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DAIRY ST R “All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 20, No. 9
June 23, 2018
Still doing the work themselves
Nelsons build new facility for 185-cow herd By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. – When the Nelsons decided to build a new facility for their dairy, they wanted to make sure they could run it themselves. “The purpose of us building this and putting the extra stuff in was because it’s just us,” Doug Nelson said. “We don’t plan on hiring additional help.” Since February, Doug along with his son and daughter-in-law, Derrick and Miran-
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
The Nelsons – Derrick, Miranda and Doug – built a new parlor and freestall barn facility on their dairy, Nellie Holsteins, and are now milking 185 cows near Eau Claire, Wis.
da, having been milking their 185-cow herd in a new parlor and freestall barn they built on their dairy, Nellie Holsteins, near Eau Claire, Wis. “It’s gone a lot better than we expected,” Derrick said. “It’s been working great so far.” The new set up is built one-fourth of a mile down the road from their original farmsite, where they used to milk in a 56-stall tiestall barn. “It was nothing special,” Doug said about their previous milking facility. A four-row freestall barn features sand bedding with drive through feeding, alley scrapers, a robotic feeder pusher and tunnel ventilation. At rst, the Nelsons planned to have side curtains Turn to NELSONS | Page 6
D&B Sternweis Farms a family affair Wood County farm to co-host 2018 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days Editor’s note: Information and photos provided by Wisconsin Farm Technology Days.
PHOTO SUBMITTED
D&B Sternweis Farms is operated by the Sternweis family – (front, from leŌ) Jonathan Sternweis and Heather (Sternweis) Heiman; (middle, from leŌ) BriƩney, Autumn and Brooke Sternweis; (back, from leŌ) Daryl, Brenda and JusƟn Sternweis. Not pictured is Aaron Sternweis. The dairy will co-host the 2018 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days July 10-12 near Marsheld, Wis.
MARSHFIELD, Wis. – D&B Sternweis Farms – co-host of the 2018 Wisconsin Farm Technology Days in Wood County, Wisconsin July 10-12 – is every bit a family farm. Owners Daryl and Brenda Sternweis of Marsheld have a new 40-cow rotary parlor and are primed for expansion. But their children, the fth generation on the farm, have participated in chores from early on. And Daryl’s dad Jim Sternweis, at 85, still helps with eld work, as well. “It’s a really great way to raise a family,” said Brenda Sternweis of farming. She said they keep close to their family-farm roots participating in activities like 4-H and FFA alumni, snowmobiling and simple pleasures like planting a garden and hanging clothes
outdoors. When Sternweises’ oldest daughter Heather married Josh Heiman in 2016, their life-long friends and neighbors became “family,” too. Josh Heiman’s parents, Ken and Joellen Heiman, and other Heiman family members, own Weber’s Farm Store and Heiman Holsteins. Heimans are co-hosting the show with Sternweises. Besides being milk producers and retailers, the Heimans are cheese makers and owners of Nasonville Dairy near Marsheld. Daryl Sternweis, 53, is a life-long farmer. “I grew up with it and learned to love it,” he said. “I love the eld work part of it. And now with the new freestall barn and rotary I’ve become a better ‘cow man’ than I ever thought I would be.” Brenda tends youngstock, a role she said is “rewarding.” “It’s kind of like raising kids,” she said of the delight she experiences when calves do well. “We name our favorites. It’s fun to follow them through the stagTurn to STERNWEIS | Page 5