process. This respiration process consumes plant sugars within the plant cell and produces oxygen and water. Respiration rate is the highest at cutting and gradually declines until the plant moisture content has fallen below 60 percent. The longer it takes forage to dry to the ideal moisture content for harvest, the longer the forage is
respiring in the eld. Therefore, rapid initial drying to remove the rst 15 percent of moisture from the plant reduces the loss of fermentable carbohydrates and preserves more total digestible nutrients in the harvested forage.
Preserve quality with wide swath The concept of hay in a day has gained widespread popularity over the past several years to shorten harvest windows and ensure maximum retention of nutrients. Once alfalfa is cut, the largest portion of the initial water loss is through the leaf surface openings called stomata. These gas and moisture exchange sites open in daylight and close in darkness. By laying forage in a wide swath, the amount of forage exposed to the sunlight is maximized, thus keeping the maximum amount of stomata open. Many more stomata will close if put into a narrow windrow where it is dark. Research at Penn State University has shown that wide-swath cutting increases the
Pl Plant maturity i iis the h most important factor affecting quality. drying surface of the swath by 2.8 times. In many trials, it has been shown that moisture reduction from 85 percent to 60 percent can be reached in as little as ve to seven hours. Some producers may be reluctant to go to a wide swath because they do not want to drive one or both wheels on the cut hay. Research has shown that this causes less loss than making a swath narrow enough to t between the wheels.
Condition or not condition? When possible, avoid conditioning on a haylage crop. Conditioning crimps plant stems and disrupts the natural moisture transportation within the plant, reducing the drying rate. If the stems are left intact, the leaves of the plant can pull more moisture out the stems and the hay will dry more quickly to 60 to 65 percent, the ideal moisture for haylage. Conditioning is important for making dry hay, as the crimping allows additional moisture to leave the stems at moisture below 60 percent. Drying forage to the ideal moisture content as quickly as possible is the single most important factor in preserving the harvested forage quality. Wide swathing allows for fast drying, and the shorter harvest window also reduces the risk of rain damage, further enhancing the opportunity to feed top-quality forage. Have a safe and productive hay harvest. Barry Visser is a nutritionist for Vita Plus.
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Now what’s next I can’t believe we are at this milestone. It just seems like a few years ago when the kids were little and playing pasture ball. Kids were constantly rotating through the kitchen grabbing a quick snack on their way to the next event. The house was well lived in and seldom picked up. Our house felt like a beehive of commotion. I loved this active rhythm. Now, the living room is always picked up. The only ones eating the snacks are us, and our rhythm has slowed down to a peaceful lull. It is ofcial. All of our children have grown up. Austin, our youngest, graduated from college last weekend. Looking across the reception area outside Mariucci Arena, I see several familiar families posing for pictures with their graduate. For many of us, this is our last one to graduate. There will be no more Schmitt, Sorg, Daninger, Sexton, Thurk, Dado or Dingles to walk across the stage for an undergraduate degree at the U of M. There will be no more Gopher Dairy Club
banquets to attend. We are all moving into the next phase of our lives. Some of the kids are continuing their education with advanced degrees, while others are helping to shape young students in the high school classroom. Some are moving onto careers off the farm, while others are nding their way back to the barn. My heart sings as I see the potential future of these new graduates. Now, where does that leave us? With new opportunity come new struggles. As the new graduates start to plot their futures, we start to focus on where our journey is headed and how the two are intertwined. I have been preaching to my children since they were little the path for their future. They would move out and attend at least two years of college or vocational tech, then work off the farm for ve years before they could come back home to farm with us. They knew how to work on our farm, now they needed to learn how other things work at different places. They needed to learn how to be a good employee before they
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could become a good employer. They also needed this time to discover who they were and where they wanted to be in life. Like Dorothy in the “Wizard of Oz,” they needed to discover there’s no place like home. They needed to feel the tugging of their heart strings pulling them back to where their past and future join the same path. When they Just Thinking Out Loud were little and we were younger, my words of wisdom made perfect sense. Now that they are grown and we are older and slower, they are hard words to stick to. We would love for the kids to come home and take over the farm from us now, but that is our wish and not their plan yet. By Natalie Schmitt They haven’t discovered Columnist there is no place like home, and we haven’t gured out how to make room for them either. I learned these words of wisdom around my parent’s kitchen table. It was drilled in my brother’s head before he could come home. Good in theory. Hard in practice. My dad was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in his 50s. My brother Barry came home right after college graduation, but before he had the chance to work somewhere else. The only good thing about the situation was that Dad had to step away from the daily responsibilities, and Barry learned to navigate the farm on his own terms. Not to say that it was easy and smooth sailing, but both of them needed to move into different and opposite positions as father/son and owner/operator. They made it work for them. Through college internships, my nephew has had the experiences needed to return home. He has always had the calling to be the seventh generation to run the family farm in Illinois. Our kids know they have the opportunity to be the fourth generation to run the Schmitt family farm in Minnesota. I was talking with a transition advisor a couple of years back. I had all of these questions about what we should be doing to get things lined up for the next generation. He had all of the answers to my questions but asked me a question to answer rst. Do your kids need to farm your farm or can it be a different farm? I never thought of it in that way. I assumed they would come home and start dairying on our farm. Why would they go someplace different? Then I started to look around our farm. My father-in-law built all of the modern buildings in the 70s and early 80s. They were great facilities to set his boys up to come home to farm. It was a good plan. Like my nephew, Mark has always had the calling to be a dairyman. He knew from a young age that is what he wanted to do but due to circumstances, he didn’t have the chance to work off of the farm to gain a different perspective. Our facilities have been good for us but many not be the right facilities for our kids to return to. They say the dairy industry goes through major changes every 10 years. As Mark said, we’re four turn overs behind in keeping up. We know we need to make changes, but do we make changes for us or for the kids who haven’t returned yet? We have held off on building because we didn’t want to build in the wrong spot and pigeon hole the kids into working around what we built. Another obstacle facing our future is land. We are land locked in our area. Big crop farmers gobble up every piece of land when there is a whiff of a potential sale. The kids recognize they will need a larger land base and more cows to support all the families who may want to come back and dairy farm. They also see they will need to do things differently than what we have done. They will need to generate revenue in different ways through marketing or expansion. One thing is for sure, it won’t look like our farm. But our farm doesn’t look like my father-in-law’s farm or his father’s farm. Nor should it. Everyone needs to make their own mark. So as the graduates answer the repeating question, we must also search for the answer to now what’s next? 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.
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 33
When the farmer’s away
When the farmer’s away, the cattle will play. Glen hasn’t been sleeping well for quite a while now, so he mentioned it to his doctor when he went in for his check-up this spring. His doctor ordered a sleep study, which was scheduled for earlier this month. The day of the study, we hurried to get chores done so Glen could get to the sleep center on time. After we waved goodbye to Glen, our relief milker took care of milking, and the kids and I started homework, baths, and bedtime. I was tucking Daphne in when my phone beeped with a text message from Ron, our milker. The message said there were some dry cows out. I told Ron I would be right out to help him get Dairy Good Life them back in. I told the kids to go to sleep. I swear the cattle knew Glen was gone for the night. They must have been waiting for this moment ever since the grass turned green. It wasn’t just the dry cows that were out. Apparently, the bred heifers saw the dry cows frolicking about and decided they wanted in on the fun, too. Ron and I rounded up the group of heifers that was lingering around the barn. We got them back in the heifer yard and xed the fence that they had taken down. By Sadie Frericks Then we went looking for Stephanie and Stella, Columnist the two dry cows Ron had rst reported out. What we thought would be a couple more wandering cows turned into a rather large group. There were several more dry cows and a dozen more heifers grazing in the pasture behind our manure lagoon. I guess the cows and heifers couldn’t wait any longer for us to let them out to pasture. Unfortunately for them, the pasture fences hadn’t even been turned on yet, thanks to dismal grass growth, so they couldn’t stay in the pasture. We herded the cows and heifers back into the dry cow yard and then into the milk cow yard. The milk cow yard is equipped with fences and gates that are inescapable. I gured that, since this group of escapees got a taste of fresh grass, they would be eager to escape again. I thanked Ron for staying longer to help me get the cows and heifers back in, and he went home. Before I returned to the house, I decided I As I walked back to the heifer should reinforce the section of heifer yard fence yard, I found Stephanie, Stella, that had been disman- and Obsidian (a heifer) helping tled. Those heifers, too, would be itching to get themselves to the dry cow grain out again. mix in the bin by the shed. As I walked back to the heifer yard, I found Stephanie, Stella, and Obsidian (a heifer) helping themselves to the dry cow grain mix in the bin by the shed. Somehow they disappeared while we were rounding up the rest of the troublemakers. It didn’t help that both Stephanie and Obsidian are nearly as black as night itself. I smacked myself on the forehead for not double-checking that Stephanie and Stella were with the rest of the dry cows before sending Ron home. I was able to direct Stephanie and Stella into the dry cow shed without too much trouble, but Obsidian didn’t want to follow the cows. She took off in the direction of the heifer yard. Luck was on my side, though, or maybe it’s the fact that Obsidian was once Dan’s show calf. Either way, she stopped right by the heifer yard gate. I opened the gate and only had to circle her around once to get her back in the yard. I walked around the farm once more, just to make sure there wouldn’t be any middle-of-the-night surprises. Satised that every stray critter was once again contained, I returned to the house to nd two of our three children still awake. They said they couldn’t settle down due to all of the commotion. I got the kids settled down, nished a few chores, and tucked myself in, all the while thinking that it’s not very often Glen gets to sleep through this kind of excitement. Sadie and her husband, Glen, milk 100 cows near Melrose, Minn. They have three children – Dan, 11, Monika, 8, and Daphne, 5. Sadie also writes a blog at www.dairygoodlife.com. She can be reached at sadiefrericks@gmail. com
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Page 34 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
Visit a breakfast on the farm near you Green County Breakfast on the Farm, May 26 Green County Breakfast on the Farm will take place from 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. at Karlen Farm - W4876 County Highway C, Monticello, Wis. Breakfast will be served. Activities include farm tours, arts and crafts, farm equipment displays, petting zoo, educational stations and live entertainment. Adults are $6. More information can be found by contacting 608-214-3330.
Thorp Dairy Breakfast, Clark County, June 2 Thorp Dairy Breakfast, Clark County will take place from 7 a.m. - 11 a.m. at Nowobielski Farm - N14376 Bachelors Ave Thorp, Wis. FFA and FFA Alumni will be running this event and delicious items will ll the menu. Adults $7, Children 6-12 $4, Children under 5 are free. For more information contact R. Gunewald at 608203-7231.
Jackson County On-The-Farm Breakfast, June 2 Jackson County On-The-Farm Breakfast will take place from 6 a.m. - 11 a.m. at Nathan and Karen Kling’s Farm - W15503 Kelly Rd., Taylor, Wis. 54659. Pancakes with Wisconsin butter, sausage, cranberry juice, applesauce, milk and Wisconsin cheese will be served. Enjoy horse drawn rides, Master Gardener’s exhibit, kids games, cheese making, animal exhibits, live music, dairy product giveaway, ice cream, live radio broadcast, information and product booths, antique and farm machinery, and a poker run. For more information contact 715-896-4508.
Athens FFA Breakfast, Marathon County, June 2 Athens FFA Breakfast and FFA Alumni Breakfast will take place from 7 a.m. 11 a.m. at Hwy 97, south of Athens, Wis. Delicious hot and cold items will be served for food and kids activities and rafes will take place. Adults $5, Children 5-12 $2, Ages 4 and under are free. For more information contact R. Gunewald at 608-2037231.
Barron County June Dairy Breakfast, June 2 Barron County June Dairy Breakfast will take place from 6 a.m. - 10 a.m. at the Barron County Fairgrounds in Rice Lake, Wis. Take St. Hwy 48 at the north side of Rice Lake. Follow Dairy Breakfast signs. Park in old Rainbow Center parking lot across from the Fairgrounds or in the Fairgrounds parking area. Menu is all-youcan-eat pancakes with Wisconsin butter, real maple syrup, All Wisconsin Omlet, applesauce, cheese, Culver’s frozen custard sundaes, chocolate milk, white milk and coffee. Activities include door prizes, horse drawn wagon rides, petting zoo, live music, kiddie pedal pull, antique tractor and machinery display. Adults $6, Children 5-23 $4, Children under 5 are free. For more information contact Janet Nelson at 715-455-1755. Iowa County Dairy Breakfast, June 2 The Iowa County Dairy Breakfast will take place from 6:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. at 1796 Fairview Rd Avoca, Wis. Pancakes, eggs, sausage, Wisconsin cheese, yogurt, applesauce, milk and Culver’s frozen custard sundaes will be served. Come enjoy live music, 2 balloon artists, kids corner, face painting, petting zoo, cow train, a tour of the farm and an antique tractor display. Adults are $6, Children ages 5-10 are $4, Children under 4 are free. For more information contact Sherry Brokish at 608-3416629. Dunn County Dairy Breakfast, June 2 Dunn County Dairy Breakfast will be held from 7 a.m. - 11 a.m. at E9859 County Rd. M, Elk Mound, Wis. Dad’s Belgian Wafes, sausages, milk, Wisconsin cheese, pudding, milk and coffee will be served. Wisconsin cheese sampling and Culver’s Custard Sundaes will also be available. Activities include antique tractor, petting zoo and wagon rides. Adults $6, Children under 5 are free. For more information contact Kay Pershern at 715-308-2713.
Chippewa County Dairy Breakfast, June 2 The Chippewa County Dairy Breakfast will take place from 8 a.m. - 12 p.m. at 426 Myrtle St., Cadott, Wis. Pancakes, ham, Wisconsin cheese, fresh fruit bar, ice cream, milk and coffee will be available. Camp counselors from Kamp Kennwood will be available for face painting. This event is a free will donation. For more information contact Susan Shakal at 715-289-3795. Marathon County June Dairy Breakfast, June 3 The Marathon County June Dairy Breakfast will take place from 8 a.m. - 12:30 a.m. at 6470 Mason Road, Athens, Wis. Scrambled eggs with ham and Wisconsin cheese, pancakes with real maple syrup, sausage patties, Wisconsin cheese curds, milk, coffee and ice cream will be served. The Children’s activity area will include The Incredible Fiberglass Milking Cow and the On the Moo-ve Program, and a Children’s Pedal Tractor Pull. Other activities include the antique and pulling tractor display, tractor simulator, samples of specialty cheese, gift shop and a 5K Run/ Walk. The event is $8 for Adults and $3 for Children. For more information contact Samantha Straley at 715-581-7778. Dodge County Dairy Brunch, June 3 Dodge County Dairy Brunch will take place from 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. at W1969 County Road N., Rubicon, Wis. Scrambled eggs with ham and Wisconsin cheese, pancakes, assorted Wisconsin cheeses, milk, juice and ice cream sundaes will be served. Activities include music by Carol & The Keynotes and The Siegmann Family Bluegrass Band, train barrel rides, petting zoo and other kids activities. Adults $7, Children 5-11 $3 and Children 4 and under are free.
Turn to DAIRY BREAKFASTS | Page 35
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ConƟnued from DAIRY BREAKFASTS | Page 34 Breakfast in the Valley, June 8 Breakfast in the Valley will take place from 5 a.m. - 10 a.m. at 5530 Fairview Dr., Eau Claire, Wis. Scrambled eggs with ham, Wisconsin cheese, mushrooms and onions, mufns, Wisconsin cheese, cheese curds, bananas, milk, orange juice, coffee and the traditional June Dairy Breakfast treat of corn akes with Culver’s custard and strawberries will be served. In addition to a great breakfast, there will be agricultural product displays, business displays, farm animals, door prize drawings, a milk drinking contest with local celebrities at 7:45 am, antique tractors, Friend of Agriculture Award, Conservation Farmer Award and a visit from the newly-crowned Alice in Dairyland and Fairest of the Fair. Adults $7 and Children $2. For more information contact Casey Schumacher, 715-858-0614. Rock County Dairy Breakfast, June 9 Rock County Dairy Breakfast is held from 6:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. at Kersten Farm - 4509 W Mineral Point Rd., Janesville, Wis. An all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast including cheese sticks, yogurt, ice cream and milk is served. Activities include tractor wagon rides, kids games, live music, craft show, Crafty Cow contest and much more. For more information contact 608-290-4921. Dane County Breakfast on the Farm, June 9 Dane County Breakfast on the Farm is held from 7 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. at 5116 Pheasant Branch Road, Waunakee, Wis. Breakfast is served with scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, yogurt, custard, milk and coffee. Explore the Expo Area that features dairy information and food samples. For more information contact 920970-7611.
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 35
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Optimum and early nutrition promotes the calves’ future high performance potential. With an optimized feeding program, they will produce 10% 20% more milk. An improved state of health results in a lower death rate, too, hence more animals in the herd reared from your herd offspring.
Trempealeau County “On The Farm” Dairy Breakfast, June 9 Trempealeau County “On The Farm” Dairy Breakfast will take place from 6 a.m. - 11 a.m. at N49128 County Rd V., Strum, Wisc. Pancakes, sausage, Wisconsin cheese, butter, apple juice, coffee, milk, batter fried cheese curds and ice cream will be served. Activities include live music from 7:00 to 10:30 am, crowning of the new Trempealeau County Dairy Ambassador at 10:30 am and on the farm radio broadcasting. Adults are $7, Children ages 6-12 is $3, Children under 6 is free. Tri-County Dairy Breakfast, June 9 Tri-County Dairy Breakfast will be from 6:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. at 1000 W Beaverbrook Avenue, Spooner, Wis. Pancakes, maple syrup, honey butter, sausages, Wisconsin cheese, milk, cranberry juice, ice cream and strawberries will be served. Come savor the breakfast and take part in the FFA Alumni Silent Auction. Win some door prizes, walk through a display of antique tractors. Children will have a great time, too! Plenty of face painting, a barrel train ride, the kiddie barn, kid prizes, and a horse drawn wagon ride. Adults are $6, Children 5-12 are $4 and Children under 5 are free.
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Lafayette County Dairy Breakfast, June 9 The Lafayette County Dairy Breakfast will take place from 6:30 - 10:30 a.m. at 29200 College Farm Rd., Platteville, Wis. Enjoy scrambled eggs with ham and Wisconsin cheese, sausage links, Wisconsin cheese, donuts, pudding, milk, juice, coffee and strawberry ice cream sundaes. Enjoy live music and a children’s corner with face painting and balloons, a pedal tractor pull, petting zoo, tractor display and tour the UW-Platteville Discovery Center. Adults are $4, Children under 10 are $2 and Preschool is free. For more information contact Kerry Gratz at 608-776-4089. Vernon County Dairy Breakfast, June 9 The Vernon County Dairy Breakfast will take place from 7 - 11 a.m. at S7414 Fortner Rd., De Soto, Wis. Pancakes, scrambled eggs, with or without cheese and ham, cottage cheese, Culvers custard, milk, sliced Wisconsin cheese and steak will be served. Opening ceremony at 8 am followed by food demos every 45 min. with Viroqua Food Coop, Beef Council of Wisconsin, Culinary Arts Wall-Stone employee and a Cheese Grill-off by local 4-H clubs. Walking tours and history museum of the Gundersen Hospitals, kids activities and logger Baseball players signing autographs will also be available. Breakfast -traditional $6. Steak and Traditional breakfast $10. Limited number of steak tickets. If you are interested in reserving a steak please send your name to prairiev@mwt.net and we will connect you with tickets. Children under 10 are $2. Contact Anne Marie Elwing at 608-648-3450 for more information. Sauk County Dairy Breakfast, June 9 The 29th Sauk County Breakfast on the Dairy Farm will be held Saturday June 9, 2018 at the Bender Farm, S4065 State Road 136, Reedsburg, Wis. Serving breakfast from 7 am to 11 am (rain or shine) of Wisconsin cheese, scrambled eggs with ham, pancakes, applesauce, frozen custard with strawberries or honey fudge, and milk/juice/coffee. Tickets are $6.00 for adults; $3.00 for children 7-12; and free for 6 and under. Entertainment by Jim Pfaff 7:30-9:30 and Monty Berger 9:30-11:30. Educational and historic displays on the grounds; petting zoo. Door prizes will be drawn every 30 minutes. Contact Sandi Knuth at 608-524-2684 with any questions. 38th Annual Richland County Dairy Breakfast, June 10 The Richland County Dairy Breakfast will be held from 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. at 23630 County Highway AA, Richland Center, Wis. Pancakes, pork sausage links, applesauce, Wisconsin cheese curds, yogurt, Wisconsin string cheese and sliced cheese, cottage cheese, chocolate and white milk and ice cream cups will be served. Activities include a petting zoo, antique tractors, live music and many more activities. Adults $7, Children 10 and under $3. For more information contact Anette Louis at 608-5853362. Neillsville Dairy Breakfast, Clark County, June 10 Neillsville Dairy Breakfast will be held from 7 a.m. - 12 p.m. at Four Star Dairy LLC - W4897 Pine Creek Rd, Neillsville, Wis. Parking is available at the corner of St. Hwy 73 and County Hwy C. Special recipe scrambled eggs, regular pancakes, blueberry pancakes, sausage links, applesauce, Grassland butter, and cheese curds will be served. Activities include a Granton Area Antique Tractor Club display, petting zoo, and kid’s activities. Adults are $7, Children K-5th grade are $3, Preschoolers are free. For more information contact R. Grunewald at 608-203-7231.
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
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Women In Dairy Mindi Arendt Mazeppa, Minn.; Wabasha County 600 cows
Family: I live on our family dairy farm with my husband, Nate, and our four children, Makayla, 17, Jakalyn, 15, Zakary, 14, and Bakster, 10. Tell us about your farm. Our family dairy was established in the late 1870s. My husband is the fth generation. We milk 600 Holsteins and run about 800 acres for forage. What is the busiest time of day for you? On the farm, mornings are the busiest for me. It’s when I’m in the barn doing calf chores, doing reproduction checks and giving vaccinations. In the afternoon, it slows down and I can focus on ofce work. On the home front, evenings are the busiest because our kids are active in extra-curricular activities. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I support and cheer on our kids and their teammates at their sporting events. I also coach ninth grade volleyball and co-coach our youngest son’s basketball team. Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. One that stands out is when a handful of us were covering a corn silage pile at midnight in an extreme down pour. We were drenched before we ever started. But it is amazing what you can get done when everyone has the same goal in
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mind. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Dairy farming is a great life. The values it has taught my kids are tremendous. It is also a job that keeps life interesting. No two days are the same. There are always new challenges. Dairy farming is also rewarding. You meet many wonderful people that share the same passion as you. As dairy farmers we get to provide consumers with a wholesome, high quality product. It is always fun giving tours to consumers, especially the kids. Their expressions and questions are priceless. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? One way is attending seminars and conferences, such as ones put on by Minnesota Milk. Publications and social media keep me in the know, plus I have great conversations with people within the industry who are at the farm. I also am a member of the Wabasha County American Dairy Association Board, where I assist with our county dairy princess program, and I was elected to the Minnesota division of the Midwest Dairy Board. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? My husband. He has taught me so much about the dairy industry. I started out as a city girl that swore she would never marry a farmer or live in the country. Now I wouldn’t trade either. My knowledge of dairy has grown tremendously. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent woman in today’s society, who would it be? Oprah Winfrey. It amazes me at how many people she inuences, especially mothers. And I would say a huge consumer base for our dairy industry is moms. Kids may help their moms make the decisions on what to put in the cart, but I still think moms have the nal say. What is the best vacation you have ever taken? Anything that involves time with the family. The quick, last minute trips to the lake in Wisconsin are always fun. What are some words you like to live by? Always be you. Work hard, play hard. Life is short, so smile and don’t sweat the small stuff.
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Poverty and privilege
Through the years of hosting tours, I have seen schools with a wide range of income disparity. When I get a call from a teacher or an email, the lowincome school always mention their percentage of free and reduced students. The teachers struggle with getting these kids to go on ďƒželd trips because it can be ďƒžnancially impossible for many of the student’s parents to come up with admission and busing. Some schools have a fund for ďƒželd trips, while others have parents that will help cover the cost of a few extra children, and some schools have to ask for a discount. I will let the teachers come up with a price that their families can afford and that allows for every child to come to the farm. This spring, I had a school that is in an area of Madison, Wis. They have seven kindergarten classes. I cannot accommodate all of those children at once, so four classes came in the morning, and the others will come next week. When the bus pulled into the driveway, I could hear the excitement in the children’s voices. As I stepped into the bus, I explained where the teachers were to take the classes, and the children needed to use their walking feet and have their listening ears on and their By Tina Hinchley eyes wide open to watch for tractors. The bus was Farmer & Columnist packed full. There was three kids to a seat and the coolers full of lunches were in the aisle. The teacher explained that so many of the children this year are not able to get to the free breakfast, and they need to have a snack before heading out for the tour. These kids were hungry. The need for nourishment was obvious. The teachers brought out fruit leather from the lunch program. They asked me if I would like to try one. After taking one bite, I knew why so many of the hungry kids declined the snack. Oh, I am sure it was sugar free and healthy, but I couldn’t ďƒžnish it. So, off to show hungry children our farm, while they can’t focus or keep their attention on what we are all talking about. The disruptions and negative behaviors made it hard for all of the kids to grasp the information. Before we were anywhere near lunch time, the kids started asking about lunch. There is a world of hungry kids right in our backyards. The teachers shared with me that they even spend their own money to get healthy snacks for the kids to eat so they can manage their classrooms. Some parents are struggling with two jobs to make rent, and food is often what is sacriďƒžced. Kids going to bed without dinner wake up angry. These children have a hard time functioning and remind me of hungry calves. Pushing, yelling and being rude. They all could quiet down for a few areas on the tour, but it was very challenging to speak when so many were unable to control themselves. Lunch came early, and then they were recharged and headed back to school. Did this tour go the way I planned? No. It was a difďƒžcult tour to give. When I said goodbye to the teachers, I thanked them for all they do for these children. They work These children didn’t have the hard for little pay, but distraction of the hunger pains. they all said the reward is with the children. They were well fed, ready and They have a purposeful eager to learn about the farm. job, and the children need their structure and attention. Each child is one of a kind and special. With 18-22 students, the teachers have aides to help make sure the students get all the help they can. All the kindergarten teachers and aides are a team. They make plans and support each other so they can ďƒžnd new ways and styles to teach children with high needs. All of the teachers said they loved their job and it is fulďƒžlling and rewarding. After the bus pulled out of the driveway, my guides all took a short break before the next group of children arrived from another school. We talked about how stressful it must be to have this much pressure to be the best teacher possible. I applaud these teachers. The next school to arrive had four classes, as well. They arrived in two buses with room for lunches and extra chaperones. In fact, there were more chaperones than students. They all sat quietly in the seats on the bus while I gave the same directions to use their walking feet and have their listening ears on and eyes wide open to watch for tractors. The classes walked calmly into the shed and found seats at the tables and waited for instructions. After I introduced myself, these kindergarten children enlightened me with their knowledge and vocabulary. They used the word agriculture and cultivate in the same sentence. They were focused and in control. These kids came from a different part of Madison. While their parents worked, nannies took care of them. Breakfast was made at home before school. Snacks were healthy and included milk. These children didn’t have the distraction of the hunger pains. They were well fed, ready and eager to learn about the farm. The contrast of the life a child with and without hunger is just a few blocks away. Children live in poverty not far from the privileged. The inequality of the future of these young students living in America breaks my heart. No child should ever have to worry about their next meal. Tina Hinchley, her husband, Duane, and their daughters, Anna and Catherine, milk 135 registered Holsteins and farm 2,500 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wis. They have been hosting farm tours for over 20 years.
Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 37
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8600, 2016, 785 Hrs, RWA, Warranty ......$359,000 8600, 2015, 436 Hrs, RWA, Warranty ......$349,000 8500, 2016, 665 Hrs, RWA, Warranty ......$329,000 8500, 2016, 248 Hrs, RWA, Warranty ......$335,000 7780, 2014, 1301 Hrs, RWA .....................$239,000 7780, 2015, 382 Hrs, RWA ................... Coming In! 7580, 2013, 610 Hrs, RWA .......................$259,500 7950, 2012, 694 Hrs, RWA .......................$274,900 7850, 2008, 1600 Hrs, RWA .....................$179,500 7550, 2012, 1825 Hrs, RWA .....................$205,000 7550, 2008, 1359 Hrs, RWA .....................$189,500 7450, 2009, 1550 Hrs, RWA .....................$189,500 7450, 2010, 2985 Hrs, RWA .....................$139,000 7350, 2008, 2950 Hrs, RWA .....................$149,000 7800, 2007, 1885 Hrs, RWA .....................$159,500 7700, 2007, 1570 Hrs, RWA .....................$169,500 7500, 2005, 2423 Hrs, RWA .....................$135,000 7500, 2003, 3100 Hrs, RWA .....................$128,000 7450, 2009, 1748 Hrs, RWA .....................$167,000 Steel Deal 7400, 2004, 2918 Hrs, RWA .......................$99,000 Pricing 7300, 2003,3637 Hrs, RWA ........................$79,000 6850, 1999, 3120 Hrs, RWA .......................$79,500 6850, 1998, 3100 Hrs, 2WD .......................$74,500 6810, 1997, 2520 Hrs, 2wd ........................$25,000
6750, 1999, 2839 Hrs, RWA .......................$74,000 6710, 1995, 2908 Hrs, RWA .......................$68,500 6710, 1993, 2116 Hrs, 2WD .......................$49,000 5830, 1991, 3700 Hrs, RWA .......................$39,900 Steel Deal 5730, 1986, 4980 Hrs, RWA .......................$25,000 Pricing Claas 970, 2008, 3000 Hrs, RWA ............$175,000 Claas 900, 2005, 2848 Hrs ...................... $115,000 Claas 890, 2002, 2290 Hrs, RWA ............$129,000 All hours listed are “cutter hours�.
8500
2016, 665 Hrs., RWA, KP, Dual Header Drive, Autolube, Guidance Ready, Warranty
$
329,000
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
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Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018 • Page 39
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David Hornby Viroqua, Wis. Vernon County 70 cows How did you get into farming? I grew up on a dairy farm and that’s all I wanted to do. I started milking on this farm in 1978 when I rented the barn and pasture. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry for the next year? Marketing is a real challenge and dealing with the supply. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? I started using sexed semen to increase the number of heifers to add to the herd. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? I switched from cornstalk to straw bedding. The somatic cell count dropped signicantly. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? I’m holding off on any new equipment purchases. If there is something that I need I check what’s available in used equipment rst.
What has been the best purchase you’ve ever made on your farm? I don’t think I could live without my loader tractor. I use it all day long. Also, getting a big, square baler reduced labor and helped How do you retain a good make better hay. working relationship with your employee(s)? I try to keep open What has been your biggest accommunication, although at complishment while dairy farming? Paying off the mortgage on times it is hard to do. the farm. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier What are your plans for your for you. Recognizing potential dairy in the next year and ve problems and addressing them years? I want to do more no-till before they get bigger and more corn planting in the next year. I plan to retire from dairying in the expensive. next ve years. Farmers are alWhat do you enjoy most about lowed to retire, right? dairy farming? I enjoy working How do you or your family like outdoors and with animals. to spend time when you are not What advice would you give oth- doing chores? We enjoy visiting er dairy farmers? Keep a positive the kids and the grandkids. I like attitude, but rst of all take care going to auctions and reading the Dairy Star. of yourself.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, May 26, 2018
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