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“All dairy, all the time”™
Volume 21, No. 12
What does sustainability mean to food companies? Taco Bell, Ben and Jerry’s, pork board share thoughts during panel at Dairy Experience Forum By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Taco Bell puts more thought into its food beyond whether there is enough cheese or avor. It now also focuses on animal welfare and removing antibiotics important to human medicine out of its chicken supply. “We’re rethinking what sustainability means for our brand and how we can start telling that story to consumers, knowing consumers really care about it,” said Marissa Thiry, a registered dietitian and nutrition specialist, North America for Taco Bell. Sustainability has been a hot topic for many companies in recent years. But how do they dene it? Thiry weighed in on the conversation during a sustainability panel July 18 at the Dairy Experience Forum in St. Paul, Minn. The panel, moderated by Krysta Harden, executive vice president of global environmental strategy for Dairy Management Inc., also included Bill Even, CEO of the National Pork Board and Cheryl Pinto, Global Values Led Sourcing for Ben and Jerry’s. “Sustainability is pretty new to Taco Bell,” Thiry said. Recently, Yum! Brands Inc. – the parent corporation of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC – dened sustainability in three pillars: food, people and planet. This means they are working more closely with their suppliers and product development partners, including Dairy Management Inc. “They’re working hand in hand with us to bring new innovation but also sustainability and nutrition efforts to life in a way that makes sense to our brand,” Thiry said. “As a whole, animal welfare in the supply chain is really becoming a part of the sustainability Turn to FORUM | Page 5
August 10, 2019
WI herd to showcase at MN State Fair
Grewes will bring string of Guernseys, Jerseys By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
CUMBERLAND, Wis. – A string of cattle will once again be featured at the Minnesota State Fair as part of the Moo Booth’s dairy showcase herd. However, this year, those cattle are coming from a bordering state. For the rst time in the known history of the event, a Wisconsin herd will represent the dairy showcase. “In the Moo Booth, it’s always been our purpose to represent the dairy industry in the best way possible with the best resources we have Turn to GREWES | Page 6
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Valley Gem Farms crew – (from leŌ) ScoƩ Weisensel, Deb Lakey, Laura Jensen, Lauryn Weisensel, Emma Weisensel, Hailey Weisensel, and Brandon and Kim Grewe – are presented with the premier breeder award at the Wisconsin state show this summer. The Grewes, of Cumberland, Wis., will feature their Guernseys and Jerseys in the Minnesota State Fair’s dairy showcase, Aug. 22 - Sept. 2.
Cows back in the barn
Danz brings bovines back to family farm By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
LIVINGSTON, Wis. – This spring, Nathan Danz decided to take the plunge he’d been contemplating for a while, making the decision to embark on his own dairy farming career. “It’s what I’ve always wanted to do,” Danz said. “Ever since high school, I’ve always had the dream of having cows back in this barn. It was just a matter of making it happen.” The barn that Danz always dreamed of lling back up with milking cows has belonged to his grandfather since 1980. His grandfather’s herd of milk cows left the farm in August 2003. Nearly 16 years later, armed with determination, Danz turned the milker pump on again June 27, milking his newly-acquired 50-cow herd. Following his high school graduation, Danz worked on his father’s DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR farm, just a mile up the road. In 2016, Nathan Danz milks 50 cows at his grandfather’s farm near Livingston, Wis. Danz put his rst after suffering an accident, Danz’s milking in the bulk tank June 27 aŌer the barn sat empty for 16 years. Turn to DANZ | Page 7
Page 2 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
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 (ofce) 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 Ruth Klossner (507) 240-0048 cowlady@centurylink.net Danielle Nauman (608) 487-1101 danielle.n@dairystar.com Danna Sabolik - Staff Writer (320) 352-6303 • danna.s@dairystar.com Maria Bichler - Copy Editor 320-352-6303 Advertising Sales Main Ofce: 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 (ofce) 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 Amanda Hoeer (Eastern Iowa) 320-250-2884 • amanda.h@dairystar.com (Southern WI) 320-352-6303 • ads@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 nal 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 ofces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Dairy Star, 522 Sinclair Lewis Ave., Sauk Centre, MN 56378-1246.
North America dealers. A glance at what’s inside
Dairy Prole brought to you by your
There is a glimmer of hope on the horizon for the dairy economy as the Dairy Margin Coverage program kicks in with rst payments made. In our “From our side of the fence” feature, read about how dairy farmers used the program, why they signed up and how much they received in their rst check. Their responses to the questions can be found on pages 15-16 in rst section. Now that dairy farmers have been seeing a return on their DMC investment, looked at the numbers of the program – how many farmers signed up, what percent of production is involved in the program and how much money has been dispersed thus far. In the paper’s coverage area, there will be $65.4 million paid out according to ofcial records to date. Read more about the program on pages 13 in rst section. Chris and Brenda Conley have used a niche breed to try to make their farm more protable. Since 2012, the Conleys have incorporated the Normande breed into their herd to increase feed efciency, get a higher cull value for the cows, and breed for A2A2 genetics. They feel this gives more value to their milk on their 52-cow dairy near Neosho, Wis. Read about their breeding strategy on page 3-5 in second section. Brian Hovey’s way to add efciency on his farm is through automation. He’s had robotic milkers on his dairy since 2009. This spring, he added more automation with manure cleaners in his barn. Read about how that has made a difference on his dairy on pages 25 in rst section. Summer is always lled with beauty for the Wendy and Jon Schmidt as they add curb appeal to rural Wisconsin on their 40-cow dairy near Bloomer, Wis. Wendy’s previous work at a greenhouse grew her eye for beautiful plants and oriculture. She took that knowledge home, and created beautiful ower beds and picturesque landscaping. That coupled with high-scoring Jerseys makes their farm a place people want to visit. Read more about their farm’s beauty on pages 20-22 in second section. This time of year for the Caughey family means attending the Crow Wing County Fair. Dan and Emily Caughey along with their three daughters spent time between chores on Aug. 1 showing their 4-H dairy projects and participating in fun challenges at the fairgrounds in Brainerd, Minn. Read more about a day in the life of the Caughey family on pages 16, 18-19 in second section. DAIRY STAR CORRECTION: In the July 27 Dairy Star, the Dairy Business Association was misstated in the article, “Dairy funding part of new state budget.” The statement should read, “We think this is bad as VTAs are not harmful to the environment because they reduce runoff and leeching,” Holevoet said. “Farmers can help ght this rule by testifying at an upcoming public hearing in Madison, Oshkosh, Eau Claire or Wausau, contacting their lawmakers or lobbying with us for a day.” Also, Chad Zuleger’s last name was misspelled in the article. Dairy Star regrets the errors.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 3
It’s all inside... Columnists Ag Insider
Pages 8-9 First Section
Learning experience Page 27 First Section
Bloomer
Neilsville
Second Section: Pages 20 - 21
First Section: Pages 10 - 11
Schmidts enjoy beautiful gardens, Jerseys
Ramblings from the Ridge Page 30 First Section
Opelt remains vigilant amidst industry concerns DeForest
Kessenichs honored as Young Jersey Breeders
Veterinary Wisdom
Bayeld
Douglas
Page 31 First Section
First Section: Pages 34 - 35
Iron Ashland
Burnett
W as
Polk
Barron
Page 32 First Section
Come Full Circle
hb
ur
n
Making Cents of Dairy
Sawyer
Price
Rusk Taylor
Cumberland
WI herd to showcase at MN State Fair
The “Mielke” Market Weekly
Second Section: Pages 1, 6
St. Croix Pierce
Pages 10 - 11 Second Section
Dunn
Pepin Buffalo
Country Cooking
Page 29 Second Section
Chippewa
Neosho
Marathon
Conleys appreciate benets of Normandes
Clark
Eau Claire Trempealeau
Page 33 First Section
Second Section: Pages 3 - 5
Wood Jackson Adams
La Crosse Monroe
Juneau Vernon
Blair
Hovey gains valuable time with robots
ford
Richland
Sauk
Craw
First Section: Page 25
Iowa
Columbia
Dane
Grant
Zone 2
Lafayette
Livingston
For additional stories from our other zone, log on to www.dairystar.com
Fond Du Lac
Danz brings dairy cows back to family farm First Section: Pages 1, 7
Green
Dodge
J
n
so
er eff
Rock
Madison
RFID tags improve traceability of diseases First Section: Page 12
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Page 4 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 5
ConƟnued from FORUM | Page 1 work we’re doing so all of the raw milk we purchase comes from FARM certied facilities. It’s just going to continue to grow and we’ll continue to make commitments as sustainability moves forward …” The National Pork Board has recognized that the food system has changed. After World War II, people focused on whether their food was safe, healthy and affordable. “Now, consumers say those are just table stakes and are looking for more out of the food system,” Even said. “We’re in transition now.” Eleven years ago, the National Pork Board changed the way it shares how hog farmers are sustainable. “There’s a whole lot of marketing BS oating around,” Even said. “We said, ‘We are going to dene ourselves. We are not going to let activist groups or other groups dene the pork industry.” After talking with people in all areas of the supply chain, the board created the mantra of People, Pigs and Planet with the “We Care” platform. The industry is able to use its pork quality assurance program, transport quality assurance program and the common swine industry audit along with a youth training program to its advantage. “Those are the practices we have decades of track records of,” Even said. “That’s our proof.” Even said 99.7% of pigs in the United States come from a pork supplier that is pork quality assurance certied. “If you’re not walking the talk it doesn’t matter,” Even said. Sustainability has been at the forefront of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream for about 30 years, Pinto said. The company’s mission includes product, economic and social aspects. “I have to juggle all three to make sure I’m bringing high quality ingredients at the right price, and that the ingredients not only taste good, but do good,” Pinto said. She said people want to buy a product they know is a part of something bigger that goes back to the beginning of the supply chain. “You’re actually enjoying the fruits of the labor of everyone who has touched that ice cream, and you can feel good that they [the farmers] are also beneting from you picking up that ice cream,” Pinto said. All three panelists said transparency is a big part of making sure customers know of their sustainability efforts. “Everyone wants to know where their food comes from, how is it farmed,” Pinto said. “Part of knowing where our food
comes from at Ben and Jerry’s is just establishing that relationship with our farmers.” For example, Pinto said the company personally knows dairy farmers in Vermont where milk is sourced and farmers in Madagascar where the company gets its vanilla. “We feel the contributions farmers make need to be valued,” Pinto said. “We’re trying to turn the conversation around and bring transparency so consumers recognize that our farmers are an environmental solution for clean water, for carbon sequestration.” But, Pinto also said the customers are not the only ones who should be a part of the conversation. Farmers should know where their product is ending. “You need to have this full loop because that’s the resilience in the supply chain,” she said. “We are seeing such a push for transparency and traceability … because it’s needed for people to understand what food is. There’s such disconnection with something that’s packaged in a grocery.” In the future, Thiry said transparency will be key when it comes to food and food production. “Farmers need to tell their story more and continue to educate in a non aggressive way,” she said. “The average consumer doesn’t know what FARM certied means or how cattle are raised, how cattle are being used.” Pinto said there needs to be more documentation of the good work farmers do – from soil health to good water practices and beyond. “All this has to come together in these databases that demonstrate farms are part of the solution,” Pinto said. “This is edgy science ... this is the work we need to demonstrate because as we start the momentum then we start to pivot.” Even agreed. “Any decision has to be made on fact,” he said. “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” For the pork board, that’s showing that in the last 50 years, the industry has reduced its land footprint by 76%, reduced water usage by 25%, and greenhouse gas and energy use by 7%. “That’s a good story to tell,” Even said. Moving forward, all three panelists said there will be challenges; however, with communication, they all agreed the challenges would be easier to face. And, despite sustainability being a hard word to dene, it will continue to be part of the conversation. “It’s the same as nutrition,” Thiry said. “We’ve been trying to dene it for years. It means something different for everyone.”
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Page 6 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
ConĆ&#x;nued from GREWES | Page 1
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available,â€? said Doris Mold, milking parlor superintendent and Moo Booth Coordinator at the Minnesota State Fair. “We have to showcase good dairy, and it doesn’t matter where that good dairy comes from.â€? The Grewe family is bringing a 16-cow string of mostly registered Guernseys from their Valley Gem Farms of Cumberland, Wis. They are also planning on featuring a handful of registered Jerseys in the showcase during their PHOTO SUBMITTED time at the Minnesota Gina and Roy Grewe stand with a Guernsey heifer. State Fair Thursday, The Grewes milk 160 cows with their son, Brandon, Aug. 22 through and daughter-in-law, Kim, near Cumberland, Wis. Monday, Sept. 2. “We knew this was They plan to exhibit at the open going to be a lot of work, but it’ll be worth it,â€? Brandon Grewe show again this year, which is why they said. “My mom is a teacher and loves are also bringing Jerseys. “We have to have cows available the idea of showing the public how our family takes care of these dairy animals. for the milking demonstrations, so it’ll Also, we love the fair atmosphere and be nice to have the Jerseys available for being surrounded by friends, dairy that during show day,â€? Grewe said. Since 1984, the farmers of the dairy breeders and others in the industry.â€? Grewe milks 160 cows on his showcase herd have served as cattle family’s Barron County farm with his ambassadors at the fair as their animals wife, Kim, and parents, Roy and Gina. are used for milking demonstrations, Grewe’s brother, Brock, helps care for educational interactions and media requests. the 500 acres of cropland. “These cows are also used for hand The herd consists of 65 registered Guernseys, 40 registered Jerseys, and milking,â€? Mold said. “We know some the remainder a mix of Holstein, Brown people may wonder why we do that. It gives people the chance to get up close Swiss and Milking Shorthorn. “The Jerseys at Valley Gem are to a cow, who otherwise would not the elite genetics of Mi-Will Farm have the opportunity and it serves as of Missouri, which is Kim’s family,â€? an entrĂŠe to having a discussion of how Grewe said. “We own them in things have changed and how modern partnership with her dad, Mike Wilson, agriculture and modern dairy provides clean, safe and wholesome food.â€? and sister, Shannon Kleiboeker.â€? While the original purpose of the Valley Gem Farms has a longstanding history of Guernsey showcase was to feature a single breed, cattle, and both Grewe and his wife are that has since changed. The ďƒžrst mixed involved in the breed association at the breed showcase was in 2018. “While it’s beautiful to showcase a state and national level. The family decided in late spring whole string of one breed, it is nice for they would take on the task of being the fair visitors who are not familiar with dairy animals to see differences,â€? Mold featured herd at the state fair. “As soon as we agreed to this, Kim said. With less than two weeks until the and I immediately got on our phones and asked for help. We pieced together event, the Grewes are making ďƒžnal who could be at the fair and who we preparations – washing and painting boards, gathering supplies and putting would need at home,â€? Grewe said. Grewe and his wife will spend most together a display. They will use about six truck and of their time at the fair, while Grewe’s parents will keep the farm running in trailers for the 1.5-hour drive to the fairgrounds, and also plan to bring an ample amount of feed. The 16 cows will go through a bale and a half of baleage a day, Grewe said. “We’re just ďƒžnishing up ďƒžguring out the logistics,â€? he said. “There is a lot to plan for in order to pull this all off with cows that belong at the state fair and can look the part.â€? The Wisconsin family is eager to showcase their animals in a different manner than they have in the past. And BRANDON GREWE, DAIRY FARMER for the Minnesota State Fair, this might Wisconsin. They will rely on the support be the new normal. of their hired help to pick up where Mold said when the Moo Booth others cannot, and they are also looking began in 1991, there were over 15,000 forward to friends helping maintain the dairy herds in Minnesota. Now, that showcase and ďƒžtting the cattle for the number is less than 3,000. exhibit and open class show. “The way the industry keeps When deciding which cattle would moving, we have to stick together and make the trip, Grewe said he wanted to work together to survive,â€? Grewe said. feature his best of the breed. “That’s from breed to breed and state to “We’ve always taken a big string to state.â€? shows, but nothing to this magnitude,â€? Mold agreed. he said. “I’ve had to really look at “It’s been nice to feature a our herd and choose 16 cows that are Minnesota herd, but we should really worthy of the state fair.â€? look at it as a way of coming together The Grewes are no strangers to the as a dairy industry,â€? she said. “There Great Minnesota Get Together. In 2018, are fewer and fewer of us in agriculture they had the supreme champion of the and it’s important to work together and open class show with their Four Winds put on the best showcase we can.â€? GG Activate Heaven.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 7
ConƟnued from MILLERS | Page 1 Rob’s family – wife, Kathi, and their children, Bradley and Ella – welcomed people to their farm July 30 to view their new facility. The family upgraded from their double-7 parlor, which ran nearly around the clock and needed three people to complete each milking shift. “It was a struggle to get all the cows milked in one eighthour shift,” Miller said. Now the Millers can milk about 140 cows per hour with two people. Although it takes the parlor 13 minutes to make one round, that time could be reduced if needed. The parlor is capable of milking up to 1,100 cows. The new facility has already been a benet for the cows. Since installing the parlor, there has been a decrease
in clinical mastitis. Miller said the herd’s somatic cell count stayed below 100,000 all winter and is currently at 120,000. “We’re really happy with that,” he said. Not just the cows, but people have also seen the benets of using the new parlor. “The employees love it,” Miller said. It has been an improvement compared to the old facility. “It wasn’t a good place to be when it was above 80 degrees or 30 below,” Miller said. “It was bad. It had denitely used up its life expectancy.” That is not the work environment the Millers wanted for their employees. “We want them to be treated with respect,” Miller said. “We want to treat them how we
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Cows ride on the new 32-stall internal rotary parlor the Millers started using March 2018.
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The Millers – (from leŌ) Jack, Pat, Luke, Rob and Bradley – milk 700 cows on their farm near Lewiston, Minn. They hosted a tour to their farm July 30. would want to be treated.” The temperature in the new parlor area stays fairly regulated. Two large overhead doors can be open in the summer to let in a breeze or closed in the winter to keep the warmth in from the in-oor heat. “Our employees were milking in t-shirts when it was negative 50 degrees outside,” Miller said. “I don’t know how we would have made it through the last winter in our old parlor.” Originally, the Millers had been looking at robots to milk their cows; however, it wasn’t a good t for the layout of their freestall barns. So they started looking at parlors. They liked the internal rotary option despite its price tag being $100,000 more over conventional parlors. “We knew labor would
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be an issue,” Miller said. “We chose this rotary so we had the opportunity to incorporate more technology.” The parlor is built with the option to install robotic arms for prepping udders, attaching milking units and for post dipping along with the ability to add milk meters. “We overdesigned this knowing we could expand it,” Miller said. The internal aspect of a rotary piqued the Millers’ interest on one of their information-gathering tours before building. “The cows were so calm,” Miller said. “You could walk in front of those cows, and they were calm and content.” That is now the case with their cows, too. The cows have not struggled with the 45-degree turn it
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takes to get on the carousel. “We’ve been impressed with cow ow. You need to have good cow ow to make this work because it’s hard for the workers to get out [of the parlor] quickly,” Miller said, referring to having to go up and down sets of stairs and through a tunnel to get to the middle of the parlor. This also helps keep the parlor quiet. “We like people not having to go out and get the cows, and hearing them hooting, hollering and whistling to get them in,” Miller said. After 1.5 years of use, the Millers are pleased with their decision to let their cows go for a ride to be milked three times a day. “It has exceeded our expectations,” Miller said.
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Page 8 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
Help is available for dairy farmers USDA has announced details of its trade mitiga- Broker David Kurzawski. “We’ve had several years tion effort. This program includes $14.5 billion in of rising xed costs, amid lower milk prices. That’s assistance to farmers. “Dairy farmers are being paid made for tighter margins. Because of that, there’s lots at a rate of 20 cents per hundredweight,” said Chris of pressure on dairy farmers. They’ve done a good job Galen, Senior Vice President of Membership Ser- of culling animals and unfortunately, closing some of vices and Strategic Initiatives, National their doors. That’s nally starting to work Ag Insider Milk Producers Federation. “That is up its way into the dairy markets.” Demand from the 12 cents per hundredweight remains relatively strong across the board payment rate that they got last year in for U.S. dairy products. “If something rethe rst round of the Market Facilitation ally derailed demand, like a new wrinkle Program.” Enrollment for MFP is underto the trade wars, that could potentially way at county Farm Service Agency ofput a wrinkle in prices, but I think it’s ces. Sign-up is also available through behind us. We’re moving closer to better September 20 for the new Dairy Margin deals on trade.” Coverage program. “Dairy farmers can now go to their county FSA ofce and dip Class III price tops $17 out of two wells; one being the DMC proAccording to USDA, the July Federal gram and the other is the MFP program Order Class III milk price was $17.55 per that was just announced in July. hundredweight. That is the rst time since By Don Wick early 2015 the Class III price topped $17. Columnist Dairy farmers supported by MFP The July price was $3.45 higher than one According to a study conducted by year earlier. Thus far, the Class III price the American Farm Bureau Federation Market In- has averaged $15.58 for this year. tel, dairy farmers will share $351 to $371 million in Market Facilitation Program payments. That gure is New food trends could reinvigorate dairy sector based on the Trump Administration making all three According to a publication produced by Farmer tranches of payments. Crop producers will receive Mac, the dairy industry continues to be burdened with MFP payments based on a county rate, but there is a an oversupply of milk. ‘The Feed’ predicts a shake-out different formula for dairy and swine operations. will continue in the U.S. dairy industry until markets stabilize and supply and demand comes into balance. Trade war ramps up Farmer Mac did cite trends that could support the President Donald Trump has promised to im- dairy sector. The trends include a focus on digestive pose 10% tariffs on another $300 billion in Chinese wellness. Dairy products are one of the most common goods and products. Trump said China has failed to sources of probiotics, which is projected to be a $73 ramp up its purchase of U.S. agricultural products, as billion market by 2024. Another market tendency is promised. The new tariffs are scheduled to take effect toward avor experimentation. Alcohol-infused ice September 1, a few days before another round of trade cream, avored butter and spicy international cheese talks is scheduled to take place. are just a few examples. Milk production edges higher U.S. milk production is in a small growth pattern. In the 24 major dairy states, June milk production totaled more than 17 billion pounds, up just a fraction of one percent from last year. That fractional increase supports domestic price recovery. Decent prices could be seen into 2020, according to INTL FC Stone Senior
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DATCP schedules hearings on livestock siting rule The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has scheduled six public hearings to outline proposed changes to the state livestock siting rule. The meetings will be in Oshkosh August 15, Eau Claire August 19, Wausau August 20, Madison August 22, Onalaska September 4 and Spooner September 5. In addition to the public hearings, written comments can also be submitted. Dairy exports continue to decline During June, U.S. dairy exports totaled 382 million pounds, down nearly 61 million pounds from June 2018. Whey protein concentrate exports increased about 8 million pounds. Total cheese exports declined 9 million pounds and butter exports are down nearly 3 million pounds. Seeking passage of the USMCA Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson is seeking passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. At an event at ABS Global in DeForest, Johnson encouraged farmers to lobby House members to ratify the USMCA. “We’ve got to defend trade,” Johnson said. Conaway: Not seeking reelection House Agriculture Committee Ranking Member Mike Conaway has announced he will not seek reelection in 2020. In a statement, Chairman Collin Peterson praised Conaway. Peterson said Conaway “has been a steadfast champion for America’s farmers and ranchers.” Peterson and Conaway are both CPA’s and worked closely on the development of the current farm bill. A change in leadership for Dean Foods Dean Foods has named Eric Beringause as its new president and chief executive ofcer. Beringause succeeds Ralph Scozzafava, who had been on the job since 2015. Beringause has served as CEO of Gehl Foods. Dean Foods has not disclosed why Scozzafava resigned. Turn to AG INSIDER | Page 9
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 9
ConÆ&#x;nued from AG INSIDER | Page 8 Doyle to retire Foremost Farms USA President/ CEO Michael Doyle plans to retire at the end of the year. Doyle has been with the co-op in this role since 2014. Elanco acquisition Elanco Animal Health has acquired a Canadian biotechnology rm called Prevtec Microbia. Prevtec Microbia develops vaccines to help prevent bacterial diseases in food animals. The deal was valued at $60 million.
Trivia challenge California leads the nation in the production of ice cream. That answers our last trivia question. On a per-capita basis, what state consumes the most pizza? 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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Page 10 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
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Editor’s note: In this series, “Dairying in tough times,” Dairy Star is catching up with dairy farmers who began milking cows in the last ve years. These farmers are sharing how they have been able to weather the market conditions and why they see promise in today’s changing industry.
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NEILSVILLE, Wis. – When Isaac Opelt purchased his dad’s milking herd, he knew the choice he was making was not for the faint of heart. Dairy farming was going to take hard work, but also mental strength and well being. “Farming at a young age and in this climate is mentally straining,” Opelt said. “I have to be strong, work really hard, and have the will power to know I’m not the only one going through these struggles. It’s all dairy farmers, big or small.” Opelt milks 70 cows in a 56-stall tiestall barn near Neillsville, Wis. He purchased his father’s herd Jan. 1, 2017, and has worked the past 2.5 years making the dairy his own. As a young farmer, Opelt has realized quality nutrition and care for the animals are essential. These areas of management must also be coupled with labor efciency and taking care of yourself, Opelt said. “When I was just starting, people would ask me if I knew the challenges I’d face, especially at the time,” he said. “Honestly, I believe I was put on this Earth to take care of the land and animals. I take a lot of pride in farming, and that’s the reason I do it even though it’s really hard.” Within the rst year of his farming, Opelt grew his cow numbers and built a bedded pack to accommodate the expansion. The deep bedded compost pack is tilled every day for cow comfort. Then, last year he put up another heifer facility and purchased the farm’s real estate. Today, Opelt also farms 400 acres. While Opelt oversees most of the dairy’s responsibilities, he has help from his father, Larry, and cousin when they are available. He also recently hired a part-time milker. “The deal with the hard times is I’m trying to do more myself,” Opelt said. “But, I also have a family and need to spend time with them.”
On Sundays, Opelt dedicates a few hours away from the farm when he is able to be with his ancée, Jordan Voigt, and their daughter, Brynleigh, 1.5. “My ancée completely understands the struggle we’re going through and what it takes to keep a farm going,” Opelt said. “We’ve learned our relationship is better if we can keep the problems at the farm and out of the house.” Dairying has tested Opelt in many ways, but he is grateful for not having farmed in 2014. “That’s what I have going for me,” he said. “This is all I’ve ever known, and if I can do all right with the prices they’ve been the last four years, then maybe I can be successful when things turn around.” When Opelt purchased the herd, he switched to BMR corn silage. Immediately, he saw his cows increase in milk production by 5-7 pounds. Last year, he treated the haylage crop with inoculants to preserve quality of the forage. “Nutrition is a big thing for me,” Opelt said. “I don’t like to cut back on it, otherwise I’m just feeding for health problems. If you take care of your animals from the get-go, you have less problems.” Opelt also dedicates a lot of him time to keeping the barn clean. In feeding appropriately and providing a clean, dry living environment for the milking herd, Opelt’s milk quality and components carry the milk check. The herd is also healthier. “I’ve found it’s better to keep the vet away, because it doesn’t take long before the bill gets big,” Opelt said. Lately, Opelt has turned to milk pregnancy checks through Dairy Herd Improvement Association testing, but continues to rely on his veterinarian for conrming pregnancies in his heifers. While Opelt focuses his efforts with the cows, he decided to have his bookwork hired out. “That was the biggest thing we’ve changed,” he said. “Our accountant keeps track of everything, and I still have to know what’s going on with the farm nances, but it’s one less thing I have to put a lot of time into.” Whether cutting costs or investing in the Turn to OPELT | Page 11
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 11
ConƟnued from OPELT | Page 10
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Isaac Opelt looks over his herd at his farm near Neilsville, Wis. Opelt purchased his father’s dairy cows in January 2017 and the real estate of the farm last year.
dairy, Opelt has managed the rocky industry in many ways. But, overall, his approach to dairy farming has remained the same. “All I’ve ever done is dairy farmed. It’s in my blood to care for the animals and land, and I take a lot of self pride in that,” Opelt said. “Consistency is key; I’m doing the same thing as I was two years ago, I’m just making tweaks.”
“The industry hasn’t been in a good place, but it’s never been so bad that I don’t want to do it.” ISAAC OPELT, DAIRY FARMER
In making these adjustments, Opelt has kept a candid relationship with his banker and done as much of the building projects by himself and friends who are a part of the construction industry. He was also a frugal spender prior to dairy farming,
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which allowed him a savings to dip into. Many of the decisions Opelt makes for the farm come from advice of a neighbor who dairy farmed all his life. “I’ve known him for a long time and there are always questions I ask him, especially when I’m wondering how they got through the hard times,” Opelt said. “He always tells me I have to have a positive outlook.” And remaining positive is the hardest part, Opelt said. “Dairy farming is more mentally challenging than it is physical,” he said. With future prices rising, Opelt is hopeful for what his dairying career will turn out to be given the way he has been able to dairy farm the past few years. “The industry hasn’t been in a good place, but it’s never been so bad that I don’t want to do it,” Opelt said. “I’m looking forward to the day I can live comfortably by milking cows and support my family again.”
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Page 12 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
RFID tags improve traceability of diseases USDA will require new technology across cattle industry By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
MADISON, Wis. – By Jan. 1, 2023, all dairy cattle will need an electronic ear tag. The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (USDA APHIS) is improving its ability to strengthen animal disease traceability with radio frequency identication in an effort to better protect the United States livestock industry from unwanted diseases. “In the event of a disease outbreak, this will help us monitor the movement of at-risk or infected animals and then help producers return to normal operations after the incident has been resolved,” Dr. Gretchen May said. May, DVM, is the traceability program manager with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture Trade and Consumer Protection. The initiative is a three-step timeline and will begin Dec. 31 with the USDA no longer providing free metal ear tags to vendors. By Jan. 1, 2023, all dairy and beef cattle will be required to have an RFID tag to move interstate. “Every animal moving across state lines needs an ofcial ID tag, which is a permanent number, unique to that specic animal,” May said. “That number is then included on the certicate of veterinary inspection, so in the event of an outbreak we can trace where that animal is and where it’s been.” While RFID tags are becoming increasingly popular in the cattle industry, metal ear tags are still common. However, the nine-digit metal tags’ reliability has faded as the industry evolves. “We are seeing many of the very large retailers begin to demand food traceability,” said Joelle Hayden, public affairs specialist with USDA APHIS. May agreed. “Metal tags are hard to transpose accurately be-
cause of the wear on the tags, and time and effort it takes to look at an animal and read the tag,” she said. “The use of technology will only improve accuracy and efciency.” Recently, an outbreak from an animal with no ofcial ID took state veterinarians over a year to determine the source of the disease, which included quarantining 99 cattle herds across 13 states and testing each animal. In a follow up animal disease trace exercise with ofcial ID and electronic records, state veterinarians were able to conrm the source of the disease outbreak in a matter of hours. Electronic ear tags use a small antennae imbedded inside that receives and returns signal from a reading tool, often a wand or stationary device, when nearby the animal. The data is then transmitted into a computer system for record keeping and immediately available for review. For many, the RFID method is more effective in several facets – namely cost, labor and safety. “With metal tags, you have to get close to the animal, close to the ear, and sometimes you still can’t read the numbers clearly and without bothering the cow,” May said. While May and her staff do not track the use of RFID tags, she has noticed the electronic system becoming more prevalent on dairy farms based on records of cattle moving interstate. “Farmers can use the information for their herd records, but more importantly, when we’re looking at an animal, we can say with more condence we are looking at the right animal and can associate the risk of disease, if present,” May said. Over the course of three years, beginning in 2020, RFID tags will become the industry standard for ofcial IDs. By Jan. 1, 2021, USDA APHIS will no longer approve vendor produced metal ear tags and veterinarians and dairy producers must start using ofcial RFID tags. Then, by Jan. 1, 2023, all cattle – both dairy and beef – will require RFID tags, even if previously tagged with metal ofcial IDs. With this change comes a cost to producers for
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A dairy cow is checked into World Dairy Expo using its RFID tag and a reading wand. By 2023, RFID tags will become the industry standard for idenƟcaƟon. the electronic tags. To offset the cost, USDA APHIS is developing a cost share program, which is set to begin this fall, Hayden said. The USDA also has funding available to states through cooperative agreements to support the purchase of reading devices. All of this comes with the need to keep up with the marketplace. “We need to have our business work at the speed of commerce … for those animals at the market,” May said. Hayden agreed. “USDA APHIS only requires enough data to contain and control serious disease that may cripple the livestock industry, but electronic ID and record management is here,” he said. “And that will undoubtedly weigh heavily in the future of business management in the cattle industry.” Producers are encouraged to speak with their state veterinarian for details about the RFID implementation specic to each state. They may also visit the USDA’s website and signup for the USDA APHIS stakeholder newsletter for information about the cost sharing program.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 13
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Wisconsin leads with $43M disbursed By Jennifer Coyne jenn@dairystar.com
The latest numbers of the Dairy Margin Coverage program have been released, and dairy farmers who elected for $9.50 coverage have now received six payments from January to June. In Dairy Star’s coverage states of Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin, an estimated 6,570 dairy farmers have received or will be receiving payments to the tune of $65.4 million, according to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency records. Of those states, Wisconsin has garnered the most payments with $43.6 million disbursed amongst 4,000-some farms as of July 29. “Times have been especially tough for dairy farmers, and while we hope producers’ margins will increase, the [DMC] program is providing support at a critical time for many in the industry,” said USDA Under Secretary Bill Northey in a press release. “With lower premiums and higher levels of assistance than previous programs, DMC is already proving to be a good option for a lot of dairy producers across the country.” DMC replaced the Margin Protection Program for Dairy in the 2018 Farm Bill. Enrollment for the program began June 17 and will remain open until Sept. 20. To date, about 53% of dairy farmers across the United States have enrolled in the program, which accounts for nearly 42% of all milk production, or 77.7 million pounds, based on production history records for DMC. For reference, 134.8 million pounds of milk was enrolled in MPP in 2018. At the end of July, Wisconsin had the most farms enrolled in the program at 4,376 of 6,700 licensed operations with established production history, or 65.31%. Minnesota enrolled 1,595 of 2,765 (57.69%), while Iowa enrolled 550 of 974 (56.47%) and South Dakota, 49 of 208 (23.56%). “If we look at DMC, the program should help stabilize net farm operating income for those dairies with 100 to 500 cows,” said Chuck Nicholson of Cornell University. Nicholson was a part of a webinar, “Modeling the Impacts of DMC Programs, Exports and Supply Management,” hosted by the Wisconsin Farmers Union July 31. In the webinar, Nicholson compared the effectiveness of DMC to MPP had it continued based on future prices until 2023. What he found was overall, DMC should provide stability in the industry. In January, the all milk price was recorded at $16.60 per hundredweight and a feed cost of $8.89 per cwt. were used to calculate a $7.71 per cwt. margin, which triggered indemnity payments for those who elected $9.50 coverage. Indemnity payments were also triggered when the margin fell below $9.50 per cwt. for February at $7.91 per cwt.; March at $8.66 per cwt.; April at $8.82 per cwt.; May at $9.00 per cwt.; and June at $8.63 per cwt. In Minnesota, dairy farmers have the unequivocal support from state government to enroll in DMC. During the last legislative session, lawmakers passed the Dairy Assistance, Investment and Relief Initiative (DAIRI), which provides nancial aid if a dairy farm produced less than 16 million pounds of milk in 2018 and signs up for ve years of DMC. Farmers can apply for DAIRI after enrolling in DMC and providing 2018 production history and a completed W-9 form. The program was launched shortly after DMC enrollment opened with the rst payments sent out in July. “We’re processing requests as quickly as we can and have many payments just short of going out,” said Paul Hugunin, director of the agriculture marketing and development division of the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. As of late July, the state had received 900 applications with dispersed payments totaling more than $560,000. Farmers who apply for DAIRI will receive their rst payment at $0.10 per cwt. on up to 5 million pounds of production. Then, beginning Oct. 1, the state will distribute any remaining funds of the $8 million allocated to the program. “We wanted to get the money into farmers’ hands as quickly as possible without overshooting,” Hugunin said. “So, we felt comfortable with offering $0.10 and then will redistribute the rest this fall with whoever is signed up at the end of DMC enrollment.” The rst payments for DMC were issued July 11. Every week, USDA FSA releases updated enrollment information – and those numbers are expected to rise as the September deadline approaches. “The core message is DMC can do benecial things,” Nicholson said.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 15
From Our Side Of The Fence Why did you sign up for the DMC program?
Levi Ulrich Ogema, Wis. Price Co. 24 cows Tell us about your farm. I started my grandparents’ farm back up eight years ago, growing a herd of Jerseys. I have now been shipping milk for three years. I started with one cow and will be well over 30 cows in milk before 2020. The farm is about 100 acres with most of it being pasture and woods with about 40 acres of cropland. I also rent about 40 additional acres for crops and buy the rest of my feed. The barn is at full capacity since it only holds 24 cows, so a bigger farm is the current goal while growing the herd. The herd goal is to breed well balanced, sound, complete cows that are competitive in the show ring and milk with high components. Over the past couple years I have invested in great genetics and cow families to help me get to where I want to be. Why did you sign up for the program and how will it beneďƒžt your farm? I signed up for the program because of my herd size and the fact that it is there without cost. We’ve never signed up for any government programs or any other program and I was hesitant on doing so. I ďƒžgured I don’t have anything to lose with it. I only signed up for one year to see how it goes. What guidelines did you use to sign up for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program? I talked with the agent about the different ways I was able to sign up, and what way I would beneďƒžt the most, as well as what ways other farmers were signing up. I went with the full coverage level at $9.50 being under 5 million pounds of milk. When did you receive your ďƒžrst payment? What did that payment look like? I received my ďƒžrst payment July 18. That payment was a little over $1,000. What are the strengths and the weaknesses of the program in your opinion? The strengths of the program are that it didn’t cost me anything up-front other than the $100 yearly fee. The rest of my fees were taken out of my ďƒžrst payment. So I got a little bit of money out of it. The weakness is that this is no way going to help or ďƒžx a low milk price. In order for a stable milk price there needs to be a herd cap and a supply management system in place. There is way too much government involvement in dairy. The large farms are in so deep there’s no way out, and they’re basically government funded. What advice do you have for other farmers signing? My advice would be not to rely on the program as a way out of a ďƒžnancial crisis, but use it as an aid.
Sarah Weltzin Fall Creek, Wis. Eau Claire County 36 cows Tell us about your farm. Josh’s dad started the farm in 1969. After Josh took over the farm in 2009 at the age of 26, his father passed away unexpectedly. We were left with a bunch of equipment that most wouldn’t have farmed with. Every year we struggle and ďƒžnd ways to ďƒžx one or two machines, or buy a newer one to us. We have come leaps and bounds since 2009, but still have a long ways to go. We have learned a lot about crops, animals and how to work together. We believe in family farms and want to raise our kids on the farm. It teaches the kids and us so many things every day. It’s problem solving, love and compassion. We currently own 70 cattle, milking 36 cows. We have 120 tillable acres and grow our own corn and hay. Why did you sign up for the program and how will it beneďƒžt your farm? We saw that the payment paid for itself. If for some reason we do not make it milking, we don’t have any penalty to back out of the ďƒžve-year plan. It sounded like an improved program that will hopefully help stabilize a very volatile market. Every penny helps and keeps us going every day. We will take any help we can. For us, we milk more cows than we ever have and would have like to see them use more current data to base the payments off, but it still made sense. What guidelines did you use to sign up for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program? We listened to the Farm Service Agency ofďƒžce staff and signed up for the level that would beneďƒžt us the most. We signed up on June 25 at 95%. When did you receive your ďƒžrst payment? What did that payment look like? We got our ďƒžrst payment on July 16 for $1,093. What are the strengths and the weaknesses of the program in your opinion? Strengths: Every bit of the money helps. Weakness: The program uses old data (milk pounds from 2011 through 2013) to ďƒžgure out the payments. In the old program there was a bump ďƒžlled in for every year for you to add cattle, and this new program does not. The biggest weakness is we wish milk prices were up there so we didn’t need programs like this. What advice do you have for other farmers signing? It was a no-brainer for our family. It was right for us and our situation. We need that little extra to keep our dream of the family farm alive.
Doug Heintz Caledonia, Minn. Houston County 250 cows Tell us about your farm. I farm together with my wife, Julie, and our son, Dayne. We have one part-time employee, Matt Feldmeier, who has been with us for 14 years and is our herdsman. Robots have been milking our cows for 10.5 years. In addition to our milking herd, we also raise 450 acres consisting of corn and alfalfa. We also raise our replacement heifers. Why did you sign up for the program and how will it beneďƒžt your farm? To be able to lock in a $9.50 margin at a $0.15 cost, we thought we had to do it, especially after watching what the prices have done in the last four years. What guidelines did you use to sign up for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program? We signed up 95% production at the $9.50 margin level for ďƒžve years. We signed up on the ďƒžrst day, June 17. When did you receive your ďƒžrst payment? What did that payment look like? We received our ďƒžrst payment about three weeks after signing up. We used the estimate calculator through FSA and knew what our payments would be ahead of time. The DMC payment for the ďƒžrst six months plus the payment through Minnesota’s Dairy Assistance, Investment, and Relief Initiative together would pay for the premium for all ďƒžve years. We knew that upfront so right now we break even on the program. Any money we receive will be extra. What are the strengths and the weaknesses of the program in your opinion? Strength: The feed cost is the highest cost when producing milk so it’s nice to lock in a $9.50 margin for ďƒžve full years. Weakness: It’s difďƒžcult to expand and account for our son in the program. He could have signed up as his own farm, but to come into an existing farm is close to impossible. We added a third robot after 2015 so we don’t get to max out our production. Our production history is only at 4 million pounds of milk, but we produce closer to 6 million now. What advice do you have for other farmers signing up? Take time to run the numbers with the estimate calculator. Signing up for ďƒžve years gives you quite a few advantages. Take advantage of the 25% discount with the full ďƒžve years. In Minnesota, signing up for ďƒžve years also gives you the DAIRI rebate. Also, if you had been in the Margin Protection Program for Dairy and you sign up for DMC for all ďƒžve years, 50% of the premium you paid for the MPP but didn’t use will be put towards the DMC program.
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Page 16 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
ConƟnued from OUR SIDE | Page 15
Lynn and Nicholas Hicks Gilman, Wis. Taylor County 70 cows Tell us about your farm. We are a certied organic farm, located north of Gilman. We are 100% family operated. We currently milk about 70 mixed breed cows. Why did you sign up for the program and how will it benet your farm? We had signed up for other government programs in the past, so we were eligible to sign up for DMC. We were hoping for more help than we received. Sadly, the information the government is using is based on what your farm did for production ve to six years ago. What guidelines did you use to sign up for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program? We went on what the people at the FSA ofce advised us to do. When did you receive your rst payment? What did that payment look like? We have not seen our rst payment. It was deposited into the wrong account by the FSA ofce and has not yet been reissued. What are the strengths and the weaknesses of the program in your opinion? I think farming in general is in such a bad place right now that this Band-Aid is not going to be big enough to solve the problem. I think as we move into fall and winter there will be many more farms having to shut their doors due to lack of money and feed. What advice do you have for other farmers signing? I don’t really have any advice for others.
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Matt Schelling Orange City, Iowa Sioux County 150 cows Tell us about your farm. I am the third generation of our family to dairy on this farm. We raise our replacements, grow our own feed and do custom haying. I enjoy participating in dairy advocacy. My whole family gets involved with helping out with open houses and other dairy-related events, and that has been a lot of fun. I am currently an Iowa Division Board Member of Midwest Dairy Association. Why did you sign up for the program and how will it benet your farm? I wanted to get protection against rising feed costs. This new version of the program will adjust for dairy quality alfalfa. It helps that you will get 75% of your premiums back from the MPP-Dairy program. Signing up for the DMC program was really a no-brainer. What guidelines did you use to sign up for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program? I was enrolled in the MPP-Dairy program and will enroll in the DMC program as soon as possible at the $9.50 level. With MPP-Dairy, I normally participated at the minimal level, but one year I decided to increase my coverage. I basically got my increased premiums back, so it turned out to be a wash. When did you receive your rst payment? What did that payment look like? I haven’t received any payment as of yet. Sioux County is having problems getting the program going due to some issues they have had with staff turnover. What are the strengths and the weaknesses of the program in your opinion? I think they ne-tuned the feed costs calculations to more closely reect our true costs. I think they have made an honest effort to create a program that will help dairy farmers. What advice do you have for other farmers signing up? Listen to the experts. Fred Hall, the dairy specialist with the Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, does a great job of explaining things and advising dairy farmers about their options. There are a lot of resources out there to help dairy farmers make a decision. I urge all dairy farmers to take advantage of these resources.
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Randy and Elaine Franck DeWitt, Iowa Clinton County 80 cows Tell us about your farm. We farm in partnership with Elaine’s parents, Lee and Luanne Barber. We milk 80 Brown Swiss cows and farm about 500 acres of corn, soybeans and alfalfa. We also buy Holstein bottle calves and resell the steers at around 500 pounds. Why did you sign up for the program and how will it benet your farm? We signed up for the DMC program to help with our cash ow. What guidelines did you use to sign up for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program? We enrolled in early July and chose to insure 95% of our production at the $9.50 level. Since the 2019 payments are retroactive to January, it was easy to know what our net payment would be. When did you receive your rst payment? What did that payment look like? We received our rst payment July 15. Even though the premium is not due until September, we opted to have it withheld from the rst payment, giving us a net payment of $6,022. What are the strengths and the weaknesses of the program in your opinion? The maximum coverage available for DMC is $1.50 /cwt. more for less than $.01/cwt. additional premium when compared to the highest level of coverage under the old Margin Protection Program. USDA has revised the feed cost calculations to include the price of higher quality alfalfa that is typically used in dairy rations, making the margins more realistic. Larger operations can cover their rst 5 million pounds at an affordable rate without paying huge premiums on the balance of their production. Also, producers have more exibility when it comes to the annual enrollment. If you decide to not participate one year you can do that with no penalty. A weakness of this program is that the production histories were not recalculated and the pounds of milk a producer is being paid on may not be reective of the operation as it is today. What advice do you have for other farmers signing up? Contact your local FSA ofce. They will be able to run scenarios to calculate your premium and net payment at the various coverage levels.
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Nick Lundberg 240 cows Holloway, Minn. Swift County Tell us about your farm. I milk 240 cows. Sixty of them are Jerseys while the other 180 are Holsteins some registered, but mostly grade. I raise my replacements and feed out my bull calves. Why did you sign up for the program and how will it benet your farm? I signed up for the program because it was a way to recover some of the revenue lost due to the low milk prices. It was very benecial to help cover some of the summer bills and get a little caught up from last year. What guidelines did you use to sign up for the Dairy Margin Coverage Program? I used the decision tool FSA had on its website so I could see what payments and premiums would be at the different coverage levels. I went with the 95% on the 5 million pounds and then didn’t do anything with the left over pounds because there was no return on them. I wasn’t in operation during the years used for production history, so they used the pounds produced in the facility I rented for those years. When did you receive your rst payment? What did that payment look like? I received my rst federal payment in late July. It was about 75% of the total payment for the year they showed when I signed up. I received my state DAIRI payment the rst week in August. With the payment compared to projected production for this year, it adds about $1.75 per hundredweight for the year. What are the strengths and the weaknesses of the program in your opinion? The strength of the program is it helps to ease the burden from the low milk price. The one thing I didn’t like about it was to get the lower premium you had to sign up for ve years. And where the price is at now and can contract to get for next year moving forward, you probably won’t receive a payment next year but will still have to pay the premium, in my opinion. What advice do you have for other farmers signing up? The only advice I have is to sign up if you can because if you do not, you are leaving money on the table. Every penny counts in this current state of agriculture.
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Top Performers
Good help, breeding sustains Peters’ family dairy Roger Peters Tyler, Minn. Lincoln County 225 cows What is your current herd average, butterfat and protein? We are currently at 28,100 pounds of milk, 1,060 pounds of fat and 915 pounds of protein
How many times a day do you milk? If you don’t milk 3X a day, have you tried it in the past? We milk twice a day. We have never even considered going to three times a day. Do you contract your milk? Has it been successful for you? We tried contracting a couple of times, but didn’t feel it was worth it. We sell milk every day and gure over the
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The management crew at the Roger Peters dairy farm includes – (from leŌ) Roger Peters, herdsman Kyle Moser, and Roger’s son, Michael. The Peters family milks 225 cows on their third-generaƟon dairy farm located in Tyler, Minn. course of a year we will hit the average price. JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
Cows at Roger Peters’ dairy wear electronic ear tags. The tags track cow acƟvity levels, ruminaƟon and the amount of Ɵme spent eaƟng.
Describe your housing and milking facility. Our barn is naturally ventilated with stir fans over the freestalls. Our freestalls are bedded with sand
that we recover with a sand separator. We milk in a double-8 parallel parlor. What is your herd health program? We perform a herd health check and do a pregnancy check every two weeks. We
follow the normal vaccination protocols. What does your dry cow and transition program consist of? Our goal is to give each
10 Krone Big X 1000,
Equipment Specials! 07 Krone Big X 650
28xx engine hours, 19xx cutter head hours, 20 knife drum, kernel processor with Twin Cut Rolls, 4wd
$125,000
07 Krone V12
4wd, kp, hay chute, serviced and field ready
Excel. cond., 780 hp, 4wd, kp, and hay chute. 1594 eng. hrs. - $185,000
07 Krone Big M II
99 JD 6850 Chopper,
145,900
2854 eng hrs 1850 cutter hrs., Completely serviced and ready to go
$118,900.
Turn to PETERS | Page 20
4x4, 3800 engine hrs, 2700 cutter hrs.
$68,500
2007 Krone V12.
15xx eng hrs and 11xx cutter hrs. Looks good, serviced - $185,000
94 NH 1915,
silage cutter with 360N4 header very well maintained and field ready - $32,500
866-841-1819 or 712-753-4757
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605-753-8650
www.fabersfarm.com
443 Pheasant Ridge Drive Watertown, SD
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 19
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KEYSTONE FARM, NEW GLARUS, WISCONSIN Pete, Lauren and Katie Raskovic 50 registered Jerseys and Holsteins 50 to 60 lbs/cow/day, SCC average 100,000 “We use Udder Comfort™ on all fresh cows, applying it 2x/day for 7 days. It’s just as important to that fresh cow as a calcium bolus, and for about the same cost (per lactation), we prepare the udder for results that pay by getting every lactation started out right with Udder Comfort,” says Pete Raskovic, Keystone Farm, New Glarus, Wisconsin. Pete brought his automotive skills to Wisconsin in the world of racing, as well as his passion for the dairy life he grew up around in his native Pennsylvania. Dale Foster manages the Keystone herd of 50 Holsteins and Jerseys, and Pete’s daughters Katie and Lauren show some of them, like Keystone Oliver Pickle, standing 6th of 22 in the Sr. 2-yr-old Junior Jersey competition at the 2018 World Dairy Expo. With a 100,000 SCC average, Pete says that, “Getting fresh udders started right pays off in our milk quality at the cheese plant. We started Udder Comfort with samples from Expo and compared for ourselves: Cows receiving it had swelling reduced exponentially faster after calving. That’s what we want to see. It works a lot better than other products. We can see and feel the difference.”
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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, August 10, 2019
ConƟnued from PETERS | Page 18
cow a 60-day dry period. Fresh cows are kept in our transition pen for two weeks postpartum and are given a special ration we have used successfully for the past 15 years. This ration consists of dry alfalfa and grass hay, corn silage, wet corn gluten, a corn/ protein/ mineral premix, and a liquid product called Dairy Sweet. What is the composition of your ration? What has been one of your most recent changes that has been successful for you? Our milking herd’s ration includes haylage, corn silage, corn gluten, a corn/ protein/ mineral premix and Dairy Sweet. We recently began to use baleage. It’s good feed and the cows really go for it. Baleage will denitely help increase feed intakes. Through the years you’ve been farming, what change has created the biggest jump in your herd average? Getting a TMR mixer. It enables us to measure all our feed ingredients precisely and ensures they are thoroughly mixed. What role does genetics play in your production level and what is your breeding program? Genetics has played a big part. We have never had a bull on the place. We have been 100% AI since I began farming. We use sexed semen for the rst two services on our heifers, and then switch to a beef bull. We use sexed semen for the rst service on our cows, and then go to
JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
Stalls are bedded with sand at Roger Peters’ dairy near Tyler, Minn. The sand is recovered with a mechanical separator that uses water to wash the sand from the manure. a beef bull. We use the Alta Genetics mating program to match our cows with the bulls that will improve them. What type of improvements would you like to make that would increase your rolling herd average? It would be nice to change our freestall barn over to either cross ventilation or tunnel ventilation.
JERRY NELSON/DAIRY STAR
Calves at the Roger Peters dairy farm are boƩle-fed for two weeks, then put into group pens where they have access to an automaƟc calf feeder. Bull calves and any calves that were sired by beef bulls are sold at birth.
List three management strategies that have kept you protable. I am always here to make sure things are running smoothly. Hiring a good herdsman to help me manage things has proven to be a big help. I feed the cows a fresh TMR twice a day, so our feed waste is almost zero.
What would you say are the three most important factors for you that helped you attain your current herd average? Good help, good breeding and paying attention to the details. Tell us about your farm. I took over the farm from my parents after I graduated from South Dakota State University in 1981. Our herd has always been 100% registered Holsteins. We farm two quarters of land and raise our own forages, but we buy most of our grain. We raise silage corn, alfalfa and a little wheat for straw. We put up all the forages ourselves except for the baleage.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 21
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Over 1200 items with pictures updated daily • Go to www.mmcjd.com COMBINES 4 JD S660, 2016, 2WD, Dls, 635 hrs., 473 Sep, #143510 ..$249,500 4 JD S670, 2015, PRWD, Dls, 1306 hrs., 1014 Sep, #143718 $234900 4 Pickett Twin Master (Double Cylinder), 2013, 2WD, #159263 .........................................................................$139500 4 JD 9570 STS, ‘11, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Dls, 1333 hrs., 971 Sep, #154420 ............................................................$139,500 2 JD S670, 2012, PRWD, Dls, 2295 hrs., 1834 Sep, #143860.$149,500 2 JD S660, ‘13, Corn/Bean, PRWD, Dls, 986 hrs., 688 Sep, #154698 ........................................................................$209,500 10 JD 9770 STS, ‘09, 2WD, Dls, 2153 hrs., 1649 Sep, #144243 $117,900 10 Pickett Twin Master, 2014, Specialty, Chopper, #159226 $148,500 10 JD 7720, 1980, Corn/Bean, 2WD, Singles, 4785 hrs., #160022 $13,900 17 JD S690, 2013, PRWD, Dls, 1409 hrs., 998 Sep, #144337 $223,900 17 JD 9660 STS, ‘05, 2WD, Dls, 3538 hrs., 2331 Sep, #151601 $64,900 17 JD 9660 STS, ‘04, 2WD, Dls, 3731 hrs., 2670 Sep, #150873 $64,900 17 JD S680, 2013, PRWD, Dls, 1498 hrs., 987 Sep, #144323 $209,500 17 JD S680, 2013, PRWD, Dls, 1426 hrs., 1013 Sep, #144322 $214,900 17 JD S660, 2015, 2WD, Dls, 785 hrs., 545 Sep,#157075 ...$229,500 17 JD S770, 2018, 2WD, Dls, 299 hrs., 228 Sep,#156063 ...$329,500 17 JD S660, 2012, 1342 hrs., 1025 Sep Hrs., #155239 .......$178,000 7 JD S680, 2012, 2WD, Dls, 2267 hrs., 1529 Sep, #152167 $149,500 7 JD S660, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 986 hrs., 769 Sep, #155826 $230,500 7 JD S670, 2013, 2WD, Dls, 1456 hrs., 998 Sep, #145812 $189,500 7 JD S780, 2018, PRWD, Dls, 385 hrs., 268 Sep, #159539 $421,900 7 JD 6620, 1981, 4500 hrs., 4500 Sep Hrs., #156979...........$8,500 7 JD 9400, 1989, 6762 hrs., 4175 Sep Hrs., #156978.........$18,995 7 JD 9600, 1990, 6778 hrs., 4605 Sep Hrs., #155273.........$29,500 6 JD S670, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 1897 hrs., 1260 Sep, #153514 $192,900 6 JD S660, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 671 hrs., 381 Sep, #142203 $239,500 1 JD 9770 STS, 2011, PRWD, Dls, 1289 hrs., 903 Sep,#143429.$145,900 15 JD S670, 2016, 2WD, Dls, 362 hrs., 265 Sep, #144309 ..$294,000 15 JD S690, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 1734 hrs., 1156 Sep, #144335.$219,500 15 JD S670, 2017, PRWD, Dls, 972 hrs., 624 Sep, #146347 .$294,500 15 JD S680, 2016, PRWD, Dls, 1169 hrs., 816 Sep, #148149 $279,500 15 JD S680, 2016, PRWD, Dls, 987 hrs., 718 Sep, #148150 $294,000 15 JD S680, 2016, PRWD, Dls, 1325 hrs., 989 Sep, #157714 $246,750 15 JD S780, 2018, PRWD, 326 hrs., 241 Sep Hrs., #157785 $430,000 15 JD S680, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 1702 hrs., 1341 Sep, #156460.$205,500 15 JD S660, 2014, 1048 hrs., #155345 ..............................$189,500 15 JD 9660 STS, 2005, 3435 hrs., 2551 Sep Hrs., #155302 ..$56,750 16 JD S680, 2015, PRWD, 1724 hrs., 1235 Sep, #144329...$224,900 16 JD S680, 2015, PRWD, 1235 hrs., 859 Sep, #144326.....$259,500 16 JD S680, 2015, PRWD, Dls, 1770 hrs., 1133 Sep, #144328 .$239,500 16 JD S690, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 1443 hrs., 982 Sep, #144333 $234,900 16 JD S670, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 1333 hrs., 979 Sep, #151692 $209,500 16 JD S670, 2017, 2WD, Dls, 257 hrs., 186 Sep, #146346 ..$349,500 16 JD S780, 2018, PRWD, Dls, 346 hrs., 235 Sep, #157910.$425,000 16 JD S780, 2018, PRWD, Dls, 400 hrs., 283 Sep, #157911 .$420,000 16 JD S680, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 2420 hrs., 1781 Sep, #159509.$187,400 16 JD S780, 2018, PRWD, Dls, 337 hrs., 279 Sep, #154461 $425,000 16 JD S780, 2018, PRWD, Dls, 401 hrs., 327 Sep, #154560 $425,250 5 JD S660, 2013, PRWD, Dls, 1230 hrs., 811 Sep, #151693 $199,500 5 JD S680, 2017, PRWD, Dls, 901 hrs., 580 Sep, #146345 $329,500 5 JD S680, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 1845 hrs., 1248 Sep, #147716 $209,500 5 JD S680, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 1796 hrs., 1212 Sep, #158103.$219,500 5 JD S680, 2013, PRWD, Dls, 1680 hrs., 1187 Sep, #154421.$224,900 11 JD S670, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 1756 hrs., 1218 Sep, #144313 ........................................................................$189,500 11 JD S670, 2017, 2WD, Dls, 771 hrs., 496 Sep, #146349 ..$299,500 8 JD 9770 STS, 2008, PRWD, Dls, 2570 hrs., 1508 Sep, #146342 $114,900
224,900
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8 JD S670, 2016, 2WD, Dls, 524 hrs., 372 Sep, #148148 ..$279,500 8 JD S670, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 1650 hrs.,1265 Sep, #155388.$210,000 8 JD S780, 2018, PRWD, Dls, 336 hrs., 259 Sep, #153997 $439,500 14 JD S670, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 963 hrs., 435 Sep, #144312 .$239,500 14 JD S690, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 1895 hrs., 1422 Sep, #153332.$194,000 14 JD 9750 STS, 2000, 7685 hrs., 5021 Sep Hrs, #155851 ...$39,500 14 JD S770, 2018, 244 hrs., 190 Sep Hrs., #155380 ...........$389,500 3 JD 9870 STS, 2008, PRWD, Dls, 2662 hrs., 1842 Sep, #143756 ........................................................................$117,900 3 JD S660, 2013, 2WD, Dls, 1259 hrs., 882 Sep, #141412 $179,500 3 JD S680, 2013, PRWD, Dls, 1305 hrs., 967 Sep, #140845 $224,900 3 JD S690, 2014, PRWD, Dls, 1732 hrs., 1303 Sep, #145222.$224,900 3 JD 9670 STS, 2009, 1884 hrs., 1405 Sep, #154636 .......$149,500 3 JD S680, 2017, PRWD, Dls, 729 hrs., 515 Sep, #153999.$360,000 3 JD S680, 2012, PRWD, Dls, 2300 hrs., 1680 Sep, #154637.$184,000 COMBINE PLATFORMS 4 JD 620F, 2012, 20’, #152753 ...........................................$23,900 4 JD 635F, 2008, 35’, #150767 ...........................................$18,900 4 JD 630F, 2013, #156057 .................................................$25,900 2 JD 635F, 2006, 35’, #142452 ...........................................$14,500 10 JD 635F, 2005, 35’, #151340 ..........................................$13,500 10 JD 920F, 2003, 20’ Feet, #160021 ...................................$13,900 17 JD 635F, 2012, 35’, #144268 ...........................................$18,900 17 JD 630F, 2009, 30’, #159505 ...........................................$15,900 17 JD 640FD, 2014, 40’, #151563 .......................................$72,500 17 JD 635F, 2010, 35’, #157461 ...........................................$22,600 17 JD 630F, 2014, #155241 .................................................$31,000 7 JD 635F, 2006, 35’, #140683 ...........................................$11,900 7 JD 930F, 2001, 30’, #151145 .............................................$9,750 7 JD 635F, 2009, #156903 .................................................$20,900 7 JD 218, 1985, #156981.....................................................$1,695 7 JD 920, 1990, #156980.....................................................$4,995 7 JD 625F, 2008, #155436 .................................................$19,900 7 JD 930F, 2001, #155274 .................................................$11,500 6 JD 625F, 2012, 25’, #142196 ..........................................$23,900 6 Case 810, #150708 ..........................................................$2,500 6 Case 1020, 2003, 30’, #150709......................................$13,500 6 JD 635F, 2010, 35’, #148646 ..........................................$21,900 1 JD 635F, 2013, #155656 .................................................$28,900 1 JD 630F, 2006, 30’, #143427 ...........................................$21,500 1 JD 635F, 2012, 3’5, #143927 ..........................................$18,900 1 JD 635F, 2008, 35’, #145292 ...........................................$14,900 15 JD 635F, 35’, #153335.....................................................$27,500 15 JD 635F, 2004, 35’, #150449 ...........................................$12,900 15 JD 635F, 2011, 35’, #146353 ..........................................$24,500 15 JD 635F, 2011, 35’, #147914 ..........................................$23,650 15 JD 635F, 2013, #155556 .................................................$27,500 15 JD 635F, 2012, #155219 .................................................$23,500 15 JD 635F, 2012, #155553 .................................................$24,200 16 JD 640FD, 2014, 40’, #144272 ........................................$64,900 16 JD 630F, 2004, 30’, #157864 ..........................................$11,000 16 JD 645FD, 2017, 45’, #154190 .......................................$89,500 5 JD 635F, 2010, 35’, #142787 ..........................................$21,900 5 JD 630F, 2004, 30’, #151382 ...........................................$11,000 5 JD 635F, 2011, 35’, #152874 ...........................................$21,900 5 JD 635FD, 2015, 35’, #150552 ........................................$64,900 5 JD 635F, 2009, #156161 .................................................$18,500 5 JD 625F, 2014, #155236 .................................................$25,900 5 JD 630F, 2014, 30’, #154411 ...........................................$33,900 5 JD 635F, 2010, #155411 .................................................$21,500 5 JD 635F, 2011, 35’, #153865 ...........................................$22,900
209,500
JD S690, 2014, 1733 hrs.,1156 Sep $ Hrs., #144335
5 JD 640FD, 2013, 40’, #153979 ........................................$58,500 8 JD 635FD, 2014, 35’, #145209 .......................................$59,500 8 JD 635F, 2010, 35’, #140551 ..........................................$14,900 8 JD 640FD, 2015, 40’, #150113 .......................................$69,500 8 JD 920, 1997, #156401.....................................................$5,900 8 JD 630F, 2017, #155371 .................................................$38,900 8 JD 630F, 2018, #155260 .................................................$40,900 8 JD 630F, 2018, #155372 .................................................$39,900 14 JD 635F, 2010, 35’, #144266 ...........................................$14,900 14 JD 635F, 2014, 35’, #153334 ..........................................$35,425 14 Case IH 2020, 2008, 35’, #151174..................................$14,900 14 JD 640FD, 2014, 40’, #144274 ........................................$64,900 14 JD 635F, 2014, 35’, #160527 ...........................................$30,400 3 JD 640FD, 2015, 40’, #150115 .......................................$69,500 3 JD 630F, 2004, 30’, #159502 .............................................$9,900 3 JD 635FD, 2015, #156278 ..............................................$64,900 CORN & ROW CROP HEADERS 4 JD 1293, 1996, #156056 ............................................... $17,500 2 JD 608C, 2013, 8R30”, #149199 .................................... $54,500 10 JD 893, 1999, 8R30”, #140414 ...................................... $15,900 10 JD 606C, 2013, 6R30”, #151339 .................................... $45,900 10 JD 643, 6R30”, #154149 ................................................ $10,545 17 JD 606C, 2013, 6R30”, #132993 .................................... $42,900 17 JD 612C, 2012, 12R30”, #144251 .................................. $52,900 17 JD 612C StalkMaster, 2011, 12R30” #151602 ............ $46,325 17 JD 608C, 2011, 8R30”, #145585 .................................... $44,500 17 JD 608C StalkMaster, 2009, 8R30”, #158323.............. $29,900 17 JD 608C, 2014, 8R30”, #154118 .................................... $62,000 7 JD 893, 1995, 8R30”, #146709...................................... $15,900 7 JD 618C, 2013, #156664 ............................................ $109,500 6 JD 1291, 2005, 12R22” #152339 ................................... $15,900 6 JD 608C, 2013, 8R30”, #150550 .................................... $56,000 6 JD 618C, 2013, #157033 ............................................. $109,500 6 JD 608C, 2014, 8R30”, #153953 .................................... $62,000 1 JD 608C, 2009, 8R30”, #143428 .................................... $35,900 1 JD 612C, 2013, 12R30”, #151998 .................................. $52,800 15 JD 612C, 2014, 12R30”, #151308 .................................. $83,500 15 JD 612C StalkMaster, 2008, 12R30”, #158816 ........... $43,900 15 JD 612C, 2013, #155555 ............................................... $54,500 9 JD 708C, 2018, 8R30”, #143017 .................................... $82,900 16 JD 612C, 2009, 12R30”, #144257 .................................. $41,900 16 JD 618C, 2013, 18R22”, #157585 ................................ $109,500 16 JD 612C, 2017, 12R30”, #154189 .................................. $99,500 5 JD 608C, 2012, 8R30”, #143875 .................................... $49,500 5 JD 608C, 2012, 8R30”, #148141 .................................... $49,500 5 JD 608C, 2016, #156127 ............................................... $72,500 5 Geringhoff RD800B, 2006, 8R30”, #154532 ............... $16,500 11 JD 893, 2001, 8R30”, #150723 ...................................... $14,985 11 JD 612C, 2015, 12R30”, #145281 .................................. $82,900 8 JD 612C, 2013, 12R22”, #151723 .................................. $77,500 8 JD 612C, 2014, 12R22”, #157516 .................................. $94,900 8 JD 712C, 2018, 12R22”, #158176 ................................ $123,900 8 JD 708C, 2018, 8R30”, #154389 .................................... $83,900 8 JD 608C, 2016, #155387 ............................................... $72,500 8 JD 612C, 2014, 12R22”, #153843 .................................. $87,500 8 JD 708C, 2018, #155386 ............................................... $84,900 14 JD 608C, 2011, 8R30”, #149076 .................................... $45,900 14 JD 618C, 2014, 18R22”, #160535 ................................ $116,900 14 JD 643, 1978, 6R30”, #159697 .........................................$2,900 14 JD 708C, 2018, #155378 ............................................... $79,500 3 JD 618C, 2014, 18R22”, #154665 .................................. $95,900
219,500
JD S780, 2018, $ 337 hrs., 279 Sep Hrs., #154461
425,000
Page 22 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
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The award recipient will receive an all-expensespaid trip for two to Dairy Forum 2020 to attend a special presentation ceremony held during the event. (Winner will be responsible for all tax liabilities.) The person nominating the winner will receive complimentary registration to Dairy Forum 2020. In addition, the winning operation will be highlighted in the January 2020 issue of Dairy Herd Management. Dairy Forum is widely recognized as the most important conference of the year for dairy industry leaders. The 2019 event drew an impressive crowd of 1,000 industry participants. The 2019 winner was Foster Brothers Farms near Middlebury, Vt., nominated by Ed Townley, CEO and president of Cabot Creamery Co-op. Previous winners were Schrack Farm Resources LP of Loganton, Pa.; Jer-Lindy Farms LLC of Brooten, Minn.; Holsum Dairies of Hilbert, Wis.; Hilmar Jerseys in Hilmar, Calif.; Milk Source, LLC, in Kaukauna, Wis.; McCarty Family Farms, Rexford, Kan.; Sweetwater Valley Farm, Philadelphia, Tenn.; Brubaker Farms of Mount Joy, Pa.; Haubenschild Dairy Farm, Princeton, Minn.; High Plains Dairy of Friona, Texas; Mason Dixon Farms, Gettysburg, Pa.; Clauss Dairy Farms, Hilmar, Calif.; Baldwin Dairy/Emerald Dairy, Emerald, Wis.; Si-Ellen Farms, Jerome, Idaho; Pagel’s Ponderosa Dairy, Kewaunee, Wis.; C Bar M Dairy, Jerome, Idaho; North Florida Holsteins of Bell, Fla.; KF Dairy of El Centro, Calif; Joseph Gallo Farms of Atwater, Calif.; and KBC Farms, Purdy, Mo.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 23
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USED SKIDSTEERS
‘16 Mustang 2100RT, JS Ctrls, D, 17� Tracks, Lift Cap 2100/3000,C/H/A, 2 spd, 390 hrs. - $45,250 ‘15 Gehl RT210 JS ctrls, D, 2100 lift cap, C/H/A, 2 spd, 1553 hrs............... $41,900 ‘16 Gehl R190, Gehl ctrls, D, 2100 lift cap, C&H, 2 spd., 2600 hrs ............... $27,900 ‘14 Gehl RT175, ISO switchable ctrls, D, 12� tracks, 1750 lift cap., C/H/A, 2 spd., 232 hrs. ..................................... $41,900 (7) Gehl R220, many options Start at $26,900 ‘09 Gehl 5240E, T-bar ctrls, D, 1900 lift cap, C&H, SS, 1073 hrs..................... $27,900 Gehl 4840, H Ctrls, D, 1900 Lift Cap, SS, New Engine with Warranty, 4200 hrs. ................................... $14,800 ‘78 Gehl 2600, T-bar ctrls, G, 750 Lift Cap ................................. $2,900 ‘14 Mustang 2600R, H&F ctrls., D, C&H, 2 spd., 2600 lift cap., 1576 hrs .. $28,500 ‘16 Mustang 2200R, Dual H Pilot ctrls, D, 2500 lift cap, C/H/A, 3300 hrs .... $25,900 ‘16 Mustang 2100RT, NXT3, ISO/Dual H Ctrls, C/H/A, Folding Door, 2 Spd, 550 hrs ...................................... $39,500 ‘07 Mustang 2076, JS Ctrls, D, 2200 Lift Cap., C/H/A, 2 spd, 2650 hrs...... $22,700 ‘08 Mustang 2076, Dual JS Ctrls, C/H/A, SS, 1200 hrs .............................. $27,500 ‘12 Mustang 2076, H/F Ctrls, D, 2200 Lift Cap, C&H, 2 spd, 3539 hrs ........ $19,500 ‘06 Mustang 2066, H/F Ctrls, D, 2200 Lift Cap, C&H, SS,1456 hrs.............. $19,500 ‘04 Mustang 2054. Tbar/Ft ctrls, D, 1650 Lift cap, 3200 hrs ....................... $15,900
USED SKIDSTEERS ‘99 Mustang 2050, T-bar ctrls, 1650 lift cap., D, 4623 hrs., C&H, SS, 4623 hrs .................................... $11,900 ‘15 Mustang 1900R, H/F ctrls, D, 1900 lift cap, C&H, 2 spd, 2472 hrs ......... $27,900 ‘16 Mustang 1900R, Dual H Ctrls, D, 2000 Lift Cap, C&H, 2 spd, 875 hrs .... $31,500 ‘15 Mustang 1900R, H/F ctrls, D, 1900 lift cap, 2 spd, 875 hrs ...... $29,000 ‘16 Mustang 1900R, H&F Ctrls, D, 2100 Lift Cap., C&H, 2 spd, 2727 hrs . $25,800 ‘16 Mustang 1500R, H/F Ctrls, Cab & Heat, 2717 hrs................. $23,500 ‘16 Mustang 1500R, H/F ctrls, D, 1500 lift cap., C&H, 2585 hrs..... $22,500 ‘15 Mustang 1350R, H/F ctrls, D, C&H, 1450 lift cap., C&H, 1263 hrs..... $25,000
USED TRACTOR ‘72 JD 4320, 2wd, Quick Hitch, 11,618 hrs. ................................ $13,500
USED TMRS/MIXERS
‘16 Penta 6020, 650 CuFt, 16� ext, Flat Frt Conveyor, Scale, Low Usage - $22,000 ‘07 Penta 8020, 800 cu. ft., corner door in front and rear, 2 spd...................$17,900 ‘04 Penta 5600, 600 cu. ft., EZ 2000V scale, corner door ......................$13,500 ‘15 Penta 5020SD, 500 CuFt, 4’ RH Conveyor, Hurricane Auger ........$23,900 ‘08 Penta 5620HD, 600 cu. ft., 8� rubber ext., right corner door ................$23,500 ‘07 Penta 2410 Electric Stationary Mixer, 2 spd, No Motor ...........................$8,500
USED TMRS/MIXERS Knight 3300, 260 CuFt, 3 auger discharge ........................$6,900 Knight 2300, 260 cu. ft., 3’ discharge .................................$6,900 ‘11 Kuhn Knight VTC 1100, LH slide tray, rear door, 2 scales, mounted to ‘12 Peterbuilt 367 w/40,619 miles, 66,000 GVW, 10 spd., hyd. drive, 1100 cu. ft. ....................$85,000 ‘05 Kuhn Knight 3130, 300 cu. ft., scale w/remote, 2 ft., LH disch............$10,500 Automatic ATG1800B, 1800 bu./hr., 54� blower, 4 cut rolls, load auger $8,500 ‘12 Henke 1254, 4000 bu. per hr .$26,200
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HAY & FORAGE
‘06 Haybuster 2650 Tub Grinder, Self Loading - $15,500
MANURE HANDLING ’08 Kuhn Knight 8132 Frt And Rear Splash Guards.............................$17,000 ‘13 Kuhn Knight 8132, 3200 Gal, 435 Cu ft ............................................ $23,900 Kuhn Knight 8132, 3200 Gal, 435 CuFt ............................................ $19,500 ‘11 Kuhn Knight 8124, 2400 gal...... $18,900 Kuhn Knight 8124, 2400 gal., 500 bu., front and rear splash guards .......$14,900 Balzer 1800 gal. .............................$6,500 ‘00 Balzer Manure Pump V6, 8’ Vertical ......................................$4,500 ‘14 H&S 660, Upper Beater, Hyd Drive Apron, Variable Spd ....................$22,850 ‘09 H&S 560 .................................$14,500 ‘03 H&S 310, 310 Bu..................... $5,700 Hagedorn 277, 270 cu. ft., 420 bu.$12,900 Meyers M350, 350 Bu, End Gate ....$8,500 Pik Rite 1190, 550 bu., top beater, hydra-push..................................$14,500 ‘11 NH M2080 560 Bu, Top Beater, Hyd Apron Dr, Elec Spd Ctrl ............... $14,300 ‘91 Balzer Manure Pump, V6, 8’ pump, 2 pt. hitch, rmt. ďŹ ngertip ctrl .........$4,200 Jamesway Manure Pump, 6x8, 8’ pump, 2 pt. hitch, double agitation ..........$5,500 Houle 8’ pump, double agitation.....$5,300
‘99 Meyer 4218 Forage Box. 18’ box, Frt & Rear unloading - $10,500
‘08 Meyer 6222 Forage Box, Front & Rear Unload, 22’ Box, Carted Running Gear XT2200L, hyd drive - $24,500 Vicon CM2200 Disc Mower, 6 Disc $2,900 JD 1209 Mower Cond., 9’ Cut ........$3,100 ’03 H&S BF12HC Rake, 12 Whl High Cap ...........................$7,950 ’08 H&S X12 Rake, 12 Whl ............$7,800 ‘05 H&S BF14HC, 14 Wheel Rake, Wind Guards .................................$9,750 ‘12 Vermeer WRX12 Rake, 12 Whl HI Capacity ...................................$5,900 NH 144, ground driven, 5’ PU, 7’ rear belt w/windrow turner option, good belts .....................................$3,200
HAY & FORAGE NH 144 Merger, Ground Driven ......$2,900 ‘15 Anderson Hybrid X, 6’ round bales, 6’ square bales, 13HP Honda eng., remote start & steer, auto pilot, bale count 2400............................................$33,000 Hesston BP20, process up to 5’x6’ round bales, has screens........................ $3,950 Gehl TR330 3R30� corn head ........$1,800 Gehl 1200 Chopper, Head drive gear box broken, Chopper complete, no robbed parts, head not included.................. $950 Case IH 600 Blower, 60� ............... $3,900 Badger BN950 Forage Box, 16’ box with roof, 12T MN gear........................ $3,500 Sunmaster FK144 shredder, 12’, cup knives ....................................... $900 Haybuster 2544 Bale Processor.....$6,300 ‘12 Teagle 8080WB, process up to 5’ wide bales, in cab controller w/rear endgate switch ............................$14,800 Highline 6800 Bale Processor, Processes 6’ Round Bales ..............................$7,900 Haybuster H1100 Bale Processor, Process full Size Bales, Rear belt Conveyor, 6� and 2’ screens........$12,500 Bale King Vortex 3000 Processes Full Size Round Bales ....................$6,800
MISCELLANEOUS SI Feeder AF16, 22 Openings, 16’ length, on whls..................... $2,800 SI Feeder OSFD8, 13.5L, 3’W, 20� deep pan................................. $750 Notch AFL15, 15’L, 42�W, 12� deep pan.............................. $1,150 Notch AFL15, 15’ L, 42� W, 12� deep pan.............................. $1,150 Berlon BSC, lifts full rd. bales ......... $450 Snow Push, 10’ wide ................... $1,800 Notch MB84 Snow Bucket, 84� ... $1,175 ‘98 Buffalo Scraper, 3 yard ......... $6,900 ‘12 Bobcat Brush Saw ................. $3,100
Page 24 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
Advanced Dairy Solutions - Richland Center, WI Central Ag Supply - Juneau, WI; Baraboo, WI Centre Dairy Equipment - Sauk Centre, MN Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems - Epworth, IA Ederer’s Dairy Supply - Plain, WI; Blanchardville, WI; Dodgeville, WI Fuller’s Milker Center - Lancaster, WI Glencoe Co-Op Assn. - Glencoe, MN Gorter’s Clay & Dairy Equipment - Pipestone, MN Monroe Westfalia Surge - Monroe, WI
Leedstone - Melrose, MN; Glencoe, MN; Plainview, MN; Woodville, WI Midwest Livestock Systems - Pine Island, MN, Menomonie, WI, Sioux Falls, SD, Beatrice, NE Professional Dairy Services - Madison, WI S&S Dairy Systems - St. Charles, MN Sioux Dairy Equipment - Rock Valley, IA; Colton, SD Tri-County Dairy Supply - Janesville, WI United Suckow Dairy - Postville, IA; West Union, IA
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 25
Efciency driven by automation
Hovey gains valuable time with robots By Danielle Nauman danielle.n@dairystar.com
BLAIR, Wis. – Avoiding labor issues and increasing the efciency of his dairy farm prompted Brian Hovey to enter the world of robotics 10 years ago. “My philosophy is not to look at every pound of milk,” Hovey said. “I look at how many pounds you can get with the least input. Feeding extra protein is like buying your milk. It’s all about the bottom line and risk.” Hovey milks about 90 head with one Lely A3 robot on his Trempealeau County dairy farm near Blair, Wis. Efciency ranks high on his list as he also raises steers and cash crops, and operates a milk route in addition to his dairy farm. The automation helps him keep all of those balls in the air. “It’s more cows than they recommend [with one robot],
and it’s getting to be too many cows now,” Hovey said. “Last summer, I had about 80 head and that worked pretty well. The cows had enough visits to the robot and had respectable production. I work to make things t into my system and meet my needs.” Hovey’s journey into dairy automation began in 2009, when he was struggling to keep employees to milk in his at-barn parlor set up. In February, he sold his milking herd, but retained a group of 50 bred heifers. He began retrotting his parlor and freestall barn, including insulating the building, for the installation of a robot. The robot was put into service in May as the heifers began to freshen. The cows have access to a 10-acre lot for exercise by going through a mechanical oneway gate. As they come back
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
A cow is not bothered by the Lely Discovery 120 Collector roboƟc barn cleaner at Brian Hovey’s dairy farm in Blair, Wis. Hovey started using the robot cleaner in April.
DANIELLE NAUMAN/DAIRY STAR
Brian Hovey milks 90 cows near Blair, Wis. He used roboƟc automaƟon to help increase the efciency of his dairy farm, allowing him to use his Ɵme more wisely. into the barn, a Grazeway gate directs them to either the milk pen or the feed pen. Cows that are directed to the robot also exit into the feed and stall area. “Using the Grazeway gate in that manner has pretty much eliminated push cows for me,” Hovey said. “The only times I have to go get cows are once in a while for a fresh heifer, a sick cow or if a transponder goes bad. That saves me a lot of time.” This spring, Hovey took advantage of a new piece of robotic equipment from the same company as his robots – a Discovery 120 Collector, an automatic manure vacuum, to clean the freestall aisles and help further streamline his dairy. “The skidsteer I used for cleaning the freestalls had over 11,000 hours on it. A new skidsteer is pretty spendy, plus I have to put a man in the seat,” Hovey said. “Purchasing the cleaner or a new skidsteer was a big expense, either way. The cleaner saves me from having to have someone in the seat.” Prior to the cleaner, Hovey scraped his freestall barn once a day, which he admits is less than he would have liked. “It was a mess, but to scrape the barn with a skidsteer, you have to move all the cows out of the barn,” Hovey said. “That disrupted the ow of the robot, which is something that I didn’t like doing, either.”
The cleaner moves around the cows, allowing them to stay in the barn during cleaning, which Hovey sees as a big benet. As part of the installation of the cleaning robot, Hovey worked with the company to map out the barn and create routes to program into the robot. Each cleaning requires the robot to run all the programmed routes, and takes about 1.5 hours. The cleaner is currently set to clean the barn six times per day. Hovey is able to override the programmed routes and operate the cleaner much like a remote control car. “It keeps the barn so much cleaner,” Hovey said. “The stalls are cleaner, there is less tracking of manure into them. I’d say the bedding usage has been cut in half. I only have to move the cows out of the barn once every ve or six days to add new bedding.” Another benet as a result of the cleaner barn oors is a reduction in foot health issues. The robot can collect 70 gallons of manure at a time. When it becomes full, it stops vacuuming and returns to a dump station where it empties the holding tank. It then returns to where it left off on the route it was traveling. Whenever the cleaner is not in use, it docks itself to a charging station. Hovey said the machine spends about 50% of the time charging and 50%
cleaning. When the cleaner was introduced into the barn in April, the cows reacted to it; but after several months of operation, they do not seem to notice it as it moves around them. “The rst week the cleaner was in here, the cows were nuts,” Hovey said. “It was like having a whole barn of fresh heifers.”
“So far, the cleaner has denitely been worth the money.”
BRIAN HOVEY, DAIRY FARMER
Hovey admits since the robot is a relatively new product, its lifespan and maintenance needs are relatively unknown. That was a gamble he was willing to take to decrease the hours he needed to spend cleaning the barn, allowing him more time working in other areas of his businesses. “So far, the cleaner has denitely been worth the money,” Hovey said. “Between the value of the time saved, the decreased bedding usage, decreased disruption for milking and the better foot health, it has denitely been a good investment.”
Wisconsin Holstein Association to host All-Breeds Futurity The Wisconsin Holstein Association (WHA) would like to invite dairy industry friends and consumers to the WHA All-Breeds Futurity, a formal dairy parade, held on August 10 at 6 p.m. in the Case IH Coliseum at Wisconsin State Fair Park, West Allis, Wis. The Futurity is a nontraditional cattle show, where the animals are entered as calves, three years prior to the show. It is truly a test of the breeder’s ability to see if they can pick out their best animals before they become cows. Of the original 94 animals entered, 15 will compete to be the WHA All-Breeds Futurity champion.
New to this 33-year long event is the inclusion of breeds other than Registered Holsteins. Having an all-breeds Futurity will make it a more competitive event as all breeds have the opportunity to prove who will be the next Futurity champion. While during most shows the exhibitors looks take second priority to the cows, during the Futurity that is not the case. Exhibitors switch out the typical white jeans and boots for ball gowns and tuxedos as they compete for best dressed awards. This event would not be possible without three major sponsors. Compeer Financial sponsors the rst place award of $1,500. The second place award
is $750 sponsored by International Protein Sires. Third place receives $500 from Agropur. All of the entries get a percentage of the original entry money. The Futurity is also a time where the dairy community can engage with consumers and promote the industry. Taking place during the Wisconsin State Fair, it is an ideal time to connect with consumers and share our dairy story. During the show, a trivia game will take place where attendees in the crowd can participate and win delicious string cheese.
Page 26 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
USDA opens signup for Market Facilitation Program Signup for the Market Facilitation Program (MFP) opened July 26, 2019. MFP is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program to assist farmers who continue to suffer from damages because of unjustied trade retaliation from foreign nations. Through MFP, USDA FSA News & Notes will provide up to $14.5 billion in direct payments to impacted producers, part of a broader trade relief package announced in late July. The sign-up period runs through Dec. 6. MFP payments will be made to producers of certain non-specialty and specialty crops as well as By Ryan Brunn dairy and hog producers. MFP payments will Stearns Co. Exec. Dir. be made to producers of alfalfa hay, barley, canola, corn, crambe, dried beans, dry peas, extra-long staple cotton, axseed, lentils, long grain and medium grain rice, millet, mustard seed, oats, peanuts, rapeseed, rye, safower, sesame seed, small and large chickpeas, sorghum, soybeans, sunower seed, temperate japonica rice, triticale, upland cotton and wheat. MFP assistance for 2019 crops is based on a single county payment rate multiplied by a farm’s total plantings to the MFP-eligible crops in aggregate in 2019. Those per acre payments are not dependent on which of those crops are planted in 2019. A producer’s total payment-eligible plantings cannot exceed total 2018 plantings. Dairy producers who were in business as of June 1, 2019, will receive a per hundredweight payment on production history, and hog producers will receive a payment based on the number of live hogs owned on a day selected by the producer between April 1 and May 15, 2019. MFP payments will also be made to producers of almonds, cranberries, cultivated ginseng, fresh grapes, fresh sweet cherries, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts. Each specialty crop will receive a payment based on 2019 acres of fruit or nut bearing plants, or in the case of ginseng, based on harvested acres in 2019. Payments will be made in up to three tranches, with the second and third tranches evaluated as market conditions and trade opportunities dictate. If conditions warrant, the second and third tranches will be made in November and early January. MFP payments are limited to a combined $250,000 for non-specialty crops per person or legal entity. MFP payments are also limited to a combined $250,000 for dairy and hog producers and a combined $250,000 for specialty crop producers. However, no applicant can receive more than $500,000. Eligible applicants must also have an average adjusted gross income (AGI) for tax years 2015, 2016, and 2017 of less than $900,000, or 75 percent of the person’s or legal entity’s average AGI for those tax years must have been derived from farming and ranching. Applicants must also comply with the provisions of the Highly Erodible Land and Wetland Conservation regulations. More information can be found on www.farmers. gov/mfp, including payment information and a program application. 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.
Don’t let your cows fall! Get your concrete scabbled and prevent an accident!
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Serving the Midwest over 30 yrs. REFERENCES AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST
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Scabbling makes grooves in your concrete 2” wide and 3/16” deep so your cows ALWAYS have traction.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 27
Learning experience
Qu
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ly,
www.boumatic.com
are good, some days are bad, and most days are long and lled with hard work. This farm is just a step in these students’ lives. Dairy farming will most likely not be their career. They are going to learn that what they do matters. It is a responsibility that will change their lives. Growing with the skills they use here will open doors for them in their future. They will be physically and emotionally stronger, and more knowledgeable about real life. Beyond the farm the possibilities are endless, so I am thrilled to be able to be a small part of what comes next. Tina Hinchley, her husband, Duane, and their daughters, Anna and Catherine, milk 240 registered Holsteins with robots. They also farm 2,300 acres of crops near Cambridge, Wisconsin. They have been hosting farm tours for over 20 years.
p le
When there are 12-plus calves to bottle feed, the situation goes from fun to not so fun. When one of the cute calves doesn’t want to drink or it won’t get up because it is scouring, it is intimidating and scary. Most of these new employees have never seen a dehydrated calf, and they will need to learn fast the actions they need to take to save it. And as far as that goes, most of these new members of our crew have never seen a dead animal, be it a calf or a cow. The guilt when an animal dies can be overwhelming if they feel they were responsible in not giving it what it needed to recover. I always feel the guilt whenever something goes wrong. I always try to handle those situations carefully, and make it a learning experience. Yes, that is what it is to work on a farm – a learning experience. I’m committed to these students to share what it is to be a farmer. Some days
G e nt ic k ly
and C
www.boumaticrobotics.com
om
Cow Activity and Health Monitoring Systems
BouMatic RealTime Activity y A health snapshot of your cows on time, anytime. • Activity – Ability to identify cows requiring attention for servicing or for potential preventive health treatment • In barn or Out barn – The activity controller will read any tag within 350ft (100m) for use in barn or central location. And using same controller it can read any tag within 2500ft (750m) for out of barn installations, great for dry/open pasture-based farms • Eating time – Monitors additional animal health parameters in relation to their feed intake behavior
• Advanced herd management – Use with HerdMetrix™ to provide you flexibility in the reporting to tune it to your own management style • Accessible – Phone app makes data accessible anywhere, anytime
See our website for more product information. U. S
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• IDs anywhere – There is no need for the animal to walk through a parlor ID portal making it ideal for heifers and dry cows
A
As we head into August, Wisconsin State Fair is in full swing. Many of my employees are showing their animals or projects, or volunteering throughout the 11-day event. They have put their request for days off in the beginning of July to be certain they could attend. They are now requesting off for band camp, or a weekend off so they can have one last camping trip before school starts again. All my employees are students. They milked alongside me while we were in the tiestall barn, and they have all By Tina Hinchley Farmer & Columnist continued to work with our cows in the new robotic barn. They all know our cows, and our cows know them, too. They are comfortable walking around fetching the cows that have not gone through the robot in the time they need to be milked. These students will be heading back to school soon, and I will be in need of more help shortly. The new helpers will not have to milk cows. They will not know my cows, but they learn very quickly which cows usually need to be fetched. These new members of our crew will need to be calm, quiet and persistent. They will be strolling our cow pen looking at ear tags, and tapping the cows on their shoulders to get up and move to the robots to get milked. This isn’t a hard job. It is very easy in comparison to milking as before. There is no bending and prepping, no wiping off teats. And no one will be putting on machines, post dipping and carrying the automatic take-off machine up to the next cow. Physically, this is easier. My shoulders and knees feel better, and I am still loving our new barn. My present staff will sometimes comment they miss milking in the old barn. They liked hanging out in between the cows and milking together. They enjoyed when we talked and did the milking routine. They actually say they liked the work out. However, they were not milking twice daily, and didn’t have to milk solo when someone didn’t show up to work. How quickly they forget when the temperature outside was over 80 degrees that the tunnel ventilation couldn’t keep the cows cool, and the sweat was pouring out of us. By the time we nished, we were all in wet clothes, and wondering there is an antiperspirant we could use on our whole body. We put baby powder into our boots and other places so we didn’t chaff as we ran from cow to cow. Ahhh, yes, now they remember the good ol’ days. I am sure they will tell their own kids about it someday, milking in a hot barn in the summer. Fun!? Our new crew will never be able to experience that type of fun. With this new robot milking technology they will work their shifts with a fetch list and sorting stick. They instead will have to help get our fresh cows and heifers through the robot at least three times a day. Sometimes they will need to push the cows into the robot, using gates to pin them in so the cows cannot back up when the gate into the robot opens. A little poke, and the cow will usually step forward into the robot to be milked. For the rst couple days the fresh cows and heifers are in the sort pen and need to be walked over to the robot through the gates. For new employees, opening and closing gates in the right sequence can be tricky. Learning to make a trap with the gates is basically what it is. It doesn’t take long for these fresh cows and heifers to gure out that more milking is better than less milking, and they head to the robots on their own. After a few days in milk, these cows are let into the general population and can create their own schedule. They will hang out with the rest of the herd; eating, drinking, resting, getting brushed with the Luna brush and then getting milked up to six times a day. While the cows are in the robot getting milked, calves need to be fed. Teaching someone who has never had the responsibility of taking care of an animal beyond a dog or cat can be exciting or very frustrating. Weighing and mixing calf replacer is like baking, right? It is important to get it right. Most of these kids have never used a thermometer! So the rst few days while learning about feeding calves are great! “The calves are so cute, and I just love bottle feeding!”
. Co m p a
Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
Few friends will butcher chickens Butcher day had arrived And I admit, I was ill prepared Peter had a meeting, so couldn’t help That left me scared
Ruth, my sweet friend Must have sensed my trepidation She gathered up bowls, knives, aprons, and children And away we went without hesitation
We needed more hands Those skilled with a knife Those who understand this process Realize it is part of life
Shelby, an old soul at a mere seventeen, My willing accomplice as we learned to llet Ruth as our teacher, we sharpened out knives Wings this way, breasts that, legs delay
We headed towards Ruth’s A few miles down the road Hoping to nd willing bodies And lo and behold I begged for Stephan and Michael To do the dirtiest deed Heads off the birds, skin them out A messy process indeed
Small children played in the corn box While big boys hauled chickens to the shop Into a barrel to swim in cold water Their bodies would gently plop
Ramblings from the Ridge
here;
The little boys round up their chickens Ready and waiting for their fate Decapitation, skinning, gutting, Homegrown naked birds are rst rate No plucking for us, no singeing those feathers No boiling hot water, no taking forever Just a hay wagon, twine, cold water and ice Lest I forget sharp knives – essential in this endeavor
no
The wash bay is our station With fast access to the hose Cold and clean is vital As far as butchering chickens goes Forty broilers with eight weeks of growth Two hours of steady work and good cheer Topped off with more than a dozen fresh pizzas One watermelon, and oats of root beer
By Jacqui Davison Columnist
With full bellies, heavy eyelids, and my happy heart We loaded Ruth’s posse to return to their chores I have few friends who will butcher chickens And the ones that will, oh how I adore 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 (12), Dane (10), Henry (5) and Cora (toddler), 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.
Hearings set on livestock facility siting rule
Six public hearings are scheduled around the state Aug. 15-Sept. 5 to explain proposed changes to Wisconsin’s livestock facility siting rule and gather public comment on the proposal. Written comments will also be accepted through Sept. 13. The administrative rule, formally referred to as ATCP 51, sets standards and procedures that local governments must follow if they require permits for new or expanding livestock operations. Citizens should comment now if they want their ideas to be considered for the nal draft that will go to the Board of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection for approval before sending it to the Legislature. In each of the six locations, there will be two sessions to accommodate citizens’ schedules, from 1-4 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Staff from the will present information about the proposed changes, and then allow most of the time for public comments. Attendees may also submit written comments. The dates and locations of the hearings are: Oshkosh – Thursday, Aug. 15, James P. Coughlin Center, 625 E. County Road Y, conference room A & B Eau Claire – Monday, Aug. 19, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 620 W. Clairemont Ave., Business Education Center, Room 103A Wausau – Tuesday, Aug. 20, Entrepreneurial and Education Center, 100 N. 72nd Ave. Madison – Thursday, Aug. 22; Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; 2811 Agriculture Drive; Boardroom 106 Onalaska – Wednesday, Sept. 4, Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center, 3060 S. Kinney Coulee Road, Thomas G. Rowe Room Spooner – Thursday, Sept. 5, DNR Service Center, 810 W. Maple St., Community Room 112 Members of the public may also mail or email comments, or post them online: Mail to DATCP-ARM, ATTN: Chris Clayton, P.O. Box 8911, Madison, 53708-8911. Email to livestocksitingcomments@wisconsin.gov. Post online at http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/comment. Comments must be received by the end of the day on Friday, Sept. 13.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 29
Business strategies for a more protable period Worldwide milk production is slowing down and based on futures prices, we should be moving to a period of prot for most dairy businesses in the United States. The latest USDA heifer report showed lower national dairy heifer inventory levels. This may slow down the rate of expansion when milk prices improve dairy protability. After four years of operating in survival mode, now might be a good time to review your business strategies. Here are areas to address for enhancing business success. Reassess your risk management strategy. When it comes to risk management, the goal is all about protecting the business against downside risk, not just about maximizing prices. The new farm bill contains better dairy risk management options than any previous bills. The Dairy Margin Coverage Program with the improved hay price formula and the $9.50 maximum margin over feed cost for the rst 5 million pounds is much better than the old Margin Protection Program. The By Jim Salfer indemnity for the rst ve months of 2019 is more than $1 per U of M Extension cwt. at the $9.50 coverage level. For many Minnesota farms that are eligible for the special Dairy Assistance, Investment, and Relief Initiative premium subsidy (at least 10 cents per cwt.) and sign up for all 5 years (25% premium reduction), this year’s payment will cover the premium for the length of the program. The dairy revenue protection program is another new insurance program that allows farmers to place a oor under their milk price for a very reasonable cost. An improved Livestock Gross Margin for Dairy program is also still available for farmers to use. Another positive change is that farmers are able to participate in both insurance programs and the DMC program. These programs are not designed to guarantee farmers a large prot, but will help stabilize income during low prices. Review your nancial position. Many farmers have borrowed their operating lines of credit to the limit and have been paying interest only on some loans. Farmers also have renanced accounts payable such as feed and veterinarian bills into longer-term debt that will need to be repaid. Now is a good time to meet with your nancial advisors and lender to review your nancial position and develop a plan to get your nances back on track for success. Evaluate where to best invest prots. Catch up on equipment and facility maintenance rst. Review your list of potential new investments. Focus on investments that are likely to have a rapid return. Avoid purchasing equipment just to avoid taxes. Work with your tax consultant on ways to minimize taxes without jeopardizing your long-term nancial position. For equipment such as choppers or combines, consider sharing with neighbors, having it custom done or renting equipment. Review operational efciencies. For a farm to be successful over a long period, it must control costs and focus on keeping a higher percent of each dollar of income. Data for dairy farms in the University of Minnesota FinBin database show that the one of the biggest drivers for high prot farms is higher prot margins (Figure 1). This is no surprise, but a good reminder to continue to focus on operational efciencies. This includes practicing good cost control, and focusing on all the little details that when added together make a big difference in protability. Develop and use a trusted team of advisors. A good relationship with trusted advisors can be a major component in your business success. Having regular management meetings will help them understand your business to better meet your needs. Do not treat your advisors as people who are trying to take advantage of you. Most of them want you to succeed, and if they are not invested in your success, consider switching to someone who is. Take time to smell the roses. It has been a long run of low prices. Many farms have minimized time off and worked overtime to try to keep the business aoat. If there is some extra money, do not be afraid to reward yourself with enjoyable activities. We all need time off for our mental health and will come back refreshed and better able to deal with challenges as they come along.
Figure 1. Operating prot margin of dairy farms in different prot cohorts. Source: U of MN FinBin, 2019: 2015-2018, excluding organic www.nbin.umn. edu
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Page 30 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
Few friends will butcher chickens Butcher day had arrived And I admit, I was ill prepared Peter had a meeting, so couldn’t help That left me scared
Ruth, my sweet friend Must have sensed my trepidation She gathered up bowls, knives, aprons, and children And away we went without hesitation
We needed more hands Those skilled with a knife Those who understand this process Realize it is part of life
Shelby, an old soul at a mere seventeen, My willing accomplice as we learned to llet Ruth as our teacher, we sharpened out knives Wings this way, breasts that, legs delay
We headed towards Ruth’s A few miles down the road Hoping to nd willing bodies And lo and behold I begged for Stephan and Michael To do the dirtiest deed Heads off the birds, skin them out A messy process indeed
Small children played in the corn box While big boys hauled chickens to the shop Into a barrel to swim in cold water Their bodies would gently plop
Ramblings from the Ridge
here;
The little boys round up their chickens Ready and waiting for their fate Decapitation, skinning, gutting, Homegrown naked birds are rst rate No plucking for us, no singeing those feathers No boiling hot water, no taking forever Just a hay wagon, twine, cold water and ice Lest I forget sharp knives – essential in this endeavor
no
The wash bay is our station With fast access to the hose Cold and clean is vital As far as butchering chickens goes Forty broilers with eight weeks of growth Two hours of steady work and good cheer Topped off with more than a dozen fresh pizzas One watermelon, and oats of root beer
By Jacqui Davison Columnist
With full bellies, heavy eyelids, and my happy heart We loaded Ruth’s posse to return to their chores I have few friends who will butcher chickens And the ones that will, oh how I adore 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 (12), Dane (10), Henry (5) and Cora (toddler), 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.
Hearings set on livestock facility siting rule
Six public hearings are scheduled around the state Aug. 15-Sept. 5 to explain proposed changes to Wisconsin’s livestock facility siting rule and gather public comment on the proposal. Written comments will also be accepted through Sept. 13. The administrative rule, formally referred to as ATCP 51, sets standards and procedures that local governments must follow if they require permits for new or expanding livestock operations. Citizens should comment now if they want their ideas to be considered for the nal draft that will go to the Board of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection for approval before sending it to the Legislature. In each of the six locations, there will be two sessions to accommodate citizens’ schedules, from 1-4 p.m. and 5-8 p.m. Staff from the will present information about the proposed changes, and then allow most of the time for public comments. Attendees may also submit written comments. The dates and locations of the hearings are: Oshkosh – Thursday, Aug. 15, James P. Coughlin Center, 625 E. County Road Y, conference room A & B Eau Claire – Monday, Aug. 19, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 620 W. Clairemont Ave., Business Education Center, Room 103A Wausau – Tuesday, Aug. 20, Entrepreneurial and Education Center, 100 N. 72nd Ave. Madison – Thursday, Aug. 22; Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection; 2811 Agriculture Drive; Boardroom 106 Onalaska – Wednesday, Sept. 4, Stoney Creek Hotel and Conference Center, 3060 S. Kinney Coulee Road, Thomas G. Rowe Room Spooner – Thursday, Sept. 5, DNR Service Center, 810 W. Maple St., Community Room 112 Members of the public may also mail or email comments, or post them online: Mail to DATCP-ARM, ATTN: Chris Clayton, P.O. Box 8911, Madison, 53708-8911. Email to livestocksitingcomments@wisconsin.gov. Post online at http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/comment. Comments must be received by the end of the day on Friday, Sept. 13.
Attention
Dairy & Beef producers:
Do you have footbath concerns? Interdigital dermatitis (hairy warts)? Copper overload? With 40 years experience in the bovine hoof care business, I can help you solve these problems and save you $$$! FOR PRODUCT INFORMATION OR FOOTBATH PROTOCOL CONTACT:
Randy White Hoof Care & Consulting (and now Footbath Management)
(563) 590-6335 or hoofit10@gmail.com
Preventing an animal welfare crisis
For the purpose of this article, an animal welfare crisis is the release of a video to the media showing obvious mistreatment of cows or calves. Farmers do not want their animals mistreated, and they certainly do not want documentation of such on the internet. Processors and retailers do not want this either. The FARM program was, in part, instituted to help prevent such events, and almost all dairy farms participate in the program today. Yet Veterinary Wisdom animal welfare crises still happen. What more can a dairy producer do? How about adapting safety management principles to prevent a crisis? This means treating a welfare crisis like a hazard, or accident, and developing a plan to minimize risks. For an example of how this works, let us take a look By Jim Bennett at the FARM program’s Columnist safety management program and substitute animal welfare crisis, or AWC, for safety in the text. The FARM management checklist, with some paraphrasing, then looks like this: - The farm has a written AWC plan. - The farm’s written plan includes the following fundamental elements: Owner and management commitment, employee participation, ongoing hazard recognition/control and training. - Employees know how to report animal welfare or AWC concerns. - The farm reviews its AWC written plan annually. - The farm follows a process for identifying and controlling AWC hazards on an ongoing basis. - When an AWC hazard is identied, the farm evaluates the degree of risk, for example likelihood and severity. The farm also implements a consistent method to prevent and control it. - AWC inspections are conducted on a regular basis. - The farm keeps records of and investigates welfare or AWC incidents and near miss events. - The farm follows a consistent process for conducting incident and near miss events, and documents investigations. - All new employees receive welfare and AWC training. - Employees receive refresher AWC training on a regular basis and following an incident or near miss. - AWC training is documented. - Indicators are used to measure the effectiveness of the farm’s AWC program. - The farm reviews the results of the indicators on a regular basis. Part of the AWC plan might include screening new hires for any tendencies toward animal mistreatment, calling all listed references to specically ask about treatment of animals and looking carefully to determine if the individual could be an undercover activist. An animal welfare incident is not exactly the same as an animal welfare incident released to the media, but combining the two as an AWC allows one to examine the risks for both types of events at the same time. For example, it is possible to have a welfare event without a media release, but it is also possible to have a media release without an actual animal welfare event, assuming the event was fabricated or coerced. It is not likely that FARM or any other animal welfare auditing systems will eliminate AWCs. Humans are fallible and can do bad things. Farms with a lot of employees are at greater risk because of this. Managers need to recognize this and use tools to mitigate risk. Perhaps it is time to develop an animal welfare crisis management plan for your dairy. Bennett is one of four dairy veterinarians at Northern Valley Dairy Production Medicine Center in Plainview, Minn. He also consults on dairy farms in other states. He and his wife, Pam, have four children. Jim can be reached at bennettnvac@gmail.com with comments or questions.
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 31
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Page 32 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
Slowly changing to dreadnaughts The past six years in our farming area has been a lesson in dealing with excess rain, mud, ooded elds and muddy cattle yards. When I was a kid growing up in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, we could walk across dry lake beds and bale all the slough bottoms every year. We didn’t have front wheel assist tractors. In fact, most of our tractors had a narrow front end. Our only tractor with a hydraulic loader was a No. 3 Cockshutt, and we didn’t have a skid loader. How in the world did we cut, rake and square bale those sloughs? We rarely got stuck, and all we had was a 445 Minneapolis Moline pulling a New Holland Hayliner 68 baler with a hand stack rack behind. My dad would bolt a dual tire on the left side of the baler so the heavy side of the baler didn’t sink, and we only did that in the wet years. For the last six years those sloughs could be used for submarine testing. We have been stuck on
high ground that has drainage tile. If our tractors still had narrow fronts without front assist, they would not even make it across a eld even without pulling an implement. We have tried to stay with wheeled tractors, especially those with wide oatation tires, because we need them for packing silage piles. However, as the wet years continue, track tractors look more and more appealing. When I did a little research on the history of track tractors, the rst ones were called dreadnaughts because it was a series of big wooden feet attached to chains going around some big wheels on a steam engine. They were used in the Crimean war before 1900 to pull heavy artillery across the swamps. A guy named Holt from California bought up every track patent he could nd and really revolutionized the track tractor business. During World War I, some troops started calling the Holt track tractor a
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caterpillar because of the way it could maneuver like the creeping crawling worm. Holt soon adopted the name caterpillar and changed his company to Holt Caterpillar. Our rst implement with tracks was a mini- Making Cents of Dairy excavator we bought about 10 years ago to dig old bedding out of freestalls. Soon that machine became popular on our farm, especially for drainage tile work. It was amazing to drive right out into the swamps to clean out tile outlets. Soon after that I used a neighbors at track By Dave Vander Kooi Cat for some eldwork. Columnist I liked it in the eld, but thought my brains would shake out on the road. Also, in a muddy spot in the eld, it would go in a circle and there was no controlling it. Another time I rented a high rear end 865 Cat to do some tillage, and I really liked that two track tractor except for turning on the ends was jerky. This spring, we nally purchased a teleskid track skid loader for destruction and construction jobs. We used it with a grapple bucket to clean up tree limbs after a windstorm hit our local Christian School property, and we could dump right into a side dump trailer. We also used it to clean manure out of a bedded pack heifer shed during a rainy week. We did have to stock pile the manure obviously. The teleskid replaced our old wheeled skid loader we use at our seed, chemical and shop site. A track skid loader would not be good on the constant concrete environment at the dairy. As the wet spring wore on into June, the local implement salesman kept bugging us to try a green 620 quad track to replace our 620 wheeled machine. We nally hooked one up to our 60 foot eld cultivator, and Vince and I were both impressed. Vince, the 13-year-old, was obviously more impressed than I was because he gets to drive it, while I get to write the check for it. Even 11-year-old Coyer got to make a few easy rounds with it by himself. When I drove it, I was impressed how it oated across marginally dry ground without leaving any foot print behind the eld cultivator. We ended up trading for a newer used one, and ordered a silage blade for it, also. We have seen how the larger dairies are using the quad tracks with blades to push the silage up onto the pile, because they can push more volume than a wheel tractor on cement without spinning. Then those same dairies are using dedicated heavy wheel tractors just to go round and round for packing. I really enjoy teaching the boys how to be responsible with equipment and do a good job. They are hard workers and will do bad dirty jobs along with the cool machinery driving. I just wish we could have a little drier summer sometime so I could teach them the joys of a perfectly hand stacked load of slough hay behind a small square baler! Vander Kooi operates a 1,800-cow, 4,500 acre farm with his son, Joe, and daughter-in-law, Rita, near Worthington, Minn. Send him feedback at davevkooi@ icloud.com. Follow him on Instagram, @davevanderkooi.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 33
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I have been excited about recycling and energy use since the ‘70s when I rst started thinking about our planet’s limited resources during the energy crisis. I have always collected our household recyclables, driving them across St. Paul to the recycling center when living there in the ‘80s. Living on the farm makes recycling a way of life unless you want to light a lot of res! There is a drop off for our house and farm recycling at a Tri-County collection dumpster a few miles down the road. Labels on most recyclable items explain how to do it. I also haul all the cardboard, plastic containers and even rinsed out colostrum bags to the recycling bin. Enter ag plastics. There is bunker plastic, ag lm, ag bag plastic, bale wrap and more accumulating into big piles on most livestock farms. Come Full Dairy Circle A simple Facebook post with a photo of the Revolution Plastics truck exiting our driveway after picking up our dumpster and our hay wagon full of stored recapture bags”generated excitement in the local dairy community. It seems several friends had been waiting for the truck to pick up the ag plastic on their dairies, according to comments on my post. I wanted to nd out more and learned that the TriCounty Waste ofce in Nicollet/Blue Earth/Sibley counties had set up the program for ag plastic recycling in our area with the Revolution Plastics LLC company based in By Jean Annexstad Arkansas. I researched the company on their website at Columnist https://revolutionplastics.com. It is a “revolutionary manufacturing, collection and recycling process that is an ongoing production and recycling process - a closed loop system.” Revolution Plastics recovers, cleans and processes over 150 million pounds of material per year and has diverted 1.5 billion pounds of plastic from landlls, turning them back into sustainable plastics to sell for consumer use, as explained on the website. A friend of mine who is in the metal recycling business had this to say, “I only know that the market for selling recycled plastics is tough. Step one is so expensive. Much like farming, recycling is more a labor of love than a monetary reward.” It goes without saying that the ag plastics collection on dairies has had a few hiccups or a learning curve along the way. Our 200-cow dairy which primarily uses bunker silos for forage storage generates a lot of plastic. When we rst applied for the Revolution Plastics dumpster to be placed on our dairy, it was determined we were better qualied for the recapture bag collection program with the amount of plastic we would likely have in a year. The process to prepare the plastic was the same either way: It is laid out at to dry, excess dirt and feed is swept off, then it is wadded up and shoved into the large bag or dumpster. It is not real easy or fun. We were eventually able to get the collection dumpster placed on our dairy early this spring. By then we had a hay rack full of recapture bags stuffed with plastic that had been accumulating since last fall. So when the truck nally arrived after a few requests for pick up, there was a nice collection of bags and a full dumpster. From the response to my Facebook posts, there were other area dairies waiting as well. We must have been an early stop on the local route. Where does the plastic go once it is collected? Price Murphy, director of operations for Revolution Plastics said in a recent interview in Plastics Recycling Update, “We collect items that we can wash, clean and turn into post-consumer resin and put back into our own facilities (at our Stuttgart, Arkansas processing plant) into our own products.” Lucas Sjostrom, executive director of Minnesota Milk provided some background: “Revolution, a subsidiary of Delta Plastics, expanded into southern Wisconsin in June 2016 and then into about 35 Minnesota counties thanks in part to a grant supplied by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency between the Recycling Association of Minnesota, Midwest Dairy, Minnesota Milk and several other partners. Unfortunately, as things got up and running, Revolution decided the amount of plastic collected in Minnesota was not enough to continue providing the service for free. Complicating efforts was the huge rise in transportation cost in the previous few years, and recycling markets in China being essentially shut down in 2017.” Some Minnesota counties have now contracted service for ag plastic recycling pickup with local haulers or Revolution themselves, as our local area has done. Other counties have chosen not to continue the service. To me, the process of collecting ag plastic helps to keep it out of landlls or from burning it on farm sites. It takes work and effort, but there is really no excuse not to recycle. Jean dairy farms with her husband, Rolf, and brother-in-law, Mike, and children Emily, Matthias and Leif. They farm near St. Peter, in Norseland, where she is still trying to t in with the Norwegians and Swedes. They milk 200 cows and farm 650 acres. She can be reached at jeanannexstad@gmail.com.
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Kessenichs honored as Young Jersey Breeders By Danielle Nauman WRITER@dairystar.com
DEFOREST, Wis. – Natalie and Wade Kessenich were born into a black and white world, growing up on a Holstein farm near DeForest, Wis. That world changed forever when they met a little brown cow named Bushy, a 3-year-old Jersey. Bushy laid the foundation for a passion for the Jersey breed that would follow them into adulthood, and earn them the accolades of a National Young Jersey Breeder award from the American Jersey Cattle Association. “When we got our rst Jersey, none of us could have imagined the opportunities the Jersey cow would bring us in the future,” Natalie said. “As our Jersey herd grew rapidly, so did our love and passion for the breed and the community that came along with it.” The brother and sister duo were honored in June at the association’s annual meeting in Saratoga Springs, N.Y.. In 2015, Natalie and Wade were afforded the opportunity to become partners in their family’s farm, working alongside their parents, Jeff and Robin, to form Kessenich Farms LLC. “Our parents took a big leap of faith and put their trust in our vision of transitioning the high-quality, highproducing purebred herd to the smaller, more efcient little brown cow,” Natalie said. “They really are our biggest and best supporters.” While the Kessenichs use the AJCA’s Jersey Marketing Service, as well as making a few key purchases of high-quality purebred Jerseys through private treaty sales, they made a commitment to advancing their reproduc-
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tion program within the existing herd. “It wasn’t economically feasible to transition our entire herd to all purebred Jerseys,” Wade said. “We decided to breed the Holsteins to Jersey semen. Since that time, our Holstein herd has shrunk from 700 head to 200 head, and continues to decline.” The Kessenichs are now milking 675 head, including 370 purebred Jerseys and 170 Holsteins, along with 135 Jersey-Holstein crosses, with everything being bred to Jersey semen. The herd has a rolling herd average of 20,982 pounds of milk, 1,055 pounds
of fat and 760 pounds of protein. “What was initially viewed as a huge gamble in our parents’ eyes – the transition of the herd to Jerseys – has been especially protable in these extremely difcult nancial times within the dairy industry,” Natalie said, referring to the increased feed efciencies and increased milk components. While they are denitely protminded as adults, like most farm kids, the Kessenichs grew up participating in agricultural programs such as 4-H and FFA. That involvement led to them actively showing their Jerseys at a variety of local, state and national shows. “Our rst successes in the Jersey breed came at our county fair,” Natalie said. “We had a beautiful cow by the name of Rexlea Historic Carrie. We were both lucky enough to be on the halter of her as she brought home multiple Supreme Champion titles.” Another proud memory for the Kessenichs came in 2008 when GilBar Sparkler Juliann was named the grand champion of the junior show at World Dairy Expo for Wade, giving him the opportunity to walk under the spotlights, competing for the supreme champion title on Saturday afternoon. “Success inside the showring has brought us great joy,” Natalie said. “But the friendships and memories that we have made along the way exhibiting at the shows have been even greater.” As their herds grew, Natalie and her sister, Nicki, began registering their animals with the prex Nic-Nat, while Wade chose to use the moniker Buckshot Jerseys. In 2011, the siblings decided to partner up to purchase an animal that could help them follow a new dream of breeding Jerseys with high genetic merit, and they formed the Shot of Nat partnership. “Using the knowledge we had from the showring and our successes from dairy cattle judging, we felt condent in our ability to produce protable and highly valuable offspring to grow our herd,” Wade said. “We also wanted to provide some nancial diversication through the sales of highly sought-after genetics.” Sunset-Canyon Renegade Anthem was their initial genomic purchase at the All-American Sale in Louisville, Ky. “Anthem opened the door to an entire new world of opportunity for us,” Natalie said. “She ushered us into the genomic era, and we’ve had a lot of success with her and her offspring.” To date, the Shot of Nat partnership has put nine young sires into AI, in six different organizations. One of Anthem’s daughters the Kessenichs are having a great deal of success with is JX Shot of Nat Leonel Angelina {4}-ET. Angelina has one son that is an active young sire and numerous daughters and granddaughters ranking among the top genomic animals in the breed. While the Kessenichs are workTurn to KESSENICHS | Page 35
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 35
ConƟnued from KESSENICHS | Page 34 ing to build the genomic base of their herd, they have chosen to limit the number of animals they sell privately and at public offering to a few elite females. One highlight of their marketing has been selling the high selling animal at the 2012 Norse Star Summer Hummer sale, Shot of Nat Dominican Lady A-ET to River Valley Farms of Tremont, Ill. Like all young dairy farmers, the Kessenichs are quick to recognize those who have been mentors and helped them along the way. “There have been many inuential people who have helped guide, encourage and support our growth and successes in the Jersey industry,” Wade said. “We have been really grateful for all we have learned from those people.” Both Natalie and Wade have a great sense of appreciation for the life they’ve been given, growing up on a dairy farm and now pursuing dairy farming careers; and each are happy to be able to afford their own children the same opportunities. “I knew at a very young age what my future would hold,” Wade said. “My love for cows, tractors and the outdoors made me question the need of a public education as a kid. Determination, drive and work ethic was instilled at me in a young age by the example both my parents set. This has been instrumental in every triumph I’ve had in life.” The cousins that make up the next generation of the Kessenich family are becoming involved in the same fashion their parents did, helping their parents with chores around the farm. Both
PHOTO PROVIDED BY JERSEY JOURNAL
The Kessenich family – (from leŌ) Ava, Ella and Tanner Hughes, holding Waylon Hughes, Natalie Kessenich, Wade and Jacey Kessenich – are honored by the American Jersey CaƩle AssociaƟon with the naƟonal Young Jersey Breeder Award with AJCA Vice President Walter Owens. The family accepted the award at the organizaƟon’s annual meeƟng held in June in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Natalie and Wade have a deep sense of pride, seeing the love of farming and the Jersey cow blossoming in their families. Natalie and Tanner Hughes have daughters, Ava, 9, and Ella, 7, and son Waylon, 2; and Wade and his
wife, Jacey, have daughters, Kenley, 7, and Paisley, 5, and son, Ryker, 3. “People who know me would say that Jersey blood is in my veins, from my rst purchase in the Pot of Gold sale to the herd I own today,” Natalie
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Page 36 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
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Family: My husband is Tom and we have two kids, Tyler, 9, and Zoey, 2. My parents are Steve and Linda Tschida. My brother, Chris, and his wife, Lashana, have a son, Carter, 6. Tell us about your farm. My brother, parents and I all pitch in our family’s dairy farm every day to care for both the youngstock and cows with help from our families. Lashana and Tom are here almost every night helping with chores on the farm. We also have two chicken barns raising broilers for Pilgrim Pride; my dad runs one and I run the other. What is the busiest time of the day for you? It really varies. Sometimes it’s just in the morning and afternoon, otherwise it can be the whole day depending on who comes fresh when and when they are sick. However, I’m usually busiest when the unpredictable happens. When you get a spare moment, what do you do? I rarely get a spare moment, but I like gardening in my ower garden where I raise a lot of daylilies, going shopping, spending time with my kids and husband, or just being able to relax and unwind at home is always nice.
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Tell us about your most memorable experience working on the farm. Working with my kids, Tyler and Zoey, on the farm. I really enjoy watching them run around helping us out. It is amazing to have a little hand working right beside me and seeing them grow up like I did. My husband also helps and gives me a hand, and I really appreciate that. What have you enjoyed most about dairy farming or your tie to the dairy industry? Working with the calves. It is something I grew up doing and continue to do now. After doing it for so many years, I grew to have the patience for it and feeding calves holds a special place in my heart. How do you stay connected with others in the industry? Other family friends and neighbors, whether through calling or texting for advice, opinions or thoughts on certain things within the dairy industry. We also have stayed connected through our vet service with Scott and Kristin Young. They’ve always been there. Who is someone in the industry who has inspired you? Why? My parents, Steve and Linda. They have farmed all these years and, without them we wouldn’t be here now. My parents work together really well and with determination. They have also framed my do-it-yourself attitude. Being a family operated farm with no hired help we really need that. If you could give a tour of your farm to a prominent women in today’s society, who would that be? Nancy Pelosi. I don’t think she understands how much work is in farming and the importance of it. What is the best vacation you have ever taken? I don’t take many vacations, but a day trip to Mall of America or Albertville for shopping is really nice. I usually am able to buy clothes for my kids and husband, which really means a lot to me. What are some words you like to live by? Be positive. Sometimes you have to let things go. Keeping them bottled up only causes you to get more worked up about it than you need to be.
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Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 37
Cows take a ride for milking
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
The Millers – (from leĹŒ) Jack, Pat, Luke, Rob and Bradley – milk 700 cows on their farm near Lewiston, Minn. They hosted a tour on their farm July 30.
Millers build 32-stall internal rotary parlor By Krista Kuzma
krista.k@dairystar.com
LEWISTON, Minn. – Like kids on a carnival ride, cows at Clear Crest Farm go round and round on a slowly circling platform. It’s part of their three-time-a-day schedule to be milked. “Most cows have trained themselves,� Luke Miller said about how the cows get on and off. Having the cows take a ride to be milked has been the routine for the Millers’ 700-cow herd since March 2018, when they started using their new 32-stall internal rotary parlor on their dairy near Lewiston, Minn. “If we wanted to continue with farming, we needed to make an investment in our facility,� Miller said. “It’s been an improvement for employees and cows.� The Millers – Jack and Pat, along with their sons, Luke and Rob, and Rob’s family – wife, Kathi, and their children, Bradley and Ella – welcomed people to their farm July 30 to view their new facility.
The family upgraded from their double-7 parlor, which ran nearly around the clock and needed three people to complete each milking shift. “It was a struggle to get all the cows milked in one eight-hour shift,â€? Miller said. Now the Millers can milk about 140 cows per hour with two people. Although it takes the parlor 13 minutes to make one round, that time could be reduced if needed. The parlor is capable of milking up to 1,100 cows. The new facility has already been a beneďƒžt for the cows. Since installing the parlor, there has been a decrease in clinical mastitis. Miller said the herd’s somatic cell count stayed below 100,000 all winter and is currently at 120,000. “We’re really happy with that,â€? he said. Not just the cows, but people have also seen the beneďƒžts of using the new parlor.
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Cows ride on the new 32-stall internal rotary parlor the Millers started using March 2018.
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Page 38 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
ConĆ&#x;nued from MILLERS | Page 37
“The employees love it,â€? Miller said. It has been an improvement compared to the old facility. “It wasn’t a good place to be when it was above 80 degrees or 30 below,â€? Miller said. “It was bad. It had deďƒžnitely used up its life expectancy.â€? That is not the work environment the Millers wanted for their employees. “We want them to be treated with respect,â€? Miller said. “We want to treat them how we would want to be treated.â€? The temperature in the new parlor area stays fairly regulated. Two large overhead doors can be open in the summer to let in a breeze or closed in the winter to keep the warmth in from the in-ďƒ&#x;oor heat. “Our employees were milking in t-shirts when it was negative 50 degrees out-
“We chose this rotary so we had the opportunity to incorporate more technology.� LUKE MILLER, DAIRY FARMER
KRISTA KUZMA/DAIRY STAR
An employee milks cows July 30 in the 32-stall internal rotary parlor at Clear Crest Farm owned by the Miller family near Lewiston, Minn. The Millers milk 700 cows.
side,â€? Miller said. “I don’t know how we would have made it through the last winter in our old parlor.â€? Originally, the Millers had been looking at robots to milk their cows; however, it wasn’t a good ďƒžt for the layout of their freestall barns.
So they started looking at parlors. They liked the internal rotary option despite its price tag being $100,000 more over conventional parlors. “We knew labor would be an issue,� Miller said. “We chose this rotary so we
had the opportunity to incorporate more technology.� The parlor is built with the option to install robotic arms for prepping udders, attaching milking units and for post dipping along with the ability to add milk meters. “We overdesigned this
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knowing we could expand it,â€? Miller said. The internal aspect of a rotary piqued the Millers’ interest on one of their information-gathering tours before building. “The cows were so calm,â€? Miller said. “You could walk in front of those cows, and they were calm and content.â€? That is now the case with their cows, too. The cows have not struggled with the 45-degree turn it takes to get on the carousel. “We’ve been impressed with cow ďƒ&#x;ow. You need to have good cow ďƒ&#x;ow to make this work because it’s hard for the workers to get out [of the parlor] quickly,â€? Miller said, referring to having to go up and down sets of stairs and through a tunnel to get to the middle of the parlor. This also helps keep the parlor quiet. “We like people not having to go out and get the cows, and hearing them hooting, hollering and whistling to get them in,â€? Miller said. After 1.5 years of use, the Millers are pleased with their decision to let their cows go for a ride to be milked three times a day. “It has exceeded our expectations,â€? Miller said.
Dairy prole Adam Leitheiser Emery, S.D. McCook County 60 cows How did you get into farming? My dad was farming long before I was around. I grew up helping out on the farm. I spent many summers throwing square bales into the barn for the cows. What are your thoughts and concerns about the dairy industry over the next year? As a dairy farmer, I try not to think about it. But milk prices are always a concern. I also wonder what will happen with this fall out from Fair Oaks Farms, and all the new rules and regulations with animal husbandry. You never foresee the possibility of losing your market, but the future is really unclear. It’s kind of like a magic eight ball. What is the latest technology you implemented on your farm and the purpose for it? We haven’t updated much on the dairy side, but we added GPS guidance and yield mapping a few years ago. Yield guidance has helped us pinpoint poor spots in the eld and GPS guidance has helped the planter drive a lot straighter. It helps us save a few pennies here and there. What is a management practice you changed in the past year that has beneted you? This past year we decided to chop alfalfa silage for the rst time in a long time. It was more of a necessary task in order to maintain what we had. What cost-saving steps have you implemented during the low milk price? We backed off on plans to replace the freestalls. Instead of replacing them, we xed them up to help with cow comfort. There is not a lot to cut. We maintain what we have.
20
TH
Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019 • Page 39
with Adam Leitheiser of Emery, S.D.
How do you retain a good working relationship with your employees? I work with my dad, brother and uncle. Some days it can be a challenge, but we get along for the most part. We usually get together at a lot of family gatherings and major holidays to socialize, and at harvest time we all help each other out. Tell us about a skill you possess that makes dairy farming easier for you. Being able to articially inseminate helps. You don’t have to hire anyone. I get some of them. The ones I don’t get, the bull gets, so it works out. As a farmer you have to do a lot by yourself especially when prices are down. I guess you could say I’m the jack of all trades, but a master of none. What do you enjoy most about dairy farming? Being my own boss. I like knowing that if something goes wrong, I made the mistake. The only people I have to answer to are the 60 girls in my barn every morning and night. What advice would you give to other dairy farmers? Diversity is always good. It helps spread your risk out. Diversity doesn’t x everything, but it does help. What has been the best purchase you have ever made on your farm? When we rst bought a mixer wagon. In the past, we used to feed out of a feeder wagon. When we switched to mixing the feed, there was a production increase. What has been your biggest accomplishment while dairy farming? Getting to raise my four kids – Allison, 6, Bridgette, 6, Emily, 4, and Connor, 6 months – on the farm. What are your plans for your dairy in the next year and ve years? No real big plans within the
PHOTO SUBMITTED
Adam Leitheiser milks 60 cows on his dairy farm in McCook County near Emery, S.D. next year, but in the next ve years I plan to try and upgrade facilities. We will need to x a few things in order to maintain what we have. By that time, upgrading and tune ups will become a necessity. How do you and your family like to spend time when you are not doing chores? Picnics in the park. We also do a lot of swimming and playing in the park. I enjoy spending time together as a family and having fun.
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Page 40 • Dairy Star • Saturday, August 10, 2019
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Parlor Detachers & Sensors / Meters
Now is a great time to save on GEA milking equipment upgrades Trade out your old milking equipment and immediately benefit by trading up to a better milking performance. Pick one item or upgrade your whole system. Ask your local GEA Milking Equipment Dealer for a quote and take advantage of the special offers going on right now! Your Local GEA Milking Equipment Dealers Advanced Dairy Solutions Centre Dairy Equipment Richland Center, Sauk Centre, MN WI 608-647-4488 • 800-772-4770 320-352-5762 • 800-342-2697
Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. Monroe WestfaliaSurge Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Midwest Livestock Systems Fuller’s Milker Center, Inc. Lancaster, WI • 800-887-4634 Monroe, WI • 608-325-2772 Rock Valley, IA Menomonie, WI • 715-235-5144 Lancaster, WI • 800-887-4634 712-476-5608 • 800-962-4346 Pine Island, MN • 800-233-8937 Leedstone, Inc. Sioux Dairy Equipment, Inc. Colton, SD Sioux Falls, SD • 800-705-1447 J. Gile Dairy Melrose, Equipment, Central Ag Supply, Inc. MN Inc. Rock Valley, Service IA 800-944-1217 Beatrice, NE • 800-742-5748 Central Ag Supply, Inc. Cuba City, WI • 608-744-2661 Baraboo, WI • 608-356-8384 320-256-3303 • 800-996-3303 712-476-5608 • 800-962-4346 Edgerton, MN Baraboo, WI • 608-356-8384 Juneau, WI • 920-386-2611 Glencoe, MN Chemical Sales 507-920-8626 Colton, SD Monroe WestfaliaSurge / Juneau, WI • 920-386-2611 Leedstone, Inc. 320-864-5575 • 877-864-5575 Service 800-944-1217 Koehn, Inc. Melrose, MN Centre Dairy Equipment and Supply Inc320-256-3303 Baraboo, WI • 608-356-8384 • 800-996-3303 712-476-5608 Tri • 800-962-4346 County Dairy Supply, Inc. Monroe, WI • 608-325-2772 Eastern Iowa Dairy Systems, Inc. 877-608-3877 • 800-996-3303 Juneau, WI • 920-386-2611 Glencoe, MN Janesville, WI • 800-822-7662 Colton, SD Glencoe, MN Epworth, IA • 563-876-3087 320-864-5575 • 877-864-5575 Preston Dairy Equipment Service 800-944-1217 Centre Dairy Equipment and Supply Inc. 320-864-5575 • 877-864-5575 Plainview, MN Sparta, WI Fitzgerald, Inc. Sauk Centre, MN Midwest Livestock Systems, Inc. Edgerton, MN 507-534-3161 • 800-548-2540 608-269-3830 • 1-888-863-0227 Elkader, IA • 563-245-2560 320-352-5762 • 800-342-2697 Menomonie, WI • 715-235-5144 Chemical Sales 507-920-8626 Woodville, WI • 866-467-4717
Fitzgerald, Inc. Elkader, IA • 563-245-2560
Owen, WI • 715-229-4740 Pine Island, MN • 800-233-8937 Sioux Falls, MN • 800-705-1447 Beatrice, NE • 800-742-5748