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Volume 21, No. 9
“All dairy, all the time”™
June 22, 2019
Success in doing things differently
Majestic Crossing Dairy wins national sustainability award By Stacey Smart Contributing Writer
SHEBOYGAN FALLS, Wis. – Rather than following the crowd, Dean Strauss, co-owner of Majestic Crossing Dairy, has found success in doing things a little differently. When it comes to nding ways to be more sustainable, this dairy farmer is never afraid to ask, “what if?” “What if we tried something else or considered something new that’s out there are questions I’m always asking,” Strauss said. “We’re constantly looking for ways to save energy and labor and be more efcient with our time.” This type of mentality is what helped Majestic Crossing Dairy win a 2019 U.S. Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability award from the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, alongside Cinnamon Ridge Farms of Donahue, Iowa, and Philip Verwey Farms of Hanford, Calif., during a ceremony May 8 in Rosemont, Illinois. The 2,000-cow Majestic Crossing Turn to STRAUSS | Page 7
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Dean Strauss is the co-owner of Majes�c Crossing Dairy in Sheboygan Falls, Wis. The farm recently won a U.S. Outstanding Dairy Farm Sustainability award for its demonstrated excellence in efficiently caring for ca�le and crops.
Carlsons build first automated rotary parlor in MN Facility a part of farm remake following summer storm By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
A group of cows are milked on the 60-stall robo�c rotary parlor June 13 at Carlson Dairy LLP near Pennock, Minn. The Carlson family began using the automated milking system in June 2018.
PENNOCK, Minn. – The storm that swept through Kandiyohi County June 11, 2017, shook the Carlson family; but such destruction provided opportunity for Carlson Dairy LLP. For one year, the family has operated the state’s rst automated rotary milking parlor – the GEA DairyProQ – on their 1,650-cow dairy near Pennock, Minn. “When we got into reconstruction mode, we saw the silver lining,” Kindra Carlson said. “We were already looking at changing our milking parlor and now we could change it how we wanted.” Kindra and her husband, Chad, farm in partnership with Chad’s brother and wife, Carl and Kellie Carlson, and parents, Curtney and Louise Carlson. The family hosted the nal stop on the Minnesota Milk Producer Association Summer Escape tour June 13. Turn to CARLSON | Page 5