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DAIRY ST R
Volume 20, No. 11
“All dairy, all the time”™
July 28, 2018
“This place operates because everyone who is involved with this place is good at what they do.” – Tim Huhe
Huhes focus on doing the right thing
Philosophy goes hand in hand with being a good neighbor for Cresco family By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
Jennifer and Tim Huhe check over animals in the freestall barn, which the Huhes built in 1999 along with a double-8 parallel parlor. The Huhes milk 300 cows near Cresco, Iowa.
CRESCO, Iowa – When it comes to being a good neighbor, Tim Huhe keeps his philosophy simple. “We just try to do the right thing every day,” he said. That has been what has worked for the Huhe family and is part of the reason they received a Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award presented by the Iowa Department of Agriculture in coordination with other agricultural organizations. Tim and Diana Huhe milk 300 cows on their dairy near Cresco, Iowa. Their daughter, Jennifer, works with them on the farm, as well as for a dairy genetics company, while their two younger daughters, Katie and Abby, are in college pursuing paths away from the farm. Although Tim’s parents, Galen and Linda, have transferred ownership to the next generation, they are involved in day-to-day chores. “When they rst contacted me about this award … I said I wouldn’t accept it only for myself,” Tim said. “This place doesn’t operate because Tim Huhe is good at what he does. This place operates because everyone who is involved with this place is good at what they do and passionate about what they do.” Criteria for the award are simple. Farmers who receive it must be Turn to HUHES | Page 7
A renovation revitalizes youngstock
Van Heels convert poultry barn to calf facility By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
SWANVILLE, Minn. – Calves at Rainbow Acres LLC have never been healthier. With a facility designed for optimum calf care and a management protocol followed religiously, the Van Heel family is raising calves that are larger and have fewer health problems throughout their entire life on the farm. “We’ve changed the design of the calf facility, with less calves in each pen, and have re-evaluated our vaccine protocols to administer less,” Katie Van Heel said. “I’m still in shock with what we’ve seen and often think, ‘How is this possible?’” Katie is the calf manager at her in-laws’ dairy, where they milk 1,100 cows and raise all of their replacement heifers, in Morrison County near Swanville, Minn. David Van Heel and his family
JENNIFER COYNE/DAIRY STAR
Calves are housed in group pens with automaƟc calf feeders at Rainbow Acres LLC in Morrison County near Swanville, Minn. David Van Heel and his family renovated an old chicken barn into a group housing facility for their calves.
hosted a University of Minnesota Extension Dairy Field Day July 19 to demonstrate how they set up their calves for lifelong success. “With today’s setup, we have the best calves we’ve ever had,” David said. The calves are born at the main farm site where they are monitored for 24 hours or less. During this time, each calf receives two vaccines for scours prevention before their rst feeding of 1 gallon of pasteurized colostrum, which is tubed. The calves are also tagged and receive a naval dip. Once daily, an employee moves the newborn calves to the calf-raising site, located a few miles from the main farm site. At the calf facility, the nursery room houses calves in individual pens until they are 7-10 days old. From there, they are transferred to group pens and fed with automatic calf feeders. The calves are weaned from the feeders at 42 days. “We used to raise calves in Turn to RAINBOW ACRES | Page 5