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DAIRY ST R
July 11, 2020
“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 22, No. 10
Falling in love at the fair
Kamphuis twins nd their signicant others while showing cattle By Stacey Smart
stacey.s@dairystar.com
BRANDON, Wis. – For many farm kids, the county fair can be a source of new friendships and romances. Sometimes when exhibiting animals, a 4-Her may even nd the person they are meant to spend the rest of their lives with. This was the case for identical twins and dairy farmers, Derrek and Darren Kamphuis, who found their true loves while showing cattle at the Fond du Lac County Fair. Rachel Bock and Darren married last September; Valerie Kramer and Derrek are getting married this October. The couples have known each other since they were children, meeting in 2008 when they tied their cattle together at the county fair. The four started out as friends and grew closer during their time spent at the state fair. When they got older, friendship eventually turned into something more. But early on, RaTurn to KAMPHUISES | Page 5
STACEY SMART/DAIRY STAR
Rachel and Darren Kamphuis (leŌ) and Derrek Kamphuis and Valerie Kramer stand with Kampy Doorman Braelyn at the Kamphuis family’s 270-cow dairy near Brandon, Wisconsin. The twin brothers met their wife and ancé as kids while showing caƩle at the Fond du Lac County Fair.
Mother Nature douses St. Croix County Wahlquist, Gausman report nearly foot of rain causes ood damage on farms By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Creeks and rivers in St. Croix County are ooded with rainwater that caused many washed out bridges and roadways, as well as eld and property damage. The area had nearly 12 inches of rainfall June 28-29.
BALDWIN, Wis. – If there is one thing dairy farmers can count on it is that they are at the mercy of the weather. From drought conditions to downpours, from blizzards to tornadoes, one can only guess what Mother Nature might dole out on any given day. During the overnight hours of June 28 and June 29, Mother Nature unleashed her fury on western Wisconsin’s St. Croix County area, dropping anywhere from 8 to 12 inches of rain in the area. The heavy rainfall caused substantial ooding, and many roads and bridges were washed out throughout the area. Jim Wahlquist operates Wahlquist Farm, where his family milks 50 cows and raises their youngstock near Baldwin. The family also operates a shop where they x farm equipment, primarily tractors, for other people. “Back in 2010, we had some ooding, but nothing even close to this,” Wahlquist said. The Rush River, a creek that runs through the Wahlquist Farm, over ran its banks, causing the ooding the Wahlquists experienced in wake of the torrential rain fall. Turn to FLOODING | Page 7